Is the new X1 a quality upgrade standard than the X1 Steel-grey?

[LinsBarroso]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Many reviews on the internet about the new Leica X1 Black anodized model are saying about the better quality materials and the better finishing than the Steel-grey anodized version.

Are they right?

[andybarton]

Which Internet references would those be?

[LinsBarroso]

Which Internet references would those be?

 

Member forums reviews.

[andybarton]

Sorry, I've never heard of them. Can you provide links?

 

Thanks.

[LinsBarroso]

Sorry, I've never heard of them. Can you provide links?

 

Thanks.

 

In this forum are references like:

 

1- The X1 Black has a battery compartment cover much better fits with the botton.

2- The peeling skin of the X1 Steel-grey.

3- The X1 Black's controls are a bit tighter than the X1 Steel-grey.

 

Marcus

[Allnm]

Cant see how the black ones would be any different. My steel grey one was built after the black one was announced, I cant see them having completely separate production lines, everything under the skin would be the same, but,

The battery door on my steel grey fits perfectly.

The skin is not peeling.

Cant compare the dials because I dont have a black one to check. I doubt there is any difference between the two colours.

Allan

[pharyngula]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I have a black X1 and I have not read anything reliable to suggest that the differences are other than cosmetic (i.e., black finish and different skin). My guess is that problems with peeling skin, etc. would have been dealt with on both versions coming out of Solms at this point.

 

Having never touched a steel grey version I can't comment on the relative feel of the dials. However, I can confirm that it is indeed easy to inadvertently move the dials on my black X1.

 

BTW, I very much like my X1 - limitations, presumed warts, and all!

[h00ligan]

Holy cow, and my comment is not directed at the original question.

 

I feel sorry for anyone coming in for help, especially when it is clear English is not their first language. This is just getting ridiculous.

 

Não deve haver qualquer diferença agora entre os dois modelos

[elbonedeedo]

Bought my X1 about a month ago. The store (Keeble and Shucat in Palo Alto, Ca) had both Steel Grey and Black in stock. They felt to me like exactly the same camera, i.e. buttons, detents, etc... I bought the Steel Grey due to personal preference. I can verify the battery door fits just as flush and tightly as the black one I played around with in the store. I don't think color has anything to do with a possible production run that may have had issues.

[shinglj]

My black X1 was faulty out of the box --the flash would not stay down-and the battery compartment lid fit is not that great . It is at the repairers here in Australia awaiting parts from Germany -apparently they are very slow.

The dials all turned easily on my X1 so if my experience is anything to go by the black ones are even worse quality than the steel grey ones .

 

Shinglj

 

The Rolling Road

[LinsBarroso]

Holy cow, and my comment is not directed at the original question.

 

I feel sorry for anyone coming in for help, especially when it is clear English is not their first language. This is just getting ridiculous.

 

Não deve haver qualquer diferença agora entre os dois modelos

 

Thank you for your helping and the good answer in portuguese.

Muito obrigado.

 

I feel sorry for anyone coming in, to be impolite and ridiculous, with people in this forum who is loving to discover the world of Leica and starting to buy its products;

 

Many of them will be the future of the company and its most important customers.

 

Chinese people was considered ridiculous in the past, now China is again the center of the world.

 

Fortunately there are many friendly Leica experts and old customers ,in this forum, with the desire of help the new ones.

[h00ligan]

You're welcome. I hope you enjoy your new camera, whichever you chose!

[phancj]

LOL! I was in Brazil for several years when younger and picked up a little portuguese in Rio Grande Do Sul where I worked. Agora eu nao falar portuguese, muito tempo nao falar haha!

 

Even when working there portuguese used to be so difficult with gender and the difficult tenses. I ignored tenses and just learnt vocabulary which means I was infamous for my broken portuguese but I didnt care. But Brazil sure was fun and how I wished I carried the X1 then. I recall I used the first oly mu, the pocket film camera with the retractable prime.

 

And Lins, welcome! And you have a portuguese translator to add, not me, Edward!

 

CJ

[h00ligan]

NO!

 

I stink, a little dirty Portuguese from living in New York, that's it! I had to triple check that one sentence and likely got it wrong.

[spylaw4]

There's is no difference between colour versions, except the visible cosmetic ones.

 

But........

 

In a recent test (at Red Dot Cameras, where I work part-time) we found that there was an obscure difference. The lens retract time on switching off was faster on my black X-1 than on both a customer's and the shop's demo grey ones. Odd, no?

[andybarton]

I haven't read anywhere that black ones are better made than grey ones, but after more than a year of production, one would expect that the slight glitches in the early production runs will have been ironed out. This will apply equally to grey and black examples.

 

This is why it often pays to be a "late adopter". In my experience, buying a V1 of any consumer product isn't the bast policy, whether it be cameras, computers, iPhones, cars or whatever.

[h00ligan]

There's is no difference between colour versions, except the visible cosmetic ones.

 

But........

 

In a recent test (at Red Dot Cameras, where I work part-time) we found that there was an obscure difference. The lens retract time on switching off was faster on my black X-1 than on both a customer's and the shop's demo grey ones. Odd, no?

 

Interesting...

 

motor differences?

 

Are we talking milliseconds? something that could be outside influence. Even timing things with a stop watch introduces the human variable. I've no idea what they may have changed obviously.. but were they to have implemented changes.. surely those changes would make it into any grey model produced after depleting stock levels amassed prior to the creation of a black model.

[phancj]

There's is no difference between colour versions, except the visible cosmetic ones.

 

But........

 

In a recent test (at Red Dot Cameras, where I work part-time) we found that there was an obscure difference. The lens retract time on switching off was faster on my black X-1 than on both a customer's and the shop's demo grey ones. Odd, no?

 

Brian,

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Perhaps leica when sourcing for the motor got hold of faster ones. Good for you!

 

Or perhaps while your black X1 was being made on the assembly line it heard all these negativity about it being slow...:eek:so decided to buck up...mine belonged to the first ones off the line so it hasnt heard the rants and insults haha:D

[spylaw4]

'Twas not a "scientific" experiment/test. But even allowing for the human variable the difference was noticeable. I would not however like to put a value on the time difference, simply because it was neither timed nor conducted in anything other than a "let's see what happens" manner. Just why we did this involves a customer - so I"m not going any further.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Danielsan]

. 1- The X1 Black has a battery compartment cover much better fits with the botton.

2- The peeling skin of the X1 Steel-grey.

3- The X1 Black's controls are a bit tighter than the X1 Steel-grey.

 

 

Yes but that is because the black version was released later, newer grey models have the same except the different skin. This has nothing to do with black or grey! i like the grey much more because silver looks more elegant with the two tone finish. If i would buy an M i would always choose silver