rx1 vs m9 with 35 mm

Remarkable image and demonstration Black.
Very impressive. You really captured the essence of this character beautifully!
 
That usually works. For a while, anyway.

money is the real problem here...or lack of it...i'd really like to keep the fujis, get an m9 and the rx1 and use them as my whims prevail...but reality says pick one and go forward with it.

i've had the fujis for quite a while now and still enjoy them but the pull for something different is strong.
 
The RX1 lens is excellent. Taking software correction into account it is probably the best AF 35mm there is. High ISO performance trumps the Fujis - others in the thread are right to say that visual noise is on par between the Xe2 and RX1. But usable tonal depth and dynamic range above 3200 is a totally different story. The RX1R is tack sharp, and will make you not miss files from the M9.

The two cameras, of course, shoot differently. I have three A7 seriers cameras now, and have been thinking about replacing one of them with the RX1R...
 
Why thank you sir *doffs cap*, however, this image isn't at 6400 - the ISO in this example is 100. I was just blessed with some beautiful light on that particular day...

Ah, you almost made me buy a RX1 based on me thinking that was 6400. :eek:

Awesome image in any case though.
 
I tried an RX1r that my friend has. I wasn't thrilled with the controls, the menus, or the feel of the camera. Didn't fit my hands well without adding a grip. The sensor and lens are both excellent.

Recently I tried the Leica X typ 113. The menus, control, and feel are so close to what I love about my Leica M4-2, it was a shoo-in. The lens is superb, the sensor is excellent. Bought it, and it's been my most used camera since. One month in and it still is.

For me, both cameras are about the same thing in terms of what they can do with just the difference in format and pixels between them. Most of the differences are nuances of aesthetics: Do you prefer a Zeiss over a Leica lens for how they draw? Is 36 Mpixels essential to your photography?

If you are interested in the one camera/one lens way of photography, both do a great job and they cost pretty similarly. Both produce excellent photographs. Pick the one you like and enjoy it!

G

Leica_X-2.jpg

BTW: My friend sold her RX1r and bought an A7r instead. She couldn't get on without having interchangeable lenses. I have enough system cameras and enough lenses to sink a small aircraft carrier, so this isn't an issue for me. ;-)
 
i like the feel of the sony...and have always liked the sonnar look...right now i am basically using 2 lenses for everything i shoot...35/85 equiv...i was content with the 6mp rd1.
 
If you were content with the 6MP of the R-D1, and you like them as cameras, I'd probably go down that route.

I went through many 35mm RFs and have now ended up back with the Bessa R3M, even after using a Leica MP, M3, M6, ZI etc. the Bessa just feels right for me.

If you want to be back using a RF (I know I did), I'd be looking at the R-D1, price is great.
 
I tried an R-D1 a few years back, shortly before buying the M9. It didn't appeal to me. That was one of the reasons I bought the M9, which does. :)

G
 
I tried an R-D1 a few years back, shortly before buying the M9. It didn't appeal to me. That was one of the reasons I bought the M9, which does. :)

G

Fair enough, I don't use digital, but the R-D1 is probably the only camera which tempts me. I think it's just that I like an underdog.
 
Interesting. Different folks, different strokes ... etc.

In the end, no one other than you and other photographers care what camera you use. It's only the photos that matter to everyone else.

Back to the original question: I know the RX1 produces nice results, but I'd rather buy a Summicron- or Summilux-M 35mm and M9 than an RX1, even though it will almost certainly cost quite a bit more. I prefer how Leica lenses draw. If you prefer how Zeiss lenses draw, go with the RX1. Or buy a Zeiss ZM lens for the M9. ;-)

G
 
I have an M9-P and picked up an RX1r a few weeks ago. I like the experience of shooting an M and I love my M glass but I am very comfortable walking around with just a single lens with 35mm perspective. The RX1r is really growing on me, I appreciate the build quality, form factor, high ISO performance and overall IQ. I don't even mind The Sony menu system, battery life or lack of built-in viewfinder. In fact the EVF is a joy to use. It's all been said before by others so I won't dwell on it other than to say if you can live with its quirks, the RX1/r is a fine device indeed that simply hasn't disappointed me thus far. Maybe finally it is the one digital camera I can remain content with for many years to come.

As for the M9-P, I'm very tempted to part with it as the RX1r works it's way under my skin, but I will retain my love of the M experience by continuing to shoot with my MP. Film M shooting is the "genuine article" in this regard anyway; a digital M - even an M9/ME - comes in a distant second IMHO. So, I figure a film M and the RX1r make beautiful music together, at least to my ears - I mean eyes!
 
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been thinking about selling my gear and going with an m9 and 35 mm lens...but then got to thinking about a used sony rx1... much the same thing, no? full frame, very small, excellent 35 mm lens attached...
They are much the same when you list features for a marketing brochure. Much the same with RX1 objectively winning in everything except the inclusion of (any type of) viewfinder. But they are very different cameras in actual use. One person may prefer one, while another person prefers the other. The same they just aren't once you pick them up and make photographs.

I have used the Sony RX1R for about a year now alongside my Leica M8. It provides better image quality, but I make the better pictures with the Leica. The user experience is very different, from handling to viewing.

My overall conclusion is that RX1(R) is a great product, but an average camera. I'm glad I have one and I use it a lot. I still rather have my M8.
 
To be fair, IQ at 6400 ain't much different :p
This is ISO 6400 (wide open, at or near the closest focus distance). There is visually quite minimal noise, which is hidden by the scaling. Some highlights are a bit ugly due to quick and sloppy processing, where the exposure was slightly boosted. But it's hard to slam the camera's image quality here.

 
I went through a similar thing.
I owned an M9 and found myself only shooting 35mm , so I came to the conclusion I would be better off selling my M9 and picking up an RX1 , save some cash and have a camera that had better performance.

Luckily I held onto the M9 while I used the RX1 . Over time I found that I just didn't like the user experience of the RX1 , too many options in too many menus . I also found the camera lens heavy, unbalanced in the hand and I simply couldn't bond with holding it at arms length and missed using a view finder ( perhaps I should have purchased the EVF but I didn't want to ruin the form factor of the camera ) .

The other thing that started to irritate me was the auto focus was just a little too slow to rely on and I didn't really enjoy the manual focus implementation.

In the end I let the RX1 go and held onto the M9 , It is / was just so lovely to hold and use. Very simple and intuitive , and I love the manual focus system which I ultimately found faster and more reliable than the Sony's auto focus. ( I say was because I upgraded it to M240 ) . The M made me want to pick it up and take it out and shoot , the Sony did not, and as a result I took better photos with the M9 .

I think it comes down to whats important to you. If its performance in low light and small form factor the go with the RX1 . If its manual control and the haptic feedback an M can give you then it has to be a Leica

Good luck.

James
 
Re: the comment of too many options - I'm curious - do you have to look at all the options, every time you use a camera?
 
This is ISO 6400 (wide open, at or near the closest focus distance). There is visually quite minimal noise, which is hidden by the scaling. Some highlights are a bit ugly due to quick and sloppy processing, where the exposure was slightly boosted. But it's hard to slam the camera's image quality here.


Highlights look good to me... especially for 6400.
 
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