Part of the fun of Leica’s cameras are the special editions they make. There are many times we’ve wished that more camera companies would do this, but it hasn’t happened. However, the new Leica D-LUX 7 007 Edition is a special ode to the James Bond series of films. And while it’s not a camera Bond used in one of the movies, it’s absolutely gorgeous and has an appeal that will last a long time.
The LEica D-LUX 7 007: How Is it Different?
Their last really stunning variant was the Bathing Ape. And like that camera, it carries a Four Thirds sensor with a 24-75mm equivalent lens starting at f1.8 and ending at f2.8. This new special camera is much different on the outside than it is on the inside. Here’s what Leica says makes this one so unique:
- Rhombus-textured material on the camera body and strap. I’d like to think this is a special ode to “Diamonds are Forever.”
- The 007 logo on top
- An automatic lens cap with the gun barrel that Bond is known for.
- Leather case is in the style of a gun holster.
- Black exterior
- Limited to 1962 units to commemorate Dr. No’s film debut in 1962.
Tech Specs
- 17 MP [4:3 aspect] high-sensitivity multi-aspect four-thirds MOS sensor
- Leica DC 24-75mm lens [F1.7-2.8], with POWER O.I.S. [Optical Image Stabilizer]
- 24p / 30p 4K video and exclusive 4K PHOTO modes plus focus stacking.
- Electronic Viewfinder EVF [2,764k-dot], and large 3-inch touch-sensitive monitor [1240k-dot]
- Classic external manual exposure and camera operation controls.
- Optical Zoom: 3x Optical Zoom
- Resolution: 17 MP
- Configuration: Includes Camera Only
- Digital Zoom: 4x Optical Zoom
Our Thoughts
To bring us back to reality, let’s sort some things out. The Leica D-LUX 7 007 Edition is a special edition of the Leica D-LUX 7. The Leica D-LUX 7 is almost a clone of Panasonic’s LX100 Mk II. Where it differs is the firmware, but we’ve also heard that the lens coatings are also not the same. When you purchase the Leica, you also get some other goodies like a two-year warranty. Leica’s camera costs $1,395, while Panasonic’s costs $1,000. For the price, that’s not too bad if you’re really into Leica.
While Panasonic hasn’t done much with that camera, Leica has kept it alive with its fascinating collaborations. Compact camera sales are reportedly falling, but this camera is meant to do more professionally oriented work. And truly, this would’ve been a fantastic compact camera if they had weather-sealed it. Granted, it’s still capable of shooting great photos and has very pleasing ergonomics.
The Leica D-LUX 7 007 Edition will cost $1,995 (that’s nothing for a James Bond lover). James Bond lovers are known for paying thousands of dollars for Omega Seamaster watches. However, Bond actually uses those in the movies. He doesn’t use the Leica D-LUX 7 007 in No Time to Die. But Leica released a special edition of the Q2 for that movie as well.
As a lukewarm fan of the movies, I think this is really cool. But offering a Leica D-LUX 7 007 Edition feels like not enough of a sendoff for Bond. It makes me wonder why we didn’t get an M of some sort. An M11 007 Edition would’ve commanded a lot more money. Even so, a Leica SL2-s also could’ve done similar. And if we really wanted to dream, a Leica M6 007 Edition would’ve instantly become a collector’s item that both film photographers and Bond lovers would’ve adored.
Still, though many tend to hate on Leica, our staff has huge respect for that company. They kept a camera alive when the Japanese company that first created it more or less abandoned it. And Leica has tried a lot of new things that are otherwise considered unsafe for profits. I have to give credit where credit is due.
The Leica D-Lux 7 is a premium compact camera with a 17 megapixel, multi-aspect Micro Four Thirds sensor.
The D Lux 7 also features UHD 4K video recording at 30/24fps, 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 3.1x Leica lens, 2.76m-dot electronic viewfinder, 3.0" 1.24m-dot touchscreen LCD monitor, 11fps burst shooting, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, 4K photo modes, hot shoe-mounted external flash, and in-camera battery charging.
The D Lux 7 is available now in black and silver priced at £999 / €1099 / $1195 in the UK, Europe and USA respectively.
Read our in-depth Leica D-Lux 7 digital camera review to find out how this premium compact performed...
Ease of Use
Leica’s new D-Lux 7 is a fixed lens, compact travel zoom camera that manages the trick of being both premium – the clue is in that ‘D-Lux’ (read: deluxe) nomenclature – yet, by its manufacturer’s pricing standards, relatively affordable with it.
That said, for a pocket-sized point and shooter it’s certainly not inexpensive. For the current £995 UK asking price, you could alternatively buy yourself a solid performing interchangeable lens mirror-less camera from one of the other leading brands – but, admittedly, it still wouldn’t have the perceived cachet that comes with owning a Leica.
You could also buy the very similar Panasonic LX100 II this is based on, of course, which retailed for around £849 on launch late summer 2018, and save yourself £146 in the process.
Arriving after recent ‘stealth’ models aimed at street photographers and photojournalists that hide Leica’s normally covetable branding, the D-Lux 7 breaks rank and displays that red Leica logo proudly top right of the lens. However, it’s likewise as a camera for snapshots and street photography that, for our money, this particular model also excels.
As we’d expect of Leica, the largely metal build D-Lux 7 feels solid when held in the palm, or slipped into a jacket pocket, where it also rests comfortably and conveniently. Key features to acknowledge here are a relatively modest 17-megapixel resolution from a 21.77 megapixel Four Thirds CMOS sensor that’s married to a lens with an equivalent reach of a wideangle 24-75mm in 35mm film terms.
Maximum lens aperture is an impressively fast/bright f/1.7, with the ability to adjust this manually via a lens ring that offers incremental settings up to f/16. Or, of course, you can just leave the selection up to the camera and shoot on automatic, which has its own dedicated button too.
Being a bang-up-to-date release, and with Leica’s long standing partnership with Panasonic still intact, it’s unsurprising that this compact arrives with the option of 4K video and 4K resolution photos; both pretty much standard issue across that electronic manufacturer’s range now.
Here there’s the ability to capture video clips in 4K at up to a respectable 30fps. The default setting on the camera is otherwise Full HD video clips, giving users a modicum of choice depending on the desired use for said footage, and how much removable memory (via optional SD card once again) is available to store all that data, of course.
Though the 3-inch backplate LCD is fixed rather than being of the tilt and swivel variety – which would of course have added slightly more bulk to what’s overall a relatively svelte and well engineered piece of kit – at least the screen offers touch sensitive control (albeit, as we find with Panasonic, we actually prefer the physical controls).
Despite such concessions to modernity, the rangefinder-like top plate dials for controlling shutter speed and exposure compensation nevertheless provide the D-Lux 7 with a ‘classic’ look and feel, the camera going further by including the now expected Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB connectivity – the latter port (which sits under a side flap also protecting a HDMI slot) being used for charging the camera too.
It’s also one of Leica’s first to be compatible with its recently introduced ‘Fotos’ app, which allows for remote control of the camera via a smartphone, as well as providing a virtual image gallery-in-your-hand for photographers.
Appealing just as much to photo enthusiasts is the fact that, top left of the aforementioned LCD screen, we also get an eye level electronic viewfinder (EVF), positioned in such a helpful way that, if you hold the camera up to your right eye, your nose handily clears the left hand side of the camera, rather than squashing up against the LCD below and smearing it.
While 2.8 million dot resolution imbues the tiny EVF with an almost life-like clarity in daylight, in lower light levels visibility suffers due to its pokey-ness, and ultimately the 0.2-inch EVF proves no match for the greater visibility provided by the larger 3-inch screen situated beneath it.
In terms of actually shooting in low light, a maximum user-selectable light sensitivity setting (in Program mode) of ISO 25600 isn’t as high as some, though it’s arguably higher than most will need or actually use. While lower light conditions did result in occasional blurred results for us due to camera shake, it’s still possible to hold the camera relatively steady thanks to its weight and the thin neck strap provided out of the box.
As there is no flash built into this model – though there is a vacant hotshoe provided – there is no choice initially but to bump up the ISO settings and for the photographer to simply make the best of it.
Unlike the Panasonic LX100 II, which features a nigh identical control wheel-heavy top plate layout, this Leica branded alternative boasts a flattened faceplate with nary a hint of the handgrip or roughened faux leatherette surface provided by its near doppelganger.
Like that Panasonic model, however, the D-Lux 7 boasts the ability to shoot in a variety of image aspect ratios – marked on a slider control that sits snugly atop the lens and closest to the camera body. Here we get a choice of 3:2, 16:9, 1:1 for Instagram fans, or more regular (for a digital camera) 4:3. Again, this is exactly the same as the LX100 II.
The closest ring to the front of the lens allows for control over aperture. Here there are notched settings for auto, f/1.7, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11 and f/16. A twist of the middle ring, meanwhile, provides a means of manually zooming in or out – though as the zoom is motorised and moves forward or back in stages, it’s tricky to be that precise with our framing.
Though we miss the hint of a handgrip at front of the Leica D-Lux 7 that the alternative in Panasonic’s LX100 II provided us with, Leica’s interpretation pulls off the neat trick of looking both classic and modern at the same time.
The mixture of silver and black detailing gives the Leica a premium look in just the same way as the construction provides it with a premium feel, while the aforementioned lens rings and top plate controls provide a degree of hands on controllability and adjustment that most compacts don’t.
Indeed, the operability provided via the top plate is where the camera most impresses. While looking slightly busy, operation is straightforward enough. Pin pricks housing stereo microphones sit forward of a vacant hotshoe in the absence of any integral flash, and to the right of these, we find – if viewing the camera from the back – a cluster of controls, including an ergonomically raised shutter release button, encircled by a lever for operating the zoom; the latter being safely hidden within the lens barrel when the camera is not in use.
The shutter release is flanked by two rangefinder-like ridged bottle top style dials for adjusting shutter speed and exposure compensation (the latter to +/- 3EV), each with just the right amount of give and resistance in operation, enabling you as a photographer to intuitively tweak settings while keeping an eye on the screen or viewfinder.
Flick the on/off switch nestled against the shutter speed dial and this camera whirrs into life within two seconds, the rear LCD blinking into action as the lens extends from within its barrel to protrude an inch and a half from the body.
Half press the shutter release and this Leica is also reasonably quick to determine focus; green focus points flicker across the screen as it seeks out possible subjects in your frame within milliseconds; a bleep of affirmation given when it alights upon one.
Press that shutter release button down fully and a combination of JPEG and Raw file are committed to memory within a swift two seconds – if the camera is operating in regular single shot mode. Well, so much for the AF response times, but what about accuracy? Does the D-Lux 7 get it right every time? Not always no, but more often than not, yes.
The other two tiny pin-head buttons on the top plate govern the camera’s drive mode – providing a swift means of switching between fully automatic point and shoot mode and user-adjustable Program mode, for example, while we also get a button for switching to 4K Photo Mode, another carry-over feature from the Panasonic version of this camera. Selecting 4K Photo Mode does limit manual access to the top tier ISO settings however – with the maximum selectable being ISO6400 in this mode.
While the right hand flank of the Leica D-Lux 7 – if we’re viewing it from the back – features the flap covering the HDMI and USB ports as mentioned earlier, the opposite side is feature-free, save for a lug for attaching the provided neck strap strap, a practical feature which is obviously mirrored on the right hand side of the camera too.
The base of the Leica meanwhile features a covered compartment for housing the provided lithium ion battery – which can be charged in camera – and of course, a removable SD card of varying capacity. Just a little off-centre is a screw thread for attaching this compact to a tripod if wished.
The rear plate of the D-Lux 7 is largely taken up by its aforementioned LCD screen that is also a touch screen. In practice, though, we found it less fiddly to actually use the physical controls provided alongside, which mirror those found on most pocket sized digital compacts.
Here we get a familiar scroll wheel with a ‘menu set’ button conveniently situated in the centre, allowing for a press of the thumb. Ranged around the wheel are convenient dedicated settings for selecting ISO, white balance, self-timer or burst/drive mode, along with AF mode.
Above this we’re provided with two buttons – a familiar (from the Panasonic perspective) ‘Quick/Quality Menu’ button plus an equally recognisable playback button. This control formation is mirrored below the scroll wheel by buttons for the deletion of images/videos and a familiar ‘display’ button, for, as it indicates, turning the displayed on-screen info on or off.
Above the screen itself we get a further quartet of buttons. These cover activating (or deactivating) the camera’s EVF, switching on or off the Panasonic implemented Post Focus function, while we find dedicated video capture ‘record’ button here too, where it’s less noticeable, but at least it doesn’t have to fight for attention on the camera’s already busy top plate. Finally, the last button is for accessing auto focus and auto exposure.
Generally speaking, the Leica D-Lux 7’s controls and on-screen menus are both comprehensive yet clearly laid out, covering the familiar photo and video capture options, along with equally familiar set up menus.
We also get the ability to apply the likes of Vivid or Expressive digital filters to shots to provide added punch and dynamism, if so desired, while the usual Photo Style settings now include no fewer than three different monochrome / black and white modes – again these are options carried over from the Panasonic LX100 II.
So while industry partners Panasonic and Leica appear to have produced two cameras from very much the same pod – albeit in the case of Leica, one with a slightly more luxurious look and finish, how does the D-Lux 7 measure up when it comes to performance and image quality? Read on to find out…
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 17 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.
The Leica D-Lux 7 is obviously notable this time around for, like its Panasonic LX100 II near-doppelganger, squeezing a Four Thirds sensor, more usually found in an interchangeable lens mirror-less camera, into a relatively compact body.
One might conclude that this would immediately deliver a markedly better image quality than the average compact with a physically smaller imaging chip and you might be right, save for the fact that said sensor is, in this model, out of necessity married to a relatively modest – in terms of size – Leica manufactured lens. Thus results are, to our eyes, neither as sharp as an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera with the same sensor, nor an APS-C DSLR you could alternatively get for the price.
As long as you can avoid the effects of camera shake if shooting hand held, low light performance is however impressive for a camera of this size, with softening of detail to limit the appearance of image noise only really visible in the very top two ISO settings (ISO 12500 and 25000 equivalent).
Generally colours are naturalistically rendered with just the right amount of contrast and visual punch applied. On dull wintry days with featureless skies the camera tends to underexpose but this is nothing out of the ordinary. On the whole we were satisfied with the results rather than being blown away by them. And, of course, someone buying this as a convenient sized premium snapshot to take with them on their travels will no doubt be so too.
Noise
There are 8 ISO settings available on the Leica D-Lux 7. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and RAW file formats.
JPEG RAW
ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 25000 (100% Crop)
ISO 25000 (100% Crop)
Focal Range
The Leica D-Lux 7's 3.1x zoom lens offers a fairly versatile focal range, as illustrated by these examples.
24mm
75mm
Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting. You can change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.
Original (100% Crop)
Sharpened (100% Crop)
Macro
The Leica D-Lux 7 offers a macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 3cm away from the camera when the lens is set to 24mm wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
Macro
Night
The Leica D-Lux 7's maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography.
Night
Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Leica D-Lux 7 camera, which were all taken using the 17 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
Sample RAW Images
The Leica D-Lux 7 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Leica RAW (RWL) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).
Sample Movies & Video
This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 3840x2160 at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 41 second movie is 460Mb in size.
Is Leica D
The Leica D-Lux 7 is decent for travel photography. It's highly portable and lightweight, with physical control dials that make it easy for manual shooters to adjust settings on the go. Image quality is also good for a compact camera. On top of that, it has a pretty good battery life.
Is the D
The Leica D-Lux 7 is an enthusiast compact that's nearly identical to Panasonic's Lumix DC-LX100 II. Like that camera, it has a 17MP Four Thirds sensor that allows the camera to maintain the same field-of-view at 16:9, 3:2 and 4:3 aspect ratios.
Is Leica D
The Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II and the Leica D-Lux 7 are similar cameras. The D-Lux 7 is essentially a Leica-branded LUMIX LX100 II. The biggest difference between the two cameras is that the Leica has a slightly different body, with no finger grip.
Is Leica D
Leica D-Lux 7 Street Photography Score Leica D-Lux 7 has a score of 85 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.