New X1

[peapodesque]

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I am posting this letter because I think it is fair and balanced ,and I am just completely confused so far with my new purchase.

 

 

Dear Mr Vogler,

 

Thank you for your quick response! I have been using Aperture from its inception with Nikon dslrs and Lightroom is a revelation,,,,and I dont even have the version 3 yet,,ten times more intuitive ,just fantastic!

I have to say though that I am disappointed with new x1. I purchased a dlux4 (my first Leica) about three monthes ago,and feel it is like a perfect swiss watch,,,the integrity of the design,,the materials exude quality,,,the viewfinder ,,everything about it and a two month tour in India made me a total Leica nut!(IT WAS FANTASTIC)!.

I think what I am most concerned by is that the camera does not exude this same physical quality,,,plastic lens,,,even the lens cap,,feels cheap.Its nice to have the light weight and size,,,and the ,sensor size and obvious IQ part of the camera I am excited about learning more about though it is clear I dont have the "zone" yet, does ,,seems very well thought out in terms of its inner workings!!!!But the outer?? other than the obvious fine retro style of its look ,,it just doesnt feel like quality at all.

And,,,in the vivid mode ,the color is completely off,,,on every shot,,,even on A a setting,,,it never gets remotely the color that is there in reality.The high b/w contrast setting with the elmarit seems like I may after time be able to get the ethos of shots,that inspired my love of photography from the days of my darkroom ,!!!.I just cant get over the fact that so much of the physical integrity is lacking completely different than how I feel about my dlux4,,.They really seem like they were made by different companies,,I almost feel I should have bought or held out for an m9 regardless of the cost.It feels like it is actually still "in development" in a way ,and I feel like a bit of a jerk as this is really expensive for something of this seeming material cheapness.I am almost ready to buy a lumix gf1 with the adapter for leica asph 35 summicron,,even though the sensor aspect is kind of waste for this camera,,,at least, I would feel I could expand my experience from the dlux 4,,,I am quite confused by this,,after using it for a few days I have just let it sit there,which is not a good sign for someone who loves finely built cameras.Luckily to hide my disappointment I am delving deeply into lightroom and salvaging,,,(really) each shot painstakingly though,,one after the other,,,,Though I like to edit anyway ,even with such an amazing program as lightroom is ,,,to have to go through so much for each shot is exhausting. I am not sure what to do ,but I am deffinitely very perplexed and feel letdown by this second experience buying a Leica Camera.

sincerely

Paul Peabody

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[NZDavid]

Who is Mr Vogler? Why not give him a chance to reply before copying your letter here?

 

I can't agree with your comment. As stated in numerous other posts, loose dials and possibly a flimsy battery door (no more so than other cameras) are drawbacks, otherwise the X1 seems very well put together. Have you actually ever examined some of the other digital offerings now on the market?

 

IQ is extremely high, so not sure what you are doing wrong, unless there is a sensor or software fault -- you need to give more details or post some examples.

 

Cheers,

David

 

----

 

"Always remember to check you're grammar."

[holmes]

A plastic lens. Did I read his comment correctly? In the States that camera is selling for around $2,000.00 USD and you are getting a plastic lens? Fortunately I dislike digital and all my lenses, both Ms and Rs while some are older, all have real glass. You can cut lots of corners using plastic and along the way cost saving measures. Now I'm going for a banana split as it is +101.6F.

[davidhunternyc]

Interesting letter indeed. First off, the lens isn't plastic, it is the lens barrel that is plastic. I can feel your disappointment. I know others may take issue with your letter here but I feel that we need to be open to the fact that all of us do not behave or think similarly. If you post the letter here, well then, that is your prerogative. Good luck with it and let us know what the response is. I have yet to see the X1 in person so these quality issues are ones I can not comment on. Recently, however, I was at a camera store looking at the X1's competition and Micro 4/3rd's cameras and I was just not at all impressed with their build quality also. I do not believe that plastic needs to be anywhere on a camera, the X1 included, but this is the era we live in. Depressing.

[NZDavid]

Of course that comment is totally misleading. The lens barrel is plastic; the optics are definitely glass!

 

Banana split? Could do with some heat, winter here and snow on the mountains.

[tom0511]

Frankly I have never ever experienced a vivid color mode in any camera which delievers uasble colors.

Just switch to neautral or standard or portrait and be happy.

I dont see how the lens cap being an issue. Most lens caps today are plastic-so what?

 

I think its obvious that the x1 does not feel like a small M9, but then again its nice and light and I still feel it feels solid.

 

On the other side YOU have to like it. And if you dont like it I would rather sell it - its a lot of money.

[nippa]

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Gosh Mr Peabody you really don't like your X1 do you?

 

As I use both a Dlux4 and a GF-1 I'm struggling to validate your statement that the DLux4 exudes quality and the X1 doesn't. And I promise you'll not get better results or a better quality body with a GF-1 although I can heartily recommend it.

 

FWIW the plastic lens is made of glass ( but I'm sure you knew that! ) and quite simply out performs the Zeiss lenses used with my Sony DSLRs and the Lumix Pancake 20mm.

The glass is housed in a retractable plastic barrel but is that so really so bad in a lightweight compact camera ?

 

As I tend to leave the photo settings to Standard I'm in no position to judge the quality of the Vivid Mode. However , the Black and White modes seem perfectly OK on my monitor and running images through Lightroom (or better still PE8) just brings smiles.

 

 

Happily your experience is at variance with my own ; good luck:)

BTW who makes a better quality lens cap?

[Ecaton]

The build quality of the X1 overall is disappointing. Let's not get carried away because of the red dot, it's not just the loose dials. Leica should do better for a USD 2000 compact camera, actually USD 2500 with handgrip and ovf. GF1, EP1/2 and especially the GXR A12 feel much more competently and well build.

[peapodesque]

As I pointed out,,,,the camera innards were not what I was talking about per se,I know I have a lot to learn about the way it operates,,I resent the suggestion that I havent seen other cameras,,I have owned olympus, nikon one touches, countless others, and fingered played around with many at bnh,as have all the people on this forum,my comments while very positive about lightroom ,and the potential once i get past the learning curve of the cameras use was directed at its physical quality.I stand by the fact that the materials and construction are crappy,,(for 2000 dollars) are you for real. But this is a forum where there are alot of know it alls who love to pounce on anyone who dares to suggest that maybe something is not kosher in Leica land,.I am more perplexed than anything as I point out that my dlux 4 is the exact opposite,,,every centimeter breathes quality. What can I say,,the lens is plastic,the lens cap is beyond cheap,,do you want me to lie??.The dials are fine,I have heard the complaints,they dials dont bother me,,,the flash popping up doesnt bother me,,,it is an intrinsic sense of quality that a 2000 dollar camera should NOT be giving me ,

[peapodesque]

Thank you for not all jumping down my throat,,,of course,duh,I know the lens is not plastic,,.I am hoping that I can overlook my sincere feeling about its physicality and find the "zone" everyone is raving about.I just feel that ,had I known this I would have stood inline for an m9 and (freaked ) over the cost,.I love the retro design,and many things people complain about dont bother me. so ,rather than end on a obsteperous note,,I know where you can get the x1 (i got a voigtlander viewfinder) and an extra leica battery,,all delivered for 1800 if anyone is hot to get one,I did alot of research and if there are folks who would really like to go this route ,,,then by all means,,I will pass this on, and thank you to those who realize this was not a blanket put down,,I thought I made that clear. Pretty good price eh!!!!

[Clandrel]

Well, I sort of agree.

 

The quality of the pics are great, the build quality of the camera is actually very poor.

For $2000 I expect quality. Hey, even the new Sony ($700) is all metal...

 

- Cheap pop-up plastic flash

- Cheap (loose) dials

- Cheap plastic battery door

- Cheap (peeling) plastic wrap

- Cheap plastic lense barrel

 

I owned one, but quickly returned it...!

/c

[NZDavid]

of course,duh,I know the lens is not plastic,,.!

 

Then why say it is? I think the X1 is a damn sight better constructed than some of the OP's sentences.

[eelekim]

Funny. Once again this thread tells us no camera is good for all. Btw, what's wrong with plastics? If a camera excels in its performance and delivers reasonable reliability and durability, I don't mind paying a lot of money for such a camera made even with paper.

[davidhunternyc]

Funny. Once again this thread tells us no camera is good for all. Btw, what's wrong with plastics? If a camera excels in its performance and delivers reasonable reliability and durability, I don't mind paying a lot of money for such a camera made even with paper.

 

Have you seen the Sigma DP2? If you like plastic, well then this camera is for you. Just don't leave it in a hot car. Myself, I prefer metal cameras. Plastic is for beach pails and salad spinners.

[RichardM8]

While I certainly prefer the feel of a metal lens barrel (used Zeiss on my SLR), for this type of camera it makes little or no sense.

You never even touch the lens on the X1. At least I don't. Why would I? And while plastic feels inferior to metal, in many cases the opposite is true. It's lighter, more resistant to dents and more stable under varying temperatures (expand & shrink).

 

If the X1 was build like a mini M9 it would also weight and cost like one and that would be missing the point of the camera imo. The battery door aside, I think the build and feel is great. After using my X1 for a month the Oly E-P + 20mm from a friend feels strangely heavy without giving a quality feel. And it looks way too shiny and pimpy for my taste with the chrome and text etc. Yuk, but that's personal.

 

 

What keeps fascinating me though is that all the cons & weaknesses from the X1 are written and beaten upon all over the internet. It's kinda difficult not to know about them before buying the camera. Even if you Google 'X1' only once...

[Ecaton]

Have you seen the Sigma DP2? If you like plastic, well then this camera is for you. Just don't leave it in a hot car. Myself, I prefer metal cameras. Plastic is for beach pails and salad spinners.

 

You haven't handled any Sigma DP yet, have you. DP1 and DP2 are all metal.

[Clandrel]

The point is...

 

If you buy a new car, you expect it to be made well, even if the handling is perfect!

And this is an expensive "car" and should be made with better materials.

 

/c

[eelekim]

Have you seen the Sigma DP2? If you like plastic, well then this camera is for you. Just don't leave it in a hot car. Myself, I prefer metal cameras. Plastic is for beach pails and salad spinners.

 

I've seen it. And I had a DP2s before.

 

I'm not saying I like plastics. I'm just asking what is wrong with plastics. Please relax. I do like metal, glass and wood. I'm kind of an old school guy. I don't like plastic, synthetic or artificial materials. If it's in plastics and the plastics doesn't only affect its performance but also do have benefits in certain ways apart from its lower cost, I won't blame it for the material.

 

I don't leave any cameras in a hot car. I also don't think anyone should do so even his camera is in the all-important metal.

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[RichardM8]

The point is...

 

If you buy a new car, you expect it to be made well, even if the handling is perfect!

 

Is it?... Well, if you shout 'plastic' in the neighborhood of any car it will fall apart completely...

[ezc203]

I'm not exactly sure what the intent of the OP's letter was, but to me it seems like complaining for the sake of complaining. The X1 is a stellar camera with very obvious weaknesses/drawbacks (whatever you want to call them) and to me it feels like you're complaints come from not fully understanding the products you are purchasing before purchasing.

 

The big hoopla about metal = higher quality is kind of ridiculous. There are advantages to using plastic that I believe is overlooked here. For one (the obvious one that someone has already mentioned) it is much lighter, imagine an X1 made of metals similar to the Ms, it would no longer be in the weight-class it is now. Also, I find the plastic of the X1 a joy to use in extreme temperatures (aka high 45'C and sub-0'C), the SHC of plastic is much more favorable than that of metals/chrome finishes. In the winter I find my Ms almost unusable without leather cases because it's just too damn cold. Also, unlike what the OP suggests, the plastic X1 most certainly does not feel cheap. It's got a certain "heft" and does not feel flimsy or overly light as some plastic P&S cameras do.

 

All that said, I must admit I am trying to play devil's advocate here. I know the X1 is not perfect, and has many many drawbacks. But I honestly feel that the OP's dissatisfaction with the X1 comes from not fully understanding what the X1 is before purchasing.