Comments on: Leica X1 Hands-On Review

By: Colin Thompson

Colin Thompson — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:37:01 +0000

The X1 is without a doubt the most beautiful camera you can buy. Totally gorgeous – even the case!
Silly price, but hey I’ve also got a D-Lux 4!
I couldn’t bring myself to pay AU$500 for the viewfinder so I got a Voigtlander one for $200 which actually looks better than the Leica one – essential the screen is rubbish in bright light.
And it does take pretty good pictures too.
Now want to sell my Canon 5D MkII and get an M9

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:41:21 +0000

Hi,
nice review but you appear to have started on the wrong foot – The Foveon sensor in a DP1 is vitually the same size as that in the Leica, so I am unsure as to how it can be dwarfed – being a Foveon type, it works differently to the sensor in the X1, thats all.
The X1 looks like a lovely wee camera – but I shall sick with my DP1 for now – superb image quality and a whole lot cheaper.
Leica have missed an opportunity by not supplying a viewfinder – a great camera that just needs developing a little more, a better screen, a viewfinder and a few software tweaks and it could be my perfect pocketable camera.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:59:16 +0000

Yes, a higher resolution LCD should have definitely been incorporated, especially at this price point. But why couldn’t they have also put in a super fast AF system to make this camera more responsive overall? Leica lenses are great, but the digital end needs a lot of work. The Leica name is only going to carry just so much weight. At some point, performance actually does matter.

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:29:51 +0000

At this price point, this camera should have an f/2 lens, a usable ISO 6400, a weathertight sealed body, and a built-in wireless/satellite file transmitter. A high resolution LCD should have been a given. Hell, the highly acclaimed Canon 7D is $300 less than this pocket rocket.

By: hank

hank — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:44:45 +0000

i think half the people miss the point of such a tool… as is the norm when the word Leica is mentioned. The sensor ( a rumour, but a pretty solid one ) is the same as the D300.

so when you wish to consider the D300 has already excellent capabilities based on that sensor, add a Leica Elmarit and a rather reasonable pocket-able size…. why are people complaining?

But as mentioned by someone, the X2 may well define the ultimate target of all those little engineers designing cheap cameras. The X1 is the notification to pay attention. Still rather ground breaking by a company whom most give up on.

By: ponyman

ponyman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:53:59 +0000

Isn’t the point of a compact camera that it should be er compact? For me the point of a point and shoot camera is that I can carry it with me at any time without it being intrusive.

What is all this talk about ‘proper’ viewfinders? Never missed it on my old Mamiya 645. Personally I like to be able to see the image with both eyes rather than squinting through a little box. However Leica’s decision to use such a cheap low resolution screen seems absurd.

Will be interested to see sample images, but at present, I can’t envisage the occasion when it would replace either a DSLR or a proper compact and the price is just ridiculous. I get the impression this is just a camera that will be bought for show rather than go.

By: dick@grafixstop.com

dick@grafixstop.com — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:20:42 +0000

I recently played with the X1 at a Leica products night demo. The camera is exactly what you’d expect, heavy, well finished and basic. It’s also overpriced by $1000.00 and the software still needs to be tweaked. The optional rangefinder is awkward and ridiculously overpriced and the add-on
handle is a tremendous ergonomic boost for the camera and economic boost for leica – at only $160.00. The oversize sensor may make a difference, but not
necessarily in quality pictures. Perhaps the X2 will make more sense down the road.

By: Leo

Leo — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:01:13 +0000

Quote “it may very well be a camera that will put more pressure on other companies to start really developing their technology to do just the same thing”. I think that the honour of beeing the first quality little camera goes to Sigma, the size of the Leica sensor just beeing a fraction bigger. But never the less, it is a development that fills me with joy. There must be a market for the bigger manufacturers like Canon( my favorite by far). Where are the times for a cheap good camera like the Canonet for example?
The Leica is nice to see, but I never know what they put in the camera. Wich brand makes the sensor? Nikon, Sony, I really do not know. For a camera announces at the same time as his bigger brother, I find it stranges there is so little information. But then again, I like the concept and love the lookes of the camera.
The future will hold much nice camera’s for us, the really compact camera’s with vingernale size sensors will never dissapear, it is simply not possible to make a larger sensor camera that small. Every camera with a bigger sensor, the microthirds, are much bigger. Again Sigma did a very good job here, but much smaller then the Sigma DP is in my Opinion not possible. So you will have the chose next to your (big) DSLR, a nice high quality fixed lens little camera aside and a even smaller camera for having with you al the time, like the Canon S90. Or use your phone instead :)

By: zeiss groupies

zeiss groupies — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:18:15 +0000

Well.. We definitaly need to pay more for the red logo on the camera…

By: Hampher

Hampher — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:43:47 +0000

Testing a camera without an actual test. Strange concept. What have you actually tested? No pictures taken at different ISO levels to judge how it performs. It’s like testing the new Lamborghini without the keys for it, saying: wow it looks good, I am convinced it goes like hell. That’d be very convincing for potential buyers. The main indicator of quality for even a hobby photographer is the quality of the picture it delivers and not the appearance of the body.