First test
the 24-75mm powerzoom lens offers a great way to switch between the four framing options – 4:3, 16:9, 1:1 and 3:2 can all be accessed quickly, allowing you to work out which ratio best suits your scene. Bear in mind that, while the Micro Four Thirds sensor offers 21.7 megapixels, you’ll never see this pixel count in full effect as the different ratios crop the sensor. The highest resolution available is 17 megapixels in the 4:3 ratio. Surprisingly for a new camera model, the sensor is also exactly the same as the one that appeared in the D-Lux 7. The battery is the same as well, for that matter. Rather than a healthy increase in megapixels, Leica has focused on luring customers in through other aspects of the specification. The EVF is an upgrade, plus there are camera control updates, a USB-C connection for charging on the move and Raw files are now recorded in the universal DNG format. I also enjoyed using the Leica Fotos app, which is available for iOS and Android devices as a free download. Pairing the D-Lux 8 was seamless and this makes it easy to download files ready for sharing, as well as offering remote control. In use, the little Leica is functional without being exceptional. I found
Whether you’re shooting stills or video, the results come out well. The 24-75mm zoom offers sharpness and detail throughout the range and the autofocus is assured. However, if you’re shooting continuously with autofocus you’ll only get two frames per second. Use manual focusing and this jumps to 11 frames.
it slow to power up, so I tended to leave the camera on between shots, which resulted in faster battery drain. The powerzoom is also quite slow to operate; whether finessing framing or trying to rack from wide to telephoto, the speed remains mono-paced. The menu system is logically laid out and quite easy to navigate,
simplifying function setting. There is also good exposure control, with the shutter speed dial on the top- plate and aperture ring on the lens making it easy to access the desired PASM exposure mode. A top-plate thumbwheel, which previously only offered exposure compensation, is now customisable.
FOTO FEATURES A useful lens aperture ring (left), and examples of wide angle (above) and macro-scale (right) taken on the D-Lux 8
Verdict The D-Lux 8 is the cheapest entry point to the Leica digital camera range, so if you’ve always promised yourself that you’ll own one, this is the model to make your dreams a reality. In truth, it’s a lovely piece of design with minimal buttons, dials and switches that provide access to the features and functions you’ll use the most. The results are good too, but I personally don’t think there are enough changes over the previous model. This is more of a D-Lux 7.5 than a D-Lux 8, with developments focused on changing small things rather than offering major leaps forward in resolution or video options. PROS Looks great, good viewfinder, decent images, DNGs for Raw, it’s a Leica CONS Same sensor as previous model, no handgrip, average battery life, slow zoom and power-up, premium price
38 Photography News | Issue 118
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