![]() I think it is a combo of the Leica glass, the larger sensor, and Leica’s color signature that helps to make those X1 files look so good. a crispness and beauty that is hard to find in other cameras. ![]() It is true that the X1 files have a look. To my eyes, the only camera that surpassed or equalled the X1 in IQ is the Fuji X100. Then we have other cameras like the Ricoh GXR, Sony NEX-7 and the new OM-D which now all surpass the X1 in ALMOST all areas. No it doesn’t match the Leica IQ but then again, it is much less expensive and does everything else better. With the V1 we have once again a highly capable camera at around $750 that kills the X1 in usability, AF, tracking, close focus, EVF use and video. It had limitations of slow lenses and almost no shallow depth of field but I really like the V1 for what it is and what it does as it is SO much more than a point and shoot and pretty much foolproof. Nikon released the small and very solid performing V1 and even though the sensor is a small and tiny, the V1 excelled at fast AF, motion tracking, video, exposure metering and it even had a GREAT EVF built in. Then small camera started appearing out of the woodwork as manufacturers decided they wanted a piece of the mirrorless pie. By releasing an X2 with a sturdier design, built in EVF, longer battery life and faster AF without raising the cost would have surely put Leica over the top in the small camera/large sensor market wouldn’t it? I think that YES it would have, and they could have shown Fuji a thing or two in the process! Speaking of Fuji, Even Fuji has appeared to rip off the X name from Leica with the X100 and now X-Pro 1, throwing it in Leica’s face. I highly recommend clicking on all images in this review to see the larger versions which have better sharpness, color and look much nicer! Well, that is what I was REALLY hoping for in an X2 and spoiler alert… that didn’t happen. Just imagine a speedy X1 with a built in EVF, low noise up to ISO 6400, a faster lens to match the F/2 of the Fuji and that same beautiful design of the X1. It was obvious Leica needed an X2 so they could get back in the game with an X camera that had the IQ of the X1 with the speed and usability of the newest cameras. ![]() With the Fuji we have an APS-C camera that has retro styling, a built in hybrid OVF/EVF, a nice and fast (and very good) built in 35mm equivalent lens with a fast aperture of f/2 and even though it was a bit quirky to operate, many felt that it was a better alternative to the Leica X1… and get this, it was even $800 less expensive!Īs the newer cameras in this class starting hitting the scene, the X1 started to appear more like a beautifully designed dinosaur with no EVF, slow focusing, no video (some prefer this) and limited close focusing capabilities. That X100 must have sent a chill down Leicas spine as I know for a FACT that it ate into the X1’s sales…and thunder. When that good looking X1 was released there was not much out there that could compete in that size and weight for IQ until a while later when the Fuji X100 came out. The IQ the little X1 put out was astonishing, especially for the time it was released It’s a funny thing because when the original Leica X1 came out I loved it, and for good reason. I have shot quite a few snaps and images with it already (I am a slow going type of shooter, NOT a machine gunner) and have found it has given me some really cool keepers that I am happy with. Here we are at the end of May 2012 and I have been shooting with the new Leica X2 for just about a week. The Leica X2 Review – Can Leica still win us over with their charms?
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