If my GR is my favourite travel camera when going to faraway places, I have been enjoying the Leica X2 for five years now. I am much indebted to fellow Macfilos author, John Shingleton (also known as Mr X1) because it was seeing his images that talked me into buying an X model.
In terms of imaging, the Leica beats the Ricoh head over heels in my opinion. My X has travelled a lot in Europe and is often the camera I would pick up when walking in my hometown.
Waterfront
Fortunately, we are blessed with a long walk on the waterfront here in Le Havre, with a three-mile stretch of beach promenade to entice. It begins at the sea wall up to what is known locally as “the world’s end”. I look forward to my long daily strolls, X2 slung around my neck.
Along the beach, I’ve been making images of two particular spots for years. The first stop is at the wooden breakers which are halfway along the promenade. I’ve seen them decaying over the years. Sadly, they’ve recently replaced the missing parts with horrible concrete slabs.
I particularly appreciate the way in which the Leica renders the colours of wood and rust. There’s a density of materials that I think no other camera can match. Although it is a small sensor compared to full-frame of, say, its big brother the Q, I really love the background blur the X2 can provide when focusing close enough.
Before reaching World’s End, you can stop at the eponymous café “le bout du monde”. You may tarry for just the coffee but, if feeling a little more adventurous, lunch on delicious shrimps, whelks or oysters.
Reaching the World’s End, you are able to access some of the iron breakers at low tide. It is one of my favourite places along the shoreline. The breakers wear the test of time and tides, rain and gales. There are always boulders stuck in them, or old entangled fishing nets waiting for the next gale to take them away. I love the way these breakers mimic the waves. And I am always amazed at the way in which the X2 renders the various hues of rust.
So far the X2 is the best camera I’ve ever used. I’ve shot the camera in manual mode or aperture priority, with -0.3 or -0.7 EV. I always use centre-weighed metering which seems the more accurate. And I am not afraid to use this camera up to 1600 ISO, despite the ageing sensor. The tilting viewfinder is a pure blessing. What’s more, pictures from the X2 need hardly any post-processing.
My only reservations are that I wish the lens were a tad wider (approximately 32mm, similar to the Leica mini 3 in film times) and that the slow speed was better implemented. Shooting with 15 or 30 seconds exposure is not the easiest.
The Leica X1 and X2 belong to a concept first launched twelve years ago. Since then, Leica has gone through hoops with its APS-C offerings, from the later X models, including the X Vario, through to the current CL and TL2. But none, in my opinion, offers as much pure enjoyment, and ultimate satisfaction as my X2 in a perfect size. It’s one camera I think I will never sell.
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Thanks Dave for the kind comment. The X2 has an incredible lens and imaging to my eyes. It is purely subjective but I just love what the camera can do in terms of imaging. The only other camera I own that comes close to it in terms of imaging is the little Ricoh GRD4. It is a tiny CCD sensor so it is pretty difficult to have large prints but the lens/sensor combination is superb as well.
Enjoy Sunday
Jean
Sorry, I am a little biased Jean, I get to see your work as it progresses. And you know I have long enjoyed the rust and wood series of images as they have grown.
But I note you sneaked a couple of epic images past me that I had not seen – and the X2 is still an amazing piece of kit to capture quality images.
My X typ 113 will have been in my possession five years this xmas, and it was out with me today and still produces amazing images – in the last few months all of my top images on my flickr site were shot with my X. Oddly, the second best image is an IPhone image. It is oddly worrying to me that my Df images are only just making the top 10. I suspect this is to do with the lens and the way the X renders its image. It is so unique compared to every camera I use.
Thanks William for the kind comment. I guess La Pointe du Raz in Brittany is closer to Land’s End or Mizen Head. I did tour the Ring of Kerry some 45 years ago but never been as far as Mizen Head. Another place to add to my wife and I wishlist. I’m sure the X2 will work wonders there. I love the simplicity of the X2 except for the quirky slow speed implementation. This camera is a gem.
Have a nice weekend
Jean
The British have Land’s End in Cornwall and you have Le Bout du Monde. We have Mizen Head not far from the Fastnet Rock. I like those ‘end of the world’ places as you can look back to times past when people did not know what was on the other side of the sea.
I love your photos which show a mixture of nature and manufacture and the rust colours are a great ‘finishing touch’. As for cameras, the simpler the better. It is the photographer that counts and the fewer barriers that there are between the photographer and the subject matter, the better.
William
And there’s a World’s End on the Kings Road in London…
Not to mention Finisterre ..where they gather seaweed for perfume and medicines.
Westernmost point of Brittany – when I was there, I think, in 1975..
Hi Jean, I agree wholeheartedly. Owning both the X1 and X Vario I think they are excellent tools for the job. There was no need for me to change from the X1 to the X2 as for me the difference in image quality was small and I didn’t want to lose money on the upgrade.
The X1 body was deliberately modelled on the 1930s film cameras. No later Leica camera design meets that criteria of compactness.
Thanks Kevin. I bought the X2 2nd hand in mint condition with the Leica EVF and the leather case. Still waiting for the same kind of deal with an XVario. No hurry
Enjoy the weekend
Jean
Thanks Wayne for your kind comment. the elmarit is truly an amazing lens. I still use LR 5.1, the last version with a CD and don’t want to suscribe on the new version version however alluring it may be. The X2 files need minimum PP unless I want to tweak the image a lot, which I rarely do. I owned a camera with more pixels but I love the crispness and density of that 16MP sensor.
Enjoy the weekend
You are lucky, Apple made my LR5 disc version obsolete – and it no longer works sadly. I loved it, the best photo processing system I had ever used. Now I have a hybrid of systems that effectively compensate.
Colours richly rendered from a camera with a great little lens. Thank you Jean for sharing.
It reminds me that next experiment for me is to get the X1 out for some oxygen, then see what Adobe Enhance will further add to output. Those recent Adobe Enhance postings on Macfilos have me thinking that there might be a new life for the 12mp And 16mp compacts.
I will look forward to seeing what Mr X1’s coffee buddy does with an X1… it could be fun.
I am lucky, Jean regularly treats me to his work, his GRs and X2! The pebbles or rocks in the rusted metal just blew what I have left for a mind! His Grd4 of plaza sweepers in black and white is one of four pics on Macfilos that are hard wired in my head. Jean when u retire your x2 I will be melancholy as my X2 is still my first that got me hooked. I save the photos in my phone and tablet along with others who contribute to Mac, and say to myself when I return to look at , Dummie this is how it should be done! Enjoy you weekend folks!
Thanks John for your kind comment. The X2 is a pretty amazing small camera. Going on vacation next Monday I plan to use it exclusively with my new tripod. The elmarit is a gem of a lens as well.
Enjoy the weekend
I’ve always enjoyed your GR articles and images, so it was a real delight to hear you sing the praises of the X2, which I have. It hasn’t been my primary camera, and the friendship with 35mm hasn’t flowered fully yet, but I’m getting there! When I want to keep it small, I use it with no viewfinder, when I can accept a bit of extra bulk and diminished aesthetics I go for the tiltbable Olympus EVF which I bought with my X Vario. I agree wholeheartedly about the image quality – never been disappointed yet.
Thanks John for the kind comment. The X2 is the best camera I own. 35mm is sometimes limiting when I need a wider angle but it’s a versatile focal length I happily live with. Waiting for an XVario to reach the secondhand shelves of my local camera dealer
Good luck, Jean, with your search for the XV. I got mine when it came out for two-thirds new price from a dealer who – given all the dubious reviews at the time – obviously was into off-loading what he saw as bad stock!!! I bonded with it when I gave up thinking of it as a “compact”, but I’ve never been sure whether I like it best with the handgrip or without. The image quality is superb, and the macros are a delight. Look forward to seeing more of your photos from North France or further afield.
Fascinating abstracts.
#9 is a real gem, with Mr Smileyman dressed in white, subtly stealing the show.
Thank you, Jean
Thanks David for the kind comment. The X2 is a wonderful tool.
I’ll be dead long before any of my cameras give up and that includes a Nikon F and a Retina IIIC
Like my watches they are looked after for future generations.
I far outlived my iPod but right now I’m doing a stare down at my desk to see who goes first.
My Leica M6TTL or me. I’m not feeling very confident 🙂
It’s a pity Leica did not refine the camera over the years like Fuji with their X100 series. But Leica is not the only brand to drop great cameras unfortunately.
I doubt the “forever young”. I would not even claim that for my screw Leicas that date from between 1928 to 1958. At least the Barnacks use ever improving sensors as both ilford and Kodak sell films vastly better than anything prewar. For some 30 years Leiitz would update old Leicas to current specifications. They don’t do that for digital offerings. It is good to know that Leicas a decade old are still loved. But does anyone believe that in fifty years they will be repairable? Perhaps “forever young” is as honest as the cliche statements, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” and “I’ll always love you dear”.
I’ll probably buy a new camera when this one can no longer be repaired but it has not broken down yet. One thing is certain I’ll be dead in 50 years time.
Me too. Which is why we should enjoy, appreciate and use the cameras we have now, instead of constantly pining for things we want online.. I readily admit I’ve done that too.Came to the conclusion that I was spending too much time dreaming about future models instead of loving what I had. ( internet disease )
Any of the current Leica cameras TL2,, CL, Q2 or SL series are more than good enough especially when you realize what they can do compared to the cameras we had back in the
day.I can get quite excited about picking up any current Leica model.
From my experience we could all be dead tomorrow, I am not worrying about 50 years time just whether I get breakfast in the morning. Mind you my late grandfather pulled an impressive 98 years.🤣
Congrats to your late grandfather and I like your priorities. Breakfast is important. Full English with a pot of tea preferably.
My X2 was the first “Leica” camera I owned after the Panaleica series starting with the D-Lux 3. I still take it on city walks, evenings out and traveling as a back up to the M10 – it looks and works the same today as when I bought it – and like others I will never sell it. The brown Leica travel case fits perfectly and occasions many remarks – as in – “is that an old Barnak?”
The X2 is my 5th Leica. Haven’t felt the need to upgrade yet.
Good to hear that people are still enjoying their Leica X cameras and that they are still passionate about them! It is very unfortunate that Leica does not have have a clear APS-C strategy, every so many years they seem to release an excellent and innovative APS-C camera only to then abandon it again prematurely…
I think Leica has a clear APS-C strategy – focus on other things and milk the cow.
I would love a small Leica camera with evf and AF. It could have a mild wide angle or short zoom. But what do I know?
The DL-7 is about as close as you can get, and that’s really a Panasonic.
Springtime is when we might know whether there’s ever going to be a CL2. As they recently released OS 4.1 they obviously felt some investment was worth it.
Firmware 4.1 doesn’t really do much, does it? It does not even list the issues that supposedly have been fixed IIRC. Broadly speaking I agree with you on the timeline though. If there is no CL2 during the first half of 2022 it probably is not going to happen anymore.
You might be right. After the original Q (which killed T sales) they probably released what was already too far along in the pipeline (TL2, CL, a few lenses) and then closed shop… Plus Leica does not really seem interested anymore in anything that only costs $3K or less…
Thanks, Jean-the wood and rust have been very well rendered. I specially like the ones you took where the rocks have been caught in the gaps. Just one thing about the camera – Leica could have eliminated the built in flash on the X2 and X Vario. I don’t think I’ve ever used it till date.
Exactly my thougths too! I love mine, but I´ve “plugged” the button that ejects the flash, so it can´t be moved, and so I won´t suffer any involuntary activations (I´ve never even used it).
Just think what we would have had if they had used that space for just a simple optical finder, like those on a Barnack Leica! I do have an optical finder for the accessory shoe, but it makes the whole camera ugly and unwieldy.
Thanks Farhiz. I really like making images of these iron breakers. The boulders and nets often change. As for the flash I like using it in broad daylight. I enjoy the camera as it is and since I had a severe bike accident last winter I really enjoy what some consider an ugly EVF. It’s tiltable and that’s a huge plus for me to be able to shoot at waist height.
Jean
I have the visioflex 020 on top of my X, it is ugleeee.. with a capital U. But it really helps with composition and just seeing the scene before you.
Farhiz, i am with you I have never taken an image with the C typ 113’s flash – in fact I suspect I should pop it up and check it works.🤣