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Leica X1 is the camera I've been waiting for


harryliem

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I always felt Leica cameras epitomized for me what a camera should be. I own a CL a Digilux 2 a D-Lux 4 and now I have the X1. I love its simplicity. It is a photo camera and NOTHING else. It only takes pictures and that 's it. It makes me to go out and take more and more pictures.

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I've continued to surf through the various photos on the X1 forum and except for this one, I haven't been impressed by the sharpness or detail in the images. The micro-contrast the lens on the camera produces is not very impressive. The images are akin to my former Canon 5D images taken with my former 24-105mm Canon "L" lens. Not bad at all, but they lack punch. The M8 files and D2 files IMHO offer more of a signature Leica stamp than does the X1. I will keep my eye on future images but in all honesty, regardless of price, this is not a camera I am drawn to.

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Wilfredo, maybe your expectations are too high? You are comparing the X1 to and M8 and 5D... much larger cameras that can use a bunch of different lenses to get their look. With regards to the D2, I think that is a fairer assessment.

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Wilfredo, maybe your expectations are too high? You are comparing the X1 to and M8 and 5D... much larger cameras that can use a bunch of different lenses to get their look. With regards to the D2, I think that is a fairer assessment.

 

I'm with Wifredo here. From all the X1 pictures I have seen, it's just another camera with a really good sensor and a decent lens. Granted, there are not to many yet, in compact form and the X1 wins the beauty contest hands down. But unlike with the M8, M9 or a Sigma DP in its comfort zone, there is no "wow" effect with its pictures.

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Is it that it has a CMOS rather than a CCD look?

 

I think the CCD cameras (Dig 1, Dig 2, M8 etc) seem to transform the original scene more and make more of a 'picture'. I have always found the same thing with the Digilux 3, it's sort of blisteringly neutral which happens to have been very useful for the use I put it to. However, if I want to make pictures I still use the Dig 1 for instance.

 

Regards

Johnny

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Wilfredo, maybe your expectations are too high? You are comparing the X1 to and M8 and 5D... much larger cameras that can use a bunch of different lenses to get their look. With regards to the D2, I think that is a fairer assessment.

 

I respectfully disagree. The M8 and the older 5D )with the APS-C sensor) may be larger (and may have more bells and whistles) but they are both basically cameras that couple great optics with an APS-C sized sensor, conceptually no different than the X1.

 

The point of the X1 is that you DON'T need a larger camera to get great results if you combine a superb lens and sensor together in a smallish body. The D2 is not a fair comparison in that that camera coupled a superb lens with an ordinary small sensor (although pretty good in its day I suppose) and made the best of it.

 

So at $2000 a pop Wilfredos' expectations are not high at all.

 

You can't have things both ways.

 

P.S. Perhaps Wilfredo should look at the images that Jim Radcliffe made with the X1 in his review of it.

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I've continued to surf through the various photos on the X1 forum and except for this one, I haven't been impressed by the sharpness or detail in the images. The micro-contrast the lens on the camera produces is not very impressive. The images are akin to my former Canon 5D images taken with my former 24-105mm Canon "L" lens. Not bad at all, but they lack punch. The M8 files and D2 files IMHO offer more of a signature Leica stamp than does the X1. I will keep my eye on future images but in all honesty, regardless of price, this is not a camera I am drawn to.

 

How about these two? ;)

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I'm with Wifredo here. From all the X1 pictures I have seen, it's just another camera with a really good sensor and a decent lens. Granted, there are not to many yet, in compact form and the X1 wins the beauty contest hands down. But unlike with the M8, M9 or a Sigma DP in its comfort zone, there is no "wow" effect with its pictures.

 

 

It certainly has the highest image quality POTENTIAL of any compact camera ever....as to wether the first few dozen owners who managed to post images on the intranet over the past 45 days can use it to it's full potential, well, that's another story. Many Leica owners, especially the "early adopters", are gearheads first, photographers second. If you need pictures of brick walls and dinner from last night out they are aces. For brilliant examples of a cameras artistic potential you will have to wait a while.

 

The first 3 months after the M8 was on the market the net was clogged with pictures of desk lamps and bored wives and children. It took time for the serious shooters to get on the bandwagon.

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I think at some point the question as to how results were obtained has to be asked. It appears to me there is a certain trend in post production within the leica community. The above photo of the gentleman seems to be straight out of the cam, without manipulation commonly seen in some prominent leica users (desaturation / selective grey adjustment layer/etc)

 

I need to have a look around more but I am really curious as to images from an m8/9 and x1 side by side, with extremely limited post work. It's hard to tell if the glow is intrinsic, or manufactured at this point for me (my own shortcoming to be sure). I appreciate the styles we see, and understand and appreciate that making a good photograph is about post work as well, as well as artistic interpretation of the scene - but would like to see what those not spending much time in post are coming up with in a side by side comparison.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

example - purduealum91 - what was done to this fence image. I really like it - it has a certain look to it that suggests leica to me, but you may be great at pp. http://gallery.me.com/purduealum91#100266/L1000160&bgcolor=black - care to share the untouched version with us? Or if that is relatively untouched - that may answer some questions I personally have about the 'leicaness' of the x1

 

Just to add, the camera does look like it shoots very sharp - and captures good resolution etc - that's not a question in my mind. It is also remarkable that a pocket cam can get so much detail. That said - there are others in the class at far less expense that can do the same.

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