Great lens and described perfectly! Not my first purchase and definitely not my last!!
I have ownd and used several Fujifilm and Leica and Nikon cameras over the years. I've seen each manufacturer improve their products, with occasional stumbles, but overall incrementally improve. This camera, though, is a surprising leap ahead of Fujifilm's other digital cameras. As of this writing, I have read the other reviews here, and agree with everything they say, so I won't repeat all that here.
This is no Leica, so don't expect that same exact feel. But neither is it a bigger X100VI. It's in a class by itself, based on my experience. Yes, if you are a Fujifilm user, you will find familiar things, particularly the menus and settings, and some design philosophy DNA make it obviously a Fujifilm product. That's where the similarity ends though, and in a good way. And the overall feel and quality are right up there with Leica, though very not-Leica, if that makes sense.
Complaints? Sure, because I am details-oriented and very critical. The on-off switch moves way too easily and sticks out too far for my long fingers to avoid. The command wheels move a little too stiffly, and I often press the switch in while getting enough friction to rotate the rear one. I keep expecting this to annoy me or cause problems, but it hasn't. When switching from my other Fujifilm cameras, it takes about 3 minutes to readjust to this stiffness, and I find the solid feel to outweigh any initial annoyance. Will they get more free-wheeling over time? I will find out.
Other annoyances - still minor and easy to adjust to (if this were the only camera I used, they would disappear at some point). The quirky sound the lens motor makes sometimes when switching on and off or into and out of playback mode. I had to get a leather half case with the wooden thumb grip (stick-on) to feel confident using one hand (a bad habit). But really, never have I felt like I overpaid or would sell it any time soon because of any of this. None of this interferes with my enjoyment or creative process.
Does this replace any of my other cameras? Nope. It's unique and provides me with inspirations and results I can't get from any of my other gear. Would I choose it if I could only have one camera? Very likely! And that's saying a lot - I have several cameras I would have difficulty parting with, so the competition is stiff.
The lens is perfect for upcoming projects that require that certain look and it came in fast and in perfect condition.
Repeat customer of CameraWest, this time I got a fabulous copy of a superb lens, the Fujifilm XF56mm WR. Ordering was easy, shipping time was fantastic, the lens was accurately described (like new condition), complete with its box and all accessories. Thank you, guys, for facilitating my return to a light, street friendly, high quality photographic system, with zero frustration (not always the case when buying used equipment), and without breaking the bank! PS Your fabulous after-sales customer service is also deeply appreciated :)
The camera was advertised as an open box with complete contents and not used in the field. I can confirm the item received matched the advertised description. However, the wrong battery was supplied with the camera. Camera West promptly provided a refund to cover the purchase of a new battery from my local Leica shop.
I was not happy with this cameral bag. It is not ergonomically designed. I found it inconvenient to access it. The zipper was tight. Upon opening it, it only opened 3/4 of the way. Not enough opening space to easily access camera equipment inside. The pockets were not large enough to hold extra filters and the pockets were inconveniently located such as at the bottom of the bag underneath camera equipment. I found a more functional bag for $100 less.
The Leica soft release can work well: For my use on Leica M Series cameras, I get the best results by not using th e soft release.
Outstanding workmanship. Well thought out and crafged from premium materials to last a lifetime.
Hello, after hemming and hawing about whether or not I should get the XE-5, I already have a number of Fuji lenses along with the XE-3 and XPro-3, I decided to pull the trigger on the X100VI. I've been wanting one since I mistakenly "gave away" the X100T that first made me fall in love with Fuji. It pushes all the buttons for me and I love the flip screen and new film sims that I now have access to.
One of Leica's best telephotos, and not many were made. Easily adapted to Leica M digital cameras with and EVF or Live View. I use and M11-P and its Visoflex 2 EVF with the 280mm.
Totally pleased, exeded my expectations, thanks for your honesty and professionalism.
Classic with all of the modern updates. No rangefinder flare, an in body meter that matches my hand held sekonic. This is a camera to have for life that I will pass on one day to my son. Happy to purchase locally from this great team. The Q was my 40th bday present and this m6 my 50th. It’s been a great and expensive ride! But worth it…thanks Leica Store SF
The folks at CameraWest and the Leica Store in San Francisco are really terrific. And, of course, Leica lenses are really wonderful to own and use.
Amazing experience at CameraWest. Came in with my wife to get a point and shoot for our vacation and was greeted by Steve. He was awesome!
The camera itself is fantastic and has been a pleasure to work with.
Perfect
Looks barely used. Does not autofocus on a Z mount camera with FTZII adapter. Good focus speed on a D850 if you use the range limiter. Still need to try focus stacking with it on the D850.
I love the rendering of this lens. The build quality is among the best I have ever had from Leica, which is the top lens maker in my opinion. The aperture ring detents are very subtle, which I normally do not like, but it works well with this lens. It's not loose, just slides easily. I prefer not to use a focusing tab which causes me to pinch my fingers at the bottom of the lens barrel. This does not have a tab but rather the classic scalloped focusing ring. The throw is longer than other versions of the 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-M, which I like because it makes fine focus much more precise. I don't need rapid rotation of the focusing ring. As always, the friendly guys at CameraWest made this acquisition easy and very fair on my trade.
My Leica Q arrived promptly and was in excellent condition- exactly as described. Thank you.
Bag is inconspicuous and discreet. Holds my FujiFilm x100VI or X100GR nicely.
I ordered a Rolleiflex 90-degree prism from Camera West in 9+ condition. I know that they tend to grade realistically, if not a bit conservatively, but 80-90% of these prisms, no matter how pretty, have some edge separation. I called the store, and they looked it over and said that they didn't see anything. That said, unless you know what to look for, it is easy to miss.
Needless to say, I received the prism in the case and box, and it had zero separation. Even the rubber eyecup, which is usually cracked and dry-rotted, was near perfect.
I'm very happy with my purchase and can add it to the list of many great purchases over the years from Camera West!
This is my second Light Lens Lab lens and I continue to be impressed with the build quality and performance. I've been a Leica M user for 45 years and have only recently started using non-Leica lenses, mostly due to the outrageous prices Leica now charges. I was initially hesitant to buy what I perceived as cheap knock-offs, but I am now fully convinced that lenses from LLL are high quality products that come very close to, and possibly exceed, the performance of the Leica originals.
This 35mm "AA" has a soft, dreamy look when used wide open, creating what many Leica users call the "Leica glow." It is all of that and more. When stopped down, the lens is razor sharp.
My first LLL lens was the 50mm f1.5 "Z21" and it is perhaps the smoothest focusing and unique lenses I've ever owned. The 35mm f1.4 Aspherical "11873" is a bit stiff by comparison, but not enough to return it for exchange. I have the silver chrome version. A sample image taken with the lens wide open is below,
