If owning a Leica camera is just a dream for you, you wouldn’t be alone. Bagging a camera with the famous red dot will cost you an arm and a leg, so it comes as no surprise that social media is showing us another way (besides selling a kidney): to fake it.
L-mount Rumors has reported a craze in China – which is one of the fastest growing markets for genuine Leica cameras – to customize Lumix cameras with Leica branding.
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Would you fake it?
Lumix and Leica cameras, especially those of the mirrorless and compact persuasion, already have more in common than you might think.
Their mirrorless cameras are both part of the L-mount alliance. The Lumix S9, the affordable model for many camera chuggers, has the same 24MP sensor as the Leica SL3-S and both pair with L-mount lenses.
Meanwhile, the Leica D-Lux 8 compact is based on the Lumix LX100 II with its 17MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and built-in 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.
For such models, core technology and image quality can be largely the same. However, there are many design and user interface differences between similar Lumix and Leica bodies, so a custom Lumix won’t feel quite like the real deal.
Besides lacking authenticity, some of the modded Lumix S9s I’ve seen, including the above with wooden grips and Leica branding, look pretty good to me! Would you pick up a cheap Lumix alternative and fake it as a Leica? Let me know in the comments below.
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