Arka
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 p.4 #4 · Anyone thinking about a Leica X1? | |
Barry Pehlman wrote:
Well that's debatable, but they won't fit a micro 4/3rds (MFT) camera without an adapter thus increasing it's size. ... From what I have read, the Olympus MFT body doesn't do well with Panasonic MFT lenses in the IQ department. You can adapt Nikon and other manual focus lenses to these modified P&S bodies, but for me it doesn't make sense putting a large lens on a camera the size of a EP1.
You know, I have been quite surprised by the effectiveness of using the somewhat larger (but not monstrous) FT lenses on the mFT. They don't balance perfectly, but they are quite usable. I used two such lenses, the Olympus 11-22 and 14-54, in NYC last week, and am simply gawking at the images that they returned. Moreover, I never found the combination to be at all burdensome, as I carried it around the city for my regular 7-10 mile walks with little fatigue. The whole kit weighed less than my wife's 20D with a 17-40 attached.
Plus, if you're after attention, that setup will get you some, even without the little red dot. I wandered into B&H at one point, and within the space of an hour, two salespeople and three customers walked up to me and asked me "What is that, and how do you like it?" My answer? Very much.
At that point I would just get an SLR.... at least it has an optical viewfinder.
I found that the MF assist on the camera's EVF was actually more effective in nailing focus manually than a comparable optical viewfinder would've been. Granted by EOS-1 would've autofocused far more accurately than my EP-1, but who wants to carry that much weight around as a walkabout camera?
Right now the only two players in the MFT game is Panasonic and Olympus. If the technology exists to put a 1/5x sensor in a camera the same size as an EP1 or GF1, why go smaller with a 2x sensor?
Even if they remain the only players, I don't think the system is about to die out. One nice thing about the 4/3 sensor is that, image quality notwithstanding, some outstanding optics can be made smaller for the format. It seems that Olympus and Panasonic are finally catching on to the real benefit of 4/3 and m4/3... size. Forget the E-3 that's the same size as a Nikon D700 or 5D.... what people looking at m4/3 really want is a capable small camera we can take with us everywhere. Even if a new APS-C based format were released, the lenses would probably be larger than the existing 4/3 lenses, and the camera bodies probably would not be any smaller than the present examples. And even with the larger lenses, these cameras still weigh less, and are less bulky than, M-system rangefinders.
Leica film cameras hold their value... that's a fact. The M8, a disaster IMO, was Leica's first attempt at putting digital in an M series. Besides the lousy color issues, I think it was dumb of them to put a 1.3x sensor in a true rangefinder camera. It was difficult enough when I owned a M6 to feel confident within those various RF lines. A 1.3x sensor just made it worse. Now it seems that those who want a true digital rangefinder will get it with the M9.... but I digress. Panasonic has no history of making still cameras even if the GF1 might end up being the best MFT camera on the market. Next year it will probably be the GF2, then GF3 for 2012. Knowing Leica, they don't fix what's not broken. I expect the X1 to end up being a cult camera like those tiny Rolleis were, the ones made in Germany, not Singapore. ...Show more →
As both you and Mawz note, the Leica fixed lens digital units don't have a huge advantage in terms of retaining resale. I know... I own one. As you say, the X1 will probably be a one-hit wonder for well-heeled travel and street shooters, and for consumers who like owning gear rather than learning how to use it well.
As for Panasonic's history of making still cameras... well... a turkey that's fed for a thousand days of its life hasn't the slightest idea that the farmer will wring its neck the day before Thanksgiving. Looking at the past to see how a company will do in the future may not have much predictive value. So far, they've produced a number of good lenses, and some decent cameras. They may crash and burn, or they may succeed, but I think that the existence of so many 4/3 lenses, and the excitement in the community of m4/3 users, should ensure some longevity. My own experience on the Olympus end of the system has been good enough that I may not even care if the system stops development right now.... I've already gotten some great material, and will likely get even better stuff as time goes on, and I learn the hardware (and the art of street and travel photography) better.
As part of the X1's $2000 "deal", Adobe Lightroom ($300) is included. That's a nice feature and I guess it's better than waiting for and then paying for Photoshop CS5 to acknowledge the X1.
Seems to me that most people shelling out $2000 for a camera probably already have some version of Photoshop Bridge, Aperture, or Lightroom
Any tiny, metal camera made in Germany that shoots 3 frames per second, no shutter lag, 13 true MP, a 1.5x sensor, and also looks cool is worth consideration, especially compared to the only competition at this point - the Sigma DP series, cameras that seem to be an excercise in frustration en route to decent quality pictures at 4.5 MP per jpeg (14MP if you do Sigma's fuzzy math, but only in RAW).
Not at $2000... my entire m4/3 kit with some superb Olympus f/2.8-3.5 lenses cost less than that.
For those who want a zoom, do some cropping with the 1.5x sensor. You should come out to a focal length in the 50s after factoring the 2x sensor. Need a faster lens than the G10 because it topped out at ISO 200, try the X1 at 800. Now you got a camera with a sensor ten times the G10 and a 1.4 lens, so to speak.
Aside from the size, I don't see these two cameras as being in the same league. The G10 is something like a quarter of the price, with a tiny sensor and a slow lens. The Leica seems to be competing with the Sigma DP, and possibly trying to interest advanced shooters accustomed to a "system," but also looking for light weight and simplicity. In that vein, the X1 may capture a few buyers, but if the m4/3 system continues to grow as I hope it will, the X1 may find itself in a very small niche, APS-C sensor notwithstanding.
Arka C.
Edited on Sep 19, 2009 at 02:44 PM · View previous versions
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