ranger9
Well-known
If I were starting from scratch, I'd think a 28 and a 50 would be an ideal walking-around combo on a Pixii. The 28mm gives a 48-degree angle of view (along the long side of the format) and the 50 gives a 28-degree angle of view -- enough of a split to make it worth carrying two lenses.
Personally, I've become habituated to the traditional "normal lens" coverage angle of about 40 degrees, so a 35mm focal length works best for me on the Pixii. I'm kind of an introvert, so I like the idea of a 40mm focal length (which covers 35 degrees) but it's so close to 35mm that I can't see much point in owning both.
Adding a 24mm EXIF setting and using the unframed outer area of the viewfinder for its 55-degree coverage probably will appeal to street shooters, but if I' were going to go wider than my 35mm, I'd want to go a lot wider, even if it means using an accessory viewfinder. I get a lot of use out of my 16mm f/1.4 on my Fujifilm camera (the Pixii would have the same 76-degree angle of coverage) so one of the Voigtlander 15s would be a logical choice for me -- I'm just not sure those built-in lens hoods would stay out of the Pixii's rangefinder patch!
Godfrey
somewhat colored
My Ultron 28/2 was a v2 model. The v1 model of the lens is, reputedly, a bit lower contrast and a little softer wide open as far as what I read when I bought the V2.
Yes, a 21/40 pairing is often very nice on APS-C.
Add a 50 or 75 mm lens for a nice bit of longer reach, and for the most part that's all you need. That was the magic of the Leica CL: 28/40/90 mm on FF 35mm film was a wonderful combination.
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boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I do not know how much these will help. They were reduced in size with Photopea and exported as JPG with no sharpening. They will only be a rough guide. The 35mm was at f/8.0. The 40mm wider. I hope this helps some. Taken with an M9. 35mm first.
I have just added the woodstove at f/4.0, 35mm, f/1.4 Nokton II
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I believe the Mattias Burling preview review touches on this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI9lspknmcM&t=98s
It has been referenced here or on another board. The fellow behind Pixii, David Barth, is quite reticent on "how" but he does manage to get non-Bayer monochrome from a color BSI sensor, it is written. I am a LibArts major and do not understand much of this at all. I just want the damned thing to be able to make a good image.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
If you want to know more about the company, follow this link. They are close to the French-Swiss border. There is an audio company in the area that makes an 8 track pro recorder you can put in the palm of your hand and is truly "pro" quality with sweet sound. The name escapes me. This area of France has the propeller-heads who do this kind of work and do it very, very well even though they may not be household names. Keep that in mind. That we do not know them is not a lack of quality on their part but a lack of knowledge on ours.
https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265176-01#overview
https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/265176-01#overview
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
For those interested here is a pro-Pixii review that I have not yet seen referenced here: https://www.35mmc.com/10/12/2021/pixii-review-new-upgrades-and-some-personal-experiences/
Godfrey
somewhat colored
For an ultra-wide, I like the Voigtländer HyperWide 10mm f/5.6 Aspheric. It presents the following field of view:
f - Hor - Vert - Diag
10mm - 99.7° - 76.3° - 109.8°
effectively equivalent to a 15mm lens on FF format. And although it will definitely occlude the Pixii RF window, it doesn't matter ... the lens has so much DoF you just focus by scale anyway. I usually tape the aperture ring to lock it at f/8 and leave it there. Set it to 2m focus and everything from .5m to infinity is in focus.
The Voigtländer Viewfinder 15mm v1 or v2 works just fine with it on APS-C format. Don't need it on the CL, but it is what I'll use on the Pixii.
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Godfrey
somewhat colored
Ah, that's Hamish Gill's review. Good guy, and a decent review. I believe he wrote two installments of Pixii reviews.
ranger9
Well-known
Nagra, maybe? They are in Romanel-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, about 88km / 55mi from Besançon, France, where the Pixii is made.
Not that it has anything to do with cameras, but according to the Wikipedia article I read, this area on the French/Swiss border was a traditional watchmaking haven and today is a center for medical equipment, robotics, and microtechnology industries. So if you wanted to start a high-precision business in an area with plenty of sophisticated subcontractors and didn't especially care about minimizing labor costs, it sounds like a good place to set up shop.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
No, not the Kudelski Nagra which is Swiss. This is French, smaller and way more chic. Truly, fits in the palm of your hand. Now out of production. I wish I had bought one. I am still on their mailing list but the name escapes me. They make larger straight pro stuff, too. Top of the line gear, and sweet sounding. Absolutely elegant.
I am in a very pro-Pixii mind as I am fed up with the drudging arrogance in Wetzlar. And I am an admitted and unabashed Francophile. I spent five or six years in French speaking areas and appreciate the difference. And the food is better, too. Certainement!
All in all, I am hoping Mr. Barth and his entourage in Besançon kick some Leitz butt. Leitz is complacent and arrogant. I'd say I hope Pixii eats their lunch but why would the French want to eat German food? Ist ein Witz, nur ein Witz. ;o)
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I know only this one. Well thought out, well written. I am biased. It was pro Pixii.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Another Pixii plus: the battery. It is a very common Sony one that also has a lot of knockoffs. It is US$50+ at B+H but the Wasabi knockoff is <US$15. I bought two and a charger. No more fretting about battery sources like for my M8 and M9. I stocked up on those batteries out of fear. The Pixii spares are just that, spares. What a relief.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
I bought a three pack of Wasabi Power batteries with a dual charger for $30. It's one of the really smart things that the Pixii folks did.
Oh yes: Got a note and photos from Isabelle at Pixii.fr today... My camera is finished, packed, and shipped. She sent photos of it being packaged. According to the tracking, it should arrive on Friday.
G
Oh yes: Got a note and photos from Isabelle at Pixii.fr today... My camera is finished, packed, and shipped. She sent photos of it being packaged. According to the tracking, it should arrive on Friday.
G
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
I bought a three pack of Wasabi Power batteries with a dual charger for $30. It's one of the really smart things that the Pixii folks did.
Oh yes: Got a note and photos from Isabelle at Pixii.fr today... My camera is finished, packed, and shipped. She sent photos of it being packaged. According to the tracking, it should arrive on Friday.
G
Thanks for nothing, dog. LOL
I am hoping for the same, soon, from Isabelle. We will both be burning up the pixels when we have ours. Will you do some side-by-sides with a Leica? I plan to do that with the M8.2 and a 28 and a 35 lens, just to see. I believe we have made wise purchases. Let's eat the pudding and see.
I am so tempted to get a Jupiter WA.
ranger9
Well-known
ANNOUNCEMENT: Boojum has just won the thread, and possibly the Internet. ROTFL!!!
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Well, I'll be using the Pixii side by side with my Leica CL. Same format, different sensor, different viewfinder technology, different control layout, same lenses. It'll be interesting.
Note that I don't harbor any anti-Leica sentiment; Leica makes excellent equipment. I've owned/will own a lot of it since the late 1960s and into the future. I'm a Leica owner—have been, am now, will be. Neither am I a fanboy ... I buy equipment that I believe works well for my purposes, that's all. I'll buy another digital M at some point, I'm sure. I like the M typ 246 Monochrom and M10-M Monchrom a lot, at present. I almost bought one of the former rather than the Pixii, but decided to go with the Pixii instead for various reasons.
I think David Barth simply has a different notion of what he wants in a camera, and is courageous enough to make his own vision into a reality. That takes a lot of gumption, and I applaud him for it. I like his notion too, and decided to buy one and see how it works out for me. That's all.
I still have, still use, still applaud another audacious camera: the Light L16. The Light folks built it to prove something about their computational photography algorithms, and built a fine camera in the process. It's a bit sad that they decided to discontinue it, not update or support it any more, but that was in truth the plan from the beginning. It was built as a technology demonstration so other companies would license their technology. They're too busy doing development and support for all their licensees now, and it's way way more profitable than building another camera, but I'll keep using the L16 until its built-in battery can no longer hold a charge. It is a truly remarkable camera in many ways.
The Pixii will not suffer that battery fate due to the brilliant choice of using a standard, easily available, changeable battery. And is not dependent upon customized rendering software to achieve the best of what the camera can do. Etc. I think the Pixii camera has a much longer lifespan to it, and Pixii the company has a quite bright future. Maybe not a vastness like Fuji or even Leica, but a bright future.
G
Note that I don't harbor any anti-Leica sentiment; Leica makes excellent equipment. I've owned/will own a lot of it since the late 1960s and into the future. I'm a Leica owner—have been, am now, will be. Neither am I a fanboy ... I buy equipment that I believe works well for my purposes, that's all. I'll buy another digital M at some point, I'm sure. I like the M typ 246 Monochrom and M10-M Monchrom a lot, at present. I almost bought one of the former rather than the Pixii, but decided to go with the Pixii instead for various reasons.
I think David Barth simply has a different notion of what he wants in a camera, and is courageous enough to make his own vision into a reality. That takes a lot of gumption, and I applaud him for it. I like his notion too, and decided to buy one and see how it works out for me. That's all.
I still have, still use, still applaud another audacious camera: the Light L16. The Light folks built it to prove something about their computational photography algorithms, and built a fine camera in the process. It's a bit sad that they decided to discontinue it, not update or support it any more, but that was in truth the plan from the beginning. It was built as a technology demonstration so other companies would license their technology. They're too busy doing development and support for all their licensees now, and it's way way more profitable than building another camera, but I'll keep using the L16 until its built-in battery can no longer hold a charge. It is a truly remarkable camera in many ways.
The Pixii will not suffer that battery fate due to the brilliant choice of using a standard, easily available, changeable battery. And is not dependent upon customized rendering software to achieve the best of what the camera can do. Etc. I think the Pixii camera has a much longer lifespan to it, and Pixii the company has a quite bright future. Maybe not a vastness like Fuji or even Leica, but a bright future.
G
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
Look at the team with Fabrice Barbier from GoPro. If they are going to be big this fellow has experience taking new, avante-garde ideas to huge market shares. The team page seems a talented group of folks who can get the job done. https://pixii.fr/the-team
This, too: https://www.pixii.fr/blog/pixii-welcomes-former-gopro-svp-fabrice-barbier
Godfrey
somewhat colored
That's great to hear. I hope they can expand, sensibly, and get the reward that such courageousness deserves. I also hope that they don't become so big that they lose the personal touch, the connection with customers, that they have now. Growth is a two-edged sword...
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backwardation
Newbie
Thanks to both you and Godfrey. Some really good insights. You've both been very generous with your time on this thread!
To your previous post, no particular reason for those specific choices other than currently availably and "seem about right".
Pretty much convinced myself to start with a 28mm as it sits happily between equivalent 35mm and 50mm FOV (pretty much where I sit...). Will top-up with a fast 40 or 50 after that. Don't think I am quite ready for something wider than the viewfinder at this stage!
I've found one of the 28mm F3.5 color-skopars. Silver not black -the fetishists seem to favour black ones and I've got a black Pixii in production. Debating whether to pull the trigger on that vs a brand new F2 Ultron (in black!) at exactly the same price. I'm a contrarian so tempted by the former.....
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Heh ... I'd jump on that Color-Skopar 28/3.5 in an instant! It is one of my very favorite lenses!
You're welcome.
An unusual little lens that I look forward to trying on the Pixii is an MS-Optical Aporia 24mm f/2. It's barely as thick as a body cap and has a truly unique rendering signature. I've heard from others that its RF cam as delivered is often a little off calibration as delivered but, eh? That can be taken care of. It's not inexpensive, but it's a really nice piece and makes the camera very handy and easy to stick in a slim bag when I'm cycling.
G
You're welcome.
An unusual little lens that I look forward to trying on the Pixii is an MS-Optical Aporia 24mm f/2. It's barely as thick as a body cap and has a truly unique rendering signature. I've heard from others that its RF cam as delivered is often a little off calibration as delivered but, eh? That can be taken care of. It's not inexpensive, but it's a really nice piece and makes the camera very handy and easy to stick in a slim bag when I'm cycling.
G