Kev
To answer your question on why I (eventually) purchased a RX1.
I was immediately intersted in the RX1 when it was announced for the simple reason that my most used lens is a 35mm and I rarely shoot at less than f8.0. In fact I joked several times with my photo buddies that if Leica ever produced a 35mm f8 that would be a lens I would buy immediately.
I gave up on the Leica DRF route when their products became ridiculously expensive and technically behind the market, and sold my entire system. However, there has always been a slight feeling of regret since divesting myself of my M8 and lenses, so when the RX-1 was announced I saw a way of having my cake and eating it.
A lower cost alternative to a M9 with a 35 f2 summicron lookalike - in some ways it was a no-brainer. On top of that I was in the right place at the right time to get a used one for a significant discount to the new price (in other words I did not have to suffer the instant depreciation implicit in all new purchases be they cameras or washing machines or cars).
What I would say in defence of the subjectively heavy cost of the RX-1 is this. Firstly, the sensor is first-rate - the best of any digital sensor I have owned in the last 10 years and rightly so because it is state-of-the-art. The dynamic range is awesome. It actually records what you see - it is possible but not easy to blow highlights which is wonderful for any kind of landscape photography. Secondly, the colours are extraordinary - although some might say over-saturated. I don't mind taking colour out of photographs which is a lot easier than putting it in. Finally, the lens at f2 is beautiful enough to satisfy the shallow dof that sometimes one wants but sharp enough at f8 to make pixel-sharp images.
I would add the EVF is essential and despite what people say easily as good as an OVF (and in fact I believe in a few years we'll look back and think of optical viewfinders as being 'quaint'). And I would also recommend the lens hood, a good lens protector and the Gariz half case to put it in. One aspect I particularly like of the EVF is that it can be viewed at 90 degrees to the film plane - just like my Hasselblads which makes low shots easier to take (which at my age with my back is a boon).
Is it perfect? No. Can it produce perfect images? Yes. You have to consider your style of photography and decide if you can live with a dedicated lens.
I would in an instant, sell my RX1 for a interchangeable lens version with Zeiss glass but I suspect that will be very difficult to produce if stories about the distance between the back of the lens and the sensor are to be believed.
Just my two cents.
LouisB