Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4

Winter Solace.

2015, Favourite, Inspiration, Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4, Leica M9(P)/M-E (CCD Lives!), Life's Little Moments, Portrait, Q&A, Teaching point

Cozy and hidden from the cold.

On another note, if there’s a better way to digitally record such Life’s Little Moments, then I’d like to know.

As it stands, the Kodak CCD inside the Leica M9/M-E remains my sensor of choice.

Won’t you please sign My Open Letter to Leica, if you haven’t already done so?

—Peter.

Winter Solace

Homework.

2015, Favourite, Inspiration, Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4, Portrait, Q&A, Sony (Alpha) a7S, Teaching point, Voigtländer VM-E Close Focus Adapter

This image was taken with the Sony (Alpha) a7S.

I wish to thank my good friend Ashwin Rao who was absolutely correct about three things with respect to this camera:

  1.  The a7S digital files are the most CCD-like CMOS files I’ve encountered (not quite like the magic of CCD, but very close — even in their behaviour during post-processing).
  2.  I need to re-acquaint myself with the “tunnel vision” viewfinder the a7S shares with most other cameras.  This is a significant limitation, since unless the camera is a rangefinder, it’s not (yet) possible to see “the world outside the window frame” to better anticipate photographic opportunities.
  3. The a7S sensor and Leica lenses play well together.

Additional notes:

  • The focus-peaking is quite accurate and very user-friendly.
  • The auto-ISO function, in combination with the exposure compensation dial, actually improves upon my set-up with the Leica M8/M9/M-E.
  • The silent shutter option makes me weep tears of joy — bravo Sony.
  • The advertised high ISO capabilities are not just marketing hyperbole.  This sensor was tailor made for dark Canadian winters.
  • This latest Sony still feels like a computer to me vs. a “real” camera.  But it’s undeniably a “real” camera and a formidable photographic tool.

 

—Peter.

 

Homework