Wouldn't it be wonderful if Leica apologized?

[bokeh bro]

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I love my Leica X1 and Leica M9. I am anxiously awaiting the X1 update but I am not thinking that it's the end of the world if it is delayed. Enjoy Life!!

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[mhoutman]

I love my Leica X1 and Leica M9. I am anxiously awaiting the X1 update but I am not thinking that it's the end of the world if it is delayed. Enjoy Life!!

 

 

plus 1... loving my M8 (as my black X1 is still in backorder)

[wda]

I love my Leica X1 and Leica M9. I am anxiously awaiting the X1 update but I am not thinking that it's the end of the world if it is delayed. Enjoy Life!!

 

Welcome to the forum, bokey bro! The X1 camera does not deserve to be pilloried in the way it seems to be in this forum. It is a quality product easily capable of producing consistently superb results. I accept there are some well-known shortcomings.

 

One of the main aims of this forum should be to help lesser-experienced owners benefit from the knowledge of others who have found a way to obtain excellent results with the camera. I do wish more contributors would engage with this positive spirit instead of imposing their pointless, often ill-informed and heavily biased postings. Perhaps then lurkers with a genuine interest would feel more inclined to participate.

[markgay]

I bought the M8 three/four years ago and it is still, IMO, the best digital camera of its generation.

 

The M8.2 came out, I held off. The M9 came out, I held off. I wanted something with the heft and feel of the original M8. In the meantime I bought a wonderful videocam with a Leica lens, the HPX 170. Then I picked up one of the first X1s.

 

I reviewed and tested it here.

 

Yet only the M9 Titanium seemed likely to offer an M8 feel, with a reasonable advance in technology. Well, maybe the M9 Chrome Neiman Marcus may have satisfied, but that was announced after the Titanium so I have what I have.

 

The X1 is a great, portable, pocketable, decent-sized-sensor camera that I carry everywhere. Even the Titanium M9, with a slight shaving of weight over the M8, won't replace the X1.

 

It's a photographers' camera. TTL auto flash doesn't work. You need to know what you might change with -2/3 EV flash at ISO 160 at f/2.0 at two metres.

 

But with basic knowledge of how cameras work, the X1 is the best on the market. Bar its brother the M9.

 

The manufacturer has nothing for which to apologise.

 

Money Circus: Leica X1

[h00ligan]

What about the m9 titanium made it feel different than the original m9? Wight?

[prk60091]

I bought the M8 three/four years ago and it is still, IMO, the best digital camera of its generation.

 

The M8.2 came out, I held off. The M9 came out, I held off. I wanted something with the heft and feel of the original M8. In the meantime I bought a wonderful videocam with a Leica lens, the HPX 170. Then I picked up one of the first X1s.

 

I reviewed and tested it here.

 

Yet only the M9 Titanium seemed likely to offer an M8 feel, with a reasonable advance in technology. Well, maybe the M9 Chrome Neiman Marcus may have satisfied, but that was announced after the Titanium so I have what I have.

 

The X1 is a great, portable, pocketable, decent-sized-sensor camera that I carry everywhere. Even the Titanium M9, with a slight shaving of weight over the M8, won't replace the X1.

 

It's a photographers' camera. TTL auto flash doesn't work. You need to know what you might change with -2/3 EV flash at ISO 160 at f/2.0 at two metres.

 

But with basic knowledge of how cameras work, the X1 is the best on the market. Bar its brother the M9.

 

The manufacturer has nothing for which to apologise.

 

Money Circus: Leica X1

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head as it pertains to the x1 (I have no experience with the m8/9 so I cannot comment).

 

The x1 is truly a retro digital camera. From what I have seen other cameras only look retro. I personally don't care if leica ever releases a firmware update and whatever they do release I hope it doesn't destroy the essence of this camera.

[kdemas]

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I do not have a problem with genuine criticism about the cameras issues but with the same repetitive anti Leica posts by the same boring forum members its no surprise we have members that would rather lurk than get involved in the forums posts.

 

Well said.

[bokeh bro]

Thanks David. I use my X1 for a myriad of things. It has a great sensor and it is portable and it allows me to not think abut switching lenses when I have it with me. I must admit, several people have asked me, "Where is the Zoom?" I just laugh and tell them the zoom is in their feet :-) The X1 has an insanely knack for tacking creamy Black and White photos with excellent contrast. It is truly a gift from the folks at Leica.

[anupmc]

I fail to understand why Leica needs to apologize for something they never promised in the first place.

 

Presumably, someone who bought the X1 knows full well it's capabilities. To somehow expect a new firmware to do something magically different with the X1, that's a self-inflicted expectation problem of their own creation. It's not a problem created by Leica, and certainly doesn't warrant any apology from them.

 

If you don't like the X1, or can't adapt to its character, then sell it and move onto something else.... simple.

 

why don't they apologize for the firmware delay? then we can think " maybe they do care about their customers who are into photography "

wouldn't that be just amazing?

 

they can say something like " for reasons bla bla we cannot bla bla we apologize for making you wait and check dpreview every other day. we really don't suck" or something.

[phancj]

why don't they apologize for the firmware delay? then we can think " maybe they do care about their customers who are into photography "

wouldn't that be just amazing?

 

they can say something like " for reasons bla bla we cannot bla bla we apologize for making you wait and check dpreview every other day. we really don't suck" or something.

 

I am into photography and have enjoyed the X1 tremendously without the FW update. If it comes great, if not whatever.

 

You have 2 issues here

 

1) You seem to see the FW update as enabling you to take photographs or get you "into photography" I find that absurd.

 

2) What does an apology from leica do for you, really? Apart from maybe making you regain your self worth? You shouldnt need anyone to make you feel that way, you should feel that way always by yourself.

 

CJ

[patrick parker]

my god!

 

I meant an apology for the delay of the firmware that was promised a long time ago.

 

I never waited for a firmware update for any of my cameras including m8 and m9 because

 

they did what they were supposed to do. When i purchased the X1 on the other hand my

 

reaction was " oops they messed up, they put it on the market too fast because of this

 

999

 

campaign " . Every expert and professional out there said hopefully such and such issues

 

will be fixed with the new firmware. ", leica promised it and soon, meanwhile the sales

 

go on to the extend that there are waiting lists, unheard of for a nonprofessional camera.

[mjh]

If people could modify the firmware, it really allow the users to improve the product in way the manufacturer could have never imagined. There are ways to make only certain parts of the firmware open. I have never understood why companies are so afraid of this.

Yeah, Leica cameras would be be great if it weren’t for those Leica engineers bodging it …

 

What makes you think it would be easy to modularize the firmware to the extent that the AF could be turned into a plug-in module – so some smart external developer could just plug in his or her own, improved AF module? A contrast-based AF is a real-time process that needs to be well-behaved amid other, concurrent processes. Often improvements in AF speed are due to a global change in priorities, i.e. the live view is slowed down temporarily to free up some CPU cycles for the autofocus. Also the autofocus needs to talk to other components such as the sensor and the focusing motor. It is hardly an ideal candidate to be encapsulated into an open source module so external developers could have a go at it.

 

And just how many people are there having the necessary expertise? How many people have actual experience in developing contrast-based AF algorithms (and aren’t already working for some other vendor), and what percentage of those have the intimate knowledge of the camera hardware necessary?

[bill]

my god!

 

I meant an apology for the delay of the firmware that was promised a long time ago.

 

"...promised..."?

 

No they didn't.

 

Why is this SO hard to understand? Whining does not alter reality.

[patrick parker]

tiger

[phancj]

my god!

 

I meant an apology for the delay of the firmware that was promised a long time ago.

 

I never waited for a firmware update for any of my cameras including m8 and m9 because

 

they did what they were supposed to do. When i purchased the X1 on the other hand my

 

reaction was " oops they messed up, they put it on the market too fast because of this

 

999

 

campaign " . Every expert and professional out there said hopefully such and such issues

 

will be fixed with the new firmware. ", leica promised it and soon, meanwhile the sales

 

go on to the extend that there are waiting lists, unheard of for a nonprofessional camera.

 

Patrick,

 

My point is, even if Leica indeed promised the FW update, what good is an apology from them?

 

IMO either Leica delivers the firmware, or not. An apology is absolutely redundant. Frankly, what good is it that stephen daniel goes to your house and go on his knees and profusely apologize if there is no FW update??!!

 

Either the FW happens, or not. I would think have fun with your camera, and where it is inadequate you can always use your M8/9 or DSLR, but the X1 is plenty competent for a lot of situations, albeit not all situations. I knew what it can/cannot do from day one, and bought the camera with my eyes wide open.

[jsrockit]

I spoke to someone at Leica who said the FW is simply not happening and that they have discontinued supporting the X1 because they've considered it a complete failure based in the bitching on this forum.

[phancj]

I am not surprised JS. Based on the incessant slamming no one will dare come up with the FW update and risk more bitching.

[patrick parker]

where else are we going to bitch?

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Hallo,

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where else are we going to bitch?

 

The R10.

[JanCderidder]

Crawl through the mud they should, have our X1 lenses licked clean by German shepherd dogs, provide us with German sausages to eat to fill our time whilst we are absolutely unable to go out and take photo's, send us daily complimentary apfel strudles (I know austrian... but so are the Leica owners)

 

How dare they ruin the ambitions of would be prof. or even amateur photogs by not releasing their X1 firmware, how the flying fiddles are going to cope with taking even an image of a stationary subject. After all didn't we all buy the X1 with the vision of 2.0 in our minds?

 

and do we have the right to complain ... yes we do and yes we can ... whether the flying fiddles the X1 2.0 was promised by Leica or not, someone on this forum gave us the impression now didn't they.... it is my firm belief that Leica should automatically comply with the views and statements of every part/piece of information provided on this internet forum, whenever, whatever and by whom ever.

 

like I said; crawl through the mud they should!

 

I would love to call all you X1 2.0 whinghers and whiners a big bunch of, hmmm wel whinghers, moaners and whiners, go read a photography book or something if you truly believe the lack of 2.0 will discriminate your photographic qualities.....