Thin Blue Line: Leica X1

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Leica X1

The X1 is a great camera indeed and I would surely love to own one, considering that, by Leica standard, it “only” costs $2500, although you have to remember that this is a true Leica, not a re-branded Panasonic, like all other digital cameras from the firm (exception, of course, for the now discontinued M8 and the current M9…). But unfortunately I don’t have this money, which is the equivalent for enough film and developer to last me three years, and even if I did, I still wouldn’t buy it… I can’t see myself investing more than two grand in an item not upgradeable, not easily repairable and quickly voted to obsolescence like a point and shoot.Plainly put, my dream digi is still the Canon G11. Sorry Leica!You now, Dave… My real love is B/W Film. I am an M4-P user, and I prefer it to anything else Leica made or makes. To me it’s the logical camera.Allow me to try to explain you why.Nowadays, the monitor screen on a digital camera is the most popular way of looking at the world around us. This can result in alienation from the subject, as it is its artificial image that we look at, not the subject itself. Things are very different with my M4-P. The act of taking a photograph becomes true to its original essence, making rangefinder photography an exciting and sensual experience in our world of digital imagery. As a purely mechanical alternative to all other photographic equipment, my Leica is intuitive to operate and leaves all decisions and settings to me. It is the very essence of precision mechanics, a masterpiece that opened my eyes to a world of memorable experiences from the moment it was given to me by my late father in 1985. And I wouldn’t change it for the world!