tnturnerx1 Posted March 24, 2012 Share #1 Posted March 24, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I purchased the X1 Nov 2011 for my 6 week trip to China Jan-Feb 2012. I used the Manfrotto 732CY 2.2# carbon-fiber tripod almost all the time, fitted with the Manfrotto 494RC2 ball head. I used a small Tamrac camera bag that fits the X1 perfectly, even with the quick-release plate for the ball head attached. Later, after my trip, because of problems with the LCD blacking out in bright sunlight, I bought a Voigtlaender VF, but I haven't used it yet. X1 PLUS & MINUS: the DNG images are outstanding, superior to my Nikon D200 and superior to my Canon T2i raw images. The JPEGs straight out of the camera can vary from outstanding to embarrassingly poor, depending on the settings. A quick note on JPEGS. People have complained that there is no option to just shoot DNG. However, on a trip where you don't have CS5 or another product to check the images, you may store a great many of unsuitable images. In addition, if family members want some shots, and you don't have conversion software, you have to give them JPEGs. However, the settings on the camera make a great deal of difference. VIVID is horrible. Best I could use was STANDARD with medium sharpening, but NO additional saturation. Even at that, many JPEGs were embarrassingly bad, notably if taken inside with on-board flash or even with the recommended Leica 24D flash (which I also have). In fact, some people who had very cheap Fujifilm point-shoot cameras produced JPEGs that were far better than the X1 JPEGs, and it was truly embarrassing. As people have said, the dials and buttons are perfectly placed and useful. MUCH better than searching thru menus for common functions. However, a continual problem was the loosey-goosey nature of the top dials always getting too-easily reset. You must watch them constantly to make sure you have the right settings. NO VIDEO. I think this is a plus. FOCUS: I had a lot of trouble focussing, but mostly user error. KEEP IN MIND, as the X1 manual tells you, if you use the 11-point option, the X1 will usually focus on the nearest object, which is usually what you DON'T want. I spent a lot of time with the point and spot focussing. TRIPOD vs HAND-HELD. For Artful Toad photos, which I want maximum sharpness for, I lugged the tripod around China ALL THE TIME, sometimes carrying it all day without finding a single shot I wanted, but if I found a shot, I was always thankful for the tripod. I would not use this camera hand-held if possible to use the tripod. The tripod mentioned above is in three sections and fits in a 22"-24" bag (VIDPRO VC22" bag) and fits very conveniently over the shoulder and is not too much trouble to carry all day. I got some absolutely fabulous shots for my website. I also want to mention that the self-timer on the X1, combined with the tripod, was invaluable. ANYONE WHO SIGNS MY GUESTBOOK at www.TheArtfulToad.com will be notified by email when the China 2012 images are available. Please check it out. These shots are truly amazing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 24, 2012 Posted March 24, 2012 Hi tnturnerx1, Take a look here Six Weeks in China with X1. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
prk60091 Posted March 24, 2012 Share #2 Posted March 24, 2012 I wish i could make images like the ones you have posted on your site Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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