Features
As I mentioned earlier, the stand-out feature of the Leica X1 is its APS-C-sized CMOS sensor, which has an effective pixel count of 12.2 million.
As a compact camera it also has a fixed lens: a Leica Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 Asph that consists of eight elements in six groups with one aspherical element. This lens produces images approximately comparable to a 36mm optic on a 35mm camera. Its moderately wide angle of view is a logical compromise between a 24mm equivalent optic and a standard 50mm lens.
In keeping with its enthusiast and pro-level status, the X1 offers manual, aperture-priority and shutter-priority shooting in addition to program mode.
Unusually for a compact camera, the aperture can be adjusted in 1⁄3EV steps from f/2.8-f/22. Shutter speed, however, ranges between 30secs and 1/2000sec and can only be set in whole stops. There are no automatic scene modes to tailor the image to a particular subject – a fact unlikely to faze many enthusiast photographers.
Thoughtfully, Leica has opted to use the DNG raw-image format for the X1. These files are compatible with a wide range of image-editing software packages without the need for updates.
Even better, though, is that the price of the X1 includes a free download of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.1, which many professional photographers use to process images. Conveniently, images may be captured as either raw or JPEG files, or as raw and JPEG simultaneously.
When set to its high continuous shooting speed, the X1 can capture JPEG images at a rate of 3fps, which is not far off what is possible with some entry-level DSLRs. The camera isn’t really designed for sports photography, but it can sometimes be useful to shoot continuously when photographing everyday life. The burst depth, at six images, is the same whatever the selected file format.
The X1 doesn’t have an extensive feature set – there’s no video mode or viewfinder, for instance – but there is a small built-in flash, a hotshoe for attaching any of the current range of Leica flashguns, an image-stabilisation system that captures and merges two images automatically, and a 2.7in, 230,000-dot LCD screen that provides a Live View of the scene.
Those who feel the need for a viewfinder must invest in the optional 36mm brightline optical device.
The X1 may not be flashy or offer a huge collection of exposure modes, but it is designed to let photographers who understand how to take control of a camera get on with the business of composing images.
