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X1 with firmware 2.0

Godfrey

Well-known member
I'm interested to know how those users who have the X1 are finding the improvements offered by installing firmware 2.0.

thanks in advance.
 

Paratom

Well-known member
I'm interested to know how those users who have the X1 are finding the improvements offered by installing firmware 2.0.

thanks in advance.
I find it to be an improvement for me.
1) and most important for me. If you focus on a certain distance once the distance is still in the camera. That means if you take several images at comparable distance the camera doesnt have to focus all new for each image (as it did with old firmware). This makes focusing more fluent and faster for me.
2) The new MF feautures are certainly nice however I am not so much a fan of "zone" focusing because I want to have the sharp plane exactly where I want it. SO I guess a good feauture for some but not that important for me.

Its still not an action camera.
 

jonoslack

Active member
HI Godfrey
personally I think it's quite a revelation - the fact that it 'remembers' where it was in manual focus when you turn the camera on and off, and better than that you can lock the manual focus, so that changing from AF to MF can mean snapping really quickly into zone focusing mode.
The AF isn't terribly fast, but it's okay, using an external viewfinder works pretty well, (because of the green focus light in your eye - mind you, that was there before of course).

The impression for me is that it has changed from a delightfully simple, but impossibly cumbersome camera into a delightfully simple camera which is rather good fun to use.

I spent an hour at Robert White comparing it with the X100 - clearly the X100 is a much nicer object - the camera leica should have made - was what Robert said.

everything about the X100 was nicer, the viewfinder, the EVF, the built quality, the dials, the look, the solidity . . . . except for two things:
1. the size - dimensions really don't do justice to the size difference, it's the difference between shirt pocket and not - basically, the X1 is (just) a shirt pocket camera, whereas the X100 certainly isn't-but it's great for a purse (as Terry pointed out).

2. the fluidity of use - now, I've been using an X1 on and off for over a year now, so of course there is the issue of learning, but there seemed to be a lot to remember on the X100, and I found that knowing when and where it was focused difficult, and switching between OV and EVF disconcerting because of the difference in the field of view.

I guess it boils down to whether you want to have a camera of this sort which will work in any way you want it (with the complexity that implies), or one which pretty much forces you to comply with it's mode of operation.

I don't think these remarks are necessarily useful - the fact that I've spent so much more time with the X1 makes it obvious that it would seem easier to me.

Added to which, I don't personally have much time for either camera - I'd rather carry a bit more weight again and have an M9 with a little 35 summarit :)

However, the version 2 firmware on the X1 does, (for me at least) turn the X1 from a pain, into a pretty useful little camera.
 

Paratom

Well-known member
I will ve a look at the x100 as well.
If I didnt have a M9 my interest in the x100 would be higher.
I expect to stay with the x1 and not replace it with the x100 for the reasons Jono said:
1) size
2) simple user interface. besides many other things I also like the spot-AF mode alot which allows to focus precisly on a very small area (eye for example)
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Thanks for the comments.

I continue to think about obtaining a small-ish camera for more casual situations/needs but one that still produces professional grade quality images. The X100 and E-PL2 have been the front runners for a bit, but recently I was looking at an X1 and liking its simple, clear optical viewfinder ... although a little bit larger, it becomes the equivalent of my favorite old Rollei 35S in use, which is what I used for this purpose in the film days. I don't need an "action camera" ... I need a high quality camera that is responsive enough for me to use it in a way similar to the Rollei 35S.

The focus setting memory and zone focusing additions in the firmware v2 piqued my interest. It's the most expensive of the three cameras and perhaps the least versatile in one sense, but like the Rollei 35S it might be just the ticket for what I have in mind.

... I don't think these remarks are necessarily useful - the fact that I've spent so much more time with the X1 makes it obvious that it would seem easier to me. ...
Well, they're quite useful for someone who doesn't own and hasn't had an X1 to work with as yet.

...Added to which, I don't personally have much time for either camera - I'd rather carry a bit more weight again and have an M9 with a little 35 summarit ...
and for whom the only sane way to acquire an M9 + 35mm Summarit would be to sell every single other piece of equipment they own and then toss in another $3000-4000.

I only buy equipment with cash. I don't have the $8,000 disposable free cash available for an M9 and Summarit 35/2.8 new (or maybe the $4000-5000 for an used M8.2 body and a VC 28mm lens) although I'd enjoy using one. Neither would replace my E-5 system kit in versatility and capabilities for the photography I do, and both are quite a bit larger than what I'd prefer for this compact notion.

As always, I'm in no rush and might never buy any of them. The more I use the E-1 and E-5, the happier I become with them. I'm content to run these thought exercises for a while and see what happens, concentrate on my photography rather than worry too much about buying new equipment.

..."Equipment often get in the way of Photography." ... :)
 

Paratom

Well-known member
I own both the Ep-2 and x1 and while the ep2 is more flexible regarding focal length and focuses faster I prefer in 80% the x1 for its user interface, size and handling.
Also while sharpness of the EP2 is very good I feel the x1 is more "compfortable" regarding dynamic range and color.
If you like the simplicity of the Rollei 35 user interface I would think you would like a x1 too.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I own both the Ep-2 and x1 and while the ep2 is more flexible regarding focal length and focuses faster I prefer in 80% the x1 for its user interface, size and handling.
Also while sharpness of the EP2 is very good I feel the x1 is more "compfortable" regarding dynamic range and color.
If you like the simplicity of the Rollei 35 user interface I would think you would like a x1 too.
The simplicity of the UI is a major attraction. Looks as if once you get the configuration set up the way you want, there's not a lot of need to dive into the menus much with the X1 after that. I was fooling with the E-P2 and E-PL2 at the store ... it's the latter that I find more interesting at present, but compared to the X1 (or X100) the controls on both the Pens are not quite as simple and logical.

The counter to that is that if I went for the E-PL2 and fitted an adapted lens to it (like the Nokton 25/0.95 or other) it then becomes almost simpler to operate than the Leica X1. I tend to use zone focus a lot rather than AF.
 

weinschela

Subscriber Member
I generally agree with Jono's comments. I have an X1 and the new firmware is a big improvement (though I would not go so far as to call it a revelation). It allows manual focus. The old firmware as a practical matter made manual focus unusable. It also slightly improves the speed of the AF. But this camera remains slow to use and is a struggle with moving subjects. The AF slowness and shutter lag contribute to this. It makes it imperative to anticipate and even then you will more than likely miss your shot. From what I have read the X100 is also slow, but having not had a chance to see and try one, I will reserve on that.

But the bottom line is I bought the X1 thinking I would sometimes take it instead of my M9 (or my beater M8) and I find it sitting most of the time. For true pocketability I still have a DLux3.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I had the pleasure of experimenting with the X100 yesterday. It's very nice but didn't incite my "click the buy button" response.

So far I haven't found an X1 in the flesh to Experiment with. Anyone local to the SF Bay area who has one: want to get together so I can give it a try?

Thankfully I don't need any of these cameras. If one appeals to me enough and gets my attention properly, I'll give it a whirl.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
I could play with the X100 some 4 weeks ago and while it is a very nice camera and shows a lot of potential developments for future RFs - Leica listen!!! - it did nor ring the bell with me anyway. Great camera, but not for me.
 
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