Viewfinder, LCD and live view
As I have already mentioned, the X1 doesn’t have a built-in viewfinder, but an optional unit is available for £250. This slips into the camera’s hotshoe and provides a bright, clear view of the scene, with brightlines indicating the framing of the 24mm (36mm equivalent) lens.
The viewfinder proves useful when it is too bright to see the image on the LCD screen clearly, but it cannot display any shooting information. However, provided the ambient light isn’t too bright, it is sometimes possible to see the focus confirmation light on the back of the camera while looking through the viewfinder.
Given the price of the X1, I am surprised that its 2.7in LCD screen only has a resolution of 230,000 dots. This is very low by modern standards, and even though there is a magnified view, there just isn’t enough detail visible to be absolutely confident when focusing manually. As ever, the screen is difficult to see outside, so it is sometimes tricky to tell if the camera has managed to get the subject sharp.
On several occasions when composing and reviewing shots during this test, I noticed that the on-screen image was less saturated and had lower contrast than the final captured image. The screen refresh rate is also quite slow, especially in low light, and the image sometimes appears to freeze or blur any movement. It makes shooting a moving subject very difficult.
