It seems like the only time I seriously shoot the downtown skyline is when I’m testing new cameras. I was here on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge when I tested the Sony A7C vs. Fujifilm X-S10 last June. I was also at this exact location for my early Sony A7C testing a year ago.

It’s silly to compare the image quality of this compact Leica D-Lux 8 with a cropped Micro 4/3 sensor to a full-frame Sony A7C—it’s no contest. However, I wanted to see if the D-Lux 8 would produce satisfactory results. And it did. With good enough performance, the Leica D-Lux 8 might be a very welcome compact solution for travel—a potential single camera/lens combination.

When I first tested the Sony A7C, I used the Sony 24mm f2.8 prime lens, which is perfect for a wide view similar to what I have here. However, the D-Lux 8 has a 24mm to 75mm equivalent zoom lens, so I can shoot compositions not possible with a fixed 24mm lens.

Here is the Austin skyline zoomed in to 75mm equivalent. I picked this part of the city because it’s currently the fastest growing, including the Rainey Street District. About five towers are going up, though you can only see three cranes in this picture.

The skyscraper in the middle is the Waterline, which, at 1,021 feet, is scheduled to be the tallest building in Texas. It’s making steady progress, and I’m curious to see how tall it will appear from this vantage point when it’s completed in 2026.

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