x1 travel

[mrgigi]

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I'm planning a trip to the south of France in the Fall and would like to travel lightly. Has anyone used the Leica X1 alone for travel photography and is the fixed focal length a problem? Trying to avoid lugging around my SLR and multiple lenses if possible, but will do so if I need more flexibility. Tough decision.

[andybarton]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Have you ever travelled with one of your SLRs and a 35mm equivalent lens? Was that sufficient for your photographic needs? Only you can know that.

 

It depends upon whether you are going where you're going for the purpose of taking photographs, or whether you are going there to be with friends and family and enjoy yourself. I often travel with just an M and a 35mm lens. A lot of the time, I'd rather be experiencing what I am doing and who I am with, than changing lenses.

[jorismichielsen]

I agree with Andy, only you can know if the fixed focal suits you for shooting pictures when traveling.

 

What are you going to shoot during your tour?

 

The flexibility of traveling lightly packed is one thing and X1 will provide more and other opportunities to shoot were you will not be able to shoot with DSRL. On the other hand, 'zooming with your feet' has its limits too, f.e. zooming with your feet becomes impossible if you want to shoot a detail of the ceiling of a church, unless you are carrying a heavy ladder .

 

For our hiking tour to Denmark, my wife and I decided to only take the X1, but we left a G9 in the bag which was transported for us from one sleeping place to the other (we had to carry our one year old son on our back during the day , in case it showed up that we needed more flexibility in focal point (and as back up camera).

 

We didn't need the G9 at any point of our trip (but we are not trying to catch flying birds with our camera neither).

[phancj]

I have travelled to rural Northern India and also Thailand recently. It is refreshing to carry the X1 in lieu of my DSLR, and the fixed 35mm turned out refreshing and liberating instead of limiting. The fact that the X1 is so silent and tiny people tend not to pose and thus more natural shots too, plus the silent shutter.

 

So yes, the X1 is the perfect travel camera based on what is available now. At least for me. Now I look at my DSLR and am appalled by its bulk and weight.

[caimi]

I traveled to Peru with only the X1 in June. It is the perfect travel camera for most applications. Small, compact, easy to carry, quiet. And it produces stunning images.

[ravinj]

As a former DSLR user who sold all of his gear and got the X1, I do not find any issues when using it as a travel camera. On my recent 8 day trip to Europe, this was the only camera I carried. I had a Canon S90 as a backup which I never used.

 

Attached is a picture of my camera "gear" - it has the X1, 2 extra batteries and a small metal case for 4 SD cards. For size comparison, you can barely fit a DSLR kit lens in it.

 

I really fell in love with the X1 in Amsterdam when it was raining almost all day and I had to do single handed shooting with an umbrella in one hand in most cases. Try that doing with a DSLR and a bunch of lenses. Another side benefit is the ability to take street shots without drawing any attention. A few results are posted at ejq's Photos | SmugMug

 

All of this is obviously my opinion and YMMV.

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[stephen.w]

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Have done a lot of traveling with the X1 as my only photographic kit. As someone else mentioned above, only you know how happy you will be with a fixed 35mm focal length. I have had to crop one or two pictures where I was unable to get as close as I would like to my subject, but the files more than hold up to a bit of cropping.

[tom0511]

I agree- you have to answer yourself.

On a recent vacation trip in Sweden I brought both the x1 and the M9 with some lenses and sometimes I did like the option to use a 24mm FOV with the M9 or a 75mm lens.

 

The x1 would be the one I would carry when we go for dinner or a small walk through town or a boattrip.

[prk60091]

travelling light with a superlative lens is the reason i lusted after the X1.... I have never shot birds or long distance wildlife....... and the 2x zoom equivalent on the Dlux4 really doesn't qualify as a "long lens"....

 

i imagine if i get to scratch an african safari off my bucket list- i will get something with a long lens - but for the shots I take- the prime lens on the x1 is perfect..

 

maybe you are a bird watcher - if so then the prime lens on the x1 won't cut it

 

look at some of the photos in this forum to see if they are the types of photos you take...

 

look here Flickr: The Leica X1 Pool there are some excellent travel examples here as well

[Ecaton]

I'm planning a trip to the south of France in the Fall and would like to travel lightly. Has anyone used the Leica X1 alone for travel photography and is the fixed focal length a problem? Trying to avoid lugging around my SLR and multiple lenses if possible, but will do so if I need more flexibility. Tough decision.

t

 

Went to Thailand for 2 weeks with X1. Only once, when we visited an animal park did I miss a longer lens. But my GF had a Nikon 3000 with kit zoom, so problem solved. But it obviously depends on what you plan to shoot and on your shooting style in general.

[wda]

mrgigi, .... Welcome to the Forum!

 

May I suggest you simulate a holiday tour by planning a busy day out, within your home catchment area, using just a prime lens equating to the X1 with 36mm. Deliberately shoot a wide variety of touristy-type pictures, with eating stops and rest periods. Shoot lots! Then analyse your results and be honest with yourself. Were there any potentially critical pictures you failed to capture because of your fixed lens limitations?

 

Only then will you know how well you will cope. Having done that, I guess you will conclude that it is possible, using legs instead of a zoom lens, but do have a backup compact camera of some kind, which can live in the hotel safe. The risk of early loss or failure needs some form of instant insurance. I would never travel with just one camera.

[mrgigi]

thank you all for your suggestions. this was helpful!

[MPJMP]

I don't own an X1, but back in the day I did own a minilux. 40mm fixed lens. I took that thing around the world (literally) for about 4 years. It never once crossed my mind that I needed a zoom lens.

-Mike

[prk60091]

I don't own an X1, but back in the day I did own a minilux. 40mm fixed lens. I took that thing around the world (literally) for about 4 years. It never once crossed my mind that I needed a zoom lens.

-Mike

 

i wish i never sold my minilux . . . shooting w/the x1 reminds me of what is was like shooting with the minilux and i travelled to the UK and Hong Kong with the minilux never missing a zoom

[RichardM8]

I don't own an X1, but back in the day I did own a minilux. 40mm fixed lens. I took that thing around the world (literally) for about 4 years. It never once crossed my mind that I needed a zoom lens.

-Mike

 

Fascinating isn't it?

 

 

I'm getting along fine with the fixed X1 lens. Although I must admit I did miss the excellent 17-55 f/2.8 zoom I had on my Canon 40D during my recent vacation to Thailand a couple of times.

 

But when those X1 images almost leap off your screen I forget that quite easy. I didn't forgot the sore neck I had a lot of times from the almost 2 KGs of glass, plastic and alloy from the Canon.

[phancj]

Fascinating isn't it?

 

 

I'm getting along fine with the fixed X1 lens. Although I must admit I did miss the excellent 17-55 f/2.8 zoom I had on my Canon 40D during my recent vacation to Thailand a couple of times.

 

But when those X1 images almost leap off your screen I forget that quite easy. I didn't forgot the sore neck I had a lot of times from the almost 2 KGs of glass, plastic and alloy from the Canon.

 

And with the heat in thailand at the moment 2kgs will feel a whole lot more.....

[jsrockit]

I don't own an X1, but back in the day I did own a minilux. 40mm fixed lens. I took that thing around the world (literally) for about 4 years. It never once crossed my mind that I needed a zoom lens.

-Mike

 

Well, I think you are either a zoom user or a prime user for the most part. I avoid cameras with zooms only and basically only use 28mm-50mm lens... I just like being able to put the camera to my eye and know what is going to be in the viewfinder. I limit myself on purpose. I loved the Minilux as well...even after getting it repaired for the faulty shutter twice!

[johM8]

I was in italy and left 5dmk2 (1dsmk3) at home &various lenses and bought X1. I was more that happy. Image quality is brilliant. I just hope that it would be little bit faster.

 

If you need wider, you can alway stitch images, what I did alot

 

here few examples

 

6 images

TOSCANA

2 img.

TOSCANA

TOSCANA

16 images (I just test how it stitch totgether, I should do this otherway)

TOSCANA

 

and here all travelling photos

color

TOSCANA

and B&W

TOSCANA b&w

 

more panoramas/stitch

4 img.

TOSCANA

6 img.

TOSCANA

3.img

TOSCANA

2. img

TOSCANA

[phancj]

JohM8, you take some superb shots!

 

I shoot almost exclusively with the X1, and do not even find the speed limiting. Maybe its my general choice of subjects.

 

The X1 has proven itself to be a unique camera, with either rave reviews by some and notoriety to others. But one thing for certain, it is capable of producing jaw dropping images in so tiny a size sometimes (even after using for over half a year) I still am amazed, and keeps me thinking: WHAT THE HELL ARE THE OTHER CAMERA MAKERS NOT MAKING SIMILAR TINY CAMS THIS SIZE WITH BIG SENSORS AND SIMILAR VERY HIGH IQ?? Forget the nex, ricoh, etc, they aint there yet IMHO, for a variety of reasons.

 

CJ

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Guest xCorpsman]

I bought my X1 specifically for lightweight travel. Problem is, I just ended up bringing both my Leica and a Canon DSLR with my one and only prime lens with me to Dublin for a two day trip! Still had my trusty Crumbler bag slung across my shoulder most of the time. Guess that kind of cancels out the whole size and weight advantage.

 

It was nice to be able to dump the bag and DSLR in the hotel and just head out with the X1.