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The X1 Chat Box

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Vivek

Guest
Use the viewfinder with LED focus confirmation, turn off the LCD and just use the top dials.
Pardon my ignorance. Where is the viewfinder?:confused:

I think the pop-up flash is really neat. It will get the attention of any kid.:thumbs:
 
N

nei1

Guest
Agreed Monza,I think the autofocus speed on a production model will be the clincher.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Robert, That looks like a plain optical finder. Does it it have LED focus confirmation and such?
 

monza

Active member
From the X1 brochure:

The X1 is endowed with a completely different character when the dedicated accessory finder matched to the focal length of its lens is attached to the hot shoe. Just raise the camera with this optional accessory to your eye, assess the situation in an instant, and shoot – all rather discreet and in a split second. If required, the camera dis- play can be turned off when using the accessory finder. In this case, a prominently placed LED still confirms successful automatic focusing.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Interesting. I will take a look when the dealer around the block gets one.:)
 

Geoff

Well-known member
Yes, its a bit expensive, and its a bit funky... but it kind of hits the spot. THere are many attractive things about this camera, not the least of which is its small size as has been noted before. The fixed lens is OK - I shot for 20 years with an M2 and a 35 'cron, and was very happy with that. If you want more flexibility - an M8. More pixels, $ and flexibility - M9. Simplicity and quality - X1. Sounds good to me.
 

Terry

New member
Interesting. I will take a look when the dealer around the block gets one.:)
The confirm light is on the body but in a spot that you can see it when using the finder. There are a couple of other cameras where it works this way. Very smart design.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
The only thing I'm not entirely delighted about with the X1 design is the retracting lens. Retractable lenses always have some risk of becoming decentered and/or loose, and take a few extra moments to deploy. There are servomotors to worry about, and it's often hard to find a lens hood that fits them properly even when retracted.

I'd have been happier if they had stuck with a rigid lens barrel that I could put a good, solid lens hood on and be ready at any time, like the excellent Konica Hexar AF and its non-retracting 35mm f/2 lens made in the 1990s. Solid, simple, less prone to jamming or decentering if I knock it into something accidentally. Exactly what I want for a camera I'd like to keep with me all the time.

(It's the only part about my Rollei 35S that always annoyed me, having to extend and collapse the lens and how to deal with a lens hood... At least on that camera, it was a simple, manual, mechanical thing to do; I never worried about a servomotor jamming. I did have to replace lens tubes twice over the 20 some years I shot with it, however.)

A small niggle really. The GF1 makes much more sense for my needs, but I'm very attracted to the X1.
 

nostatic

New member
I want the X2 with a 35mm cron (for 52mm equivalent).

I agree that the GF1 makes more "sense" but after messing with a Canon 5D2 for the last 24 hours, I'm longing for a simple UI (knobs...we love knobs!)
 
V

Vivek

Guest
The confirm light is on the body but in a spot that you can see it when using the finder. There are a couple of other cameras where it works this way. Very smart design.
So, that is a mechanical thing.

One Cosina Bessa-L user added a tiny plastic prism on the metering LEDs so that exposure is discernable while using the 15mm viewfinder (I can't locate that thread in another site now).
 
V

Vivek

Guest
The only thing I'm not entirely delighted about with the X1 design is the retracting lens. Retractable lenses always have some risk of becoming decentered and/or loose, and take a few extra moments to deploy. There are servomotors to worry about, and it's often hard to find a lens hood that fits them properly even when retracted.



A small niggle really. The GF1 makes much more sense for my needs, but I'm very attracted to the X1.

Godfrey,

You are forgetting that the Olympus-D 17/2.8 (or the kitzzoom of EP) and possibly the 20/1.7 from Pana, all retract while idling or not in use.

Also, they (at least the 17/2.8 and the kitzzoom) are all quite fragile plastic construction.

No worries about the lens hoods for the Oly lenses as Oly have not made any (that I know).:rolleyes:
 
N

nei1

Guest
I too would have prefered a near standard lens ,the DP2 is still too wide to be perfect but is nearer and appears to be close in build quality and lens quality.Picture quality is yet to be seen as is autofocus speed.Both of these cameras,to my mind,(have not used either)depend on their auto focus speed ,no wheel and screen can possibly cut it as far as I can see.The Dp2 has been found a little wanting ,better than the DP1 though,if the X1 is the same Ill be after a decent M8 2 body to which Ill super glue my pre-asph 35mm lux.............Neil.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Godfrey,

You are forgetting that the Olympus-D 17/2.8 (or the kitzzoom of EP) and possibly the 20/1.7 from Pana, all retract while idling or not in use.

Also, they (at least the 17/2.8 and the kitzzoom) are all quite fragile plastic construction.

No worries about the lens hoods for the Oly lenses as Oly have not made any (that I know).
I didn't "forget" anything, Vivek. Far as I can tell from using it, the 17/2.8 (and the 20/1.7 from looking at it) do not "retract" at all. The lens portion of the mount resets to a minimum focus point like any unit shift lens. The X1 lens retracts and deploys for shooting.

The M.Zuiko 17/2.8 is made to just about the same build quality as the ZD 25/2.8. While I wouldn't hammer nails with it, it has been quite robust in use for the past year and a half I've been shooting with it.

Panasonic includes a lens hood for the 20/1.7. Olympus made one for the 25mm ... I hated it so I replaced it with a more suitable, standard metal hood.

 

markwon

Member
I too would have prefered a near standard lens ,the DP2 is still too wide to be perfect but is nearer and appears to be close in build quality and lens quality.Picture quality is yet to be seen as is autofocus speed.Both of these cameras,to my mind,(have not used either)depend on their auto focus speed ,no wheel and screen can possibly cut it as far as I can see.The Dp2 has been found a little wanting ,better than the DP1 though,if the X1 is the same Ill be after a decent M8 2 body to which Ill super glue my pre-asph 35mm lux.............Neil.
Agreed. I think the IQ will be there, but the AF will be the ultimate deal maker/breaker for the X1. Having owned the DP1, dlux4, and now the DP2, the wheel/screen manual focusing just doesn't cut it in real street shooting situations. You can't be as spontaneous and responsive as you need to be. If the X1 has fast AF, at least one could use the OVF and guesstimate where the focus will be. And like the Dlux4, I predict a price drop after about 6 months. I bought the dl4 for 850 when it came out, and only like two months later, they offered a 150 rebate before permanently dropping the price. Like the dl4 the price on this camera is inflated and should adjust.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well Leica is trying to not fit in the norm. with products that they can call there own for one and also stay directly out direct competition. They simply have no apple to apple comparisons to other brands.
 

JSK Rangefinder

New member
They don't have to fit if they don't want to, it just seemed possible and it would bring extra cash to fund other stuff plus it's such a sweet looking camera.

I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND LEICA my father does but I CAN'T!
 
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