Gear News and Reviews

Leica X1: 1/3, f/2.8, ISO400

Let me first start off by saying that if you are reading this and expecting to see a slew of charts, graphs, numbers and slick interactive comparisons, you may be better off with another review.  In use, a camera is often too difficult to quantify with numbers and the X1 is no exception.  My aim is to give you an idea of what it is like to use in a real world setting.  This is an essay of how it feels in my hands.

Some Background

When Leica announced their plans to release the X1 I was 5D MkII user with a nice assortment of L lenses that I had been using for a number of years.  Previous to that I had migrated from other DSLR bodies and was quite happy.  The X1 looked interesting on paper and it was certainly a beautiful piece of equipment.  Beyond that I continued to happily use my DSLR gear until I started seeing the results of Micro Four-Thirds users that proved it was a competent companion for a DSLR.  I picked up a Panasonic GH1 and started using it for travel and liked what I saw.  The size was agreeable, range of lenses were decent and most importantly I was happy with the image quality.  I felt like I was on to something.  I started to gather all the available m4/3 lenses available and started leaving the 5D on the shelf more and more frequently.

Leica X1: 1/640, f/4, ISO100

After a couple months with the GH1 I wanted something smaller and added the Olympus E-P2 to my kit.  By this point the 5D wasn’t seeing any action.  I found a good friend to sell my 5D to and started selling off all my DSLR gear.  Now, the GH1 seemed slightly large and I purchased an Olympus E-P2.  Since they essentially gave me similar results IQ wise I was happy to exclusively use the E-P2 over the GH1.  Now the GH1 became redundant and that was sold.

The end result of the two paragraphs above was that I valued the image quality AND portability.  Certainly the 5D MkII and 85mm f/1.2L II was a combination that couldn’t be matched by the E-P2, but my values had changed.

In Walks the Leica X1

Walking around shooting some street scenes with my father one day, we happened to go by a Leica dealer.  They had an X1 on display and in all honesty I had forgotten about the existence of the X1.  With my newly found fondness of the m4/3 system and more importantly its size I instantly found the X1 to be possibly the best combination of size and image quality.  One week later I lucked into an X1 early when a customer failed to pick theirs up from pre-order.

Leica X1 with optional grip

Let the Opinions Begin

First impressions mean a lot and my first impression of the X1 was that it was a beautiful piece of technology.  All that technology that went into this digital camera was sitting in an exquisitely designed package.  Manufacturers have their choice of wrapping the guts of a camera in any type of clothing and Leica seemed to have done the best job of all.

In appearances it is simple looking camera with a minimal amount of buttons, switches and dials.  On top there are only two large dials the shutter release and hotshoe.  Neatly hidden is a round, pop-up flash on the top left side of the camera.  The back is dominated by a large, relatively speaking, display.  In addition to the screen there are the usual control buttons and a dial.

Some Controversy

There is controversy about every single facet of this camera.  It doesn’t matter what aspect of the camera you’re discussing there is some controversy about it.  Where do you want to start?

The lens – It’s a fixed lens and there have been several comments about the usefulness of a fixed lens.  Then there’s the fact that it’s not fast enough, people want(ed) a lens faster than f/2.8.

The dials – The control dials for Tv and Av controls were too easily bumped and knocked out of place.

The screen – It is way too hard to use in bright areas and the resolution wasn’t up to spec with the rest of the digital camera world.

The battery – What battery life?  The battery didn’t last as long as some had hoped.

The flash – It popped up too easily and was not strong enough.

The focus – Go read ANY online forum about this camera and you won’t be able to escape the focusing speed, or lack thereof, discussions.

Leica X1: 1/30, f/2.8, ISO800

Then came the complaints of all the accessories that were released for the X1.  People didn’t like the stitching on the cases; people didn’t like the price of the grip and the simple fact that some of the accessories are very hard to come by.

Finally the price – This one issue seems to be the most volatile.  I guess it is most upsetting to non-owners, because people justify price in many different ways.  I would guess that the number of actual X1 owners that regret paying this price is very limited.

The Performance

The lens is a fixed 24mm, (36mm equivalent), Elmarit f/2.8, collapsible lens.  I found the lens to give very high quality results, equaling and/or surpassing what I was getting with any of my L lenses.  Corner to corner sharpness is outstanding and there are no issues with flare or chromatic aberrations.  The X1 is a rather simple camera and doesn’t offer optical image stabilization, instead it uses some type of processed based image stabilization that I’ve yet to try or test.

Leica X1: 1/15, f/2.8, ISO100

Yes, the focus is slower than other cameras that I’m used to.  Is it too slow for my style of photography?  No.  By now though, I think all potential buyers that have spent more than two minutes researching this camera already know that.  If you need speed for sports and fast moving scenes you need to look at 1D III or Nikon equivalent.  The argument from others is that the Leica X1 should have been the ideal street photographers companion, but it has let some down here.  My style is geared toward shooting static scenes so AF speed hasn’t been an issue so far.

Leica X1: 1/60, f/4, ISO100

The menu system is a relief although it may have something to do with the fact that the X1 doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles.  In fact, I was very surprised to find out that it offered face detection.  It’s a pretty straightforward camera, therefore doesn’t require complex menus and sub-menus.

Leica X1: 1.3s, f/2.8, ISO100

Shooting speed is more than enough for my needs.  The vast majority of the time I shoot in ‘single’ shot mode, but if I needed, the X1 can be shot in ‘continuous’ mode where it shoots at 3 frames per second.

The loose dials, pop-up flash and fixed lens are not problems for me.  I would like it if the dials had a more positive feel and locked into place better, but it hasn’t been a deal breaker.  When I pull the camera up to shoot I’ve made it a habit to look at my settings ever since I started shooting SLRs.

For a small camera the ergonomics are quite good, but get even better with the addition of the grip.  The image quality coming out of this small body is phenomenal.

Leica X1: 1/500, f/2.8, ISO100

I admit that I don’t know a lot about electronics, therefore I don’t know about the inner workings of the sensor, but I do know good results when I see them.  The X1 sensor in combination with the Leica Elmarit lens gives the user simply superb images.  One of the strongest points is the amazing low-light shooting ability.  Shoot as long as you want at ISO3200 and you’ll be smiling at the results.  Of course you still need to expose properly and an underexposed image pushed up in post processing will still yield noise, but when you nail the exposure you’ll never have anything to complain about.

Leica X1: 1/30, f/2.8, ISO3200

At the heart of any digital camera is the way the sensor and lens work together and in the case of the Leica X1 they are a perfect match.  It is what makes this camera work.

Conclusion

Leica knows what they are doing.  They produced a camera, sensor, lens combination for price that barely would get you any of their M-mount lenses.  You get to experience Leica’s superior optics for a relative bargain when you compare it to their line of stellar lenses and stellar prices.

If you need to have a speedy camera that shoots 10 fps, has a 51-point AF grid and high-speed tracking look at Nikon and Canon’s options.  But…

Leica X1: 1/30, f/5, ISO640

…if you want a small, silent camera that delivers amazing results look at the X1.  I’m extremely pleased with the X1.  I knew what the shortcomings were when I purchased it, obviously I knew what the price was and still I have ZERO regrets.  I am keeping my E-P2 around for the flexibility of shooting ultra-wide and telephoto scenes, but on any given day you’ll find the Leica X1 hanging around my neck.

Leica X1 Accessories from Amazon.

Complete Leica X1 Gallery: http://seattlesteve.smugmug.com/Other/Leica-X1-Gallery