So What Do You Think of the Retro Styled Cameras? Canon Says No.

 

The Nikon Df

Image Source: http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Digital-SLR-Cameras/1526/Nikon-Df.html

 

Personally, I really like the styling of some of today's cameras, specifically some of those that harken back to cameras I knew or used when I was younger. No, I don't carry a pocket watch or hand-drawn maps. But I do still carry a Nikon F2 pretty often. So, the Df definitely appeals.

 

My new Lumix DMC-GX7 makes me wish it was more "retro" styled, something like the Olympus OM-D. Fuji's designs are distinctly retro and cool.

 

Apparently, Canon will not pursue this line of design, according to a post on the SLR Lounge.

 

(Click Here) to see the quote from a Canon representative.

 

Now this doesn't bother me much, as the only Canon gear I own really is retro. I have a Canon 50mm f1.4 Leica Thread Mount (LTM) lens that truly lives up to its nickname, the Japanese Summilux. I also have a Canon 135mm f3.5 LTM lens that is amazingly sharp and nice. Oh yeah, I also have a fixed lens 35mm rangefinder, the Canon QL17, with f1.7 lens. I haven't had that out in a while. Hmm. Maybe that's how I'll enjoy some retro Canon. I wouldn't be likely to buy a new Canon anyway, even if it was retro styled.

 

Now the Nikon Df is another story. Still attracted to that one.

 

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City Street in Autumn

 

Autumn in the City, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Canon 135mm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 400, f6.7, 1/180 sec.

 

This shot was one that actually required a telephoto lens in the city, not such a common thing. I noticed the scene from across the street, a busy street with cars going by fairly frequently. The black fence and gorgeous fall leaves behind made this beautiful backdrop for a shot of passersby. In order to get the shot, I needed a telephoto to keep me out of the street.

 

So, I popped on my Canon 135mm f3.5 lens, a Leica thread mount (LTM) lens that I picked up for a very low price, and waited. This is one nice lens. Sharp as can be. The only problem I've ever noticed with it is some purple fringing in very high contrast situations. Otherwise, it's top notch.

 

I photographed several people walking by, but this one came out best. Even with the telephoto, I had to crop the image to remove two very distracting car bumpers, one at either side. Hence the tall 16:9 frame.

 

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Another Wildlife Shot From An Unlikely Camera and Lens - Leica M9 and Canon LTM 135mm f3.5

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 Lens

iso 320, f4.8, 1/180 sec.

 

I took this shot last week in Maui. I was driving to a likely beach for my sunrise walk when I saw this guy in a pool of water next to the road. I pulled over, put the longest lens I had on my M9, which was the 135mm Canon, and started slowly approaching. He flew off, but then later returned. Waiting long enough made him less sensitive to my presence. Patience paid off, and he finally approached me this time, staying long enough for me to get a few shots.

 

Using a rangefinder and relatively short telephoto lens is not the proven method of shooting birds. It worked here.

 

I didn't really appreciate this shot until I took a longer look on a big monitor. I decided to print it at 13"x19", and that's when it really came to life for me. In addition to the awesome detail rendered in the bird's eye and feathers, the circular ripples in the water surface (rain? I don't remember) are an important element. Finally, the bird's reflection in the water surface is another nice secondary element. Overall, I'm quite pleased with this shot.

 

For me the bottom line is that different gear leads to different images. For example, if I shot this with a longer telephoto lens on an SLR, I'd probably miss the water ripples altogether, and using a wider aperture would prevent me from getting both the eye and feathers in sharp detail. So, I'm glad my choice of equipment challenged me to get what I did, perhaps even better than a more traditional birding rig would have allowed. Or maybe next time that I do have a longer lens, I'll be sure to include more of the surroundings, and get more depth of field. Either way, I'm learning about alternative compositions and elements.

 

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A Walk In The Woods, With Leica M9 - Composing Differently

Yesterday, I posted an image I made at Manassas National Battlefield, on my way to a hike at the Shenandoah National Park. Here are some shots from the hike itself.

 

I have been in the situation of shooting nature with my M9 recently. Not exactly what most nature photographers grab on their way out, the rangefinder presents challenges. It doesn't play well with long telephoto lenses or macro. This is part of the fun for me. In fact, it forces me to compose differently, maybe even better in some cases.

 

This little white mushroom was sticking out of a bank of green along the trail. If I were carrying my Nikon DSLR, I would have been motivated to grab a macro lens, and show as much detail of the mushroom as possible. It did have an interesting texture; this would not have been a bad idea. But, it would have missed some of the context, the contrast between this little fungus and everything else around it. This month's Whole Lotta Leica Lens, the Summicron 35mm f2, showed that quite well.

 

Shroom, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 Version 3

iso 400, f8, 1/25 sec.

 

Perhaps a little more in the normal Leica realm, I really liked the abstract shapes made by the flowing water, wood, and stone in the creek below. I would have liked to use a neutral density filter and get a longer exposure, to let the water flow even more. I don't carry filters for my Leica lenses.

Creek, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 Version 3

iso 160, f16, 1/3 sec.

I shot the leaf below from several angles before getting what I wanted. What really attracted me was the reflection of the green leaves and dark tree trunks above the water. This green patch was actually quite small, so my shots with the 35mm wide angle lens included too much. I switched to my lovely little Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 lens. This is an amazingly sharp lens. I was able to get it up on a tripod pretty high, and isolate the reflections from the rest of the scene. The leaf in the water provides an anchor point for the eye.

Summer Reflection, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 Lens

iso 400, f5.6, 1/60 sec.

I spied this Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon), sunning himself by the creek. My nature photographer instincts kicked in, and I started shooting from afar, to make sure I got a shot of him. Again using the 135mm, a rather modest telephoto length, I kept easing closer and closer. Here's the closest shot I got.

Northern Water Snake, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 Lens

iso 320, f6.7, 1/1000 sec.

Upon looking at all of the shots I took when I got home, I discovered the one below. Including the full body of the snake, and more of his surroundings, I actually prefer this one:

Northern Water Snake With Context, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 Lens

iso 320, f6.7, 1/1000 sec.

 

I most definitely would not have made the shot above with a DSLR and long telephoto. Just to be clear, this is not a weakness of the DSLR per se. It is my own way of thinking when I'm using that equipment. I'm really glad that I forced myself to work with what I had.

 

I continue to learn about this interface of equipment and creativity.

 

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Key West Cemetery - Shot With Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1

When in Key West, I always like to look for hints of the local culture, which all too often get covered over with the trappings of tourism. The historic Key West cemetery is always worth a quick visit. This time, I grabbed my Lumix DMC-GX1, 20mm f1.7 lens, and Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 lens and headed there for an early morning walk.

 

Rather than try to paraphrase, I'll quote directly from the historic marker at the cemetery to provide some background:

 

"Key West Cemetery was founded in 1847 following a hurricane the previous year that destroyed the earlier cemetery located near present day Higgs Beach. To protect from future flooding the 10-acre cemetery was located here on Solares Hill, the highest natural elevation in Key West. An estimated 75,000 people are interred here, divided among parcels that reflect the cultural diversity that continues to characterize the city of Key West today. The cemetery contains a historic Catholic section, Jewish section, the USS Maine plot dedicated in 1900, and the Los Martires de Cuba, a memorial for those who fought in the 1868 Cuban revolution. In addition to these defined areas, African Americans, Cubans and Americans, rich and poor, are interred throughout. In-ground and crypt style graves range from simple concrete copings filled with soil to elaborate monnuments. Plot enclosures of wrought iron, wood, or concrete were often used to mark family plots.

A Florida Heritage Site Sponsored by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation, The City of Key West, and the Florida Department of State"

 

Let's take a look at the place.

Key West Cemetery, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f2.8, 1/400 sec

 

 

Fallen, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens
iso 160, f2.8, 1/40 sec

Gravestones and Chickens, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens
iso 160, f2.8, 1/320 sec

Family Plots, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f2, 1/1000 sec

 

Occupying a relatively small area of land, completely surrounded by residential neighborhood, this is a place of visual details. For example, the flowers really stand out from the dull gray stone.

Pink Flowers, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f1.7, 1/640 sec

 

Sleeping Angel, by Reed A. George
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens
iso 160, f1.7, 1/1250 sec

This next shot was made with the adapted Canon 135mm f3.5 LTM lens. I'm amazed by the sharpness of this old lens. I also really like the out of focus areas in the background.

Isolated, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Canon LTM 135mm f3.5 Lens
iso 160, f4, 1/200 sec

 

Thoughtful, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f5.6, 1/40 sec

Cross, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f1.7, 1/640 sec

 

Peaceful, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Lumix 20mm f1.7 Lens

iso 160, f1.7, 1/800 sec

 

Key West is such a funky place. It's somehow comforting to know that even in death, you can retain a little uniqueness. The cemetery here is another thing about Key West that reminds me of another unique place, New Orleans.

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