As some of you know, Sigma has been kind enough to loan me a DP2 for some time now. The DP series is truly unique with only the recently announced Leica X1 presenting a similarly specified competitor in this class.

I had hoped to obtain an Olympus E-P1 and 17mm kit for a direct shootout with the Sigma DP2, and Olympus had assured me that I would have a kit available by the end of August. Unfortunately they don't yet have one for us, and I don't want to keep folks waiting any longer. Therefore I'll be doing a shootout based review of the Sigma DP2 using other cameras for comparison, namely the Panasonic GH1 with M. Zuiko 17/2.8, Ricoh GRD III, and Nikon D5000. If I can get an Canon S90 before the GRD III has to go back to Japan, I'll do a separate shootout between those two exciting compacts.

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A few days ago, I posted some comparisons between carefully scaled pictures of the GH1 and GF1 which I found helpful in choosing which Micro Four Thirds camera to buy.

Today I went to my local camera store to pick up an Olympus M. Zuiko 17mm f/2.8 (for use on the GH1 in the upcoming Sigma DP2 shootout) and took the opportunity to snap a couple comparison shots of the GH1 and E-P1.

The 17mm Zuiko lens transforms the GH1 into a remarkably small and light camera.

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Leica has described the M9 as having about a stop better noise performance than the M8 at high ISO. Focus Numerique has an ISO series, along with the DNG files for download (link).

Those of us who have not used the M8 and are used to today's Canon and Nikon cameras will likely find the M9 high ISO performance wanting (especially for 35mm full frame). Factors which ameliorate this: 1) The M9 has no mirror slap (and thus suffers less handshake blur); 2) Leica offers a lot of amazing, fast glass; 3) everything worth shooting can be shot at ISO 640 and below [oops, someone must have snuck in here and typed that last one].

Still, if you are trying hard to find a reason not to drop $6K on this camera (plus $$$ for lenses), consider taking a peek at the ISO 1600 and ISO 2500 files.

Or, if you want to support this blog (big time), you can pre-order one of the new Leicas from Amazon today

Source: Focus Numerique via 1001 Noisy Cameras

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As everyone who follows rumors and leaks expected, the Leica X1 has been announced today alongside the main event, a new full frame Leica M9.

Many of us had hoped for a digital Leica CL, a smaller, cheaper version of the digital M. Does the X1 deliver?

Basic specs:

• 1.5x 12MP APS-C CMOS sensor:  There aren't too many of these around.  Hopefully they are using the Sony sensor from the Nikon D5000, which is class leading in my opinion
• Fixed 24mm f/2.8 lens (36mm equivalent): Comparable in spec to the Sigma DP1 lens and the Olympus 17/2.8; a bit slower than the Lumix 20/1.7
• Small size: Similar to the Sigma DP2 and a touch smaller than the GF1 and E-P1
• Quiet shutter: Quieter than a G1 (listen to it here) but louder than a DP2
  
• Optional OVF with no built-in eye-level viewfinder or EVF option
• Minimum focusing distance: 30cm (in macro mode)
  
• 11-point autofocus
• 230K pixel LCD

The price: $2000

I never would have guessed that Leica would be first to market with a Bayer-sensor APS-C compact.  I think it is perhaps overpriced, but not really by very much.  Assuming that the lens, build, and controls are first class, I think $1500 would be about right, and I expect that the price will settle into that range before long.

Looking at the picture of the X1 shown below, I'd have made two design changes: 1) Remove the popup flash and put an ISO dial in its place; 2) Integrate exposure compensation in the shutter speed dial as is done with the Bessa and Ikon ZM.  That said, the controls look terrific.  I'm hoping that ring around the lens isn't decorative!



Do I want an X1?  No doubt.  Do I regret my recent GH1 purchase?  Not in the least.  I enjoy having the ability to change lenses and appreciate the amazing EVF of the Panasonic.

The X1 is no digital CL, but for those of you waiting anxiously for your digital Hexar AF, the day may be here at last.

More coverage of the Leica X1 at 1001 Noisy Cameras, Luminous Landscape, The Online Photographer, and DPReview.

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With Leica preparing to announce a (?) fixed-lens APS-C X1 and Samsung preparing an interchangeable lens NX series for late 2009 or early 2010, three giants seemingly slumber.  Yet we know that the labs of Canon, Sony, and Nikon must be hard at work developing their respective direct-view interchangeable lens (DVIL) systems.

The choices being made right now will define the fate of each in this new era of camera systems.  Consider the Olympus/Kodak decision to go ahead with the Four Thirds platform six years ago.  In choosing a smaller sensor size with an aspect ratio that makes more efficient use of the imaging circle, Four Thirds had the potential to achieve a considerably smaller system size than the systems of competitors.  Instead, Olympus chose to design a system in which nearly every single lens delivers sharpness, even light, and beautiful color right into the extreme corners of the frame.  In other words, Olympus overbuilt their lenses.

With Micro Four Thirds, Olympus and Panasonic have gone in another direction entirely.  A short registration distance allows them to build smaller lenses, yet as Leica or Sigma can witness, it brings new design challenges.  One need only look at the cyan corners of an early Leica M8 or Sigma DP1 image to understand this.  One solution would be for Olympus and Panasonic to once again overbuild their lenses and yield the compact size advantage of their new system.  Yet these two companies have come to realize that the way forward lies not with comprehensive optics but rather digital correction.  Panasonic, in particular, has pioneered the holistic lens-software approach.  Olympus has begrudgingly come along beginning with the ZD 25/2.8, their smallest, least perfect, and still uncorrected Four Thirds lens.  The tiny Olympus 17/2.8 confirms their progress, but Panasonic has zipped by with the 1.3-stop faster and equally svelte Lumix 20/1.7, a lens which no doubt leverages the full powers of Venus and Adobe Camera Raw.

What of Canon, Sony, and Nikon? Can they challenge the compact size of Micro Four Thirds while designing lenses for an APS-C imaging circle?  A more fundamental is to what mount and format these companies will committ. If Canon builds a compact DVIL lens system around an APS-C standard, what happens when the DVIL market calls for 35mm full frame?  My guess is that the Big 3 will move conservatively and each introduce new systems with mounts designed to support both full frame and APS-C sensors. In doing so, will they be able to challenge the compact size of Micro Four Thirds in the DVIL market? A glance at the Leica M9 suggests that they may be able to do just that.

For a given company, lens mounts tend to come around just once in a few decades. 2010 is sure to be an interesting year.

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