markgay Posted February 2, 2010 Share #1 Posted February 2, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Got my X1 four days ago. My impressions and some shots are here: Money Circus: Leica X1 Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Hi markgay, Take a look here X1 Review. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
markpsf Posted February 2, 2010 Share #2 Posted February 2, 2010 Mark: Thanks for taking the time and for your care in writing these initial impressions of the camera. I also enjoyed your photos. I know you weren't being flippant but I think you over simplify the decision making process others use. I have one on order. I can cancel my order. I'm not about to do that....yet. I'm not intimidated by some of the limitations you point out...having long ago learned to adapt to my cameras. Still...as you know...adaptation has its limits! I intend to use this mostly for street shooting which often means quick shots, preferably in reasonably well lit conditions using zone focusing, but often also means city scapes. Quick auto focus is a nice plus but not critical. So some questions. how easy is it to set it up for use zone focused? early reports (Sean Reid's for one) noted some difficulties in using manual focusing effectively..both the focusing scale and the fact that manual focus distance that's been set is lost when the camera powers off. How did this work for you? how would you compare it in ease of use with your Ricoh and which one are you using? Thanks again. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markgay Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted February 2, 2010 Mark, Thanks for your comment. I should have added a ‘health warning’ to my review – I do, deliberately, try to simplify things, even at the risk of being painfully direct. It’s my reaction against many of my fellow news journalists who do a disservice to the public by hiding behind needless complexity. End of lecture )) Thanks for your comments on the images. I felt they could have been better. Most was undoubtedly my fault and due to haste. Where I can blame the hardware is the loose dials, which several times slipped from Auto to f/16.. a bit of a difference, I think anyone would agree. To your questions: Zone focus is simple in principle except that the markings are, in metric, limited to 0.3, 0.5, 1, 2, Infinity. In feet, that’s 1, 1.5, 3, 6, Infinity. Secondly, unlike the GF1 which has a focus ring on the lens, you are using a thumb wheel on the X1. It takes about 18 to 20 strokes to go from close up to infinity. On the other hand it’s a 24mm lens, so to set up for zone focusing, select f/4 and somewhere between 2m and Infinity and you may be ok. That’s where a clear problem lies. You will only find that sweet spot by experiment. For manual focus in general, this camera could be great. The user has to overcome two problems. I have the GF1 which has a screen of twice the resolution. Manual focus by LCD is, frankly, very easy because images snap into focus, rather like they do with an M rangefinder. That is not the case with the X1. The LCD is too grainy to determine focus. Even if you decide to chance it, Auto Review does not provide a magnified view of the centre of the image, unlike the D-lux 3. Nor, amazingly, can you scroll in to check focus. You have to press the Play button before you can do that. So checking if you achieved focus is a pain. This is a major error on Leica’s part, especially as such features are available on the M8 and M9 (scrolling to check focus on auto review) and magnified view automatically on the D-lux 3. So what can a manual focus aficionado do? The automatic focus is slow, but accurate. I then switch to manual focus, pressing the AF/MF button so that my focal distance is set for the subsequent series of images. This makes the camera much faster. However, as Sean Reid notes, if you switch off the camera, it returns to Infinity, even in manual focus mode. The Ricoh I use is a film one, the GR1. It is still the Holy Grail of simplicity in either film or digital. I don’t have Ricoh’s digital cameras so I can’t comment. Regards, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted February 3, 2010 Share #4 Posted February 3, 2010 No doubt some of your frustrations will be thrashed out as more and more people get their hands on the camera, it will be interesting to read between the lines on this one, Pity that the focusing has a few heebie jeebies in low light the rest looked great. It takes about 18 to 20 strokes to go from close up to infinity That's a mean workout for the digits 2000 smackaroos for a daytime camera and one still you back up with a quicker low light camera ....sorta defeats the small pocket able camera idea. But for many daytime shooters it will be ideal, enjoy I am in the maybe not camp unless dunno what to do with the spare funds rears its head ........ agree on the ricoh, the digital versions are not in the same grade I canned the GXR idea as well..though the roadmap could be released February 17, 2010 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
h00ligan Posted February 3, 2010 Share #5 Posted February 3, 2010 Honestly, your review tipped me over the edge. I'm cancelling my preorder - it's not for me (and yes I'm sad about that). I just can't justify the price over the limitations at this point. Thanks for your candid view. I'm not of limitless means, and to use the X1 as a primary camera at $2000 seems unlikely to me. I could buy a 7D for less (not planning on that). I think I'll hang out with the GF-1 and hope Leica hits the nail on the head with the x2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted February 3, 2010 Share #6 Posted February 3, 2010 Interesting review thanks. This cam is definitely too slow for me i'm afraid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted February 3, 2010 Share #7 Posted February 3, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Great review, thank you. Makes me think whether I should still wait or cancel my pre-order. Am used to and tolerant with workarounds if the reward is stellar IQ, but the X1 seems to be quite a piece of work in that respect. Guess will hang on to the DP2 as the pocketable high IQ solution. Except high iso, it does a couple of things better than the X1, at a fraction of the cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nippa Posted February 3, 2010 Share #8 Posted February 3, 2010 Thanks I enjoyed the review and will probably end up getting one to go with the fantastic GF-1:) Now if only there were a Leica version of that camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptu Posted February 3, 2010 Share #9 Posted February 3, 2010 Interesting review thanks. This cam is definitely too slow for me i'm afraid. So far what I have used the camera and mostly in low light it is not slow. Fastness is a relative. For me camera is fast. Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted February 3, 2010 Share #10 Posted February 3, 2010 I'm still in on this camera. It'll be fine for my needs... and I bet I can use it as my main camera if I needed to as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K I Posted February 4, 2010 Share #11 Posted February 4, 2010 Not this one folks, I'll gladly pass... Just got the excellent GF1 and EP2 for what i would have paid for X1. Just did not think the X1 would cut it and now i know for sure from those who have actually handled the camera. What a disappointment, i was really looking forward to getting one. Saving up for the M9... KI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted February 4, 2010 Share #12 Posted February 4, 2010 Hang in there treat yourself with a few K9s cheap as chips http://www.k9natural.co.nz/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markpsf Posted February 4, 2010 Share #13 Posted February 4, 2010 Not this one folks, I'll gladly pass... Just got the excellent GF1 and EP2 for what i would have paid for X1. Just did not think the X1 would cut it and now i know for sure from those who have actually handled the camera. What a disappointment, i was really looking forward to getting one. Saving up for the M9... KI Actually the balance of reviews so far have been very good, but if you figured out that the limitations are ones that make the camera not worth it...there is no reason to argue with that. Been there. Done that. Just curious (as one who likes the micro four thirds cameras) why both the GF1 and EP2? They are so similar that I'd love to know how they will serve different shooting purposes for you. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K I Posted February 4, 2010 Share #14 Posted February 4, 2010 Actually the balance of reviews so far have been very good, but if you figured out that the limitations are ones that make the camera not worth it...there is no reason to argue with that. Been there. Done that. Just curious (as one who likes the micro four thirds cameras) why both the GF1 and EP2? They are so similar that I'd love to know how they will serve different shooting purposes for you. Mark Mark, i like the compactness of both cameras and the fact that i can change lenses on either one works well for me. Currently, i have the Panasonic pancake 20mm 1.7 on the EP2, shelved the 17mm 2.8 that came with the EP2, results so far on the EP2/Pancake combo is very sweet. ( See Steve Huff Review ) Currently on the GF1, i mounted Elmarit 28mm 2.8. I have also toyed with other Leica lenses as well on both cameras. I almost always carry 2/3 cameras with me, with the flexibility of these compacts along with my m8.2 to me just makes sense. Waiting to receive the 25mm 1.4 Panasonic/Leica Summilux lens tomorrow, i bet it will be a beast on the GF1. You are indeed right that they are very similar, although the JPEG files on the EP2 is better and i set that to shoot in JPEG B&W. Raw on the GF1 + auto focus is a tad faster than EP2. I seem to like the EP2 a bit better though... DSLR's have been shelved for now... For me its all about flexibility with the m4/3... It just makes sense. Kind Regards KI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpmac55 Posted February 4, 2010 Share #15 Posted February 4, 2010 ThanksI enjoyed the review and will probably end up getting one to go with the fantastic GF-1:) Now if only there were a Leica version of that camera. For now, Leica's version of the GF-1 is the M8. Hopefully they will introduce something that competes on price but to my way of thinking, 4/3 cameras compete with other formats that can change lenses. I sold off my dslr gear to buy a M8. Otherwise, I'd have teed up the Pannie GF-1 or the Olympus EP2. I'd be buying lenses, pulling away from the pocket-ability benefit. The dslr gear was just too heavy to lug around and almost for that reason alone, 4/3 sales will soar at the expense of entry level dslr's. For me, I don't think the X1 competes with much of anything right now. It has a single fixed lens, can fit inside a pocket, produces images to rival some DSLR's, priced like no other point & shoot but much less than a good many Leica lenses that attach to the M8 and M9. Enough pro's to get people waiting in line to buy, a few noted con's to keep others scratching their heads trying to figure out what the big deal is? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
K I Posted February 4, 2010 Share #16 Posted February 4, 2010 Mark, I also forgot to mention video capabilities... ( See Craig Mod & GF1 Field Test Here ) KI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted February 4, 2010 Share #17 Posted February 4, 2010 To me, the X1 has all the makings of a classic camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 4, 2010 Share #18 Posted February 4, 2010 Interesting review thanks. This cam is definitely too slow for me i'm afraid. I tried a FW 1.0 one this lunchtime. The shutter lag is absolutely ridiculous and a real deal breaker for me. And, I'm not convinced that the files are 3x better than a D-Lux 4 at 1/3 the price. This brief test has just made me more confused as to what the camera is actually all about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted February 4, 2010 Share #19 Posted February 4, 2010 The shutter lag is absolutely ridiculous and a real deal breaker for me. And, I'm not convinced that the files are 3x better than a D-Lux 4 at 1/3 the price. Was this pre-focused shutter lag or shutter lag exaccerbated by the autofocusing? I would think in dark spaces, the X1's image quality may be 3x better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted February 4, 2010 Share #20 Posted February 4, 2010 The latter I was in the street and shot a passer by. I just managed to get the side of his head when the shutter actually worked. I reckon there is about 1 second lag between clciking the shutter and it actually taking the shot. It would be impossible to shoot children playing with this camera, IMHO. Fixable in fw, though, no doubt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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