Range Finder Options – PIXII

PIXII Range Finder

Range finder options are few and far between. If your want to use film there’s quite a selection to use. I enjoy using my old Leica M4, but film is not for everyone. I have an old digital M8+ and Epson had their RD1/2.

If you want something modern Leica has been the only option until now, with the PIXII. Its an interesting take and a little like a more modern interpretation of the Leica M-D.

Leica M-D Rangefinder

I like the M-D its very like film like, has no screen but you can use your phone. The new PIXII is very similar.

PIXII Rangefinder

No rear screen but you use your phone and an app. At nearly €3000 its half the price of the Leica, it has a cropped DX sensor so has pro’s and cons, but is another option.

Made in Germ*\ Portugal

Leica Glass – Made in Germany

It is unfortunate when politics gets in the way of photography, but then photography can be a political statement.

The USA has placed an additional sales tax onto German lens hitting Leica, so Leica who also have production facilities in Portugal are now producing lens there to ship direct to the USA mitigating the sales tax.

It is a shame these cheaper lens cannot be purchased here. I would like a 75mm or 90mm Summicron.

The best camera is the one with you

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.

Leica updates the Leica CL – Major Firmware V4

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.

The Draw of a Lens – Using Leica M lens on Medium Format

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.

Photo of the Month – July

Leica M10
Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH 6-Bit 
50mm, 1/350 Sec at f/3.5 (est),  ISO200
and a second image at 1/180 Sec


Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V9.3, using a HDR merge of the two exposures.

Nikon’s Latest – The D6

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.