A question For XV Users

[wda]

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...... ....

I've found it a perfect companion to the M ....... and in many ways complimentary rather than an just an underpowered competitor......

If I can expand the companionship example to include an M (M8 or M9), I totally agree. Only the MATE (28-35-50 Tri-Elmar) comes close to giving you nearly instant flexibility of selecting a different focal length in the heat of the moment travel situations. In fact a friend of mine regards his XV as his Tri-Elmar Plus camera. So it is not only a worthy stand-alone quality camera, but an ideal companion for anyone with an M camera wishing to have ready access to wider than 28mm or longer than 70mm lenses when on tour.

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[XVarior]

If I can expand the companionship example to include an M (M8 or M9), I totally agree. Only the MATE (28-35-50 Tri-Elmar) comes close to giving you nearly instant flexibility of selecting a different focal length in the heat of the moment travel situations. In fact a friend of mine regards his XV as his Tri-Elmar Plus camera. So it is not only a worthy stand-alone quality camera, but an ideal companion for anyone with an M camera wishing to have ready access to wider than 28mm or longer than 70mm lenses when on tour.

 

and let's nott forget to add to the Tri, a Macro. LXV is actually 4-in-one lens package!

[Peter H]

and let's nott forget to add to the Tri, a Macro. LXV is actually 4-in-one lens package!

 

Certainly, for the price of an average M lens, it does look like remarkably good value.

[JOM51]

I love the photos that people here are posting up from the XV. It seems that it is a sweet little camera that far exceeds the expectations most of us had when we first saw the specs.

 

I use an M for 99.9% of my photography now. I like it so much that I've sold everything else except old film cameras, for sentimental reasons really.

 

I'm very attracted by the XV though, largely because there are a few occasions when auto-focus would be very useful. So I need to ask whether the AF is as good as on a full-size DSLR. If it is, or near to it, then I think this would be a great companion for my M. But if its strengths are elsewhere and the AF not so good, I need to think much more seriously about whether I would actually use it very much. Any advice or thoughts would be very welcome.

 

Thanks.

 

I have just returned from a Holiday to Northern Norway in which I used the X Vario in many situations in AF and in manual focus. Mainly I used manual focus when on a tripod in low light (plenty of use in winter in Northern Norway). And I used AF when in daylight hand held. Daylight in Feb/March in Northern Norway means better than total darkness and much less than sunshine in Spain.The AF handled work perfectly every time and quick enough for landscape photography from a moving ship. Also general photography in AF was fine and quick enough for me.

I started the trip using one AF point, but found out that for landscape the 11 point AF was faster and very accurate. Not what I expected, but I don't care.

I enjoyed the small package, one lens does it all, and general ergonomics were very good (with attached hand grip) and electronic viewfinder (OLY 2).

In one word I love my X Vario.

[2wk]

I love the XV too! The more I use it, the more I enjoy it. The autofocus is good enough for me. The colors and the way the raw files hold up to editing are fantastic. The lens is amazing, although I wish the widest end would have a bit less distortion. I love the 70mm macro abilities. I've never really been a zoom person, but it is very liberating to just toss the XV in the bag and have that whole focal range covered. My favorite part of the camera might be the fact that it can sync flash at all speeds!

All in all, I am finding it an excellent (color) addition to my Monochrom. It is often the camera I grab as I'm heading out the door.

[barjohn]

PeterH,

To answer your question on the AF, it is no where close to a DSLR in performance. The XT-1 that has very fast AF and continuous tracking AF is still below DSLR performance and it is orders of magnitude faster and more accurate. If DSLR like AF is on your must have list you should pass as you will be disappointed. If one-potato and sometimes two-potato count AF is fast enough then you would be OK.

[tmldds]

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I love the XV too! The more I use it, the more I enjoy it. The autofocus is good enough for me. The colors and the way the raw files hold up to editing are fantastic. The lens is amazing, although I wish the widest end would have a bit less distortion. I love the 70mm macro abilities. I've never really been a zoom person, but it is very liberating to just toss the XV in the bag and have that whole focal range covered. My favorite part of the camera might be the fact that it can sync flash at all speeds!

All in all, I am finding it an excellent (color) addition to my Monochrom. It is often the camera I grab as I'm heading out the door.

 

Agreed totally. I have only had the camera for about 2 weeks and been enjoying it very much. The ability to flip the EVF and use it like a Hassy is very useful for street shooting, especially, when you want to get down low! One thing it does not excel at is at intimate jazz performance shooting where it is dark and the musicians often in motion. In this case, my MM with a Nocti, or a 'Lux on it is my preferred camera. The near-silent shutter is a great adjunct, the zoom is very handy and the built-in flash, a great filler. Overall, a great camera to carry around eventhough the balance and feel are not comparable to my M9 with a 35 'Lux, or a 50 'Lux asph. Will it replace my M9 and MM? I do not think so. However, it has been accompanying me on short trips more often than my M9 and MM with various lenses and a flash.