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Zeiss ZX1

scho

Well-known member
I saw a top down view of the camera in another forum post and the style of the ZX1 is very similar to the Sigma Quattro design. I previously owned both the DP Quattro and SDQ-H and found the ergonomics not to my liking.
 

Knorp

Well-known member
I saw a top down view of the camera in another forum post and the style of the ZX1 is very similar to the Sigma Quattro design. I previously owned both the DP Quattro and SDQ-H and found the ergonomics not to my liking.
Fair enough, but I'm sure in no time somewhere in the world somebody will construct a protective case for it that will provide a secure and comfortable grip too ... :)
 

rayyan

Well-known member
But what does it bring to the table, that others don't have?

And at what price?

Zeiss can make cameras. Their last offering, that I still own, was the film Ikon RF whose vertical alignment was off straight out of the box!

Maybe it is the future..onboard storage/memory, editing apps etc. But my iPhone has all that. I prefer to do my photo editing on the computer. Except for Instagram or FB use. Then I use my cell phone.

Does it have anti-shake, VR, Ibis or whatever it is called?

In my opinion, a meagre offering which I just glanced at. meh.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
But what does it bring to the table, that others don't have?

And at what price?

Zeiss can make cameras. Their last offering, that I still own, was the film Ikon RF whose vertical alignment was off straight out of the box!

Maybe it is the future..onboard storage/memory, editing apps etc. But my iPhone has all that. I prefer to do my photo editing on the computer. Except for Instagram or FB use. Then I use my cell phone.

Does it have anti-shake, VR, Ibis or whatever it is called?

In my opinion, a meagre offering which I just glanced at. meh.
The same could certainly be said of my Leica M-D typ 262. It has nothing at all with respect to features, and the only thing it has over the Zeiss is interchangeable lenses. Add the Summilux-M 35mm lens and it was a $10,000 camera.

Yet I'd let go of nearly every other camera I own before I sell that one. So some folks' "meh" can easily be another person's dream. :D

G
 

iiiNelson

Well-known member
But what does it bring to the table, that others don't have?

And at what price?

Zeiss can make cameras. Their last offering, that I still own, was the film Ikon RF whose vertical alignment was off straight out of the box!

Maybe it is the future..onboard storage/memory, editing apps etc. But my iPhone has all that. I prefer to do my photo editing on the computer. Except for Instagram or FB use. Then I use my cell phone.

Does it have anti-shake, VR, Ibis or whatever it is called?

In my opinion, a meagre offering which I just glanced at. meh.
I largely agree with you but as a test bed this may be an interesting look at the future of where cameras may go... and I mostly mean for them to be much more integrated with mobile computing. I have little doubt that Zeiss will price this a little out of the expected price range of most... perhaps far higher than we may expect depending on how much they admire their work.
 

Frankly

New member
More likely I'll just get the maximum iPhone this Winter and actually start using it as a camera.

As much as I say I wish for a compact full frame with a classic 35/2 I've ignored the Sony RX-# out of ergonomic and UI criticism. Probably the same with this one too... I wish the ZX1 came out in the 2000s, other than the touch screen we had most of the technology in place.

The more I think about what works in real life, the higher end phone that is always with you trumps all the pocket candy and jewelry mirrorless stuff....
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
More likely I'll just get the maximum iPhone this Winter and actually start using it as a camera.

As much as I say I wish for a compact full frame with a classic 35/2 I've ignored the Sony RX-# out of ergonomic and UI criticism. Probably the same with this one too... I wish the ZX1 came out in the 2000s, other than the touch screen we had most of the technology in place.

The more I think about what works in real life, the higher end phone that is always with you trumps all the pocket candy and jewelry mirrorless stuff....
I dunno. The ZX1 seems pretty slick. And when I look at how much of the photography I've done in this past trip with the CL, I find that 90% or more of it was done with the effectively similar focal length (28mm on APS-C) lens. Both cameras would be solid, reliable working tools, just like my M-D and also like the Light L16 has become.

My iPhone 8 Plus also has an excellent camera that has performed beyond its specification, but *none* of those exposures hold a candle against what the CL has produced when you look at them critically. Not one. Mostly, what I've done with the iPhone are great snapshots that, like Polaroid prints, look great at iPhone size.

As in so much of equipment juggling, whatever floats your boat is best. :)

G
 

rayyan

Well-known member
You are correct.

But it was my opinion that I was expressing. I am letting go of my Leicas. I will just keep the M8 and the film MP. And my Lux 50 asph.

To each their own, G.

Best.

The same could certainly be said of my Leica M-D typ 262. It has nothing at all with respect to features, and the only thing it has over the Zeiss is interchangeable lenses. Add the Summilux-M 35mm lens and it was a $10,000 camera.

Yet I'd let go of nearly every other camera I own before I sell that one. So some folks' "meh" can easily be another person's dream. :D

G
 
"As much as I say I wish for a compact full frame with a classic 35/2 I've ignored the Sony RX-# out of ergonomic and UI criticism. Probably the same with this one too... I wish the ZX1 came out in the 2000s, other than the touch screen we had most of the technology in place."

I mentioned above that I'd prefer the RX1r2 to the Zeiss, and so I guess I should say something about its ergonomics. I wouldn't use it 'naked.' It needs accessories, for example:

1. Thumbs Up
2. Hand grip (I tried a couple and chose Metro; your hands may differ)
3. Shutter release button
4. Wrist strap

In my medium-sized hands, it feels and balances just like the M4 that I used for thirty years, with an accurate VF and autofocus. IMO it's a more useful camera than I can imagine the new Zeiss to be (and even the Leicas that Godfrey mentions).

I'd told a friend to watch for the Zeiss, thinking it would be a more-or-less legitimate offspring of the Rx1 series and Zeiss' last classic film camera. But what they've come up with, while it might foretell the future in some technical respects, seems way to bulky for what it accomplishes, without interchangeable lenses. If it was meant as a street photography camera, I don't think it'll sell very well.

Kirk
 
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Tim

Active member
Size comparison with Sony RX1MII:



Size comparison with the Fuji GFR50:

For some additional fairness if you pop up the EVF on the Sony the top of the RX1 EVF comes close to the Zeiss.
So yes while the Sony can be more compact the Zeiss is ready to go with EVF only needing to be powered on.

If the Zeiss has stunning IQ then I'll forgive many an issue and adapt (a bit like the DP Merrills). But we already know the RX1 is no slouch in that area.

Compact is nice when carrying but handling when using and taking becomes top. Its a balance.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
For some additional fairness if you pop up the EVF on the Sony the top of the RX1 EVF comes close to the Zeiss.
So yes while the Sony can be more compact the Zeiss is ready to go with EVF only needing to be powered on.

If the Zeiss has stunning IQ then I'll forgive many an issue and adapt (a bit like the DP Merrills). But we already know the RX1 is no slouch in that area.

Compact is nice when carrying but handling when using and taking becomes top. Its a balance.
Tim, If you handle a Rx1R II you would appreciate how compact it really is. Besides, it has a very useful tilting LCD while that of the ZX1 brick is ancient and stuck (likely to be damaged easily as well because of the large surface).

There is very little info on the sensor, the shutter (it appears to go to only 1/1000s?), flash sync speeds,..... all we know now is thta it is huge.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Larger fixed lens vs. smaller ILC? Are you sure you want to go there?
Are you trying to create a fight?

Judging a ZX1 against the SONY RX1 on size alone simply because they both have fixed 35mm focal length lenses and a FF sensor is ridiculous. The ZX1 is a full-size, standard camera with a fixed lens, the RX1 is a compact. I'd never buy an RX1 because in my hands it is a cheap feeling, too small widget with cramped little controls designed for people with tiny fingers. I have L to XL size hands and won't buy something that doesn't fit them properly, without add-on junk to patch it up and make it serviceable.

The ZX1 is interesting due to its sleek shape, the design for IO ports and built-in battery and memory, the built-in image processing, etc. It's a full size camera, not a compact, and would likely be better for all day shooting. It has a very large LCD display as well. Knowing Zeiss, it is likely a superb performer image quality-wise.

So: If interchangeable lenses are important to you, don't consider the ZX1. They're important to me, which is why I already have my M-D and my CL, both of which are a nice size for my hands too.

Why be so freekin' combative?

G
 
V

Vivek

Guest
It is a damn shame it is lacking a built in printer!

Maybe they plan that in a ZX2?
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
It's a bigger, higher tech, higher resolution version of a Leica Q. I wish the lens was 28mm though
 

Frankly

New member
Everybody poops on every camera's UI but when one finally comes out with an easily customizable UI (Android) they get virulent food poisoning.

Then people wonder why the camera manufacturers don't take consumer accounts into consideration lol.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
I am very happy to see Zeiss offering another alternative for a FF fixed lens digital camera. Price wise, I expect it will be somewhere close to a Leica Q. Yes, it is a bit larger than a Q. For me, that would not be an negative factor. I prefer the 35mm focal length over a 28mm, but the price will put it out of consideration. I hope this will be the first of a new Zeiss line of digital cameras and perhaps an interchangeable lens version in the future.

Gary



 
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