Leica X1: day one

[Dan States]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Today was my first day of shooting with the x1 and since we have read so much here both from owners and pundits I thought I'd try to bring some alternative information to the table.

 

The physical dimensions and features of the camera have been hashed and rehashed here and elsewhere, so I'll focus on the camera's utility for making STREET PHOTOGRAPHY.

 

Today I took the camera out in that street shooters paradise: Chicago! I spent about 3 hours trolling the streets of the loop exploring various methods of focusing, metering and composing. I've encountered some surprising results.

 

Focusing: So much has been said about the speed as perceived and measured by dpreview that we are taking it for granted that they were actually using the camera to it's best advantage. Here's the deal: If you can't shoot street with this camera you either don't know how to set it up or you are too shy to look people in the eye and are expecting to "steal" images.

 

Here's the trick: Set the camera to STANDARD 11 POINT AF (Not High Speed). Neither high speed setting improved the focus action....in fact it got a lot worse.

 

Point your camera at your subject and press the button....Folks, there is NO WAY you could focus an M9 accurately as fast as this thing focuses in 11 point AF.

 

I tried manual focus and as noted the scale sucks....that said, the camera turns lightning quick in this mode with instant shutter response. Set it to about 8 feet and F6.3 and go crazy.

 

When used in single point AF mode you will have to actually pay attention to where its truly pointing because THAT POINT will be in focus. It is much more precise than the Dlux4 or Canon G10. Combined with the DSLR-like depth of field it means you can just wave the camera around like a pom pom. Think of it like your RF focus patch....

 

Regarding file write time: It's about the same as the Dlux4 but the idiotic screen that overlays your image is annoying as hell. I KNOW it's writing...that thing needs to go in a firmwear update.

 

The AF on this camera is unbelievably accurate even in situations that normally confuse P&S cameras (shooting through multiple planes of glass or dirty windows). It should be remembered that one reason micro sensor cameras seem to fast to focus is that for the most part they aren't doing anything....the depth of field is so immense and the lens travel so tiny you probably wouldn't know if your AF crapped out in most cases.

 

If I were to compare the street capability overall to my GF1 at this point the X1 is the better camera. While the GF1 does indicate fast focus lock with the 20 1.7 it is not as accurate as the X1 and the racket from a cycling GF1 draws stares even on busy Chicago streets.

 

I've started uploading the results of my first few hours walking with the X1. You can see them on the link below to flikr. Hardly the best of the best but note that I never stopped walking, fast, all day. I didn't hold still and in most cases my targets where moving also. I'll upload more and extend my comments regarding image quality as I get more time with the camera, but for now I'll say that it's already a potent tool if you use it properly.

 

Best wishes

Dan

[purduealum91]

Thanks for your thoughts Dan. Will you be down to Chicago again anytime soon?

 

Tom

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Dan States]

I'm down there all the time actually. Probably going back on Tuesday.

[h00ligan]

Just out of curiosity - why were you shooting at iso 800? Necessary for freezing the action? I would have thought 400 could work no? Thank you for the enthusiastic review and the shots - appreciate both. I was just a little surprised at the noise - shot in jpeg and upload I assume...?

Edited March 28, 2010 by h00ligan
to add

[Guest stnami]

The AF on this camera is unbelievably accurate even in situations that normally confuse P&S cameras (shooting through multiple planes of glass or dirty windows)

So how do you account for the plethora of out of focus images that have been shown on LUF

 

....... and lets see some low light stuff same subject but a bit closer

[diogenis]

I can hardly believe that it's in anywhere near as fast as an M9. Or an M8 for that reason.

Once you decide on f/stops and exposure then all that remains is a fast focusing and shoot. There is no lag with those cameras, but there is with the X1. And neither have you got the full control you get with focusing an M

[Dan States]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Just out of curiosity - why were you shooting at iso 800? Necessary for freezing the action? I would have thought 400 could work no? Thank you for the enthusiastic review and the shots - appreciate both. I was just a little surprised at the noise - shot in jpeg and upload I assume...?

 

It was pretty cloudy and overcast all day. The camera on auto iso was choosing a range that put the shutter speed at 250-400. As I was walking pretty fast and so were the oncoming crowds it meant blur but not the good kind:D

 

In the prints I've made up to 11x17 so far noise is not visible. I used C1 with no luminance and minimal chroma control to process these shots.

[Dan States]

I can hardly believe that it's in anywhere near as fast as an M9. Or an M8 for that reason.

Once you decide on f/stops and exposure then all that remains is a fast focusing and shoot. There is no lag with those cameras, but there is with the X1. And neither have you got the full control you get with focusing an M

 

If are going to pay attention to your specific plane of focus on the M it can be pretty hard to nail a moving subject. You also have to focus using the center patch and then recompose. If you are prefocusing (as I always have) it's no problem but in that case you can also do that with the X1. Each camera requires it's own work patterns but each can do the job.

[Dan States]

So how do you account for the plethora of out of focus images that have been shown on LUF

 

....... and lets see some low light stuff same subject but a bit closer

 

If I get a chance to try low light shooting I'll post it....I'm not the type to shoot my dog and kids jumping around in the living room just to prove a point. The focusing and screen rate is slower when it's really dark. I refuse to use the idiotic focus assist light on my cameras so it may not like the way I go about.

 

As for whatever else is out there: If you use this camera in spot focus mode and wave it around like a Canon Elph it's not going to work....The depth of field is not going to wash over sloppy technique. Just like on an M you have to PAY ATTENTION to what you are focusing on. That's why the 11 point function seems to work much better for me...In that mode I can truck down the street and blast away and the camera is going to nail an average distance to your target. (It's not "hyperfocal" but probably better for street shooting)

 

I do remember some review that indicated that they used "Macro" mode as it was supposed to be the fastest....that's total bs.....It slows down a lot because the lens goes through a longer focus cycle at any distance.

[h00ligan]

Thanks for the info Dan.

[diogenis]

If are going to pay attention to your specific plane of focus on the M it can be pretty hard to nail a moving subject. You also have to focus using the center patch and then recompose. If you are prefocusing (as I always have) it's no problem but in that case you can also do that with the X1. Each camera requires it's own work patterns but each can do the job.

 

Yes, but you can easily and fast use that patch and follow where you want it, no need for super accuracy, dof will take care for the rest. But it doesnt also mean that with practice you can fcous quite accurately.

[jsrockit]

So how do you account for the plethora of out of focus images that have been shown on LUF

 

People using AF, the ext VF, and hoping that they got the right thing in focus?

[bradhusick]

Why would you pay all that money to shoot at f/6.3? No thanks.

[Dan States]

Guess you didn't read the next series of posts....Whatever dude.

[jsrockit]

Why would you pay all that money to shoot at f/6.3? No thanks.

 

What sense does this make? If the scene calls for that aperture, then why not use f/6.3?

[jpmac55]

Guess you didn't read the next series of posts....Whatever dude.

 

Dan - thanks for taking time to teach, not spew and help those of us who can use it. The Standard 11 Point AF suggestion has provided me with pretty good results. Who knows when or if I ever would have tried it.

 

Switching cameras and opening up to others like Brad, why would someone pay all that money on a camera that doesn't even have AF?

[notthefly]

When used in single point AF mode you will have to actually pay attention to where its truly pointing because THAT POINT will be in focus. It is much more precise than the Dlux4 or Canon G10. Combined with the DSLR-like depth of field it means you can just wave the camera around like a pom pom. Think of it like your RF focus patch....

 

 

Best wishes

Dan

Thinking about an X1, I was in Berlin at the Leica Shop and I was asking about the slow focus etc. etc. I used the camera just a bit, and what you say about focus I can confirm. The point focus seems to be really very very accurate, more so than the EOS 300D, L1 or Dynax 7D I once used. I took the head of a cyclist in view and I moved along with the cyclist and behold zooming in on the picture I had taken I saw that the (tiny) cyclist head was in focus and big parts of the rest had motion blur (as it was planned because of cyclist movement).

 

A reasonable nice photo after just 10 minutes with an X1. (haha)

 

Maybe others can confirm this accuracy of focusing. I am just a "dilettant", maybe the X1 magically amplified my not so big photo talent...

 

Joost

[nippa]

First thanks to Dan for the original posting , I'll check out his advice.

 

Generally though the focusing is supremely accurate ; my favourite is the spot focus.

Offset the spot over the eye of a portrait sitter and you have it nailed.

 

It may not be the quickest AF but it is accurate and provided you use the advice on the LCD it's hard to go wrong.

A possible reason for using the Optical Viewfinder less ,maybe.

 

BTW my Dlux4 viewfinder works very well with the X1 using the 35mm lines

[bradhusick]

Dan - thanks for taking time to teach, not spew and help those of us who can use it. The Standard 11 Point AF suggestion has provided me with pretty good results. Who knows when or if I ever would have tried it.

 

Switching cameras and opening up to others like Brad, why would someone pay all that money on a camera that doesn't even have AF?

 

I shoot with many different cameras. It just seems to me that buying a used M8 with a Voigt lens could be a better solution than the X1. Horses for courses, I guess.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[eduardoho]

The annoying lethargic writing speed is not a function of firmware, but due to the internal clock speed to process the information to satisfy the algorithm demanded for the IQ; you may short cut it for the sake of speed but at a cost to IQ degradation. And a firmware update may or may NOT be the cure for this illness. The clock speed is the significant controlling factor, among other things how responsive a system reacts to different inputs. Leica is not a computer company like Apple with its ultra responsive software in iPhones, or the latest generation versions of iDrive in the BMW which by the way uses Apple's software technology.The X1 firmware is user friendly, it is a stable platform, not the fastest, but it does not got any bugs neither; so it is neither of spectacular performance nor mediocre.

Edited April 2, 2010 by eduardoho