The Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE X STASH” is Really Gorgeous

Quite literally, the staff brings up Leica cameras every week in our chat. We’re in awe of their lenses and their cameras both. And at the age of 35, when I want more nice things that last, the new Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE X STASH” edition beckons to me. Perhaps it’s the fact that it reminds me a ton of the street graffiti that I grew up around here in NY; as I didn’t see Street Art until I was a grown man! And while I’m not usually a fan of camo-print, we have to admit that it’s pretty gorgeous on this camera.

By all means, the Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE X STASH” is a passion product; and one that’s for those of us who work in photography but want a genuine passion product. Lots of passionate photographers who do this as a hobby enjoy the professional-grade cameras that they shoot with. And that’s just fine. Cameras like the Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE X STASH” are ones that those folks will scoff at. But for professionals (meaning photographers, journalists, creators, and anyone that uses a camera as a daily part of their job) will probably fall deeply for this camera.

Mind you, I don’t think that it’s fair to say that this is a camera for someone who has a little less sense about them. At heart, this is a Leica D-Lux 7; which is a Panasonic LX100 II–a camera that had a ton of potential but, without the essential upgrades, ended up being pushed aside. The Panasonic goes for around $1,000. The regular Leica D-Lux 7 fetches $1,395 and bundles in a free two-year warranty. The Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE X STASH” requires a $1,895 tribute to the Leica camera store.

At the heart of the camera is a Four Thirds sensor with a 24-75mm equivalent lens starting at f1.8 and ending at f2.8. 

But the tech specs are quite honestly not the reason why you’d buy this camera. If you buy this camera, you probably don’t care so much about the image quality because you’re confident that you can make good images with it anyway. Instead, the Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE X STASH” is a purchase you make for a few reasons:

• You’re a pro that wants a small camera.
• Besides wanting a small camera, you want something nice looking.
• You’re a professional that uses a camera often and adores streetwear, NYC or Tokyo.

When you really look at the price, you realize that it’s not all that bad. Lots of Micro Four Thirds cameras with interchangeable lenses won’t have a compact zoom lens like this. And if you had a lens with a 24-75mm equivalence, why would you bother getting anything else? Again, think about the user. These are pros who want something that’s small that they can mess around with. We don’t always want to bring our big, serious cameras with us. 

Frankly, I’m so happy that Leica made this camera and continues to churn out special editions like this. It makes their products fun in so many different ways. 

So why aren’t I buying one? Honestly, I really want a weather-resistant point and shoot. If the LX100 Mk II were weather-resistant I would’ve bought it a long time ago. Hopefully, a future product will be weather-resistant. And if that ever comes, then my wallet will be very, very empty.