Today I’m honored to present one of my favorite Leica shooters: mr. Prosophos. He is well known for his beautiful and loving work of his own family. Thanks a lot Peter!
1) Can you tell us a bit about your background (as a photographer)?
‘I’m a self taught photographer who is unhealthily obsessed with creating images. I’m usually either thinking of my next image or of what camera/lens I will be using to create it. Fortunately I have a very tolerant wife…
Although I have always enjoyed photographing, I have been seriously doing it for only the last 10 years. Occasionally, I will accept a professional assignment. Fortunately, I am free to choose or reject projects as they come because I don’t rely on photography to earn a living. For those who do, however, I have nothing but the utmost respect.’
Saturday
2) How did you get into the Leica system?
‘I was introduced to Leica rangefinders by way of the M8, which was Leica’s first digital M camera. The decision to purchase the M8 followed a very tragic event in my life during which I questioned everything about the world and my place in it. The end result for my photography was that I sold my trusty Nikon D3 DSLR and on a whim bought the M8. At first, I thought I had made a big mistake because I was used to working with auto-everything cameras and suddenly I found myself clumsily trying to cope with a manually focusing rangefinder of which I knew nothing about. However, on that very first day I ended up creating a photograph that rivalled anything I had ever produced before. And that was that… I was hooked.’
Tender is the Knight
3) Which camera and lenses do you have?
My current gear includes the following:
Cameras: Leica M9 Leica M3 Mamiya RZ67 Pro II Nikon D500
Of the three camera platforms, if I had to choose only one to keep it would be the Leica M system because it is nimble, unobtrusive, and capable of high quality output. The Mamiya RZ67 gives me the best artistic results for formal portraiture, but the images obtained are generally less spontaneous, as a more careful and deliberate approach is necessary when using it. The Nikon D500 is simply there to provide me with telephoto reach when I’m photographing my children playing sports. It’s a marvellous DSLR but it doesn’t inspire passion from me.’
Love
4) What kind of pictures do you take and why?
‘I mostly photograph people. In fact, my artistic name Prosophos is an amalgamation of two Greek words: prosopos (face) and phos (light). I find people the most interesting subjects to photograph. During the rare occasion I’m attempting to create a landscape image, I will often fail miserably until a person walks into the frame and then — suddenly! —the image will improve. What I look for when photographing is that momentary and spontaneous flicker in a facial expression that we all unwittingly project at times. It may be an expression of joy, sadness, relaxation, amusement, etc., but whatever it is it will arrive unfiltered and it will reveal the true nature of that individual at that very moment. This always translates into a successful image and that’s what keeps me going.’
Sun BathersPure tendernessThe TruthStaying DrySheToroBox
A few weeks ago, Acarilia sent me an email with the request for an introduction workshop. She got interested in the Leica system after she ditched her big and heavy Nikon DSLR. She was also in doubt which M would be most suitable for her: the M8, M9 or M240. Since I have all three, we took a stroll and tried all cameras.
Acarilia liked them all, but from a practical point of view, the M240 seems to be the top ranking camera. Welcome to the Leica users family!
Here’s wat Acarilia had to say about the workshop:
“The Leica Introduction workshop by Joeri van der Kloet met all my expectations and more! I could use 3 cameras (and 3 lenses!), followed some exercises to get used to the rangefinder and played around with various light exposure situations when I could experiment with both landscape and portrait compositions. I got very interesting and useful tips on street photography as well. I totally recommend his workshop.”
Leica M8 with Zeiss 35/2.8Leica M9 with 50 SummicronLeica M8 with 28/2.8 ElmaritLeica M240 with Zeiss 35/2.8Leica M240 with Zeiss 35/2.8
I’ve been exchanging emails with a follower and I thought I might share this question:
So you mainly use SL for more precision/posed kind of work? Would you pick the M262/M-P(240) over SL?
This was my answer:
Yes and no: for precision work the SL work much better. It doesn’t need to be posed. I only do posed work with headshot assignments. For a more dynamic assignment, like a wedding, I still prefer the M (doesn’t matter which one) but I also use the SL for anything that doesn’t move fast. The SL is a completely different machine though. It is less rewarding than the M and though the interface is nice and minimal, it isn’t an M. However, as a pro who needs to deliver, it is a fantastic machine to bring on any assignment.
Shooting a wedding with the SL and the SL 50/1.4
So let me elaborate a bit on this. As for now, I use both my SL and M(240) for my weddings. I wanted to order the M10, but I like this combination so much (and the list is so long) that I’ll keep this combination for as long as it works.
Yes, the M is more rewarding. It is more intuitive and I have used it so much I don’t need to think about anything. The SL is slightly more complicated and therefore (for me) slightly (but minimally) less rewarding. But, it has its place in the Leica line-up and in my photo bag:
For staged portraits, the SL works much better than the M. I use the Noctilux for most (corporate) portrait assignments and the EVF works without any need for focus peaking or magnification.
As long as people aren’t running around, I can keep up with the SL and M-lenses. As soon as things get hectic, I use my M, which is much easier to focus on dynamic subjects. Currently, I’d say I shoot 70% of all my work with the SL and 30% with the M.
The SL has opened up a huge range of lenses that I can use now. Yes, the M10 does this too, but the EVF of the M10 is not half as good as the SL EVF is. Balance with larger lenses is also much better.
With the SL, I can shoot short movies with the same camera, on a compact rig.
People with aging eyes can buy an excellent (but big and heavy) 24-90. I haven’t bought it, but used it a couple of times. For quick and dirty work, this is the best lens you can get. I just miss the look that I get with my primes wide-open.
Misaligned rangefinders happen, most often when you don’t want it. Not with the SL. As long as your focus ring will turn, you can focus any lens on the SL.
Shooting the SL in a completely controlled setting.
There’s much more to say about the M vs the SL, but we’ll do that later. I think that there are two things that currently have something to do with the SL vs M debate:
The M10 isn’t really available yet. You’ll need to be patient if you want one.
The SL has gotten much cheaper this month.
Whatever you choose, make an informed decision, but use both your heart and your brains.
Leica M9 with Zeiss ZM 35/2.8: can’t beat the IQ, usability, weight and compactness of this combination.
Today in ‘featured’ track cyclist Tahlay Christie from Autralia. Enjoy!
1) Can you tell us a bit about your background (as a photographer)?
‘When I was younger, my Dad let me use one of his Canon DSLRs but I never felt a major attachment to photography. I love to draw and paint, so I felt that I gravitated more towards that artistic side. My grandfather gave me his very old F1 last year and my Dad helped me get the hang of it. I fell in love with the complexity and uncertainty that came with analog. I found it exciting to find out how my photos turned out, sometimes they just didn’t work out, but I loved the idea of not knowing. I appreciate photography as a whole (both digital and analog) now as I’ve been able to explore the medium.’
2) How did you get into the Leica system?
‘My F1 is my baby, I love the camera very much. Before I came to Europe for a 6 month trip, my camera was getting serviced. My Dad was kind enough to let me borrow his Leica M6 until I returned home. I had used it a few times before and loved how easy it was to capture something that interested me. I really have Dad to owe for introducing me to photography and to the beauty of Leica cameras. I’m obsessed.’
3) Which camera and lenses do you have?
‘I use my Dad’s Leica M6 with his 35mm Summilux. Leica make such beautiful cameras and the lens is perfect for most of the shots I take.’
4) What kind of pictures do you take and why?
‘The world is my subject. If something interests me I’ll try to make it work in a frame. The film will sometimes play a role in what I want from a day of shooting. Back at home I love to go into the city and use Tri-X 400 black and white to get landscape photos of the high rise buildings. My favourite film to use is Ektar 100 because I’m obsessed with the high saturation of reds and blues. I usually take the camera out to the beach when I’m using that film. The film doesn’t always constrict my subjects, if I think it works I’ll try my best to get a good photo. I like capturing memories, like day trips/outings, family dinners, anything where I can look at a photo and remember what the occasion was. ‘
‘Thanks for this opportunity to share my photos.’
Thank you! Interested in participating in ‘featured’? Send me an email.
There are a couple of macro options available for Leica shooters, including the quite expensive Leica Elmar-M 90/4. Or, if you want to spend less money, the Leica Macro adapter-M.
As far as I’m concerned, the best bang-for-your-buck Leica macro option is the Leica Elmarit-R 60/2.8 Macro lens. Why? I’ll give you four reasons why:
It is a true macro lens, which means it is optimized to perform at very close distances. A macro adapter may give you the same magnification ration, but let’s say a 50 cron isn’t optimized for shooting close-up.
For macro you’ll want a very long focus throw, because of the extremely narrow depth of field. The 60 macro has a very long focus throw.
It doesn’t matter that this 60 macro isn’t usable with your rangefinder. With macro, live view works much better anyway. Just get the R to M adapter (Leica, Novoflex, Kipon, whatever works for you), and use it with your visoflex/EVF2.
This lens is sharp, has plenty character and can be found for 300 Euro. A true bargain!
Oh, one more thing: the front lens cap also fits your Noctilux 0.95.
I’m no expert on macro, but this type of photography is extremely soothing.
Plus, if you want to take product shots, this lens works for you. Here the M9P with the TVO lens shade.
Usually I’m pretty busy on weekends in the wedding season, but last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to join a LUF (Leica User Forum) meeting. It was my first time with this particular forum, but it won’t be the last.
If you’re looking for an informal Leica meeting, where people are genuinely interested in new people and where the atmosphere is very friendly, I really do recommend to join one of their meetings.
Here’s a link to the thread about the Den Bosch meeting. You’ll also find lots of pictures.
With the increase in prices of used Leica M glass, the legendary Leica Summilux-M 75/1.4 has become too expensive for a lot of Leica shooters. But there is some good news for these Mandler loving shooters: the Leica Summilux-R 80/1.4 is still reasonably affordable and it’s very similar to the 75/1.4. All you need is a Leica that features live view. And an adapter.
You can actually buy the very same lens that I used for this review here. More information about The Analog Camera Store can be found just below the conclusion.
The Leica Summilux-R 80/1.4 shares its optical construction with the Leica Summilux-M 75/1.4. Rendering of both lenses is almost identical. The biggest difference is that the 80/1.4 lacks the rangefinder mechanism that the 75/1.4 has. And there’s a difference in size and weight, depending on the version you have.
You won’t find a decent 75/1.4 for less than 3000 Euro, whereas a good 80/1.4 can be found for much less than 2000 Euro.
The first version of the 75/1.4 (490 grams) is significantly lighter than the 80/1.4 (700 grams), but later versions of the 75/1.4 (600 grams) are only slightly more light weight. Price wise, the difference is much bigger. You won’t find a decent 75/1.4 for less than 3000 Euro, whereas a good 80/1.4 can be found for much less than 2000 Euro.
Here’s the 80/1.4 compared to the 90/2. The 80 is slightly bigger and heavier.
It seems that the primary question is whether you want to use your rangefinder for focusing, or any EVF (M240, M10, SL, any Sony body). For me, I wouldn’t have to think long to answer that question: with a lens like this, I much prefer a good EVF to a rangefinder. Why? Simple: the 70/1.4 will only focus accurately with a well calibrated rangefinder and lens. If your combination works, it is not guaranteed to keep working forever. Rangefinders may drift, even if you’re very careful with them. And if you’re not careful, they drift even more. Nothing is more frustrating than shooting with a ill-calibrated camera lens combination. The solution is simple: by using an EVF you rule out all calibration errors.
But what if you’re a landscape shooter and want to shoot on f5.6 and smaller? Well, if that’s what you want, you’d better invest in the excellent 75/2.0 ASPH, 75/2.4 or 75/2.5.
The 80/1.4 is a portrait lens. Here shot at 2.0.
Build quality and ergonomics
The Leica Summilux-R 80/1.4 is a terrific lens if you look at build quality and ergonomics. It is relatively compact and handles very, very well on the SL. On the M, it feels less balanced, just like the Noctilux does, but I wouldn’t mind shooting it on the M. If you’re shooting portraits I’d recommend to use a tripod anyway.
Smooth bokeh here on a classic Porsche 911 Targa.
The 80/1.4 has a sliding hood which doesn’t lock, but on my review lens, the mechanism is just perfect: it retracts quite easily, but it doesn’t slide back unintended. It feels very solid and this particular lens has a nice aperture ring that clicks firmly. Focus is solid, maybe a bit stiff for my taste, but that makes shifting focus accidentally a lot harder. The focus throw is long enough for precise focusing, even when you’re shooting close-up wide open. The focus ring is a lot bigger than the ring on my Summicron-R 90 and that makes focusing while looking through the viewfinder a lot easier.
Here’s an example of how the lens behaves at three different distances, all shot wide open.A bit closer…And this is pretty much the closest you can get. DOF is insanely thin now.
Sharpness, bokeh and rendering
If you’re in for a 75/1.4 or a 80/1.4, you want character, right? Well, that’s exactly what you get with this lens. Wide open it’s not the sharpest lens on earth, which is actually a good thing for a portrait lens. Stopped down, it’s more than sharp enough for critical landscape shots. The same thing goes for contrast. Wide open, it has less contrast than a modern lens (but still more than I expected), but stopped down, there is quite a bit of contrast.
@1.4@2.0@2.8@4@5.6
The biggest change happens when you stop down from 1.4 to 2.0. Suddenly, the lens sharpens up a lot, contrast increases, vignetting decreases and it looks like you mounted a completely different lens on your camera. The transitions wide open are impressively short. Stopping it down with just one stop dramatically increases contrast and sharpness, but also reduces the buttery smooth bokeh.
Just 2 crops: this is the 1.4 shot.And this is the 2.0. Note the huge difference.
Stopping it down with just one stop dramatically increases contrast and sharpness, but also reduces the buttery smooth bokeh.
So how would I describe the rendering of this lens? The 75/1.4 has much been compared with the Noctilux v2 and while I have only used this lens a few times for just a number of shots, it does remind me of this lens. The bokeh though is much less swirly than the Nocti, which is a good thing for me, but for others may be a bad thing. The 80/1.4 has more contrast than I’d expect and I like that. The most striking feature of this lens is that is has two faces: wide open it is Nocti-like smooth with great portrait abilities, but stopped down it is perfectly suited for landscapes and architecture. The low distortion contributes to that as well.
Landscapes are no problem at all for the 80/1.4. Here at 2.8
Conclusion
Is the Leica Summilux-R 80/1.4 worth buying? Yes, definitely. If you’re looking for a smooth rendering portrait lens, this is probably the one to go for. But it does more than that. Stopped down, it is sharp enough for landscape shooting and distortion free enough for architecture. While the 75/1.4 can be used on a broader range of cameras, the 80/1.4 is the lens I’d buy. It is approximately half the price of the 75/1.4, has less problems (focus shift, hard to clean the elements when needed, etc), is easier to find and I’d use it on my SL anyway.
While the 75/1.4 can be used on a broader range of cameras, the 80/1.4 is the lens I’d buy…
This is the first lens that I borrowed from The Analog Camera Store. I’ve had a few chats with Maarten before we started this partnership, because I want to make sure that if I recommend someone, they won’t let their clients down. Maarten is a good guy and I won’t hesitate to recommend his store. Just to be clear: I do not get paid for this review, nor do I ever get paid for a review. I do this because I like it and I hope that my readers will find their way to one of my workshops eventually.
You can find the lens that I reviewed here. It retails for 1650 Euro (which is a good deal). It isn’t mint: there’s a tiny dent in the hood, there no front lens cap and there is some paint loss. Optically it’s perfect though. True collectors might not be interested, but real shooters will be. Having said that, I’m quite certain this lens will see an increase in value over time.
This lens even makes me look good… almost unbelievable right?Little red rooster…Available light portrait with high contrast. I like the look.It even does portraits of dogs! Here you can still see some of the swirly bokeh, but much less than the Nocti V2Ever seen a Porsche 918 Spyder? It’s on my driveway. Just kidding. I have a ten year old car.
Today Leica announced that the SL will we lowered in price by 1000 Euro. That means that the SL will retail for slightly more than 6000 Euro. By now, it is significantly cheaper than the Leica M10.
This is bad news for SL owners, as the prices of used SL cameras (not that I’ve seen many) will also drop. On the other hand, it’s good news for new SL buyers and for photographers that want to add a second body to their kit.
More interesting is the philosophy behind this decision. We all know that the SL hasn’t been selling well yet, but I as a SL shooter myself, I don’t feel that the SL is much overpriced. Yes, it is expensive, but it is also packed with interesting features and it’s a joy to work with. I feel that the SL will start to sell better with the increase in native lenses and with more people using it and telling others about it.
That last thing is actually an interesting phenomenon. There seems to be some ‘SL shyness’. Yes, you may laugh, but I sometimes get the impression that some people actually prefer their SL cameras to their M cameras, but they don’t want to admit it. If you have aging eyes, if you like to shoot long or heavy lenses, or if you want to shoot some video, the SL is a great performer. I’m not saying that I prefer the SL to the M, but there are circumstances where the SL outperforms the M. Just like as there are settings where the M is just much better than the SL.
If I had to pick one camera to shoot a wedding, it would still be the M. If I’d take a trip where weight is key, I’d also pick the M. For my portrait assignments, I don’t even bring my M anymore. The SL is just so much better for that work. My preferred camera for weddings might change when Leica will release a 35 and 75 Summicron. If they’re small and light and AF works as good as the 24-90, things might change. For now, I prefer to shoot anything that moves and any situation where things get tricky with my Leica M. Even the best EVF won’t make me focus my M lenses faster than a proper rangefinder.
Having said that, when things go slower, nothing beats the SL Noctilux combination. The balance is perfect, the hit rate is 99% and it just works. The good news is that (with some experience) the M240 files can be matched with the SL files without disrupting the ‘flow’ or continuity in a set of pictures.
While the SL is primarily a stills camera, it is also capable of capturing very good video. The 120 frames per second frame rate of the SL is praised, even among serious videographers.
I laced up my inline skates, mounted my Leica SL on a Glidecam and shot this video.
Leica SL, Minolta MC 58/1.2, Minolta MD 24/2.8, Voigtländer 15/4.5v3
In this new series I’d like to give someone else the opportunity to talk about Leica photography. Interested? Send me an email.
Today, my friend Vincent van Kleef.
1) Can you tell a bit about your background (as a photographer)?
‘I’ve been into photography from my teens on. I am very visually orientated and love to transfer what I see into a photograph. Although I do an assignment now and then, I don’t consider myself a professional photographer. I still shoot analogue too, in the 35 mm and medium format.’
2) How did you get into the Leica system?
‘Starting with borrowing a SLR from an aunt, I got to owning my first SLR, a Minolta X-700, a Canon DSLR to eventually a Leica. When I got older and got the funds to actually own a Leica, I decided to take the leap and do the hefty investment in the M system. Why I’ve never looked back I have expressed many times in my blog: I try not to identify too much with the gear I use, but having said that…..I actually do. I do but more in the sense that this type of camera make me feel they are my soul mates. Not to state something pompously, but the less is more approach of the Leica brand really resonates with me. They really are an extension of my eyes, heart and soul. Stripping the camera of all of the non-essentials enables me to focus (no pun intended) on the key points of my photography: seeing and capturing.’
3) Which camera and lenses do you have?
‘I still own my M8 which I truly adore (check it out here ) and a M9. I have sold the 28 mm Summicron lens and the 21 mm Voigtlander in order to afford the M9. The M9 is coupled 80-90% of the time with the wonderful 50mm Summilux lens. I have added a 28mm Zeiss and 75mm Voigtlander to my collection as well.’
4) What kind of pictures do you take and why?
‘Mostly documentary style and portraits, which is a natural expression of me being a photographer, using only the available light. A soon as you have mastered focusing with a rangefinder, you are actually able to shoot pictures which are considered more ‘DSLR-like’ too, like sports and concerts. When light conditions are challenging, I shoot fully manually. Sometimes this results in a photograph which is technically a failure, but actually turns out to be great as the blue tinted picture of the guitarist Joe Satriani shows. It prompted the guitarist to feature the photo on his site stating that this photo strongly resonated with his album “Shockwave Supernova”.’
Thanks Vincent! Check out his work here, here and here.
