Would you buy a Leica X 113?

[Godfrey]

And keeps your nose further back from the LCD.

A very little bit, it must be said, my glasses being the limit of how close I can get in the first place. ;-)

G

 

[fireblade]

very nice case G.

 

[adamjohari]

I sold my Leica M6 and 50mm Summicron cause it's hard to process film where I live now (Malaysia). Recently, my wife gave birth to a baby boy and I'm taking his pics using my old Dlux 4. The pics are ok-ish, but no where up to standards of what I believe should be my baby's first album.

I'm having a hard time deciding on whether to get:
1) Leica X 113
2) Leica Dlux 109
3) Sony a7 w 35mm summarit & novoflex/metabones adapter
4) Sony rx1

So many choices :/

What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[adamjohari]

Some of my old photography:
http://flickr.com/photos/adam_johari

 

[Godfrey]

It's hard to say what will work best for you, but I've come to regard the X typ 113 as my standard camera. I find it works brilliantly for me doing photos like what you showed.

G

 

[adamjohari]

Godfrey, does the Leica X 113 have a thread where you can attach filters on? Wouldn't want to scratch my lens. Wish I could permanently place a B+W filter on it.

Thanks.

 

[kknox]

The X-113 has takes 43mm filters.

 

[Godfrey]

As above, it takes 43mm filters. If you want to fit a protective filter, you'll need the filter and a lens cap that fits it.

I don't use protective filters myself. I just fit the lens cap when I'm not shooting. 🙂

G

 

[Peter_S]

I sold my Leica M6 and 50mm Summicron cause it's hard to process film where I live now (Malaysia). Recently, my wife gave birth to a baby boy and I'm taking his pics using my old Dlux 4. The pics are ok-ish, but no where up to standards of what I believe should be my baby's first album.

I'm having a hard time deciding on whether to get:

OT but:
Fuji X-E2 with a XF 35mm. Saying that after using M6, M7, M8.2, X1 and X2 extensively. After that - consider an M8.2.

 

[2WK]

Godfrey, congrats on the new camera. It is a very attractive Leica and yes I would definitely buy one if I didn't already have too many cameras...including the X Vario. I have been shooting mainly with the M Mono, M6 ttl and I had been using the Xpro1 for my color digital work.

I won the XV in a photo contest and was pretty sure I would have no use for it and decided to sell it. I figured that it wouldn't really be any better than the fuji after all it uses a similar sensor. Plus, with the Xpro I can use many different lenses..including fast ones like my 35 1.4. But I have to say, I was never really thrilled with the quality coming out of the xtrans. Sometimes I was happy with it, but I began to get tired of the raw processing. I could go on and on about the colors, sharpening etc but I'll cut this a bit short.

I yanked the X Vario off of ebay and decided to use it and I have to say the files are much better. They have an overall "cleaner" quality that I love and much more micro contrast. Plus, they sharpen up so much better...it's not even comparable. I sold my fuji system!
I never owned an M9, but the colors I get out of the XV are the best I have seen in digital.

The zoom lens...Yes, I generally have not been a zoom user but it is quite refreshing in use. It has become an amazing little studio tool. 50mm, 70mm with a leaf shutter & strobes...I love it. So because of that I'm not so sure I would swap for a 113, but I would definitely enjoy using both!

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey, congrats on the new camera. It is a very attractive Leica and yes I would definitely buy one if I didn't already have too many cameras...including the X Vario.
...
The zoom lens...Yes, I generally have not been a zoom user but it is quite refreshing in use. It has become an amazing little studio tool. 50mm, 70mm with a leaf shutter & strobes...I love it. So because of that I'm not so sure I would swap for a 113, but I would definitely enjoy using both!

Thanks! I'm delighted with the X, it's truly a terrific camera.

... As is the X Vario. Interesting story of its acquisition... I too have tried the Fuji cameras and come away un-motivated by the X-Trans sensor. That sensor just seems to take too much work to get what I want out of, never mind my other gripes about Fuji ergonomics. But, heck, others love those cameras and who am I to say what's best? I only know what works best for me.

I've been tempted to add an X Vario to my kit—in doing so I could likely let go of the M9. The X Vario lens is terrific from all the work I've seen posted with it. But I decided that if I want to get a zoom camera, I'd prefer a built-in EVF and image stabilization, and an ultra-zoom range. That would seem a better complement to the fixed lens X and prime lens only M9. So I'm going to give the Panasonic FZ1000 a try.

It's so easy to accumulate too many cameras. :-\

G

 

[2WK]

It's so easy to accumulate too many cameras. :-\

G

It is! And that why I decided to scrap one or the other. I don't like to sit and stare at a bunch of systems and hesitate on which one to pack in my bag...and then second guessing myself and bringing both anyway.

And I don't mean to bash on the Fuji...it is a great camera with really nice lenses. I just much prefer the Leica files and it's minimally designed body/menus. I also found myself using the EVF on the X-Pro1 most of the time anyway, and I think the Olympus one is better that I use on the XV. Only, it is a bit of a pain if you are pulling the camera in and out of a bag. Other than that, I really like it.

And I gotta say, I love the High Contrast BW ooc jpegs. I hate how I can't select DNG only 😕, but I leave the BW jpegs on all the time. And then I already have a beautiful conversion.

You have been posting some really nice work with the 113, keep it up!

 

[asiafish]

X Vario is my main travel camera, supplemented by Nikon Df and 58/1.4G for low-light and portrait/event work, and M Monochrom with 35 Summarit and 50 Summicron for nothing other than my pure pleasure.

Still, XV gets the most use, and in fact is so good that I just ordered the X 113 to for a perfect travel kit. XV for daytime travels, X 113 for indoors and evening. Each as a backup for the other, and both when I want maximum creative potential.

 

[asiafish]

I've had t X a few months now and have replaced the Nikon Df with a Leica M-E.

The X113 has become my primary camera, used more than any other.

 

[adamjohari]

Leica X113 now there is a Leica Q

Leica X113 now there is a Leica Q

Would Leica Q sales eat up the X113 sales?

 

[asiafish]

Would Leica Q sales eat up the X113 sales?

Q is double the price and in a completely different class.

I love the Q, but I'm sticking with the X.

 

[RLG]

X Vario is my main travel camera, supplemented by Nikon Df and 58/1.4G for low-light and portrait/event work, and M Monochrom with 35 Summarit and 50 Summicron for nothing other than my pure pleasure.

Still, XV gets the most use, and in fact is so good that I just ordered the X 113 to for a perfect travel kit. XV for daytime travels, X 113 for indoors and evening. Each as a backup for the other, and both when I want maximum creative potential.

Same here, I have the X Vario in use during daytime, the zoom lens is outstanding and practical to use. Very recent got the X 113 also for indoors and in the evening. Great combination.

Best

 

[Lawrence A.]

I'm late to this party, because I'm always buying used as I don't have the budget for new. It's very personal. The Fuji X series are wonderful, but I had the X100F and just did not like the files I got from it. Maybe it's the XTrans thing, I don't know. It's personal. I preferred the crisp output of my X1 much more, despite having half the resolution, and the shooting experience made me want to use it. So I just bought a used X113. For me, and I emphasize FOR ME, the Leica X is just more enjoyable to use. I like the spare menu and stripped down options. I had an RX1 too, and though the files were lovely, I just did not bond with the camera, the way I did with the quirky X1, despite all it's limitation. The best camera is the one I want to pick up and shoot with. I cannot decide based on spec sheets; the cameras I like often are trashed in that kind of comparison. I shoot an Olympus Pen-F (with the 12-40mm 80% of the time) and now the X113. I loved the X1, the Stylus 1 for convenience, the D-lux 109 for traveling light, the original E-M5 for weather sealing. And my favorite 35mm film camera is an Olympus 35 SP. Still waiting for Olympus to make a digital version. I loved that camera.

 

[Archiver]

I shoot an Olympus Pen-F (with the 12-40mm 80% of the time) and now the X113. I loved the X1, the Stylus 1 for convenience, the D-lux 109 for traveling light, the original E-M5 for weather sealing. And my favorite 35mm film camera is an Olympus 35 SP. Still waiting for Olympus to make a digital version. I loved that camera.

If only Olympus would make a 35 SP or Trip in digital form. The closest you can get right now would be an Olympus E-PL9 or Pen-F with the Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens. For more resolution, the Panasonic GX9 would be the closest.

 

[Mudman]

Well, I've just taken the plunge on one. We'll see what I think of it when it arrives. I've been interested in one of these (x1, x2, or the 113) since they came out in 2009. The x 113, minus the cost for the EVF, ticks all the boxes. I've got a few optical zoom finders I can try on it, I think my nikon tewe style might work best. Excited to add this to the fold - I'm hoping that it can make for a good candid capture cam while working weddings too.