Leica has reacted quickly to repair the SL3 firmware bug that left some owners wondering where their pictures had gone. Random overwriting of files is a potentially disastrous occurrence, especially for professionals, and this is therefore an essentila updade.
It’s official. The Leica D-Lux 8 has been stripped of some useful features in the quest for “the essential” and the aim for conformity with other models in the range. Strangely, I noticed these omissions within ten minutes of picking up the camera, so I am no doubt focusing on the inessential. The primary missing functions are the popular step-zoom of the D-Lux 7, the zoom function on the lens and the operation-lock feature, which enabled users to lock a series of functions to avoid inadvertent changing of settings.
Before discussing the missing options, I must say that I am generally in favour of Leica’s simplification programme under the banner of “Das Wesentliche”. Cameras (especially for cameras aimed at stills photographers) have become too complicated. Menus are a challenge to navigate, and the plethora of controls and function buttons grows with every redesign. I therefore welcome the new D-Lux 8 as a “Leicafied” version of the long-established compact range. The new menu system, the simplified controls and the subtle body changes are all a step in the right direction.
Nevertheless, there are limits, and I believe it is a mistake to delete really useful features for no good reason. Both the step-zoom and the lock features were high on my list of D-Lux 7 positives. Indeed, they are functions that I regard as essential rather than candidates for the guillotine. I was therefore disappointed (and rather annoyed) to find that both are missing from the D-Lux 8. In case you are new to the D-Lux range, here is a brief overview of the deleted functions:
On the D-Lux 7 and previous models, there was an option to set the zoom lever to jump to traditional focal lengths — 28, 35, 50 and 75mm (full-frame equivalent, of course; the camera has a much smaller Four Thirds sensor). Furthermore, the camera could be set to resume the chosen zoom setting when waking up. Thus, it was possible to decide on the daily discipline of shooting at a fixed focal length, say 35mm or 50mm, and have the camera lens simulate that fixed focal length.
Using the step-zoom setting allowed the D-Lux 7 and its ancestors to be used as a fixed-lens street-photography camera. Choose 28 or 35 and the camera would behave like a Ricoh GR or Fuji X100. A good thing, I thought, and I am astounded that Leica considers it so unwesentlich.
Sure, the step-zoom probably appeals mainly to established Leica users who are accustomed to thinking in prime terms. In common with many readers, I have a good understanding of what to expect at these established focal lengths, and I found the step-zoom facility on the previous D-Lux models surprisingly useful. And, what’s more, it was great fun. It added a touch of spice to using the camera.
There is also a more practical reason, since the focus ring on the lens can no longer be assigned to the zoom function. The zoom lever, which is concentric with the shutter button, is the only way of changing the focal length, and it is easy to overshoot a desired setting. Precision is difficult — try choosing 35mm or 50mm, just to massage your OCD, and your blood pressure will rise in sync with your frustration. The old step-zoom feature was so much better.
The D-Lux 7 and D-Lux 8 are zoom compacts. Yet Leica has removed all the zoom settings from the 8, apart from the use of the lever to zoom. The menu options for zoom customisation have been completely removed, and the D-Lux 8 is all the worse for it.
We have not yet been able to check the focus-ring zoom assignment with Leica, and we hope we are wrong. If the option is there, it is well hidden.
The operation lock feature (which is common to all Panasonic Lumix cameras, including the LX100, on which the D-Lux is based) enables one-button locking of a custom set of features. Again, I found this ability to avoid inadvertent fiddling with settings to be extremely useful. For instance, it solved the problem of accidentally moving a fixed centre spot focus point around the screen as a result of touching the screen or nudging the four-way pad.
Now, the D-Lux behaves just like the Q3, with the ever-present danger of moving the focus point. Even the SL3 now boasts a return-to-centre function (which can be assigned to a button). A double tap returns the focus point to the centre. And there is also a workaround solution which helps with the Leica Q3. We outlined the steps in an earlier article.
There has been pressure from many owners for some form of focus-point lock (and the more general operation lock on the D-Lux 7 achieved this objective). However, Leica has now removed a good feature, one that was already incorporated into the -7.
We asked Leica’s press office for clarification on the slimmed-down capabilities of the D-Lux 8 and these are the responses we received by return.
Macfilos: Why has the step-zoom been deleted? This was a favourite feature on the D-Lux 7, but we can find no menu option for zoom functions.
Leica: This is due to prioritisation of other features, we wanted to focus on the essential.
Macfilos: Why has the useful operation-lock feature been deleted?
Leica: In order to remain in unification with the Leica camera line-up, such as the Q3.
Macfilos: Could any of the omissions above be added in a firmware update?
Leica: This is unlikely because everything mentioned above was a deliberate decision.
Sample images from the Leica D-Lux 8, taken in Konstanz, Germany
Several well-known Leica hands I’ve spoken to are not concerned by these changes. They agree with Leica that removing “unusual” features in the interests of “Das Wesentliche” is a good move.
Others share my frustration. Indeed, if you can do without the OLED viewfinder and the higher-resolution screen, the D-Lux 7 remains the better camera for enthusiasts. Sadly, this dumbing down is only going to give potential enthusiast buyers another excuse to choose an alternative.
What’s your view? Did you like the step-zoom facility on earlier D-Lux cameras, or did you never use it? Do you think it was a good idea not to offer a zoom function on the lens? Are you happy to lose features in exchange for “Das Wesentliche”. Let’s discuss below.
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We hear a lot of things about the Leica M5. “Not real M camera”, “ugly brick”, “Leica‘s biggest mistake” and so on. I must admit that I also neglected this luckless camera over a long period of time. But then I came across a copy that whispered to me: “Take a chance on me.”
How important is sensor size in your camera-purchase decision-making? This week, we highlight a selection of stories about cameras featuring very different sensor formats. We hear directly from someone who paid hard cash for a new four thirds camera. And he’s not the only fan of this diminutive format. We also hear from a famous owner of Leica’s flagship full-frame camera. To round off the week, we’ve even included some information on how these sensors, big and small, actually work.
For connoisseurs of camera straps (in general, those who don’t fit the strap that comes in the camera box), the choice is now huge. But the fundamental decision remains — does today’s outing demand a full neck strap, or is it a wrist-strap day? The dilemma could now be over thanks to the Bowman Duo and the ingenuity of a British manufacturer.
The young French camera manufacturer Pixii has issued a statement. The full-frame Pixii Max digital rangefinder camera is ready to be manufactured. It will not replace, but complement, their previous model with an APS-C sensor. The small company shows that you don’t need to be a multinational brand to reach the pinnacle of camera technology. According to the announcement, the Pixii Max will continue many of the good features of earlier models and at the same time bring interesting innovations.
The Leica D-Lux 8, which was announced on May 23, is now officially on sale. The camera is the eighth generation of the model, which was first introduced in 2003. For the first time, the D-Lux 8 is an exclusive Leica product and will not be accompanied by a Panasonic sibling. The exterior of the camera has benefited from a Leica-style makeover, and the user interface is now based on other models in the Leica line-up. While the camera appears to be entirely new, it shares most of its internals with the D-Lux 7, which has been on the market for six years.
Based upon the most recent quarterly viewing figures, our readership remains fascinated with stories about Leica gear. A few non-Leica stories sneaked into the top ten list, but guess what — they all described rangefinder cameras. As that Genesis song goes: “I know what I like, and I like what I know”. So, what made the Macfilos top ten? Let’s have a closer look at how you — the readers — voted with your views.
Among the most esoteric hobbies known to mankind, train spotting ranks high. It often entails spending days in freezing cold, waiting for fleeting images of railway locomotives and ticking off their numbers in a little book. The aficionados of the cult are variously known affectionately as puffer nutters or anoraks. Surprisingly, they are known as “Pufferküsser” (puffer kissers) in Germany, and “foamers” in the USA — a term which nicely encapsulates the essential tad of eccentricity.
Does the mention of computational photography bring you out in a cold sweat? Or, are you relishing the challenge of learning new computational photographic techniques? Whether we like it or not, machine learning algorithms are already impacting our photography. And, there is more to come. This week, we hear about yet another computationally aided way to turn your smartphone into a ‘real’ camera. We also learn about a new AI-assisted way to add a splash of colour to your black and white shots. And, we have a primer on all the ways computational photography is enhancing that phone camera in your pocket.
If you have been following developments in the L-Mount world, you have probably heard of the Lumix S5II. Commentators often refer to it as a stepping stone to the more prestigious, and much more expensive, Leica SL-cameras. But, increasingly, the camera is being viewed as an outstanding performer in its own right. In fact, if you were to buy one of these puppies, why would you ever need that Leica upgrade? Let’s have a closer look at this superb piece of kit.
Sales of photographic film are booming. But, despite shelling out big money on the film itself, it looks like the new cadre of film shooters have some new ideas. Film buffs want scans, not negatives. We take a look at this new and rather perverse trend in this week’s Newsround. We also report on a whopping price paid for a 1958 MP2 Pro camera and discuss the massive range of L-Mount lenses. News comes that a new full-frame camera is already on backorder, while Leica’s new Lux Pro iPhone application is making converts. Furthermore, we review the current stable of gear at Macfilos Towers and drop the bombshell that we’ve ordered something new. Finally, we have a glimpse of one of our most prolific writers and photographers, John Shingleton, on his first return visit to England in several decades. Editor Mike took him walkabouts at the Brooklands Museum, south-west of London.
It’s a fact: Ricoh launched a new film camera, Pentax branded, half-frame and with a price tag of $500. The Pentax 17, as it is called because of the 17mm-wide negatives, is already available. The first reactions are mixed — from euphoria to disappointment, pretty much everything seems to be in the package.
Thus, legend says, Ernst Leitz II spoke at the meeting 100 years ago in June 1924. It was decided that Barnack’s 35mm camera would be produced by his employer, the firm of Ernst Leitz based in Wetzlar. This meeting was the stuff of legend, and no formal records of the exist today. Indeed, we do not know the exact day the meeting took place, but it was probably before the patent application for the camera was made on either 16 or 17 June 1924. Legend has it that the meeting ended at 12.30pm because it was lunchtime for Ernst Leitz, of which more anon.
Now that my Leica Q3 is one year old, and well-used, it’s a good time to do a comprehensive review of this little camera. It’s only once you’ve used a camera in real-world, highly stressed situations that you get a true understanding of its capabilities. I’ve had plenty of those situations in the past twelve months! And here’s what I think.
