UPDATE 12/11/2012:
It's now six months since I got the X2 and I'm still *loving* it! The photo quality rivals and, in some instances, exceeds that of my DSLRs. The vibrant color and sharpness of the images right out of the camera is uncanny. The RAW files just have a ton of dynamic range!
This has become my "walking around" camera and I always slip it in a coat pocket if I'm going out. This has also been a real winner on family trips and vacations lugging a Canon 5D mkII and lenses across the Pacific was problematic due to its bulk and weight so it was a great relief to just take the X2 the second time around!
ORIGINAL REVIEW 6/25/2012:
The Leica X2 is a singular camera that fits a unique niche in the market. If you are a photographer looking for a fun, stylish and more portable alternative to lugging your DSLR around, without compromising optical quality, the X2 is the ticket. The superb optics of a fixed 35mm equivalent Leica lens combined with a large, high resolution sensor make this small camera hard to resist!
The quality of the photos I've captured with this little box is absolutely wonderful, especially when shot in RAW mode. The inclusion of the full version of Adobe's wonderful Lightroom software helps make this camera a compelling purchase and takes a bit of the sting out of the high sticker price. After shooting for a week with the X2, I noticed something really uncanny! Normally my shots require some modicum of post processing color adjustment and sharpening at a bare minimum. But, other than conversion to JPG and sizing, the images are for the most part just perfect exactly as shot! The X2 is an astounding camera in this regard!
The lens is wonderfully sharp, even when shot wide open. The colors have that signature three-dimensionality one associates with much more expensive Leica glass. Even though the lens isn't particularly fast at f/2.8, it still works well for separating the subject from the background. I'm loving the color, contrast and clarity of the X2's pictures. The 35mm (equivalent) field of view is the perfect "walking around" focal length wide enough to take in landscapes but narrow enough for street photography or portraits.
If you want a camera that will take fast action shots, shoots HD movies and has an all-purpose zoom lens with a hundred in-camera "styles", the X2 is definitely not what you're looking for, but if you want absolutely stunning high-quality images in a small no-compromise package, this is it!
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