Leica X1

I have a locked my focus on this for DEC 09!

Originally Posted by Phat Guido

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I have a locked my focus on this for DEC 09!

If Phatty has locked his focus for Dec 09, I am working on a bracketing the X1 and an EP-1 or GF-1.

I played with the EP-1 yesterday for about an hour, I was impressed, but if the Leica is what they say it is, I am with YFYF, it's 'only' 2K

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I hate Leica.

Get a black paint MP Classic with 50 Summicron and you'll change your tune.

Here is the old school version of the X1, this looks awesome.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...r_Barnack.html

I want one of these and an MP. That would make me a happy man.

Originally Posted by farfisa23

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Is there a reason? I would think it's opulence and price tag would make you swoon, are you more of an Alpa guy?

I think he hates them for introducing the snide marketing exercise that is the X1.

--Andre

Originally Posted by A Y

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I think he hates them for introducing the snide marketing exercise that is the X1.

--Andre

You're not a fan?

I'm starting to understand this camera, its certainly not an "only camera" type of thing, but I guess if you really had to spend $2000 on taking pictures of your kids or something, its not bad. I'd pick up a Sigma DP1 though for such a single-purpose use. Or, again, I'd get a GF-1 with the 20mm pancake, then buy this: http://www.four-thirds.org/en/microf...l#45-200f40-56 and have a hell of a kit that I can slip in the pocket of my jacket on a hike or walking around town, and slap on the zoom for a baseball game.

Originally Posted by videocrew

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I'm starting to understand this camera, its certainly not an "only camera" type of thing, but I guess if you really had to spend $2000 on taking pictures of your kids or something, its not bad.
Most of the people clamoring for this are street and documentary photographers (well, mostly wannabes...). The photography of a Robert Frank or Henri-Cartier Bresson is just not that easy or fun to pull off carrying a dSLR. Current compacts tend to be slow to operate, not write in RAW, have wee tiny sensors.

There was no digital equivalent to a Leica M (or even Olympus OM) until recently, with the X1, the micro-4/3 cameras, maybe the Ricoh GR-D series. Canon has a nice new compact that does RAW as well. For about 1/5 the price of the Leica.

I've heard less than stellar things about the current micro-4/3 cameras (such as focus speed is slow as ****, slow RAW writing, etc.).

A lot of these will be sold to rich people who want bragging rights for ****** photos, absolutely. But many of them will be sold to serious hobbyists, artists and even professionals.

For the majority of photos most people will probably be taking, you really can't beat a Leica with a 35mm aspherical, of which the X1 is the equivalent.

How many are aware of the Ricoh GRD series? I have a GRD II and love it. The new GRD III was just released.

While it doesn't have the heritage nor cachet of the Leica, I am quite impressed with the technical innovation and the feel of the Ricoh camera. The GRD has full manual controls and I am reminded of my experience with film photography and being in total control of the outcome.

http://ricohgrdiary.wordpress.com/20...-iii-anounced/

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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You're not a fan?

Sorry, not a fan, but if it's any consolation, that's just based on their press release and pictures they've shown of it.

--Andre

everyone's going to be making this sort of camera pretty soon, so i wouldn't rush into it. there are a number of features that are conspicuously missing:

image stabilization
920000-dot lcd
built-in optical viewfinder (at least one like the contax t3 or minolta tc-1. don't tell me an accessory viewfinder is a viable option, it isn't. it's only something you put up with on superwides, unless you have a voigtlander bessa r4...or an ≤18mm lens. lol.)

weather sealing would be nice, too. a carry everywhere camera should be usable in all weather. look to nikon and pentax to deliver on this feature.

Originally Posted by aizan

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everyone's going to be making this sort of camera pretty soon, so i wouldn't rush into it. there are a number of features that are conspicuously missing:

image stabilization
920000-dot lcd
built-in optical viewfinder (at least one like the contax t3 or minolta tc-1. don't tell me an accessory viewfinder is a viable option, it isn't. it's only something you put up with on superwides, unless you have a voigtlander bessa r4...or an ≤18mm lens. lol.)

weather sealing would be nice, too. a carry everywhere camera should be usable in all weather. look to nikon and pentax to deliver on this feature.

For the X1, an accessory viewfinder is viable, because the X1 is fixed lens.

What good is weather sealing on a camera with lenses which are not weather sealed?
image stabilization on a 35mm?

!luc