I Bought the Pixii Camera 🇫🇷

This is the brand new Pixii camera (2nd generation, they have weird model names like A2572 that no one can remember). I'm a little crazy picking it up, but I am super excited to share it with you all. There's needs to more information about these kinds of alternative camera companies and the work they are doing. Maybe one day they'll even be cheaper. One can hope, haha.
More about the camera:
pixii.fr/pixii-camera
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[@snappiness]

Would you ever use a Pixii camera? Am I crazy? (I am, it's okay to agree with that). More on this camera in the coming months. This is just my initial impressions from two weeks of using it. Believe it or not, cameras like my Samsung Galaxy NX led me down the path to get this camera. Out there cameras trying something new. Here's the video on that one if you missed it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4eWnHqNo556aJY

[@professionalpotato4764]

If they put a full frame sensor in it maybe. But until there are 18mm or 23mm rangefinder lenses, 2 of the most popular focal lengths seem out of the equation already. Correct me if I'm wrong, but since it starts at a 40mm equivalent (using a 28mm lens), it seems rather niche being unable to use wider focal lengths.

[@ToniTechBoi]

Due to them being a bit misleading on the black and white stuff, hell no.

[@ThomasBryant]

Can you explain what issues you're having, I was just going to buy 1.

[@yargnad]

Knowing you don't buy new cameras, this was the last thing I expected to see. I've wanted one for a while, but the price is prohibitive. Very cool. Looking forward to more videos about this.

[@Astraperfectum]

I think in next generation they make non-removable battery. Say "hello" to disposable future, The best decision is not to buy such products, but I know guys, you will.

[@schoonerthedog]

$450 for a 128GB option while SD cards cost $30 is mind numbingly absurd

[@panegyr]

classic apple pricing

[@hoangbv]

Like the battery, flash storage is a consumable part, which means it will break much faster than the rest of the device. So the camera itself may last for decades, but the flash module (the same module insde SD cards and in internal storage of all devices) will go out within 5-6 years of constant writes. Having it non-replaceable means the lifetime of the device is now the same as the lifetime of its flash module, so it's an anti-repair move. One thing I love about today's modern cameras is that they are not anti-repair, meaning they allow easily swappable batteries and SD cards. I dearly hope that this do not change, ever.

[@annekedebruyn7797]

I do agree that it should have had an SD card. Like Leica still does (internal storage which is faster + SD Card for backup or the main storage.) >will go out within 5-6 years of constant writes. But this is just not true. You aren't writing terabytes of data to it every single day for it to die within a few years. We aren't talking about a computer here and even then, modern flash storages has a lot more read/write lifespan than those SD cards from 20 years ago. Phones (which are constantly writing and reading data) are getting at least 5 years worth of promised upgrades nowadays which all use flash storage. They wouldn't do that if there would be a possibility of the flash storage dying within the same period. The lifespan of flash is getting underestimated because people still believe they are putting tech into it from a decade ago for whatever reason. Not arguing against SD-cards. And heck, I hate how they went full Apple on the size. Upcharging 400 bucks from 16 to 128gb is just stupid especially since 16gb is already pretty low in the modern age with 50mb files. Regarding the battery, at least they don't seem to overcharge the price on that. The 5 pack is only 180 euros with a holder for those batteries. I could only buy 2 batteries for that price for my Panasonic and not even half of that for a Leica battery.

[@VictorVonVulfgang]

IMO the integrated memory and APSC sensor are kind of a dealbreakers for me at those prices. They had no real good reason to make the memory integrated aside from fleecing you for cheap nand memory.

[@axidrain]

Exactly that's just a really stupid decision to force people to buy their higher capacity models

[@rickk4990]

yeah $200 to go from 16gb to 32 is ridiculous. I'd rather just save more and get a used M10

[@Agatoish]

Don't forget that this camera is upgradable. For less than 500$, you can upgrade your camera to the next version ;).

[@ufukkiblat]

@@Agatoishmore like $500 from Beta to the another Beta and then eventually you’ll pay enough money to upgrade to the actual release version. Sounds like scams to me.

[@c.augustin]

It has some upsides to put the memory into the camera. For one, the SD card adapter won't break (it did in my Olympus Pen F, and it cost me 200 EUR for repair). Second, faster transfer rates. Less openings. Better hardware and software integration. But with the pricing given, it does look like fleecing. I think all of this applies.

[@stingGraff333]

I love almost everything about this camera, but without a full frame sensor it’s basically a non-starter for me. I’d rather stick with my M240, which was less expensive for a lightly used example. However, if V3 is full frame at a similar price point, I’m 100% on board. The images coming out of it are beautiful, I love what Pixii is trying to do, and I know the crop factor isn’t an issue for many, so I hope they keep on making cool cameras!

[@DayumMarq]

my thoughts exactly! this doesn't really make sense when older digital Leica's exist. kudos to him for supporting this, but I cannot until they add some things lol

[@toddm6999]

Hi I tried an Leica M240 and I found heavy purple fringing has this been your experience ? I did love the form factor and feel but I kept getting shots with this problem

[@cmphoto_]

@@toddm6999That would be a lens issue I imagine.

[@stingGraff333]

@@toddm6999Interesting. I’ve never had any issues with purple fringing on my M240-I think that’s more often caused by the lens and less by the camera. May I ask what lens you were shooting with? I have a 35mm Summicron and a 50mm Voigtlander Nokton f/1.5. I haven’t noticed any purple fringing on the Summicron and only very minor fringing at very wide aperture on the Voigt, easily corrected in Lightroom. I do know these cameras don’t always interact well with very wide lenses and can produce an odd purple cast over a portion of the image. A friend borrowed my camera to shoot with his 21mm Super Angulon which has a very deep rear element. I warned him of the potential issue, but he only saw the purple cast in a small handful of images (which wasn’t the end of the world since he was converting to BW anyways). Our theory was that it was happening in the closer portions of the focus range, which he didn’t shoot much with the 21. Since I almost never shoot wider than 28, I’ve never had this issue but it’s worth keeping in mind if you often shoot very wide.

[@sdhute]

This can be used to calibrate 3rd party non Leica lenses for those who want to shoot them on Leica film cameras.

[@johnmarsland3442]

I’m an M10 user. But if I were spending $3k I’d be buying an xpro3 and a couple of their lenses/ used M lens. Seems like the more sensible and versatile choice.

[@jasongold6751]

Totally sensible!

[@unn4medfeel1ng]

Or you could just get a used M10. Pixii by itself is an interesting camera but then there's the price.

[@roytore5062]

Completely agree, a Fuji rangefinder or a used Leica would give you way more bang for buck. The only way the Pixie would make sense, is if it had iphone-like picture processing with a relatively big sensor. That was were I thought they were going by emphasizing the software engineer creator, like I think the Google pixel night mode was created by just one guy. Without that, this camera is a novelty brick compared to Leica and Fujifilm.

[@Som09mer]

@@unn4medfeel1ngwhere do you find a M10 for that price?

[@unn4medfeel1ng]

@@Som09mer well they were used M10s for around $3000 in my region as I wrote that, but now the cheapest one is 3800, so I guess my comment is no longer relevant (still region dependent though)

[@Poorgeniu5]

I love the KISS principle being applied on this camera from the operation being "Shutup and take some pictures" - blunt, to the design in both aesthetics and mechanics department. But the price tag, and lack of removable storage is pretty clear to me that im not the intended customer they're after. However, I still love to see what the team will push out on their next product or iterations!

[@carpediem673]

I love the idea of a digital rangefinder but the cost is a deal breaker for me. I'll wish Pixii the best of luck but I fear the novelty would wear off too quickly and buyers regret would set in.

[@Usiris23]

I googled right after I saw the thumbnail and yeah, that is one hefty price tag 😬

[@RobertLeeAtYT]

No, I think Pixii will do okay. Leica sells plenty of digital M's. The Pixii is a passion project; their customers buy for the same. Niche product and niche consumers both for sure. When I first came upon the Pixii, it got me interested enough to browse their web site. It's not for me. I've gotten the RF bug burned out of me over years of using RF film cams, and digitals with focus peaking. Having said that, I may re-browse when they introduce a proper 36x24mm sensor. What's the diff you say? APS-C is just as good as FF. See, that's why it's great to be a hobbyist: "because I want to" is sufficient justification (and the wife's okay (in case she's reading this)).

[@okyeabuddyguy]

Yea the cost is totally absurd, and it's not even a full frame sensor at that price? Totally ridiculous. The aesthetic is cool, but even the design sense is inconsistent. You want a traditional rangefinder style with no LCD and yet they add a digital display on top? Just feels weird. I'd prefer if they just made something like the leica M-D

[@CianMcsweeney]

​@@okyeabuddyguyI agree, at this price, you may as well step up to a used Leica m10

[@birdboy92]

@@CianMcsweeney The M10's by now six-year-old tech. One thing strangely not mentioned in this video is that the Pixii's sensor is rated #1 on DXOMark's APS-C list, outperforming the M10's full-frame sensor (90 vs 86 respectively). It's also the first camera ever with a ARM-based 64-bit quad-core processor, which reflects an attempt by Pixii to combine the kinds of computational software magic used in modern smartphones with the hardware of high-end mirrorless cameras. The company also provides a hardware upgrade service, as well as repair/maintenance. I won't be buying a Pixii any time soon as I don't have three grand to throw around, but there's no denying it's the first digital camera in years to actually try something new and move the industry tech conversation away from its current obsession with autofocus speed/tracking accuracy.

[@trevorbrooks813]

First up, well done for supporting a start up doing something a little bit new and different. You have to put aside the comparisons, the cosy deal breaker thinking and just dive in and take it for what it is. If I had the means I'd be right there with you (and Mattias), so exciting. Thanks for taking the plunge and thank for posting.

[@POVwithRC]

Well, if they managed to get to a second iteration it can't be all bad. Lovely sample shots. Lovely design too.

[@foljs5858]

there's a 3rd one they mention now

[@POVwithRC]

@@foljs5858 😮

[@jlwilliams]

@@foljs5858Yes, there was the original A1112 with 12 megapixels and global shutter, then the A1571 with 26 megapixels and a Cortex M2 processor, and now the A2672 with the same 26-megapixel sensor but a much faster Cortex A55 processor. They all have the same body shell and rangefinder, and the factory will upgrade any of the older models to the latest one for a fee that basically covers the parts and labor cost.

[@Reno_T]

I really dig when companies try to do something different and with passion. Pixii is creating something cool here and I could be okay (maybe) with internal storage but 450€ to go from 16GB to 128GB it’s just total BS 🤦🏻‍♂️🥊 Cool review ;-)

[@definingslawek4731]

Yeah especially when 2TB of super fast ssd storage (not limited by sata speeds) can be picked up for less than 200 euros lol.

[@kalinmir]

@@definingslawek4731 just picked up 2x500gb mssd 130 mb/s for less then 100, charging this much for memory of all things is ridiculous

[@ufukkiblat]

@@definingslawek4731I got 4tb ssd on prime day for less than $200 lol

[@UlyssesGrantParm]

Very cool camera and video! I really dig that they chose to forego the LCD, which I regularly disable on my XPro1 and Canon 6D. And that 40mm Leica lens sure does look nice on there! ;)

[@Coolmemorydude]

Thanks for this video. Best real video on this yet. Loved your point about supporting people doing something cool with cameras now. An investment!

[@AlexanderFarley]

Wow i'd never heard of these until I just saw your thumbnail. I always wanted to try designing a full-frame digital myself but never had the resources. Excellent to see they're finally on the market - could be amazing to try one out!

[@selishots]

Can't wait to see more content on this little camera! Been super interested in it

[@Charles-pp2ym]

Set aside all the greatness and new-idea this camera delivers, your photography works are magic mate. Love that!

[@classic.cameras]

Always a joy to view a new video by you James!!! Awesome man.

[@officialsnufkin]

"You don't have to worry about failing SD cards". No, you just have to worry about the entire unit failing because you've taken too many pictures and the memory has destabilised.

[@MrAndreCoutinho]

Congrats on your new camera, it’s insanely cool!

[@stefbacum4454]

I fell in love with Pixii when i saw it on another channel,a while back. If i had the cash, i would get one and not buy anything else for years, except lenses ofc. A truly cool camera ! Cant wait for more vids on the pixii!

[@carloscabalu948]

Love my Pixii most of the time. I’m getting my software from the development channel so I experience all the growing pains but the stable release is now very good. David and Melric are generally responsive and receptive to feedback. The monochrome DNGs are legit. It’s not as sensitive as a true monochrome sensor but it avoids Bayer artifacts. And the tone curve is really, really good; I don’t have to spend time trying to tame that “Leica Look”. How’s the vertical alignment on your rangefinder patch? Mine is a smidge off and I can’t tell if it’s always been like that. Early on I had to calibrate it after it drifted horizontally; hasn’t budged since. But I think vertical adjustments requires a trip to France (or to a local shop). Have fun with your Pixii! It’s not for everyone but I imagine this is your jam.

[@snappiness]

Thanks for the info. Nice to meet another Pixii user. Where's the best place to learn from other Pixii owner experiences? I'd like to run some thing by people that I'm not used to.

[@thebitterfig9903]

I go back and forth on the price. Compared to what an X-T5 costs new, you could by the Fuji and the full set of f/2 WR primes (23/35/50) for the cost of a Pixii with no lenses. On the other hand, compare to an X-Pro3 with the cost those fetch on the used market, consider that an OVF with an actual rangefinder is probably more complex and expensive, and add a bit of a premium for the fact that it’s made essentially to order from a small company, and the price doesn’t necessarily seem out of line. I think it’d be a lot of fun to have and use, but hard to justify knowing exactly how much camera you can get otherwise. A Pixii with the Voigtlander 40/1.4 and 21/4 pancakes would be a sweet little setup.

[@CristoffelBonorand]

Very cool! I love the design and simplicity of the Pixii, would love to try one out. That said, about 10 years ago I bought a secondhand Leica ME, with an 18MP CCD fullframe sensor. I was very lucky, because Leica replaced my sensor for free because of a known issue. This is my preferred travel camera. It’s small, well built, the file size is refreshingly small and it’s a joy to use. I payed 2000 of my hard earned swiss francs for it back then. Quite a risky move. But it’s still working perfectly fine today.

[@artenox7579]

wow this will be my next camera for sure, right now I'm deeply in love with my fuji xpro2 because of the rangefinder style (got it for $1k used) and I thought the next step was Leica (a bit stiff in price) but thanks for showing there's actually my next step. Thank you so much! looking forward for more content !

[@LightTheUnicorn]

Honestly love what they're doing, and it's nice to see they've made at least a 2nd generations worth of success out of it. Isn't for me, but for the people it is for, gosh it looks so cool. Hope you have lots of great fun using it.

[@somephotovideos]

Hadn't heard of this camera before this video, but it's definitely caught my interest. Can't afford one, of course, but definitely going to keep my eye on it. Love the idea of a digital camera that gives a film-like experience by not letting you see the photos as you take them. Thanks for sharing!

[@shlawchablaas]

Very cool that you picked one up. Let’s see, camera companies currently making cool weird unique things: Pixii, Pentax (K3 monochrome, film camera in works, Q series is still not technically discontinued I think?)… is that it? I guess I’ll throw in the unique Instant film companies like MiNT with their rangefinder RF70, NONS with their Canon-EF-mount instant film SLR, various Mamiya RB67 Instax back makers (mostly individuals), and NINM’s Instant Magny which is a magnifying mirror back for instant film on 35mm cameras based on a 1950’s Nikon design. I’d love to see a part 2 with the Pixii!

[@lamgefyoutoob]

Thanks for supporting innovation.

[@graycheng888]

I am super excited when I saw your new video related to Pixii! Please share more about your thoughts and feelings regarding this unique camera.

[@andrewn.7353]

Love the compact design and sleek look

[@DannyChau7]

In fact the A2572 is the third iteration, the first being the 12mp, followed by 26mp sensor upgrade and now with a 32bit CPU processor. This is the only camera that can take either monochrome or colour in RAW DNG format. The soft tonal range image files offered is because of the sensor's wide dynamic range, I set the exposure to -1 and is enough to retain all the highlight details for further processing if need be. My very first digital rangefinder camera with M mount was the Epson RD-1 (which I still use from time to time), the Pixii is another welcome addition to my rangefinder camera as I love to shoot with manual focus lenses since the film era. I agree this is not a camera for everyone and we never actually own anything as we're all buying 'time' for as long as we live, but the experience of using such equipment is real enough for me and I intend to enjoy all of it whilst I'm alive.

[@SaxonSuccess]

Very interesting, I'd certainly use one. I've used film rangefinders in the dim and distant (not Leicas!), and always got on with them. They're definitely on to something here.

[@d30gaijin]

Congratulations on the Pixii. I'm in the same camp as several others here in that I went for an older Leica (M Type 262). Of course at the time I bought my Leica there wasn't a Pixii. Had there been I would have seriously considered it. What I am not in the same camp with others is the fixation with full frame. I use my Sony A6600 a lot more than I do my Leica. With the wealth of fabulous lenses available these days full frame has little meaning to someone like me that prefers smaller cameras. What I'd like to see Pixii do is rather than going full frame make the APS-C Pixii a little smaller, if possible. One of my other favorite cameras is my Sony A5100. A very tiny package indeed. I only wish Sony had allowed for an add on EVF for the A5100. That would make it close to my dream camera. Enjoy your Pixii. It's a beauty, and very unique.

[@erwinc.9117]

It promises a lot of things and I love many of its design features, however I do think it's held back also by some of the design decisions. If I were to make the pixii, I would make it: full frame, mechanical shutter available, SD compatible. If those are achieved, it's basically a Leica M-D that will probably undercut the Leica M-D by 2000 dollars or more. I understand that developing all those for a startup is probably difficult, but realistically those are some big turn-offs for most. Still, I have hopes for Pixii and wish they succeed. Another M mount camera on the market is never a bad thing.

[@snappiness]

Hopefully they take feedback like this and run with it! My dream is that companies like this trying something new can stick around for a while and develop what the people want.

[@mauriceschoenen]

I think the problem is the micro lens technology that Leica uses in their full frame cameras to be fully compatible with the M-lenses. Otherwise the edges of the frame in the wide angle lenses can look mushy. With a crop sensor you don‘t have that, that‘s why Leica started with APS-H in their M8 before they went fullframe with the M9. The Leica SL has it as well.

[@jlwilliams]

The problem with that idea is that it would require a big startup investment in proprietary parts: shutter speed controller, shutter wind motor controller, card writing controller, etc. The big companies do all that using application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and the setup cost to fabricate a single ASIC is upwards of US $1 million according to a chip vendor white paper I found online. Then there's the hardware itself: shutter module, wind motor module, SD board, and all the interface parts needed to connect them. There are usually minimum quantities for ordering all these and that's another startup investment. Meanwhile, there's another hidden cost to all these proprietary parts: if any of them fails and has been discontinued by its vendor, the camera becomes a brick. I don't have any authoritative source for this, but just from looking at how the camera is designed, I think PIXII’s goal is NOT to build a “cheaper Leica” (Epson tried this with the R-D1 and Leica snobs rejected it) but to build a camera with as few proprietary parts as possible. Electronic shutter only = no shutter module, no shutter wind motor, no shutter controller, no cables. No LCD = no panel, no panel driver, no mounting hardware. No SD = no write controller, no card slot board, no interface cable, no card door. Instead, all the main camera functions are implemented as software that runs on an off-the-shelf microcontroller. That means the camera is upgradable and also means they're not locked into specific vendors. (Real-world example from the Pixii blog: during the pandemic the original top OLED became hard to get; there was an alternative part with the same dimensions but different circuitry. For a camera with proprietary parts, that would have meant sourcing a new OLED driver. Instead, Pixii just rewrote the code so either display could be used.) You may not appreciate this approach, but it does make sense and is probably the only way a small startup company can produce a high-end camera in today's market…

[@erwinc.9117]

@@jlwilliams I completely understand the difficulty for a small start-up to do this. However it's not mutually exclusive with the fact that some results become turnoffs. If I had 3k USD to throw at anything, this thing will be close to top of my list. But unfortunately I don't. I just hope that one day they can at least move to full frame and I can forgive the other flaws tbh.

[@erwinc.9117]

@@mauriceschoenen most likely yes. I'm not sure whether it's proprietary but it probably is. On a side note the thin microlens also seem to boost low light, my SL-2S performs significantly better than other cameras with the same sensor.

[@MM-zm9lh]

I like that you're trying to support cool camera startups!

[@ajaylee5817]

I smiled as soon as I read the video title and laughed out when you said it gonna take a bit of explanation. Anyway congrats for a GG camera.

[@nelsonpuello8722]

Thank you for the review. The color images are lovely and have a vintage vibe to them. Are they straight out of camera or where they stylized in post?

[@eelco6587]

When they add a version with 36mm sensor I would seriously consider this camera over a (secondhand) digital Leica. Considering that an new Leica costs 9000. I see the Pixii as a very cheap alternative. I hope to see an extensive review from you in the future.

[@spamllama]

I like the idea of onboard storage. Leica M mount means no shortage of lenses, although some of them are expensive. You should try some the of the Leica M lenses Minolta made back in the day.

[@wangatang53]

Oh man I remember hearing about this camera it looks dope! Glad to see you are covering it. I'm glad you pointed out that although the price is objectively high, compared to a Leica it's honestly a steal. If you can, you should definitely see if you can borrow or even rent a Leica and do a comparison. Because if having a Summicron lens on a Pixii vs a Leica results in similar images with similar colors...why buy a Leica? For me, I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow the Leica M10-R with the 28mm Summicron and the images it produced were stunning. Everything I had ever heard online about Leicas suddenly made sense and I found myself yearning for the Leica after I returned it. The detail and the colors were beyond anything I had ever been able to capture on my Sony. Great content keep it up

[@jasongold6751]

Not a Sony fan! But look at the models, the lenses. Canon and Nikon, Sony less so, are the main cameras and lenses of the world's pros...

[@ShahSelbe]

I think the APS-C is a bad decision here. If it were full frame, then the value is here. But it cant really beat an Fujifilm for APS-C rangefinders, especially when you include Fuji’s insane color science and constant firmware updates.

[@mauriceschoenen]

Is there a Fujifilm rangefinder?

[@aquaticlibrary]

@@mauriceschoenenX100 series?

[@mauriceschoenen]

@@aquaticlibrary it’s not a true rangefinder.

[@aquaticlibrary]

@@mauriceschoenenfair enough lol idk if they have any true digital rangefinders

[@erichramone7812]

If it was full frame and removable storage at $2k then I see considerable value.

[@georgiewanders]

Great idea and execution, crazy outa this world pricing. I'd love to see an M42 lens compatible model but in a fraction of that price.

[@kstrohmeier]

I like what Pixxii is doing. Doesn't fit my current use case, but I find the system intriguing. The monochrome software conversion approach is very interesting and I wonder whether it could be a stand alone product by itself. As I understand it they create a monochrome file by analyzing how much light would have been captured by the sensor without the Bayer filter on a pixel basis. I would be first in line for a Lightroom add on that did that.

[@thebitterfig9903]

I know that’s what they say, but I don’t know how true that is. Total light captured isn’t exactly known, because the Bayer filter and the color of what you’re photographing interact. Photograph something green, and the green-filtered and the red-filtered pixels will detect different amounts of light-that’s how a Bayer filter is used to create a color image. Now, I’m not saying it’s all bogus, since KZbinrs I trust well enough report that they have better results with the monochrome-mode DNGs than converting color DNGs, at least somewhat. I just think it’s not quite as simple as the marketing lingo suggests. It’d be fascinating to get a more detailed explanation from people with actual inside knowledge of how the algorithms work. Seems like a camera that’d be a lot of fun to have and use, but really hard to justify buying.

[@snappiness]

@@thebitterfig9903 the total light bit in their website doesn't make sense to me either. I think what they mean is that are trying to neate the effects of Bayer in the response of light they should be seeing. So it's not gathering more light (impossible) but changing the tonal values, which I've seen on my debayered converted Pentax. Then once you did something like that you could also skip demosiacing and potentially get some slight sharpness advantage. That's my best guess but I'll try to find out more as I use it.

[@RobertLeeAtYT]

Nah, the monochrome thing is 98% marketing gobbledygook. The raw CMOS sensor site is for practical purposes panchromatic. The moment a bandpass (R, G or B in our case) filter is placed in front, it no longer is. What Pixii implies is that they've chosen filters of wider spectral response than typical. Let's take the example of a "red" sensor site. The R filter lets in lots of reds but also relatively larger fractions of other colors. In the scenario where the scene is uniformly white, the spectral calibration data can be used to back out the total amount of energy falling onto that pixel. The recorded luminance value for that pixel can then be scaled up appropriately. So far so good. What do you do then, however, if the scene has blue light incident on that red site? In consideration of that sensor site in isolation, by how much do you back out? There's no information about what the ground spectral truth is - other than estimating from neighboring green and blue pixels. Which gets us back to Bayer demosaicing...

[@thebitterfig9903]

@@snappiness I thought debayered cameras meant someone physically scraped away the filter layer. I think they still have to demosaic some way or another, or else they couldn't tell brightness from color. But maybe they use a demosaicing algorithm which uses fewer pixels to estimate color, knowing that all the color information will eventually be discarded. Or perhaps simply by demosaicing earlier in the process, while still a 16-bit DNG, they're able to preserve more specificity of monochrome information--reducing roundoff and floating point errors.

[@Biosynchro]

AFAIK they simply boost the photosites with R and B filters to match the density of the G filter (they all have different densities). If so, it's not complicated.

[@ShawnPBruce]

I’ve always been interested in this camera. I ended up picking up a used M body, but I’m still thinking about one of these too. Maybe the third gen will get a full frame sensor. 🤞🏻

[@beersandcameras4546]

Epson R-D1 owner here. Epson did a lot of this early 2000’s. But dig that a new company is out there creating new camera which won’t be for all photographers

[@snappiness]

I would love if someone brought the Epson R-D1 back in all it's glory.

[@beersandcameras4546]

@@snappiness oh me too and as Fullframe!

[@ufukkiblat]

For me I think it makes more sense to just buy used Leica (for less). For example M240 used price is around $2500 and used M10 is around $4000. Yeh it’s used but Leica users are not the type of abusing their camera, most of them are collectors so you usually would still get a pretty good camera. Secondly, Leica camera is much more easier to sell if in the future you’ll need extra cash or just want to upgrade. Even a broken Leica will worth something. Lastly, there isn’t anything this camera has that Leica camera doesn’t have. Wifi connectivity and data transfer with Leica fotos app is one of the best among other cameras. Rangefinder is definitely great. Sensor is full frame and has great image quality. One thing that Pixii might be better than Leica is the size and weight, but I actually like the hefty feel of a Leica camera, it feels solid and premium. I’m glad a camera like Pixii exist tho, if it can go down to Fuji’s price then I think a lot of people would jumped.

[@cyrusserrano2356]

nice content bro, keep it up

[@sdhute]

Good point it’s very easy to read their site and when it gives the ship date to think that’s the date it’s back in stock.

[@angelfoto4795]

My biggest issue with his camera is the lack of wide angles options in the RF viewfinder, the widest is 40mm. The lack of removable storage it's also an issue, if they resolve these issues I'll get the camera now, the price is good for a new RF camera with excellent IQ.

[@giklab]

I wonder if they don't expect anyone to go wider than 28mm.

[@snappiness]

Do you mean frame line options or something else? It goes down to 12mm as the lowest option. There are a few third party wide angle lenses I'm interested in trying out. Of course the crop makes them not as wide.

[@angelfoto4795]

@@snappiness Oh, there are many? But these croplines are for FF equivalency or APS-C equivalence. Can you explain the framelines situation? It's not really well documented and I don't have a clear idea

[@snappiness]

@@angelfoto4795 you mark them to match the focal length on the lens, and the actual frame lines are showing what it's going to look like with the crop. So the 40mm Leica summicron I'm borrowing, I pick the 40mm frame line in the menus, and the frame it shows is the final frame I get. If that makes sense. I like that I don't have to think about the crop myself when picking the number.

[@angelfoto4795]

@@snappiness I see, and which framelines are available? Thanks!

[@KimHojbergJensen]

I won't run out and get one now, but it will be very interesting to follow your adventures with it 👍

[@aboutphotography]

Great video! interesting camera!

[@jjDemir]

I was apart of v1 beta and I loved using it

[@SummersSnaps]

Congrats on the new toy! My perspective is shaped so much now from a working tog perspective. I have to justify a lot of my purchases and stuff that I own that doesn't see much professional action should really be flogged. So the idea of putting down $3k for a camera that I don't think would see much business work is quite shocking! I'm struggling to justify my aging 645D+DFA55 (which essentially is $3k combined), I think I have pushed my limit with 'fun stuff', which is sad because I got into this game all from a perspective of fun and bought what I WANT vs not what CLIENT NEEDS. I was aware of the Pixii and their weird monochrome thing, there's something though that doesn't sit quite right with me and I can't put my finger on it. Maybe its because it still seems huge for APS-C, or that the build quality looks a bit amateurish, bleak... I dunno. I'm not at all put off by no LCD or MF only. I guess I'd rather have a K3IIIm or maybe Fuji will do something really interesting with the Xpro4 (and that would be more easily justifiable as my work stuff is Fuji). Looking forward to your review forthcoming because as you said there is not a lot of talk about this camera. I hope that they support owners like yourself. Kipon were doing a great deal whereby if you bought their ridiculously expensive IBELUX 40/0.85 mk1 or mk2 then the mk3 version could be had for half price. I hope the company does well and patrons like yourself are rewarded long term by the company as they evolve and improve.

[@DavidKabra]

I've been waiting to get one, but I'll hold out till they go full frame. For now I'll keep adapting older manual lenses on my RP 😅

[@ChristianB90]

Following this camera with huge interest. I'm a Fuji-shooter right now, but the Pixii just appeals so much more to me. Really looking forward to your future videos on it as I'm a big fan of your channel. Just one question; is it possible to set both the shutter and ISO to auto, and basically have aperture priority mode? Or is it limited to auto shutter speed only?

[@snappiness]

I can't see an auto ISO mode. Either I can't find it or it doesn't exist. I'll put that on my list of things to ask the company! Seems like a software update could add it.

[@ChristianB90]

@@snappiness Seems like it was just released: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3ynaZV5hrCgpbs

[@onirrapdivad]

Such a neat concept! I totally agree - I plan to purchase the Pentax film camera when it comes out because I want to support them risk they are taking. I also want my next car purchase to be a new car with a stick shift to keep them on the market, but my wife might change the trajectory of that decision...

[@anthonykartsonas5087]

I just love the opening comment. I guess only a married man with a camera obsession may find it true, painful and humorous at the same time. Thanks for all the videos from a fellow married obsessed camera nut.

[@video-carl]

Great to see a new take. Would love to hear more about its software. Startup time? App connection speed? Has it been reliable?

[@erikjohnson4876]

Damn. I struggled over whether to buy one or not. I had it in my cart more than once. I love the novelty of it, but that gets me in trouble occasionally. I kill my own resale value buying weird stuff. In the end there were so few reviews I just couldn't pull the trigger. Instead I bought the Fuji X-H2. Hope to see much more about Pixii on this channel.

[@brusselssprout1]

I really really like the camera's concept, design and features and seriously considered buying one. MY BIG problem is how to get to a 35mm equivalent focal length with acceptably fast aperture for an APS-C rangefinder. That would mean an affordable good quality rangefinder coupled lens around 24mm with a f/2 or f/1.4 aperture. Such a lens unfortunately does not exist in the otherwise very diverse m-mount ecosystem. Gets even more problematic for wider angles of view. Looking at you, Cosina/Voigtlander : just do a m-mount version of the 23mm f/1.2 you currently offer for Nikon Z and Fujifilm cameras! 😊

[@sdhute]

I’ve been debating this camera for years. Excited you picked one up and also excited to hear your thoughts on it.

[@NielsdeKemp]

I love it!! How’s the image quality?

[@rrrrrrr303]

No removable storage? That's the worst sin it commits. Hard pass.

[@mrwashur1991]

I bet they’re just using a cfexpress card inside the camera lol. I know they’re not letting you pick the size and soldering solid state memory in the factory. Hell it might even just be an sd card. I want someone to open one of these up and find out.

[@dpajc056]

I agree. I hate when cellphones don’t give you an expandable slot. No way I’m paying 10 times the price for storage just because they refuse to give me a slot for my card that I can keep expanding in future

[@Joe4theRecord]

At $3000 how can you be nickel and diming people on storage? That's aggressively anticonsumer.

[@user-rb4qj9ni6r]

it’s just better than my dash cam 😂

[@n00bster97]

Dude you take the best sample pictures of any youtuber

[@jmd1743]

As someone who wants to get a FP-L as their first camera, mostly to do astro photography I would give it a standardized battery that a lot of cameras use but have it be wireless chargeable so you don't risk damaging a port. I would upgrade it to a 512 or 1tb onboard storage so you could get through an entire day worth of shooting. If the manufacture wanted to be really cool then include a replacement charger port that's user replaceable.

[@linuu2173]

I thought to myself "damn that looks cool" and checked out their website, I nearly fainted at that price! Like yeah, it's a cool camera, but i just can't justify that price.

[@snappiness]

It would be awesome if the price was low enough to give more people the chance to try it as a Leica alternative.

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

honestly, as a frenchman it really warms my heart to see the Pixii going into more hands than just the few people that have talked about it so far. But at the same time, I have my reservations about the Pixii, and quite a lot of them to be completely honest. I mean sure, the price is lower compared to Leica cameras, but there is a significant difference : Leica cameras are as much cameras as they are luxury items. A lot of what you're paying is the brand and build quality. And even though the Pixii's build quality is pretty damn good for a startup, it doesn't match the one of a leica, and if that's what they're aiming for, then they have quite a long way to go in my opinion. second is the fact that though this camera is pretty unique, it doesn't have anything ground breaking that would make it VERY worth it. Something like a Leica M10 would be in a similar ballpark when it comes to price, and has a better viewfinder, better rangefinder window, and a full frame sensor allowing for much wider angles than the Pixii just cannot touch yet, since it's using Leica M glass that was never made for APS-C. And talking about using another brand's thing, it's using Sony batteries and a Sony sensor (IMX 571, similar sensor as you'd find in something like a Fujifilm X-T3). So like it's a well know part, we know it's good but at the same time it doesn't provide any advantage in terms of image quality. And a Leica M10 would still be better for dynamic range and noise. third is the price. Like, okay you explained it a little bit in this video : it's a start-up company and the very low production numbers drives the price up considerably. But at the same time, the amount of camera gear you'd be able to get for 3000 USD is mind boggling the moment you step out of rangefinder digital cameras. And that doesn't cover the lenses, which get stupidly expensive on the M mount, especially if you go for either Leica or Voigtlander stuff. It's a wonderful camera, but man is the niche it fits super small with very few area of improvements. It's unlikely that the kind of person buying a Pixii today would want to upgrade this camera in a near future, or even in 5 to 10 years, meaning that once the nice is filled it's very hard to get cameras out the door anyway. And the high tech argument of the Pixii is very cool, but I still think the Leica M11 does a better job of melding together older rangefinder technology with state of the art electronics design.

[@giklab]

What's funnier is that not only is it using Sony batteries, it's using off-brand Sony batteries. Yes, I know Duracell is a well known brand, but let's be real - their camera batteries are the same cells as Patona, Newell, or whoever else.

[@joeprete7424]

Good luck!

[@nightsbeatswitchgood]

such a cool concept and looks like a fantastic camera and i would be so happy to use one, but, why buy this over a fuji x-pro 3?

[@ClearComplexity]

I've considered selling my Leica M10-D for one of these to keep native m-mount while pocketing the profit. I got the M10-D for a steal from a friend that thought they wanted the experience of "analogue digital" when in reality they just have more money than sense and quickly found it wasn't for them. Not before dropping it and scaring the body, further lowering the second hand price I paid (no functional damage, I gave what they asked for, which wasn't much tbh, I basically traded a Fuji X-Pro 3 for an M10-D). It'll probably be the only Leica I ever own outside my M3's I repair, so probably not selling it unless I'm hurting. Just like failing SD cards, all flash storage will fail over time. They all have limited read-write cycles. Will a Pixii die due to other hardware failures prior to this? Almost definitely (or if they continue to improve, the shell might be upgraded to avoid this all together as they've allowed for a decent price), but it's worth pointing out. By the time that's an issue, you might also be looking at battery shortages too. It's hard to find actual new batteries for some of the Four Thirds bodies from Panasonic/Leica as an example. That internal flash storage failure is why I don't want this to be the future, it puts yet another component to brick the camera in overtime (shouldn't hard to repair, but it shouldn't be required to be repaired/swapped). They get rid of a mechanical shutter that limits the life of cameras, then put in internal only storage taking 2 steps backwards.

[@chenmunn]

What's the haptic experience like on the Pixii compared to a Leica film rangefinder? Although digital and without a screen, does it give you the unique feeling when you meter off, adjust aperture and speeds, compose/frame, then snap the picture and hope for the best?

[@B9scrambler]

Awesome! Been watching this system since Mattias Burling featured it. Such a cool system. Glad to see you have one!

[@snappiness]

I'm excited to share more about it :)

[@looppp]

Holy cow. I was expecting like 500-600 dollars. This thing is 3000+. For 128 GB max? That's crazy

[@ContraGrain]

I’ve been looking at the Pixii for a while now actually, that being said I really can’t justify the price right now, and I’ll be waiting for a 3rd generation model with a potentially lower price.

[@delarageaz]

i got really interested in that camera but i literally got an official refurbished Leica M10 for that price, and i'm really happy with the M10

[@karim2k]

Best pixii review ever, it did captivate a photographer feeling rather than a Gear influencer Respect

[@taylorruss]

This thing has been on my list forever, love to see it! I need to see more images from this weirdo!

[@SylphDS]

What's your experience of the electronic-only shutter so far? It seems like electronic shutter on a non-stacked sensor is asking for issues..

[@bfums]

I feel like they’re probably using the memory restriction to subsidize R&D and production by taking a bigger hit on the lower memories. But to me that’s a deal breaker. Unless they’re trying to get some water resistance by leaving a memory card slot off (which they’re obviously not since it’s an M mount), it seems like it only hurts the end-user to not offer expandable storage. Both Hasselblad and Leica offer internal in addition to expandable storage. Internal is great to have internal in case you forget to pack a card, but it’s inconvenient otherwise.

[@Build_with_Refresco]

Nice to see you picking this camera. Really Nish but... Isn't all Nish but smartphone photography? Will wait to see a pixii FF to use with proper Leica or voigtlander glass, that should be wonderful!

[@TheCyberSpidey]

On board eMMC is a major drawback imo, the memory is more likely to fail than anything else. You can pick up a 10 year old or even 15 or dare I say, 20 year old digital camera and they just work (as long as the sensor is intact and you can find a battery for it). Hell, most of the used camera market is full of 10 year old cameras that work as good as new - you can pick up a Fuji X-Pro 1 and get pretty close to a Pixii while having the (arguably) best X-trans sensor and fuji colour science. Autofocus on an XPro 1 is shit by modern standards, but Leica-style is to have physical aperture rings and manual focus anyway. Ughhh I'm really interested in the Pixii because XPro 3 and X100 series have shot up in price and are difficult to find one new, but I wouldn't feel comfortable about the longevity of the camera body because of on board storage and no expansion. They offer upgrade services right now, but what if the business goes bust? They're selling a niche product anyway, only competition being Leica and Fuji Hybrid View finder cameras. A very cool design deliberately nerfed by non expandable memory, just so they can upsell - still got to commend them on sticking with a Sony battery and the bold design overall. At the same price bracket, a Fuji XPro 2/3 or a used Leica make much more sense because an SD card slot will easily outlast onboard flash memory that might die with 5 years of use or something. Major design flaw that makes Fuji looks better despite them not even being true rangefinders.

[@philby1]

yes this is what I thought. For the price they could have easily included an SD card slot as well and then if the internal memory does die at least you can still use it.

[@professionalpotato4764]

Agreed. I could buy a used M240 for a lower price. Granted the image quality is going to be lower in terms of things like dynamic range, but I won't be limited by memory failing, lack of wide focal lengths. Not to mention the m240 would hold value better.

[@snappiness]

The lack of removable storage does have disadvantages, but I don't think it's accurate to say it's more likely to fail - why would that be true?

[@professionalpotato4764]

@@snappiness Not that it is more likely to fail, but more that you can't replace it. ALL memory fails eventually. Just a matter of time. It could be decades, or a couple of years.

[@snappiness]

@@professionalpotato4764 gotcha, yeah it's a bigger deal if it fails.

[@evanspaulding672]

I love and envy this camera. Please do a follow up review!

[@Documentally]

Great video thanks :-) Did Pixii ever get back to you?

[@bradwiggins2332]

I'm all over one of those when they make a Full Frame version... I'd hate to buy M mount lenses but using them at cropped in focal length. (I think apsc is a great choice for this camera, if it didn't have a conflicting lens mount)

[@stewartlogie]

I would love to hear whether the camera can establish a wifi connection to the phone directly, not over an existing network. I remember some flaw that prevented that and am not sure if it has been rectified. If I’m out in the field and want to review my images for sharpness on the phone I want to be able to do that without being on a network.

[@yoepvh9250]

Just a question about the storage: you mentioned the "not having to worry about failing SD cards" as a pro, but I assume the international storage is also of a flash/ssd type? As I understand it, these also have a certain amount of read-write cycles. I think this camera, like it's analog equivalents, is a device made to last, so is the internal storage easy to replace?

[@Kevs_Camera]

Nice! Imma grab the Q3 here in a couple weeks. After I explore it for a few months, let me know if you wanna swap for a while my man! We’ll actually I’m trying to decide if I wanna go Q3 or a medium format Fuji or hasselblad

[@OGMattKenobi]

Damn...if only it was cheaper. This would be amazing camera, giving that Analog feeling. The built-in memory also gives the vibe of film rols where you have certain amount of images you can take (sure SD cards also have that but this feels more OG)

[@snappiness]

🤞🏻 here's to hoping the price can somehow drop in the future. That would be great.

[@Adrian-wd4rn]

Just shoot film, or get an xpro 3

[@OGMattKenobi]

@@Adrian-wd4rn look who showed up, the "mr i have to make an opinion about what someone said", not everyone can affoard to buy a Fujifilm or has time and can develop film in their city or on their own

[@Deetroiter]

I like the idea that, if I needed something fixed or addressed, I could probably get faster turnaround time through Pixii than I could with Leica Wetzlar.

[@Slave-Of-Christ]

Would LOVE to have a Pixii! Love, love, love to!

[@stilllifewithguitar184]

I love the idea of this. The market is someone who wants a true m-mount rangefinder (aka not Fuji's offerings) but can't/doesn't want to pony up for a Leica. I'm someone who still has an Epson R-D1 sitting here (but no Leica), so this might be for me. But I really, really wish there were a card slot, and that's probably a deal breaker. I could deal with the lack of physical controls and no lcd, but just from a pure practicality aspect, the no card slot thing is tough, at least at this price point.

[@ootachi]

it looks really neat, wish they'd take some inspiration from for example the epson rd-1 if they wanna go for the analog-meets-digital vibe, that camera is plain cool but sadly discontinued

[@snappiness]

I would love for someone to pick up the rd-1 style of dials and knobs with rangefinder. Very cool.

[@AdamAllen]

I kept my eye on these a while back but the price was a huge dealbreaker amongst other things. Kudos for the idea though.

[@felipeiglesias]

For that price, not having the possibility to remove and change cards, I wouldn’t risk. I do prefer to spend that money in a very good lens and camera like Fujifilm.

[@IntriguedLioness]

5:18 .. *_That moment you lost me!_* < $1,000 I would considered pixii, < $300 I would've gone to the website ... for $3,000 I can fly halfway around the world and bring 1 of my preferred, compact vintage cameras w waterproof casing, and a joby tripod... Happy snapping!

[@mcgruber2]

Such a cool camera. Like most people it’s the sensor size holding me back. If you’re already a Leica shooter with glass it’s hard to justify cropping all your lenses. It makes more sense to buy a used 240 era M camera. M10’s are even getting closer to that price point. If they make a full frame camera I bet there would be so many existing Leica shooters giving it a shot.

[@mistermistero652]

I really like the idea of having internal storage, especially if you often forget to put your sd card in your camera. HOWEVER... I think there should always be at least the option to use a sd /micro sd card.

[@MrEziix]

Yup and charging 200€ to double 12GB of storage, then 100, then 150 to go up to 128 GB is really a bullshit move. Flash memory costs nothing nowadays...

[@larrysmith6797]

You forget to put memory cards in your cameras?

[@buyaport]

Funny thingy and very in line with French philosophy, at least it makes me think of Baudrillard's definition of a "simulacre": "Simuler est feindre d'avoir ce qu'on n'a pas." Or in this case feindre d'être ce qu'on n'est pas. At first glace it looks like a camera. But it only simulates a camera, as it has no card slot, no screen, (of course) no mirror, -- does it at least have a mechanical shutter? Does it take pictures? No. No in any definition of "picture". It may record electronical signals. But they stay inside the "camera". Unitil you copy(!) them to your storage device. -- Probably the future some large camera manufacturers dream of: The most cost effective thing that can take "pictures" (video stills). Interesting, and thanks for showing it.

[@Why_It]

I'm not huge on the no external storage. While it is an opportunity for faster transfer speeds, running out of storage means no more pictures or slowly pick and choose what to delete. Also, what if the on-board memory fails? Then it's just bricked until you get a warranty repair on it unless they offer simple right-to-repair guides and parts.

[@ralph4840]

Cool! Concerning removable memory: On many reviews of the Leica M11 people state that the camera only works reliable without freezing when you run it without an SD card inserted😂