Leica X1 Camera

First off this should not be your first compact digital camera. You would be better off with a point and shoot with a zoom lens from another maker. This Leica is for those who want a larger frame digital camera with the equivalent of a fixed 35mm lens. And you need quite a bit of cash.

Leica has the best lens glass available known and the images from this camera are pin sharp and far better then images from my Nikons. The layout of the camera is very simple to understand and unlike most digital SLRs does not have reams of pages of digital controls. The camera is uncluttered with a minimum of buttons. This is a purist's camera.

The Leica X1 comes in a great box which when opens displays a mini chest containing 3 drawers. the top for the camera, next instruction manuals and finally cables etc. And the camera comes with Lightroom 3, which can be installed on 2 separate computers. This is a great advantage to those without editing software as in itself Lightroom 3 costs over £200 to purchase, and is pretty easy to use.

With the camera you get a neck strap which if I am honest would have been better if it was a wrist strap. I use the camera for street photography and being inconspicuous is a must. Having a camera around your neck doesn't achieve that.

The camera can be used fully automatically by dialing in the "A" to both aperture and shutter speed dials but I like aperture priority so its "A" on the shutter speed dial and I set the aperture dial to f5.6. Focus is ok, not over fast but I have yet to miss a picture. I would say that I wish the camera had a view finder rather then just the rear screen but again it is like 90% of other compact digital cameras in that department. You can buy a viewfinder attachment but at £250.00 its an expensive bit of kit that really just bulks up the size of the camera.

I have read complaints that the aperture and shutter dials can be altered accidently too easily. I have only experienced that when I have taken the camera out of its case. However, its a good rule of thumb to check the settings prior to taking any images, especially if you are going to rely on the automatic controls.

I love this camera, but like caviar it is an acquired taste. You can get a bettr specification of compact for a lot less like the top of the range Canon G11, S90 or Nikon's P7000. but you will not have the kudos of having a Leica. This camera is hand made and its a metal body. Leicas last a lifetime and I am still using a Leica III from 1935 to prove the point. Buying this is like having a Rolex, its eternal.

I have been using the camera now for the best part of a month and I now just take this little gem rather them my Nikon D3 or D90 when I need a camera for my holiday. Its compact enough to fit in my pocket, yet the sensor is large enough to give me 12 mg pics or so without the noise problems you get with other cameras. ISO range is great too and the camera has a great vibration reduction control (somehow takes two images to stabilize) which is rather unique.

All in all I love it. Hopefully it will give 75 years service like my Leica III. This camera also looks like my Leica III so it shows style is eternal.