Leica Leica X-E first photos

I like dealing with Josh. I think he is a great person to deal with. The other company that I like to buy Leica from is Ken Hansen. Glad you got it. Enjoy.
 
1) Church interior. I've shot this many times, and it's picture-postcard stuff, so I try to do it differently with each camera. The many visitors there provide the props, but sometimes it's a crowd and I can't get the shot. Shooting at 1/30 second with no image stabilization, I took several bursts, and most images had significant blur.

2) I got access to the non-pedestrian side of the bridge to shoot this, less than 2 hours after sunrise. In spite of some rain the previous day, there was a lot of pollution above the tree line at top, and I did a little 'cleaning' using clone brushes with my 1996 version of Paint Shop Pro (v6). I was able to save just this image because the other 30 I shot were out of focus. I need to remember to use manual focus on landscapes with the Leica X-E, which has problems with landscapes using autofocus.

Leica X-E, f5.0, 1/30 sec. handheld, ISO 800.
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Leica X-E, f5.0, 1/2000 handheld, ISO 200.
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Two portraits - b&w facing the bar, and color facing the other way:

Leica X-E, f2.8, 1/6 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Leica X-E, f2.8, 1/60 handheld, ISO 800.
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St. Philips Church, Charleston SC. I wasn't completely happy with either of these, so I kept both as examples of a few things. For one thing, the steeple is slightly crooked due to war or earthquake, and I hope my processing didn't make it worse. The first image is from a city block distance, and the second image at least a third closer, but it doesn't look that much different due to perspective and cropping.

Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/1000 handheld, ISO 200.
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Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/1000 handheld, ISO 200.
Charleston_Church_St_Philips05_s.jpg
 
This one was a 20-minute wait after sunset watching the clouds and colors develop. I know some cameras have scene modes for sunsets, but even when I use a camera that has those, I've found I get better results just waiting and shooting a few, and occasionally the light and texture just pop on their own. I cropped it vertically where the sky above was not contributing to the scene. I used manual focus, since the X-E or X2 don't autofocus properly in many landscapes. And there's an issue with manual focus I'll post elsewhere.

Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/10 sec. handheld (braced), ISO 200.
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Dale
Saw that you traded your X-U for this. Are you pleased with it? I've had a hankering for an X Vario and possibly a Leica T (I know...not your choice). I passed and could not pull the trigger on a T with a good lens and several accessories. However, the XE might be a better choice. Too lazy to drive to L.A. to Leica boutique.
 
Dale
Saw that you traded your X-U for this. Are you pleased with it? I've had a hankering for an X Vario and possibly a Leica T (I know...not your choice). I passed and could not pull the trigger on a T with a good lens and several accessories. However, the XE might be a better choice. Too lazy to drive to L.A. to Leica boutique.

I think the X is slightly larger and maybe $200 more than the X-E, so if the widest aperture you need is 2.8, the X-E would be great and save on size and price, with the same image quality. The X is f1.7 minimum. But I didn't have the basic X, although the X-U and X are identical except for the waterproofing, and the bulkier X size.

I think the whole X series is awesome in build quality and lens quality, but I also think the best aperture can make a difference. The X Vario I had was lovely, but started at f3.5. Hand size might make a big difference too, in that the X-E is fine for me, although I have to be careful because of the small size and controls.

I forgot video - the X-E doesn't have it and the X does. The X-E is noticeably primitive in certain respects compared to the X, but I really like it, much like I liked the Rollei 35. And funny thing - I never liked the Leica M4-2 and M6 as much as I liked the Rollei 35. The X-E doesn't really resemble the Rollei, but the size, finish, and simplicity do remind me of that little film camera.
 
Dale
Thanks for your comments. I don't think I'm too concerned with the slow speed of the Vario. The Spartan setup (and smaller size) of the XE might be a welcome relief from the clutter of my RX100 I or D7100. It would be nice to have an EVF. My eyes are not so great.

I don't generally do video, although with the RX100 have been known to experiment. The camera on my son's Samsung S7 phone and it's video is pretty fantastic.

At this point....as I take in the landscape of prices on used XE or X vario.....pretty similar. The T, body, a lot less. Lenses pricey.
Best
 
Never used a Rollei 35. Have a Minox GL and Olympus XA2. Like them both. And somewhere around here..........a Olympus Stylus Epic. In my hand a M4-P. Funny how these M's are bricks.

Not RX100....Freudian slip. Hasselblad Stellar (Orange).
 
Dale
Thanks for your comments. I don't think I'm too concerned with the slow speed of the Vario. The Spartan setup (and smaller size) of the XE might be a welcome relief from the clutter of my RX100 I or D7100. It would be nice to have an EVF. My eyes are not so great.
I don't generally do video, although with the RX100 have been known to experiment. The camera on my son's Samsung S7 phone and it's video is pretty fantastic.
At this point....as I take in the landscape of prices on used XE or X vario.....pretty similar. The T, body, a lot less. Lenses pricey.
Best

What you say about the EVF, and it's an external attachment to the X-E, and only the more expensive of those gives a representative readout of camera settings - makes me think, maybe not the best idea. Most EVFs I just don't like, but with the little X cameras, I think it's going to come down to price and usefulness, and how you're going to carry it.
 
I just know that I have some trouble looking at even 3 inch screens with extended arms. I have a Nikon 1V1 with a built in EVF. It's not great but it helps for me. I suppose and OVF would be OK. However, not having an EVF built in does pose problems for carry and use, when you have to stick one on the top of the camera. That might not be so great. It is awkward to my design sense and probably in usage as well. Not even that fond of it when putting a 21mm finder on my M.

I notice you list an X2/XE....aren't they very similar?
 
I just know that I have some trouble looking at even 3 inch screens with extended arms. I have a Nikon 1V1 with a built in EVF. It's not great but it helps for me. I suppose and OVF would be OK. However, not having an EVF built in does pose problems for carry and use, when you have to stick one on the top of the camera. That might not be so great. It is awkward to my design sense and probably in usage as well. Not even that fond of it when putting a 21mm finder on my M.
I notice you list an X2/XE....aren't they very similar?

Leica did lower the price of the X2 from $2000 USD to $1800 for the X-E, and the cameras are identical except for cosmetics. It's likely that they are sourcing more of the parts from China or elsewhere now, to keep costs down. My theory is that the "-E" designates "Economy" model.
 
My hometown at dusk, 30 August 2016, Akron Ohio, Main street. f5.6, 1/160, ISO 200. It's amazing that with a 33 percent reduction in population since 1980, and 66 percent reduction in income, that they are able to keep the city clean. I suppose the feds prop it up.

Akron03.jpg
 
Three for today:
1) New art gallery. This was a huge headache, having taken it through the front window, and terrible glare on the floor and cabinets. My fixes were a bit crude.
2) College campus with historic structures.
3) Walkway over beaver marsh in Akron Ohio.

Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/25 sec. handheld (braced), ISO 200.
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Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/80 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/400 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Leica X2: Two very large and significant buildings in Northern Ohio, Akron and Alliance:

1) Glamorgan Castle, built by immigrants in the mid-1800s and donated to the city's board of education in the 1950s - it's a real castle by construction and furnishing standards, made for one non-royal family. It was here circa 1999 that I fired the board members as a gag (bit of a story to that).

2) The Goodyear Airdock, for more than 50 years the largest building of its type in the world. My grandfathers helped build the largest airships ever made in the U.S., inside this building. Now owned by Lockheed I think. The low flat foreground building, built in the 1970s, masks the size of the hangar visually, which had an astounding presence prior to the new building being there. I observed the same effect when the CN tower was erected in Toronto in the mid 1970s - when surrounding buildings were added later, the dizzying effect of seeing the tower from across the street no longer had that effect.

Leica X-E, f5.6, 1/640 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Leica X-E, f8.0, 1/800 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Two more from the Leica X2 Paul Smith edition. The famous Glamorgan Castle from the left corner, and a large artificial flower in a public park.

Leica X2, f5.6, 1/640 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Leica X2, f5.6, 1/50 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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Historic Circular Church and portion of cemetery, Charleston SC.

Leica X2, f5.6, 1/60 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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A visit with Charleston's finest. No significant processing here, just a slight crop and removal of a few small digital artefacts.

Leica X2, f5.6, 1/200 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
Joann_Charleston_Pd01_s.jpg
 
(Note: I haven't finished the fake sky yet.)
I tried shooting this from every angle, making the subject turn 360 degrees in the process, to no avail. Lacking any HDR or pseudo-HDR capability on the primitive X2, I just did the best I could and blew the sky. I thought the X2 peformed very well, although I did have a small perspective change due to shooting close with the 35 mm equivalent fixed lens.

Leica X2, f5.6, 1/360 sec. handheld, ISO 200.
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