Best Memory Card for Leica D-Lux 8
The Leica D-Lux 8 is the first D-Lux that writes DNG (~31 MB) and 4K at 100 Mbps. Leica’s current sheet and the instruction-book Technical Data both say UHS-II recommended, UHS-I also fine, SD / SDHC / SDXC. An earlier July 2024 datasheet still said UHS-I / UHS Speed Class 3 and SDXC ≤128 GB. Independent buffer timings on this body show UHS-I and UHS-II clearing in about the same ~25 seconds. The 2026 card is a 128 GB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I: V30 / U3 for the 100 Mbps stream, 128 GB for a travel week of DNG. It is not a V90 UHS-II slab sold because the website said “recommended.”
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed August 2026 · Leica D-Lux 8 · SD/SDHC/SDXC · U3 / V30 · DNG + 4K 100 Mbps
UHS-I V30 / U3. The class both Leica PDFs agree on. Full-size SDXC. Confirm the title says UHS-I, not UHS-II.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Same 128 GB and V30. Skip the PRO label. Still U3 for 4K 100 Mbps — not an Ultra U1.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓V30 / U3, 64 GB. Enough DNG for a BP-DC15 day. Do not drop to a Class 10 Ultra to save four dollars.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Comparison Table
| Product | Best for | Bus / class | On D-Lux 8 | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB UHS-I | Default D-Lux 8 | UHS-I · V30 / U3 | DNG + 4K 100 Mbps | ~$18–$28 | Check |
| SanDisk Extreme 128GB | V30 without PRO | UHS-I · V30 / U3 | Same job, less label | ~$14–$22 | Check |
| SanDisk Extreme 64GB | One BP-DC15 day | UHS-I · V30 / U3 | ~2,000 DNGs | ~$12–$20 | Check |
| Extreme PRO UHS-II | Skip as default | UHS-II · V60/V90 | ~25 s buffer either way | $40+ | Check |
| SanDisk Ultra 128GB | Skip for 4K | UHS-I · U1 / C10 | Below U3 | ~$10–$16 | Check |
How We Picked These Cards
- What Leica published: D-Lux 8 Type 3952A (leica-camera.com technical specification + instructions Technical Data): storage medium UHS-II (recommended), UHS-I, SD / SDHC / SDXC. No GB ceiling on the live page or in the current instruction-book table. July 2024 technical-data PDF still printed UHS-I / UHS Speed Class 3 and SDXC ≤128 GB — treat that as the conservative printed line, not as a reason to ignore a 256 GB card that formats. Files: DNG (12-bit, ~31 MB), DNG+JPG, JPG (DCF 2.0 / Exif 2.31); video MP4 H.264 AAC stereo. 4K 3840×2160 at 29.97 / 23.98 fps, 4:2:0 8-bit, 100 Mbps; FHD 60p 28 Mbps, FHD 30p 20 Mbps; clip max 29 min. Drive: 2 fps 12-bit with AF; 7 fps and 11 fps 10-bit. Buffer with a fast card (CIPA, Leica table): 11 fps — 12 DNG / 12 DNG+JPG / 100 JPG; 7 fps — 13 DNG; 2 fps — 23 DNG. Manual: format a new or foreign card in-camera; video needs a high write speed; “the memory card may not be supported (capacity).” USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C (5 Gbps). BP-DC15 7.2 V 1025 mAh; Leica did not print a CIPA shot count (D-Lux 7 / LX100 II class is ~340; reviewers guess ~300). 397 g with battery. No internal storage.
- 100 Mbps is V30 math; UHS-II is a recommendation, not a measured win: 100 megabits is 12.5 MB/s. UHS Speed Class 3 / V30 is a 30 MB/s video floor — the line on the July 2024 PDF and the class 4K 100 Mbps actually needs. U1 / Class 10 (10 MB/s) is under that stream. 11 fps × 31 MB DNG is a short buffer (12 frames), not a sports pipeline; Amateur Photographer reported ~25 seconds to clear on both UHS-I and UHS-II. Camera Decision saw the same: no buffer-time difference. Photo Review’s timing used a Lexar UHS-II V60 and still saw ~15 DNG in 2.1 s and 14.8 s to clear — the body, not the second row of pins, is the limit. USB 3.1 Gen 1 will not turn a UHS-I card into a CFexpress dump; a UHS-II reader will show the V60 sticker. Buy UHS-II if you already own the reader. Do not buy it to make 11 fps last longer.
- The box you actually buy: Full-size SDXC, 64 or 128 GB, V30 / U3, formatted in the D-Lux 8. Extreme PRO 128 GB UHS-I (the listing must say UHS-I). Extreme 128 GB or 64 GB UHS-I V30. 256 GB Extreme / PRO UHS-I if the card stays in — current Leica text dropped the 128 GB cap. Skip Extreme PRO UHS-II as the default. Skip Ultra U1. Skip microSD kits. Skip no-name cards Leica already refused to guarantee.
Best Memory Card for Leica D-Lux 8: Detailed Reviews
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB UHS-I View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I · 128 GB (256 GB same family) |
|---|---|
| Class | V30 / U3 — above 100 Mbps (12.5 MB/s), still UHS-I |
| On D-Lux 8 | ~31 MB DNG · 12-frame 11 fps buffer · 4K until 29:00 |
| Capacity math | 128 GB ≈ 4,000 DNGs or ~170 min of 4K. Clips die at 29 min. Battery is ~300 frames |
| Buy this listing | Extreme PRO 128 GB UHS-I. Not Extreme PRO UHS-II. Not Extreme PRO microSD |
Why it fits the D-Lux 8. This is the first D-Lux that writes a 31 MB DNG and a 100 Mbps 4K file. U3 / V30 is the speed class both of Leica’s documents can agree on. Extreme PRO UHS-I is that class with a write floor that will not flake on a 29-minute 4K take, and a 128 GB size that matches a 397 g compact you actually carry. Format in the camera — Leica says a card from a computer or another body needs that step. 256 GB if you refuse to dump; the live spec no longer says ≤128 GB. Do not pay for UHS-II on this SKU. The extra pin row is what the website recommends and what AP timed as a wash on buffer clear. Pull the card onto a reader if you want Extreme PRO’s read sticker; USB 3.1 Gen 1 in the camera is 5 Gbps, not a UHS-II bus.
Skip this if you want the same V30 without the PRO price — Extreme 128. Skip every listing that only says “Extreme PRO 128GB” and then shows a UHS-II V60 box.
- U3 / V30 matches 4K 100 Mbps
- 128 GB ≈ a week of DNG before the battery does
- UHS-I — the bus this body actually used in buffer tests
- Amazon mixes UHS-I and UHS-II in the same PRO row
- UHS-II owners will call this “slow” on a reader, not in the camera
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
SanDisk Extreme 128GB SDXC View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I · 128 GB |
|---|---|
| Class | V30 / U3 / Class 10 — same video floor as Extreme PRO UHS-I |
| On D-Lux 8 | 4K 100 Mbps with margin. DNG burst still ends at ~12 frames |
| Read vs write | Extreme’s 160–190 MB/s read is a reader number. Write is the V30 floor |
| SKU trap | Extreme microSD. Extreme 32 GB. Ultra in the same carousel |
Why it is Value. V30 is the pairing. The PRO label is sequential-write marketing on a camera whose 11 fps DNG buffer is twelve frames. Extreme 128 GB is the U3 card AP’s “UHS-I is enough” result was describing. Format in the D-Lux 8. Keep 256 GB Extreme if that is what is on sale — current Leica text does not forbid it. Do not confuse this with Ultra 128 GB. Ultra is often U1. U1 is 10 MB/s. 4K here is 12.5 MB/s.
Skip this if you already decided 64 GB matches the battery — Extreme 64. Skip if you want one PRO SKU in a mixed Leica bag.
- V30 / U3 without PRO money
- 128 GB under any published cap
- Same in-camera format rule
- Slightly slower peak write than Extreme PRO
- Will not make the 12-DNG buffer larger
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
SanDisk Extreme 64GB SDXC View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I · 64 GB |
|---|---|
| Why 64 not 128 | ~2,000 × 31 MB DNG. Reviewers empty the 1025 mAh cell around 200–340 frames |
| On D-Lux 8 | Same 4K 100 Mbps / U3 rule. Clips still stop at 29 min |
| Buy this listing | Extreme 64 GB SDXC. Not Extreme 64 GB microSD. Not Ultra 64 GB |
| Skip | Class 10 cards with no V30 / U3. Locked write-protect sliders |
Why it is Budget. A 31 MB DNG and a 29-minute 4K clip do not need 128 GB if you dump when you charge. Extreme 64 GB keeps the V30 floor. That is the whole budget rule on this body: shrink capacity, do not shrink class. Format in the camera. The July 2024 “≤128 GB” line is not a reason to buy 32 GB SDHC.
Skip this if the card stays in for a week of street DNG — Extreme or Extreme PRO 128.
- V30 / U3 at the lowest honest Extreme price
- Matches a compact battery day
- Full-size SDXC
- Half the files of 128 GB
- You will dump more often if you shoot 4K
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If You Need Something Else
Leica’s live sheet recommends UHS-II. Amazon will sell you V90 next to Ultra. One is a measured wash. One is below the 4K bitrate.
SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II View on Amazon View on B&H
| Leica live sheet | UHS-II (recommended), UHS-I also listed |
|---|---|
| Measured on D-Lux 8 | Amateur Photographer: ~25 s buffer clear on UHS-I and UHS-II. Camera Decision: no write-speed advantage |
| Where UHS-II helps | A UHS-II card reader. Not the 12-frame DNG buffer |
| What to buy instead | Extreme PRO or Extreme UHS-I 128 GB V30 |
DPReview noted the D-Lux 8 is one of the few zoom compacts that will take a UHS-II card. That is true. It is also true that 11 fps DNG stops at twelve frames on a “high read/write speed” card in Leica’s own table. Paying for V60 / V90 does not rewrite that table. Keep the UHS-II card if you already own one and a UHS-II reader — it will work. Do not buy it as the D-Lux 8 tax.
Skip this as the default if the camera is a D-Lux 8 and you do not already have the reader.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
SanDisk Ultra 128GB View on Amazon View on B&H
| Typical class | U1 / Class 10 — 10 MB/s floor |
|---|---|
| D-Lux 8 4K | 100 Mbps = 12.5 MB/s. July 2024 PDF: UHS Speed Class 3 |
| What you get | A stills card that can stop a 4K take |
Ultra is the right card for a JPEG-only 1080p compact. This body writes DNG and 4K 100 Mbps. Leica’s older sheet asked for U3. The bitrate is already over a Class 10 floor. Save Ultra for a camera that never prints 4K.
Skip this if the camera is a D-Lux 8. Buy Extreme 64 or Extreme 128.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the D-Lux 8 need a UHS-II card?
Leica’s current spec and manual say UHS-II recommended, UHS-I accepted. Independent reviews timed buffer clear at about 25 seconds on both. Buy UHS-I V30 / U3 unless you already own UHS-II and a matching reader.
What is the largest card it takes?
The live Leica page and the current instruction-book table do not print a GB ceiling. A July 2024 datasheet said SDXC ≤128 GB. 128 GB is the conservative default. 256 GB UHS-I V30 cards are in use; format in-camera. If the body refuses a card, that is the “may not be supported (capacity)” message — drop to 128 GB.
Is V30 enough for 4K?
Yes. 4K is 100 Mbps (12.5 MB/s). V30 is a 30 MB/s floor. U3 is the same idea. U1 / Class 10 is the skip.
Will a faster card make 11 fps last longer?
Leica’s own buffer table with a fast card is 12 DNG at 11 fps. Photo Review saw ~15 DNG and 14.8 s to clear on a UHS-II V60. The limiter is the body.
Should I format in the camera?
Yes — first insert, and after the card has been in a computer or another camera. Leica also suggests formatting from time to time so fragments do not eat capacity.
Final Verdict
For a Leica D-Lux 8, buy a full-size SDXC that is V30 / U3, 64 or 128 GB, formatted in the camera. The default is a SanDisk Extreme PRO 128 GB UHS-I so 4K 100 Mbps and 31 MB DNGs sit on U3, not on a UHS-II receipt. Want the same V30 cheaper? Extreme 128. Want battery-sized storage? Extreme 64. Skip Ultra U1. Skip V90 as the default. Leica recommended UHS-II. The buffer timings did not.