Forum Replies Created
David Farkas;4880 wrote: Anyone have the X Vario? Curious to hear user feedback.
Please post positives, not-so-positives and any suggested firmware changes you may have based on actual use.
Thanks!
Hello David,
do you have any news from Leica ?
I am about to give up on the X Vario: as it is now, it does not fit my shooting style.
Too bad, the camera has huge potential but its 360° slowness is really frustrating.
Another weekend and, if I do not come to terms with the XV, then it's ebay time.
M
David Farkas;4880 wrote: Anyone have the X Vario? Curious to hear user feedback.
Please post positives, not-so-positives and any suggested firmware changes you may have based on actual use.
Thanks!
Hello David,
after having used the XV for a couple weeks, I have some comments on improvements I would like to see:
1. Improve autofocus consistency and operational speed. I believe some code optimization can do the trick.
2. Add focus peaking. As implemented, mf assist is of limited use due to lcd grain and flickering. Displaying some red contrast highlights should not be difficult, Fuji did that months after cameras release.
3. Add AE lock. Having only AF + AE lock via half shutter press looks a huge limitation to me, preventing flexible metering. Even basic compacts have an exposure lock feature. Without AE lock the camera stays more in the “toy territory”. The unused “down” on the direction pad could lock exposure, either as “press & hold” or “on / off”.
4. Improve shutter speed selection. Having full stops shutter speed selection is rather limiting with a slow lens. Also given that the aperture is set in stop thirds. My last camera allowing only full speed stops was the MP. When shutter dial is not in the 1+ position, the thumb wheel could allow to select stop thirds.
5. Fix auto iso. Slowest speed up to 1/30″ is useless. I would go up to 1/500.
6. Allow direct access to exposure compensation via the thumb wheel.
7. Add dng only option. Also with lossless compression.
8. Allow magnified images comparison. Do not know, maybe WB key + thumbwheel during magnified review.
9. Allow auto-iso in manual mode (Fuji's do that), with exposure compensation active (Nikon's do that). If I correctly remember, the M9 had that. Not the 240, though.
10. “Free” the camera during file saving time. It freezes “Fuji X100 fashion”.
11. A general “speed up” is needed: start-up, shut down, focus, missed focus recovery, file save, image review (why not pixel access at 100% – mistery).
As it is, the XV has a huge potential, since the image quality can be excellent, but it looks “half baked”, like Leica intentionally wanted it to limp.
I hope they will fix it sooner than later, or at least give a signal that they are working on improvements.
Best regards,
Mauro
