Advice on using X1/X2?

[AJB]

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The X1 currently in use was bought for my wife and she is indeed the main user, but I find this little camera quite fascinating. I would like to understand how to use it. Bear in mind I have little photography knowledge - primarily using a range of programmed functions on a Canon D40 hitherto.

 

Reading Thorsten Overgaard's web site, he is an advocate (at least with an M9) of keeping the aperture wide open most of the time, as this is how the Leica lens was designed to operate at its best.

 

So, I set the X1 to 2.8 and then choose a shutter speed. This brings up a graphic scale on the scene which shows the exposure. Presumably this makes exposure compensation redundant as clearly the exposure is adjusted by increasing of decreasing the shutter speed? So I set the shutter speed to achieve the exposure I think is appropriate (the shutter speed steps are rather course in this regard?).

 

This seems to work quite well. Please advise whether this approach is simply too naive or simplistic.

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[stark60]

AJB,

 

 

" ... keeping the aperture wide open most of the time, as this is how the Leica lens was designed to operate at its best ..."

 

That is not exactly true. In fact Leica lenses are better than other lenses at wide aperture especially in the corners, but you have the best IQ at about 5,6.

 

On the other hand, for close subjects you have little deep of field at 2.8.

 

The graphic scale on the scene which shows the exposure enables you to set manually the speed or ISO in order to be well exposed.

[AJB]

Thank you. I had not realised that wide open aperture would deliver an IQ compromise as an adverse sound effect. Since your post I have read some of the Cambridge in Colour tutorials, for example on how lenses typically perform at different f stops.

 

Clearly I need to experiment more. I am tempted to buy an X2 for my wife so that I can keep the X1 and experiment with it.

 

Interestingly my 15 yr old son has just acquired a Canon D600 (via bank of dad) and we have been comparing IQ, in his case using a 60mm prime for nature photography.

 

AJ

[Indina]

I am tempted to buy an X2 for my wife so that I can keep the X1 and experiment with it.

 

That is ALWAYS a GOOD idea!

 

[wda]

AJB, welcome to the forum!

 

I often use my X1 at full aperture (or any of my Leica lenses for that matter). Sometimes the light is too bright and you have to stop down. In other cases you need more depth of field than is possible at full aperture, so you stop down appropriately.

 

I will often start with Av setting but change to manual after checking the histogram. (Remember that the histogram is of a jpeg file, not raw. The latter gives you more flexibility in post-processing)

[Spaniard69]

Same goes for me.