Is the GXR A12 M good (enough) for low light and indoor?
I do not have a digital but have been entertaining the idea of acquiring a low light solution for my M and LTM lenses. I like using my Leica film cameras therefore the digital will be a backup when lighting is poor or focus assist is required. My understanding is that the GXR still holds it own against the Sonys when using Leica 35's and wider. Anyway the GXR cost is within my budget for a backup. Is the focus assist adequate in low light? Anyone uses the pop-up flash?
Maximum ISO for the GXR is ISO 3200 and unlike of most other branded cameras I find it's maximum ISO very much useable.
I also agree that the GXR does better than the Sonys with rangefinder wideangle lenses, haven't noticed any issues at all.
However most Sony APS-C mirrorless do rather well with rangefinder wide angle lenses too, when using my C.Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar f4.5/15mm ( old version ) and CV f4/21 on my Sony NEX5n I only detect minor purple cast at the outmost edges and that not always. The NEX5n goes up to ISO 25600, which is stretching it, but it will have less noise than the GXR at same ISO and newer Sony APS-C models should fare a bit better again.
I find the focus asist of the GXR superior of that of the NEX, I can trust it, but that I also need to, because the resolution of it's EVF is much less while in the EVF of the NEX5n I can more clearly see if it is in focus without focus peaking.
With very little, at extreme low light the image of the EVF of the GXR gets quite noisy which makes focusing more challenging, imo the EVF of the NEX5n amplifies the signal much better.
Personally I enjoy the use of the GXR very much and grab it when I want to have maximum fun, and the colors it produces during day are wonderful. But for maximum versatility, that includes low light, if I want a fast camera or may take an in-camera panorama, I rather grab the NEX5n ( resp. Sony A7 ). This also includes the possibility of the Sonys to use a "helicoid" adapter which reduces the minimal focus distance considerably, very useful since typically the min. focus distance of rangefinder lenses is rather long.
( if you click on the link to my flickr you will see sets of photos taken with C.Voigtlaender 4.5/15, 4/21 and 4/25, cameras used were GXR M module, NEX5n and Sony A7. You will find that I have been using the 4.5/15 mostly on the GXR though the first 50+ seen, taken lately in India had been taken on the Sony NEX5n. You might be able to find some samples of minor purple coloring, look for photos that show landscape / ocean + sky. that's the set with pic taken with CV 4.5/15:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kuuan/sets/72157632037409165/ )
..BTW, the GXR does not have a pop-up flash and I would nor recommend using it if it did, I'd prefer to use the hot shoe for that viewfinder!
hm..how could you have missed the pop up flash? The GXR does have a pop up flash, external flashes can be used on the hotshoe instead of the EVF. ( the NEX5n has no pop up flash and only one shoe for EVF or flash. later Sony models have a pop up flash included and / or a hotshoe for external flashes, the EVF being integrated, e.g. NEX6, A6000 and successors )
Have hardly ever used it, but strenght can easily can be adjusted, that's configurable and e.g. with the zoom toggler, imo it's good for portraits and also for lighting up face if shot against light.
