XV it's getting old!

[Doc_P]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Interesting thread...

 

In a small package the L XV delivers remarkable image quality for my usage cases: land- and cityscapes, impressions from hiking around. The OOC jpegs are superb, rarely do i use the DNGs... The quirks are annoying, for sure, i miss some shots - rapidly chanigng light, e.g. ... If my XV would fail, be lost or stolen: the next cam would be a XV again... When the XV reaches end of life i will probably buy one as spare! I do not miss the M9 nor the M240 for my usage scenarios, by no means, well knowing that the CMOSIS sensor has much greater latidude in PP...

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[mija1789]

I'm on the look-out for an affordable second hand X Vario. The one thing I have my doubts about is the low light capabilities. Hardware (sensor) stabilisation would have been a major plus. The software stabilisation seems completely non-functional on my X2 and I heard that it's no different on the Vario.

 

 

Why don't you check http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Ratings ?

You'll be able to compare low light (they call it "Sports") capabilities of a variety of cameras.

Of course, the X Vario is no match for the Q but it's not bad either.

[wda]

Newbie, welcome to the forum. If you can see, you can take pictures with your XV. Using a wide angle gives you a faster starting aperture and a higher ISO extends your scope.

 

IS is limited but remember it only works at 1/30th second or longer, provided you have selected it in the menu.

Mandemaker, sorry. I picked up the wrong name!

[BAASCH]

Mandemaker, sorry. I picked up the wrong name!

 

 

No problem, thanks for your comments.

[NZDavid]

Isn't it funny how digital cameras get "old" in a just a few years -- or maybe even a few nanoseconds after they're released; film cameras, OTOH, remain youthful for years and only reach their adolescence after a decade and maturity after several decades. From a functional and design point of view, the only things that the passage of time might have improved on the X Vario would appear to be the sensor and Live View -- in other words, the purely software related components. Even so, as posters have proved, it's perfectly possible to produce excellent images despite this camera's apparent "limitations". 

[gbealnz]

Couldn't agree more David, and another living testament is the X1, same deal, still produces excellent files. I have both.

Gary

[colonel]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

A zoom Q in other words...?

 

That would sell...

Will never happen

 

The zoom would be massive and make it of no value over an interchangeable camera

 

Aps-c is even a stretch for a fixed zoom camera

 

I'd like the next XV to have a more modest zoom with a better aperture. Say 35-50mm f2.8 or f2

[mikeodial]

Under-rated partly / mainly because of all the unjustified naysaying at launch - including that which emanated from forum members - some of whom still fail to understand, or do not wish to understand, the XV's design philosophy, its strengths, and who have probably never used the camera for any length of time (or at all ! ) or for serious imaging. 

 

dunk

I think the same thing happened with another camera I own, the Sigma SD1M which, under the right circumstances, punches way about its weight. However it never recovered from the first intro pricing blunder Sigma made. It is a very good BW machine, paired with the right lens. This one taken with a Zeiss 28/2 on the SD1M.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57380289

[Ecaton]

Put the new Sony 24MP aps-c sensor into the Q with its 2015 electronics and EVF and mate the XV lens to the body and I am a buyer. If possible, make the lens a 24-85mm and half a stop faster without increasing size too much or compromising on performance. But as said, I would buy it with the current lens as well. With the Q genes, a XV II would not get old as quickly as the current model did.

[rivi1969]

Put the new Sony 24MP aps-c sensor into the Q with its 2015 electronics and EVF and mate the XV lens to the body and I am a buyer. If possible, make the lens a 24-85mm and half a stop faster without increasing size too much or compromising on performance. But as said, I would buy it with the current lens as well. With the Q genes, a XV II would not get old as quickly as the current model did.

[rivi1969]

 

Put the new Sony 24MP aps-c sensor into the Q with its 2015 electronics and EVF and mate the XV lens to the body and I am a buyer. If possible, make the lens a 24-85mm and half a stop faster without increasing size too much or compromising on performance. But as said, I would buy it with the current lens as well. With the Q genes, a XV II would not get old as quickly as the current model did.

Sounds like a 2016 Digilux 2... If Fuji has an f2.8-4 zoom I don't see why Leica cannot have something equal or even better. Or at least a real Leica m43 mount body.

[Guest]

Why don't you check http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Ratings ?

You'll be able to compare low light (they call it "Sports") capabilities of a variety of cameras.

Of course, the X Vario is no match for the Q but it's not bad either.

Strong bias for Sony, at the moment beyond seriosity (spot number on their "list"):

 

in "Sports" the Sony RX1 II (5) is ahead of the Nikon D4S (6)

and Canon 1Dx (15) only two spots ahead of the AF-desaster Sony RX1 (old)

[BAASCH]

I received my new Vario a few days ago, did one shoot with a model with it, and it fully lives up to my expectations. It's a wonderful piece of photographic machinery. It really is like having four primes. The Canon and its lenses didn't leave their bag during the shoot. So is the Vario perfect? Of course not. But I agree with some of the participants here that a firmware update would probably suffice to 'renew' it. A few weeks ago, I exchanged a few emails with a very friendly person working at Leica concerning my X2, and I am compiling a list of requests/suggestions that I intend to send to him. Here's what I have so far. Comments and additional items welcome (but bear in mind that, being the one who sends it, I will only include the ones that I agree with).

1. When using spot for light metering in conjunction with manual focus, provide a mark at the center of the image indicating the size of the area that is used for metering (the X2 has this, but on the Vario there is no mark at all). 
2. Auto ISO in manual mode (added with firmware 1.1) should be optional, i.e. user should be able to have it turned off by default.
3. Make the six o’clock position of the circular button on the back and the movie recording button both programmable, so user can set them to choosing a user profile or the light metering mode, and perhaps other functions.
4. Make the self-timer stick (i.e. if user activates the self-timer, it should remain active until user selects normal shooting mode again).
5. Allow the user to pick exactly which information is shown on the monitor/viewfinder while shooting, and add ISO and f-stop values to the information that can be shown.
6. Add focus type (manual/auto) to the EXIF information written with the image files.
7. Add preset film bracketing: let user choose two or three color reproduction styles, and let the camera produce these for each shot.
8. Improve live view to reflect the chosen exposure more accurately (when half-pressing the shutter button).
9. Shorten the time elapsed before the camera is ready to shoot again when ‘auto review’ is sett to 'off'.
10. Enable user to enter basic copyright information that will be added to all images automatically.

These improvements, or any subset of them, would make the Vario even more wonderful than it already is. And Leica would score goodwill points all over the place with a firmware update like this. I'll be sending the email in a week or so, and will report back on the reply.

[Sho-Bud]

I received my new Vario a few days ago, did one shoot with a model with it, and it fully lives up to my expectations. It's a wonderful piece of photographic machinery. It really is like having four primes. The Canon and its lenses didn't leave their bag during the shoot. So is the Vario perfect? Of course not. But I agree with some of the participants here that a firmware update would probably suffice to 'renew' it. A few weeks ago, I exchanged a few emails with a very friendly person working at Leica concerning my X2, and I am compiling a list of requests/suggestions that I intend to send to him. Here's what I have so far. Comments and additional items welcome (but bear in mind that, being the one who sends it, I will only include the ones that I agree with).

1. When using spot for light metering in conjunction with manual focus, provide a mark at the center of the image indicating the size of the area that is used for metering (the X2 has this, but on the Vario there is no mark at all). 
2. Auto ISO in manual mode (added with firmware 1.1) should be optional, i.e. user should be able to have it turned off by default.
3. Make the six o’clock position of the circular button on the back and the movie recording button both programmable, so user can set them to choosing a user profile or the light metering mode, and perhaps other functions.
4. Make the self-timer stick (i.e. if user activates the self-timer, it should remain active until user selects normal shooting mode again).
5. Allow the user to pick exactly which information is shown on the monitor/viewfinder while shooting, and add ISO and f-stop values to the information that can be shown.
6. Add focus type (manual/auto) to the EXIF information written with the image files.
7. Add preset film bracketing: let user choose two or three color reproduction styles, and let the camera produce these for each shot.
8. Improve live view to reflect the chosen exposure more accurately (when half-pressing the shutter button).
9. Shorten the time elapsed before the camera is ready to shoot again when ‘auto review’ is sett to 'off'.
10. Enable user to enter basic copyright information that will be added to all images automatically.

These improvements, or any subset of them, would make the Vario even more wonderful than it already is. And Leica would score goodwill points all over the place with a firmware update like this. I'll be sending the email in a week or so, and will report back on the reply.

And maybe also:

 

1. A buttonguard, eg. sometimes accidentally one of the buttons left of the screen are pressed. So an option that you would have to press the 6 o'clock of the 4-way button simultanious would be great.

 

2.Continuous auto focus, ( I also have an Olympus XZ-1, everyone was raving about it's focus speed, but actually, it has a permanent continuous auto focus, which speeds up things considerably)

 

3. Focus peaking

 

4. When face detection is switched on, and the camera fails to recognize a face, it falls back to multi-point auto focus. I would like it to choose to what mode it falls back. The easiest way would be if face detection isn't a separate mode, but an option you can switch on or of. So you can choose your preferred focus mode, and additionally switch on or of the face detection.

 

5. Face detection with nearest eye detection.

 

6. More precise auto focus algorithm.

 

7. Multi-point spot metering 

[Sho-Bud]

And maybe also:

 

1. A buttonguard, eg. sometimes accidentally one of the buttons left of the screen are pressed. So an option that you would have to press the 6 o'clock of the 4-way button simultanious would be great.

 

2.Continuous auto focus, ( I also have an Olympus XZ-1, everyone was raving about it's focus speed, but actually, it has a permanent continuous auto focus, which speeds up things considerably)

 

3. Focus peaking

 

4. When face detection is switched on, and the camera fails to recognize a face, it falls back to multi-point auto focus. I would like it to choose to what mode it falls back. The easiest way would be if face detection isn't a separate mode, but an option you can switch on or of. So you can choose your preferred focus mode, and additionally switch on or of the face detection.

 

5. Face detection with nearest eye detection.

 

6. More precise auto focus algorithm.

 

7. Multi-point spot metering 

I forgot no. 8: make the usb port support a cable release

[TMorita]

And maybe also:

 

1. A buttonguard, eg. sometimes accidentally one of the buttons left of the screen are pressed. So an option that you would have to press the 6 o'clock of the 4-way button simultanious would be great.

 

2.Continuous auto focus, ( I also have an Olympus XZ-1, everyone was raving about it's focus speed, but actually, it has a permanent continuous auto focus, which speeds up things considerably)

 

3. Focus peaking

 

4. When face detection is switched on, and the camera fails to recognize a face, it falls back to multi-point auto focus. I would like it to choose to what mode it falls back. The easiest way would be if face detection isn't a separate mode, but an option you can switch on or of. So you can choose your preferred focus mode, and additionally switch on or of the face detection.

 

5. Face detection with nearest eye detection.

 

6. More precise auto focus algorithm.

 

7. Multi-point spot metering 

 

1. Zebras so I can see which regions are clipping.

2. Disable setting effect preview when the shutter is half-pressed.

3. Selectable focus region sizes - small, medium, large

[Trivette]

I don't care whether the XV is a dinosaur. After careful study of hundreds of online photo samples, I bought one (yesterday). I love my X2, but it will be nice to have some focal length flexibility for hiking and travel. I certainly do not mind adapting to its limitations, having used manual film cameras for 50+ years.

[gbealnz]

And that is THE crux of it. You know/knew what you were buying, and were happy, same as most/all that contribute to this thread.

For sure, there are "better" spec'd cameras available, but I still love the X-Vario, every time I pick it up.

And it usually travels hand in hand with my film M's and lenses.

Gary

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[BAASCH]

Just to elucidate my position here, in case that's what some take issue with: the Vario fully lives up to my expectations (like I said). This doesn't mean some software adjustments couldn't/shouldn't make it even better. Leicas are built to last, which is another reason firmware development should not stop after a few years. They're also expensive, and customers are justified in expecting a high level of after-sales support. Why not improve a good thing?

[mija1789]

I don't care whether the XV is a dinosaur. After careful study of hundreds of online photo samples, I bought one (yesterday). I love my X2, but it will be nice to have some focal length flexibility for hiking and travel. I certainly do not mind adapting to its limitations, having used manual film cameras for 50+ years.

 

It took me a couple of months searching reviews and on-line pictures but at the end I was absolutely convinced the X Vario, although initially considered as the least option, was the only camera to fit my bill.

A light all-in-one camera (no need to carry multiple lenses any more), enough pixels to print nice quality A4, excellent optical quality (as demonstrated by Erwin Puts), very good high ISO behaviour (as per DxOMark, the X Vario is the best APS-C compact camera in this respect) and almost as easy to operate as the Digilux 2.

Of course, there missing things but overall the pros far outweigh the cons.