Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/10
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Tom, I have been using the TX-1 (the Fuji version of the X-pan for a month). My feeling is that the camera is an excellent complement to the Leica M. It is slower and bigger and in operation akin to the Contax G-2 (albeit with manual focus and GREAT rangefinder). At the moment I only have the 45/4 lens so my comments are limited to that lens. Wide open at the panorama setting - 65x24mm - there is a slight softening of the extreme edges of the neg., once you hit 5,6 it is remarkably sharp across the board. Contrast is "Japanese" rather than Leica M, i.e. slightly softer and "mellow" and with black /white film very smooth tonality. Most of the stuff I have been shooting has been in Panorama mode, but the few negs I have done in 24x36 were tacksharp! I really congratulate Fuji/Hasselblad on this camera. I have found that I tend to take M's with 35/50/75 or 90 lenses and the TX-1 as the wide one along for trips or just plain walking around/shooting. It does not feel as solid as a M6 or M2/M3 but it certainly is not flimsy either. The exposure system is very good, any mistakes so far can be blamed on user error. After about 800 exposures (it has a built in odometer!) the CR-2's are still not showing noticeable drain on the battery indicator. No, I would not replace my M's with it, the lenses are slow and it is battery-dependant - but as a complement to the M it is hard to beat. I am eagerly awaiting my 90 and the 30mm lens which is supposed to be out in Jan/Feb -99. Now there is a Hologon that I can live with; approx. 16mm coverage on a 24x65 neg.! Tom A