Author: Richard

This week most of major camera manufacturers seem to have announced new models.

One of the most curious recent announcements (ignoring the Hasselblad rebadged Sony’s) is the Sigma announcement whether it works I don’t know but you can read about it at the usual review sites and here at gearophile.com.

Everyone it seems wants a mini Leica.

Leica make the best glass in the world.  I own the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm Leica M lens, I admit they are expensive, they are manual focus but they are small and perfectly formed jewels.

I bought my first two years before I bought my first Leica, it was a risk but has turned out to be an investment.  I suspected I would eventually succumb to the micro four thirds cameras, and I know many people who use Leica lens on their Panasonic and Olympus micro four third cameras.

I have not yet bought a Micro Four Thirds camera but have bought a film M4 and a digital M8.  Many people would dismiss technology that old but thought it has taken me over a year to master the art of developing a digital RAW file from the M8 I can now produce an image that at base iso rivals even the best that modern cameras can produce.  The M4 film camera was an emotional purchase, its a camera made the same year I was born and gets used as a fun toy rather then a working camera.

So while Leica cameras have always been somewhat second best compared to their rivals (some may disagree), the lens are excellent and are hard to beat.  What people want is a modern Leica camera to use their Leica glass on.  The M9 is a great camera but the range finder experience is not for everyone and takes regular practice to be able to focus accurately and the CCD sensor while capable of stunning sharpness and a more natural film like grain cannot match modern sensors with there high iso capabilities and live view features.

People want the holy grail, a real Leica, autofocus, all mod cons and be compatible with Leica M glass.  Oh and Cheap!

When the Leica Mini which turned out to be the Leica Vario people hoped that this was going to be the answer to their prayers; well now there is a new rumour brewing the Leica T, is this finally going to be the Leica that people wish for?

One of the advantages of mirror less cameras is that there is no need for the space for the flapping mirror and pentaprism.  This means a smaller flange distance so retro focus lens are not required (though most modern lens are), so lens can be smaller and less complex but give potentially better image quality. No moving mirror means less likelyhood of camera shake, plus without the hump on top housing the pentaprism the camera can be smaller.

The camera just above, the Nikon DF is about as small as you can make a full frame digital SLR with traditional optical viewfinder because of the need for the mirror and pentaprism housing.  So why with the current batch of mirror less cameras are companies like Panasonic, Olympus and Fuji sticking a fake hump on top making the cameras bigger, is it hump envy, do they feel the need to look like ‘real’ cameras or is there a valid design reason?

By the way if you want to see a ‘real’ camera check out my Ebony below:

 

I keep looking at small compact cameras.  Currently my compact camera is a Nikon V1, this is a little large but its large 1 inch sensor is huge for a modern compact and is only matched by the new Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 II.  I keep looking for a replacement for the Nikon V1, buts while the ergonomic’s drive me mad its difficult to find a single camera to replace it.

I am drawn to the Ricoh GR with its large DX sensor.  This has no ordinary compact, its highly customisable and has a huge DX (APS-C) sensor but no view finder and a fixed lens.

Most little compacts like the Canon S120 have only the smaller 1/1.7″ or smaller sensors and no viewfinders but do have decent zooms giving flexibility.

Its with these thoughts I have been looking at the Panasonic LF1.  The big thing is the viewfinder.  The Fuji X10 and X20 are similar but have poor quality optical viewfinders and as you zoom it obscures your view.  While a Leica M has similar issues I am more then willing to put up with the faster lens at a full frame f/1.4 blocking some of the view then I am with the poor view in the Fuji X10.

Its with these thoughts in mind that I have been looking at the Panasonic LF1 and the Leica Leica C.  The big thing about it is its EVF.  While poor quality at least it has one, which is rare in this class of camera.  I have played this camera now on several times and the other week I had another play and also took a few photographs on my own memory card to play with.

The shop was mixed light and I had a slow shutter speed with an ISO of 400. You can see the result above.  ISO400 is quite high for such a small sensor and its handled it quite well.

Today we are very lucky in that there are very few bad cameras.  Now its how a camera makes you feel, how it fits with the way you work that is more important.

I find it very useful to have a few projects to work on, some are long term others more focused.

I bought another photography book recently showing iconic photographs through the years.  One of the shots that caught my eye was by Elliott Erwitt.  He was a great street photographer and one of his long term projects was photographing dogs.

So I thought to myself, on my next trip out I would have a go.

We headed off to Scarborough for a day out and I packed my Leica M8 with 35mm Summicron and 50mm Summilux lens.

I took about half a dozen shots on the beach plus a couple in town, these I thought were the best two.

Heading out with a definitely goal really focused the mind and I was very pleased with the beach shot which works well when printed big.

 

Last week we had a few days a way in North Yorkshire.  While there we had a day in York and visited the National Railway Museum.  Last year we watched a program about the last remaining A4 Class trains from Canada, the Dominion of Canada and the one from America the Dwight D Eisenhower, and wanted to see these two together with their sister the Mallard and holder of the train land speed record for steam powered locomotives.

For two weeks only back in July on the 75th anniversary all six remaining A4 Class trains were together.  This year I believe the Canadian and American A4’s go home so it was a once in a life time experience to these two.

The museum is a great place to visit with lots of photo opportunities.  Take either a flash gun for fill in flash or a mono, or tripod as the light levels are quite low.

 

I was travelling light with just a Leica M8 and a 50mm Summilux and a 35mm Summicron so most of these are shot wide open at shutter speeds as low as 1/15 second.

One advantage of shooting with mirror less cameras is that you can use slower shutter speeds as there is no mirror flapping around to cause camera shake.

I usually shoot a lot of studio work during the year but this year was very light, though I did do a fair amount of commercial and location portraits for customers but I cannot show these here on this site.

One thing I did do at the end of the year was some location portraiture, art nude and some boudoir work.