Leica Leica X-U first images

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dalethorn

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My first image with the Leica X-U (X-underwater) camera. Shot as JPEG only on dry land - a spontaneous take in a local public park deli. I think the X-U does well at ISO 800. I should have some underwater pics in a couple of weeks. BTW, this camera has no jack for a USB connection.

Leica X-U, f1.8, 1/250 handheld, ISO 800.
Mtpleasant_Lauren01_s.jpg
 
Today's photos (shot as JPEGs) with the Leica X-U: Stairway of parking deck in B&W. Sunset on average white balance (haven't worked out color temp yet, and there are no 'scenes'). Wetland with grayish sky.

My impression of the X-U is that it does extremely well as a regular camera, ignoring the underwater feature.

Leica X-U, f5.6, 1/20 handheld, ISO 800.
Charleston_Downtown48a_s.jpg


Leica X-U, f5.6, 1/250 handheld, ISO 200.
Charleston_Harbor27_s.jpg


Leica X-U, f6.3, 1/800 handheld, ISO 200.
Mtpleasant_Park31_s.jpg
 
Cool! I find this camera a pretty intriguing concept, good of Leica to try something nobody else has. Looking forward to seeing how you get along with it.
 
Two new photos from the Leica X-U (X-Underwater) camera: The front door to a house in the historic district of Charleston SC, and a nighttime view of the wars memorial at Waterfront Park.

Leica X-U, f5.6, 1/60 handheld, ISO 200.
Charleston_Downtown61_s.jpg


Leica X-U, f6.3, 1.3 seconds braced, ISO 800.
Mtpleasant_Memorial01_s.jpg
 
I didn't necessarily intend to shoot this flower at f3.2, but the wind was blowing a lot and I needed a very high shutter speed, so there it is....

Leica X-U, f3.2, 1/2000 handheld, ISO 200.
Flower01_s.jpg
 
Thanks for posting these shots Dale. Will you be taking some in torrential rain and perhaps sandstorms ?
This would be what it's designed for.
It's way beyond my budget but would like to see the performance in nasty weather. Cheers.
 
Thanks for posting these shots Dale. Will you be taking some in torrential rain and perhaps sandstorms ?
This would be what it's designed for.
It's way beyond my budget but would like to see the performance in nasty weather. Cheers.

I definitely will use it in bad weather, however a few notes:

A friend who is a pro and shoots models underwater will perform that test at an unspecified date.

My difficulty in shooting in actual rain is keeping the lens clear - not an issue underwater, since there are no raindrop 'spots' underwater. We'll see how that goes.

The X-U, design notwithstanding, is purely an 'X' typ 113 camera, and takes the exact same images on dry land, and my main curiosity about this camera was to see what compromises Leica would make in shooting with it on dry land. So far, no compromises other than there's no USB port.
 
Here was a tricky one - the sun is just a hair above the bridge, and you can see a slight red flare at the top of the image. I provided the pseudo-lens-hood with one hand, and since the camera is relatively light and easy to grip, made the shot (burst) with the other hand. I always shoot bursts when possible, and I look at each frame on the computer at 100 percent to see if there are any sharpness differences between the burst frames (16 mp JPEGs). I rarely see a difference unless the shutter speed is below 1/100 second, which to me is remarkable for a camera without optical image stabilization.

Leica X-U, f8.0, 1/1000 handheld, ISO 100.
Mtpleasant_Pier04_s.jpg
 
I definitely will use it in bad weather, however a few notes:

A friend who is a pro and shoots models underwater will perform that test at an unspecified date.

My difficulty in shooting in actual rain is keeping the lens clear - not an issue underwater, since there are no raindrop 'spots' underwater. We'll see how that goes.

The X-U, design notwithstanding, is purely an 'X' typ 113 camera, and takes the exact same images on dry land, and my main curiosity about this camera was to see what compromises Leica would make in shooting with it on dry land. So far, no compromises other than there's no USB port.


In my experience non vented lens hoods perform well in rainy conditions. Vented hoods are like having no hood at all .
 
In my experience non vented lens hoods perform well in rainy conditions. Vented hoods are like having no hood at all .

Yeah - I have also read on one of these forums how some people have improvised, like those cone-things you see on a few dogs or cats that keeps them from biting themselves. A small non-reflective cone and some rubber bands would work. I even used my hand as a hood in that last photo. The hand is good in that I can watch the light on the monitor while I'm getting the best position. If Leica made a collapsible lens hood that would be cool - they have that with some lenses, like the Noctilux.
 
Just another Leica X-U photo - I really like the detail and look of these, as they remind me of the images from another camera I loved - the Leica X1. I had to go behind a police barrier to get this perspective, as one of the pathways in this public park system has been closed for 2 years due to city and county councils arguing over who is responsible for maintaining the connector between the parks.

Leica X-U, f5.6, 1/800 handheld, ISO 200.
Mtpleasant_Park32_s.jpg
 
What about one of those rubber hoods from eBay? You can fold it back and pull it forward. They have been my foul weather saviour for years. That, and of course a stout umbrella held by my long-suffering wife...
 
What about one of those rubber hoods from eBay? You can fold it back and pull it forward. They have been my foul weather saviour for years. That, and of course a stout umbrella held by my long-suffering wife...

Oh yeah - great idea - I'll look that one up today. And yes, my wife has served in that capacity a few times too.
 
Cloudy, gray, flat lighting, but good detail for JPEG-only.

Leica X-U, f5.6, 1/800 handheld, ISO 100.
Mtpleasant50_s.jpg
 
I thought I did fairly good with this harbor and wetland shot, but it has a lot of purple fringing and my primitive editor can't fix it as good as I'd like.

Leica X-U, f6.3, 1/640 handheld, ISO 100.
Charleston_Harbor29_s.jpg
 

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