Which lens was used in the second picture?
Edit: Nvm, I saw the picture of said lens in your blog post 
My friend loaned me this one lens, the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.4 classic SC.
Considering the APS-C sensor, that’s a 77mm equivalent. (I think he might have gotten his equivalences mixed up and intended to give me a 40mm FOV, i.e. a 28mm)
Not my favorite focal length, to be honest, and probably on the long end of what is practical with the window finder. But I do like a challenge, and this lens certainly was a fun one.
Note the sun stars on the finger of my first post, despite it being open at f/2. That’s an interesting look! I was less enthusiastic about the purple flaring if a bright light source was in the frame.
Still, it was a fun lens to shoot. I like how these “modern vintage” lenses go from soft and dreamy wide open to nice and crisp stopped down. And how small they are, despite the fast aperture.
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Yeah, I was impressed by its micro-contrast on your landscape picture, it looks really nice. Don’t know how to describe but there’s a “look” to it.
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It might also have to do with the photo probably containing contrast equalizer, local contrast, and diffuse and sharpen.
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Who needs great glass when you got darktable 
(and tasteful editing)
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P0001410.DNG.xmp (23,4 KB)
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Yes, I feel the differences is huge. The simple fact is that the Pixii does not have any screens whatsoever. You won’t ever be tempted to doubt your composition, double-check your focus, fine-tune the exposure. In that was, it feels much more analog than even a Leica M – while simultaneously feeling more modern, too.
I think it’s that simplicity of process that fascinates me. Perhaps stronger souls than I can let go of their insecurities on a MILC, too. But I can’t, not in the same way. And I don’t even chimp usually. I typically don’t review a single picture until I get home. But there are still focus points to manage, and shooting modes, and I need to check my shutter speeds, and there’s my personally tuned switchology…
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Would a DSLR get you halfway there? Maybe a really old one with a tiny screen.
But I get what you’re saying. I’ve been practising the Sunny 16 rule lately with a film camera that has no meter, though I also doublecheck every so often against a handheld meter. Next up, zone focusing.
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Totally. I’ve gone down this road before. Stripped down my MILC to the bare essentials. Used an X-Pro in black-and-white mode with the screen disabled. Or shot the GR from the hip, with only a glance at the screen every now and then. Focused manually with a split prism on an SLR. Zone focused a simple film shooter. Played with Leica rangefinders. These are all unique experiences. And, well, the Pixii is unique, too.
There are several aspects to this. It’s a manual lens, has no screen, very reduced controls. These things are easy enough to replicate on any other camera.
The physical dials and the window finder that lets you see outside of the frame; those you’ll find in an X-Pro or Leica M. A passive window finder is of course easily stuck to the hot shoe of any camera.
The rangefinder focusing requires a Leica M or R-D1, although a split prism on a DSLR comes close, if you can fit your DSLR with one. Some Fuji cameras can simulate a split prism and seeing-outside-the-frame.
The way the whole menu is available in charming blocky pixels in the viewfinder, the whimsical animations, the aesthetics, they are Pixii original. (The file corruption, the temperamental white balance, the messy exposure meter, too).
The Pixii is not “better” in any meaningful way, or even worth replicating necessarily. But it sure is cool and unique and fun.
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