A new compact camera with old school looks is on the way for folks who want a classic looking Leica for a little less.
There are a lot of words you can say about Leica cameras, but “inexpensive” isn’t one of them. The brand is known for some of the best cameras in the world, and has a heritage that stretches as far back as 1924. Yes, this year, Leica’s celebrates 100 years of its first commercially available 35mm film camera, which was designed in 1924 and came out in 1925.
Throughout that time, Leica models have seen quality and durability, but at a cost that’s often much higher than that of others in the market.
This year, though, there’s a compact variation on a theme, as Leica looks set to launch a compact camera with a short-range zoom lens covering the equivalent to 24-75mm.
The camera is the Leica D-Lux 8, and it takes the Leica look and design, as well as Leica glass, and throws it into a compact camera with a 21 megapixel 4/3 sensor supporting F1.7 to F2.8 through the barrel of that lens (24mm at F1.7, 75mm at F2.8).
It’ll be the first D-Lux camera from Leica to support DNG RAW files, and will come with a user interface inspired by the Leica Q, but it will cost a fraction of the price.
While the Leica Q3 comes with a 60 megapixel sensor, it also carries a near-$10K price for the privilege. By comparison, the Leica D-Lux 8 will cost $2790 when it launches on July 2, arriving with near the third the megapixels and a similarly set third of the price.
That’s not inexpensive for a camera, for sure, but given where Leica cameras normally hit, the D-Lux 8 is at the very least approaching normality for more buyers who possibly want to be exposed to the type of gear Leica is known for.
