Lucky Shot - One With the World in Maui

 

One With the World, by Reed A. George

Leica M6, Leica Summicron 50mm f2 Lens

Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

Well, I'm waiting for my negatives from Maui to arrive back in the mail from The Darkroom. I usually only spring for the cheapest scans from The Darkroom, as I like to scan my own selected images. However, this one looks so good to me in the online scans that I decided to go ahead and post it.

 

I shot this on the way back into town after a walk to the Buddhist temple in Lahaina Town. I didn't know this person, and just happened to catch the moment, as his family continued on down the beach by the Lahaina breakwall. I love the feel of this image.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica Lens for August - 35mm f2 Summicron Type 3

I recently picked up this Summicron 35mm f2, unplanned, for a very good price at a local camera store. I'll be shooting this lens a lot with my M9 in the month of August. In fact, I already posted one shot from it, on August 4.

 

Leica Summicron 35mm f2, Version 3, 1975

 

Leica's Summicron lenses are world-renowned for their quality. Earlier in the year, I picked a more expensive 35mm lens from the same approximate time period, the f1.4 Summilux, for my Whole Lotta Leica (WLL) series.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Summilux. It is a very nice lens, and the fast f1.4 makes it very flexible. However, that lens is known to be a little soft wide open. Not so with the Summicron.

 

If you haven't noticed, I've consolidated all of my WLL post links onto a single page, so it's easy to find a particular lens and the results from it.

 

(Click Here) to go to my WLL links page.

 

Back to the Summicron that I'll be shooting this month, it is the third version of the 35mm f2 by this name. Mine was made in 1975. There are at least five versions at this point. The version 2 and 3 Summicron 35s have six elements, as compared to eight in the earlier model 1. This reduces the number of glass-to-air interfaces, reportedly improving (increasing) contrast, at the cost of some resolution.

 

This is a gorgeous, tiny lens, that makes the perfect mate to a nice M body like the M9. We'll see how it performs this month. I'm thinking it's going to be good.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

So How Good Is A $4,200 28mm Lens? Leica On Loan at LHSA Spring Shoot!

At the recent LHSA (International Leica Society) Spring Shoot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Leica continued their tradition of providing the "Leica On Loan" program to LHSA members. At the beginning of the meeting, Justin Stailey of Leica wheeled in his suitcase literally full of Leica cameras and lenses for us to borrow and test. Yes, you could borrow a Leica M9 or even the M Monochrom, and just about any Leica M lens you can imagine. I decided to borrow the Summicron 28mm f2.

 

I immediately attached the 28 to my film body, an M4-2, where it stayed for most of the meeting. I shot a roll of Fuji Sensia slide film that I needed to use before age took its effects. Here are some of the results.

 

Villa Vizcaya, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

How's that for color? No polarizer or filter of any kind.

 

Vizcaya Stairway #1, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

I really enjoyed the wide angle and well-controlled distortion of the Summicron 28.

 

Garden Towers, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

I picked this particular lens to challenge myself. Preferring 50mm for my normal lens, a 35mm feels wide to me. 28mm is even wider. It's not easy for me to compose with this lens. For example, in the shot above, the lady on the terrace just to right of the center of the image was an important element for me. While I kept the whole composition in mind, using the multiple frames of the towers, my mind was focused on her as a compositional element. As it turns out, she's barely visible due to the wide angle perspective of this lens. This is my limitation in seeing in wide angle, not a limitation of the lens.

 

Colonnade, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

In the case above, the wide perspective allowed me to include the entire column closest to me, which really adds to the shot.

 

Leading Line and Fountain, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

We visited the gardens at almost high noon - the worst light of the day. Combined with a wide angle lens, that presents quite a challenge.

 

Vizcaya Stairway #2, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

The shot above is my favorite from Vizcaya. All it needs is an alluring lady dressed in white (or red) walking down the steps. Again, the 28mm allowed me to take in the full sweeping shape of this elegant piece of architecture. I love how my eye follows the stairs right up to the sky in this shot.

Now for a change of pace. When we visited the Leica Store in Miami at the Miracle Mile, we saw plenty of high end automobiles. This Ferrari really caught my eye.

Ferrari, Low Angle, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

Ferrari, High Angle, by Reed A. George

Leica M4-2, Leica Summicron 28mm f2 Lens, Fuji Sensia 100

 

The high angle shots says "South Florida" to me - expensive car, palm trees and blue skies reflected in the hood.

 

So, Leica On Loan is yet another great benefit of being an active LHSA member. I can only guess what rental on a $4,200 lens would be for a weekend. Certainly not free as it was for me. If you're interested in joining LHSA, which includes a subscription (electronic or hardcopy) to the Viewfinder journal, access to an amazingly well-informed group of Leica folks, multiple annual events, a new Google+ community, and much more:

 

(Click Here) to join LHSA. If you have any questions about LHSA, feel free to contact me directly.

 

My slides were processed in highly professional fashion by my favorite mail-in processing service, The Darkroom.

 

(Click Here) to go the The Darkroom's page. Very reasonable prices, fast, high quality service, including automatic scanning of every image, posted to your album on the web. You get to see how your images turned out while you're waiting for the originals to arrive in the mail.

 

Thanks to Justin Stailey and Leica for letting me borrow this awesome wide angle lens!

 

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica Results - Summicron Collapsible at LHSA Spring Shoot in South Florida!

 

South Florida Sky, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 160, f8, 1/350 sec.

 

I attended the LHSA (International Leica Society) Spring Shoot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in April. I shot quite a lot with my Whole Lotta Leica lens for the month, the Summicron 50mm collapsible.

 

(Click Here) to read about the lens.

 

Here are some more shots from the trip.

American Dream, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 160, f16, 1/180 sec.

As one of our outings, we visited Villa Vizcaya in Miami. Amazing what turn of the 20th century money could buy.

 

 

Garden Wall, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 160, f16, 1/125 sec.

It was hot and sunny, as we were there mid-day. Justin Stailey of Leica attended the Spring Shoot, and led a great street photography workshop a la Leica Akademie for us.

Leica's Justin Stailey Catching Some Shade, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 160, f3.5, 1/350 sec.

The new Leica Store in Miami welcomed our whole LHSA contingent, serving refreshments, talking Leica, and sharing some results from the new Leica M camera with us. I love the new Leica stores.

Leica Store, Miami, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 640, f3.4, 1/350 sec.

While the lights were low for the M presentation, I shot a few images of one of our Leica Store hosts in the near darkness.

Thoughtful, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 1250, f2.8, 1/25 sec.

My Summicron Collapsible caught the attention of Leica technical whiz Jim Lager. He noted the early serial number, and brought up the radioactive glass. Pretty good eye, catching that from across the table. Here's an example of shooting the old Summicron nearly wide open into the morning light, while I got coffee.

Morning Backlighting, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2 Collapsible Lens

iso 320, f2.4, 1/320 sec.

Not exactly flare-resistant, the old(est) Summicron does have character.

 

If you're a Leica enthusiast, please look into joining the LHSA. It's a wonderful society, with a first-rate quarterly publication, the "Viewfinder," and an amazing membership of people who know and love Leica and photography. We've recently started a Google+ community for LHSA, which I hope to really make interesting in the coming weeks.

 

(Click Here) to join LHSA. We promise to welcome you to the group!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Whole Lotta Leica - April's 50mm f2 Summicron Collapsible - in South Florida at the LHSA Spring Shoot!

I'm currently at the LHSA (International Leica Society) Spring Shoot in Fort Lauderdale, Florida - held April 18-20, 2013.

 

(Click Here) to read about LHSA. It's a wonderful group of real Leica experts, who also happen to be a lot of fun. Membership includes access to the excellent magazine Viewfinder, meetings in exciting places (Fort Lauderdale this spring, San Francisco in the fall), some amazing raffles for high end Leica equipment, and much more.

 

I'm operating with my iPad only on this trip, so the few pictures in this post are unedited jpegs, straight from the camera. They were all shot with the Summicron collapsible 50mm f2 lens that I selected for my Whole Lotta Leica series lens for April.

 

(Click Here) to read about this special lens.

 

Los Olas Cleaning Crew, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, 50mm f2 Summicron Collapsible

 

I shot this image on my way back to the hotel from Starbucks this morning. I knew that I liked the way the water pouring down looked, but didn't catch it the first time. I waited a few minutes while they soaped and scrubbed, and were finally ready for another water rinse. I also popped on my little Nikon SB30 flash to fill in the backlighting a little.

 

Bow Reflections on New River, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron Collapsible 50mm f2

 

What I like about this shot is how the ripples in the water surface are reflected in the bright metal bow plate of the boat.

 

 

Villa Vizcaya Gardens, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron Collapsible 50mm f2

 

Our outing today began at Villa Vizcaya, home to industrialist James Deering from 1916-1925. I need to work with this image, but what I like is the double framing of a beautiful girl in a blue gown at the gates at the far end. At this size, she looks tiny. I'm hoping it will look good enlarged.

 

We also visited the new Leica store in Miami, and received a nice presentation on the new Leica M camera. Quite impressive.

 

The meeting also offers "Leica on Loan," where Leica loans out cameras and lenses for us to test on our daily shoots. Today I got the Leica Summicron 28mm f2. I shot it on a film Leica, my M4-2, so we'll have to wait until the film is processed to see how that went. I just looked it up and discovered that's a $4,200 lens! I'd better lock that in the hotel safe tonight... If you want your own, please buy it at the link below :)... As if.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Whole Lotta Leica - Shot From April's Lens, the Collapsible Summicron 5cm f2 - Coffee!

Coffee's Up, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 5cm f2 Collapsible

iso 640 f4.8, 1/125 sec

 

April's Whole Lotta Leica lens is the earliest version of Leica's legendary 5cm Summicron.

 

(Click Here) to read about the lens.

 

I usually don't shoot with filters on my lenses. Reading about the rarity of an early (radioactive) Summicron collapsible without cleaning marks on the front lens element, I decided I'd better put a filter on mine for protection. I happened to have a nice example of the original Leica filter that fits this lens. It looks to be in fine condition as well, so I put it on. I shot with the Summicron at two different events yesterday, and looking at the images now, I can see internal reflections in many, and loss of contrast in most. Lesson learned. I'll be removing that filter.

 

The shot above was made without a filter, while my wife and I were in Dayton, Ohio. This coffee shop, Press, is really great. Coffee is made one cup at a time, and is really, really good.

 

I like the leading line of the counter pointing to the real interest of the shot, the coffee pouring into the cup. I also like the shape formed by the barista's arm and torso.

 

I am just getting up to speed on my new Nik software suite. I used SilverEfex to do the black and white conversion, and selected the Kodak Tri-X asa 400 treatment. I love that! It really does resemble the results I get with Tri-X film.

 

So, I'll keep learning - no filters, use SilverEfex, and so on...

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

April's Whole Lotta Leica Lens - the Summicron 5cm f2 Collapsible LTM "Radioactive" Lens

 

Leica Summicron 5cm f2 Collapsible Lens

 

This month, I am choosing the Summicron 5cm f2 collapsible lens as my Whole Lotta Leica selection. I will pair it up with my Leica M9 for the month and share the results with you here.

 

The Summicron 50mm has been a benchmark lens for Leica (and for comparisons from other manufacturers) since it was first introduced around 1955. The first version (shown here) was a collapsible lens. Originally made in Leica Thread Mount (LTM), the collapsible was also made in Leica M mount. Mine is an LTM lens.

 

The collapsible Summicron was an evolutionary step up from the previous Summitar 5cm f2 collapsible, which remains a favorite of vintage Leica shooters.

 

Mine happens to be an early unit (serial no. 994,XXX), which is classifed as having radioactive glass. There is some disagreement about the meaning of this, but here's a quote from Brian Sweeney, a lens expert with a lot of credibilty:

 

 

"Brian Sweeney

04-27-2010, 03:48

The original Summicrons use Thorium Glass and they are radioactive. I own two of them. Summicrons with SN after 105xxxx do not use radioactive glass.

 

The original prototype Summicrons were marked as Summitars, and had the asterisk (or star) next to the name. I have only seen photographs.

 

http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/lenses/lenses/page92.html

 

The Summar is a double-gauss, 6 elements in four groups, 1-2-2-1 configuration. The Summitar and earlier Summicrons are evolutions of it, 7 elements in 5 groups. The type 2 Rigid Summicron (black, the 70s version) was 6 elements in 5 groups. The modern Summicron went back to the 1-2-2-1 configuration."

 

 

If you're interested, you can (click here) to read more about thorium glass, contaminated lanthanum glass, and whether or not the radioactive glass will fog film (it won't at normal distances).

 

The glass in these lenses is normally yellowed. Some people think it makes these lenses better for black and white shooting. I know it's common to use a yellow filter to increase contrast in blue skies. Or maybe the yellow is worse for color photography?

 

In any case, mine is in gorgeous condition. It is rare to find one without cleaning marks. I got lucky.

 

(Click Here) to read a nice summary of the different versions of the Leica Summicron 50mm lenses on antiquecameras.net

 

The International Leica Society (aka LHSA) is having their Spring Shoot in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on April 17-20. I'll be taking the Summicron collapsible along for the trip.

 

By the way, if you aren't a member of LHSA, I highly recommend it. It's a great group. Even though it formerly had "historical" in its name, the LHSA comprises a wide variety of members with experience ranging from the earliest vintage models through the latest digital Leicas. This is not a group stuck in time. In fact, at my first LHSA event, I took a great workshop on high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. That's not an old technology.

 

In addition to their Spring Shoot and annual meeting, the LHSA holds an annual raffle where they give away extremely expensive and wonderful cameras, and they publish a great journal, known as the Viewfinder. They also offer an electronic membership, where the Viewfinder is delivered as a pdf. Wonderful. No clogging up the mailbox with a paper magazine.

 

So, check out the LHSA:

 

(Click Here) and join!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

I Succumbed to a GAS Attack - Lumix DMC-LX7

If you don't know what GAS is, it stands for Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Most photographers suffer from it. I have it bad.

 

You probably know that I'm a Panasonic Lumix fan. I've written about my favorite ultra-compact camera, the Lumix DMC-LX5 several times. Up until now, I have refrained from upgrading to the latest model, the DMC-LX7. Yesterday, I gave in and ordered one.

Image Source: http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/compact/lx7/index.html

 

So, if I'm content with the LX5, what made me do it? Well, first off, the LX7 comes with a Pana-Leica Summilux f1.4 lens, a full stop faster than the LX5's Summicron. With small sensors like the one in the LX5 and LX7, high iso noise is always a concern. With an extra full f-stop over the LX5, the LX7 will allow me to stay a full iso level lower, drastically reducing noise. The LX7 also has a CMOS sensor, rather than the CCD in the LX5. This may end up being a compromise, as CCD sensors can yield sharper images, while CMOS is better at high iso. We'll just have to see about that when it arrives.

 

(Click Here) for a nice review and table summarizing the other differences between the LX5 and LX7 on dpreview.com.

 

The other reason I bought on the spur of the moment? The LX7 is drastically marked down at Adorama. With a list price of $448, it is now available for $150 off at Adorama, for $298. Hard to decline.

 

Now, here's the only dilemma left for me - do I need the new DMW-LVF2 electronic viewfinder that goes with the LX7? Unfortunately, very unfortunately, the DMW-LVF1 that I have for my LX5 (and for my old Micro 4/3 DMC-GF1) won't work on the LX7. The new one, the LVF2, is supposed to be much better in resolution, but it's also larger. That matters on a compact camera like the LX7.

 

From my experience with the LX5, I do enjoy the LVF1. However, I would say that I more often use an old optical finder, a Russian model, with the zoom set to 35mm equivalent. This makes a great, bright, fast little street shooter out of the LX5; I expect to do the same with the LX7. So, for now, I'm not buying the LVF2. If I found out that the new DMC-GX2 Micro 4/3 camera (if and when it's finally announced) used the LVF2, then I'd be very tempted. It's not at all clear that will be the case. By the way, the LVF2 isn't cheap. It costs around $160.

 

There is a great set of information about the LX7 on Panasonic's website, including nice descriptions of the features, galleries of images, and a nice video of Charlie Waite using the LX7 to shoot in Holland.

 

(Click Here) to see the LX7 on Panasonic's site.

 

I have been sharing pictures from the LX5 occasionally on the getdpi forum. Some of us are making the transition to the LX7, and there's a relatively new link where others have shared some very nice LX7 images. I will be adding to this thread soon.

 

(Click Here) to see the LX7 image post on getdpi.

 

One final clincher for me? The LX7 uses the same battery as the LX5. So, I can use my existing set of batteries!

 

I anticipate writing my second e-book soon. The one I wrote on how to set up and use the Lumix DMC-G3 has been very popular, with thousands of downloads. So, I'll commit to writing one on the LX7 soon. I'll have to do it soon, as the next model in this line will undoubtedly come around soon. Stay tuned for that.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Felix at efix:photography: "Goodbye M8, hello CL!"

 

Leica CL and Zeiss Biogon 28mm f2.8 ZM Lens

Image Source: http://www.efixmedia.de/photography/2012/11/17/goodbye-m8-hello-cl/comment-page-1/#comment-7663

 
I just found a new (to me) blog, called efix:photography. The operator, Felix, has just sold his beloved Leica M8, as did I.
 
I was lucky enough to replace mine with an M9. Felix, for reasons of his own, went a different and I think very productive way - he purchased a Leica CL film camera.
 
(Click Here) to read the post on efix:photography
 
The Leica CL, which was produced through a collaboration of Leica and Minolta, is an excellent camera. It has a slightly shorter rangefinder base than the other Leica M bodies, which means that theoretically it is harder to focus to high accuracy. I have never had any problem with this in real experience. The CL is the most compact Leica rangefinder camera, and will mount any Leica M lens. Back in the day, it came with a 40mm f2 Summicron (sometimes labeled as a 40mm Rokkor by Minolta). That's what I have attached to mine. The 40mm lens is just plain spectacular. The finder on the CL has lines for 40mm, 50mm, and 90mm lenses. There is also a CL-matching 90mm f4 that is tiny and super sharp. I don't have that one. Another important feature of the CL is a built-in exposure meter. This makes it a very self-contained, easy to use camera.
 
The 40mm Summicron, by the way, is a wonderful "normal" lens for the M8, with it's 1.33X crop factor. This gives it a field of view equivalent to ~53mm on a full frame 35mm camera when used on the M8. The 40mm Rokkor f2 was my most-used lens on the M8.
 
How much do I like the CL? Well, I'm leaving soon for a trip to Barcelona (I'll be back by the time this posts), and am relying on Lumix Micro 4/3 cameras for the trip. However, I do have the CL and 40mm Rokkor in my bag as well. It's the only non-Panasonic camera going with me on this trip. I have a few rolls of Tmax 400 in the bag as well. I know I'll use the CL while I'm there.
 
So, check out Felix's blog, and watch for what he's going to produce with his new camera - the Leica CL!
 
Here's a sample shot from my CL:
 

Chinese New Year Antics, by Reed A. George

Leica CL, exposure unrecorded

 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

Rethinking My Leica M8

Well, my Leica M8 has been up for sale for a couple of weeks now, and to no avail. It's amazing that I can't sell such a nice camera, complete with one year warranty from Leica. So, I'm rethinking the idea of keeping it as a companion to my M9.
 
I am on the bus as I write this, coming home from a weekend in New York City, where I got to shoot the M9 quite a bit. Here's an example of a street shot I got with the M9 and 50mm Summicron f2:
 

Koreatown, New York City, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Summicron 50mm f2

iso 400, f8, 1/125 sec

 
So, I'm very pleased with what the M9 has to offer, more than I was with the M8. However, the M8 has some quite nice qualities. One is that it works so well with one of my favorite lenses, the Rokkor 40mm f2 that originally came with the Leica/Minolta CL and CLE cameras. The 40mm has an equivalent field of view of about 52mm (on full-frame) on the M8. The M8 also works very nicely with the Zeiss Biogon 25mm f2.8, which gives an equivalent field of view to a 34mm lens on full-frame cameras.
 

DC Noodle Shop, by Reed A. George

Leica M8, Zeiss Biogon ZM 25mm f2.8

iso 640, f11, 1/500 sec

 
I recently read an old post on Steve Huff's blog about revisiting the M8. Steve did it out of necessity, after having to sell his M9. The comments from readers were very supportive, and showed that many people are still using the M8 quite happily, with comments as recent as August of this year.
 
(Click Here) to read the M8 Revisited post on Steve Huff's site.
 
I also read an interesting article in the August 2010 edition of the Leica Forum International (LFI) magazine, about actual benefits to using the M8's sensor for black and white photography. Basically, the article makes the point that the lack of heavy filtering (or even sufficient filtering for color photography) in the M8 allows for more flexibility in post-processing images in black and white.
 
So, maybe the M8 will remain with me. I can imagine it making a good backup to the M9, especially for black and white. And, the crop factor will allow me to use my 90mm Elmarit f2.8 lens as a 120mm telephoto. I do like a little longer telephoto for portraits, for example.
 
One other thing - since my M8 is now serviced and warrantied by Leica for another year, I am less concerned about treating it overly gently. In fact, there are places that I feel worried about carrying the M9, especially when I'm concerned about the possibility of theft. I sure wouldn't want my M8 stolen or damaged, but it would be better than breaking or losing my M9.
 
In truth, I'd like for the M8 to sell, to free up some funds. But, it's just too nice of a camera to sell for a bargain basement price. I'd much rather keep it and use it. We'll see what happens in the next week or so. If it doesn't sell, that's just what I'll do.
 
UPDATE: I have traded my M8 for a Limited Edition Zeiss ZM body and Sonnar 50mm f1.5 lens. I figure that the film body and M-mount lens will hold value as well as the M8 (which wasn't very good in that respect alone). I'll give it a try, and decide whether to keep it. The Sonnar is loved and hated by many great photographers. More on that later.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

Sequence of Thoughts - In Pictures - Small Town Saturday Morning

Small Town Saturday Morning
 
It's Saturday, Labor Day Weekend, in Charlestown, West Virginia, USA. What's going on this morning?
 

Car Show, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f8, 1/1000 sec

Roadkill, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f4.8, 1/750 sec

 
Oh, and the weekly farmer's market is also happening.
 

Farmer's Market, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f9.5, 1/250 sec

 
Do you hear that music? Where's that coming from?
 

Market Music, Acoustic Burgoo, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f13, 1/60 sec

 

Local Music 10AM-Noon, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f6.7, 1/350 sec

 
The music and market wrap up at noon, and things in Charles Town go back to normal. Could be a sleepy afternoon.
 

Back to Normal, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f9.5, 1/250 sec

 
 
I hope you enjoyed this little series.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

User Report on Steve Huff Photo - William Jusuf Uses a Lumix DMC-GF2 and Leica R 50mm Summicron For a Couple of Months!

 

Breads and Cakes by William Jusuf on stevehuffphoto.com

Image Source: http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/07/10/user-report-my-journey-with-the-panasonic-gf2-and-leica-50-summicron-r/

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, Leica 50mm Summicron R

 
William Jusuf presents a user report based on his concentration on using a Leica R-mount Summicron 50mm f2 on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2.
 
(Click Here) to read the whole post on stevehuffphoto.com and see the other awesome pictures.
 
Here William shares a wonderfully non-technical, image-inspired review of the fun he's having with this adapted legacy lens on a Panasonic Micro 4/3 body. Of course, the Leica Summicron is world-renowned for its image quality, but the R-mount version is significantly less expensive than those made for the rangefinder M-mount. William puts it to great use.
 
I love seeing this kind of variety in results from such a limited equipment choice. Many would say that the 100mm equivalent field of view on the smaller Micro 4/3 sensor ruins the performance of the Summicron. Not only does it now act as a medium telephoto due to the crop factor, but the out of focus areas ("bokeh") will not be as pronounced, as the smaller sensor produces deeper depth of field than the original 35mm film would have.
 
I would say that William has done a beautiful job of showing just how capable this combination is. Do go look at the original post - there are many more great pictures there.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

Better Than Halfway Through the July Film Challenge!

 

T. Rex, Smithsonian Natural History Museum, by Reed A. George

Leica M4P, 50mm Summicron f2

 
I am on day five of the seven day film challenge, started on Rangefinder Forum.
 
(Click Here) to read more about the challenge.
 
I have been shooting Leica film cameras exclusively for this one, beginning with a Barnack-designed Leica IIIa(G) from 1937. I am visiting my parents now, shooting with a Leica CL and 3.5cm Elmar f3.5, and a Leica M4-2 with Summicron 50mm f2 and Elmarit 90mm f2.8.
 
I have been thoroughly enjoying the experience of shooting with film for several days in a row. The experience has been different every day. Starting out, on a regular work day, I was challenged to find enough to shoot to finish a roll. Now, that problem has passed. For example, I went to the rifle range with my step-dad this morning, and shot several exposures there.
 
Anyway, part of the challenge is to select three favorites, and write about the experience of using film for seven days. Hopefully, it will be hard to select three favorites. We'll see.
 
So far, so good.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com