Pros
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Good quality optic, unique build
Cons
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Price, LCD resolution & size, ‘Image Stabilization’
Verdict
The X1 is no ordinary camera. Designed very specifically to facilitate a fairly niche area of the market, its fixed 24mm (36mm equivalent) will rule out many buyers looking for something altogether different – and for less than the £1395 asking price. For those in the know, however, the combination of a large APS-C sized CMOS sensor and an f/2.8 24mm (36mm equiv.) fine lens does result in excellent images.
There are a number of issues however: the AF system isn’t lightning-fast; the lens won’t focus closer than 30cm which wildly limits macro capabilities (fairly requisite for a mid-wide 36mm lens); the screen is small, not of great quality, mightily fond of fingerprints and tricky to see in sunlight; and the Image Stabilization mode is ineffective for its outlined purpose.
Some will love what the X1 has to offer and, after much use, it is a fun little camera that offers a unique shooting experience as well as great pictures. But at such a high asking price and with a number of issues in use, this is strictly one for the hardened Leica fan.