The new L-mount camera that will be produced by Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma is of interest to me, but not because of the camera per se.
Imagine the full frame Foveon sensor that rumour has it will appear in this camera eventually finding its way into a Leica M11.
Now that would be something.
—Peter.
It’s true: photography has always been furthered by technology.
What I mean is that, as technology has advanced (first during the film era, and now digital), photographers have increasingly been provided with the tools to more easily record/convey their vision.
However, I’m not so sure that the last 5 years have given us anything along the same vein.
—Peter.
Yesterday, I posted some images of the Leica M2-R I was fortunate to acquire. The photos were taken with a Leica M10 and processed in Lightroom with relative ease.
In contrast, today I set upon the boring and arduous task of testing the M2-R without — of course — the immediate feedback of digital photography. As I subsequently stood in my basement processing the film, I must admit that I had second thoughts about whether all of the hassle was worth it. It’s especially frustrating when the effort of processing and scanning is undertaken only to find out that the camera is in some way defective.
Fortunately in this case, all is good.
And as I watched the images magically appear — first on the negative as it was unspooled following its final wash, and then in more detail on my monitor as the scanner did its thing — I realized for the 1000th time why I keep coming back to film: even mundane test shots look better on this antiquated “sensor”.
The following images are not meant to be interesting. However, they are useful to me. In them, I’m verifying:
Technical:
—Peter.
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(focus is on the small word “Elect”, above the J)↓
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(focus is on the number “50”)↓
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(focus again is on the number “50”)↓
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(focus is on the letter “G”)↓
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(focus is on the poor sap )↓
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(focus is on the faint word “KeepRite”)↓
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(focus is on the round thermometer)↓
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(focus is on the door of the house across the street)↓
↑ Leica M2-R + Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4.
A warm body for those cold winter months.
—Peter.
Tested a copy of the 75 APO yesterday.
Had last used it in 2012.
Didn’t end up getting it, but did get this image.
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 75mm Summicron APO f/2.
Delayed birthday gratification.
Technical note: Mixed lighting (natural and incandescent) was wreaking havoc on the colours here, but I managed to get acceptable skin tones via post-processing.
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4.
This is an uncropped image. Technically, it’s a difficult sort of shot to achieve focus, not just because of the motion of the cyclist and the small margin of error involved in photographing at f/1.4, but also because the cyclist is situated a little to the right of centre, away from the focus patch of the rangefinder. To deal with this, some experience and (admittedly) luck, is involved.
Incidentally, the same three issues (quick motion — especially with the subject coming towards the camera, shallow depth of field, and hitting critical focus at the periphery of the frame) can equally frustrate even the most sophisticated autofocus systems. Interestingly, in these situations I seem to have more success with rangefinders.
Now, if only the distracting car behind her wasn’t there, I might have been satisfied with this image.
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4.
The light on his face is from a ray of light coming in from one of the windows above.
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH f/1.4.
The 50mm Summilux ASPH arrived today; the loaner 50mm Summicron APO was returned.
—Peter.
A third test shot. This was taken one minute before yesterday’s shot, which was taken one minute before the day before yesterday’s shot (are you following that?), at the same intersection.
Anyway, enough of test shots.
I’m currently waiting for my 50mm Summilux ASPH to arrive, at which point the loaner 50mm APO will be returned.
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summicron APO.
Another test shot.
This was captured one minute before yesterday’s image, at the same crossing where I had briefly paused on my way home from work (I was practicing my rangefinder focusing to get it to where it was a year ago before I switched over to DSLRs).
On a technical note, one of the early conclusions I can draw from the files is that I’m liking the skin tones out of the M10.
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summicron APO.
Are you a multi-millionaire (or billionaire) looking for the rarest of Leica lenses to round out your lens collection?
Well, right now there’s an online auction for a Leica lens with a starting bid of CAN$1,038,349.72.
That’s not a typo.
(I placed a bid but then retracted it because I realized I’m at least a million dollars short.)
—Peter.
She’s my most cooperative model, when she’s sleeping.
Technical: f/2 | 1/90 | ISO 3200
—Peter.
↑ Leica M10 + Leica 50mm Summicron APO.
A few of you might be aware of my little post (that generated a surprising amount of commentary) where I admitted missing having a digital M.
Be that as it may, after much thought I’ve decided to keep my D850 and Nikon lenses. I just can’t get past the fact that the M10 represents a downgrade in image quality. It may not be obvious by observing my 800 pixel-width posts on this blog, but it is easily discernible on larger files (and in prints).
I can’t justify paying the price an M10 demands, in light of the above. The only reason I’m even thinking about this is because I prefer photographing with rangefinders.
Given my passion for rangefinders, I will have to reach for my M3 when I am so inspired, or when I tire of lugging around my D850. I enjoy the output from film more than anything else anyway…
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July 28th UPDATE: Well, so much for the above. A new development has tipped the balance for me: I received a call from a dealer and now have an opportunity to pick up a used (demo?) M10 + 50 Summilux ASPH at a considerable price discount. In return, I would trade in my Nikon gear.
Oh dear…?
July 28th UPDATE #2: Camera is in hand… it appears as if it has never been used.
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On the back, the plastic LCD screen protector is still on.
Turning the camera on… the language preference menu appears. As far as I can tell, no one has taken a photograph with this camera yet.
So, I have this M10 to test out for a few days, along with the 50mm APO that you see in the first image (I will not be buying this lens by the way… don’t have enough gear to trade in for it, LOL).
—Peter.
Here’s an alternative take on The Graduate, 2, processed to simulate film.
Curious to know which version is preferred by most.
—Peter.
↑ Nikon D850 + Nikon 105mm f/1.4 E.
↑ Nikon D850 + Nikon 105mm f/1.4 E.
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Edit.
I thought it would be interesting to post the same image with lens corrections (distortion and vignetting removed):
↑ Nikon D850 + Nikon 105mm f/1.4 E.
(distortion and vignetting corrected)
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The vignetting at f/1.4 is very noticeable (the distortion is rather minimal, so you won’t see much of a difference in that respect); whether to correct the vignetting or not is of course a matter of preference.
—Peter.
Ever since I sold my Leica gear last year, I’ve had many of you write to ask me whether I’ve regretted my decision.
Even within the last 24 hours, one of my dear readers contacted me to inquire about the very same thing. The short answer is: no, I haven’t regretted it… not for a second.
On a related note, I just wrote a response to a fellow photographer, Donald Barnat, in the comments section of one of my posts (a micro-review of the Nikon 28/1.4E) that I think summarizes my current thinking on this issue.
(Incidentally, Mr. Barnat has recently written a wonderful review of the Nikon 58/1.4G — check it out if you’re in the mood for great street photography, insightful thinking, and very eloquent prose!)
—Peter.
I must admit I can’t quite figure this out, but I’m not “feeling the love” for the Nikon 105/1.4 despite the overwhelming popularity and critical acclaim of this lens.
It might be because I recently re-acquired the 70-200/2.8E zoom and now the focal length is redundant. It might be because I genuinely enjoy the flexibility of the zoom. Or, it might be because the “bokeh thing” is not enough to entice me to stay with another exotic lens.
Either way, I don’t think I want to keep the 105/1.4.
Somebody convince me otherwise.
—Peter.
Prosophos 