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.

Web Services – a Rant

This is less about web services and more about functionality that does not need web services but uses it anyway.

I have a large amount of video media, photographic tutorials, the family favourite movies and TV shows etc.

They are sat on an external hard drive and a copy in Dropbox. We use the Plex app to service these to the TV, and the AppleTV app to our computers and tablet devices; much easier then finding physical media.

It used to be simple, the app on the TV talked to my main computer that had the Plex server app on it and access to the media. Simple and it worked.

But like many companies they have now web offerings and offer other functionality. So now the TV app has to authenticate to their servers out there on the web before it will connect to my server and play my media.

This means now that if Plex have a service outage or my internet is not working I cannot play my media on my TV, very frustrating. Over the last few days we have seen major outages with AWS, Azure etc, causing many online services to fail. Not sure where Plex host there servers but they were out too. So no watching Plex for me last night.

Yes I get it that many people like the extra functionality but the basic stuff, streaming media from a drive in my home to my TV in my home all on the same network should still work!

At least I have coffee.

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.

Limited Coffee – oh NO!

Lock down and working from home has meant no visits to coffee shops since March.

And now my coffee grinder has stopped working. To be honest my Baratza Sette 270 gets hard use. Making espresso and pour over every day. Its been a good workhorse. Luckily Baratza products have good support and they offer repair/service and upgrades at good prices.

Baratta Sette 270

So while its away I have been limiting myself to a couple of pour overs each day and a fresh press at the weekend, grinding my coffee by hand with my manual Hario grinder.

I have already had the email to say its all repaired and tested, so it will be back with me in a few days. Until then I’ll be dreaming of good espresso.

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.