return to Leica X...

Godfrey

Godfrey

somewhat colored
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Dec 15, 2011
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The thread about the new Fuji X Half tickled my "hmm, a nice compact digital would actually be a nice thing ..." meme into action, but I couldn't see spending $850+ for a JPEG only camera, no matter how small and how well it performs. Most of the compact digitals seem overly loaded up with silly stuff I never use, what I wanted was something with simple controls, a good lens, that supported manual or auto focus, manual or auto metering, and a simple viewfinder. I recalled my old Leica X2 ... yeah, that was the right thing. So I poked around a little and found X2s sell in the $1000 plus range (a little high for what I was after) but X1s sell in the $450-$800 range. B&H had one, I went for it.

I went for a first walk with it yesterday. I set it up with a 35mm accessory finder, turned off the LCD, and Program mode; mostly just pointed and shot, tweaked the EV compensation a little now and then; I set it to minimum quality JPEG and raw capture. A couple of photos, I set a wide aperture, one or two I focused manually ... but I didn't look at results, I just walked and took photos the way I do with my film cameras (to wit: the Leica IIIc + Color-Skopar 50mm I went walking with just a couple of days ago).

And I have to say, the little X1 just blew my mind when I got home and looked at the quality of what it captured. I made about 30 exposures and after a little bit of culling and a tiny bit of image processing, I posted 13 of them to a Flickr.com album. Here are two:


Succulents - Santa Clara 2025
Leica X1
ISO 100 @ f/3.2 @ 1/40


Pavement Stripe - Santa Cleara 2025
Leica X1
ISO 100 @ f/5 @ 1/250​

If you're interested, here's the full set of 13 on Flickr: Leica X1 (ongoing)

All I can say is, Wow! What a spectacular little camera! It feels and works MUCH LIKE the IIIc does when used this way, and not fussing with the LCD viewfinder or fiddling with the menus. Seeing this kind of image quality inspired me to spend money for the pur sang Leica 36mm brightline finder, the case, and the grip for it. The photos clock in at 12.2 Mpixel but they bat well over average quality ... I think I could make some nice presentation prints from the quality I'm seeing.

A good return to a delightful camera. I'm happy.

G
 
Sounds like a fun way to shoot.

Can you explain how the focusing works without confirming it on the screen? I thought you might have been zone focusing, but it sounds you went to large apertures for a few shots, so were you taking the focus on faith for those? And were the results of the large aperture good enought to continue using the camera in this configuration that in the future?
 
Thank you for responding!

A part of my exercise was to determine whether the X1's AF and AE were 'good enough' to do the job completely hands off, and how much of the time it would simply fail and I'd have to take control.

The AE proved almost bulletproof. The most I encountered were a few shots where the overall brightness of the subject fooled the meter into underexposure by some fraction of a stop ... In a couple of situations where I thought this might happen, I took care to allow the camera to make its 'natural' exposure, then did an exposure with EV+.7 and another at EV+1.3 compensation. In all of those cases, my usual guess (+0.7 compensation) was just right. I've been doing this long enough with enough different cameras to know that this is quite commonly the solution to this very standard issue, I guess. 😉 And the program mode really did a very fine job of it, choosing a mid level balance of ISO, aperture, and shutter that was nicely hand-holdable without allowing too much noise to intrude.

The AF I was skeptical about, but it also proved pretty darn reliable. A couple of shots I know would give it trouble: in the gallery, you see one shot where I used f/2.8 and focused on a chain-link fence, allowing the background to blur out. The AF system could not make that choice ... It always chose something in the background to focus on ... so I had to switch to MF mode and set the focus myself. Not unexpected, and the camera's controls make it easy. A few other shots where it wasn't clear to me whether the AF system could nail a shallow focus on a primary subject correctly ... well, it just succeeded beautifully. I had the "11 point H" AF mode set, so the camera's little brain simply looked around the entire FoV and picked what it though was my principle subject and locked it in ... and was right on the money. If I found the 11 point mode was a little too broad for it to figure out, I could have set 1 point mode, locked to the center, and done a half-press and reframe. All perfectly simple and fluid in operation ... It's a two or three button press maximum to change the focus mode, no diving into menus or battling with hierarchies of commands.

For most of the exposures in this test, I simply half pressed the shutter release, give it a fraction of a second to respond and lock in, and then completed to the shutter release. And with the exception of the above test cases, it was right on the money all the way through.

I also tested the battery drain. From the beginning to the end of the walk (about an hour), I simply left the power on and half-pressed the shutter release if the camera had gone to sleep between shots. Call it about 60 exposures total, and at the end, checking the battery level before powering off, the battery was down to 1/3 capacity remaining on the little meter icon. Powering off and waiting a few minutes, then powering back, the battery had cooled down and the capacity was back up to 2/3 full. That's pretty good considering a teensy 1900 mah battery being left on in a digital camera for an hour. (Remember that I had the option "External Viewfinder" enabled, so the LCD was not illuminated the majority of the time; that's one of the biggest drains on the battery in normal operation.)

All in all, I felt it a very successful little walkabout test: I didn't have to think about the camera much, just look for and make a few photos, and the camera's system basically did the right thing in all the normal ways, and failed only when I expected them to have to fail. I suppose I should do a more extreme test ... set f/2.8 or f/4 and walk around the same way, stress test the AF system (and AE system) a bit more ... But it's rare that I do that kind of shooting in a "real life" shooting session. 😉

G
 
Godfrey said:
The thread about the new Fuji X Half tickled my "hmm, a nice compact digital would actually be a nice thing ..." meme into action, but I couldn't see spending $850+ for a JPEG only camera, no matter how small and how well it performs. Most of the compact digitals seem overly loaded up with silly stuff I never use, what I wanted was something with simple controls, a good lens, that supported manual or auto focus, manual or auto metering, and a simple viewfinder. I recalled my old Leica X2 ... yeah, that was the right thing. So I poked around a little and found X2s sell in the $1000 plus range (a little high for what I was after) but X1s sell in the $450-$800 range. B&H had one, I went for it.

I went for a first walk with it yesterday. I set it up with a 35mm accessory finder, turned off the LCD, and Program mode; mostly just pointed and shot, tweaked the EV compensation a little now and then; I set it to minimum quality JPEG and raw capture. A couple of photos, I set a wide aperture, one or two I focused manually ... but I didn't look at results, I just walked and took photos the way I do with my film cameras (to wit: the Leica IIIc + Color-Skopar 50mm I went walking with just a couple of days ago).

And I have to say, the little X1 just blew my mind when I got home and looked at the quality of what it captured. I made about 30 exposures and after a little bit of culling and a tiny bit of image processing, I posted 13 of them to a Flickr.com album. Here are two:


Succulents - Santa Clara 2025
Leica X1
ISO 100 @ f/3.2 @ 1/40


Pavement Stripe - Santa Cleara 2025
Leica X1
ISO 100 @ f/5 @ 1/250​

If you're interested, here's the full set of 13 on Flickr: Leica X1 (ongoing)

All I can say is, Wow! What a spectacular little camera! It feels and works MUCH LIKE the IIIc does when used this way, and not fussing with the LCD viewfinder or fiddling with the menus. Seeing this kind of image quality inspired me to spend money for the pur sang Leica 36mm brightline finder, the case, and the grip for it. The photos clock in at 12.2 Mpixel but they bat well over average quality ... I think I could make some nice presentation prints from the quality I'm seeing.

A good return to a delightful camera. I'm happy.

G
Click to expand...
Love it! 😊

That is why I still carry my X1 in the same bag as my M2.
 
Btw, you inspired me to take out the X1, set it up according to your described settings and try it out.😀

It works perfectly!

Today, I shall take it on my own walkabout! Not a fun task that, with 90-98° F weather and extreme humidity, but one must suffer for art, right?😂

So today I will be shooting the X1 and I will start on my first roll of Adox HR-50 film!

Dave
 
Godfrey said:
A good return to a delightful camera. I'm happy.
Click to expand...
A very fine camera. Great shots. I sold mine recently, I liked the colours (especially how it handles Yellow), and paired with the evf + grip it is a one efficient photographic tool (great flash too!).

As it turned out, my copy was not tolerant to a dusty environment and debris made it to the sensor - making for a tedious cleaning process.

Happy shooting with it, looking forward to more of those pics.
 
As I mentioned in the "what have you just bought" thread, the guy I bought the rather expensive Leica 36mm Bright Line finder, and the Leica leather case for same, and the Leica 18710 (N)Ever-ready case for the X1 from offered me an X2 at a ridiculously low price. It arrived yesterday ... Practically as new X2, in the original box, with every bit other than the USB data cable included for 20% less than I paid for a minimal kit of the X1/battery/charger. Such a deal!

And so, as my horrible summer head cold is lifting, I went through the X2 to be sure it all worked and compared it all to the X1.

- A quick check on FoV between X1 and X2 … if there’s any difference, it’s so slight as to be inconsequential. I'd heard that the X2's 16 Mpixel sensor is slightly larger than the X1's 12 Mpixel sensor, thus making the X2's FoV a bit larger: if it is, it is a matter of two or three rows of pixels at most.

- The improvement on resolution between 12 and 16 Mpixel is also very small … it’s there but is mostly unnoticeable except at extremes. This is as expected, since doubling resolution on pixel area X requires a pixel area X^2.

- More significant is the best aperture for across the field resolution. Careful tests show corner/edge resolution improving quite a bit from f/2.8 to f/5.6, and smaller gains up to f/11. This is slightly more pronounced on the X2 than on the X1

- The X2 requires some additional effort when focusing manually: on the X1 you just tap the AF/MF button, choose MF, and focus with the thumbknob. With the X2, you choose MF on the menu and then HOLD the DELETE/FOCUS button while you use the thumbwheel. This makes the X1 a bit faster to do manual focus with, but it's easier to change accidentally. With the X2, once you set a manual focus, if you switch back to AF and then back to MF, it stays locked at the last MF setting ... so it's easier to use the X2 for focusing by zone.

- The self-timer on the X2 requires enabling for each shot as you use it, where with the X1 the self-timer is an operating mode on the main switch so once you put the switch in that position, every exposure will be made with the self timer until you move the switch.

- The raw capture on the X2 at the defaults in Lightroom Classic comes up slightly warmer in tone compared to the X1.

- Grip, Leica cases, etc, all work perfectly with both cameras.

The Leica X1/X2 cameras fit the same niche in my over-stuffed equipment cabinet that the Rollei 35S and Minox 35GT-E do. Nice, light, small, high quality, general purpose "Every Day Carry" cameras.

Ah well. All functions are tested: both cameras work flawlessly … Now to go make photos with the X2 for a bit. 😀

G


Street Lamp - Santa Clara 2025
Leica X1 (Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 ASPH)
ISO 100 @ f/5.6 @ 1/400
​
 
Godfrey said:
As I mentioned in the "what have you just bought" thread, the guy I bought the rather expensive Leica 36mm Bright Line finder, and the Leica leather case for same, and the Leica 18710 (N)Ever-ready case for the X1 from offered me an X2 at a ridiculously low price. It arrived yesterday ... Practically as new X2, in the original box, with every bit other than the USB data cable included for 20% less than I paid for a minimal kit of the X1/battery/charger. Such a deal!

And so, as my horrible summer head cold is lifting, I went through the X2 to be sure it all worked and compared it all to the X1.

- A quick check on FoV between X1 and X2 … if there’s any difference, it’s so slight as to be inconsequential. I'd heard that the X2's 16 Mpixel sensor is slightly larger than the X1's 12 Mpixel sensor, thus making the X2's FoV a bit larger: if it is, it is a matter of two or three rows of pixels at most.

- The improvement on resolution between 12 and 16 Mpixel is also very small … it’s there but is mostly unnoticeable except at extremes. This is as expected, since doubling resolution on pixel area X requires a pixel area X^2.

- More significant is the best aperture for across the field resolution. Careful tests show corner/edge resolution improving quite a bit from f/2.8 to f/5.6, and smaller gains up to f/11. This is slightly more pronounced on the X2 than on the X1

- The X2 requires some additional effort when focusing manually: on the X1 you just tap the AF/MF button, choose MF, and focus with the thumbknob. With the X2, you choose MF on the menu and then HOLD the DELETE/FOCUS button while you use the thumbwheel. This makes the X1 a bit faster to do manual focus with, but it's easier to change accidentally. With the X2, once you set a manual focus, if you switch back to AF and then back to MF, it stays locked at the last MF setting ... so it's easier to use the X2 for focusing by zone.

- The self-timer on the X2 requires enabling for each shot as you use it, where with the X1 the self-timer is an operating mode on the main switch so once you put the switch in that position, every exposure will be made with the self timer until you move the switch.

- The raw capture on the X2 at the defaults in Lightroom Classic comes up slightly warmer in tone compared to the X1.

- Grip, Leica cases, etc, all work perfectly with both cameras.

The Leica X1/X2 cameras fit the same niche in my over-stuffed equipment cabinet that the Rollei 35S and Minox 35GT-E do. Nice, light, small, high quality, general purpose "Every Day Carry" cameras.

Ah well. All functions are tested: both cameras work flawlessly … Now to go make photos with the X2 for a bit. 😀

G


Street Lamp - Santa Clara 2025
Leica X1 (Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 ASPH)
ISO 100 @ f/5.6 @ 1/400
​
Click to expand...
You’re not helping.
 
Godfrey said:
Yeah ... a bit goofy but such it is. 😉

A thought came to mind earlier ... Does anyone make an adapter so I can put a filter on it? a close-up lens? or a lens hood?
Ask Ebay and the answer only costs about $16. 🤣

G
Click to expand...
There used to be some available online. Coincidentally I was looking last week to find one myself but I can’t seem to find one now.🤷‍♂️
 
That knurled ring around the lens mount isn’t a control? I don’t think I knew that, or at least didn’t remember it. This looks like a good idea.
 
Ken Ford said:
That knurled ring around the lens mount isn’t a control? I don’t think I knew that, or at least didn’t remember it. This looks like a good idea.
Click to expand...
The knurled ring is a trim ring ... designed so that other lens accessories could be used on the camera while allowing the lens to collapse for pocketability in normal use. The X vario and X typ 113 have lens controls in place of the trim ring, and aren't as compact as the X1/X2/XE models.

I had an X113 as well in the past and found it an excellent shooter, but it's larger and more akin to an M or Q than the X1/X2, and I was looking for small as inspired by the Fuji X Half. The X2 isn't quite as compact as the X Half, but you get a lot more for the small difference in size (larger sensor, raw capture, better controls IMO). That's what brought me back here... 🙂

G
 
Godfrey said:
...
- The X2 requires some additional effort when focusing manually: on the X1 you just tap the AF/MF button, choose MF, and focus with the thumbknob. With the X2, you choose MF on the menu and then HOLD the DELETE/FOCUS button while you use the thumbwheel. This makes the X1 a bit faster to do manual focus with, but it's easier to change accidentally. With the X2, once you set a manual focus, if you switch back to AF and then back to MF, it stays locked at the last MF setting ... so it's easier to use the X2 for focusing by zone.
...
Click to expand...
Okay, time to correct myself...

I learned something I didn’t know about the X1/X2 manual focus. Remember I said with the X2 you had to press the DELETE/FOCUS button while using the thumbwheel? Wrong. With both cameras, set in MF mode, roll the thumbwheel until you achieve proper focus, then hold down the DELETE/FOCUS button for >1 second. That sets the manual focus lock ON. Turn it OFF by holding down the DELETE/FOCUS button for a second.

I didn’t know anything about manually setting a focus lock, and the X2 when I got it had the battery in it and the manual focus was locked. So what happened was that I happened upon holding down the button while turning the thumbwheel, which unset the lock, then reset it after another second. Doh! This now makes better sense and lends even more capability to the use of manual focus with either camera.

This is, of course, listed in the instruction manual. Which brings back to mind my usual admonition to people asking questions unnecessarily … “Have you read the instruction manual? If not, READ IT … Because anything I’m going to tell you I found out by reading the instruction manual.”

It is good to get a reminder to take my own advice now and then... 😉 😀

G
—
"Yes, I have all the answers.
No, I cannot tell you whether they are correct."
 
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