Leica X1
The Leica X1 is an exciting yet controversial compact camera possessing the most important of all attributes - superb imaging quality. It is exciting because it is the first truly digital compact camera designed and made by Leica in Germany, albeit with outsourced components. It is controversial because some critics feel that it should be more richly endowed with digital features. While understandably desirable, I don't share that view. It is not a camera for sports or fast action photography although it is possible to pre-focus manually for quicker shooting situations.
Many photographers feel lost without a zoom lens, forgetting that Leica photographers generally use a single prime lens for their work. Against that background, the X1 is superb for the highest quality imaging using a most useful 36mm equivalent fixed wide-angle lens. In film terms, the 35mm lens is regarded as the most useful general purpose focal length. (The X1 has a 24mm Elmarit lens which equates to 36mm after taking account of the cropping factor)
Auto-focusing speed is not the quickest available, but is generally faster than manual focusing. For my type of travel photography, I have been perfectly satisfied with the X1's general handling. In fact, it is a versatile camera with manually set shutter speeds and lens apertures. For shots in a hurry, exposure controls can be set to automatic, shutter priority or aperture priority. Auto-ISO proves useful for indoor available light work. Furthermore, digital noise is very well controlled at the higher ISO settings, indeed rather better than my Leica M8.
Compared to some small sensor cameras the X1 has a limited macro capability. For that specialist field I tend to use a DSLR although I am contemplating adding the unusual 90mm Macro-M lens to my M8 so as to able to cover close subjects when travelling light. The X1 may not be able to focus extremely close, but can usefully cover slightly smaller than A4. For example, the black and white plate picture is only about 10 inches diameter.
Invariably my files are captured in Raw DNG format which are processed in Adobe Lightroom software. Only about 10% of subsequent work is done in Adobe Photoshop CS4. The latest version of Lightroom (LR3) is a further huge improvement, rendering X1 files even better than before.
I wish that the X1 had the option for capturing only DNG as opposed to DNG combined with JPEG format. Serious photographers are unlikely to use the JPEG format by default.
Please leave a query or comment if you are interested in the X1.
Many photographers feel lost without a zoom lens, forgetting that Leica photographers generally use a single prime lens for their work. Against that background, the X1 is superb for the highest quality imaging using a most useful 36mm equivalent fixed wide-angle lens. In film terms, the 35mm lens is regarded as the most useful general purpose focal length. (The X1 has a 24mm Elmarit lens which equates to 36mm after taking account of the cropping factor)
Auto-focusing speed is not the quickest available, but is generally faster than manual focusing. For my type of travel photography, I have been perfectly satisfied with the X1's general handling. In fact, it is a versatile camera with manually set shutter speeds and lens apertures. For shots in a hurry, exposure controls can be set to automatic, shutter priority or aperture priority. Auto-ISO proves useful for indoor available light work. Furthermore, digital noise is very well controlled at the higher ISO settings, indeed rather better than my Leica M8.
Compared to some small sensor cameras the X1 has a limited macro capability. For that specialist field I tend to use a DSLR although I am contemplating adding the unusual 90mm Macro-M lens to my M8 so as to able to cover close subjects when travelling light. The X1 may not be able to focus extremely close, but can usefully cover slightly smaller than A4. For example, the black and white plate picture is only about 10 inches diameter.
Invariably my files are captured in Raw DNG format which are processed in Adobe Lightroom software. Only about 10% of subsequent work is done in Adobe Photoshop CS4. The latest version of Lightroom (LR3) is a further huge improvement, rendering X1 files even better than before.
I wish that the X1 had the option for capturing only DNG as opposed to DNG combined with JPEG format. Serious photographers are unlikely to use the JPEG format by default.
Please leave a query or comment if you are interested in the X1.
Return to: Photography or Gallery
Return to: Photography or Gallery
