I am pleased to report that on a recent visit to the Leica Store in San Francisco, my wallet remained firmly secured in my pocket. While resisting the temptation to part with my hard-earned cash on more Leica gear, I spent some time enjoying its Leica Gallery. A new exhibition had opened the day before, The Weight of Time, by a Bay Area-based artist, Darcy Padilla. Here is what I saw.
As described in an earlier article, our photographic journey from Denver to San Diego, had reached Page, Arizona. We had survived hair-raising mountain descents, epic thunderstorms, and photo-bombing by rowdy strangers. Our journey had brought us within striking distance of the Grand Canyon. Here is what happened on the final leg of an eventful photography road trip.
Leica cameras have been part of my life since the advent of the M8. Then came the M9, the M240, the Q and finally the CL — followed by the realisation that my eyesight is no longer up to the task of focusing accurately. Except for the Q and the CL (since sold) these cameras would no longer work for me. It was time to find a new interchangeable lens camera — a Sigma fp L.
This comes as a surprise: Leica has started a campaign to stimulate sales of the new/old M6 analogue rangefinder camera. Up to 31 December 2023, German Leica stores will trade in any old analogue camera for €500 at least. The Leica M6 price thus effectively drops to under €5,000.
He stood waiting at a bus stop, and it was obvious that I should take a photograph of this striking man with his trolley and placard but weakly, I walked by. Ten seconds later, after berating myself for being so feeble, I returned to ask permission. “Why do you want to do that?” Back then, I fumbled some kind of lame response. Instead of making a photograph, we had a conversation and David ‘Royal Star’ King told me about the event that changed his life.
Many photographers are quite satisfied with their current camera at 24mp (or even lower). No doubt, you can get stunning images from well-exposed and focused shots at that level of definition. With the introduction of the Leica SL2 however, you have access to two features that might tip the balance toward this camera body.
It isn’t every day that we get the opportunity to go out shooting with Leica’s legendary lens designer, Peter Karbe. But last week it happened. Peter was in London and joined a two-hour stroll through its famous streets. He was in the company of several enthusiasts selected by Ivor Cooper of Red Dot Cameras. Robin Sinha of the Leica Akademie had plotted a leisurely route, giving us all the opportunity to speak with Peter.
Playing musical instruments is a uniquely human activity. While other species might create sounds using parts of their body, none employ tools designed to modulate pitch. We call those tools musical instruments. Musicians use their fingers to manipulate those instruments, skilfully varying the frequency of notes they generate. Those ‘digital devices’, and the shapes they adopt when playing an instrument, are the subject of this article.
Many Leica fans will perceive it as a sad anniversary: Today six years ago, Leica launched the CL, as their new APS-C camera. On 21 November 2017, Leica promised an “ideal balance between state-of-the-art technology, mechanical precision and compact construction”. As we know today, it was the beginning of the end.
Yellow, orange, red, maybe even green or blue. Black and white filters have been indispensable in photography for decades. Now, of all times, when interest in black and white is so great again and better and better monochrome cameras are coming onto the market, the knowledge about black and white filters seems to be disappearing. And this is prompting a worrying situation…
Anyone entering the rangefinder world should expect to shell out for a decent lens or two. If those are Leica lenses, they might cost as much as or more than the camera itself, even if they are second-hand. Doesn’t it make sense then to make the most of those stellar prime lenses, wringing every ounce of value from them? That was my plan, and why I turned to a two-body, two-lens kit.
The L-Mount universe is expanding: Sigma releases a new 70-200/2.8 in their medium-priced “Sports” range. The new evergreen zoom lens is rather compact, reasonably priced and should be warmly welcomed. With the new announcement, L-Mount grows where it is needed most, in the telephoto range. The 70-200mm F2.8 DG DN OS will be available from 7 December for £1,499, €1,699 and $1,499.
Billingham is synonymous with photographic bags, and it’s no surprise to find the company in England’s Black Country has been in business for half a century. In celebration, the company is producing a limited edition of the most popular bags in the range. All feature distinctive red stitching. Now, why didn’t they think of that before, you may ask.
The Leica M11-P, announced last month, is the latest iteration of the customary “-P” version of the standard M digital. In June 2011, Leica brought us the M9-P, the first of these modern variants. It’s now a tradition that the -P (said to be for “professional”) with its cosmetic and minor technical tweaks, follows around 18 months after the base model. So it was with the M-P (Typ 240), the M10-P and now the M11-P.
Travelling the world is a guaranteed way to find new sights and subjects to photograph. Unfortunately, it often comes with the wear and tear of long flights and jet-lag. So, what about a foreign destination in the same time zone that’s just a short, direct flight away? Let’s pack the Q2 and head for the Pacific Northwest.
