Today I had the pleasure to take a few shots with the brand new Leica M10-D at a workshop that I hosted for Leica Netherlands.
That the M10-D doesn’t have a screen is not really new in the Leica line-up (though I think it’s still quite special). The rewind lever that is not a rewind lever, is however, very new. How it feels? Very good actually. Quite like my M6 film camera feels. The nice thing about the lever is that you can either use it, or leave it be. Also, it’s easier to squeeze a camera in the last tight spot in your camera bag. Lastly, it looks just brilliant.
We played a bit with the Fotos app and the M10-D and we got it working. Chimping is not as easy as on a regular M camera, but if you need to check your image, you still can. For that, you can also use the Visoflex by the way.
If you want to test your focusing skills, just bring a puppy. They’re agile and unpredictable. In this (very unscientific) test, I brought my little friend Dorus, the Rhodesian Ridgeback (4 months old). I set the Leica CL at continuous, single point AF (middle point) and high speed drive mode. The lens was the excellent 23/2 Summicron. Here are the pictures…
Below the pictures is my explanation.
So, first of all, it can be quite hard to keep the single AF point at the puppy. In fact, that’s how I think I misfocused the first few pictures. And than there’s the exact focus on the head of the pup. In the shots where’s he gets closer, I often had his ridge (the stripe on his back, which he inherited from an indigenous wild dog in the former Rhodesia) in focus, in stead of his head. If you count these pictures to the in focus category, I have 14 out of 22 hits. That’s more than I would have with manual focus.
I’ve tried ‘tracking AF’ some weeks ago, but I wasn’t really impressed. Next time I’ll try a bigger focusing field instead of a single point mode. Considering the speed of Dorus (the complete sequence was shot in less than three seconds) and my relative lack of AF-skills, I think it’s a good score so far.
This week I went for a three day cycling trip to the Veluwe, an interesting area here in the Netherlands. In fact, I didn’t really feel like bringing a camera, because weight and bulk were already ‘maxed out’. I brought a tent, sleeping bag and pad and some extra clothing. Also, I find that it’s much harder to come back with interesting cycling pictures when I’m going solo. If I want to be in the picture, while cycling, it takes some planning and a (mini) tripod. Most of the time when I’m cycling, I just want to go on. Fiddling with a camera slows me down and gets me out of the flow.
But I still took the Leica T, seated in a ‘top tube bag’ within reach. Mounted on the T was the tiny 18/2.8 Elmarit. Great little lens!
I didn’t take many shots, but the shots that I took bring back the memories of the trip. And that’s all you need from a camera, don’t you?
Next time I’ll try a bit harder.
First day I rode 140km from home. This is somewhere around 100km.I set up my tent just before nightfall and hung a tiny LED light from the top of the tent.I had some better weather the second day and rode again 140km, mainly off-road.See, I’m happy. Also, you don’t get this nice separation and rendering with an iPhone.So this is how the Veluwe looks like.And a self portrait after two hard days of cycling, shot at 800 ISO at 1/13th of a second. I actually quite like it.
Update 27-10: I just heard there are a few places available. Be quick if you want to be in.
For my dutch friends: there’s another Leica Experience Workshop in The Netherlands. This time with CameraTools in Apeldoorn. Although you have to pay a (very) small admission fee, you’ll get a free (and good) lunch, an SD card, a goodie bag and my attention. In the goodie bag is a voucher and although I can’t say what’s on the voucher, it’s worth attending the workshop.
The availability is limited to 12 participants. Make sure you fill out the form with a proper motivation. If more then 12 participants apply (and there will be more) selection will be based on motivation. Because this workshop is paid by the dealer, you can imagine which clients are preferred to participate.
Here’s the link you need: https://www.cameratools.nl/workshops/wo-31-okt-leica-experience-day/
The more time I spend with the CL, the more I love it. Even though the M is small and (relatively) light, the CL is smaller and considerably lighter even so. Coupled with the wonderful 18/2.8, it fits in every jacket pocket.
In comes the Leica Summilux-TL 35/1.4 ASPH. I heard good stories about this lens and I can confirm these. But the most important question with this lens is: is it worth the weight and volume?
Bokeh and rendering are lovely.
Build quality and ergonomics
With a weight of 428 grams and a height of 77mm, this TL lens is both bigger and heavier than most of my M-lenses. It’s a bit like putting the Summilux-SL 50/1.4 on your SL. It makes your relatively light weight camera suddenly quite heavy. But, I must confess, it’s not as bad as the SL with the SL50. Of course not.
With the 18/2.8 and the 23/2.0 I don’t feel the need to attach a grip or thumbs-up to the camera. I don’t think I need it. But with the TL 35 my CL felt front heavy for the first time. After sliding on my M Thumbs up, I noticed a big difference in ergonomics. Also, the TL 35 requires a different way of holding your camera. The lens is big enough to hold your camera in one hand and your lens in the other. Something I wouldn’t always do with the 18/2.8 for example.
Yes, it’s big. It’s bigger than the CL with 23 attached.
The TL35 feels very solid. My version didn’t have a hood, but it’s the exact same system as the 23mm hood and that works just fine, though it’s not nearly as subtle as most M hoods.
Whereas I normally write quite a bit about focus throw, aperture ring and other manual things, the TL is a auto focus lens. Manually focusing is done through a focus-by-wire mechanism, which means that there is no real relation between the position of the focus ring and the set focal distance. Even more, the slower you turn the ring, the less correction is applied to focus distance. That means in theory that you can focus very precisely by slowly turning the wheel and focus less precisely – but very fast – when you turn the ring fast. It sounds good in theory, but in practice, I much prefer the way a mechanical focusing system works.
AF is fast – just a tad slower than the 18 and 23- and reliable. Even in dim light, it works fine…
You don’t buy the TL35 to focus it manually though – if you do, you’d better get the smaller and lighter M 35/1.4 -. You get the TL for auto focus use and fortunately, this works perfectly. AF is fast – just a tad slower than the 18 and 23- and reliable. Even in dim light, it works fine.
Almost half a year old now. Dorus is getting bigger.
Sharpness, bokeh and rendering
This is what it’s all about. Sharpness is excellent, even wide open. It does improve quite a bit – after seeing my images I can’t say a 100% sure that my focus was spot on – by stopping it down, but I’d probably shoot it wide open all the time. One of the downsides of APS-C sensors is that you’ll have to shoot it one stop wider to get the same depth of field on a full frame camera.
Wide open @1.4And a crop.@f2, sharpness increases.Cropped.@f4, more sharpness than you’ll ever need.And the crop.
Bokeh is lovely. Nice and smooth, nothing to complain about.
The rendering actually reminds me a bit of the 50SL, even though transitions on the SL are more extreme. But in general, the TL35 delivers a very modern image with nice micro contrast, without getting too clinical. In fact, I think a lot of ‘connoisseurs’ would have a hard time to see which images where taken with the SL50 on the SL and the TL35 on the CL. It is just that good.
I think a lot of ‘connoisseurs’ would have a hard time to see which images where taken with the SL50 on the SL and the TL35 on the CL…
Even though I didn’t have a hood, I never got the 35 to flare much. Also, I didn’t see any lens errors, with the exception of some purple fringing – which apparently isn’t corrected in camera -.
Portrait in controlled situation.Because the perspective of a 35mm doesn’t change with the size of the sensor, you’ll have to be carefull not to get too close. This distance wouldn’t work for a formal portrait.
Conclusion
If you ‘just’ have the T(L2) or CL and need a fast 35mm lens with autofocus, this is your lens. Funny enough, this will also be your only choice. The TL35 opens up a lot of possibilities, DOF-wise, but also focal length wise. It’s a great all round lens for every day action, portraits and low-light situations.
I have the CL because of the low weight and its versatility…
But, if you also have an M or SL, things might be slightly different. I have the CL because of the low weight and its versatility. That means if I bring the CL as my only camera I do so because I want a very light camera with high IQ. The TL35 is simply too big and heavy for that. If I need a camera that gives me small DOF images in the 50mm focal range, and weight is not the biggest issue, I’ll probably bring my M with a 50/2, or my SL with 50/0.95. I don’t really need AF – though it’s very nice sometimes – , but if I needed AF for a paid assignment, I’d probably bring my SL with an AF-lens -I’m so looking forward to the SL50/2.0 – .
And if I want small DOF-images with my CL, I could always bring my 40/1.5, 35/2.0 or any other fast-ish lens, which would still be smaller and lighter than the TL35.
Then again, if I had unlimited funds, I’d get the TL35. I’d probably use it quite a lot, but the thing is, I don’t really need it. If I weren’t a pro photographer and could bring my CL to any place I’d like and shoot for fun, I would definitely get the TL35 and maybe even ditch the SL.
As for some other Leica AF-lenses that I’ve tested, I could have lived with a slightly inferior image quality if that would have resulted in a much smaller and lighter lens package.
A bit a purple fringing here, but you can get rid of that very easily.
Last week I had a workshop in Rotterdam when we suddenly saw a couple of cars, escorted by policemen, arriving at the Bilderberg Park Hotel. “That’s probably the dalai lama”, my student said. We ran to the hotel and were just in time to see the dalai lama get up the stairs.
We could get close enough to shoot the ‘meeting’ with nothing but a 35mm lens. A very special moment.
Some people complain about the resolution of the Leica SL. They think that 24MP is not on par with today’s standards. Although I always disagree with that, – in fact I prefer a sensor with slightly lower resolution because it keeps the files manageable and delivers better IQ at high ISO – yesterday we saw our own work printed on 2 by 3 meters. Yes, that is 6 square meters.
A few months ago my wife was asked to participate in a project. Artist Roos Tulen asked twenty different photographers to shoot her, mostly nude. Anita agreed and invited Roos to our house. A few weeks before, Roos realized that I could shoot her as well and asked if we could do a ‘duo shoot’. We agreed and set up our mobile studio that I use for my corporate headshots.
We selected two different images and sent them to Roos to be printed. Yesterday was the festival with the exposition and we were very excited to see our images on these gigantic prints, but also the prints of the other photographers.
Long story short, 2 by 3 meters is not a problem at all for the Leica SL. In fact, the prints looked stunning. When viewed close up, you could still see loads of detail. The images were shot with the Summilux-SL 50/1.4 ASPH and I have to say: on prints like these, you can tell why this lens is regarded as one of the best 50mm lenses ever made.
This was the original image, shot with the SL and Summilux-SL 50/1.4 ASPH
I’ve got the Summilux-TL 35/1.4 here for a week, but I understand the excitement about this lens. If you still think that APS-C is ‘inferior’ to full frame, you haven’t tried this lens on the CL. It is simply beautiful. Very sharp, even when shot against the light on full opening, but more importantly: there’s quite a bit of character. If it were just a bit smaller and lighter, I’d get it in a heartbeat.
Billingham has always been a brand that is being loved by Leica photographers and other rangefinder shooters. Since the M6 days however, the world of photography has changed dramatically. Traditionally, there were either big (D)SLRs or small rangefinders. Today, we still have DSLRs and rangefinders, but also a whole new range of mirrorless cameras, like the Sony A-series, many different types of Fuji cameras and a few other brands. Even Leica has a range of APS-C cameras that get better every year. With the changes in cameras, we need other bags too.
The Billingham 72 is designed for rangefinders and small APS-C type of cameras with a small lens attached. That could be an M with 35 or 50 Summilux, CL with 23 Summicron (with hood), or a Fuji X-Pro with a small lens. Many cameras will fit, but you’re limited to a relatively small (and only one) lens. That makes the 72 ideal for the travel and street photographer who wants to work with minimalistic gear but who also wants maximum protection. A bit more on this later.
That makes the 72 ideal for the travel and street photographer who wants to work with minimalistic gear but who also wants maximum protection
Protection is the key word here. The 72 almost feels like a hard case: it is unbelievably sturdy. Billingham used two layers of foam protection for this bag and because it is small, the double foam creates a nice hard-case like camera bag. On top of that double layer foam, Billingham uses a very thick removable cushion for the bottom of the bag. If you’d drop your bag and it landed on the bottom, I’m quite sure your camera would be perfectly fine. The bottom cushion adds to the rigidness of the bag. If you take it out, you can ‘squeeze’ the sides together a bit easier.
The M with 35 Summicron plus TvO lens shade fits easily.
But it doesn’t stop at foam and cushions. The outer layer will also protect your camera from rain, snow, hail, any other wet misery. Both the canvas material and FibreNyte have proven to work perfectly. As I have said before, I’d choose a Billingham for any outing in bad weather above any other bag. Nylon bags are far from waterproof and need an extra cover to protect the contents of your bag from rain. Adding a cover renders the bag almost useless, because it makes getting your camera in and out a pain. The rubber StormBlock layer in between the two layers of canvas makes the Billingham 72 truly waterproof enough for any weather, as long as you don’t submerge the bag.
The rubber StormBlock layer in between the two layers of canvas makes the Billingham 72 truly waterproof enough for any weather
Although the Billingham 72 is minimalistic when it comes to offering storage room, it does feature a small, but slightly stretchy front pocket where you can fit a couple of batteries and spare SD cards. A charger is slightly too big (unless a charger is all you take).
So I stated that the 72 is suitable for a rangefinder type camera and one small lens, but it’s slightly more complicated. The 72 is equipped with one detachable divider and while that seems unnecessary when you’re taking an M with 35 or 50 Summicron, Billingham includes it for a reason. If you’re bring a very thin camera, like the Leica T, you can fit the divider in the middle of the bag and put a T with the 18/2.8 on one side, and include two small lenses (stacked) on the other side. With the M, or the CL, you could do this too, as long as you leave the lens off the camera. I wouldn’t do that though, because if you take out of one the lenses and put it on your camera, you can’t put camera with lens attached in the bag because of the divider and the remaining lens. It clearly shows again how thin the T with the 18/2.8 is. It also means that the T with Summilux-T 35/1.4 will fit if you leave the divider out. On the CL, I’m not quite sure.
Here with the Leica CL and 23 Summicron, with hood attached.And here in a different setup: the Leica T with 18/2.8 attached, plus two more lenses stacked on the side.
Finally, the 72 has a detachable strap that is adjustable and wears comfortable, even without the option shoulder pad. You could wear the 72 on a belt (it has a strap for that), but I prefer to use the shoulder strap.
Who’s it for and would I buy it? Well, I think any rangefinder or Leica shooter should have at least one small bag where you can fit one camera and one lens. You could use it for walks, day trips with minimalistic gear, or whenever you go out. But there’s another purpose for this bag I think. If you’re traveling with non-photographic bags (a backpack, duffle bag, suitcase, whatever) and want to bring one camera and one (or two) lenses that need good protection, this is the perfect companion. In fact, If I couldn’t bring any carry-on luggage on a flight, I wouldn’t hesitate to fit a camera and lens in the 72, chuck it in a duffle bag and check it in.
Compared to the Billingham Hadely Digital (which I bought a long time ago), the 72 is far more minimalistic and holds much less gear. For day trips where you also need to carry a wallet, a power bank and slightly more stuff, the Digital offers more storage options.
The Billingham 72 is beautifully made and offers maximal protection for minimal gear.
Two weeks ago we were in Sweden with my parents, brothers, sisters and the grandchildren. We don’t meet often as our family lives all across Europe. I knew my parents were looking forward to the reunion, so I had to bring a camera to take at least one group shot and lots of snapshots.
For the first time since I bought my first full frame camera (I think almost 15 years ago), I brought an APS-C camera as my only camera. After a few weeks of playing with the Leica CL I was pretty confident that this nifty camera was perfectly able to deliver the images I want. Also, the CL, combined with an auto focus lens, can be given to anyone with two hands and one eye to take some shots. Ideal for the setting.
My sister and her little boy. Such a cute fellow!
I shot most of the images with the 23/2.0 Summicron: a perfect allround lens with excellent image quality. I brought a few other lenses (the 18/2.8, CV 15/4.5, 50/2.0 M, 75/2.5 M and Zeiss 35/2.8) but didn’t use them much, with exception of the CV15/4.5 which my wife used to take some shots for a bicycling magazine (a seperate post about that one).
Did I miss my M or SL? Not really. There were a few settings where I would have liked a slightly faster lens (which I could have brought of course) or a better ISO/noise performance. But in general, the CL performs very, very, very well for things like this. Being far less expensive, I’m less worried about leaving it on the kitchen table, even with kids running around.
All images shot with the Summicron-TL 23/2.0 ASPH, unless mentioned in the description.
Leica did a great job with the CL.
Playing with grandad. Always fun.Talking a walk with grandma.The choco incident…Grandad telling jokes.Exploring the area. With the 50 cron.
