So while washing up a bird of pray appeared outside the kitchen window, having only a few moments before it flew off, I grabbed the nearest camera and fired off a few shots through the glass window.
A Leica M10 with 50mm lens is not the best choice of cameras but it was all I had to hand and so, as the old adage goes, – the best camera is the one with you.
I know a few professional photographers who have the Leica CL as their carry everywhere camera, with its DX cropped sensor, taking the L mount and with adapters just about any other lens available, its a very flexible camera.
I know I go on a lot about how good Fuji, Leica and several other of the smaller camera companies are at supporting there products but it is definitely something to consider if your the sort of person who keeps a camera for a long time.
Leica M4 24 Elmar, Ilford Delta 100
Well Leica have just announced version 4 of their firmware for the Leica CL. When Leica released the recent Q2 they revamped the user interface and have been rolling out this together with other newer features to their other cameras. Now these features reach the old CL. Many people have been expecting the CL to be replaced shortly so some were surprised by this; thinking the new interface changes and features would be in the CL2 when released, but no, CL users have got them now.
Mirrorless cameras have a number of advantages, the best being able to use most lens available with the use of a suitable adapter.
In an age where modern lens are getting closer to closer to being perfect when combined with software correction, sometimes people want a more unique look.
There is now a growing interest in older lens of character and a number of older designs have come back into production.
A company is now making an adapter to enable the use of Leica M mount lens on the mirrorless Hasselblad medium format camera. The results are striking and if you have a mirrorless Haselblad and some M glass you should really give it a try.
With lock down easing, we got an email from a friend asking us if we wanted to go on a pack walk in the woods near Sherwood Forest. So with water bottles and collapsable dog water bowl packed off we went.
The release of a professional Nikon was always exciting and something I looked forward to.
The Film range were got better each year, maybe the autofocus F4 was a little lacklustre compared to Canon but all the F range had something to recommend them.
With the release of the Nikon D1 we had the worlds first professional digital camera, the D2 were the speed demons, and then came the D3, the camera that stole the crown back from Canon.
Since then each release has tried to increase the megapixel count, increase the focus speed but still keep what made the D3 so good, its insane low light performance.
If your a sports or photo journalist then get the new D6, for the rest of us who maybe want something else then speed you may want to look at the D8** range.
I love my Leica M10, whilst there maybe better carry everywhere cameras (the Leica Q and Leica CL come to mind), I find it an accomplished camera.
If the rumour is true we will be getting an M10 with a higher resolution sensor. My Leica M10 is currently 24MP and my Nikon D800 is 36MP, but many of the latest cameras are now up to 50MP so for many an update is needed.
Leica M10 – in the coffee shop
As a walk around camera the M10 at 24MP is currently enough for me, when I start to look at replacing my main studio camera I’ll be looking for something in the 50MP plus range.
Phone X iPhone 4mm f/1.8 4mm, 1/17 Sec at f/1.8, ISO40 Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic
With the Covid-19 lockdown still very much in force, I have not been out this month or taken any shots. I did snap this with my iPhone, a celebration of home grown produce from our garden. Apart from the cheese and pork pie everything came from our garden, pickles from last years veg, eggs from our chickens and salad straight from the garden.
People say grown your own is the way forward. In practice its not possible to complete with the local markets and shops but being out in the garden is good for your mental health and its feels good eating things you grew and made yourself.