There’s life in them thar ancient pixels after all. Our Australian correspondent, John Shingleton, has bagged a prize worth US$2000 using a surprising camera—but not to him. John is probably the world’s greatest Leica X1 proponent. Eschewing all temptations, John has soldiered on with Leica’s elderly compact which was introduced as long ago as 2009. That’s the early Middle Ages in the digital camera world.
It’s all the more rewarding, therefore, for John to have one of his photographs from the X1 selected as winner in the latest I Shot It Premium category. Not that the judges knew that this picture was crafted by the old girl, of course. No doubt there will be a great wailing and gnashing of teeth among the gearheads with their latest full-frame shooters and fancy lenses. The little old lady from Wetzlar can still turn a few heads.
Fittingly, the first prize consists of a Leica X2 supplemented by a handy $970 to total two grand. I asked John, who is currently driving around Portugal, if he is planning to promote the old X1 to glory, as the Salvation Army will have it. He’s reluctant, but he has determined to keep the new X2 and sell off the steadfast old snapper: “One elderly gentleman owner. Camera travelled the world inside an old sock but capable of producing award-winning snaps in the hands of a patient owner.” RIP, good and faithful servant. I hope you find another careful owner and continue to produce admirable photographs.
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- You can find John Shingleton at his blog, The Rolling Road and at Instagram @therollingroad.
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John and Stephen, thanks for the kind words .Responding to John- carrying around two cameras would be very confusing and cumbersome and I am not at enamoured with black and white anyway.
The X1 has served me well so I may just hang onto it for sentimental reasons and put alongside my first Leica- a 3A which I bought in 1967 and which I still have although I have not used it for many years.
For what it’s worth, I think it would be good to keep the X1, faithful companion that it has been. I’ve had both X1 and X2 and prefer the X1 as a handy go-anywhere camera. I have little agains the X2 other than the unsightly hot-shoe pod which was added purely to allow sufficient space for the VF-2 finder to be fitted. If you use an optical finder, the X1’s profile is preferable. That said, the X2 offers better resolution, faster autofocus and a few other tweaks. I think the X1 will become a classic and I don’t think it will depreciate further in value.
To king of X1 keep it for color work and x2 for b/w! Well deserved award for Master Craftsman, ENJOY !
This is sublime, painterly even…
The graffito helps of course, but you had to be able to see it, to make it.
Congratulations John.