Leica X1 review.
So, as one might have hoped, it's an excellent camera, with outstanding image quality for its compact size.
"In terms of overall IQ it puts every other small camera that I've ever worked with to shame, and challenges many DSLRs."
And as one might have feared, it joins the legion of compact cameras with too-slow autofocus. No great street- or action-photography camera, then.
So it's still only Panasonic which has solved the autofocus speed in this type camera (with the G1 and the GF1). What a pity.
Eolake, you've already solved this when you suggested setting up a custom mode that lets you shoot street shots like you would a rangefinder. No focus needed. The brilliance of your plan is its simplicity.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but this will only work to a certain extend with the X1, meaning at smaller apertures, because it has a much bigger sensor than the Canon S90, and therefore shorter Depth of Field generally.
ReplyDeleteLeica relies almost entirely upon the legendary Leica name, rather than true measures of performance and value, to sell. The fact that this $2000 point-and-shoot, albeit beautiful, features only a 230k 2.7” LCD, very sluggish AF, and no weather sealing, supports the fact that Leica is selling mystique, not value. Sadly, the X1 is not the ultimate rugged decisive moment camera so many of us are STILL waiting for.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
ReplyDeleteTempered by: many cameras, including Olympus E-P1, have similar screens, slow AF, and no sealing. Only a few in the industry are over those humps.
Also, Leica works with European labor, I think, it's expensive.
I forget who good the image quality is in the X1, but in the M9, it's superb, which says they do have more going for them other than mystique (which was not true with the M8, a mediocre camera).