Life has a strange way of offering up new opportunities. It started with a discussion between two photographers comparing their different versions of the same lens, a 35mm ASPH Summicron. It ended with a broken lens hood, a good replacement, and a long conversation with the co-founder of a new Chinese company called Mandler making homage versions of classic Leica lenses.
Viltrox Chip Review: A tiny marvel for L-Mount shooters hungry for a pancake
It’s hard to imagine how a company could bring something truly fresh to the already extensive line up of full-frame, L-Mount lenses. But that’s just what Viltrox have done with their latest introduction: the Viltrox Chip lens. It’s tiny, it’s sharp, it’s autofocus, and it’s cheap! Let’s take a closer look.
The Welcome Break, the pause button, and the art of staying stationary
We all observe life around us but some of us are better than others. Some of our best-known photographers have become masters at capturing life in public places; from Henri Cartier-Bresson to Gary Winogrand to Vivian Maier to Elliott Erwitt and Martin Parr. They turned “everyday” life and the mundane into an art form of human interest. Now you can add Oliver Bennett to that list.
Fujifilm X70 Review: A forgotten compact camera
Last week I was chatting to Andy Sands, owner of my local camera dealer, Chiswick Camera Centre. On that occasion, our topic was the boom in compact cameras such as the Fujifilm X100VI, the Panasonic L10, and the Ricoh GR IV. Suddenly, he rummaged in a box behind the counter and produced two Fujifilm X70 cameras, one black, one silver. I’d completely forgotten about this little camera, so when he offered to lend them to me, I was delighted. The only snag was that they are dummy demo cameras, but they are good enough for a bit of product photography. Nonetheless, this set me thinking about what might have been.
Capturing sketches of Spain with a Leica Q3
I have taken holidays in Spain several times in the past and visited Madrid and Barcelona for work. But those trips were many years ago. I probably had my old Olympus OM2 with the standard 50mm f/1.8 lens and that was it. What could I capture on this trip in one fairly small province to give a flavour of what it’s like there? I’m short handing the article “Sketches of Spain” because you can never fully capture a country in one broad brushstroke and one colour.
Maximise your photography with adapted M-Mount lenses
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.