M-Mount PIXII rangefinder with M mount: bold move ...

Leica M-Mount cameras and lenses
I got an email from Pixii recently talking up their DXOmark score, and announcing another firmware update to speed up buffer clearing. They seem fairly dedicated to the product. And I've read elsewhere that their build to order type manufacture process seems to be good, they keep in touch with the purchaser and seem to pay a lot of attention to detail during the manufacturing. These are good signs. How actually mature the product is, I'm not certain. The first iteration which didn't really pan out at all was vastly improved on with this model, though they gave up the global shutter, right? I wonder if a third generation will come out anytime soon.

I'll tell you what, though, if this model was just a bit cheaper, and by a bit o mean at least $500 cheaper, I'd be constantly tempted to sell off my gear and go for it. It has a lot of what I've wanted, including the distraction-free lack of an LCD, simple controls, a lot of space without tiny buttons to try and avoid pressing while using, and, I mean, it's a modern rangefinder. That in itself is a big deal. Part of me wishes it wasn't APS-C, but I'd probably go Voigtländer for the lenses anyway, and Voigtländer has really nice wide angle lenses, albeit slower aperture. I'd sure love to use one of these cameras for a couple of hours.
 
I got an email from Pixii recently talking up their DXOmark score, and announcing another firmware update to speed up buffer clearing. They seem fairly dedicated to the product. And I've read elsewhere that their build to order type manufacture process seems to be good, they keep in touch with the purchaser and seem to pay a lot of attention to detail during the manufacturing. These are good signs. How actually mature the product is, I'm not certain. The first iteration which didn't really pan out at all was vastly improved on with this model, though they gave up the global shutter, right? I wonder if a third generation will come out anytime soon.

I'll tell you what, though, if this model was just a bit cheaper, and by a bit o mean at least $500 cheaper, I'd be constantly tempted to sell off my gear and go for it. It has a lot of what I've wanted, including the distraction-free lack of an LCD, simple controls, a lot of space without tiny buttons to try and avoid pressing while using, and, I mean, it's a modern rangefinder. That in itself is a big deal. Part of me wishes it wasn't APS-C, but I'd probably go Voigtländer for the lenses anyway, and Voigtländer has really nice wide angle lenses, albeit slower aperture. I'd sure love to use one of these cameras for a couple of hours.

APS-C bothers me not. I am not making billboards. The detail of this APS-C is plenty good. I was taking photos with an old Sony DSC S70 which has about a 3MG image size. They are CCD and very nice still today, (Mexico) so sensor size is not everything. The quality of the image is most important to me and these mecs in France seem to be nailing it. They can do it but Leica cannot. There is a story there.

That $500 will mean little a day after it has arrived. I currently shoot an M8.2 and an M9 in DNG + JPG onto the recommended 16GB cards and they fill up slowly for me. 32GB will be plenty coming off an APS-C sensor. It seems that it will shoot DNG but DL DNG and JPG to a phone so I am hoping it likes full-sized computers just as much. As it is, as I said, just a computer with a lens socket on it the soft/firmware is the guts. I would not be surprised to learn the mechanical has been reduced to a minimum. It is 2022. As they are trying to make their way in the world I am guessing they are not skimping on hardware, i. e., the boards should all be good.

That said I have to check the warranty on this puppy. I have 15 days to return it. How long do they warranty it will work?

Anyway, I am charmed by it and am pretty sure to take the plunge. I sold the dog this morning. LOL No, never. But I did steal all his savings.
 
APS-C bothers me not. I am not making billboards. The detail of this APS-C is plenty good. I was taking photos with an old Sony DSC S70 which has about a 3MG image size. They are CCD and very nice still today, (Mexico) so sensor size is not everything. The quality of the image is most important to me and these mecs in France seem to be nailing it. They can do it but Leica cannot. There is a story there.

That $500 will mean little a day after it has arrived. I currently shoot an M8.2 and an M9 in DNG + JPG onto the recommended 16GB cards and they fill up slowly for me. 32GB will be plenty coming off an APS-C sensor. It seems that it will shoot DNG but DL DNG and JPG to a phone so I am hoping it likes full-sized computers just as much. As it is, as I said, just a computer with a lens socket on it the soft/firmware is the guts. I would not be surprised to learn the mechanical has been reduced to a minimum. It is 2022. As they are trying to make their way in the world I am guessing they are not skimping on hardware, i. e., the boards should all be good.

That said I have to check the warranty on this puppy. I have 15 days to return it. How long do they warranty it will work?

Anyway, I am charmed by it and am pretty sure to take the plunge. I sold the dog this morning. LOL No, never. But I did steal all his savings.
I just mean that I don't always like the field of view one gets with cropped FF lenses in APS-C. But again, there are some good wide options, like the 25/4, 21/4, 21/1.8 and 28/2 in the Voigtländer stable. The Skopars are a little slow, but the Pixii high-iso performance is good, plus I usually shoot stopped down with a rangefinder anyway.

They have a 2-year international warranty.
 
Yeah, I checked out the warranty. Question 2, how do they honor it?

On the surface it seems a good camera and, as I said above, what the M series could have and should have been rather than an anachronism which is a compromise between yesterday and today. I will see what a dialog tomorrow with the French yields. I am hopeful.

If you were close I'd drive down with it when, and if, I get it, for you to have a day playing with it. Let's see what the future brings.

As for wide lenses, I have the Canon 28mm LTM f/2.8, the CV 35mm f/1.4, the CV 40mm f/1.2, and three good 50's: J8, Canon LTM f/1.4 and Canon LTM f/1.8. I am set for lenses. I will see how this unfolds.
 
Oh, I did buy one. When I did the deal they started at 2499 Euros and I got the deal done with 32GB of memory delivered to the US for just over US$3,000 even after getting hosed on the PayPal exchange rate. That includes the 50 Euro UPS Express delivery charge.

Good review here: Pixii (A1571) Review - New Upgrades and Some Personal Experiences

I am pumped. "They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round. They told Marconi wireless was a phony, . . . " I believe in these guys. Bensançon is in the heart of Franco-Swiss tech country. There is other very, very good high tech stuff from this area. This is not the Elio.
 
I got an email from Pixii recently talking up their DXOmark score, and announcing another firmware update to speed up buffer clearing. They seem fairly dedicated to the product. And I've read elsewhere that their build to order type manufacture process seems to be good, they keep in touch with the purchaser and seem to pay a lot of attention to detail during the manufacturing. These are good signs. How actually mature the product is, I'm not certain. The first iteration which didn't really pan out at all was vastly improved on with this model, though they gave up the global shutter, right? I wonder if a third generation will come out anytime soon.

I'll tell you what, though, if this model was just a bit cheaper, and by a bit o mean at least $500 cheaper, I'd be constantly tempted to sell off my gear and go for it. It has a lot of what I've wanted, including the distraction-free lack of an LCD, simple controls, a lot of space without tiny buttons to try and avoid pressing while using, and, I mean, it's a modern rangefinder. That in itself is a big deal. Part of me wishes it wasn't APS-C, but I'd probably go Voigtländer for the lenses anyway, and Voigtländer has really nice wide angle lenses, albeit slower aperture. I'd sure love to use one of these cameras for a couple of hours.
It was $500 cheaper. It used to start at 2995 Euros. Mine started at 2495 Euros. Now what is your excuse?

And all you guys giving me that "thumbs up" and "bold move" better be around when I pass the hat to pay for this. LMAO
 
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I'll tell you one nice thing about this camera, freedom from proprietary batteries. While the FW50 is a Sony format it is also so common and used so much that there is no dithering about sources for it. The NP-FW50 and its knockoffs will be around for a long time. And this is just another example of what I consider Deutscherdicke thinking in Wetzlar. They could have designed in this all so common battery, but no, they had to have a proprietary one. And with that M8/M9 battery are constant worries about replacements. I have a half dozen to cover my ass, hopefully. The Pixii has eliminated another drawback with Leica. The M240 could very easily used the Sony NP-FW50. But I have made my point.
 
I announced elsewhere that mine is in production. It was 2499 Euros and 2799 with 32GB of storage plus 50 Euros UPS Express shipping. IIRC. It came to ~US$3100 to my doorstep with shipping.

I bought it for a number of reasons. Image quality. Mattias Burling's review covers what it is and what it is for: it is a camera and it is for taking photos. His images contained in the vid are stunning.
This "worst camera I ever owned" review also covers a lot.
Also it seems to be a "forever" camera. Upgrade whatever mechanical needs to be upgraded by return to factory. Software and firmware by internet. This is an electronic camera so the internet is your friend. It is innovative, new, elegant, very stylish and French. Wow! All in one package.

I also bought it to cheat my heirs out of some more money. ;o)
 
I am doing battle with the Leica fanboy Masochist Choir on another board about the Pixii. They are a bunch of naysayers. For them it is an upgraded electronic M3 or nothing. Granted, the Pixii now is not what it was two years ago. Now it not only looks like a camera, it is one.

I think, for me, the downside of Leica is never feeling like I am in a friendly home. Tolerated and ignored, like a red-headed stepchild. I already feel comfortable about the Pixii. Feelings do not make the technical but they are important to me. Feeling good about my tools, as shabby a craftsman as I may be, makes a huge difference. And the images out of this pup are looking good. And here is a big plus, the camera is being tuned still.

The number of upgrades to software make me think this is still close to beta but I do not care. It is good now and getting better. I am not objective. But I am pleased.
 
I am doing battle with the Leica fanboy Masochist Choir on another board about the Pixii. They are a bunch of naysayers. For them it is an upgraded electronic M3 or nothing. Granted, the Pixii now is not what it was two years ago. Now it not only looks like a camera, it is one.

I think, for me, the downside of Leica is never feeling like I am in a friendly home. Tolerated and ignored, like a red-headed stepchild. I already feel comfortable about the Pixii. Feelings do not make the technical but they are important to me. Feeling good about my tools, as shabby a craftsman as I may be, makes a huge difference. And the images out of this pup are looking good. And here is a big plus, the camera is being tuned still.

The number of upgrades to software make me think this is still close to beta but I do not care. It is good now and getting better. I am not objective. But I am pleased.
Online communities aren't worth squat unless they are a positive aspect of life, drop them like hot potatoes if they aren't. The idea of the Leica community on the web is one I can do without, they are often atrocious.
 
"Upgrade whatever mechanical needs to be upgraded by return to factory."

This is an appealing idea.
Out there in the Maritimes, eh? Not Sunnyvale Trailer Park? LOL

Yeah, these folks have thought it out and are Tesla'ing it. Buy it from them, send it to them to be fixed. The first model can get the upgraded sensor and memory. The 100 Euros round trip for shipping is about what a shop will get to give you an estimate. And unlike Leica it seems these folks get it done, done right and no complaints about it taking forever. But it is new so we will see.

I had better restrain myself so that I am not forced into eating a lot of humble pie if this thing is not good. I doubt that will be the case.

Allez-y Habs!
 
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Online communities aren't worth squat unless they are a positive aspect of life, drop them like hot potatoes if they aren't. The idea of the Leica community on the web is one I can do without, they are often atrocious.
I left the LUF as it is more a cult than a board. They were pissing all over the Pixii. No one had ever done more than see a photo of one or read a review about one. Remember what Sun Tzu said. "Know your enemy better than you know yourself." Few if any on LUF sought out knowledge on the Pixii. They just carped about what a dog it is. The dog is biting them now.

I like the positive vibes here. Until you disagree with me. LMAO Just kidding.
 
Online communities aren't worth squat unless they are a positive aspect of life, drop them like hot potatoes if they aren't. The idea of the Leica community on the web is one I can do without, they are often atrocious.
It took me 11 years of masochism at DPR to realise that, Andrew. It was a pleasant place utterly disrupted and destroyed by a very few, but highly persistent, trolls.
 
It took me 11 years of masochism at DPR to realise that, Andrew. It was a pleasant place utterly disrupted and destroyed by a very few, but highly persistent, trolls.
That sounds like the DPR I know, heheh. I deleted my account and posts years ago, and recently went back with a new account to very judiciously provide help and tips in a few areas (such as about the Ricoh GR series) once in a while. I do not engage with the blowhards, in fact I do not engage in debate at all. I just consider that I'm not among friends there, like I am here, and act accordingly.
 
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