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This journal discusses photography in all its guises with an emphasis on the art of making photographs.
You are currently browsing comments. If you would like to return to the full story, you can read the full entry here: “The Leica X1 and street snaps”.
Posted in Cameras
Great article. But I have one question: how do you manage to work with the EVF under harsh and very contrast light? I’m having some trouble with the G1′s EVF…
Hi, I was just wondering specifically what about the G1 besides the fast autofocus and good kit lens makes it the ideal street snapper? A lot of other cameras seem to have the same capabilities. The EVF seems like it would help in high light situations from an overwashed LCD but I would think the swivel LCD offers more opportunities for unique holding angles.
Carlos – you can turn down contrast and brightness using the camera’s software.
Jae – LCDs are useless for my intended purpose. The G1 has a 100% full size v/f, not the tunnel vision offered by the alternatives. The actual magnification ratio is 0.72x, identical to that of the Leica M2 and I am nothing if not used to that. And the camera’s compactness and quietness are the closest thing to my mainstay of film days – the Leica M. Finally, it’s the first VF where I can actually see on screen data in bright light – for me that mean the +/- exposure adjustment in particular. My standard for comparison as regards viewfinders is my 5D and, simply stated, there is no comparison. The G1′s v/f is in a different league. Add the fact that it’s the first SLR with proper DOF preview (the screen does not darken, so you actually see the DOF) and that’s all she wrote!
Fair enough, I’ve read that the EVF can actually be laggy but have not tried it myself. How do you feel about the LX3? I’m possibly thinking about returning it for a G1 but I really like the portability of just slipping it in my jacket on the way out the door.
I have not used the LX-3. I use the LX-1. By comparison for my purposes it’s slow, hard to handle, constantly wants to retract the lens (or burn up the battery) and needs a glued on v/f to make sense. Depends very much on your goal – my sole use for the G1 is street candids. Nothing else. Many of those I have published here would not have been possible with the LX-1. It’s simply too slow. And a 13″x19″ print from the LX-1′s sensor really is at the limit – even at ISO 80 noise intrudes. I don’t like noise.
I use the 5D for everything else – very large prints, Helicon Focus, QTVRs, HDRs – click the appropriate section in the right hand column for more. The 5D is to the G1 what the Rollei/Hasselblad was to the Leica in film days, if you get my drift. The LX-1 I keep in the glove compartment ….
I don’t do street photography, but ran into the same issues for my needs with an LX-2 as a sidekick to my DSLR system. I went for an Olympus E-P1 as a new compact camera alternative an found it frustrating to deal with. The AF is slow, but even when I don’t need speed or I’m working methodically with manual focusing lenses, I had a hateful time working with only an LCD viewfinder. I finally got [over] (ed.) my aversion to the G1′s styling and the small increase in size and just got one. It’s only a little larger than the E-P1, but it’s a much more capable camera for my needs. The EVF lag is a small negative compared to having to shoot chimp-style with an LCD under adverse lighting. The AF is much faster, and the camera seems to have less lag as well. The G1 provides more direct controls over frequently used settings.
Thomas,
in response to your great article:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1041&message=32996038
Kind regards,
Helmut
Frankly, this is all a bit mystifying to me. The G1 is a wonderful tool, but in terms of size, bulkiness and weight it belongs to the other small dslr’s. Not much difference there between m4/3 and 4/3; the lenses are a bit smaller, but the camera is still in a completely different category from the leica x-1 or the olympus ep-1 with the pancake lens and the like, which you can carry with you anytime anywhere, a bit heavier and bigger than a point and shoot camera but still pocketable. So I guess there are still many of us out there still waiting for an affordable leica like the X-1 but with an integrated viewfinder, or a camera of the canon G 10 with a somewhat larger sensor and above all an integrated viewfinder that is not ridiculously small and inaccurate.
Peter Halter
I have got some great street photos from a Canon G9 & Lumix LX3 and have got great A3 prints from both cameras, maybe if the X1 Leica got a little viewfinder without having to switch on the LCD every time I want to take a pic and the X1 was half the price I might have bought one.