Jim Fisher’s recent piece for PCMag, “Why I Put 50-Year-Old Lenses on My New Mirrorless Camera (and Why You Should Too)”, is one of those articles that depends on which side of the adapter fence you’re standing on. For anyone who has spent the last decade or two bolting Leica, Zeiss and Voigtländer glass onto everything from a Fujifilm X-Pro to a Sony A7, none of it is news. But it is a useful reminder that what looked, ten years ago, like a niche enthusiasm confined to a few stubborn rangefinder diehards has become mainstream enough for a mass-market technology title to run a feature.
Left Brain and Right Brain Photography Styles: Is there such a thing?
I have been a long-time reader of Macfilos because of the wide-ranging topics covered on the blog, as well as the many photography styles featured. The photographs and articles are often grouped by subject, or by medium used (film or digital, colour or black and white). But, can photographs also be grouped by differences in mindset?
A hands-on review of the new Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 Apochromatic
Leica’s 35mm f/2 Summicron APO-Aspherical is, in my opinion, the finest 35mm-equivalent lens that money can buy. But could Light Lens Lab challenge that claim? Peter Karbe’s design has never let me down, and I want to show you why before I get to the real subject of this piece.
Loved to Death: Overtourism in the Cotswolds
Overtourism has become a big thing in the past few years. Cities such as Venice and Florence have been overwhelmed, and there have been mass protests in some Spanish resort areas. But it is often a two-edged sword. Locals tend to become frustrated by the disruption caused by tourists, but the local business community and the city itself benefits enormously from the cash brought by tourists.
Leica SL3-P v Lumix S1RII: All that matters when choosing between two cameras
Leica launched the new SL3-P at the end of June, and the camera was met with much fanfare as the “one SL to have—if you can only have one.” Positioned as the Leica SL which provides “all that matters”, it falls nicely in the sweet spot between the higher resolution but slower-performing SL3, and the respectably fast but lower resolution SL3-S. However, a few reviews have already been speculating whether the SL3-P is really just a Lumix S1RII in SL clothing. Having used both the SL3-S and S1RII extensively, I decided to spend a few weeks with an SL3-P to see how it compares to the S1RII.
Leica explains the SL3-P — and I’m just learning from the bottom up…
DPReview’s Richard Butler published an interview with Gerrit Gissel, Leica’s product manager for the SL series, talking through the thinking behind the SL3-P. I found it fascinating, and it happens to confirm a good deal of what I’ve discovered for myself over the past few weeks with my own newly minted SL3-P.
Panoramic street photography at dusk: The Sirui Saturn 35mm full-frame anamorphic lens
The sun has just set in Coronado, California. Ambient light is fading, artificial lights are glowing, and car headlights are blazing. It’s time to reach for my Sirui Saturn anamorphic lens, grab my tripod, and start shooting dusk panoramas.
Leica Akademie Australia visits Morocco: Exploring 9,000 alleys in the Medina
What’s it really like to join a Leica Akademie trip? How much does it cost, and is it actually worth it? I found myself asking all of those questions before deciding — slightly out of character — to sign up for something wholly different.
Why Gordy’s camera straps are one of photography’s best-kept secrets
The distinctive Latigo-leather camera straps made by Gordon Coale are one of photography’s best-kept secrets. In general, neck and wrist straps come and go, prices continue to rise, many secret sauces are claimed for perfect handling. But Gordy never changes. His simple straps, the wrist straps in particular, are beautifully crafted and only improve with age.
Riding High: Leica’s Q series outsells the M by 2-to-1
Full credit to Jeremy Gray at PetaPixel for this one: Leica Sells ‘Twice as Much or Even More’ Q Cameras Than M Rangefinders. Gray reports on comments made by Andrea Pacella, Leica’s VP of global marketing, at the Leica SL3-P launch event in Wetzlar. Pacella revealed that the Q series now outsells the entire M rangefinder system by a factor of two or more, and that Leica deliberately caps production to protect the premium price point rather than chasing volume. He also disclosed the split within the Q3 family: roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of buyers choose the standard 28mm Q3 over the 43mm variant.
Royal Photographic Society’s 167th annual International Photography Exhibition
The exhibiting artists for the 167th edition of the Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition (IPE), the world’s longest-running photography exhibition, have been announced. More than 5,200 photographers, both amateur and professional, submitted work for consideration in the 167th IPE open call. A guest panel selected 113 prints from 48 photographers for inclusion in the exhibition.
Billingham launches the Icon: A messenger bag for life beyond the camera bag
I have been carrying Billingham bags, on and off, for the best part of two decades, and I have written about the marque’s various models for Macfilos since 2013. So when a new model turns up in Cradley Heath, my ears prick up immediately. Is this something I ought to have? The latest arrival is the Billingham Icon. It is now on sale, and it marks a small but interesting shift for Billingham. This is not, first and foremost, a camera bag. It is a messenger bag built for everyday carry — laptop, notebook, wallet, keys, the usual clutter of a working day.
2026 Leica Oskar Barnack Award Finalists Announced
The international jury for the 2026 Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) has shortlisted the twelve finalists in the photography competition to present their series of images, and the winner of the first LOBA Women Grant has been chosen. For the 46th time, Leica Camera AG is honouring exceptional photographers with the LOBA, selected through a multi-stage selection process.
Ten top tips for photographing fireworks
A firework display is a blend of chemistry, pyrotechnics, and rocketry – a visually spectacular, ephemeral artwork. But photographing fireworks is tricky. Many of my previous attempts ended in blurry, over-exposed images. However, I believe I have finally worked out how to capture sharp, well-exposed photographs of these aerial light shows. So, here are my top ten tips for photographing fireworks.
The Art of Panoramic Photography: Tips and tools
Panoramic photos, with aspect ratios such as 1:3, deliver impressive visual impact. The viewer’s eye can sweep admiringly across the ultra-wide image, drinking in all that delicious detail. It’s hard to fully enjoy them on social-media platforms primarily geared to square or vertically oriented images. But on a wide-screen, or in large-print form, they look sensational. The question is, what’s the best method of taking panoramic photographs?