Viltrox, the most recent company to join the L-Mount Alliance, today announced release of the Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 for L-Mount cameras. The lens represents a compelling option for photographers interested in low-light landscape, architecture, and astrophotography.
L-Mount Alliance: Is an all-new system-mover camera needed to break into the big time?
Since its launch in 2018, the L-Mount Alliance (LMA) has exceeded expectations in the quantity and quality of lenses added to the range by Leica, Panasonic, Sigma and others. Viltrox has now joined the band, and L-Mount users enjoy one of the most extensive and varied choice of any system. But there is one disappointment in the eight-year-old alliance, and that is the absence of a real system-mover camera.
Leica Lens Names explained: A user’s guide
Noctilux, Summarit, Elmarit, Summicron or Tri-Elmar: Leica lens names are special. For newcomers, it might seem like a foreign language they have to learn. And “APO-Summicron-M 1:2/35 ASPH.”, as it is engraved in the lens’ front ring, might even look alarming. But basically, it’s all easy. This article explains Leica’s taxonomy and how you can take advantage of a system that is actually pretty logical.
First Review: Why the Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH matters
This is an important release for Leica, it’s the first new Noctilux since the 75 f/1.25 was announced in November 2017. In fact, it is only the fifth Noctilux Leica has made since 1966. A big deal indeed!
It is also the first 35mm Noctilux, something which has been rumoured ever since the f/0.95 was announced in 2008. I think some people will be upset that this lens isn’t also f/0.95. It was clearly a difficult decision for Leica, and something I will address in this article.
Introducing the new Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH.
The new Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. is the first Noctilux M-Lens in Leica’s history to feature a 35mm focal length. This allows more creative possibilities and delivers unrivalled images. Noctilux lenses are considered to be the epitome of optical development, with a maximum aperture of up to f/0.95.
The Story of Light Lens Lab: An interview with its founder, the enigmatic Mr Zhou
Of the many Chinese lens manufacturers offering products to the world’s photographers, Light Lens Lab (LLL) is unique. The company is committed to producing near-perfect replicas of rare and celebrated vintage lenses, many of which were originally made by Leica. In an enlightening video, the founder of Light Lens Lab, Mr Zhou, recently shared the story behind the company.
The Birth of Television: John Logie Baird’s 1926 demonstration in London’s Soho
One hundred years ago today, 26 January 1926, television was first demonstrated to the world in an attic at 22 Frith Street in London’s Soho. Scottish inventor, John Logie Baird, gave the public its first sight of a working, electromechanical television system. He transmitted recognisable, moving greyscale images of a ventriloquist’s dummy, named Stooky Bill, and his assistant, William Tainton, using a “televisor”.
XPAN and my love affair with a quirky film format
Almost seven years ago, on a trip to Germany, I ran into a guy on the street shooting with an XPAN. After looking through the viewfinder of his camera, I knew I had to have one. Imagine if you got inside a mailbox and popped open the slot to peer through at the world. Chances are, it would look like those super-wide format 70mm Cinemascope films that blew my mind when I was young; like Ben Hur and Grand Prix — and this camera made that possible. Take my money!
Zeiss Biogon 25/2.8 ZM: A superb one-lens option when hiking with a rangefinder
If you want to travel light on your hikes, while capturing magnificent views with your rangefinder, a 25mm focal length represents a versatile, one-lens option. The Zeiss Biogon 25/2.8 ZM is a superb candidate for the job. It is sharp, relatively compact, and a perfect companion for your Leica M rangefinder.
Exploring grief and identity in Sayuri Ichida’s Absentee at the Leica Gallery, London
Sayuri Ichida’s work in Absentee is deeply personal, drawing on her experiences, memories, and identity, as she explores themes such as loss, grief, and immigration. All the while reflecting on her extended time away from her native Japan. The series Absentee features Ichida using her own body to express the fragility and transience of life.
Sup Up & Away: Celebrating the last of the traditional pubs in Yorkshire
“Sup Up and Away” is the title of the book and related project by photographer Ian Beesley and poet Ian McMillan, capturing the spirit of local pubs as community hubs, stories around enduring friendships, and simply enjoying a pint. The title in Yorkshire dialect means “Drink up and be on your way.”
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: New pocket camera dedicated to black-and-white photography
Ricoh has now launched the eagerly awaited Ricoh GR IV Monochrome camera. It is exciting in every respect apart from price, which, at $2,200 in the USA, is far higher than most expected. We covered the camera in detail in November last year, following Ricoh’s advance announcement of the expected configuration. The launch details confirm this previously available information.
The Essential Photographer: Mechanist, Minimalist, or Maximalist?
You can hum along to the Who’s “Who are you?” and add a few seconds of the obligatory “Who, who, who, who” chorus if you wish. But if you can stop for a moment and ask yourself, how many ways can you interpret das Wesentliche (the essential)? What does it mean to you in terms of how you see yourself and your photography? You might be surprised. I can count at least three, maybe more, ways to interpret that phrase. Let’s take a look at them in turn in relation to Leica ownership.
The M Files (29): C for compact, classic, characterful – Zeiss ZM C lenses Sonnar 50/1.5, Biogon 21/4.5, and Biogon 35/2.8
Within the Zeiss ZM line-up, three lenses carry the letter C in their names. What makes the C Biogon 21/4.5, the C Biogon 35/2.8 and the C Sonnar 50/1.5 so special? Here comes the big review of the three M-Mount rangefinder optics that constitute the Zeiss ZM C lenses range.
Exploring Andy Tobin’s photography in Glas and Skye at Night
We have been tracking Andy Tobin’s work since 2018. He wrote articles that Macfilos published about testing L-mount lenses for the CL against M-mount lenses. He also wrote a three-part series about using the CL in the western highlands of Scotland, which we also published. What followed were two books, the Skye at Night, and Glas which we cover here.