STEVEHUFFPHOTOS.COM - MY PHOTO BLOG

THIS SITE HAS MOVED! BOOKMARK THE NEW URL!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:52:42 -0600

Just like Popeye used to say “I’ve had all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more!” Yes, after a major Iweb crash and problem I finally redid this site and built a MUCH improved version at my new URL which is HERE. No more Iweb = MUCH improved site!

Most of you have probably already been there but for those who have not make sure you check it out! When you get there you can subscribe to my new feed which is updated DAILY with news, photos, reviews, video lessons, etc.

The new site has a better design, navigation, and loads MUCH faster. It is also compatible with ALL browsers and operating systems. This site here will no longer be updated but all reviews that are on this site will remain here as an “Archive”. All new reviews will be posted at the new site.

I thank you for visiting and reading my reviews!

The all new STEVEHUFFPHOTO.COM

MY ONGOING LEICA M9 DIARY

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 15:00:12 -0500

HELP TO SUPPORT THIS SITE AND KEEP IT GOING!
USE MY B&H AND AMAZON LINKS TO PURCHASE YOUR PHOTO GEAR!

ALL NEW UPDATES ARE AT MY NEW (MUCH IMPROVED) SITE!
CLICK HERE

The most recent posts will be at the top of the page. My M9 review is here.

MY NEW SITE IS NOW LIVE!

DAY 35 - ALL NEW DAILY UPDATES ARE AT MY NEW SITE HERE

DAY 34

November 10th, Day 34 - 6:53AM - The Voigtlander 50 1.1 arrives!

Yesterday during my 21st straight hour of slaving away over my mac creating the all new version of this site (NOT on Iweb this time) UPS rang my bell and delivered a lens I have been very excited to try. The poor mans Noctilux! Yep, the Voigtlander 50 1.1! At 1/9th the price of a new Noctilux I wondered if it was going to be any good on the M9. I have only shot about 10 images so far, all in the dark, wide open and at high ISO. My full review will be next week when my all new, highly improved site launches! Until then, here are two or three samples.

ALL of these were taken late night outside. It was DARK out but the lens makes it look like daytime in a couple of these.

ISO 1600, F1.1 - The lens brightened up the scene dramatically as it was DARK outside!

Another at ISO 1600 and 1.1

ISO 1250 and 1.1

I only had 30 minutes last night so took about 10 quick and dirty test shots to see how it would do in the dark, wide open. I can not wait to shoot this lens more and will be doing so all week and will be comparing it with my 50 Lux pre-asph. Stay tuned!

DAY 32

November 8th, Day 32, 5:04 PM - Just a couple snaps from my backyard.

I am awaiting delivery of a 50 Nokton 1.1 and a Zeiss 25 ZM this week so until then I have been getting some work done around the house and I have only shot the M9 for a few frames today out in the back. I attached my 50 Lux pre-asph and snapped a shot of a tree that I liked. The light was good and the M9 can pump out some nice JPEGS if you have great light.

Shot wide open at 1.4, JPEG, vignetting added.

I also shot this just to see how the pre-asph would do sharpness wise on the ladybug. Wow..again, I am floored by the sharpness of this lens. This was shot wide open at 1.4 with the old PRE-ASPH! Click it to see the larger version and full size crop to see what I mean.

Now, again, I am not a sharpness freak but I was impressed by this and I know MANY of you who are reading this ARE sharpness freaks! In any case, I always heard the 50 Pre was soft wide open, had soft corners even stopped down and was not a lens to use for detail. HOGWASH man! I saved $1800 over buying a new ASPH version, and I got a coded black paint version that focuses to .7 meters and has a built in hood with knurled focus ring.

I can highly recommend this lens! Will the Voigtlander Nokton 1.1 win me over? It may, but I know it will not render like my 50 Lux. Tomorrow I will have the Nokton, so I will post a shot or two here in the afternoon sometime.

DAY 30

November 6th, Day 30 - 7:22AM - Out of camera JPEG color quality.

Have not updated in a few days due to some difficulties with Iweb, which is what I use to make this site. I am in the process of switching over to Dreamweaver so the headaches should end soon. Yesterday I snapped a shot in good light of my dog in JPG mode. I was surprised at the great out of camera color from the file.

Another straight from cam JPEG. This has not been processed!

Also, I took one more shot of this spooky cabin in the woods. This one is with the 50 Lux Pre at F4. This one has had some vignette added, so is not a OOC shot.

I am hoping to have my 35 Summicron lens review up TODAY and I am excited because I should have the Voigtlander 50 1.1 in hand by Monday! I can not wait to try this “poor mans Noctilux” on the M9.

DAY 26

November 2nd, Day 26 - 6:34 PM - Two pics from yesterday.

35 Cron

50 Lux pre-asph 1.4 - I love the way this lens renders an image at 1.4.

DAY 25

November 1st, Day 25 - 6:02 PM - More M9!

I can not seem to keep away from this M9 Blog! Anyway, was shooting the old, unsharp, un-contrasty, pre-aspherical 50 Summilux today at F4 and thought I would post this image with crops. Click on it to see the crops full size as you should see them.

I am finding the pre-asph Lux to be a FANTASTIC lens and it can be found a couple of thousand cheaper than the ASPH version. But I do recommend the last version of the pre-asph as it focuses down to .7 meters like the new ASPH version. On the M9 it is FANTASTIC and can deliver smooth and creamy files when shot at F1.4 or F2, or sharp, detailed files from F4-F8!

DAY 24

October 31st, Day 24 - 9:11 PM - Happy Halloween!

Few shots from today with the 35 and 50.

GHOST HOUSE 3 - M9 AND 35 SUMMICRON AT F2

M9 AND 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPH AT 1.4 - ISO 640

BTW, the shot below was at ISO 2000 and 1/15th of a second with the 50 Lux at 1.4.

Man, who said that 50 Pre-Asph is not sharp wide open? Look at that 2nd shot at ISO 640 and 1.4. Sharp!!! How about a 100% crop:

Also, this was taken in low light conditions. Love the M9 more every day! Also, I am going to keep this M9 blog/diary going with 1-2 posts per week until the end of the year. By then, many more of you should have your own M9’s (well, those who pre-ordered). So be sure and check back here every week for more! Also, I have a 35 Summicron review on the way as well as the Voigtlander Nokton 1.1 lens review on the M9. Leica X1 review in November/December!

DAY 23

October 30th, Day 23 - 1:09 PM - One from yesterday.

I was busy yesterday changing this web sites color theme to white/grey and did not get a chance to post here. But here are two shots from yesterday. 35 Cron for both. I should be able to update with more later!

You want to see the POWER of the M9 sensor? Click Here to see the image above with a 100% crop. WOW!

SEE MUCH MORE IN THE EARLIER REPORTS ON PAGE 2 - CLICK HERE

MY PHOTO RANTS, RAVES, COMPLAINTS AND THOUGHTS 2009!

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:07:51 -0500

Most of you do not realize it but I am UNEMPLOYED right now! Yea sure, I get a few odd photo jobs here and there, but due to my location, it is nearly impossible to get photo work. I sold my previous business 7 months ago and that is when I started this site. February of 2009. I wanted to share my passion of photography, pass the time, and to take a year to see what I could accomplish with a website about something I am truly passionate about. I thought it would be fun and it really has been.

It all started when I purchased the Leica M8 digital rangefinder 3 years ago. I loved that camera so much that I decided to write a real users review on that special (to me) camera. I fired up Iweb on my macbook pro and was clueless how to build a site using it. After a week I learned the basics and a few advanced techniques and published the site. It was “live” and was pretty "clunky" on those first days.

Within days I was getting e-mail after e-mail thanking me for my "passionate" review. It seems that many of you felt what I was feeling while I was writing that article about the M8. My love photography and the camera itself came through and it was pretty cool. There really was not too much out there on the M8, even after three years, so I wanted to share my results with the camera.

Oh, and the web site name...I wanted to go for stevehuff.com but it was taken. I thought of stevehuffreviews.com but I am no pro reviewer (really, who is? Every review on the net is based on one persons opinion about whatever they are reviewing) and did not want people to think I was considering myself an instant camera reviewer. I mean, I am just a PHOTO enthusiast and LOVE photography. I have no special writing skills, just a love for PHOTOGRAPHY. I also was growing bored of all of those tehnical review sites that really have NOTHING to do with real photography! I finally decided STEVEHUFFPHOTOS.COM would work.

I decided to continue on and write about Leica lenses, the D-Lux 4 and other cameras I have used. The site started to take off slowly and I was starting to get more traffic each and every month. I do not advertise the site but I have been fortunate to get some page one listings in google on most of my Leica reviews. As of September 2009 my site gets anywhere from 1500 to 3000 hits a day. Not that great in the grand scheme of things but its getting there. Enough to motivate me to keep it going. I am also learning more and more each day not only about making this site but also from many of you who I converse with every day through e-mail.

My goal is to continue with it and I hope that maybe within a couple of years that I can not only make enough from the site to pay the costs of running it, but I also hope that I can make even more so I can enhance the site further with some cool features I have been planning in my head. I make a few pennies here and there when some of the ads on the site are clicked on and that helps. Also, the links to B&H and AMAZON help me even more. I am also getting ready to dump Iweb and switch over to wordpress for more functionality. Iweb is pretty limiting and I am already hit a wall with what I can do with it.

One cool thing is that In these past few months I have made some contacts and am now starting to get cameras sent to me for review. Now I just have to explain to the wife why I am working on this site countless hours per day without making a penny profit from it! She gave me a year to do what I want and its been 7 months, so hopefully I will have something to show for it in another 4! If not, I may be in trouble! Ha ha...

I also want to say that I enjoy getting all of these e-mails from you guys. I get about 6-15 a day and try my best to answer them all in a timely manner. So with all of that said, I THANK YOU for coming to my site.

I will have many more REAL WORLD reviews coming soon as well as more processing tips in my blog. I even am planning a Leica M9 Tips and Tricks E-book SOON after my M9 review. So keep checking back to the site for something new. I expect October-December to be jammed packed with new reviews and new features. Cameras like the Leica M9, X1 and S2. The Panasonic GF1, the Canon S90, Canon G11, and Canon 7D. I will also have some new NIkon reviews before the end of the year. Also, with the new M9, look for some cool new lens reviews as well. The 35 Summicron, the 75 Summicron, and others.

TAKING PHOTOS ON A CARIBBEAN CRUISE. MY FOLLOW UP TO THE D-LUX 4 REVIEW WITH MORE REAL WORLD SAMPLES.

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:29:01 -0500

Well, this week I returned from an 8 day cruise to the Bahamas, US Virgin Islands and St. Martin Island. What camera did I bring with me on the trip? The Leica D-Lux 4 of course! To me, it has the perfect size, weight, and quality for a vacation. It has been a while since I shot with the Leica D-Lux 4 (see my full review of the camera here) and I wanted to really put it to work. I knew it would not let me down and since I did not yet have a Leica M9, and I already sold my M8.2 to fund my M9, I had no other choice!

When we boarded the Royal Caribbean “Freedom Of The Seas” ship in Orlando, FL the weather was hot, humid and I was miserable! We waited in line for over an hour to get on the ship. When we finally did get to board I was STARVING. Good thing that there is plenty of food on cruise ships! The Freedom Of The Seas is MASSIVE and as of this writing it is the worlds largest cruise ship. It has just about EVERYTHING and the best part is that mostly everything is FREE! All the food you can eat 24/7. FREE. Entertainment, shows, pools, gym, massage, games and much more. It was easy to get in the habit of waking up, getting breakfast. Then walking by the pool, having a drink then a snack. Hey, its time for lunch! Then more drinks, maybe check out the gym or one of the events and then its snack time and then dinner time! Being on a cruise like this is a non stop food and drink fest!

BUT beware! Any alcohol drinks you buy will be billed to your room and they add up fast! We had free coke products the whole cruise so we were good to go. Royal Caribbean really knows how to manage a ship. The service for the entire trip was superb, especially our waiter during our nightly 6pm dinner.

I went on this cruise with my wife, son and Mother and we all had a great time. During the 8 day cruise, the D-Lux 4 never failed me as a superb photographic tool. Through high humidity, rain, sand, and extreme heat the D-Lux 4 did great and even pulled double duty as a video camera. The video on the D-lux 4 is very good but I did find one issue with it that showed up one time and this happened only when shooting in intense sunlight.

MY OLYMPUS E-30 AND E-3 MINI REVIEW

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 09:36:58 -0500

PHOTO LESSON 3 - HOW I PROCESS MY RAW IMAGES USING ADOBE CAMERA RAW - 3 VIDEO LESSONS!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:25:35 -0500

It has now been 6 months since I launched this site, and in that time I have had about 847 e-mails from readers. Almost 150 e-mails per month, or on average about 5 per day. I want to say that it is AWESOME that some of you have contacted me. I love it!

One topic that creeps up in those e-mails often is about processing images. I get asked how I process my images at least 2-3 times a week. First off, I want to say that I shoot my M8 in DNG, or RAW mode 99% of the time. I feel shooting RAW provides you with an image that is at least DOUBLE the quality of shooting JPEG (on a Leica M8 at least).

Shooting in RAW, for those that are not aware, is basically like shooting a digital negative. This “negative” allows you to shoot your images and later, when you process the images, you can make changes to white balance, color, sharpness, exposure and various other things that will dramatically improve the quality of your images.

For example, lets say you shoot your camera in JPEG. You are shooting your daughters 1st birthday party and you want to treasure these images forever! When you go to look at the images later that day you see that some are overexposed, some are washed out, some have bad color due to the camera not reading the white balance correctly, etc etc.

If you have Adobe Photoshop you can do some things with the JPEGS but you can not work miracles. Basically, you cant polish a turd! If your exposure, color, or anything else is off then your images are ruined!

If your camera has a RAW mode I suggest you use it! In this 3 video series I will show you how I convert my RAW images for maximum quality. Go easy on me, its my very first video lesson ever. :) If you enjoy these, feel free to comment below and let me know!

PAYPAL SUCKS! HOW PAYPAL STOLE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM ME AND HOW THEY CAN DO THE SAME TO YOU!

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:38:02 -0500

WOW. What a messed up day. Let me say this right off the bat. PAYPAL SUCKS. They are evil and should be punished for their what seems to be ILLEGAL tactics. They have a license to steal as they do not follow the laws and rules of banking institutions. They are not officially a bank so they can do this.

Let me rewind back to about 6 years ago. Back in 2003 I had a paypal account and I bought and sold high end audio equipment. I used my paypal account for over a year with some pretty high dollar amount transactions. One transaction I had was for a used high end Sony CD Player. It was their first Super Audio CD Player, the SCD-1. New, they sold for $5000. Used, they brought in around $2300. I purchased a mint used SCD-1 for $1900 and listed it for sale at $2500. I sold it for $2300 and shipped it out after the customer sent me the paypal funds.

I double boxed the unit with rigid foam in between the double boxes. The unit itself was strapped inside the original box with no way of shifting or moving. It could of been tossed down a flight of stairs and survived. I had a rep for great packaging and shipping.

Anyway, the buyer gets the unit AND, get this, sends me an e-mail that it was great and he loved it! A week later paypal deducts $2300 from my account and tells me the customer was disputing the purchase because he said it arrived damaged. He told paypal the corner was busted and it did not work! I immediately forwarded paypal the e-mail he sent to me telling me it was great and he loved it. He never mentioned damage to me? I was confused??

I was confident that paypal would reverse and give me the money back. Well, I was right. A week later and they put the $2300 back in to my acct and said I won the dispute. I guess the guy never complained to UPS and the e-mail he sent to me saying he loved it clinched it. The truth is he was a fraud trying to get a free $2300 CD Player and it almost worked!

That whole thing spooked me so I ended up pulling all of my money out of paypal and I opened my own merchant account to accept my own credit card sales. This way I would be assured that paypal could not just take my money when they felt like it. I am glad I did.

A week or two later I logged in to my paypal acct to close the acct and it showed a NEGATIVE $2300 balance! The same guy disputed again with paypal, this time telling them the CD player stopped working and still had damage. Now keep in mind, all this time the buyer NEVER contacted me about damage. He never put in a damage claim with UPS and he had a few negative feedback comments on e-bay and another big audio site.

Somehow, someway, paypal gave him his money back but he never sent me the so called “defective, damaged” CD player back. I was SHOCKED! I was harassed by paypal for months. I told them to kiss my ass and there was NO WAY I was depositing that $2300 to my PP acct while the buyer had the merchandise. They would not let me close the acct. After a while their calls stopped and that was that.

Here is the kicker. That guy that bought my CDP had it listed on AUDIOGON for $2800 just a month later in MINT condition. Not only did he get his money back from paypal, he was reselling the CD player. What a scam.

I was happy that I got out with my money. What a relief.

STUPID ME, I RETURN TO PAYPAL...

For 6 years I did without a paypal account. Anytime I had to sell something I either used my merchant account or insisted on a check or MO. Last year I sold my business so I no longer had my merchant account. Selling my camera gear all of the sudden became a hassle. No one wants to send a check or MO these days. They all want to use PAYPAL.

After I put this site up 6 months ago I decided to open a new account. I moved to a new state, I had a new bank account, and a new phone number. My old paypal account was under my business name and this new account would be a personal account. I was concerned that they would not let me open an account due to the nightmare 6 years earlier but they did. For the last 6 months I have used the account and had zero issues. I sold a couple of M8’s and some lenses. I was saving up for the future Leica M9 and had my cash all ready with $2900 of that cash still IN PAYPAL.

FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT DAY - SAT - AUGUST 29th 2009

I wake up, get my coffee and check my e-mail. I see an e-mail from paypal saying my account is “limited” - I click on how to resolve it and they said my account has been linked with my old account and I needed to resolve the issues with that account to un-freeze my acct. I log in to the old acct and its just locked and says there is nothing I can do about it.

I call paypal, stay on hold for TWO HOURS and they never get on the line. I have a busy day ahead of me so I decide to call later.

I tried again and just say here for 30 minutes on hold. Finally, I get someone. They said all they can tell me is that my account is limited due to my old account. I asked how I could solve this. She said “log in to the old account and resolve the issues with it”. I tell her that when I log in to that account it just has one screen and says it has been locked and there are no options for me to do anything. She then says there is nothing she can do. WHAT???? I then get connected to someone else who says I have to pay $2300 in order for them to “consider” releasing my $2900 back to me. Did I just enter the twilight zone?

UNBELIEVABLE.

I am so sick. There goes my money. There goes my future M9 (if it is announced and released as rumored). The only good thing about this is that I already withdrew the money from my lens and one M8 sale and all I had in the paypal account was $2900 instead of $7000. Still, without that $2900, no M9. So today is a CRAP ASS day. Thanks paypal for ruining my day, my week, my month.

paypalsucks.com

Here are some facts about paypal directly FROM paypalsucks.com:

“1. According to PayPal accepting their ToS (Terms of Service) in effect means you waive your rights to credit card consumer protection laws if you want to use their service, and that you may not issue a chargeback for unauthorized use of your credit card and PayPal account, or if you do, then they have the right to limit your account. Is this legal? We don't know. But it's how Paypal operates. See my credit card waiver page for more information.

2. Their customer service is horrible. They used to hide their telephone number, (intentionally - by their own admission) and only provided support via "form" emails:
"As for the customer service, Sollitto said they intentionally make the phone number very difficult to find in order to save costs."

This is confirmed in the book "PayPal Wars". If you have a problem, you are at their mercy! (And you will eventually have a problem.) The only reason their number can be found now is because they were forced to by law (EFTA Electronic Funds Transaction Act) due to complaints from users of this website. You can also click on our FAQs page. Just scroll down a bit, and you'll find their phone numbers, plus their toll free numbers as well, plus a huge list of unpublished PayPal phone numbers.

3. Their terms of service are not completely disclosed upon signup and some key "conditions" are not disclosed. They fail to mention their total lack of security to prevent your account from being compromised by phishing & spoof sites. That if your account is accessed by a criminal using one of these methods, PayPal will hold YOU monetarily & legally responsible! Also, no place do they openly tell potential members that their money is 100% at risk. That PayPal can, will, and has in the past, completely cleaned out customers' accounts, (including your checking or savings account) with no appeals process available. Instead they bury in the fine print of 37 pages of their "Terms of Service" (ToS) where they disclose to you that PayPal can close your account for any reason what-so-ever, or no reason, and then you have to wait 180 days to get your money. Think that'll never happen? Think again. That's what everyone thinks till it happens to them.

4. If PayPal feels your actions are questionable, PayPal is the investigator, judge, jury and executioner. "Telling your side" of what happened, in most cases seems to be irrelevant. They also refuse to provide you with the details of their investigation and withhold documents they relied upon to make their decisions. Your only contact will be an email that says:

Thank you for contacting PayPal. We apologize for the delay in respondingto your service request.

After review, the decision has been made to keep your account locked. This decision cannot be appealed.

If you have any further questions, please reply to this email.

That will be the end of it as far as PayPal is concerned. You can email back, but you'll just get more of the same. Oh yea, and you'll have to wait 180 days to get your money.

5. If you are a bona fide, up-standing individual with hundreds of successful transactions, but someone pays you with a stolen credit card, your account (by PayPal's own admission) is immediately flagged as being "criminal behavior" and any money in that account is confiscated. If a customer "disputes" the charge, same thing happens. (See email above.) PayPal claims that they will fight chargebacks, but read this before you fall for that one.

1. Paypal's fees for NON-credit card funding are the same as for credit cards! This is the single biggest rippoff on their site. We understand Paypal charging a fee when you fund your account with a credit card. After all, they are being charged by Visa/Mastercard, etc. And we understand there is a lot of fraud with credit card funding. However, most of the money sent within the Paypal system no longer comes from credit card funding. However, money spent from PayPal account to PayPal account is subject to the exact same fees credit card purchases are! This money has been in the system for years and is "clean." That is, there are no fees at all to Paypal, and there is almost no fraud at all with this money, but Paypal charges the SAME fees to transactions with NON-credit card funds! Thus every transaction makes PayPal money, but it's nothing more than an entry in a computer database on their system. No money has actually moved, and there are no costs to Paypal. They are just skimming the gravy.”

Again, the above was taken from PAYPALSUCKS.COM

So beware of paypal. If you have that one un-lucky transaction like I did it you could end up with whatever money you have in your acct STOLEN by them.

So. What can I do? Apparently not much. Sure I can get a lawyer and sue but at what cost? I have talked with others today who this has happened to as well with one guy having his account locked with over $20,000 in it. Amazing. No more paypal or e-bay for me. EVER. This was an expensive lesson.

Even though I will not be able to buy my own M9 now (after selling my M8.2) due to this loss I will still have a review, again, if it is announced and released as rumored :)

UPDATE - Just spoke with a “collection agency” for paypal who says they have been trying to collect this money from me for all of these years. Funny because it never affected my A1 credit rating. They told me if I paid them $2300 they would tell paypal to release my $2900. I told them to just go ahead and use the balance in my current paypal account to pay the $2300. This way I would be done with it and at least get back $600 right? WRONG!

She said they can not do that and I would have to give her a current credit card# to pay the $2300! This way I am now out $5300 and I would only HOPE that paypal would release my current $2900, which they already told me they would only “consider” doing after I paid the now $2300.

All of this from a guy who ripped ME off on a $3000 CD player 6 years ago by scamming to get the CD player and his money back. Still in shock here and pissed off beyond belief. Guess crime does pay for some!

THE LEICA 21 SUMMILUX 1.4 LENS REVIEW

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:28:22 -0500

THE LEICA 24 SUMMILUX LENS REVIEW COMPANION

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:46:30 -0500

To be more helpful and give even more real world samples I have decided to put up a few images here that are right out of the camera. Well, the RAW files were processed in Capture One using the defaults. If you somehow landed her without seeing the full review of this lens, click here.

Here is a Leica M8 ISO 1250 image with the Leica 24 Lux at 1.4. The noise you see is due to ISO 1250 in a dark area. When I took this image, the machine in the back room was barely visible. The M8 and 24 Lux “sucked in” all of the light and brightened up the scene. This is where the 24 Lux shines IMO. Shooting in the dark at 1.4.

Click the image for the full size out of camera original.

Here is another shot wide open at 1.4. It was stormy and rain was coming down. I took this shot to test how the lens would do for detail, sharpness and color on this overcast rainy day. Click the image below for the full size out of camera original. Zoom in to 100%. Remember, this was shot at 1.4, wide open.

THE LEICA 24 SUMMILUX 1.4 LENS REVIEW

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:49:17 -0500

THE LEICA M9 - the latest up to date NEWS!

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:55:38 -0500

My full Leica M9 review is NOW UP! Click here to read all 13 pages about this wonderful camera!

If you want to comment on the review, you can do so at the bottom of this page!

LEICA M9 AT B&H PHOTO IN BLACK - STEEL GREY

LEICA X1 AT B&H PHOTO

10/11/09 - Check out my M9 daily diary!

10/07/09 - My M9 finally arrived!

09/25/09 - As promised, a few M9 sample images. Full review on October 1st!

09/24/09 - I will have some Leica M9 samples up tomorrow and in SIX DAYS I will have part one of my ongoing Leica M9 review on the site!

09/21/09 - My M9 review will be up by October 1st! Be sure and check back on that date for the full review!

09/19/09 - I am STILL waiting for my personal M9 and a review sample M9. Whichever arrives first, I will get started on the review. I should have one or the other by next week. FINALLY! As soon as I do, I will post some 1st day samples and then the full in depth review!

Also, I will be getting an X1 for review as well in October!

Guy Mancuso M9 report!

09/15/09 - BTW, here are all the details on the M9:

Digital photography enters a new dimension.
Leica Camera AG, Solms presents the LEICA M9, the world’s first digital rangefinder camera with a full-format 24 • 36 mm sensor. As the world’s most compact full-format system camera, the M9 extends the legendary heritage of the Leica rangefinder M System and unites over 50 years of continuous technical improvements to the system with the best in cutting-edge digital technology.

The successful combination of an extremely high-resolution image sensor, the superior performance of M lenses and sophisticated processing of the captured digital information ensures the best imaging results in all photographic situations. With its wide-ranging technical specifications, the camera adjusts to all fields of photography - from reportage and ‘available light’ to the capture of discreet and fine-art images alike. The M9 is the ideal tool for all photographers who demand the highest standards in image quality and a freedom of composition.

The 18-megapixel CCD image sensor, specifically designed and developed for the M9, enables the capture of the full 35-mm film format without any compromises.

All M lenses mounted on the LEICA M9 therefore offer the same angle of view as with film camera models, meaning the enormous potential performance of the current M lens portfolio with focal lengths from 16 to 135 mm is now fully available in a digital camera for the very first time. In addition, most Leica M lenses built since 1954 can still be used on the new M9. Once again, Leica Camera AG proves their commitment to full system compatibility and the enduring value of the M series.

The sensor of the M9 features a newly developed glass cover that is designed to guarantee the suppression of infrared light in practical photography, avoiding the necessity of mounting special UV/IR filters.

Concentrating on essentials, its simple handling is a significant feature of the Leica M System. In the case of the LEICA M9, the handling has been further improved by simplification of the menu navigation: setting the sensitivity only requires holding down the ISO button while simultaneously turning the dial to select the required setting. All other functions important for everyday situations are quickly and easily accessible by pressing the set button. Furthermore, the menu also offers a snapshot profile option. In this mode, the M9 automatically sets as many settings as possible and provides a valuable aid to spontaneous and discreet photography. The camera also features automatic lens recognition via 6-bit coding. On the basis of the coded information, the M9 can compensate for any system-inherent lens vignetting effects (darkening in the image corners).

Despite the considerably larger sensor, Leica has been successful in making the LEICA M9 body comparable to the compact size typical of M cameras. With its compact dimensions of only 139 • 37 • 80 mm (5.47 • 1.45 • 3.15 in), the LEICA M9 maintains the ideal size of the M series and is now the world’s smallest full-format digital system camera.

As a working tool for professionals and ambitious amateur photographers, all features and functions of the LEICA M9 are designed for absolute dependability and endurance. The one-piece, full-metal housing is made from a high-strength magnesium alloy. Additionally, the top deck and bottom plate are machined from solid brass blocks providing perfect protection for the precious inner mechanisms. The digital components and shutter assembly of the M9 are similarly constructed with extreme endurance in mind. For photographers, this means absolute reliability for decades of use.

The LEICA M9 is now available in two different finishes: a standard version in black and, for the first time, a version finished in steel-grey. The two models also have different finely-structured leather coverings.

The sensor
The CCD sensor specially developed by Kodak for the LEICA M9 has been optimised to fully exploit the particular qualities of the Leica M lens system. As a result, the LEICA M9 achieves highest resolution values that guarantee outstanding image quality.
The image sensor of the M9 employs further-advanced and meticulously designed micro lenses with a low refractive index. The micro lenses at the sensor edges are laterally displaced towards the image center to precisely match the characteristics of M lenses. This optimized micro lens design, based on many years of precision optical engineering experience, captures and concentrates even the most oblique rays on the sensor and reliably prevents image brightness fall-off at the edges and corners of the image. As a result, all existing Leica M lenses maintain their full performance when used for digital photography.

The intentional decision to exclude a moiré filter, which optically filters out the finest image details, was made to permit full the exploitation of the superb resolution of Leica M lenses. Any moiré patterns occurring with the M9 are eliminated in the camera’s digital signal-processing software. The optimized signal–noise ratio of the CCD image sensor reduces the need for digital post-processing and ensures that images possess an unrivaled, natural visual impact. This results in high-contrast, particularly high-resolution exposures with natural color rendition from corner to corner.

The lenses
All Leica M lenses mounted on the LEICA M9 offer the same angle of view as with film camera models. Therefore, for the first time, the immense performance potential of the lenses is now maintained and can be fully exploited for digital photography. In line with Leica’s renowned commitment to extreme system compatibility, most Leica M lenses built since 1954 can be used on the new M9. As a result of the high mechanical and optical precision and extraordinarily good imaging performance, and particularly that of the current range, Leica M lenses are now ideal for use in digital photography. Performance criteria, such as the individual coating of each element, have long been a Leica standard, and there was no need to develop and implement any special measures for ‘digital lenses.’

The efficient image sensor on the M9 demands a particularly high spatial resolution that is, above all, offered by the latest M lenses. The excellent correction of optical aberrations and high resolution make them all the more suitable for digital use. The current M lenses are supplied with a 6-bit code on the bayonet mount that is scanned optically by the M9. On the basis of the coded information, the M9 can compensate for any (almost negligible) system-inherent vignetting effects if necessary. In addition, the lens type is recorded in the EXIF data of the image files and, when using the latest flash units like the LEICA SF 58, automatically adjusts the reflector to match the focal length of the lens attached.

The viewfinder / rangefinder
The Leica viewfinder / rangefinder system sets the LEICA M9 apart from the market-dominating SLR and compact digital cameras and makes it particularly suitable for vibrant reportage photography, ‘available light’ exposures and discreet portraiture. Photographers become part of the action and frame whatever they wish to capture in the viewfinder – a scene, a mood, a moment. Simultaneously, the photographer still perceives what is going on outside the viewfinder frame. The decisive moment can be anticipated, and can therefore be captured at precisely the right instant. This results in particularly authentic images that are not impaired by the presence of the photographer.

The clear view of the subject remains even during exposure and, even in the most adverse lighting conditions, the bright, high-contrast viewfinder guarantees extremely fast and precise focusing. In combination with the minimal delay between releasing the shutter and capturing the shot – in digital photography too – the combined viewfinder / rangefinder system positions Leica M cameras among the fastest cameras in the world.

In contrast to SLR photography, where focusing must take place through the lens and focal length and aperture determine focusing accuracy, the rangefinder base of the Leica M remains precisely the same and independent of the actual lens being used. This is the reason why its focusing precision is immensely superior for shorter focal lengths. The high-contrast, rectangular RF spot in the center of the viewfinder guarantees fast, precise and pin-sharp focusing, even under adverse lighting conditions.

The frame selector lever allows photographers to simulate different compositions with alternative focal lengths and assess the most appropriate lens for the shot without changing lenses. Because their position is automatically adjusted by automatic parallax compensation depending on the focusing distance, the six different bright-line frames always show the precise image framing. The bright-line viewfinder shows all other information relevant to the capture of a perfect image and the peripheral area around the envisaged subject, thus providing ideal conditions for spontaneous and unobtrusive photography.

The shutter
The LEICA M9 features a new, microprocessor-controlled, particularly silent, metal-leaf, focal-plane shutter that enables shutter speeds of up to 1/4000 seconds. This allows the photographer to maintain complete creative freedom by using a selective focus at maximum apertures, even in bright situations. The short flash synchronisation speed of 1/180 seconds enables daylight flash exposures with selective focus.

Together with its compact form, the camera’s virtually silent shutter is another keystone for discreet and unobtrusive photography. Additionally, photographers can select the appropriate moment for re-cocking the shutter. When longer exposure times requiring an extremely steady camera stance are essential, a slight pressure on the shutter release button in ‘soft release’ mode is sufficient.

Intuitive handling
The LEICA M9 concentrates the photographer’s attention on photographic essentials, not on setting the camera. Particular diligence, many years of experience and a vast knowledge of how professional photographers work have all influenced the handling concept for the digital functions of the LEICA M9. The result is a simple, clearly laid-out and intuitive user interface that concentrates purely on essentials; multifunction buttons and complex menu hierarchies have been avoided.

The key control element is an intuitive four-way switch and dial combination that enables fast menu navigation. Pressing the ‘set’ button activates the capture parameter menu on the 2.5" monitor screen. The most important image-capture settings are quickly and easily set in this menu: sensor sensitivity, exposure correction, white balance, image-data compression and resolution. Free profile storage spaces are also available for fast access to frequently used or application-specific combinations.

The menu button is also used for changing more permanent, values outlining basic controls in the clearly structured system menu. The photographer can also choose whether the captured image is displayed immediately for assessment on the large monitor, how long it should be displayed and whether an additional tonal value histogram is shown.

The LEICA M9 has a delayed shutter release function with a choice of two countdown times - 2 and 12 seconds.
The technical features of the LEICA M9 allow it to quickly adapt to its intended use. Its sensitivity ranges from ISO 160 (PULL 80) for wide-open apertures on bright days to ISO 2500. At the same time, very low noise and finely detailed images are achieved throughout the sensitivity range, even at the highest settings. The very low noise characteristics, a bright viewfinder / rangefinder, low-vibration shutter and fast lenses make the M9 the perfect camera for ‘available light’ photography.

Innovative flash technology
The M-TTL flash technology in the LEICA M9 enables both precise and creative control over flash and mixed lighting effects. Prior to the actual exposure, a measuring flash is emitted that is metered through the lens. The flash power is then precisely determined with consideration for the natural lighting conditions, ensuring that natural lighting is maintained as much as possible In combination with the aperture priority exposure mode, the auto-slow sync function ensures
subtle lighting of the subject, whereby the longest shutter speed may be set manually or, when using 6-bit coded lenses, automatically, according to the 1/focal length rule of thumb.

Image assessment with the tonal value histogram
As a professional digital camera, the LEICA M9 naturally offers an RGB tonal value histogram, which can be displayed at any time for the assessment of stored images. This feature is also available in conjunction with the automatic image review function. A useful additional aid is the indication of overexposed image areas by means of a so-called ‘clipping warning.’ These two quality control tools are updated for enlarged views and thus allow the quality of even the finest image details to be assessed. Pressing the info function button displays all photographically relevant settings, including additional metadata stored in the image files. These functions enable full control over captured results at the shooting location of the digital images.

Digital workflow
The M9 comes with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a professional digital workflow solution for Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. The software is available as an online download for all LEICA M9 customers. This also ensures that the latest release is always readily available. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom offers a vast range of functions for the management, processing and presentation of digital images, quite independent of image format. If the images from the M9 are saved as raw data in the standardized and future-proof Adobe Digital Negative Format (DNG), Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, with its sophisticated and precise processing options, guarantees direct and extremely high-quality image processing with maximized image quality. The 14-bit-per-channel color information captured by the image sensor is then processed at a16-bit-per-channel color information until the final presentation, and ensures that the most delicate tonal differentiations are preserved in maximum quality after completion of the post-processing sequence.

Materials, finish and dimensions
The tough and resilient top deck and base plate of the M9 are machined from solid brass blocks, while the full-metal body is manufactured from a high-strength magnesium alloy that ensures a long and reliable professional working life. The rechargeable battery and the SD card slot are protected from dust and moisture under the base plate, which uses a specialized locking mechanism effectively preventing unintentional opening and the subsequent loss of the battery and SD card. In addition, this long-established construction concept, already employed for decades in the Leica M System, significantly increases the structural stability of the camera body.

The experienced technicians at the Leica factory in Solms, Germany are responsible for the hand-assembly and hand-calibration of M9 bodies and the precise testing of all mechanical and electrical components. The experience gathered over decades of maintenance and repairs by Leica Customer Service creates a solid foundation for long life and enduring value. Even today, the service department maintains and repairs all M cameras built since 1954.

Sensor cleaning
The LEICA M9 offers a special function for manual sensor cleaning: selecting the appropriate item from the menu and pressing the shutter release locks the shutter open to allow access to the sensor for cleaning purposes. Due to the short register of Leica M cameras, the sensor is easier to access than in DSLR cameras in which the sensors are located behind the mirror box and shutter assembly.

09/14/09 - Cool user report on the Leica M9 by Jono Slack!

I am back home and have internet access \once again! The cruise was great as was spending time with my family but DAMN, I missed my chance at the M9 on the 9th. Now I have to wait.

I was informed that the M9 I was going to purchase from my dealer will be late by a week or two. But, Leica will be sending me one for review so either way, I will have my full, free, comprehensive, FUN and REAL WORLD M9 review SOON! My biggest review yet. I have been seeing what this camera can do for the past month and can’t wait to shoot it myself. I have some cool things planned for it and the review! Stay tuned!

09/08/09 - Tomorrow is the big day and I have VERY limited internet access as I am on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean! Not sure if I can update this tomorrow but if I can I will. If not, look for my M9 review SOON! Yes, I am getting my M9 as soon as I return on the 13th. I can not wait!

Want to see the specs? FULL M9 brochure PDF

Also, the latest is that Leica has another surprise or two up its sleeve for tomorrow, so be sure and check back here for the latest news!

HERE SHE IS! THE M9! No, it is NOT mine! Seriously though, this COULD be a photoshop job BUT I do know a few things about the look of the 9 and this very well could be it.

Friday September 4th 2009 - 5 Days to go until the big day. The rumors are flying out of the forums at a rapid pace, mostly on the “X1” - Some say its a fixed lens, some say its a m4/3 camera and others are saying it its a mini “M” camera! It seems no one really knows what the deal is! I actually know some things on the “X1” but am sworn to secrecy :)

As for the Leica M9 it appears the full specs leaked out but there are a few things that did not leak out, so there are a few surprises left folks!

So is the M9 out of the bag?

Thursday September 3rd 2009 - One day closer to the 9th. I am frantically trying to reschedule a CRUISE we booked months ago so I can make the NYC Launch of these new cameras. PLUS If I make it to NY I can get myself a special new camera on that day!

Also, I was looking back at the predictions I made in June about these two cameras (M9 and X1) - pretty interesting! I have heard that the “X1” is a fixed lens camera BUT I swear it looks like it has a lens mount on it. Either way it will be a cool little “mini M”. If its a fixed lens, it will be like a Leica CM. If it has the ability to use other lenses, like M or R mount then look out as this will be the hit of the year!

We will find out in just a few days! As for a solution for Leica R users, Panasonic released an R adapter for use on their M4/3 cameras. Not the best solution I must say but maybe Leica has something else in store?

Wednesday September 2nd 2009 - Looks like something else has leaked! Specs for the M9 and X1! Yes, the X1 is like a mini M with a built in 24 Elmarit lens!

THE LEICA X1 - BASICALLY A “MINI” M CAMERA WITH A BUILT IN 24 ELMARIT LENS. When this hits stores it will look like a mini M8/M9 - solid build, with exceptional quality. This will NOT be a Panasonic hybrid, but rather a full on LEICA camera. The image below on the right is of a PRE-PRODUCTION X1 with grip. This is not the finished product! Here are the X1 specs:
12MP APSC sensor, Elmarit 24 2.8 ASPH lens, Auto Focus, Built in flash, MADE IN GERMANY, not a panasonic hybrid! Bundled with Lightroom. X1 available before Xmas. I am HAPPY they did not go with the m4/3 mount on this one as the larger sensor of the X1 will provide better IQ in an M like body.
 Here are the rumored Leica M9 specs: FULL FRAME 18.2MP sensor, ISO up to 2500 but clean at 2500, faster write times, battery info/frame counter removed and placed on the back LCD via “info” button. Bundled with Lightroom instead of C1. Available - 09/09/09! IF true, get your money ready!

Monday August 31st 2009 - Leica has put up a youtube video about their announcement on Sep 9th! Take a close look! Between the 54 and 58 second mark..guess what that is? Its coming people! At 54 seconds you see the dedicated ISO button. The M8 does not have this. You also will see the top plate no longer has the counter/battery level indicator. It also appears that the “S” mode may have been done away with. In my M9 wish list I had a dedicated ISO button and NO S mode, so this should be interesting! Not much longer to go now!

Check out this thread at the Leica Users Forum that I started this morning - CRAZY!

Sunday August 30th 2009 - Word all around is Leica will announce THREE cameras on 09/09/09. B&H Photo is having a Leica event on 09/09 at 1pm. You can register here if you want to attend. If you don’t want to go broke, leave the credit card at home! On the West Coast, Samy’s Camera will be hosting a Leica event as well! Still waiting to see if there is a MIDWEST event!

Friday August 28th 2009 - I may be able to change my plans to make the Leica event on 09/09!!! If I can do this I will have all of the details of the BIG announcement as soon as it is made with images and video on this page on 09/09. This is not something I can guarantee, but am working on it!

Thursday August 27th 2009 - Ok guys...it is now confirmed Leica will be announcing their new cameras on September 9th at 9am. I am invited to this event but as luck would have it I will be out of the country on that day and I AM BUMMED! BUT, I will be updating this site on the 9th with all of the details and then some. More info as it develops!

Wednesday August 26th 2009 - Just heard some news from a reader of this website. he said he ordered the M9 for delivery right after September 9th. Also said Leica plans to lower the price of the M8.2 to HALF of the cost of the M9. If an M9 is $7500, an M8.2 would come in at $3800 or so. IF this is true that is. In my opinion I think Leica would have a home run hit if they released the M9 at $6995 and dropped the M8.2 to $3500. But this is not likely, just wishful thinking on my part.

I think the pricing will be closer to $7800 for an M9 and about $3995 for an M8.2 after 09/09/09! But this is just my guess!

Tuesday August 25th 2009 - Just got this e-mail!

INVITATION TO AN EXCLUSIVE LEICA EVENT

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,  For the past 84 years, Leica has designed and manufactured the finest cameras, lenses, binoculars and scopes. Each innovation more exciting than the last. Our goal has not changed since Oskar Barnack designed the Ur-Leica in 1914: Uncompromising quality dedicated solely to the creation of an unmistakably perfect image.  Join us for a landmark event on September 9th, 2009 when we will introduce the next generation of Leica products.

WHEN?
On 09.09.2009 At 9:00 a.m. The press conference will start promptly at 9:00 a.m. We kindly ask you to arrive in advance at 8:30 a.m.
WHERE?

Anyway, get ready! Its coming!!!

Monday August 24th 2009 - Will a full frame sensor fit inside of an M8 body? Here is a pretty interesting link.

Sunday August 23rd 2009 - Just a little over two weeks to go until the big announcement by Leica and I am here to say there WILL be an announcement from Leica on 09/09/09! I can hardly wait. While many are awaiting an announcement of the M9, rumors are out and about that they will be announcing MORE than that. Should be an exciting day! I will update more tomorrow with some hot M9 discussion links!

Friday August 21st 2009 - Lots of rumors still circulating on these mock up images of the M9. They are not real, they are not from Leica and no, the M9 will not look like this! As a matter of fact, I have some good info on this...the M9 will be pretty similar to the M8 in looks but there are a few things that have been refined. Can’t say exactly what though :) Ha ha...the suspense :)

Thursday August 20th 2009 - Guess Leica is having a meeting in NY next week with some dealers. Looks like the M9 will be the topic of discussion. Also, check out this thread from today on the LUF. Also, I keep getting e-mails asking me about the details of the M9. Keep in mind, even if I knew all about it I could not speak about it. All I will say is, GET YOUR CREDIT CARDS READY people. It is going to be an exciting September and if you are one of the lucky ones that have pre-ordered or even paid for one then you are going to be very happy! Ha ha...the suspense.

What kind of sucks is that I will be OUT OF THE COUNTRY on 9/9! Crap! BUT the good thing is that I will have access to internet and will be updating this page and site while away.

Also, someone asked what dealers are taking pre-orders? I have gotten plenty of people telling me they ordered theirs but most of these are outside the USA. If you happen to have a good dealer here in the USA then you may want to ask them. If they say you are crazy and an M9 does not exist, look elsewhere!

Me, I am covered and will have one as soon as it is released. I can not wait as I actually sold 70 gallons of blood and plasma over the past 6 month to afford it. Ha ha....just kidding of course.

Wed August 19th 2009 - Sitting on an Amtrak train on my way to Downtown Chicago (short but relaxing ride). Going to shoot the 21 and 24 Summilux lenses all day tomorrow and my review will be up next week! Shot on an M8 of course :)

The M9 news is still gaining steam. Several dealers are taking pre-orders and I have a STRONG feeling that many who placed these pre-orders will be VERY happy VERY soon!

Now my main dilemma is trying to figure out which lenses I would want on a FF M9. My dream set would be the 24 Summilux and 50 Summilux along with the 75 Summilux! That would be a sweet set. But what I will probably end up with (to keep costs under control) will be the 24 elmarit, 50 summilux and 90 cron.

To those who are planning on a FF M9, which lenses will be in your kit?

Tuesday August 18th 2009 - Here are some links to the various forums discussing the M9 rumors:

DP REVIEW LEICA M9 THREAD

GET DPI M9 THREAD

LEICA USER FORUM M9 THREAD

So check them out as there is always something new to read.

Sunday August 16th 2009 - Let the countdown begin! MAN OH MAN! Its getting intense. If you are a Leica fan like me, then you know all about the rumors of the M9 and those rumors say that is supposed to arrive SOON. Everyone says the magic date is 09/09/09 - just 2-3 weeks away, so since we are getting so close this page will be my LEICA M9 news page which will feature any and all REAL news about the upcoming camera!

Well, why a news page for a camera that is actually just a rumor??

Let’s face it. Almost every Leica shooter KNOWS that an M9 is almost here. We can feel it. We have our sniffers out and can smell it. Just read any Leica forum and the posts are spreading like wildfire. Dealers in France and Asia are taking pre-orders as well as other select dealers here in the US.

Here is my view on the whole M9 thing, and I wanted to write this after someone told me the M9 would be overpriced:

I will take a FF M9 over ANY other digital camera available today. With the money for an M9 I could buy a D3X, or a Canon 1dsIII with a lens or two. But why would I do that? I PREFER RF (rangefinder) shooting BY FAR to any AF DSLR made today.

Photography is more than AF, speed, and bells and whistles. It also is about passion and feeling.

I would not want any modern gadgetry in an M9. No, I do not want live view in an M camera! Nope, I do not want AF or a new 4/3 mount (some obviously do if you read the forums)! I just want a FF digital M that will beat out ANY FF DSLR for quality not only in build but IQ as well.

My M9 wish list has always consisted of:

FF
Better high ISO
No more IR filters/issues
Faster write times
dedicated ISO button
Quiet shutter/sapphire glass STANDARD
No S mode..please!
MP? To me, 10 was plenty but lets say between 18-20.
Killer finish and looks to top it off
Under $2000 (ha ha, had to say that. Of course I would WISH for that but we all know that is impossible!)

If I wanted AF, live view or other fancy tricks I would buy a DSLR and not an RF. I think next month there will be MANY happy M shooters as well as many who will be whining about one thing or another. It’s just the way it is. But who knows, maybe Leica will include Live View in the M9 to satisfy those who want it.

I just want a digital M with NO compromises. A camera that will get out of the way and let me take the image. The M8.2 is *almost* there but the IR issue, higher ISO noise past 640/1250 and slow write time is the only thing holding it back from being a "no compromise" digital M. Others would say that the M8 being a crop camera is also a negative but I think the crop is fine on the M8. Would I prefer FF? Of course but the M8 is a fabulous camera, even today 3 years after its release.

I think the M9 will actually be WORTH the money (and the rumors have the price at $7700-$8000 US). I mean, look at the D3x pricing. If for the same price you can get a smaller camera that takes superior lenses and gives even better quality then its a no brainer! I would HATE to lug around a d3x everywhere. Uggg. A D3x and 24-70...have you seen that combo? Sure the IQ is there but MAN the weight! My back hurts just thinking about it!

Leica has learned quite a bit with the M8 and do not think for a second that they do not KNOW the upcoming M9 has to be just about perfect. No flaws, no issues. Also, my guess is that they have been working on the M9 for quite a while now, 2-3 years I bet. They HAVE to get it right.

Lets say this... if the specs above in my M9 wish list were true would you want one?

Oh yea, many also have been asking for weather sealing. Well, a Leica M has never had it or needed it. My M8 has been in the rain, snow and bitter cold as well as 120 degree heat. Never failed me. Take a look at this link:

MAN TAKES HIS LEICA M8 FOR A SWIM, THEN SHOOTS WITH IT!

But maybe the M9 will have some sealing? We will all know soon enough.

SO...as soon as this camera is officially announced and LEICA announces the specs and details I will post all of the info HERE immediately and will also have a list of dealers that I know of with stock, etc - after I get mine of course ;). As many of you know, anything can happen with new camera releases so let’s all wait for 09/09/09 and see if that is the magic date.

Of course, as soon as this camera becomes a reality and not just rumor I will review it! Since I am so passionate about my M8 I can say that my whole heart and soul will be poured into an M9 review. At the same time, if there are any flaws I will point them out. I have high hopes for this and would be spending every dime I have on it, so if it is not up to my expectations I will let you all know.

So, with all of that said keep an eye peeled here every few days because I will add to this page with all of the news on the M9. As news is released or leaked I will post it right here on this page, so bookmark it! BUT I will not post rumor, just facts so I can only update when the “official” news comes from Leica.

THE LEICA 21 AND 24 SUMMILUX 1ST IMPRESSIONS & SHOTS!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:39:10 -0500

Today at around 2 my doorbell rang. My friendly UPS driver handed me a box and I knew what was inside. Yep, Leica sent me their dynamic duo of low light wide angle lenses to review right here on this web site! Woo hoo! The 21 and 24 Summilux. At $6k a piece, these puppies are not cheap but are they worth it?

I have been wanting to test these lenses out since they were introduced, but I just did not have the cash to buy them! But, thanks to Leica I can try them out, write about it, share it with all of you, and then cry when they have to be sent back :(

THE LEICA 21 AND 24 SUMMILUX

Remember, I just got these today and and after only a couple of hours with them I can already say that they are pretty amazing lenses. Dang, how much can I get if I sell 10 gallons of blood? Donate an organ? Hmmm, I do have an old truck in my driveway!

I only have about 40 shots under my belt with these bad boys but I can already say that they are up there with the best I have ever seen. I am sucker for FAST glass and these being 1.4 aperture lenses in a somewhat small package is very attractive. Imagine a 50 Summilux ASPH but in a 21 and 24. This is my FIRST impression, which may change as I will be shooting them MUCH more over the next week.

The build is pure Leica. I can say that the 24 feels solid and robust but at the same time pretty compact for such a fast wide angle lens. The 21 is a little bigger but still feels nice on the M8 body.

I will have my full review up within 2 weeks with images at 1.4, images at 5.6, images at F8. Low light, good light. Street shooting, and portraits. I want to find out what these lenses can do out in the real world and I have one week to do it. What I fear the most is that I will REALLY want one of these and I really can not afford one as I am saving for something SUPER cool in September.

For now, here are some of my first shots from today with the 21 and 24. Some are ISO 160, and some are ISO 1250. ALL are wide open at 1.4!

Be sure and check back for the full review SOON. Also, my Olympus reviews are being worked on as well. Lots coming this month and next month as well.

21 Lux at 1.4 - ISO 160 - Leica M8

21 SUMMILUX AT 1.4 - ISO 160 - M8

24 SUMMILUX AT 1.4 - ISO 1250 - M8

24 SUMMILUX AT 1.4

24 SUMMILUX AT 1.4

24 SUMMILUX AT 1.4

CHECK BACK IN THE NEXT 7-12 DAYS FOR THE FULL REVIEWS OF THESE WONDERFUL LENSES!

HOW TO FIX THE COLOR IN YOUR IMAGES - LESSON 2

Sat, 8 Aug 2009 16:41:30 -0500

Well here I am again with another quick and easy photoshop lesson. If you have seen Lesson 1, you will know its been a little while since that post. I have been extremely busy with cameras coming and going and this weekend I had a break from shooting. I decided to put up a quick and easy lesson on how to fix the color in your JPEG digital images!

This past Friday I was sent an e-mail from a buddy of mine who wanted me to fix the color in one of his images. It was a portrait of his friend and it appeared to me that the white balance was wayyyyyyy off! Also, whatever was used for lighting was also way off.

After looking at it and wondering if I could fix it I sent him a message saying I would try. I did not get the RAW file, but a TIFF. In any case I went to work on it and the end result came out pretty good. Maybe not perfect but the best I could do without a RAW file.

I will not post that image here as it is not mine to post, but I did find an image from last year that I snapped of my goofball son with a Canon 5D and 24L lens. The White Balance of that camera kind of stinks with indoor light so it had some room for improvement. I have the RAW file but will only use the JPEG here as I want to see if the color and be fixed.

Here is the “before” image:

As you can see it is kind of on the yellow warm side. I believe I had the camera on AUTO WHITE BALANCE which is where many people leave their cameras. This image, to me looks awful. What I want to do here is fix the color, then maybe de-saturate it a bit and sharpen up the face a bit.

The first thing I do is adjust the color balance in photoshop. I choose “adjustments” and then “color balance” from the top menus:

You can see the settings I used on this image. If your image is on the yellow/warm side then this is a good place to start to “cool it off”. You can mess with the sliders here and see what happens when you slide them to their extremes. This will help you to see what they do.

Next, I adjust the saturation. I actually LOWER it a little as I prefer less saturation when it comes to portraits, but this is personal preference. If you like high saturation with your portraits then you can skip this step.

The most important step of fixing “off” color is the COLOR BALANCE tool. But, if you want to make sure your images are always spot on, shoot in RAW mode and adjust during your conversion!

After this saturation adjustment I went ahead and adjusted the brightness and contrast to bring a little light to his face:

OLYMPUS - THE CLASSIC E-1, AND THE NEWER E-3

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 21:08:29 -0500

After shooting with the little Olympus E-P1 for a while now I thought I would go deep into my image vault and search for some oldies taken with the Olympus E1. The E1 was their (Olympus) first 4/3 camera and it was built for the PRO’s, or so it was said. When it arrived I remember it being $2200 or something and guess what? I BOUGHT ONE!

THE OLYMPUS E1 - A CLASSIC DSLR

I remember the dealer telling me it was Canon 1ds quality in a small package. I picked up the camera and 14-54, 50 macro and 50-200 lens. At the time, there were not many decent cameras out there in that price range. I think Nikon still had the D100, and canon was probably on the 10D or something like that.

The E1 was a DREAM to hold and shoot. Ergonomics were superb, the build was near perfect, and it even was weatherproof. This was a serious camera and its only drawback was that it was 5MP and had no real high ISO performance.

But at its base ISO it was what I like to call “Delicious”. I shot over 50,000 frames with my E1 cameras and for the most part I loved it. I shot studio shots with it and they are still to this day some of my favorite shots. Here is one I shot in my garage of my son on halloween day using Alien Bee strobes. Yea, I went through a lighting kick back then.

OLYMPUS E-1, SHOT WITH STUDIO LIGHTS IN MY GARAGE 2004

I now consider the E1 a classic. You can find them used for $200-$300 these days and at that price its worth buying not only to mess around with, but if you want to take some seriously cool images, the E1 delivers. While the resolution is low, and the noise is high after ISO 200, the files when shot at base ISO are VERY good. Even the E3 did not replicate the color and look of the E1 images.

OLYMPUS E1 AT THE ZOO - PINK FLAMINGO - 2006

I have shot with many DSLR’s over the years and the only two digital cameras that have stuck with me for more than a year are the E1 and Leica M8.

When the E3 came out I purchased one the first week. E1 fans were waiting for 3 years for that E3 and we had high expectations. For me, it was a downgrade ergonomically from the E1. It appeared they were trying to style their camera more like Nikon or Canon. Buttons were changed, and the overall build did not seem as solid as the E1 to me, but still, it was/is a pro build. Much nicer than say a Nikon D90.

I remember getting the E3 and taking it to San Francisco on a family vacation. When I got home I was a little disappointed in the images due to the noise at higher ISO. But today, looking back on those images I actually kind of like them! They are richer and more robust than the EP1 files, with better color. While the EP1 beats the E3 in high ISO noise, the E3 beats the EP1 in color and depth.

THE ROCK - OLYMPUS E3 2008 - 14-54 KIT LENS

SCRUBBY - E3 - 2008 - 14-54

So after looking through my E3 files I am sitting here wondering what kind of disease I have. I mean, why did I sell this camera? It could of served me well for this past year and been my DSLR sidekick to my M8. Why did I sell it at a $300 loss? ARG! I remember now! I needed the cash! Same as always!! It is funny how this dreaded camera GAS disease affects us. We are always on the lookout for something new, something better and something that will make us happy. It never ends does it?

When I sold the E3 I think I went to a D700 and was happy, but looking back at both cameras and my images, I think I prefer the E3 “look”. If it only had good high ISO performance. Maybe an E5? Hmmm. I do not know, but I do know I am in the market for a mid range DSLR and I may just consider the E3 with 12-60, 50 macro and 50-200 lenses again and save some money at the same time. That complete “pro” package would cost me $3500, or about the price of one Leica lens!

OLYMPUS E3 - 2008 - 50F2 MACRO

So yea, this little Olympus EP1 has turned my attention BACK to Olympus and I am glad it did. They make quality cameras and the E1 is now a classic, and the E3 is priced at a pretty competitive price point of about $1300. The rumored Leica M9 may be on the way but be prepared to pay. I have my money saved for it though. Yep, I am ready for that M9!

BTW, I may have a review of the E3 and E30 up soon, so be sure and check back soon! As always, thanks for reading!

OLYMPUS E1 - 2005 - 50-200

FULL FRAME, APS-C, 4/3, APS-H - WHATS THE DIFF??

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 16:41:37 -0500

As I sit here in my 1950’s retro lounger listening to Madeleine Peyroux who is, BTW an amazing artist (I recommend her CD “Careless Love”) I am reading e-mails from all of you wonderful photo enthusiasts who visit this site. I admit, I love sitting back, dimming the lights and firing up the ol’ vacuum tubes in my stereo while my mind gets lost in the music. I usually sit here going through my daily images while listening to some nice music, and other times I sit here answering e-mails.

Lately I have been getting some e-mails asking me what the difference is with all of these camera formats. Many people have no idea what full frame means. They think if they buy a NIkon D90 then the 18-105 kit lens will actually get them 18-105 mm. They have no idea that the sensor in that camera has what we call a 1.5 crop, meaning the sensor is not as big as a full frame of 35 mm film. It is an APS-C sized sensor. The zoom will really be giving them an effective 27-157 mm or so.

So what does this mean? Why do people go nuts for full frame digital cameras? I hope to clear all of this up for those of you who do not really know the difference between all of this technical jargon!

First of all, I have to say that great images can be made with just about ANY current camera. Gone are the days of horrible quality digital. Most of the cameras you see today feature the latest technology which in turn will give you, the user, the best image quality for your dollar. Just get motivated and go out and shoot!

Even some of the new Fuji small sensor cameras are pretty incredible in regards to high ISO but they lack in other areas. If you are someone who is 100% serious about photography, and want the most creative tool for your images then read on. Maybe one of these formats will be just what you are looking for!

4/3 format - This format was brought to us by Olympus and Kodak almost 10 years ago now. It is basically a smaller than half frame sensor in a 4/3 format. When Olympus released the first 4/3 camera it was their pro level E1. It was somewhat of a hit and that camera had MANY fans. It also had many who hated it, AND the format. Me, I was a HUGE fan of the E1 and it gave me some wonderful family memories as well as some GREAT pro portraits.

With the sensor in a 4/3 camera being so small (compared to full frame) you have some negatives and some positives. With 4/3 your lenses DOUBLE in focal length. If you have a 14mm lens it gives you the effect of a 28mm lens. This means if you were a fan of the 50mm focal length on an old film camera, then you want a 25mm on a 4/3 camera. To some, this was a negative and to others it was a blessing as the E1 became a capable wildlife camera. Buy a 300mm lens and it effectively becomes a 600mm! But if you want wide angle, you had to go to a 7-14mm lens and that lens, as great as it is comes in at nearly $1800! I must say though that that Olympus 7-14 Zuiko is an astonishing lens if you have the bucks.

Other issues! With the smaller sensors came other issues. High ISO noise was MUCH worse than that of competing APS-C and FULL FRAME cameras. When you try to pack millions of pixels on a small sensor you usually increase the noise and lose some dynamic range.

Dynamic range is important for digital and is just starting to creep around to the level of film. High DR cameras like the Fuji S5 Pro will give you more detail in the shadows where other cameras with low DR will show that part of the image as black. So early 4/3 cameras lacked DR and had higher noise in the images. One other niggle I have always had with 4/3 is shooting shallow depth of field images.

If you want to shoot an image where your subject is in sharp focus but the background all around the subject is creamy and out of focus, then the easiest way to do this is with a full frame sensor and a fast lens. A Canon 5DMKII and 85 1.2 lens is pretty much the king of shallow depth of field shooting in a DSLR. A Leica M8.2 and 50 Noctilux is amazing for an APS sized sensor. With a 4/3 camera, the best lenses to choose for this type of shooting would be an Olympus 50 F2 or their ultra pricey professional 150 F2. Panasonic/Leica also make a 25 1.4 which would be a nice “50mm” equivalent on a 4/3 camera but this will still not give you the BOKEH of a 50 as you are physically shooting a 25!

So what I found with the 4/3 format is it is great for those who like tons of DEPTH OF FIELD, shooting wildlife and those who prefer slightly smaller camera bodies. Today with the EP1, and E30 Olympus has improved their cameras with better HIGH ISO and Dynamic Range capabilities. I also like how they have set it to where you can shoot in 4/3, 3/2, 16X9 or even 6X6. They have some GREAT glass like the 7-14, 14-35 F2, 35-100 F2 and 150F2 on the high end. In the middle they have the 12-60 and 50 F2 along with the great 50-200 zoom.

APS-C Format. This one is the most popular and sold format of camera. Cameras like the NIkon D300, D5000, D90 use APS C and they have a crop of 1.5 or 1.6. Canon cameras usually come in with the 1.6 crop and Nikon 1.5. So a 50mm on a Nikon will act like a 75mm. On an Olympus 4/3 a 50 becomes a 100mm.

With APS-C we have even better high ISO performance, more dynamic range and while you lose some reach on the long end over 4/3 you gain the ability to get even more shallow DOF. When I shot a Nikon D300, my fave lens was a 25mm.

APS-H - Yes, even another format! Cameras like the Leica M8 and Canon 1D series are APS-H. These sensors are larger than the APS-C sensors and have a 1.3 crop factor. For example, a 28 mm on a Leica M8 will give you the FOV of a 35 mm lens on full frame. Again, we can get even greater dynamic range with the larger sensor. I am eagerly awaiting a full frame Leica M9 as this will give me the best of both worlds. Shooting my Leica glass in a way that they were made to be shot!

FULL FRAME format - This is it! What many digital shooters swear by. I have shot many Full Frame digitals like the Nikon D3, D700 and Canon 1Ds and 5D series. I can say that there is something special about shooting a full frame camera. The files from these FF machines are usually more robust with greater color, fabulous high ISO performance up to 12,800 and you also get the best out of your lenses.

The Nikon D700 is a WONDERFUL camera as is the 5DMKII. Both will let you shoot in near darkness and will reward you with great images. Slap an 85 1.4 on a NIkon D3x and shoot some portraits. YOU WILL BE AMAZED at the richness in the files. But at $7-8k, that camera is not cheap!

I love full frame, but I actually prefer my Leica M8 and its beautiful sensor to the D700 and the 5DII. If I were to enter the FF SLR game again I would probably spring for a Sony Alpha 900 and some wonderful Zeiss glass like the 135F2. The Sony A900 looks like a sweet camera and I have been tempted by it lately.

In any case, I hope some of you have found this useful. This info is everywhere on the net but I figured some of you who read my site and have e-mailed me about this may find it useful.

Coming up in the next few weeks...

Olympus E-P1 Review updated with RAW conversion results!
Some cool surprise previews
Some cool surprise reviews
New Canon review
New lens reviews
New processing lesson

Some recent photos...

THE SIGMA DP2 DIGITAL CAMERA REVIEW

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:01:07 -0500

“Finally!!!” That is what I said when this little Sigma DP2 arrived via UPS. I have been wanting to try out this camera since it was launched but I had problems getting one as they were always out of stock! Due to the popularity of this little guy I have had quite a few e-mails asking me to check this camera out!

Well, the wonderful B&H Photo sent me one out for review (Thanks Isaac!) and I have been shooting with it for the past two weeks every day!! I have discovered this little cameras pros, cons and flat out flaws! YES, I said FLAWS! But hey, this is all personal opinion. I am no scientific camera review guru, just a real world photographer with a passion for great camera gear!

As for the DP2, read on if you want to find out how I liked it.

For Sigma fans, this camera was eagerly awaited. Many owned or passed on the previous version, the DP1. That little DP1 was a camera which had top class image quality in a small compact package. Basically, it was a first for a compact of this size to have a sensor with DSLR quality. The problem with the DP1 was that it was slow as molasses, the AF missed half of the time and the images had a greenish cast (at least on my DP1).

If you owned the DP1 and learned its weaknesses, and were VERY patient, then you could coax some superb images from it that rivaled most bulky DSLR’s! I owned a DP1 and to be completely honest I HATED IT. This is why I did not review it here as it would of been a blog post of me bitching and moaning about the problems I had with that camera.

I found the previous DP1 model VERY VERY VERY slow and when my wife shot with it during a vacation, only ten shots out of 100 were in focus. It was awful. We sold that camera after a few months as neither of us could get the thing to focus reliably. Low light? FORGET IT! So long DP1...

Fast forward a few months and HELLO SIGMA DP2! I just KNEW that Sigma had ironed out the issues with the DP1. I mean, they HAD to right? I was looking forward to seeing this new updated DP camera. My wife now owns a Leica D-Lux 4 which she LOVES. It has never failed her, always locks focus, and is super versatile. I wanted to see if the DP2 would be good enough to replace her D-Lux 4.

SIGMA DP2 AT 2.8 - ISO 800 - IN CAMERA BLACK AND WHITE SETTING - CLICK FOR LARGER

As for the features of the DP2, here is the lowdown direct from the B&H website:

• Foveon X3 Image Sensor
The 14 megapixel FOVEON X3 direct image sensor (2652 x 1768 x 3 layers), is the same as used in the Sigma SD14 digital SLR. The image sensor uses three silicon embedded layers of photo sensors, stacked to take advantage of silicon's ability to absorb red, green and blue light at different respective depths.

The camera is not REALLY 14MP. Actually, it is 1/3 that and the true res of the DP2 is more like 4.8MP.

• Fast Lens
A 24.2mm f/2.8 Sigma lens, with field of view equivalent to 41mm on a 35mm film camera, has been developed to maximize the image quality in conjunction with the full color capture image sensor, and the wide aperture of this lens allows users to get better shots in low light. There is also an optional lens hood available that includes a hood adapter designed to accept a 46mm lens filters.

The lens has been improved in the DP2! No more slow F4 like the DP1, this lens is sharp, contrasty and a faster F2.8. Superb job on this new addition!

• Sigma 'True II' Image Processor
Sigma's unique and powerful 'True II' (Three-layer Responsive Ultimate Engine) image processor is incorporated into the DP2, enabling it to handle the large image files produced by the 14 megapixel sensor and reproduce exceptional definition with image quality equal to professional digital SLR cameras and on a par with top quality film.

This is somewhat true as the sensor is of very good quality. When compared to my M8 and its 3+ year old sensor though, it falls a bit short with less dynamic range and not as much resolution. Still, for a compact camera, this is the best image quality I have seen to date.

• Versatile Focus System
The AF area of the DP2 is equipped with 9 focusing points, and it is possible to manually select the desired focusing point of the 9 available. The camera also provides Manual Focus for photographers who like to take more control or for use when autofocus or focus lock is not effective.

As with the DP1, the focus leaves a lot to be desired. A bit disappointed in the AF, though it is an improvement over the DP1.

• Accurate Color
The DP2 takes advantage of the image sensor's superior technology to capture accurate, full color image information.

Well, any digital camera today in this price range will give you good color. The DP2 takes it a step up and does actually provide a film like look in its colors. Very rich.

• Advanced Metering
The DP2 has three metering modes, Evaluative Metering, Center Weighted Average Metering and Spot Metering. It is also possible to select the exposure mode from Auto, Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE or Manual. Exposure compensation can be set in 1/3 stop increments from +3.0 to -3.0 stops and an auto bracketing function is also available.

The metering for me tended to err on the side of UNDER exposure but it was pretty accurate most of the time. No issues here.

• Movie Recording
The camera can record movies with QVGA resolution (320 x 240) at a fame rate of 30 fps, plus the digital zoom function can be used during movie shooting.

To me this is a JOKE!!! Where is the HD video? Almost every camera these days records in HD and the fantastic Olympus EP1 Digital PEN has gorgeous video! C’mon Sigma, give us the HD or none at all.

THE DP2 IN REAL WORLD SHOOTING AND USE

So now that you have seen the features of this camera, and my thoughts on some of them let me tell you about my 2 weeks with this little camera.

The build and styling of the DP2 is just about the same as the DP1. What does that mean? Well, for those who have never handled a DP1 the build is somewhat on the “cheap” side IMO. It is light, hollow feeling and sort of clunky in its build. The knobs do not inspire any confidence and the feel of the camera is just average. It is not up there with others in the $700 range. I prefer the feel of the Leica D-Lux 4, the Canon G10, and especially the newer $799 Olympus EP-1 digital PEN and by a large margin!!!

BUT a camera is not really about build quality is it? Sure, it is nice but it is not mandatory for a camera to be built like a freaking SHERMAN TANK! The real test of a good camera is its image quality and the DP2 has plenty.

SIGMA DP2 - ISO 100 - F4 - CLICK FOR LARGER

Yes, this little guy is all about the image and the quality of that image. Some of the files I got out of this guy really blew me away. I can also say that the files this camera produced had some similarities to my M8 files. Of course the DP2 files are of a lower resolution (about half) and not quite as detailed and clean as the M8, but they are very “rich” in quality.

MY FIRST CONCERT SHOOT AND I MAKE THE TOUR BOOK!

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:33:40 -0500

When I was a teenager and shooting my cheap-o 110 film cameras at KISS concerts I would HAVE never dreamed that one day in my future I would be able to get a photo pass and shoot a concert, officially! Well, not only did that happen this year with the SEAL show in Chicago (see my show report and photos here) but after it was all said an done one of my shots made it in to his european tour book!!!

I just received my copies in the mail last week and there it is! A full page! I took quite a few shots that night, and used my trusty Leica M8 and a Nikon D90 I was testing at the time. My Leica kit which consisted of my M8, 28 Elmarit, 50 Summilux and 75 Summarit had a value of about $10,000. The D90, about $1100.

The shot that made it in the book was shot with the Nikon D90 and the lowly 18-105 kit lens, at ISO 2500 no less!

It goes to show that you do not need a mega buck camera for professional work! Just a passion for photography and the desire to do your best with whatever you shoot with!

If you have a recent entry level DSLR you have a powerful tool that you can use in almost any situation. Sure, nice fast lenses are a joy to own but are they really necessary? I see it every day, and am guilty of it myself!

Hobbyists get obsessed with buying the fastest and most expensive lenses they can buy. They want the best and they want quality. Again, I do this myself as I own lenses that I really do not “need”.

I mean, how many of us really NEED a $10,000 Leica Noctilux 0.95 lens? The answer is NONE OF US DO! Many times, like with this new Noctilux, it is all about what we WANT, not NEED, and that is the truth! Lens lust takes over our brains and we find a way to get the lens we want.

I can not afford the new Noctilux lens but I would sure as hell WANT it if I had a spare $10k laying around! Hell, I would be happy with the old Noctilux! But do I NEED a Noctilux to get an award winning shot? NO!!! I have a 50 1.4 and that is plenty fast for me and gets the job done in my lower light situations.

Am I saying you should not buy these beautiful expensive lenses? NO WAY! If you have the cash, more power to you! Buy what makes you happy as we only have one life to live on this earth! It goes by too fast so enjoy it while you can. I try to live my life like every day could be my last! Seriously!

Basically what I AM trying to say is shoot with what you have and be happy with it. I have said this before but if you have the passion and desire, you can use almost any camera to make great images, so get out there and shoot!

I also want to thank Seal once again for using my image in the new tour book and for sending me a couple of copies. It is a beautiful book and also showcases a bunch of his own photography.

Now I need to find a frame to display them!

New reviews coming over the next two weeks: Sigma DP2, Leica 35 Summicron ASPH. In August: Leica 24 Summilux, Olympus EP-1 and more!

THE LEICA 50 SUMMILUX 1.4 PRE-ASPH LENS REVIEW

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 19:10:54 -0500

I am back this week with an all new Leica lens write up!! Woo Hoo! This is one I have been looking forward to even though it is no longer available new. Yep! It’s a CLASSIC Leica!

If this lens is no longer available new then why would I bother to review it you ask? Well, that is simple. This lens comes up on the used market quite often and it is a cheaper alternative to the newer $3600 Leica 50 Summilux ASPH. Used copies of this PRE-ASPHERICAL version can be found for $1400 or so in mint condition. About $2200 CHEAPER than the newest ASPH version! (see my ASPH review here) You can even find them in Black Paint like this one for around $1600 - $1800 or so.

I decided that I needed to see for myself how this lens performed as I have never owned one and as usual, curiosity got the best of me. (that is my story and I am sticking to it!) This is the legendary log running lens that was sold for MANY years BEFORE the current masterpiece, the Leica 50 Summilux ASPH. I managed to fine a beautiful black paint coded version that matches my black paint Leica M8.2, and it is one sweet looking setup.

I was curious to see how this lens compared in the real world to the ASPHERICAL version, which is just about as perfect as a 1.4 lens can get. I will say right here and now that if you want a PERFECT 50mm Lens for your Leica, look no further than the ASPH version. But, if you want a lens with some classic character, some old time charm and some pretty cool “bokeh” then stick around! Kick your shoes off and read on my friends...

THERE ARE A MILLION 50’S FOR THE LEICA M MOUNT!!!

For a Leica M camera, there are quite a few options for a 50mm lens. We have the Leica 50 Summarit 2.5 lens, the Summicron F2 lens and of course the 50 Summilux ASPH and PRE-ASPH. We also have the Leica Noctilux at 0.95 and the older model at F1. Finally, the Zeiss planar 50 F2 and the Zeiss Sonnar 1.5 are great lenses in a lower price bracket. Voigtlander makes the 50 Nokton 1.5 and the newer F1.1 Nokton and there are many other classics that I will not even get into right now. Basically, you have many CHOICES ranging from $300 to $10,000!

If you want a “fast” 50, meaning a lens with a wide aperture of F 1.4 or bigger, and your budget is UNDER $3500 then you have a few choices. The Leica Summilux ASPH ($3500), a used Leica Summilux PRE-ASPH ($1400), a Zeiss Sonnar ($800) or the Voigtlander Nokton 1.5 or 1.1. Since the new Summilux ASPH is pretty much the perfect lens for sharpness and smooth bokeh when shot wide open, and it is in a much higher price range, I will not compare it to the older PRE-ASPH version as there is no point. Instead, I will compare it to the Zeiss Sonnar. Besides, I no longer have the ASPH version of this lens so I can not compare them even if I wanted to!

The Leica 50 PRE-ASPH and the Zeiss are two lenses that SHOULD be compared as they are much closer in price and character. Both are a little soft wide open at 1.4, both are somewhat compact (with the Zeiss being smaller) and both render in a classic kind of way, which is pretty cool in my book! The Zeiss may be a bit more dreamy as well, but it depends on your technique with its focus shift.

I feel that the classic lenses are what give images that “Leica Look” so many photographers talk about. While many say there is no “Leica Look” I believe there is, but don’t ask me to prove it!

Some Leica shots, with certain lenses of course, will give you an image that just can not be duplicated with a Canon or Nikon SLR, and that is just plain FACT. But IT IS subtle and my eyes have seen a few Canon 5DII images that have come close to that look. But, as many of you know, what it comes down to is the lenses. Plain and simple.

One Leica lens that has a unique look is their fabulous 35 Summilux (when shot at 1.4) and to this day it is still my favorite all purpose lens on my M8.2. The 35 Summilux is a GORGEOUS lens and the images from it are just incredible when shot wide open. There IS a magic there that I do not see in many (if any) other lenses. You can see my review of that lens here.

So, I was indeed hoping that this 50 Summilux PRE-ASPH would have some of that magic. I did find a little of it in the Zeiss Sonnar, that is for sure. I am a sucker for fast glass and the “look” of an image shot wide open at F1 or 1.4 so I was ready to get the testing underway! One of these lenses would have to stay, and one would have to be sold. But which one? I set aside any bias and shot both lenses side by side for a while and found a winner. Read on to find out which one found a home with me...

I started shooting the Leica from the moment it was delivered from Fed Ex.

THE LEICA 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPH 1.4 - $1400-$1700 USED

In comparison to the Zeiss, it is a bit larger ad a little bit heavier but neither lens is large or heavy. On the M8.2 they are nicely balanced. The Leica 50 PRE-ASPH is a bit shorter than the ASPH version and with its knurled focusing ring it feels AMAZING in the hand.

Focus is smooth as silk and it is my smoothest focusing lens to date. In comparison, the Zeiss is very stiff but, as you probably know, they all loosen up over time.

Of course, the first shot I took was of my dog as he happened to be out in the yard at the time. One thing I noticed with this Leica 50 Summilux PRE-ASPH lens is that it can sometimes give you that swirly “bokeh” that I happen to LOVE. Many hate it, but I think it is pretty unique and gives an image a look that no other lenses can pull off besides the original Noctilux. of course, this is when the lens is shot wide open at 1.4.

LEICA 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPHERICAL AT 1.4

If you click on the image above you can view the original 10MP file from my M8.2. Focus was on the tail and as you can see, its pretty sharp. Here is a 100 crop:

100% CROP

Even though it is sharp I noticed an immediate difference between this lens and the ASPHERICAL version in regards to bokeh. The ASPH version of this lens would of rendered the tail in a super crispy sharp way while the background would of been a silky smooth bur from corner to corner. Picture perfect.

As far as Bokeh, I am very happy with the Leica Summilux 50 PRE-ASPH. It betters the Zeiss IMO. If you read my full review of the Zeiss you will see that sometimes the bokeh can be pretty busy. With the Leica, its less busy and more “swirly”.

LEICA 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPH AT 1.4 - M8.2

LEICA 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPH AT 1.4 - M8.2

LEICA 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPH AT 1.4 - M8.2 - BENDY BOKEH

To me, this kind of BOKEH is gorgeous and sort of defines that classic Leica look. This lens has very good performance wide open with a unique signature. Yes, this PRE-ASPH is one of those lenses loaded with character, and as previously mentioned, in some ways reminds me of the old Leica F1 Noctilux! How cool is that?

One thing I have noticed while shooting this lens is that the contrast is on the low side. While most modern Leica lenses have high contrast, insane sharpness and bold colors, this lens has low contrast, medium sharpness and a more muted color. But it is beautiful. If I had to nitpick, I wish it had a bit more contrast. Also, like the Zeiss, it has some purple fringing if the situation is just right. In the image below I overexposed the background to show this effect.

LEICA 50 SUMMILUX PRE-ASPH PURPLE FRINGING EXAMPLE

100% CROP - focus was a bit off but still shows the PF

To be fair, I have seen this in the Leica 50 Summilux ASPH, the Zeiss 50 Sonnar and even Nikon and Canon lenses. In a situation like the one above, it would be pretty hard for a lens on digital to NOT have purple fringing going on!

So, the $3600 question: Do I like it more than the 50 Summilux ASPH? That is a tough one but I must say that I am a huge fan of that classic look and this lens has it. Is the new ASPH version the better lens? Of course it is if technical perfection and a lighter bank account is your goal! Honestly, the 50 ASPH Summilux is the best of the best, but at half the price this older version is a very good buy.

This lens as well as the Zeiss Sonnar 50 makes for a great alternative for those of us who are looking for a bargain that gives you GREAT performance. Can you really call a $1700 lens a bargain? In the Leica world, yes!

THE ZEISS C SONNAR - 50 1.5 ZM - $900 NEW

WHY I LOVE MY LEICA

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 09:51:05 -0500

You raise the camera to your eye. In that one moment it becomes an extension of your mind, your soul. Every ounce of your attention is focused on that one moment. You press the shutter and you can be proud knowing you just captured a moment in time that can never be re-captured or repeated. Your image then becomes a memory. Like an emotional time machine to look back on years later. It IS important and it IS there because YOU captured it.

As I sit here and REALY think about it, I can not think of too many things as powerful as a camera and a lens. Sure, there are MILLIONS of people shooting MILLIONS of pictures each and every day but to each and every one of those people, their photos mean something to them and that is what makes it so special.

Wether you are capturing your newborn baby or your 90 year old parents/grandparents, each photo you take will live on forever. I am very passionate about photography and over the years have shot with just about every DIGITAL camera ever made and the only camera that has ever elevated my passion for photography even further has been a Leica M camera.

It is funny. I get a few e-mails every week asking why I love my Leica M8.2 so much. I am then told it is a much too expensive camera. It is just fancy “bling” they say. I get those e-mails saying “My Nikon D40 can outshoot your M8” and I even get those who tell me it must be nice to be rich. HA!!! If they only knew I have one foot in the poor house.

The truth is I have owned or tried almost every camera available to date and MY CHOICE, for my style is hands down the Leica M8/M8.2. No other camera that I have ever used or owned has come close to the feeling you get when you are holding that Leica to your eye, pulling focus, and pressing the shutter capturing that one moment in time that no one else can catch.

It is the whole package. The look, the build, the ergonomics, the rangefinder, the focus, the lenses and the smooth silky shutter of the M8.2. I must admit a little bit of that Leica mystique is thrown in as well.

BUT I will warn those thinking of selling off their DSLRs for an M8.

I see many hobbyists sell off their DSLR’s and buy an M8 only to sell the M8 a month later! They try the rangefinder for the first time in their life and are so used to seeing through the lens with a DSLR that it is alien to them. It is strange and hard to get used to.

They miss the telephoto, the macro and the blazing AF speed. They soon regret plunking down all of that cash on a camera and sell it at a loss. They go back to a DSLR and soon remember why they wanted to ditch it in the first place! The weight, the bulk, the huge lenses. Once again, they sell the DSLR and buy another M8 and then they GET IT.

If you are soon going to buy an M8 or M8.2, remember that shooting a rangefinder camera takes some time to get used to. It is NOT like an SLR. You can not see through the lens, and you might as well forget about telephoto and macro. AF? Forget about it!! Even without all of those fancy whiz bang features I am starting to realize the M8 is much more capable than even I once thought.

The M8 is my constant companion. It travels with me daily and that is something that never happened with any of my past DSLRs. I mean, imagine carrying around a Nikon D3x and 24-70 lens all day, every day, wherever you go! Makes me depressed just thinking about it.

I have many friends who have switched to M8’s and they would never go back to the backbreaking weight of a DSLR. Sure, many of them keep a DSLR around but they barely use them. The M8 just seems so much more “human” in its approach to photography. It really is an emotional experience and even after THREE years of shooting with M8’s, I love it just as much today as I did back then. To those who know me, than you know that is a remarkable statement.

I used to switch cameras every 3-4 weeks. I was always looking for that perfect camera and never found it until the M8 came along. There are better cameras made today of course, but none will offer the experience of an M. I guarantee it.

The size is perfect. The build is superb. The sensor is incredible and the user experience is sublime. It is not filled with gimmicks, nor super fast AF. Its metering is classic and the resulting images have a realness to them.

If you have a PASSION for photography and want to IMPROVE then an M8 does indeed help you do this. It slows you down much like a film M7 or MP does. You soon start “seeing” the shot before you even capture it. If you shoot the M8 and ONE LENS for a while you start learning how to get the shot you want without changing lenses.

The bottom line is I love my Leica and it has rewarded me with the best images I have ever taken, many of which I cant show here as they are for clients. But I can say that even my personal images have something about them that was lacking when I shot with a DSLR. Whatever it is, I like it and I look forward to the future of the digital M line.

OlYMPUS E-P1 DIGITAL PEN, LEICA M9?!? MY PREDICTIONS!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:28:19 -0500

With the big news last week of Olympus’s tiny digital “Pen” camera, THE E-P1 it seems that some of the forums have quite a few excited photographers waiting for this little lean mean machine (say that 20 times fast)! I mean, this little Olympus looks like a perfect digital for many of us! It’s small, it’s sleek, it appears to be well built, and its a micro 4/3 sensor camera. That means it is an interchangeable lens camera and should have DSLR quality (well, 4/3 quality). It will be the size of a compact with the power of a 4/3 DSLR and retro looks thrown in for free! Sounds pretty good! Oh, and of course HD video!

It does have its drawbacks though. For me, I will be skipping this one for a few reasons. Mainly, I am NOT a fan of the 4/3 sensors these days. It is basically a 2X crop camera, and in these days of low noise, high dynamic range FULL FRAME sensor cameras this little Oly will not compete IQ wise with many DSLRs out today. But it is probably not supposed to.

I feel this E-P1 is more of a replacement for a compact like the D-Lux 4 or Canon G10. I mean, it will be $799 WITH a kit 14-42 zoom lens so its just a little more expensive than the Leica D-Lux 4. It’s just about as small as a compact but with a larger sensor. Actually, for the price it should be a GREAT bang for the buck camera. So for hobbyists, teens, enthusiasts and even the soccer moms who stumble into best buy (cuteness factor) Olympus will probably have a hit on their hands with this one. A true grand slam.

For guys like me who LOVE great color, robust files, detail, shallow depth of field and good dynamic range the E-P1 will fall short. Also, the kit lens for the E-P1 is a slow 3.5-5.6. No way to get any cool shallow depth of field effects with that lens. Also, no low light indoor shots without flash. But for $799, it is still a great buy, and it does indeed have a larger sensor than most compacts, except for the Sigma DP2, but that cam is low resolution and slow as an 18 year old poodle though its image quality is great (I’ll wait for the DP3).

But back to the Olympus...it’s the 4/3 format, and while it is a bit flawed IMO I feel Oly will have success with this little dynamo. The design, the concept and the features with the lower price point spells and smells of SUCCESS. When it hits the stores in July we will really get to see its performance and I will have one for review soon myself so it should be fun.

As I have already stated, there are many good things about the E-P1 and I am guessing the image quality will actually be better than the flagship E3! One good thing about this Olympus digital PEN is that I am betting other manufacturers will follow this trend of smaller bodies, bigger sensors. Namely Leica and Panasonic. I have ZERO inside info, but I have a few predictions and it will be interesting to see if these actually come true. So, just for fun...

Prediction 1 - End of this 2009, start of 2010. Leica will release a small camera that will look like a mini M8 in many ways. I will guess that it will be bigger than the Oly and have an EVF viewfinder, and it will be the TRUE “Son Of The M8” AF, with the Leica looks AND the adapter to use M lenses. Think Panasonic G1 but a MUCH nicer looking and better quality camera. Again, this is JUST A GUESS and prediction. I have no inside info at all! Price? Hmmm, lets say $2499 Name? Digilux 4 with looks of the digilux 2 but refined.

Prediction 2 - The Leica M9. Here it goes...FULL FRAME, 16-18MP, ISO up to 5000 but still not as clean as D700/5D, improved LCD, external ISO button/dial, same styling and look of the current M8.2 but with much faster processing and even better image quality. Some rumors have come out last week about a possible M9 where Stefan Daniel at Leica said they may be working on an IR/UV filter solution IN the camera. Hmmmm. When? Sooner than you think. My guess is we will hear about this camera by Feb/March 2010, maybe sooner. Maybe by January 2010 or even maybe in 2009 :) Price...$6495 with M8.2 dropping to $4495.

Prediction 3 - The S2 will be released this year and I am guessing the quality will be spectacular but the price will keep it out of most enthusiasts hands. This is why Leica will release a small version of the camera coming in at a much lower price point. They discontinued the R line but what if the rumored R10 becomes the S1 or S3 with an adapter to use old R glass? A mini S2 would be sweet and would put the technology in the hands of more people with a lower price point. So my guess here is a Leica S1, full frame sensor, 20-24MP, AF and superb quality - $8000-$9995. I could be WAY off here as it has been said they will release an EVF R type camera. I am guessing the EVF will be the one mentioned in prediction #1 :)

Prediction 4 - What about a D-Lux 4 replacement? My guess is Leica will wait a while here. Panasonic makes the D-Lux 4 so when we see the Panny LX4 we will know the D-lux 5 is around the corner. BUT what if the next D-Lux camera is like the Oly Digital Pen? Small as a D-lux 4 but the ability to use the small micro 4/3 lenses. It is possible but who knows? The C-Lux line would evolve into more of the old D-Lux line if this happens.

Again, these are all just my silly PREDICTIONS. I wanted to see if I am even close as I strongly feel Leica has a few surprises of its sleeve over the next year or so. But a line of of a Digilux 4 that can use M lenses, the M8.2 at a lower price point, a FF M9, and a new smaller S type camera? That would be a killer line up for Leica but who knows what will happen?

Nikon and Canon? That one is easy! They will continue as always with new models every 6 months to a year! Ha...Maybe a Nikon D800 24 MP monster? Only time will tell, but I am really hoping waiting for the M9 FF (not that I could afford it or anything) as it will be exciting to use our Leica glass in a FF format again!

Until next time!

Steve

BTW, my Canon G10 review is coming this week! How did it compare to the Leica D-Lux 4? HINT: It didn't. :)

Oh, and here is the lowdown on the new Oly E-P1 digital PEN. You can order it NOW from B&H using THIS link! They will ship it the day it arrives!

The Olympus E-P1 marks the formal introduction of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds (4/3) camera system in the form of a high-quality, sub-compact digital camera. Designed around a 12.3-megapixel (17.3 x 13mm) Live MOS imaging sensor, the E-P1 enables pro-quality still and video imaging abilities in a small, unassuming package. Along with a new line of compact M.Zuiko Digital lenses, the new system is compatible with all existing 4/3-format fixed-prime and zoom lenses from 7mm through 800mm (114° to 1.5° AOV).

Clad in ergonomically-designed stainless-steel body panels, the Olympus E-P1 takes many design queues from the Olympus Pen F, a popular half-frame SLR that made its initial debut in 1959. But unlike the original Pen F, the E-P1 has the ability to produce vividly-detailed still photographs and HD video with stereo sound, both of which can be enhanced post-capture using the E-P1's advanced in-camera retouching and audio dubbing tools.

Essentially a 4/3-format DSLR minus the prism and mirror housing (hence the smaller body size), images can be composed and edited using the E-P1's 3" HyperCrystal LCD, which features anti-reflective coatings on its surface to enable Live viewing of 100% of the image area under the brightest of lighting conditions. When shooting in manual focus, a 5x magnification of the center of the frame pops up as a focusing aid each time you adjust the focusing ring. (This magnification can be can be manually increased up to 10x)

This kit includes a compact 14-42mm M.Zuiko Digital zoom lens, which with an angle-of-view of 74-28.5 degrees, is an equivalent to a 28-85mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.
Other features found on the Olympus E-P1 include Dust Reduction technology, in-camera Image Stabilization, which enables low-light hand-held shooting with all 4/3-system lenses, advanced shooting modes, and creative post-capture editing tools.

Compact Design with Pro-system Capabilities
The Olympus E-P1 combines the casual, easy-to-use persona of a pocket-size point-and-shoot camera with the imaging capabilities of a pro-level DSLR. As an extension of Olympus' proven 4/3 imaging system, the E-P1 can shoot casual stills and video as well as complex imagery with equal ease and precision

• High-Definition Stills and Video
The Olympus E-P1 enables high-definition capture of still and video images while maintaining full auto-focus functionality and image stabilization with all 4/3-format optics. And unlike video-enabled DSLRs, the Olympus E-P1 maintains full AF in video mode

• 12.3 MP 4/3-Format Live MOS Sensor
The E-P1 utilizes the same 12.3-megapixel Live MOS imaging sensor used in Olympus' 4/3-format DSLRs. Measuring 17.3 x 13mm, this sensor is half the size of 'full-frame' DSLR sensors (2x crop factor), but far larger than comparably-sized digital cameras, all of which lack the option of lens interchangeability

• Compatible with all 4/3-System Lenses
Aside from the physically smaller M.Zuiko Digital lenses, the Olympus E-P1 is also compatible with all FourThird-format lenses, which enables you to take advantage of one of the widest angle-of-view (AOV) selections available today (114° to 1.5° AOV, or 14 to 800mm)

• Live View Mode
Live View enables real-time viewing of your still and video images as you compose and capture them.

• Advanced, Pro-Quality Autofocus & Metering System
The camera's 11-point Imager AF autofocusing system ensures quick and accurate focusing under all lighting conditions. For equally accurate metering, the Olympus E-P1 utilizes a 324 segment ESP metering system. There's also the option of selecting Spot or Center-weighted metering as desired

• In-Body Image Stabilization
An in-camera stabilization system allows for up to 4-stops EV of movement compensation with all 4/3 and Micro-4/3 format lenses

• Dust Reduction
Olympus' Dust Reduction, which runs an ultrasonic cleaning cycle each time you power up the camera, helps keep dust particles out of the image path

• Advanced Shooting and Post-Capture Editing Modes
Advanced shooting modes, including ePortrait for optimized portrait photography, iAUTO for decision-free shooting under most common shooting conditions, Shadow Adjustment Technology (SAT) for optimizing highlight and shadow details, and Art Filters (Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, and Pin Hole) are easily employed as needed. Other post-capture editing features include sound dubbing (in stereo) for still and video images

• High-Quality Stereo PCM Audio
You can record video with linear, non-compressed sound, as well as add sound to images post-capture

• Manual Focus Assist
When shooting in Manual Focus mode (MF) a 5x close-up of the center of the image is superimposed into a box at the center of the screen to aid in fine focusing. This magnification can be increased up to 10x magnification

THE LEICA 24 ELMARIT 2.8 LENS REVIEW

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:48:27 -0500

Well here I am again with yet another beautiful Leica lens to review. The Leica 24 Elmarit 2.8. For the past three weeks this lens has been glued to my Leica M8.2 and has flown with me 3600 miles from Chicago, to Phoenix, to St Louis.

For a wider view on my M8.2 I am used to the 28 Summicron, so I was not sure if I would “bond” with this 24 Elmarit. But I must say that I have heard some pretty good things about this $3800 lens over the years. Terms such as “magical”, “3D” and “amazingly sharp” have been used to describe the way this lens draws and I was VERY excited to finally test one out for myself.

I had very high hopes for this lens and was curious to see if I would like it even better than my beloved Leica 28 Summicron. I own the Summicron because I love fast glass, and it was the fastest semi wide I could afford. This Elmarit is sort of slow by my standards at 2.8, but usually in a wide lens like this 1.4 or F2 is not always needed. Since you can handhold a wider lens at slower shutter speeds, so I told myself it would probably be fine.

Does this mean I do not lust after a Leica 24 Summilux? Hell no! The 24 Summilux 1.4 would be a dream lens for me but at $5995 it will remain a dream for a while! But this review is not about the 24 Summilux so let me get to it!

When I received this lens for testing I took it out of the package and checked it over. With the hood it is a little larger than the 28 Summicron. It is coded for the M8/M8.2 and it already had a Leica E55 UV/IR filter attached. I slapped it on my beautiful black paint M8.2 and as usual, out the door I went for a fun day of shooting!

About one minute after I walk out the door a thunderstorm hits and it was back in the house. Damn! I wanted to test this lens out and with the grey, dreary clouds and heavy rain I had to find a subject in the house. Hmmmmmm, my wife was home! Ha ha.

LEICA 24 ELMARIT AT 2.8 ON THE M8.2 - THE STORM ARRIVES!

I stood on my front porch and called her over to the screen door. I said “Look at those clouds”! I asked her to put her hands up on the screen and hold the look. I snapped the shutter and it was my first image with the Leica 24 Elmarit. After opening the file in Photoshop and adjusting the contrast and colors I knew right then and there I was going to like this lens. Really, I was hoping I would hate it as when I like these lenses I WANT them :) That leads to trouble most of the time, and you KNOW what I mean! BTW, this shot below was inspired by THIS image.

LEICA 24 ELMARIT AT 2.8 WITH THE M8.2

As most of you know by now my reviews are laid back, easy to read and I try to make them fun. I stay away from too much technical bullshit. In the real world when taking pictures when do we shoot focus charts, resolution charts, and things that have NOTHING to do with REAL photography? NEVER! Yes, many people out there love the technical stuff, but me, I want to see how a lens performs in the way it was INTENDED to be used. By taking real photographs.

Too many people these days get caught up in these technical reviews and they spend more time testing lenses by shooting newspaper text and pencils than they do taking real photos. I have been guilty of that myself in the past but these days I prefer to do my lens testing by getting out there and shooting. I mean, how are you going to know if you like a lens if you are shooting newspaper text all day?

In some of my lens reviews I do shoot a clock on my wall to show sharpness at each aperture. But this 24 Elmarit is INSANELY SHARP at ALL apertures and in my shooting I have found 2.8 just as sharp as F5.6, and even F8 so this review WILL NOT contain a shot at each aperture with crops. Just this one shot below with crop to show you just how sharp this lens is, and man oh man is this lens sharp :)

24 ELMARIT AT 2.8

100% CROP

As you can see, the 24 Elmarit at 2.8, wide open, is about as sharp as anyone could EVER ask for. It’s almost TOO sharp as you can see in the crop above. Also, this lens stays sharp all the way to the edges of the frame. As for sharpness, this is the sharpest lens I have EVER used or owned and it literally KILLS the Canon 24L when both lenses are shot at 2.8. Amazing.

Now, let me get to what REALLY amazed me with this lens. Besides the crazy sharpness this lens does indeed have a 3D look to its images sometimes. The reason you get this 3D look is due to to the sharpness and micro contrast of the lens. This lens delivers the 3D look many of us crave. Yes, I said CRAVE! Some people CRAVE White Castle burgers but me, I crave that 3D look in my images!

24 ELMARIT AT F4 - CLICK FOR LARGER VERSION TO APPRECIATE!

24 ELMARIT AT 2.8 - CLICK FOR LARGER VERSION TO APPRECIATE!

24 ELMARIT AT 2.8 - CLICK FOR LARGER VERSION!

I have to admit, when I was shooting this lens for the first time out in the field I was not sure about it. To frame the shot you must use the ENTIRE M8 viewfinder, and I am used to having some area around the frames which to me, makes it easy to frame the perfect shot with the M8.2.

Using the full VF was a bit tricky at first as its not that easy to see the ENTIRE frame unless you really push your eye up to it. After a few days I got used to it and now I really enjoy it. Any wider than 24 would require an external viewfinder or just a good estimation of the scene.

THE ZEISS ZM 50 SONNAR 1.5 LENS REVIEW

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:46:21 -0500

Yes! Another fast 50 review for the Leica M mount! Many of you may have read my Leica 50 Summilux review, but this time around I am reviewing the Zeiss ZM Sonnar 50 on the Leica M8.2 and it is less than 1/4 the price of the Leica 50 Summilux!!

Yea, this Sonnar is only a measly 1.5 aperture lens, while the summilux ASPH is 1.4, but hey, for the most part, 1.5 is the same as 1.4 :) Ha ha...

A few years back, Zeiss decided to launch a line of lenses for the M mount to give users a more affordable choice for their lens collections. Zeiss promised superb quality AND resolution so many photo nuts started buying them up. They normally get great reviews and high praise as the cost/performance ratio is amazing. Bang for the buck here guys...

I have always been a HUGE fan of the Leica 50 Summilux ASPH and I have always thought of it as the best 50mm lens in the world for 35mm photography. If you want absolute perfection, the Leica is your lens. BUT, be prepared to pay for that perfection. The current selling price for the Leica is $3595 US. OuuuccchhhhH!

So, here I am with a $3600 lens vs a $900 lens and you may be shocked to find out how this little Zeiss performed in comparison to the Leica. For under $900, this little guy is actually a pretty amazing lens.

One of my favorite Leica dealers, Ken Hansen, sent me this lens to try out. He sent along a Zeiss metal hood and a Leica E46 UV/IR filter. When the lens arrived, I was very pleased with the styling and the size/weight. It is MUCH shorter than the Leica Summilux and much, much lighter as well (compared to my chrome Leica 50 Lux). With the hood attached, it makes the lens quite a bit larger, but still manageable. It is more of a stout lens, where the Leica is more of a longer lens. I do prefer the built-in hood on the Leica though.

I twisted the aperture ring and it was a bit stiff compared to the Leica, but it felt very solid at the same time. The focus was stiff as well, but has already loosened up a bit. Overall, this lens is built extremely well and feels nice in use. Of course, about 30 minutes after I get the lens, I am out shooting with it AND my Leica 50 Lux ASPH on the Leica M8.2. How did it do? Keep reading as this will get interesting...

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Some of you may have heard about this Sonnar design. It is actually a lens design from 1924, invented by Dr. Ludwig Bertele. Zeiss has basically re-created/re-issued a classic lens. This means that the images from this lens will have a more “classic” rendering. Basically, a little soft wide open, some glow, and a certain look that you just do not see in modern lens design. Many LOVE this look and some HATE it. Me, I happen to love it to death, so when I started shooting the Zeiss Sonnar, I fell in love within minutes.

Here is the first shot from this lens with my Leica M8.2, click for larger...

Once I saw this image on my screen I knew it was a TOTALLY different lens than the 50 Summilux in the way it renders the image, or “draws”. Personally, I love it and feel it DOES indeed have a classical but VERY 3D feel.

The one thing I was VERY curious about was how it compared, when shot side-by-side, with the 50 Summilux ASPH lens. I know its not wise to compare a Yugo to a BMW (but don’t tell MY Yugo that, ha ha :)), but you know, I wanted to see just how close the Sonnar came to the Lux in color, contrast, sharpness, and overall “look”.

I went out in my backyard with a tripod and shot a few images. Some wide open with each lens and some stopped down to F5.6. What I saw when I returned to my screen sort of amazed me. I thought there was a mistake, so I went out and did it again. Same result.

The result that surprised me so much was the comparison between the two at F5.6. I did this test THREE times and each time the Zeiss out-performed the Leica in color and sharpness. The Zeiss was also a bit more contrasty. Some will like that and some will not, but I preferred the color and contrast from the Zeiss Sonnar!!! Oh..the blasphemy!!

ZEISS SONNAR AT F5.6

AND A CROP OF THE SONNAR SHOT:

Now, the Leica Summilux shot at F5.6:

LEICA 50 LUX ASPH AT 5.6

AND THE CROP:

So go ahead and study these crops. What you will see is that the Zeiss Sonnar at F5.6 is actually sharper than the Leica and has a much warmer color cast compared to Leica’s colder color cast. I prefer the warmer color of the Zeiss personally, though neither lens got the color right. You will also find the Zeiss has more contrast.

Both lenses had UV/IR filters and the same exact settings were used for each image. No tweaks or processing has been done so what you are seeing is purely the lens and the sensor performance.

MY LEICA M8.2 GOES TO THE ZOO!

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:17:49 -0500

A few years ago I used to shoot at the Zoo about 2-3 times per week. Back then I lived about 10 minutes away from the Phoenix Zoo and had a season pass so I was ALWAYS there. I would spend the day walking and shooting with a Nikon and 70-200 zoom lens. I thought I had some kick ass equipment and after reviewing my shots I was impressed with what I was able to get. When I shot with a Nikon D2h years ago I actually won an award for one of my shots of a Orangutan and that was pretty exciting for me.

This past week I visited the Zoo with my Leica M8.2 rangefinder and found out that even without a big Zoom lens you can get some pretty nice shots of the animals at the Zoo.

Below is a shot of a Lion I snapped with the 90 Summicron. I did not have enough reach to get a head shot but I actually like the way this turned out better as it shows the Lion in his environment, and he is there sleeping like a baby enjoying the cool weather and slight misty rain.

SLEEPING LIKE A BABY - LEICA M8.2 AND 90 SUMMICRON

Due to the rain I was unable to shoot outside (one fault of the M8.2, no weather sealing) so I ventured into the indoor exhibits to shoot and it was DARK so I cranked up the ISO to 1250 and set the 90 to F2.

What I managed to capture are some of my best Zoo shots ever as they are unlike most images from the Zoo, and I feel they are pretty unique. When I shot them I seriously thought they would be unusable to the dark and ISO 1250 but I was pleasantly surprised. Now I can not wait to go back and get more! The M8.2 really came through for me here.

I posted these shots to show my continued enthusiasm with my Leica M8 system as I have yet to find a situation where it does not do well! Here are my favorite shots from my 1st attempt at Zoo photography with the M8.

As always, thanks for looking! Next week I will have my Zeiss Sonnar 50 lens review and it will include an interesting comparison with the Leica 50 Summilux ASPH. Be sure to check back for that as well as a Canon G10 review (working on it now and comparing it with the compact king, the D-Lux 4) and a Leica 24 Elmarit lens review. Lots of exciting stuff coming, starting on Monday!

THE LEICA 90 SUMMICRON APO ASPH LENS REVIEW

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 09:43:04 -0500

When I bought my first M8 I always told myself that the longest lens I would ever need would *MAYBE* be a 75mm. For almost 3 years I never tried anything longer than a 50 until a couple of months ago when I picked up the lovely, small and light 75 Summarit. (review here)

When using the summarit I realized it was pretty much like my 50 Summilux ASPH but slower. It did not provide that much more reach, it did not focus close and when it was all said and done, I realized I would never use the 75. I would always grab my 50 Summilux ASPH as it was faster, and focused closer. If I didn't have the 50, the 75 would be perfect.

I decided to sell my 75 Summarit and research a 90 Summicron. My original plan was to pick up a 90 Elmarit 2.8 as I asked myself how often I would really use a 90. Then, a great camera crazy friend of mine was shooting the 90 Summicron ASPH APO on not only an M7 and M8, but also using the R version on an R7.

After reviewing some portraits he took with the 90 Summicron I was blown away! I realized that this 90 F2 Summicron was much like (but so much better) another lens I used to absolutely adore. When I shot Nikon, I loved the Nikon 85 1.4 lens. I mean, it is LEGENDARY for its build, bokeh and creamy goodness, right?

Well this 90 F2 is not 1.4, but it IS a Leica and before I made any decisions on a 90 I realized I had to at least give the 90 Cron ASPH a try. I spoke with Ken Hansen, who is a WONDERFUL Leica dealer and he sent me a used 90 Cron to test out. I was expecting this huge, heavy monstrosity that was almost impossible to focus on the M8.

Yes, after reading about this lens in various camera forums I was expecting the worst, but then again, I remembered what my friend said about it and seeing some of his samples, I knew the image quality was going to be great. When the lens arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Let me explain...

Not only was it not as heavy as I imagined, it was smaller as well. Now, do not get me wrong though. For an M lens it is not small, but when compared to a Nikon 85 1.4 it IS slim and small. The build is pure Leica, and the aperture ring is silky smooth and easy to turn. My first impressions were that it was a nice looking, smooth focusing lens. One cool thing about the lens is that it has a wonderful built in lens hood that slides in and out, so no need for a big bulky add on hood. Here it is side by side with the 35 Summilux ASPH.

SO HOW DOES THIS LENS PERFORM ON THE LEICA M8/M8.2?

After fondling and going gah gah over it I attached it to my shiny new black paint M8.2 and shot some frames. As usual, my first subject was my son as he was home. The light from the window was pretty good so I bribed him with some Xbox live points and snapped away!

LEICA M8.2 AND 90 SUMMICRON ASPH APO AT F2

This image has indeed been processed in photoshop so its not the best one to use for evaluating the lens. I love to process my images as this way I can get the images to how I see them in my head. So yea, this one was converted to Black and White and I added some vignetting as well as doing some selective sharpening on the eyes. But really that is about all I did.

After I shot this I went to the other “designated camera testing grounds” at my house which is the boring backyard. Yes, I do this just like YOU do! When a new lens arrives you want to use it so bad you go around the house snapping meaningless, stupid, boring shots of flowers, your dog, your cat, your furniture or whatever you see! But, I had to see how this lens handled some flower action, so off to the yard I went.

LOVELY BOKEH AT F2

90 CRON ASPH APO AT F2 - CLICK FOR LARGER VERSION

So after my first test shots with the 90, I realized one thing. This lens is NOT hard to focus at all! I read so many stories about how this lens is almost unusable on the M8 with it being so hard to nail focus at F2. Not true with this 90 Cron. As a matter of fact, I have not had even one out of focus shot, even wide open at the closest focusing distance. This leads me into what I feel this lens excels at. PORTRAITS!

Yes, a 90 makes for a GREAT portrait lens on a full frame camera, but on the M8 and M8.2 this lens is equal to a 111mm so it is a bit long indoors but great for head shots as you can see from my samples below, all of which were shot at F2 by the way :)

After shooting all of these portraits at F2 and seeing the color, the depth and the brilliance I realized that this lens was in another league, and I was liking it much better than my old Nikon 85 1.4 for portraits. I looked back at some portraits with the Nikon 85 and while they were good, they looked flat, cold and lifeless in comparison. I have said it before and will say it again...there is a little magic in Leica glass. I have yet to try a lens from any other brand that can go toe to toe with the Leica counterpart. You do get what you pay for with Leica and their lenses.

THE LEICA 35 SUMMILUX 1.4 ASPH REVIEW

Thu, 28 May 2009 12:04:32 -0500

The Leica 35 Summilux ASPH. Yes, one of those lenses that I have always wanted but never did buy for my M8 for various reasons. Why you ask?? First of all, the price is a LITTLE bit out there these days. This little bad boy retails for $4195 new, and that is one hell of a price to pay for a standard 35mm lens, even if it is a fast 1.4 aperture!

Hell, Canon has their 35 1.4 (review here) for under $1300 and Voigtlander has the 35 F1.2 Nokton IN AN M MOUNT for under $900 so why on earth is this Leica so damn expensive?!?!

The second reason I have not bought this lens for my M8 was due to the internet chatter about this lens having “focus shift” issues (with the M8). What is focus shift? Many of you know about this but I will assume that most of you will not. Let’s say you are taking a portrait, say at F2 or so and you focus on the eyes of your subject. When you look at the image on your screen you realize the eyes are out of focus, but the ear is IN focus! What has happened is either you A: Missed Focus, or B: Your lens had a bit of focus shift at F2.

Some lenses do this and they can’t help it. It’s part of their design! For example, the Zeiss Sonnar 50 ZM for Leica M mount has some focus shift when shot at 1.5. Unless you get the lens optimized by Zeiss, your subjects will be a bit out of focus when shooting wide open at 1.5. Another lens with focus shift is the newest Canon 50L 1.2.

So what do these three lenses have in common besides focus shift? They are all beautiful lenses that have a very unique fingerprint. They all render your images in a beautiful, gorgeous way and in the case of the Leica 35 Summilux, when it is good, it is magical good. When its bad, it is still great because the shift is minimal.

So with that explanation out of the way you may be wondering who would pay $4200 for a lens that has focus shift. Well, many do and a high percentage of those who buy this lens proclaim it as their favorite lens ever. I was curious as to why the owners of this lens loved it so much.

After seeing some really cool shots recently from the 35 Summilux on an M8, mostly from this blog, my lens lust disease hit me hard! I wanted this lens so bad. I mean, I wanted to see for myself what all of this focus shift BS was about. Maybe it was not a big deal?

I recently tried out the Voigtlander 35 Nokton 1.2 and to be honest, I did not like that lens AT ALL. Very soft, low low low contrast, colors were muted and dull and the images just seemed sort of flat to me. I had to see how the 35 Summilux ASPH compared, and I was hoping it would be MUCH better than the Nokton.

I went on over to the B&H web site and searched their used lenses. They just so happened to have one at a pretty good price in a 9+ condition so I jumped and bought it with money I had set aside for my kidney transplant (just kidding)...

The lens arrived and it looked like a new in box lens! I put it on my M8 and snapped some test shots at 1.4. When I opened the files I was blown away. When using this lens on the M8, and shooting wide open at F1.4 the look can be magical. Yes this is a lens that has a unique quality that is smooth, creamy and organic. It can be moody, romantic and sometimes pretty special if your lighting is just right. It also excels at low light shooting and even my high ISO files seem better with this lens. How can that be? I do not know, but it seems that this lens just makes everything look extra special.

The shot below was taken of my wife late one night in our kitchen. The light was low and the ISO was set at 1250. In the 2nd image I missed focus but did it take anything away from the image? I do not think so, and I actually like the way these came out. If I would of shot this with the 28 cron at F2, the mood would of been totally different as that lens does not have the nice dreamy look that the 35 CAN give in certain lighting.

LEICA 35 SUMMILUX AT 1.4 - M8.2

So what about this focus shift I always hear about? I wanted to get to the bottom of it and see for myself if this made the lens unusable. I mean, damn, Leica sells this for $4195 so why would they sell a lens that works like crap on the M8 for so much? I was not buying all of the focus shift BS, but maybe I was wrong. Either way, I was about to find out.

BINGO! DAY ONE AND I NOTICE THE FOCUS SHIFT!

Damn! The first day I shot with the 35 Summilux ASPH I noticed the focus shift starting at F2.8 and it fixed itself by F8 due to the depth of field. I researched more online and found it odd that many people were saying that their 35 Lux was perfect on their m8, while others were saying that ALL 35 Lux lenses have focus shift. I was on a mission to find out, and wanted a good one so I decided to order a new in box one from Ken Hanson (superb Leica dealer). Ken had a great price and had a new one in stock so I was going to return the used one to B&H and just keep the new one. This way I would have a warranty, and most likely have a perfect lens. So I received the new one and tested both of them side by side.

Results? Well, I will go into the results a bit later in this review as I did in fact test each lens, and yes, there were slight differences between the two. But before I get into all of that boring stuff let me tell you about this beautiful lens and why I fell in love with it even with all of these focus shift issues.

This lens on an M8, due to the 1.3 crop sensor is just about equal to a 50MM focal length on a full frame camera. On FF cameras my preferred focal length is 50, so having a 35 on an M8 feels like a match made in heaven to me. It is wonderful! Not a wide, not a tele, but somewhere in the middle. I find it to be great for people and street stuff as it gives you some room between you and your subject, but not too much. So the focal length is very natural when shooting on an M8.

The other thing that I absolutely LOVE about this lens is the gorgeous BOKEH (out of focus rendering) when shot wide open. I am not just talking about the out of focus areas in close up shots, but also the way the focus smoothly falls off when shooting distant subjects. See my examples below:

This shot sort of reminds me of the way the original Leica NOCTILUX draws. The out of focus background shows bokeh that is painterly, swirly and unique. The vine in the center is in perfect focus as this copy of the lens focused “dead on” at 1.4.

Who would of thought that a picture of a weed could look so nice? I just love the way this lens renders at 1.4 and the colors are RICH.

But wait! There’s more! These next two shots show how smooth the files are rendered with this lens. The first shot you can see how smooth the background is rendered when shot wide open on a more distant subject.

Even this old house was shot at 1.4 and I love the “look” and 3D appearance. The dark corners you see in the house image were added in photoshop to enhance the effect. The lens does NOT vignette. Click for larger sample.

So yea, at this point I am LOVING this lens and even with its focus shifts I feel it is the most ROMANTIC lens I have ever used. Yes, I love the 50 Summilux ASPH but it is more on the “clinical” side, as in sharper and more of a modern look. When shooting with this 35 I am also finding that I am doing less and less photoshop work as the color that comes out of the camera with this lens is so nice.

LEICA 35 SUMMILUX ASPH AT 1.4 - STRAIGHT FROM CAMERA COLOR

TESTING TWO COPIES OF THE 35 LUX FOR THE FAMOUS FOCUS SHIFT ISSUE

The 35 Summilux just had something special about it and after just a few days this lens started to become my all time favorite piece of glass for the M8...EVER. This led me to want a PERFECT version of this lens. I mean, others have said that they have a 35 Summilux ASPH that does not back focus so I wanted one as well!

So as I mentioned earlier I ordered a brand new one to see how it compared to the used one. How exciting! Having TWO of these lenses, side by side! WooHoo! The lens arrived and I tested out the factory fresh 35 Summilux against the one I bought from B&H. As I suspected, there were SLIGHT differences between the two lenses, and I kept the one that performed more to my liking.

You may be wondering why two of the same lens would perform slightly different. Well, after digging around, making some calls and searching online forums I realized that many people send their 35 Summilux in to Leica to calibrate it for a certain aperture. Some have it optimized for 1.4, and some for F2. There are even a few who have had them set up for F4 shooting.

From what I understand, Leica sets them up at the factory these days optimized for F2, meaning at F1.4 you will have a TINY bit of front focus, but pretty much undetectable. At F2 you will be super sharp and by F4 the back-focus will be so small, it will not really affect the image. Basically, as good as it gets with this lens on an M8.

THE LEICA M8.2 REVIEW & FOLLOW UP ON MY M8 REVIEW

Mon, 25 May 2009 12:10:09 -0500

Yes I did it! I sold my Chrome M8 and bought a new black paint Leica M8.2. I always wanted a black paint version after owning a black paint LEICA MP a few years ago, and I can now say without a doubt in my mind that this is the most beautiful digital camera ever created. PERIOD. The M8.2 has been out for a while now, but since I do not get free cameras sent to me, it took me a while to get one and I am just now writing about it.

So, does a sexy black paint paint job and a few improvements make this M8.2 better than a normal black M8? Well, in some ways yes, and in some ways NO! Since I have already reviewed the M8, this review will be more like a breakdown of the new features as mostly everything that pertained to the M8 is exactly the same with this M8.2.

So, to find out why this crazy expensive camera is insanely loved by so many photographers, click here to read my review of the original M8. As I have stated in that review, using a Leica M is an emotional experience. One that you just do not get with a DSLR like a Canon 5D or Nikon D90, etc.

MY M8 REVIEW FOLLOW UP

After a few months of shooting a Leica M, you will have a hard time going back to the big, bulky, fat, cheap feeling DSLR’s with their beeps and blips and confusing menus. Yea, a DSLR is WAYYYYY more versatile, and yea, a nice DSLR can be had for under $1200 BUT I am telling you this right now:

If you want to improve your photography buy an M8 or M8.2. If the cost is too high, try a used film M6. If you only want digital, find a used or refurbished M8 which is much less than a new M8 or M8.2. The M8/M8.2 makes you think more about the images you take and because you take your time, your creativity tends to come out more while using an M camera.

If you are obsessed with photography and it is a passion for you, buy an M8 or M8.2 and you will get an enjoyment from it like no other camera. Now, again, this is MY opinion so take it with a grain of salt. Everyone in this world has an opinion, and these are just mine but I have never enjoyed ANY other camera like I have enjoyed my M8 and now M8.2.

If you want a solid, great feeling and looking camera that feels like it will last a lifetime, buy a Leica M6, M7, MP or M8. Yes, these Leicas are built EXTREMELY well and there is a reason why the cost is so high. These are put together by hand in Germany and are not mass produced like a Nikon or Canon. The M8 and M8.2 are extremely well built cameras.

If you want the best lenses in the world to choose from, buy a M camera. This could be an M8, M7, M6, MP, M3 or even a Voigtlander Bessa or Zeiss Ikon. All take and use the fabulous Leica M glass.

As you can tell, I am crazy passionate about my Leica M8.2. I bought my first M8 the week they were released almost 3 years ago and have loved it ever since. Sure, I have strayed and sold off my first two bodies but after getting frustrated with a slew of DSLR’s I came back to the M. It feels so good to once again shoot with a camera I truly love. The M8 is what inspired me to create this web site and in three months of running it I have heard from at least 12 of you who have purchased an M8 after reading my review, so that is soooo cool to hear!

But, for the money you would think the M8/M8.2 would be a “perfect” digital camera. Well, it is NOT (there is no such thing as a perfect digital camera). It has its issues like a sensor that gets a bit noisy at ISO 1250 and up - In these days of ISO 12,800, this little Leica does its best from ISO 160-640, and struggles at 2500. Until a new Full Frame M9 with better high ISO comes along then we have to learn to use the M8 within its limitations.

With that said, I managed to get some GREAT concert shots using 1250 and really had no issues. Many will say “do not shoot the M8 above ISO 640” but I disagree. If properly exposed, or shooting RAW (which you should ALWAYS do) ISO 1250 is acceptable. Here are some recent examples of ISO 1250 and 2500 on an M8/M8.2.

M8/50 LUX/ISO 1250/SHOT IN RAW AND PROCESSED IN ACR

M8.2 - ISO 2500 IN LOW LIGHT - 35 LUX AT 1.4

ISO 2500 100% CROP - THE M8/M8.2 STILL HOLDS THE DETAIL

As you can see, I have even been experimenting with 2500 on the M8.2 and was surprised at the results. Its really not that bad if you get the exposure right and the M8/M8.2 sensor holds the detail even at ISO 2500.

Another hang up that many people have with the M8/M8.2 is that it is not Auto Focus. With nearly ALL cameras these days being AUTO everything, the M8/M8.2 is more of a classic image taking machine. You must use your eyes and mind and this is why so many of us like it. Those new to rangefinder photography may need a few days to get used to the way it focuses.

I now prefer manual focus as I never have an out of focus shot. Even with fancy DSLR’s I would get many shots that were off as the camera missed focus. When you focus yourself, with your own eye, then you know what your results will be. You will have a sense of accomplishment when you get a great shot with the M8 as that shot will have been caught with more care and thought. With a DSLR, many tend to just aim and fire away. Slowing things down does wonders for your creativity.

When I opened my new M8.2 it was so nice and shiny. The black paint is so sexy and the black dot is the icing on the cake. I felt like I was 8 years old and Santa Clause just came to my house and left me the present I asked for all year. Yes, I am a 39 year old kid :)

There it was, the camera I have been lusting after for 3 months was now in my hands and even though it cost me $2k more than I sold my M8 for, I was hoping I would not regret the purchase/upgrade. One thing I did notice is that the black paint does attract fingerprints and smudges more than I remembered, but a quick wipe down and it was back to looking new.

HOW TO PROCESS YOUR IMAGES IN PHOTOSHOP, LESSON 1

Sun, 17 May 2009 13:24:29 -0500

Ok, here we go! By popular demand I bring you “LESSON 1” in an ongoing series of how to process your images using photoshop, as well as using plug in filters to enhance the look and quality of the image! Woo hoo! Welcome to PIMP MY IMAGES by yours truly, Steve Huff!

First I must state that I AM NOT AN EXPERT at photoshop. I have been using it for about 12 years and have never read a book on it, never attended classes, nor have I even read a manual on it! No classroom in a book, no seminars, no boot camps, no “photoshop for dummies” or sitting side by side with a $1000 a day so called, self named “guru”.

The way I have learned photoshop is by my own experimentation, trial and error, and MANY mistakes. Even now, 12 years later I am still learning new things almost daily. I do this by trying everything and seeing how it affects my images. At first, the sound of layers, dodge, burn, and selective color may scare you but by using photoshop regularly you will find yourself learning many techniques that can really improve your photos.

Believe me, Adobe Photoshop is a very powerful program but it is one that you can learn on your own if you take the time to do it.

So after getting quite a few e-mail requests I have decided to start a series of image processing lessons. These will include lessons like this one which will show you how to fix the images you may normally delete. I will also have more detailed lessons down the road and MAYBE even some video lessons as some things are easier to explain on video. Of course, as with the rest of my site it will be free free free free.

I am sure you have seen some sites that charge for reviews or info and some are great and worth the money but most are not. Once I paid $50 or $60 for a set of reviews for a certain set of lenses, for a certain digital camera. After reading the review in about 40 minutes I realized I learned nothing new and my $60 was wasted. I was disappointed as the sample images were small, the writing was stiff and the content was kind of thin. I vowed to never pay for another camera review again and decided to do my own reviews if I was interested in something new.

When I started this site I told myself I would dedicate ONE YEAR to this site, day in and day out and I would offer everything here for free. Since I am not an expert at anything, I would never charge for this info. After all, it may not be everyones cup of tea :) So until I am an expert in photography, and I feel NO ONE is, I would never charge for the info I put here.

For those of you who find this helpful, leave a comment and let me know and I will get to work on more when time allows it! Hope you enjoy lesson #1 which is an easy, basic instruction on how to fix an underexposed JPEG portrait and give it some WOW factor!

STEVEHUFFPHOTOS PROCESSING LESSON #1 - TURNING AN UNDEREXPOSED, FLAT JPEG PORTRAIT INTO A CLASSIC B&W IMAGE!

Many of us have small sensor pocket digital cameras but we would love to take a portrait with a smooth and creamy background like we see from DSLR’s or higher end cameras. Problem is, the sensor in these little cameras are so small, getting a shallow depth of field (background blur) is almost impossible.

Wouldn't it be cool if we could take a portrait and give it a classic look of old film SLR’s or modern day DSLR’s with a fast lens? Not only would it be cool, but it is EASY as a few clicks if you have Photoshop and the Nik Color Efex pro plug in for Photoshop! (If you do not have Color Efex Pro, you can download the demo buy it at the links on the bottom of this page.)

OK, lets get started on this quick and easy transformation! This is a shot my wife took of me with her Leica D-lux 4. The metering was not set right so she has an underexposed shot here due to the light background. Basically, my face is too dark and the background is too light and this is a situation MANY of us see with point and shoot cameras. I also feel the colors are to deep here, so lets fix it up.

OUT OF CAMERA JPEG - UNDEREXPOSED

The first thing I want to do to this image in photoshop is choose IMAGE>ADJUSTMENTS>SHADOW/HIGHLIGHT. When the box pops up with the image you will see sliders for shadows, highlights, adjustments. I have the “show more options” box checked at the bottom. You will see I adjusted the image to add some light to my face by setting the sliders as you see them below.

STEP 1 - SHADOW RECOVERY - ADDING LIGHT TO THE FACE

I then hit OK and then I duplicated the layer. Just go to the top of and choose LAYERS>DUPLICATE LAYER, or if you know how you can drag the layer to the duplicate layer icon in the layers panel.

STEP 2 - DUPLICATE THE LAYER

A COOL PHOTO PROJECT - SELF PORTRAIT EVERY 6 MONTHS

Sun, 17 May 2009 09:41:07 -0500

Yesterday I took a self portrait of me and my wife Mina while we are at the lake fishing and having a cookout. It was a great day and after viewing this shot, taken with a Leica D-Lux 4 I realized I must have 30-40 self portraits that I have taken over the years.

I started doing this in 2001 as a way to get a shot of myself with each camera I have owned and to check focus as I would always focus on my eye. Over the years it has become something of a tradition and as a result I have a bunch of these images of myself on my drive.

I though to myself “wouldn't it be cool to do this until you are in your final years?” I then decided I was going to keep doing this until I am in my final days, and at that time I can put a collection of them together to not only look back on, but to hand down to my son so he and his children (when he has them) can see how their Grandfather has aged through the years. I plan on putting these in a self printed book when I am 70 or so (if I make it that long) and plan on having self portraits with not only myself, but others in them as well. My wife, my mom, my son, my sister, and friends will all be a part of this lifelong project.

This self portrait project is not to make artsy portraits, but more of a documentary of how I am aging, and to document the various stages in my life. Many others have done this I am sure, so its not original, BUT it is something that can be fun to do. Once you get a bunch of these images they are pretty fun to look back on.

I have found some of my past self portraits that range from serious to ridiculous, but will start with the most recent from yesterday with my wife Mina. Keep in mind, I have a TON of these, and these were just a few I happened to find doing a quick search of my hard drive. Also, the sample below only represent a time span of 6 years as my 2001 and 2002 portraits are on another hard drive and I do not remember where I put it :0

Me and Mina at the lake - MAY 17TH 2009 - leica d-lux 4

MARCH 09 WITH THE DOGS - m8

JANUARY 09 - Leica m8

JULY 2008 - canon 5d once again

JANUARY 2008 - nikon d700

JANUARY 2007 - TOMBSTONE AZ - LEICA M7 - my film phase

SEPTEMBER 2007 - CANON 5D - man, such creamy files from the 5d

MARCH 2006 - NIKON D200

SEPTEMBER 2006 - ME AND MY SON BRANDON - M7

ME AND MINA - NOVEMBER 2006 - HOOVER DAM - M7 AND 15CV

SEPTEMBER 2005 - D2HS

MARCH 2004 - LEICA DIGILUX 2

December 2003 - Me and Brandon - Cam on tripod - fur on face - yuck!

2003 - CANON 1DS - VEGAS HOTEL ROOM - man, this camera is a monster!

THE FIRST ONE - 1997/1998 - POINT AND SHOOT FILM CAMERA/TRIPOD

I have some from 1999- 2001 but for some reason can not find them.

I will continue this project until I am on my death bed as it is fun, and I know it will be nice to look back upon them as I get older. Also, I will get to remember all of the cool cameras I was able to shoot with, as well as remember the fun times I had with family and friends.

SUGGESTION - Go get yourself an ultra wide angle lens and start shooting yourself at arms length and start your own self portrait project!

Until next time!

CARRIE FEST 09 - REMEMBERING CARRIE HUDECK CHIUSO

Mon, 4 May 2009 18:22:22 -0500

Yesterday I attended and shot a benefit event in the Chicago area that I just found out about a month ago from a friend of mine. When I heard about it I jumped at the chance to attend and photograph it because A: I Love Shooting! B: It was for a great cause, and C: I am from the south side of Chicago where this event takes place!

Let me start off with the backstory of how and why this event came to be.

On Feb. 2nd 2008, 33 year old Carrie Hudeck Chiuso, was murdered in a senseless crime while at a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park, IL. On that tragic day she was supposed to attend a birthday party, but before going to the party she called her husband to let him know she was stopping in at Lane Bryan to buy a shawl for their day in the city. She wanted to spend time shopping in downtown Chicago since they were going to be down there.

After a while, it was getting late and her husband was trying to call her but he was not getting an answer. Soon he got a call that no one would ever want to take. He was informed that a man entered the Lane Bryant store and shot all six women in the store, and his wife was one of them. Five, including Carrie were tied up and shot in the head and one in the neck, execution style. To date, the cowardly killer has not been caught. Here is an article if anyone is interested in knowing more about it.

Carrie was a loving wife who spent her time counseling teens and meeting with them one on one to help solve their personal problems. She worked as a counselor/social worker at the high school she graduated from, helping the kids who needed that extra bit of support.

A few months after the shooting her family started Carries Fund to keep her message and spirit alive, and soon thereafter Carrie Fest. This is an all day event that features bands, silent auctions, raffles and great food. Everything at the event is donated by local businesses and 100% of the proceeds go to help underprivileged kids.

This year Ed, a friend of mine in Chicago was talking with Carries brother Mike about me shooting the event. I was asked if I would like to donate my time to photograph the bands, the people, and pretty much anything and everything. I said SURE as anytime I get a chance to shoot something I jump, and even better, it is for a great cause.

My wife and I arrived at the event early and met up with my buddy Ed and his Fiancee Juliana. One of the musical performers was Peter Cetera of the band CHICAGO fame (He was the main force behind the group in the 70’s and 80’s) and we were able to watch some of his sound check though he did not want anyone taking pics. Ed grabbed my wife's D-Lux 4 and also took some shots throughout the day. Here is one Ed took of Mike and his daughter. Mike is Carries brother and he is the main man who started and organizes Carrie Fest. Click on any image for a larger version.

MIKE HUDEK & DAUGHTER - PHOTO BY ED KLEIN W/ D-LUX 4

MY BUDDY ED - LEICA M8 AND 28 SUMMICRON

After a walk around I started to take some shots and as the people were pouring in it appeared the event would be a success. This was the 2nd annual Carrie Fest event and it was geared up to be bigger, badder and better than the last one for sure.

The following shots were taken right at opening so you do not see the crowd of 1400 that showed up for the event. But still, you can get an idea of what was going on.

T-SHIRT GIRL - LEICA M8 - 28 SUMMICRON AT F2

BROWSING THE RAFFLE PRIZES - M8 AND 50 LUX at 1.4

PETER CETERA MERCHANDISE - M8 and 28 CRON

CARICATURE ARTIST - M8 and 28 CRON

ABC NEWS - M8 AND 28 CRON

One of the bands playing was THE VOICES, an authentic Motown band who sang their asses off and sounded phenomenal. Probably the best Motown band I have ever seen. They were very cool guys, and were happy to be there no doubt. (Ok, here is where I get off track again and start rambling about something else...)

There were actually about 6 photographers at the event, all wielding huge Nikons and Canons with super zoom monstrosities. I stuck with my M8, 28 Cron and 50 Lux. That’s it. I feel you can get better images when your subjects are not looking at you in fear. Big huge lenses yell out “Hey! Look at me! I am a pro!” while my M8 made me blend in like a normal guy. It relaxes your subject IMO.

When I took my shots people just assumed I was a normal guy taking shots. I tend to get more natural results this way.

Anyway, here are a few shots of the “THE VOICES”

”GET READY CAUSE HERE I COME” - M8 and 50 SUMMILUX ASPH

”MY GIRL” - M8 and 50 SUMMILUX ASPH

M8 AND 50 SUMMILUX ASPH

M8 AND 50 SUMMILUX ASPH

These guys were super cool and even signed autographs after the show...

After The Voices played it was almost time for Peter Cetera to come out. He was slated for a 7 pm start and at about 6:30 there was an artist that came out and he was painting portraits to music. In 10 minutes flat he did this portrait of Elvis while the DJ played two Elvis songs. Kind of abstract but he also did one of BONO from U2 that was FABULOUS.

After the paintings it appeared that Mr. Cetera was running late as it was now 7:40 but Peter came on and started singing some of his greatest hits. “Glory Of Love”, “One Good Woman”, “After All” as well as some Chicago classics like “Hard For Me To Say I’m Sorry”.

HOW TO ADD DRAMA TO A DIGITAL IMAGE

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 09:15:49 -0500

I have had many poeple ask me over the last few years about my digital image workflow. Many times I take an image that looks like a normal digital image and by using various techniques and filters in photoshop, I create a dramatic version of the image. So today I will talk about what it is I do EXACTLY to get from point A to point B!

Now, some of you may like this, and MANY of you may not. I seem to go overboard sometimes and I know this, but for this image I wantedto bring out the sky and create a more “moody” feel.

So lets start with the original, straight from camera JPEG (click on any image for larger sizes)

STRAIGHT FROM CAMERA JPEG

Since I find the color here a bit much i use an ALIEN SKIN filter in the color section called "Fade all leaving strong reds". This leaves the barn a striking red while taming the green grass. Only problem is, the sky is non existent.

I then use the shadow/highlight sliders in CS3. I set the "Highlight" slider to 64, 43, 43 (amount, tonal width, radius)

Then to brighten the barn slightly I use Color Efex Pros "Darken/Lighten Center" slider. I set the center on the barn and set center luminosity to +27, border to -47 and center to about 30%

I then use CS3's burn tool to burn in the sky a bit and I cloned out the dust spots on the sensor using the clone tool in CS3

MYTHBUSTERS - DO LEICA CAMERAS AND LENSES HAVE A SOUL?

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 12:24:42 -0500

For years I have heard that a Leica camera has something special about it. The “Leica Glow” as some put it, is something you see in images taken with Leica cameras. Do Leica cameras have a soul? Well, no, of course not.

The camera bodies themselves are pretty much the same as any other film or digital body in regards to image taking. With an M6 or M7 you load the film, focus, meter and take the shot. With an M8 it is the sensor that makes the image and Leica does not make the sensor on the M8, so they can not be responsible for any of this “glow” or “magic”..or can they?

The first Leica camera was introduced to the public in 1925. For a cool history of Leica camera, check out Thorsten Overgaards site. Lots of fun facts there about Leica and he is an avid Leica guy himself. I recommend his Leica Digilux 2 review!

Magic. It is my belief that the magic with Leica lies in their lenses. Their experience with making fine lenses goes back a long way and many people today are still using 50+ year old lenses on their cameras. I had an old 1942 135 Hektor I paid $90 for and used it on my M8 with GREAT results (most of the time) but really, not much magic in it. Nothing a good Nikon or Canon lens couldn't do.

M8 AND 135 HEKTOR 4.5 - CLICK FOR LARGER SIZE IMAGE

So yes, you can find a cheap, inexpensive Leica lens if you look around ebay. I found this Hektor at a camera shop in Phx, AZ. But in all honesty it was only good for outdoor, in good light though when it worked, it did well.

So on to my search for photos with “soul” or the “Leica Glow”...

I have used so many cameras but now, I am pretty much hooked on the rangefinder way of shooting. My M8 (see my review) provides me with the light weight, and easy manual operation (with a few hiccups at times). I love it. When I compare the shots from my M8 with almost any DSLR I do indeedy (yes, I know that is not a word) see a difference in the quality of the files.

There really may be something to this, but again, it is in the lenses IMO. Leica makes THE BEST lenses in the world, and they are priced accordingly. Many complain about the high prices but they are low production, made with the highest quality glass, and many of them do have that “magic” and not all of them are mega bucks.

Lets start with the new “starter” Leica Summarit line. I recently picked up a Leica “budget” lens, the 75 Summarit 2.5. It’s funny because it is almost Leicas least expensive lens at $1500 (I paid $1100 for a demo model) but its focusing is much smoother than my big bucks Leica 50 Summilux ASPH, which is pretty stiff. I was surprised to see the same great build quality and the image quality is really really good.

LEICA M8 and 75 SUMMARIT at F2.5

That 75 is also the sharpest lens I have ever used. Ever. When shot at the minimum focus distance, look out. Its RAZOR sharp. My particular copy has a defect as it is off when shooting at infinity or anything past 10 feet. I will be returning it this week, but man, I am telling you...if you are into sharpness then the 75 Summarit is crazy sharp and has the character of the Lux line but slower at 2.5. I’ll have a full review of that lens soon. I do see some magic in the few shots that came out in focus when I used it at the Seal show last week, and when side by side with my Nikon D90 shots from the show, the Leica ones do stand out IMO.

One other lens I love is the Leica Noctilux. At F1 (new version is 0.95) it renders in a way that is different from any other current DSLR lens. It’s painterly, creamy backgrounds render in a magical way and when people see a Noct shot, they usually are impressed.

CURIOUS GIRL - LEICA MP AND NOCTILUX AT F1

One lens that has gained a huge following is the Leica 50 Summilux lens. This one is stellar. Sharp, even when shooting wide open but with a smooth, creamy background. It’s expensive, with todays prices running about $3500, and there are many alternatives to it from Zeiss, Voigtlander, etc. But, do they have the “glow”?

LEICA M8 AND 50 SUMMILUX AT 1.4

SEAL “SOUL” TOUR LIVE IN CHICAGO 2009 - MY WORDS AND PHOTOS

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 21:53:14 -0500

As you read this, keep in mind that I am neither a concert reviewer nor a concert photographer. As of this writing, April 2nd 2009, This is my 1st time doing both.

Oh what a night...

Yesterday was April 1st 2009 and I attended a concert that I will always remember for the rest of my life. I will always remember it for MANY reasons, including the memorable, energetic, and soulful performance of the guy everyone came to see. Seal.

I have been a fan since the early 90’s and when I saw he was coming to Chicago, I was there. My wife and I were pretty excited about it. Even though we had balcony seats, we knew it would be a GREAT show.

Let me back up to a few weeks ago. Seal (who is really into photography, cameras, and lenses), happened to stumble upon this site, enjoyed it, and e-mailed me with a kind message about it. Me, being a fan of his, well, I was honored that he even saw my site! The fact that he enjoyed it made it that much better. He shared some pics with me taken with his Leica M8.2, new Noctilux 0.95, and 21 and 24 Summilux lenses and allowed me to post them on the site in my blog, which was very cool of him!

I told him that my wife and I would be at his Chicago show and being the ultra nice, ultra cool, ultra great down-to-earth guy that he is, Seal e-mailed me and told me he could get me a photo pass to shoot the show if I wanted. The show was on April 1st, but this was no April fools joke. We packed a bag and took a short drive to downtown Chicago.

We arrived at the Civic Opera House in Chicago at 4 pm and were presented with a shiny VIP pass, as well as tickets right up front by the stage. I was told I could shoot all night, from wherever I wanted! I have never shot a concert but have ALWAYS wanted to. I remember I used to e-mail concert photographers and ask them how they got into the shows to shoot. None of them ever did respond. I never have been able to shoot a show even after wanting to for many years.

Being able to shoot Seals show really was a dream come true. I was getting to photograph not only a concert, but a guy who I have listened to since 1992. Amazing!

Here I was, walking backstage, in the empty theater for the sound check and all. INCREDIBLE!

It was now 4:35 pm. The wife was crazy starving and it was 3 hours until the show. We walked to a restaurant and had dinner. After we filled our tummies, we walked back to our hotel room at the Blackstone hotel on Michigan Ave (Great historic hotel BTW). On the way, we stopped in at Central Camera. I knew they sold Leica gear. They had a “demo” 75 Summarit for sale for a few hundred off the normal price, so I bought it to use at the show. My wife was so happy about the show she said, “Go ahead and get it!” - I did :)

We walked back to the Opera House and it was already 7:30PM. The opening act was already onstage playing. On my way in, I was stopped about 8 times by security as I was walking with my M8 and D90 around my neck with a bag of lenses. I showed them my VIP badge and all was cool.

By the time we got to our seats, the opening act was finishing up and it was almost time for Seal to come on. I was a bit nervous. The house was packed. Seeing that I never shot a concert before, I was afraid my shots would pretty much...well... SUCK. The M8 is not known as a concert camera, but I had faith in my little constant companion. I also looked at it as a plus. This would be more of a challenge...and I like challenges!

The anticipation in the crowd was intense. The lights dimmed, the show started, and BAM! The band started to play and we all heard the voice radiate throughout the theater. Seal emerged with “Human Beings” and his vocals were simply STUNNING. The guy I was just chatting with about Leica lenses was now on the stage and he and his band were in top form.

1st LOOK AT THE NEW LEICA NOCTILUX 0.95 and 24 Summilux COURTESY OF MUSIC ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER SEAL

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:48:50 -0500

ALL shots on this page were taken by Seal Samuel. They are NOT full size shots and are here to show more or less how the lens draws. I thank him for allowing me to share them with you! Thanks for stopping by!

SEE MY SEAL CONCERT POST HERE!

The Leica Noctilux 0.95. Yep, a fantasy lens to most, but in reality, there is no other lens like this in the world today. The old version, The Leica Noctilux F1 was a very dreamy lens. I owned it and loved it. Yea, its heavier than the average Leica M lens, but the images you could coax from it were unlike any other lens around.

The Noctilux F1 drew in a way that made some images appear as paintings. With its swirly out of focus backgrounds and special look, you would think Leica installed a paint brush inside the lens.

Today, Leica is getting ready to ship out the latest and greatest. The worlds fastest production lens. You thought F1 was fast? This new version will rock your world with its crazy fast 0.95 aperture.

Let me set this up for you guys...

As I sit there, dreaming of this new Noctilux, I get an e-mail from none other than SEAL. Not only is he an accomplished music artist with a career spanning almost 20 years (his new CD “SOUL” is brilliant), but he is also a talented photographer who is lucky enough to own some of the best glass in the world, including the new Noctilux as well as the Leica 24 1.4 Summilux.

He had some really great things to say about the new Noct and after a few e-mail chats back and forth, Seal was kind enough to send me some samples from his new Noct and let me tell you, they got me drooling. I started thinking that maybe if I dig around in my backyard, I will find some buried treasure and with any luck, I can come up with the $10k for this lens! Nope, not gonna work! Maybe one day, but not today!

I wanted to write this blog post to thank Seal for sending me these quick test shots and allowing me to share these cool samples with you from the new Noctilux F0.95. I also thank Stefan at Leica for allowing me to show them as well.

Not only am I a fan of Seals music (me and the wife are attending his show in Chicago on April 1st), but I am now a fan of his photography and I envy him for his glass collection!

He sent me some very cool shots today and I will soon have a short interview on this site with Seal where we will talk about his photography, lens collection, and share some of his photos.

He took these strictly as test shots to show how this lens draws. Taken with a Leica M8.2, the stats of each shot are under the image. So here are the shots:

LEICA NOCTILUX F0.95 - WIDE OPEN

LEICA NOCTILUX F0.95 - 1.4

LEICA NOCTILUX WIDE OPEN - F0.95

LEICA 24 1.4 SUMMILUX - WIDE OPEN AT 1.4

So thanks to Seal, I now lust after both the 50 Noct F0.95 AND the 24 Summilux even more! Thanks Seal!

BTW, his new “SOUL” CD is brilliant!

WILL A SHINY NEW DIGITAL SLR MAKE YOU A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER??

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:20:57 -0500

Back to the blog! I think I will update it once weekly, on a weekend from this point on. To those who subscribed, I thank you! I am new to blogging, so I am hoping my posts will improve over time. Much like my photography has slowly improved over 12 years time.

Over the years I have owned so many DSLR’s and digital cameras as I have an addiction for these things, but I really do not know why! I have no clue why I spent so much money on them, buying and selling, because I learned a true fact long ago...

FACT: a new camera does not make you a better photographer.

I used to think that it did, but over the years I realized that all of my photos had the same style and look. They looked like MY photos. Imagine that!

No matter what camera I used, I was able to get decent shots and even when I stepped up to an $8000 camera (the original Canon 1ds) my images did not improve, and in some case, they got worse!

FACT: A camera is just a tool and your eye and mind will create the ART.

This is true. If someone takes crap pictures with a $90 point and shoot they will take probably even crappier pictures with a $5000 Digital SLR. Why? It’s simple!

A cheap point and shoot is designed to give you punchy color, and pretty much a spot on, well exposed image right out of the camera. A DSLR (Digital SLR) file will need tweaking and enhancements in Photoshop 90% of the time. It is meant for photographers who know the basics.

True, some DSLR’s today are made for people just getting into photography and they provide KILLER results out of the box. One example of this is the Nikon D40 or D50 cameras. They give great bright colors out of the camera and the size is pretty small. These would be cameras I would recommend for the beginning photographer as it provides the canvas for you to create amazing images.

The canvas? Let me explain. In my eyes, the Canvas of a digital SLR is the sensor. A sensor in a DSLR is much larger than the small size sensors in point and shoot cameras, therefore, you will get a much cleaner image with better color saturation, and better results in low light. It will give you the opportunity to take true, pro quality images and it won’t break the bank.

BUT DIDNT I SAY A CAMERA WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR IMAGES? Yes! But I meant the actual image, not the QUALITY of the file. There are many powerful images out there that were taken with cheap noisy cameras, BUT the photographer shooting them knew what they were doing. They had “the vision”... “the eye”. They also knew how to exploit the strengths of their camera.

It takes some time to train your eye to take more creative images, and it takes learning the basics to know what you are doing.

I remember taking a roll of film from my Leica M7 to the drug store for processing. The kid behind the counter said “WHOA! You must have a nice camera” - It was odd because I thought the shots sucked! I was used to my digital shots that were enhanced in the “Digital Darkroom” and these film prints seemed a bit dull to me, especially since they processed them horribly! Never take your good film to a drug store for processing if you can help it.

I told the kid the camera was indeed a good one, and he said “I’d like to have a camera like that so I could take these kind of pictures”. I said thanks, and walked away. He was used to processing snapshots all day and my images were a bit different, so he thought they were cool and assumed if he had my camera that he could take photos like me!

How wrong. There are so many excellent photographers in the world today and I am not even a pimple on the rear of many of them as far as talent goes. Give one of these greats a box with a hole in it and they could produce some amazing images that would make your jaw drop.

Others like me are photography nuts who have a great passion for it, but will never be one of the greats.

I have been shooting for about 12 years and have noticed improvements in my images since the first year. I now know how to find shots and not just fire off snaps. I learned more about Photoshop so I can edit my images for better impact. I have read, and read, and read and have had 12 years of real word experience shooting portraits, weddings, nudes and some landscape.

When I was only a few years in to shooting and bought myself that $8000 1ds, the pictures from it were not so hot. I had one image that won a contest at the time, but I realize now I was just not experienced enough to own that luxury camera.

If you are just getting into photography, and want a great DSLR to start with, check out the Nikon D40, D50 or D90. These can give you excellent results while you learn. Do not feel the need to spend $4000 on a starter camera thinking your images with it will be incredible just because it is a $4000 camera!

I learned from my mistakes, so do not do what I did! I wasted a lot of cash on buying and selling cameras, looking for that next best thing to help me with my journey. Shoot with what you have and find your vision. It will come!

Today I shoot mainly with my Leica M8. I love this camera to death and it is one of the only cameras I have really connected with. It is expensive, yes, but it is not the best quality camera out there today. I love it due to the emotional bond I have with it, in its feel, operation and simplicity.

Today I will go out and shoot with my wife's D-Lux 4, which is the best compact on the market today (03/09) in my opinion, and at the end of the day, the images will still look like my images. They will not be any better or worse than the ones I shot with my M8. There may be limitations with the focal lengths or lens speed, but almost any camera these days can be used to create some powerful images.

The moral of this story is, go out and shoot! Enjoy what you have and don’t worry so much about that fancy camera you see online. Think to yourself, “how will this new camera improve my shots?” Chances are, it will not.

Lenses on the other hand..well, thats for another post. :)

MY FAVORITE PASTIME - FLIPPING THE BIRD AND TAKING PHOTOS

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:52:52 -0500

Wow, I never though that this site would take up so much of my time. You probably would not realize it by looking at it, but this site eats up about 10 hours of my day.

Lucky (for this site) I am currently unemployed, because if I was working there is no way I could do it! To those of you who run review sites and blogs with up to the minute updates, I applaud you!

I started this site for one reason only. Not for money, fame or to make it sound like I know everything (because I do not). I did it for the sheer love I have for photography, and wanting to learn even more about it. Ever since I was a day old I have wanted to take pictures. I can sit here and remember how it all happened....

1978... I was 9.

It started with a Garage Sale polaroid camera that my Mom got me one hot, sticky, sweaty day.

I remember it being hot because I would run around shirtless in the summer. I did not know it then, but I now know why that creepy old dude used to watch me play. That is another story for another day though...

That incredible day my Mother brought home that polaroid, I wanted to go get some film but my dad said “GET YOUR SHIRT ON”! I did, and he took me to get my 1st pack of instant film at Walgreens! I was excited as I could possibly be.

Imagine, snapping a pic and getting the result printed, right then and there! In an instant! I was in heaven!

I remember shooting snaps of my family, burning through that instant film in minutes. My father would yell at me because every time he bought me a pack of film, I would use it all up on the dumbest things, usually within an hour. I did take it with me on vacation one year, and my Dad took one of me and my sister in front of my Uncles auction sign, which still exists today in the same spot! (this shot was taken about 30 years ago!)

It really was not a “vacation” but more of a family visit. We would take a 6 hour drive to the small town where my Grandmother lived! Now, in 2009 I live just miles away from her old house. Guess I am ready to make some new memories. Ha ha.

Lets move on...Early 80’s, I was about twelve or thirteen...

I remember hating it when others took images of me. I was 12 or 13 and was the type of kid who took baths only 2 or 3 times a week, my hair was greasy, as was my face usually. I was a lazy kid, no way around it. Check this out...

Yes, I always had to make a face as I HATED when my picture was taken! One other thing I started to do was at the ripe age of 12, whenever a camera was pointed at me I would flip the bird! Yes, at the age of 12 I would flip off the camera as a joke! Probably because my Mother always flipped me the bird! I know, it was odd, but we often did it as a joke within our family. It wasn't long until my Father started flipping us off as well. We meant nothing bad, but it became a habit for me!

I remember sitting on the couch with my Dad. My Mom and sister were also in the room. My Mom gave me the finger, I then gave it back, my Dad then flipped off my sister, and she flipped us all off! I look back at those days and shake my head and wonder what other families were sitting around doing this. Hmmmmm.

Oh, what nerds WE ALL were back then! Here is one. My sister was trying to get a shot of my Moms fancy new platinum blonde, rosy glasses look. I decided to flip the bird, just before she snapped the shutter.

It started becoming like an art form, trying to flip it just in time. I probably have about 20-30 pics like this from when I was 12 or 13. I only found two but I know there are others.

The Mid 80’s - Hair bands, half shirts and 110 film cameras...

Somewhere in the mid 80’s I was shooting 110 film cameras as well as the awesomely cool new DISC film cameras. Does anyone remember that crappy, funky DISC film created by Kodak? I do, and it sucked! I remember sneaking one in to a KISS concert because it was so slim. The pictures were awful, but at the time i thought it was cool.

Here is one of me when I THOUGHT I was cool, just after that concert, shot on Kodak DISC film:

Crap, how did my parents let me out with that hairdo and gold bracelet?

When I look back at my old 110 film shots I am amazed this could legally be sold as film for photos. The quality SUCKED!

The 1990’s, I was moving up in the world...

35mm got me hooked. Using and old Olympus OM camera and a 50 1.4 lens, I was out finally getting some decent shots. That was a great little system Olympus had. Why can’t they make a digital that looks and works just like an OM1? That would be cool. The OM cameras were and still are sweet little cameras.

Let me get back on subject here. What I started to write this blog post about in the 1st place. This site...

This site was created so I can write about my digital camera experiences. I figured since I have owned so many digital SLR’s and cameras that it may be useful to others who seek the same info I always looked for.

I know many of you out there are like me. You LUST after certain lenses, certain cameras and accessories. Even camera bags come into play eventually and when you get really hardcore into it you start to think about printers, papers and supplies. I got on a printer kick years ago and went through 6 printers in a year looking for that perfect one! It is like a disease!

So now I have this site going full time. I make ZERO money from it at this time. ZERO. The few dollars that have been earned from the ads have already been spent on renting lenses for review. Actually, money came out of my pocket as the earnings was not nearly enough to pay for the rentals!

My wife is starting to wonder why I am out all day shooting and then I sit at the laptop for hours, sometimes until 3 a.m. I tried to explain to her that this is what I love doing. It’s my passion. My hobby. I used to shoot professionally but no longer do, so I do this!

If you want to help support this site and help it grow, make sure you read my 6 WAYS TO HELP!

I have been getting great feedback from all of you so far. It has not even been a month and I have reviews up for the Leica M8, Leica 28 Elmarit, Leica 50 Summilux, Leica D-lux 4, Voigtlander 15 Heliar, Canon 5D, 5DII, Nikon D300 and D700. Getting all of this done with all of the shooting, writing, editing, and publishing has nearly wiped me out!

BUT I am going strong and my passion is growing! Every time I get e-mails from you guys it lets me know that at least someone is enjoying this site. I may go broke doing this, or it may end up paying for itself. That is my goal for the ads and links, to help pay to run this site. So far it is not even close but I am sure it will get there one day.

If this happens, this site will go on and on and on and on! I may be tired, I may be broke, but I do love working on this site, even if it is currently a small tiny one. I have said it in my reviews, but I want to make this site an easy, enjoyable and even fun read for everyone. I want to provide real world shooting samples and give you guys more info for your camera gear buying choices.

I will stay away from technical jargon, charts and graphs. You can get that at the giant sites. Here you will see real world results and honest opinions.

I truly hope you are enjoying it and YOU AINT SEEN NOTHIN’ YET! MUCH more to come in the near future! Thanks to all of you for even reading this silly post!

Now, some current pics from the last couple of days, starting with a brand new current pic of my Mom doing what she does best:

LIVING ON THE CHEAP! MY 11 TIPS TO SAVE BIG MONEY!

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 22:28:43 -0500

It’s time we all start living on the cheap! We all know that these days, at least in the USA, the economy SUCKS. The unemployment % these days is higher than it has been in 25 years. I see it everywhere. People are out of work and jobs are being lost every day so lets start LIVING CHEAP!

I see it in the empty stores, and the big MEGA sales these same stores are having every weekend. I see it with online shopping, where deep discounts can be had. I see it in places like Disneyworld, where you can get free hotel nights if you buy a vacation package.

Another sign of the weakened economy are those companies that are RAISING prices like Fender Guitars, Nikon Camera, etc.

Raise prices in this economy? Yep, they have to do this to survive. They are now selling less and to survive they need to raise prices so the units they do sell will keep them afloat. There will always be die hards who will pay any price to own an item they want. For example, Nikon’s latest PRO SLR, the D3x is $8,000! I always though Leica was expensive! Jeez!

I have had to cut down my spending by quite a bit. In the past, I was used to buying what I wanted, when I wanted it, but today, with a MUCH reduced income, I am forced to control my spending. This means, I spend very little on a weekly basis compared to what I used to spend! I have had to find ways to cut my spending, and the way I did it was to cut off things that I used to spend a ton of cash on. This is how I cut our spending and it has helped me to save $4700 a month! Here are my tips

EATING OUT: I used to eat out every day, sometimes twice a day. I would have a beer, burger, steak. These days I stay home and eat a sandwich, soup or chicken. If I do go out, I buy a 79 cent burger at BK, or a 99 Cent double cheese at McDonalds! Not the best food for you but I do not do it often.

My uncle, who has always been like freaking EBENEZER SCROOGE brings his own cup to fast food joints! He then asks for a free water to go with his food. He is rich though, and I am guessing this is how he became rich. He dresses in thrift store clothes, has a $60k house, and has loads of cash in the bank. Crazy.

Though I would not want to live like him and go to his extremes, I have learned a few things from him. I now save about $400 a month by not eating out every day.

MOVIES: I used to go to the movies every week, $10 a pop to get in and then another $30 in snacks. I would end up spending $80 for a night at the show for me and my family. I also would buy 2-3 DVD’s every week! These days I rent DVD’s at my local RED BOX. $1 a night per movie! What used to cost $80, now cost me $1. Cha Ching! Savings of $316 a month!

CAMERA GEAR: Oh man. I used to buy camera gear like my wife bought bottled water. I would buy a camera, lens, or what have you and then sell it as soon as 2 weeks later for a loss! No biggie, I always had cash coming in. Today? No more of that!

The reviews you see on this site are gear I own now and can not sell. New reviews are from gear I am trying out, and do not own. Still, this site costs me some cash, but you gotta have some fun in life! Savings are approx. $500 a month!

UTILITY BILLS: I used to keep my heat on 72 in the winter. This past winter I had my thermostat set on 67. Me and the wife just wore warmer jammies! This cut our bill down a bit. We also take shorter showers. Gone are the days of 45 minute showers! We saved about $100 a month! Cha Ching!

CLOTHES: I am making my clothes last longer these days. No more going to the store and buying new shirts every 2 weeks. Hell, I have not bought new clothes in a year though I am about to break down and buy some for the wife. I used to buy fancy designer name clothes but not anymore. I plan on buying less expensive clothes when I do go get some new duds. Savings of about $600 a month!

TV/CABLE: We got rid of our $150 a month satellite and now have basic cable which costs us $35 a month. We lose all of those channels but we usually watch DVD anyway. That is a savings of $115 a month!

GROCERIES: We used to shop at the local Grocery store but times are tougher these days and the money we have, we want to keep in the bank. We now shop at places like Aldi, and Sams Club. This cut our grocery cost down quite a bit. We buy in bulk when we can and it lasts much longer, and costs less. Savings? About $200 a month!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS LOOK SPECTACULAR!

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:35:55 -0600

I have seen it a million times. I have seen it from strangers, I see it with my family and friends. They see some of my shots and say “Wow, you must have a nice camera”! Yea, maybe my camera is nice but what many people fail to realize is that it is not the camera, or lens that makes the photo. It is the person taking the photo. The photographer.

You can hand a Digital Photo novice an $8,000 Nikon D3x and they may take an average photo. Hand a cheap $79 digital to someone who knows what they are doing and they may create a one-of-a-kind image that will wow you.

Over the years I have shot with dozens of high end digital SLR’s and have noticed one thing. Every photo I take, looks like a photo I took no matter what gear I was using. Sure, some may have better sharpness, some may have better color, but the “style” is always my style. This is the same with each individual photographer and is what makes an image unique.

I am in no way saying I am a pro or a fabulous photographer. In fact, I am saying even an average photograph can be made to look spectacular!

If you are kind of disappointed in YOUR digital images then I am guessing you do not “enhance” them in the digital darkroom. Before digital, when film ruled the world, photographers had to create their vision in the darkroom. Using light to dodge and burn, and chemicals to create their final vision. Perfecting one shot usually meant going through a bunch of photo paper, and hours and hours at the enlarger working to get it just right.

Today we have Photoshop. I use Photoshop CS3 along with a couple of plug ins that I find to work very well for quick, easy photo editing. Below I am going to show you an image straight from the camera, and show you each step I took to get the final result for posting an image to the web though the same would apply to printing an image.

All using Photoshop and the Nik Color Efex plug in. You will see how it works, and how these filters affect the final image.

Let’s start with this plain shot straight from the camera. Not bad out of camera, but not really a “WOW” type of shot. This is the out of camera JPEG from a Leica M8.

OK, now lets open up the RAW in photoshop. In the Adobe Raw Converter I hit “AUTO” in the bottom box.

I then went to the lens correction area and slid the slider down to -65 on the vignetting slider. I then hit OPEN to open the photo in Photoshop CS3. 

Once in Photoshop, I resized to 1100 pixels wide and then I applied SMARTSHARPEN from the FILTER menu. I applied sharpening at 49 and the radius at 0.3. I now have this. Click image for larger size.