It seems that the new Leica D-Lux 8 is the first open-source camera from a major manufacturer *UPDATED*
It seems that the new Leica D-Lux 8 (Adorama | B&H | WEX | Koch) is the first open-source camera from a major manufacturer - LeicaRumors posted the link to the official Leica website where you can download the camera's source code:
The code of the Samsung NX200 and NX300 mirrorless cameras was made public a while back. This could indicate that Leica has no intentions to continue the D-Lux product line and has made the code available for future updates—a very interesting move!
Updates:
"This appears to just be open source software that Leica is using whose license terms require them to provide publicly. It does not include the custom, proprietary software that actually makes up the important parts of the camera’s firmware. It’s to Leica’s credit that they’re releasing this, since many manufacturers don’t (in violation of licenses), but I don’t think it opens up any particular possibilities for community customization of D-Lux 8 firmware." (thanks Thrasher)
"When you use software under the GNU General Public License (GPL) in a product, you are required to make the source code available because the GPL is a copyleft license. This means that any derivative work based on GPL-licensed software must also be released under the same GPL terms. This requires Leica to provide all used software." (Thanks Martin)
Previous coverage of the new Leica D-Lux 8 camera can be found here: