Leica X1 – Back to the Future?

by Chad Wadsworth for Precision Camera

[Note: The Leica X1 has been difficult to obtain since it was first introduced earlier this year, but Precision Camera now has limited inventory of the X1 and accessories. Please contact our sales department for more information.]

Anytime a new product bearing that iconic little red dot is launched, there is sure to be tremendous interest within the photographic community. The latest M series camera, the M9, has been heralded as a return to form for Leica and the first digital M that favorably compares, and even improves upon, the legendary film models. If this wasn’t good enough news for the Leica faithful, the company also turned its attention to a niche that many had worried was all but extinct – the luxury compact.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, brands like Contax, Leica, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, and Ricoh all produced diminutive 35mm jewels that offered SLR image quality in a package that could easily slip into a pocket or purse. With the advent of digital photography, the “state-of-the-art” in compact cameras was setback, and photographers were relegated to using bulky digital SLR gear if they expected the highest levels of image quality. Comparing the output of your average compact digital camera with a tiny Olympus XA from the 1980s results in a one-sided whopping in favor of the latter. Miniscule sensors crammed with pixels simply cannot provide an attractive shallow depth of field, wide dynamic range and satisfactory low-light capabilities. But with manufacturers now moving beyond the small-sensor, megapixel war (witness the recent micro 4/3rds innovations from Olympus and Panasonic, the early effort from Sigma with the DP1 and new compact APS-C sensor cameras from Leica, Ricoh and Samsung) it is clear the industry is finally traveling “back to the future” of high image quality in a compact package.

Small camera, big results - The Panasonic GF-1, Contax T3, Leica X1

Six years after Leica produced its last compact film camera, the CM, we now have a proper digital reincarnation: the X1. As a self-professed compact camera junkie, I’ve had the pleasure of owning the original CM, its predecessor the Minilux, the Contax and Yashica T lines and the Olympus XA.

Leica CM

I’ve been anxiously awaiting a digital compact that could knock these film cameras out of active rotation and into the collector’s cabinet. My minimum requirements for such a replacement are: a fast prime lens, an APS-C or full frame sensor, excellent handling performance, and, of course, “pocketablility.” Optional but preferred features would be a built-in hybrid optical/EVF viewfinder combining electronic display of camera data with a natural optical view, HD video capability, great hardware design and top-notch build quality.

In this review, I’ll take a look at the X1 and weigh in on whether Leica has succeeded in its quest to elevate the digital compact camera to a level previously obtained by film systems. We’ll start with a quick look at the hardware and take a few test shots to get a feel for how the X1 operates. Later  on I’ll field-test the camera in various everyday environments.

As you read on, please take note that all X1 images are shot in RAW format and processed in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CS4.

Now then, on to the first look!

The nicely designed back of the X1. Note the placement of buttons for ISO, WB, etc. right where your thumb lies.

As would be expected from Leica, the X1 is a beautifully designed camera. Most recognizably, the X1 evokes the early Leica screw-mount models often referred to as the “Barnack Cameras” but it is also an evolution of the CM, whose rounded corners followed the more brick like design of the Minilux. Like the Barnacks, the elongated curves of the X1 lend the camera a svelte yet sturdy appearance.

Leica IIIf "Barnack"

The long body, matched with a lens offset to camera left, provides plenty of space for finger placement on the shutter side, something that isn’t always the case with other compacts. And the perfectly round, pop-up flash is a nice touch that mirrors other circular cues such as the manual controls for shutter speed and aperture, the shutter button itself and of course that little red dot. The back of the camera is a tasteful mix of rectangular and circular elements arranged in a cohesive, ergonomic layout. There is no doubt that the X1 is going to attract attention and the more time spent with it, the more one appreciates the understated, modern take on a classic design. Kudos to Leica for successfully paying homage to their earlier lines, while managing to create a distinct and attractive personality for X1.

So the X1 easily surpasses a requirement for great design but what about “pocketability?” On this subject, the X1 comes close but ultimately fails to reach the compactness achieved by several of its film predecessors. The lens protrusion is an unfortunate design element that is necessitated by an arcane law of physics related to sensor and lens size. Most, if not all, film-based luxury compacts had telescoping lenses that were encompassed entirely by the main camera body when powered off, making them easy to store in a small rectangular case or pocket. In comparison to one of the smallest luxury film compacts, the Contax T3, the X1 is the same height but almost an inch deeper (with lens cap) and a full inch longer. Granted, the extra length creates welcome space for the large LCD and controls; but for this generation it appears there is still an engineering constraint that restricts Leica and others from designing a fully enclosed lens flush with the camera body.

Back to the positive. The X1 weighs in at 286 grams, which is a nice heft for its size. The X1 just feels right. Comparatively, the Leica CM weighs 300 grams and the Panasonic GF-1 tips the scales at 285 grams. Keep in mind: you’ll still need to attach a lens to the GF-1, which can considerably increase the weight and size.

The camera’s build quality is class-leading and a real improvement over the CM. One of my criticisms of that camera was that it felt a bit like a Frankenstein creation with controls glued to the rear of the film door. The X1 is clearly a fully integrated design with a metal body encasing the heart of the camera and high quality plastics surrounding the Elmarit 1:2.8 24mm (35mm equivalent) lens. There is no doubt that when the X1 is in your hands, you are indeed holding a Leica. If I were to find any fault with the materials it would be with the plastic battery door. I’ve read similar complaints about other cameras and wonder why manufacturers can’t stick a metal door on the battery compartment. I recently dropped a GF-1 from about 2 feet onto concrete and luckily the camera hit a metal enclosed edge. Had it impacted on the opposite side, there is no doubt that the plastic battery door would have cracked or exploded. I’m hoping not to run this same “test” with the X1!

So far, so good. The X1 really impresses based on its stunning design and top-notch build quality. For now, I’m willing to forgive the lens protrusion and soldier on with some actual picture taking to see how this little Leica performs. Like many of you, whenever I receive a new camera, the first thing I do is run some test shots. I’ve gotten into the habit of photographing the same “usual suspects” so that I have a visual history to compare the latest camera to. These subjects mainly consist of scenes around my home and vehicle (original eh?) but I promise we’ll get into less mundane photographic material later.

I received the camera from Precision Camera late in the afternoon and didn’t have much time to shoot before dark, so I very quickly had an opportunity to test the X1’s low light capability. Since the majority of my personal photography takes place in severe low light conditions, I was curious how the X1 would stand up to the test. I won’t keep you in suspense; in terms of image quality, the X1 is the best low-light performer I have used in a compact digital camera. In fact, after viewing similar images taken at 1600 ISO with the X1, the Panasonic GF-1 and the full-frame DSLR Canon 5D, my personal preference lies with the X1 images. That’s an amazing statement and I’m happy to make it! Not only is noise at 1600 perfectly manageable, the noise has a very nice film like quality. It is a genuine landmark to finally be at a point in small digital camera development where high ISO noise is less abundant and more attractive than that produced by many low ISO 35mm films.

With the low-light elephant out of the room, what about the general image quality of the X1? Does the 35mm Elmarit provide the “Leica look” that enthusiasts of the brand swear by? How does the X1 perform in the field? Is the AF effective? These questions will all be addressed in the next segment of the review.

Roadtrip

After almost two full days of travel bingo, books on tape ipod and numerous potty stops, our car, loaded with mom, dad and two young children, arrived safely at our destination in Seagrove Beach, Florida. There we met up with “Nonna and Papa” for a Spring Break week of fun.

While I had hoped to take many photos throughout the week, our active schedule worked against me. Still, it was nice to have a compact camera to take along for the brief moments when photo opportunities presented themselves. Taking a bulky SLR biking, boating and to the beach while corralling youngsters and grandparents would have been a real hassle, but the X1 was mostly a pleasure to carry along.

As we saw earlier in the review, the X1 is capable of capturing extremely high quality images. Throughout our week at the coast and while shooting predominately outdoors in varying light conditions, the X1 continued to exhibit the same high level of resolution, flexible depth of field and impressive dynamic range that I was looking for. Make no mistake, the X1 creates gorgeous keepers and on the merit of image quality alone, has reached the bar set by the luxury film compacts that preceded it. But as witnessed by the much-maligned Sigma DP1 and DP2 cameras, image quality can take a back seat to a poor user interface.

The first measure of functionality is often a camera’s implementation of focus so let’s begin with auto focus. After choosing which type of focus point you would like to use (single, multipoint, spot or facial recognition) a handy “AF/MF” selector to the right of the LCD provides quick access to the selection menu for AF/AF-Macro or MF. Select AF or AF-Macro and you are ready to go. This brings up my first complaint about the AF system: the AF-Macro selection. Having to enter the menu system to focus on anything between approximately 10 to 20 inches from the front lens element is a real frustration. Often, when closing in on my subject I would be unable to acquire focus, realize I was too close for the standard “AF” setting and be forced to select “AF-Macro.” I found this occurring more often than I would like. Most high-end film compacts do not require a separate selection for close focus and neither does the X1’s close competitors, the Panasonic GF-1 and Olympus EP line. Quibbles aside, in service, I found the X1 AF to be perfectly capable of capturing most of the scenes I shot during the week. Once I recognized the distance limitations of the AF setting, I was more cognizant of what the camera was going to be capable of in a given situation. When shooting subjects at a distance of 2 to 3 feet I often left the X1 in AF-Macro, just to be safe.

Accustomed to the fast auto focus of the Canon 5D and the relatively fast AF of the GF-1, I was prepared to accept a slower pace with the X1. In good light the AF speed of the X1 is closer to that of the Olympus E-P2 – certainly acceptable and as fast, if not faster, than most people can effectively manual focus. However, things slow down by at least a factor of two once the darkness settles in. The focus assist lamp does help though, something the E-P2 is sorely lacking.

And what about manual focus? I can’t help but think Leica came really close with its manual focus solution on the X1 and I am holding out hope that a firmware fix can perfect the concept. There are several issues that restrict the efficacy of MF on the X1. First we must consider the focus wheel – well placed, where your shutter thumb has easy access to it without losing contact on the shutter. Once you have the X1 set to “MF” and the menu option for “MF Assist” set to “On,” a flick of the wheel will bring up a distance scale and a magnified window. Conveniently, the magnified focus assist window can be moved via the directional buttons to cover your subject. Overall, the focus assist was sufficient to get the job done but I’m sure that a couple extra factors of magnification would make things even easier. The distance scale, from 1 ft. to 6ft and infinity, is covered in approximately 15 or so flicks of the wheel, which can take a while – maybe one second per flick. Worse, the X1 doesn’t maintain your previous MF setting when powering off and on, or when switching to AF and back to MF. So if you are close focusing, count on several seconds of flicking the focus wheel to zero in on your subject. Fortunately, I believe most of these MF concerns can be easily addressed with a firmware update. Even so, it seems that there is a missed opportunity to present an interface that would really appeal to the Leica faithful. For example, why does the focus wheel serve no function at all unless the X1 is set to MF? Couldn’t the wheel be used to quickly enter MF in situations where the AF is having difficulty or to fine tune focus? And what about a dynamic hyper focal scale that could graphically indicate when you were in the hyper focal zone for a given f/stop? Street shooters would rejoice!

Moving past the focusing performance of the X1, the next critical control is exposure. Using the X1’s manual dials on top of the body was a real pleasure and harkens back to the days of film when photographers actually set aperture and shutter speed via analog dials. The wheels both move a little freely though, so you’ll need to check the settings before you shoot. Beyond shutter and aperture selection, the X1 offers easy access to exposure compensation through a single button selection and a spin of the jog wheel that surrounds the now ubiquitous “cross” layout of control buttons on the rear of the camera. This control scheme is fast and effective, enabling the user to quickly over- or under-compensate exposure while reviewing the effect on the LCD. While there is little fault with the exposure settings and compensation controls, the lack of an exposure lock feature is baffling. I consider this to be the most standard of features in a modern camera system and was surprised to find its omission on the X1. If exposure compensation controls were implemented poorly, the lack of an exposure lock would have been a deal breaker. But as such, most photographers will likely do fine without it.

Controls for White Balance, Flash, ISO, Timers and Display Info are all a single button push away and nicely laid out for quick access. In general, the Leica control scheme is one of the most simple on the market and for many will be appreciated for its efficiency, while others may be frustrated by its lack of more esoteric features and customization. Regardless, the X1 interface is quick to learn and easy to master. Even with an AF system that sometimes felt a bit on the slow side, the interface was never an impediment to capturing the image. I even managed some handheld shots while moving on a mountain bike, one of which is my favorite image of the week.

Final thoughts

For the past several years, our family has been invited to an Easter party that can only be described as a photo rich environment. The party hosts pull out the stops and rent a mobile petting farm to delight the neighborhood kids with baby bunnies, goats, chicks and even a calf. Each year I’ve snapped shots with a film compact and have always been pleased with the results, but this time around it was the X1 that got called upon to capture the event.

In what had become evident over the length of my time with the X1, the image quality continued to impress. The character of the Elmarit lens is truly special and the 35mm focal length is a personal favorite of many photographers, including this one. If the user can accept this single focal length and embrace its strengths, the little Leica will consistently deliver the goods.

Shooting moving children and small animals is a good test of camera performance. AF speed and shutter lag were acceptable for the task and I don’t feel many moments were missed due to the handling of the X1. Would I have preferred a faster AF, of course, but for those Leica M shooters that are used to the manual focus experience, the X1 will be plenty fast in the focus department. At the end of the day I had captured just as many keepers as in years past, so the Leica proved itself a capable performer in an environment with close-range subjects moving at moderate speed.

When the time came to pack up the Leica for its return trip back to Precision Camera I felt a tinge of regret that I would no longer have access to such impressive image quality from a small digital camera body. While I still hold out hope for an even more compact, large sensor model from either Leica or another manufacturer, there is no doubt the X1 is the reigning champ in the rather slim category of luxury compacts. Kudos to Leica for designing a camera that will appeal to the photographer who still remembers or uses analog equipment. If you are looking for the Swiss Army knife of cameras with every feature, menu item, zoom range and video capability known to man, you may want to pass on the X1. But if your wallet can support it, and you won’t be shooting fast moving subjects, I highly recommend the X1 on the merits of its superb image and build quality, high design, simple but efficient user interface and, of course, its diminutive size.

About Chad:

For the past five years, Austin photographer Chad Wadsworth has been busy chronicling our town’s famous live music scene at its many festivals and local clubs. Capturing artists as diverse as B.B. King, The Arcade Fire and Beck, his work has been featured in national publications such as SPIN magazine and on the website of Grammy winning band, Wilco. He lives in both film and digital worlds and not to be pigeonholed, also shoots environmental portraiture and fashion for local magazines, Austin Monthly and Tribeza. His love for all cameras compact, made him an ideal assessor of the lovely new Leica X1. You can view a sample of Chad’s work at www.showperformance.com.