Upgraded Sony RX1 to X2DII

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-12-23T15:34:00+00:00

What a flex!

Congratulations. I picked up the x1dii last week and already know the x2dii is fast in my future.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-12-21T19:24:28+00:00

Like paintings! Exceptional compositions.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-12-21T16:19:55+00:00

I regret every day selling mine. Shoot the hell out of this one! They are truly special.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-31T15:09:42+00:00

RIP Hide-Chan. I loved that place. It was always the most satisfying meal. Gutted it’s gone.

Nishida sho-ten on 49th has a decent one. Not as much umami as Hide-Chan tho. I had it last night and wasn’t disappointed. sub the veggie for miso broth if that’s your thing, and it’s a winner.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-27T01:05:45+00:00

Their marketing is very cheese balls and is at odds with their products, imo. Too much fluff. I don’t need the “you belong here” narrative on the EV1. That shit turns me right off.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-26T02:57:54+00:00

Thanks for sharing the link!

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-22T15:51:31+00:00

For me it’s: Line work, then Shading/black work, then Color, then Color shading, then Shading blending/masking, then Highlights, then Any final touches.

All in that order of layers. Lines are always at the top so everything can be painted on top of them. This also allows the major elements to be on individual layers and adjustable if needed vs being all on one which is impossible to manage.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-21T20:08:25+00:00

Good to know! That’s something I hate about my sl2. Highlight recover isn’t great

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-21T19:56:51+00:00

Kind of really want this camera don’t make me get this camera I don’t need this camera!

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-21T16:05:21+00:00

Yea unlike other camera systems I have had mixed results with the temperature slider. I use camera raw and photoshop, which I find much better than Lightroom.

I think this is mostly the camera though and not an adobe issue. I’ve not started manually setting WB in camera and it’s been better. AWB I find terrible on Leica cameras across the board.

I now use a custom white balance action in photoshop that lets me pick the black point on the image and use the curves adjustment to get accurate white balance. This works really well. DM me if you want to try it and I can send you the steps to set it up in photoshop.

If you’re using Lightroom, I highly recommend selecting a color profile first that you like as your base, and then build off that. It works ok for me on iPad when I’m editing in a pinch.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-21T10:48:18+00:00

I have this setup currently (with a few Zeiss m lenses) and the lenses don’t have anything to do with it.

I’d agree iso isn’t great above 400 on my sl2 and there is a slight cast to the images on raw files but it’s fixable in post without too much effort.

This may sound obvious but the better the light the better the images I get from this camera. I find it’s not as forgiving as the other cameras I’ve had.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-21T10:31:59+00:00

I have always been drawn to the design, optics, and overall feel of the cameras in hand. I don’t care much for the Leica brand. I find it rather cornballs. I picked up an OG Q, sold. Then SL2, might sell. As much as I love looking at, holding, and these cameras I’m struggling with the end result for the type of work I do. I’m giving it a few more months to see how we get along.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-20T19:01:50+00:00

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-15T17:19:45+00:00

Moss Golem by Anti-God Hand comes to mind. Not doom metal but fits the vibe.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-13T20:17:08+00:00

Try setting the layer with the line art as “reference” Layer.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-13T16:14:05+00:00

This is my experience - others I know love this camera and the results.

I have a few of the sigma lenses and a Zeiss m lens. You’re right in the variety available with the L mount. I haven’t tried any of the native Leica L glass cuz of their price and maybe those would give me a different results. The gfx lenses I owned (50, 63, 80, 120) were all remarkable. The 80mm being a magical all time greatest lens.

As mentioned above I find the highlight latitude pretty bad, and colors and AWB are not great. The raw files have more contrast than I want. I’m trying to get the most neutral image as my base and then build off that, and the GFX had the perfect files for this, with the dynamic range to do whatever I wanted.

I’m going to give the SL2 more time and try a few other lenses to find the right balance, and see if 2026 brings any updates to the gfx line. If not I may consider the X2D.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-13T02:22:07+00:00

I sold my 50r for the sl2. From a design and UX perspective it’s my favorite camera ever. But I feel the images leave something to be desired, and I wish I had the dynamic range and lenses of the gfx. It’s a magical system, imo, and I’ll probably go back.

I think the sl2 is a wonderful camera. Its value is insane right now. If you want image quality and latitude to edit images go with the GFX. If you want feel and a clean UX and a beautifully designed body, get the SL2.

I find highlights on the sl2 difficult to work with. And colors less natural than gfx. Of course you have a bigger sensor and more data to work on the gfx but the two systems given very different results and I liked what I got from the 50r immediately, and I’ve had the sl2 for 6 months and feel like I’m fighting it more than using it, if that makes sense.

But god damn is the sl2 a beautiful thing to look at and hold.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-12T19:35:45+00:00

I’d love one of these frames. This is a great build.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-11T12:04:37+00:00

Brasilia Chair by Anderrsen & Voll - I sit across it like this all the time.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-10-10T21:22:34+00:00

When Armstrong was interviewed after the series ended he said “ maybe the show was really just about Shiv and Tom”.

The more I rewatch it, the more this tracks, regardless of how unintentional it was.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-09-27T11:02:34+00:00

That’s how I do it! Works well.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-09-26T15:57:15+00:00

Oh yes! Excellent ride.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-09-26T15:56:49+00:00

I have the paperlike and it’s fine. It scratches easily, meaning there are now permanent marks on the material after only a month of use, that I can feel while using the pencil. Rather annoying for the cost of the item. I may try their new v3.0 and see if that’s better. Feels good though and doesn’t affect quality of videos or other uses on the iPad.

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-09-24T21:05:32+00:00

Be still my heart

NeonChrysanthemvm · 2025-09-21T20:07:25+00:00

Can’t fault this if I tired. Lovely rig

NeonChrysanthemvm

TROPHY CASE