Gear News and Reviews

Now that I’ve had time to go out and shoot with the X1 I thought it might be time to share.  All the gear reviews in the world don’t really mean much if you don’t see some real world samples of what the camera is capable of.  All of the following photos were processed using Adobe Lightroom v2.6.  Files were resized and converted to jpg before posting.  Click on images to see a larger version.

Leica X1, 1/30th, f/2.8 @ ISO400

Leica X1, 1/80th, f/2.8 @ ISO100

Leica X1, 1/30th, f/2.8 @ ISO400

Leica X1, 1/30th, f/3.2 @ ISO400

Comparing these two cameras seem quite natural for a number of reasons, one of them being that they are nearly identical in form factor and dimensions. Clearly there are a number of differences between the two on the insides, but let’s take a look outside.  For reference sake the E-P2 has the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 lens attached.

In comparing these two cameras it’s remarkable that Leica squeezed in a much larger sensor and has pop-up flash built into the body.  The difference between the two cameras won’t be noticed over a day of carrying around, but it’s worth noting.  Olympus’ inclusion of small grip helps it become a more comfortable camera to hand-hold.  Since the Oly Pen is slightly bigger I find that there’s also more thumb room on the back.

When the X1 grip is available, I have a feeling the game will change significantly in the X1’s favor.  I tried on the ‘demo’ grip at the dealer very briefly and from that quick assessment I have a feeling that it will change the feel of the X1 in a very positive way.

Looking at the front of both cameras with lens caps on.

Olympus Pen E-P2 and Leica X1 with front caps removed.

Here we are looking at the back of the two cameras.

The Leica X1 (top) and the E-P2 are similar in almost every dimension.

And one last photo of these two camera from the top. Thickness is about the same for both camera.

The Olympus E-P2 is a densly packed camera. This small camera comes in at 492g.

The Leica X1 weighs in at a svelt 337g, about 30% less then the weighty E-P2.

This is the final installment of the Body and Menu Tour. I hope that it helps you get an idea of what the X1 feels like and how the various functions work. Please let me know if you have any questions. Check back soon for some full size high ISO samples. Thanks for watching.

In this third segment we’ll finish up our tour of the menu system before moving on to the final part of our Body and Menu Tour.

Here’s the second of four video tours of the Leica X1 body and menu system.

It is refreshing to see an uncomplicated menu system. There weren’t countless tabs across the top and down the sides. The X1 has a very straight forward menu system that isn’t too complicated. That’s the result when you have a camera that’s meant for only one thing, making photographs. Unlike most other cameras the X1 doesn’t have video, and it’s not missed one bit. Too my surprise though, Leica did include a ‘face-detect’ mode, but that’s about as tricky as this camera gets.

The Leica X1 was designed around a simple philosophy, put the biggest sensor into the smallest body and throw on an incredible lens. It works for me.

Part two of a four part tour is uploading as I write this and should be available shortly.

I have to say that I am deeply impressed with the X1. I spent my first full day out shooting with it today in mixed conditions and it didn’t let me down. Yes, I know and you know that it’s not a speed machine, but that’s way Canon and Nikon have their own high speed pro bodies. I have to be honest and say that yes, I did miss a couple shots today because of the speed, but balance that out against the wonderful shots that I did capture and it is a no brainer, the Leica X1 is worth the price.

Here’s the unboxing of Leica’s new X1. Towards the end of the video you’ll see some of the optional item that were purchased to go along with the X1. The option items are the Leica Leather case and the Leica Wrist carrying strap.

I’ve been scouring the internet the last few days looking for reviews and other information regarding Leica’s new X1. I thought it might be useful to start gathering these items in one place. If you have something new you’d like to add let me know. To kick it off, here we:

Luminous Landscape – Field Review “Tested and Recommended”
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/x1-field.shtml

Dpreview – Review “Recommended”  http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/leicax1/

Steve Huff Photo – Hands on Review “…the X1 just has something about its quality that sticks with me…”  http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/01/05/the-leica-x1-digital-camera-review/

Photography Bay – Hands on Review “This will suit the needs of a photographer very well.”  http://www.photographybay.com/2009/10/26/leica-x1-hands-on-review/

PhotoRadar – Leica X1 Review “5/5 Stars”
http://www.photoradar.com/reviews/product/leica-x1-review

I recently purchased the 45mm macro lens for use with the E-P2 and GH1. I’ve never owned a true 1:1 macro lens before, but have some experience using extension tubes with various Canon lenses. Please keep in mind that this is the first macro scene I’ve shot. It’s easy to say that with more experience, you’re likely to get more out of the lens than what you see in these initial samples.

I’ll wait a few more weeks before commenting on the optical qualities of the lens, however I’ve had enough experience with it to share some other observations.  The build quality is very high, though not as high as some of Canon’s L lenses it is certainly a step above most consumer lenses that I’ve handled.  One outstanding feature of this lens is the relatively large manual focus ring.  The manual focus ring occupies just under half of the entire lens’ length and has silky smooth movement.  It’s important to note that it is a focus by wire system and does not physically move the internal focusing mechanisms.  For manual focusing this macro lens is by far the easiest to use compared to the other m4/3 lenses I’ve used.

The MEGA OIS system seems to lag a little behind the one used in the 14-140mm lens, but I have no way of proving this, it’s just based on my experience with the two lenses.  Esthetically speaking it is a great looking lens.  The proportions when mounted to the GH1 or E-P2 are perfect.  It looks right at home on these bodies.  The square lens hood is good looking, although I’m not sure how much more/less effective it is compared to a standard round or pedal shaped hood.

The setup was strait forward, two inexpensive modeling lights, a Joby Gorillapod SLR Zoom and a few household objects. The samples were shot in raw, custom white balanced, using a 10 second timer with various aperture values. Raw files were converted and processed in Adobe Lightroom V2.6 with ACR 5.6.

Below you’ll find a few full sized samples and crops.

Panasonic GH1, Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm, f/5.6, 1.3s, ISO100

In this crop you'll see just how shallow the dof can be even at f/5.6.

GH1, Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm, f/13, 1/25s, ISO100

Crop from above file.

Just how big, or small rather is the Canon S90? Here it is compared to the already small Olympus E-P2.  While there are some cameras out there that claim to be pocketable and aren’t even close unless you are wearing some kind of large pocketed cargo pants, this Canon S90 truly is made for the pocket.

Front view of E-P2 with Panasonic Lumix 7-14mm and the Canon S90 with lens retracted.

Same two cameras, this time with the Canon S90 lens extended.

Rear view of E-P2 and S90.

Another rear view of these two cameras.

Side view with the S90's lens extended.

Canon S90 size compared with iPhone 3Gs.

The Canon S90 is about twice the thickness of the iPhone 3Gs.