Why Are There So Many Negative Thoughts About the X1?

[lct]

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Comparing apples to oranges here. Fixed lens cameras has always existed at Leica. Not the same beasts as M or CL at all. Remember HCB used a Minilux at the end of his life.

[rosuna]

My only gribe with the X1 is that the lens extends. The most common cause of P and S failure is Erectile Dysfunction. Those lenses just stop poking out one day. I would have preferred a small m style lens.

 

This really is the only reason I won't buy one. Trust me, the lens will malfunction after 3 years. If I buy a Leica, I want to will it to my children

 

I suppose a M-like design is not possible, due to the many functions embodied into the lens: shutter, macro mode and AF.

[MarkM6]

X1 is going to be one excellent M camera for the candid photography. Can't wait for full size sensor in the future; perhaps X2.

[Ecaton]

How many of us were searching and chasing for the ultimate compact digital camera, the true Leica CM or Contax T3 successor. Bought, tried and sold them over the last years, the D-luxes, Pana Lxs', Ricohs of all sort, Canon's G line and whatever more, all were simply not good enough as far as IQ and lens quality is concerned.

The only digital compacts I bought when they were launched without any regrets and still enjoy using are the Sigma DP1 and DP2! Great IQ, stellar lenses, a little quirky, some warts, UI not everyones cup of tea, AF slow, file write speed being the limiting factor.

If the X1 proves to be the legitimate successor to the Leica CM/Contax T3 I'll be happy to be a buyer and will not waste to much time thinking about the price. My losses on buys and sells of compact digitals over the last several years might exceed its price:o:o:D

[jsrockit]

How many of us were searching and chasing for the ultimate compact digital camera, the true Leica CM or Contax T3 successor.

 

I'm still searching because this is twice the price... after only 5 years has passed. Inflation has been happening quicker over the years, but not this quick.

[wda]

Not enough is known about the new X1 to form any definite views. It looks interesting to me but I am disappointed that Leica haven't designed the body to be pleasant to hold without having to buy the optional hand-grip. Surely other makers, such as Ricoh, have pointed the way. My GRD is perfect from the ergonomics point of view. It doesn't have to be an ugly protrusion, just sufficient to enhance and secure the hold.

[Tenor1]

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I have a D-Lux 4 and don't have any problems not having a handgrip and hope to use the X1 without adding one.

[Guest dalethorn]

Not enough is known about the new X1 to form any definite views. It looks interesting to me but I am disappointed that Leica haven't designed the body to be pleasant to hold without having to buy the optional hand-grip. Surely other makers, such as Ricoh, have pointed the way. My GRD is perfect from the ergonomics point of view. It doesn't have to be an ugly protrusion, just sufficient to enhance and secure the hold.

 

If you're used to an SLR, you would miss the handgrip. But there are a lot of things to miss with the X1, positive and negative. It appears Leica made a wise decision - keep the camera as small as possible (or practical) and offer grips etc. as an option.

[Patrick Delaney]

X1 is going to be one excellent M camera for the candid photography. Can't wait for full size sensor in the future; perhaps X2.

 

Yes, 36mm (equiv.) is a little narrow for me, but what the hell, I'll manage. I could do without the pop up flash - I don't think proper Leica users use flash; and with ISO 3,200, who needs it? Could a small viewfinder have been put in it's place? Just a simple little thing, so one has a rough idea of what's in the frame.

The big advantages over an M9 are noiselessness and pocketable size.

[Tenor1]

I like to use a fill flash outside but don't use it indoors at all. Is the X1 more quiet the the M9? I played with the Olympus PEN and found the shutter sound much too loud plus I could actually feel a vibration from it. It made the camera feel clunky.

[Guest dalethorn]

I like to use a fill flash outside but don't use it indoors at all. Is the X1 more quiet the the M9? I played with the Olympus PEN and found the shutter sound much too loud plus I could actually feel a vibration from it. It made the camera feel clunky.

 

Hear, hear. My Pana G1 shutter has a strong thump that adds shake to the image. If you have time to take 6 or more shots, one or two of those shakes will correspond to the anti-shake program in the lens. So I got used to taking a lot of extra shots. C'est la vie.

[frozenace]

I've actually been thinking about buying one of these after I sold my Leica MP to a friend on a trip back home.

 

Then, coming back from the trip I found that I connected more with film than digital, just shoot, process, admire and be done with, so I went and bought another Leica MP with Summicron 35 Asph.

 

As always, it's a budget issue of wants and needs. If I had the X1, would I be tempted to cover the screen with a piece of card board and buy a finder to shoot it like an M, maybe...

 

I've still got a Canon 20D being underused, but thinking about the massive depreciation and headaches of having to use a computer to process every image (I'm a C# programmer), I think I'll hold off a while.

 

Think about it, when Digital watches came from Japan, Swiss watch makers almost went extinct, but nowadays digital watches are worth nothing.

[jsrockit]

...but nowadays digital watches are worth nothing.

 

But are just as ubiquitous as ever.

[ottocrat]

...and analogue Swiss watches don't have to be developed after every couple of dozen time checks.

[Daniel Ortego]

I've actually been thinking about buying one of these after I sold my Leica MP to a friend on a trip back home.

 

Then, coming back from the trip I found that I connected more with film than digital, just shoot, process, admire and be done with, so I went and bought another Leica MP with Summicron 35 Asph.

 

As always, it's a budget issue of wants and needs. If I had the X1, would I be tempted to cover the screen with a piece of card board and buy a finder to shoot it like an M, maybe...

 

I've still got a Canon 20D being underused, but thinking about the massive depreciation and headaches of having to use a computer to process every image (I'm a C# programmer), I think I'll hold off a while.

 

Think about it, when Digital watches came from Japan, Swiss watch makers almost went extinct, but nowadays digital watches are worth nothing.

 

Actually, I feel the same although I do still kick myself after selling my M8 and FOUR Leica primes! I'll never be able to justify that expense a second time around. I was simply pissed-off with the flip-flop changes to the ill-faded upgrade path to what eventually became the M8.2. I had lost complete faith in Leica and bailed out. Now I’m back with more guts than brains and I have ordered the X1. I like my D-Lux 4 although it isn’t quite what I had in mind. If I were to roll the dice on a high-ticket camera today, it would most likely be the D5 II along side the X1.

Regards,

Dan

[marcg]

You could say that people are negative about it because it isn't a P&S camera, it is a P&W&S camera.

Point and wait and shoot

 

That's fine, but for the money people expect a lot more - and frankly I think that they are right to expect more and not the the pretty average performance of other digital compact cameras.

 

 

Actually, having followed many of the discussion on this forum, I haven't noticed too many negative thoughts at all and it has surprised me.

 

I've seen lots of discussion about it being compact, the speed of the lens, the speed of the playback - marginal regrets about the speed of the lens but not enought to really put people off saying that they are likley to get one.

 

I have noticed only two comments about the speed of the autofocus and for me that is the critical question. Yet those two comments went mainly undiscussed.

 

For me the much more interesting question is why, on this forum, have there been so many positive thoughts about the X1. This is a discerning Leica owners forum, after all.

 

If this was really and finally a fast compact digital camera with the performance of a DSLR then I expect that it would be a total sell out.

The X1 would have become the digital street-shooter's camera. Anyone with an M system would have packed one of these as well their normal kit, as their 35mm-lens/body-package.

 

I wonder why it isn't possible to include a phase-detection system in a camera of this price and quality. Anyway, it hasn't happened.

 

Now that this has been confirmed by reviews from Michael Reichman and from Sean Reid, I expect that you will really start to see some negative thoughts about this camera. (Actually, the much reviled Rockwell predicted this poor performance about a month ago although no one seemed to notice, or to pay any attention).

 

A real shame about this camera. Unless there is something staggeringly good in the production firmware, I suspect that this will become mainly a rich person's lifestyle statement.

 

I'll wait and get one on eBay.

[Douglasco]

Have read the Reid review the camera image quality is going to be excellent any minor problems will be sorted by firmware ajustments my order for one still stands

[peterb]

Yes images are superb (as anticipated good right on up to ISO 3200).

 

And the lens while not an "M" Elmarit, certainly worthy of the Leica badging. Sharp. Sharp. Sharp.

 

The body exudes that clean "Leica" design we all love. The packaging screams "Leica".

 

BUT the first reviews are saying the AF is unimpressive at the moment (perhaps a firmware tweak might improve it?).

 

And the MF has some minor issues as well (one reviewer, Sean Reid, felt zone focus would be fine while another reviewer, Michael Reichmann, felt a two kilobuck camera should have better AF than you'd expect from a P/S--certainly when you consider Panasonic (a Leitz partner no less) had managed to elevate contrast AF to a point where it's nearly on par with DSLR AF.

 

Shutter lag under certain conditions is a tad disappointing. (Apparently good if you press the shutter half-way once you've locked AF and/or AE but up to a full SECOND when you grab and press from scratch.)

 

For deliberate, not-shoot-from-the-hip-type photographers, the X1 is the best of breed at the moment (APS-C with a 3:2 aspect ratio in a compact digital body with a somewhat fast lens).

 

For others, apparently a camera that has justified, partially, the initiating of this entire discussion on the LUF in the first place.

[VincentD]

Yes images are superb (as anticipated good right on up to ISO 3200).

 

And the lens while not an "M" Elmarit, certainly worthy of the Leica badging. Sharp. Sharp. Sharp.

Yes. Though, a shallower depth of field would have been nice.

 

The body exudes that clean "Leica" design we all love. The packaging screams "Leica".

Esp. the two dials missing on all other compact cameras are appealing. The packaging it's flattering but who cares in definitive?

 

BUT the first reviews are saying the AF is unimpressive at the moment (perhaps a firmware tweak might improve it?).

 

So don't they have a partnership with panasonic? The reputation they gave them really worth a deal, like giving this camera to panasonic engineers for a while so that they can tweak a state-of-the-art AF (if ever it has not yet been done) !!!

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[dkCambridgeshire]

A very high quality P&S is just the type of camera for me. I love my DL4 but wished it had a larger sensor. The M series is not for me but I don't feel the need to bash it any way.

 

Why is there a need to be so negative about this camera? There is no camera perfect for every person.

 

Luddite syndrome ...

 

Cheers

 

dunk