Whole Lotta Leica - March's Lens the Summilux 35mm f1.4 - Night Street Photography From Tokyo, Japan

I'm a little late finishing up March's Whole Lotta Leica results. Here are some images I shot with the Summilux 35mm f1.4 on the Leica M9 while I was in Tokyo at the end of March.

 

(Click Here) to read my post about the Summilux 35.

 

The f1.4 allowed me to shoot easily in the darkness. The weather was cold and rainy on our trip this year, but I didn't let that slow me down.

 

The first two are shots from my walk around the Monzennakacho area.

 

Fruit Market, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 1250, f2, 1/125 sec.

 

Outside the Ramen Shop, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 1250, f1.7, 1/125 sec.

 

I also walked to Nihonbashi (literally "Japan Bridge"). The first bridge was constructed here in 1603. Nihonbashi has been an important merchant area since that time. The predecessor of Tokyo's famous Tsukiji fish market was first located at Nihonbashi. It's hard to believe, but people used to be able to see Mount Fuji from Nihonbashi; it is now completely covered by an overhead expressway.

 

Cherry Blossoms at Nihonbashi, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 640, f1.4, 1/30 sec.

 

I always like to shoot pictures of people with umbrellas. I really like the transparent umbrellas that are popular in Tokyo. They allow me to capture people's faces, even when they're under an umbrella. Pretty cool.

 

Transparent Umbrella at Nihonbashi #1, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 640, f1.7, 1/45 sec.

Transparent Umbrella at Nihonbashi #2, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summilux 35mm f1.4 Lens

iso 1250, f2, 1/60 sec.

 

I already wrote about how I prefer 50mm lenses over 35mm in most cases. I know that a lot of people prefer 35mm for street photography, and I can appreciate why. I really enjoyed shooting with this lens for the month. The color rendition is really, really nice in my opinion, and the added depth of field over a 50mm lens helped immensely in night time shooting.

 

You may find it interesting that two different instructors for Leica Akademie workshops I've taken both recommend 35mm over 50mm for street shooting. At the recent LHSA Spring Shoot in Fort Lauderdale, I attended a street photography seminar with Leica's Justin Stailey. Based on his recommendation, I shot the 35mm Summilux the whole time. I'll post some of those images soon as well. I definitely have come to value this classic lens more through learning how to better use it.

 

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