Steve Huff Review of X Vario

[aballard]

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I have an x-vario and pretty much love it, being fully cognizant of its limitations. I found Steve's review good, but severely lacking in several respects: First, he kept on referring to the $500.00 viewer when he well knows that you can get an Olympus VF-2 that will do the same job for $200. and that's what I did. Also, he glossed over the primary strength of the X-vario--its ability to zoom from a wide angle to a small tele in one lens and generally get pleasing results--and the Rx-1 can't do that! And he failed to emphasize another strength of the XV--its tactile and easily accessed manual mode as well as the ability to zone focus quickly. Moreover, he limited pretty much the iso to 1250 when I have shot still subjects in a moderately lit church with iso of 3200 and gotten perfectly usable results. And though he complains about the handling of the camera, he doesn't note the availability(sooner or later) of a hand grip.for the xv. Nor the overall simplicity of operation of the XV versus its rivals. I think that when all is said and done, it was a rushed review of the camera that emphasized its shortcomings to the detriment of its strengths. Just my opinion when all is said and done.

[Guest badbob]

I have an x-vario and pretty much love it, being fully cognizant of its limitations. I found Steve's review good, but severely lacking in several respects: First, he kept on referring to the $500.00 viewer when he well knows that you can get an Olympus VF-2 that will do the same job for $200. and that's what I did. Also, he glossed over the primary strength of the X-vario--its ability to zoom from a wide angle to a small tele in one lens and generally get pleasing results--and the Rx-1 can't do that! And he failed to emphasize another strength of the XV--its tactile and easily accessed manual mode as well as the ability to zone focus quickly. Moreover, he limited pretty much the iso to 1250 when I have shot still subjects in a moderately lit church with iso of 3200 and gotten perfectly usable results. And though he complains about the handling of the camera, he doesn't note the availability(sooner or later) of a hand grip.for the xv. Nor the overall simplicity of operation of the XV versus its rivals. I think that when all is said and done, it was a rushed review of the camera that emphasized its shortcomings to the detriment of its strengths. Just my opinion when all is said and done.

 

Well said. Someone here noted today that when all is said and done, you're still stuck with a fairly slow lens. I had to review my notes and why I bought it, or maybe just the process of elimiation:

 

M9: Waaaaaay too expensive.

X2: Had it, really want the Leica zoom lens.

Nikon 'A': Same as X2, although it fits a real niche for small pocket size.

Sony, Fuji et al: Interesting, and attractive. Good choices for paid jobs, but not for me for personal carry.

D-Lux6 or Pana LX7: Good alternative for non-daylight shooting. This is what I intend to do in the next week or so - see if the D-Lux6 at ISO 800 indoors (good indoor lighting) is better or worse for ultimate noise and appearance than the XV at whatever ISO gets me the same exposure and shutter speed as the D-Lux6.

[Ruhayat]

I read it and I don't get it. If you applied most if not all of the same points he makes about the X Vario to the Leica M9/Type 240, it would still stick and no one should be sane enough to buy a digital M in this day and age.

 

I mean, Nikon D800e quality is largely compared to the medium format S2, not the M Type 240, for goodness' sake. So compare based on price and performance, and the M9/Type 240 loses miserably there. You want full frame quality in a compact package? I've read plenty of reviews that say the RX1 is just as good as the Type 240, too. And so on.

 

But meh. To each his own.

[Ozkar]

The X Vario would be 'sorely lacking' if it was not capable of producing excellent image files at high ISO settings. As it produces superb images at high ISOs the relatively slow lens speed is not the alleged major problem that the critics suggest. The critics (most of whom have not used the camera but habitually hypothesise using their tunnel logic) should maybe consider trying the camera and downloading the files ... and only then give an objective rather than subjective opinion.

 

Leica Camera AG camera and lens designers know more than a thing or three about optics and digital imaging - certainly very much more than all the critics. If the camera was not capable of producing exemplary image files at high ISOs, Leica would not have put so much effort into the camera and its on target availability.

 

Unfortunately the 'flat earther' critics fail appreciate the camera's amazing roundness and capabilities.

 

dunk

 

The slow lens is a problem in low light since it impedes the operation of the AF system. This is reflected in Steve Huff's review where not a single experienced photographer was able to achieve focus in low light.

[Stealth3kpl]

Leica get away with the M9 and the M240 because there's no alternative at any price.

There are plenty of other options to the XVario at more attractive price points.

 

One review made a good point: the lens is only a 1/2 Stop from being a 28 to 70mm f2.8/5.6 which sounds a lot better.

 

Pete

[dkCambridgeshire]

The slow lens is a problem in low light since it impedes the operation of the AF system. This is reflected in Steve Huff's review where not a single experienced photographer was able to achieve focus in low light.

 

Oh ye of little faith ... swayed too much by Mr Huff et al.

 

I just tried my X Vario in my kitchen in very dim light ie EV 4 = 8 secs at f11 at ISO 400 (measured on a separate incident light meter) ... When focusing the AF assist lamp was 'ON' . The camera achieves focus instantly when focused on any reasonably reflective surface . It will not focus on anything black .. but that is to be expected.

 

There is also a manual focus option which I tried using MF Assist with the Olympus EVF ... and it also focused fine in the same very dim light.

 

Don't believe all you read in camera reviews!

 

dunk

[dkCambridgeshire]

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Leica get away with the M9 and the M240 because there's no alternative at any price.

There are plenty of other options to the XVario at more attractive price points.

 

One review made a good point: the lens is only a 1/2 Stop from being a 28 to 70mm f2.8/5.6 which sounds a lot better.

 

Pete

 

What balderdash and bunkum! Leica do not 'get away' ... they offer the only four tools available with those cameras' specifications (including the MM and M-E) . 'Get away' implies that Leica walk a very thin line with these superb cameras and that they (Leica) deserve to fail in their objective.

 

Only criminals 'get away' with their dirty deeds. Leica offer superb products with a 2 year passport and guarantee and have many satisfied customers.

 

dunk

[bill]

Interesting that one of the first things I turn off on any new camera - immediately after the sound - is the AF assist light. It makes discretion impossible. How can you be stealthy when you look like one of the Borg...? All of my current cameras (GR, X10, X-E1) with the feature perform perfectly well in low light without it - in fact I cannot think of a single camera I have owned in the past 5 years that needed it to achieve focus.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Sent from another Galaxy

[dkCambridgeshire]

One anomaly with the new generation of digital photographers is that many of them do not understand how to focus manually because they have never had to use manual focus. Fact is, the X Vario has a very easy manual focus mode to supplement its AF.

 

dunk

[timd.]

One anomaly with the new generation of digital photographers is that many of them do not understand how to focus manually because they have never had to use manual focus. Fact is, the X Vario has a very easy manual focus mode to supplement its AF.

 

dunk

 

i can assure you bill is not one of 'the new generation of digital photographers'.

[dkCambridgeshire]

i can assure you bill is not one of 'the new generation of digital photographers'.

 

I did not mean to imply that he is ... apologies. Just trying to say that the X Vario has a manual focus mode and that some people would be reluctant to use it because they have been spoilt with AF. The X Vario's MF is very useful and not just in low light.

 

dunk

[ayewing]

One anomaly with the new generation of digital photographers is that many of them do not understand how to focus manually because they have never had to use manual focus. Fact is, the X Vario has a very easy manual focus mode to supplement its AF.

 

dunk

 

That is one explanation.

 

The other is that :-

"Shooting in low light? If so, forget the X Vario. At a dinner I passed around the X and asked everyone to take some shots and let me know what they thought. Keep in mind, 90% of these guys are Leica shooters who love Leica. By the time the camera came back around the comments sounded something like this:

“If I owned this camera I would be throwing it against the wall”

 

 

It is not uncommon to have difficulty focusing after a good dinner.

 

:D

[Stealth3kpl]

What balderdash and bunkum! Leica do not 'get away' ... they offer the only four tools available with those cameras' specifications (including the MM and M-E) . 'Get away' implies that Leica walk a very thin line with these superb cameras and that they (Leica) deserve to fail in their objective.

 

Only criminals 'get away' with their dirty deeds. Leica offer superb products with a 2 year passport and guarantee and have many satisfied customers.

 

dunk

 

Balderdash and Bunkum

I admit to being deliberately provocative.

Pete

[jonoslack]

I Thought it was rather a good review, but there were a couple of points which I felt he missed:

 

1st Point - Manual focus

He did mention that this was good, but he didn't push it - I've found it to be something of a revelation, not the normal focus by wire one encounters in mirrorless cameras - it handles nicely, and if you use it, then the shutter lag is entirely gone - so that shooting can be really quite fast and fluid. I always use it in low light - it's is a different way of using the camera which can work really well in street situations.

 

2nd Point Software based Image Stabilisation

Software based - what rubbish I thought - it's so obvious it wont work that it's not even worth trying . . . . So I didn't, until a few weeks ago, and I was rather chastened - for shutter speeds between 1/4 and 1/45th I found it worked really well with static objects, and let's face it, no IS works well with moving objects

 

The slow lens is a function of it's quality, although I suspect that Panasonic or Fuji might have called it f3.4 - f5.6 and nobody would have been any wiser . (let's face it f6.4 is only 1/3 stop slower than f5.6 and who cares about the difference between f2.8 and f3.5 at 28mm?)

 

I say these things, because, having had the damned camera around the place for 6 months, I first found it infuriating, then slowly the IQ brought me to a point where I thought it was worth trying harder, gradually I got to like the handling and since then I've found that it has a real place for casual shooting in most lighting conditions - I find myself picking it up more often than the OMD. The final situation is that I had to decide whether to get a 35 'cron (long wanted) or the X-vario . . . and I chose the X-vario. If someone had told me this a few months ago I'd have given them a slap.

[miatadan]

I Thought it was rather a good review, but there were a couple of points which I felt he missed:

 

1st Point - Manual focus

He did mention that this was good, but he didn't push it - I've found it to be something of a revelation, not the normal focus by wire one encounters in mirrorless cameras - it handles nicely, and if you use it, then the shutter lag is entirely gone - so that shooting can be really quite fast and fluid. I always use it in low light - it's is a different way of using the camera which can work really well in street situations.

 

2nd Point Software based Image Stabilisation

Software based - what rubbish I thought - it's so obvious it wont work that it's not even worth trying . . . . So I didn't, until a few weeks ago, and I was rather chastened - for shutter speeds between 1/4 and 1/45th I found it worked really well with static objects, and let's face it, no IS works well with moving objects

 

The slow lens is a function of it's quality, although I suspect that Panasonic or Fuji might have called it f3.4 - f5.6 and nobody would have been any wiser . (let's face it f6.4 is only 1/3 stop slower than f5.6 and who cares about the difference between f2.8 and f3.5 at 28mm?)

 

I say these things, because, having had the damned camera around the place for 6 months, I first found it infuriating, then slowly the IQ brought me to a point where I thought it was worth trying harder, gradually I got to like the handling and since then I've found that it has a real place for casual shooting in most lighting conditions - I find myself picking it up more often than the OMD. The final situation is that I had to decide whether to get a 35 'cron (long wanted) or the X-vario . . . and I chose the X-vario. If someone had told me this a few months ago I'd have given them a slap.

 

I am happy to read this, as my X Vario is in shipping...

When you speak of manual focus, are you referring to zone focusing? without focus peaking. how hard is manual focusing compared to other cameras such as the Nikon D600 I sold recently?

 

Dan

[Peter L]

Congratulations with your Vario X , a fantastic camera, I can't speak for the Nikon, however, mf with this camera is very smooth and easy, af works very well.

[rsh]

For all of you that have purchased an X Vario, and that includes me, enjoy it, take great photos and ignore all of the negative comments.

[onceuponatime]

in real life outside a department store it is a tad on the slower side.

 

How is people moving about doing their shopping in a dimly lit department store not real life

 

(obviously excluding hunger, stravtion, abuse, depression, illness et al)

[Peter L]

For all of you that have purchased an X Vario, and that includes me, enjoy it, take great photos and ignore all of the negative comments.

 

The negative storm has blown itself out, tempered by the great results and positive reviews, the negative comments never had any basis and was mostly perpetuated

by those who did not own the camera or actually held it in their hands.

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Fotograph]

For all of you that have purchased an X Vario, and that includes me, enjoy it, take great photos and ignore all of the negative comments.

 

After sending it back and testing Fuji X100s I will buy Leica Vario again.