Do I Regret Buying the Pixii? One Year Review

I wanted to follow up with everyone about my experience with the Pixii rangefinder camera after one year of use. There's been quite a bit of updates from Pixii from a year ago. Some good, some meh, some big and exciting. As always, let me know if you have questions about the camera - I own it so I can inform you!

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[snappiness]

I swear I did not plan this - Leica M11-D just announced today. No screen. 256gb internal storage. $9k. (a lot of advantages over the Pixii FF, but I'm just surprised about the no screen and internal storage similarities).

[skytak]

i dont know how i feel about pixii. I like that it is competion to leica. But pixii is trying to compete even on price without that build quality, image quality and investment sell-point.with fuji xpro-2 you can use "semi" rangefinder expirience (HOVF isnt true OVF) fur much less money. the upgrades are okay i guess, but over time i dont think it is worth it to upgrade every spec of the camera, (sensor, viewfinder, CPU, storage, etc). But that is just my opinion and especialy in photography one can not just be guided by specs but feelings too.

[ChrisBrogan]

I love that second reason a lot. It's fun to try something way outside the norm. Unexpected to me, your review really drives home what you're REALLY getting with Leica. I'm like a lot of people who craves one but also dunks on people for having one (the age old duality of humans). But ALL your points about how much legacy learning goes into Leica make it a very interesting conversation.

I also VERY much love the upgrading and component systems part of the conversation. I'm grateful for the video for all you shared with us. Very interesting, the whole experiment, in a genre (or industry) that doesn't reward novelty all that often. Sheesh, another whole thought: we're most in love with the brands that pander. The ones who make IG-focused cameras, as it were. Hmmm .

[rabonour]

I think it's cool that Pixii is continuing to develop their products - they seem to have legitimate ambitions - but it's hard to see this as a serious project until they figure out their color science.

[Frwaffles]

Heard about this camera from you, just now, and man... I dunno for that cost it's hard to justify honestly. I've been drooling on a rangefinder for a while, but I don't think that's the one. Thanks for being candid

[ezragonzalez]

All one needs is talent and creativity a $150 kit is all you need for a Hasselblad Award: photograph!

[thissidetowardscreen]

Hi Snaps! Very interesting! Love the concept, love the look, but the price is untouchable to most. I agree the more cameras in the market the better. Rangefinders are an interesting niche that I think more companies should look into. Always, Thanks for sharing!

[pxperimenter]

With the new 24MP FF sensor, the Pixii is - on the raw image level - practically the same camera as a Sigma FP, Panasonic S9 and first-generation A7c with Leica M-Mount adapters. In some ways, it's even worse than the A7c because of the lack of a mechanical shutter. It all boils down to the optical rangefinder experience and whether it's worth an extra thousands of dollars to you....

[grahamkittle]

Thanks great video. Have had my Pixii for a few months and love it. Also have a Leica MP. Note that you can connect very easily the Pixii to your phone using your phone’s hotspot. Do not have to use Wi-Fi, (referring to your comment about being restricted to using remote, photo transfer etc., indoors)

[tpawlicki]

I just printed the return label for my Pixii. The camera hardware was great. But the range finder patch never lined up with my subject (for some reason it was below the subject? Which have never had before on a rangefinder). And the colors were just too funky for me to deal with. No matter how many adjustments I made, I could never get the colors to come out how I liked them or even to look like how I was seeing them. The app was pretty good, I love not having a screen, and easily swappable eyecups is great.

[lackoliver]

Been keeping up with the news on this camera ever since they launched. Never been quite able to afford or justify the purchase. But hope to some day.

Never had any qualms against the electronic shutter or crop sensor as some do. I thought it all made perfectly economic sense for a new company on the scene. I wish the Pixii team the best of luck and hope to grab one some day. Keep us posted on your thoughts. There is so little shared on YT about this little wonder.

[zoltankaparthy]

I get good color with a CV 35 f/1.4 N II. I get pretty good color with the KMZ Jupiters and other Sonnars. But sometimes I will get a weird image between good ones. Part of the mystery. Mine is going in for the upgrade to FF. Glad to see you are still hanging in there and for many of the same reasons that I am.

[kriscuth]

I’m heavily considering grabbing a Pixii for myself. It obviously won’t be a work camera. I do wish that it had a mechanical shutter but that’s beyond the point. It’s interesting to hear about the color issues you’re having. Hope they can fix that with the next couple of updates. Looking forward to having my own soon. Great video!

[marklondon]

Ok. For an immediate improvement in the color out of this camera get the 50mm TT. Its is WAY sharper than the 28 and has amazing color.

[derrenleepoole]

Would love to own one of these. At least Pixii are daring to try something different with the upgrade path. Kudos for that.

[lukenatewilson]

I’ve really gotten into Podcasts lately as I’ve switched careers and now need audio entertainment while I work. I’ve got two main interests in life: amusement parks & coasters, and photography. There are a plethora of amusement park and roller coaster themed podcasts, so much so that I’ve found myself desiring to branch into other genres so I don’t get bored. I was wondering if there’s such a thing as a photography themed podcast but immediately dismissed it because “how to you talk about photography on a pictureless media format?” I am very excited to discover that you have a podcast and you gained a subscriber today!

[unnmedfeelng]

The lack of mechanical shutter is a concern to me — they have a full-frame sensor now but it isn't fast, so shooting any action might be a problem. That said, I'm not the target audience for these — too expensive for a toy/hobby camera, too limited for a tool.

[AveryDelMiller]

I actually appreciate the camera connecting to a wifi network instead of making its own-- I've always had issues with devices automatically booting themselves from a camera's wifi network because it couldn't connect to the internet and assumes the network isn't working properly. Too bad there isn't an option for both though!

[SergioSchvezov]

For pairing you could probably set your phone to hotspot mode and have the camera connect to it

[MWSJoey]

I personally would love the full frame version of the Pixii. I primarily shoot on a Leica M3 and the ability to grab a FF digital body would be great. The Pixii MAX nearly had me a purchase, but I just don't quite have the funds for it right now.