The D-Lux (Typ 109) ($1,195) is, for all intents and purposes, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 in Leica clothing. Calling it a rebadge isn't fair, as there's clear evidence of Leica's influence in the design of both cameras, notably in the dial-based control system. The D-Lux includes two additional years of warranty coverage and a license for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. That, along with some differences in ergonomics, make the D-Lux just as worthy of a choice as the LX100, but neither camera quite manages to displace the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III as our Editors' Choice premium compact camera.

What's Different?

The D-Lux measures in at 2.6 by 4.6 by 2.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 12.9 ounces, just a bit off from the LX100 (2.6 by 4.5 by 2.2 inches, 13.9 ounces). The savings in weight comes from the omission of a front handgrip on the Leica. The LX100 has a rubberized grip built into its faceplate, but that's not there on the D-Lux. Instead, Leica offers an add-on grip for shooters who want it. It's a pricey accessory at $160, but appears to be a bit deeper. The rear thumb grip on the D-Lux is also a bit shallower than that of the LX100.

The other change in ergonomics is minor. Panasonic uses rounded buttons for its rear controls, where Leica opts for rectangular ones. Both seemed equally useable to me. The Leica has the red dot logo in place of the Lumix branding, the D-Lux logo on the top plate, and a silver shutter release—the back version of the LX100 has a black shutter release and Panasonic branding up top.

The Leica is stamped Made in Japan on the bottom plate, while the LX100 rolls off production lines in China. This might translate into some difference in quality control, but the internal components are the same, and our two test units were, for all practical purposes, identical in optical performance. The Leica carries a longer three-year limited warranty, versus the one year that Panasonic includes with the LX100. Both models had a propensity to pick up scratches on the rear LCD, so a screen protector is recommended regardless of which one you buy.

From an imaging perspective, there is a minor difference in firmware. The D-Lux saves Raw images as RWL files, while the LX100 uses the RW2 extension, but there's no difference in the files, and no difference in the default JPG processing that I could identify. There is a difference in video recording; both models support 4K in MP4 format and other MP4 video in the same manner, but the Leica doesn't include the AVCHD recording options that the Panasonic does. This means that you lose the ability to record 1080p24 footage—if that matters to you, the Panasonic is a better choice. The D-Lux also uses a different smartphone app for Wi-Fi, Leica Image Shuttle, but it's identical in functionality to the Panasonic Image App.

Panasonic includes its own Raw processing software with the LX100, but Leica opts to include a license for the full version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5. That's worth $149.99 if you don't already own Lightroom or subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud. That bridges the price gap between the cameras to about $150. If you have a repair need that's covered by the longer Leica warranty that wouldn't be covered in the first year that Panasonic covers, the Leica suddenly looks like a good proposition from a value perspective.

If you're curious as to what we think about the D-Lux (Typ 109), consult our full review of the Panasonic DMC-LX100, which is identical from an imaging perspective. It includes a detailed overview of the controls and interface, as well as analysis of the image and video quality, and additional sample images.