Leica My new Leica X1 and our budding relationship

And on we go....

Kathy, our dog might well have wanted a sip of beer!

I've only used the flash a little and haven't bothered to read up on it at all - yet, though I plan to.

Just came back from a brief visit with friends up in the Great Barrington, Massachusetts area - what a gorgeous part of New England, if you've never visited.

What can I say, I still feel as though I am getting to know this camera...but my recent problems with my photo software, Aperture 3, have not helped speed me along. I do find that I tend to use the screen much, much more than the optical viewfinder unless I'm indoors in a dimly lighted area..but I have miles to go with this setup and am sure I'll find myself growing more comfortable.

I do notice that I need to really expose the "film"...I mean image...much differently than I did with my Olympus E-PL1. In this case, with the X1, if there is a high contrast between sky and earth or light and dark, it really needs to have a strongly negative EV applied...or perhaps I should try manually exposing more often? I hope that if any of you fellow X1 shooters read this that you'll add your thoughts here and share your experiences.

Not to much else to say right now except I do still really like the camera. It's a completely different experience than either of the two Olympus PEN cameras that I have used. I'm not really sure which I "like" better and may never be sure. That said, I've pretty much only been using the X1 of late. Time will tell, as with any relationship, right?

Here is the same photo, both in color and in a black and white conversion that I applied using my very fickle Aperture 3. I'd love to get a tutorial on Lightroom 3 since it came free as a download with this camera...perhaps one of these days.

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X1 f/16 @ 1/640 ISO 800 w/-0.7 EV


Let me just add that no one should think I'm suggesting that these photos are the best that this camera can do. I was in somewhat of a hurry taking these - with a friend but we were on a mission and I pretty much fumbled my way through and as you can see used Auto ISO where I might well have done better if I'd had the time to manually expose with more care. That said, I think they worked out pretty well for a kind of slap dash approach.

Added a few others to the Leica X1 Image thread, too.
 
an Aperture vs Lightroom "trial"

Forgive me, but I'm going to try a test here. Just trying out Lightroom 3.2 - after all it did come as a "freebie" with the X1. I want to compare the same photo via Aperture 3 and then by Lightroom 3.2 - bearing in mind that I barely know what I'm doing in Lightroom, but Aperture has been giving me headaches lately.

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f/16 @ 1/500 ISO 800 w/-0.7 EV


Of course both are now JPEGs, and I'm not even sure if I dealt with Lightroom's version properly. I'm going to have to ask someone for some "how to" details on that.
 
So the camera chose ISO 800 (see my question on the X1 image thread). The detail and lack of noise is still amazing to me.

I agree, I often expose about -1ev to protect the highlights.
 
Thanks, Kathy... Yes, the camera chose it, mea culpa! I responded on the X1 Image thread, as well. I agree regarding the lack of noise and detail. Just think if I really knew what I was doing! I am glad to know that you feel similarly regarding the EV.
 
Really nice, Jan. I'm not into "specs" either but I am trying to learn...so that's why I post them. You clearly have got the camera down. Each one is very well done. My favorites are the interior vaulted ceiling, the café (which looks like a library to me), the small icon or sculpture, the stairwell...and, of course, those flowers are beautiful. I like them all!

The reason I'm interested in the specs is, as I said, I"m trying to learn. I'd love to know about that first one of yours...as in did you use a tripod? All look to be perfectly handled. The image of that interior from the first and the café, really are so lovely. There's a sophistication about these two for me - perhaps it's the more monochromatic color...and then there's the design elements. Great color through them, too.

Thank you, Jan.
 
Still here, enjoying my blossoming "affair" with the Lady X - and I continue to be impressed by what depth she has! I think most of us would agree that the X1 is a very nice looking camera, very simple, yet tasteful in its design. Some might decry it as a point and shoot, however I suppose these are the same people that would look askance at just about any other compact camera with a "fixed lens".

While trying out the X1's different modes of operation, what I remain amazed by is the camera's talents at bringing out incredible details. I'm talking about scenes in which there are some real extremes in lighting. Kathy posted an example of how she plumbed similar depths and saved a shot that she'd taken off the cuff, without realizing her settings were way off. Pretty impressive stuff that mirrors my own experiences using this camera in settings where I've exposed for the highlights by either using a very negative EV compensation, or manually exposing in a similar way... Later on I'll post a couple of examples of before and after, and a night flash photo, etc., if I can. Unfortunately, I've been having some problems since the recent RAW update for Aperture 3... Won't bore you with it here, but it's setting my learning curve back a bit.

Meanwhile, I really need to get some sort of case or pouch for this camera...and an LCD protector.;)

I can see that you get superior image quality with your Leica X1 but I wonder if having a fixed 36mm wide angle lens (35mm equivalent) can be a problem for portraits since you have to get up very close, and do you miss not having a viewfinder? If you're looking for a camera case get a Domke.
 
Hi Carol - if you look on my Flickr stream you'll see a number of "portraits". I've posted a couple on SC, too. I have not found this fixed lens a hinderance at all for photographing people. I did buy the optical viewfinder and depending upon the circumstances it can be quite useful and helpful - especially outside in bright sunlight.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Domke. I'm actually thinking of just buying one of their wraps because the camera is so nice and small that if I'm not wearing crosswise, rather the way you'd wear a messenger bag, I would have it in my "pocketbook", purse or whatever I'm carrying. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions and if you haven't read through Kathy's https://www.photographerslounge.org/f9/why-i-like-my-x1-185/, it's a good thread.(y)

P.S. I am pretty sure I've managed to keep the X1 shots in a "collection" on Fickr: The Leica X1 so you won't have to wade through the whole "stream".;) And please don't use my photos as the zenith of what the X1 is capable of because I am still a neophyte and often forget that I have the camera set to Auto ISO when it would have been much smarter to have changed that, depending upon the circumstances.:redface:
 
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