Camera Matters

In the recent months, the ‘M9 fever’ seems to be spreading among people around me.  I’m not an experienced Leica-user, and definitely not a Leica evangelist.  But quite a few friends and people I know have either taken interests in the M9, or have already bought one.  I can’t help but wonder what makes the M9 so special.

Perhaps it’s the attraction of the rangefinder, or the fact that there are plenty of lenses, old, new and for every budget, available for the M9.  Or is it merely its classic appearance, and pure bragging rights?  Well, it is difficult to say.  What I can say, for me, is that the M9 seems to allow me to shoot more seamlessly than other cameras I own.  It doesn’t get in my way, nor my subject’s way when shooting.  How do I know this?  Recently I brought my DSLR out of the cabinet, along with a few prime lenses.  I had not used it for a little over a year since I bought the M9, mostly because of its weight and bulk.  Well, that has not changed much since it’s still the same camera.  My ‘default’ f2.8 zoom is now gone, and I’m left with two primes (one AF, and one MF).   So the kit maybe fractionally lighter, but its bulk remains. 

After several days, and a few hundred shots later, I’m vividly reminded why I stopped shooting DSLR.  It’s certainly not because of its poor image quality, far from it, in fact.  Image quality, IMHO, is second to none.  In some aspects, it’s superior to Leica M, namely in noise, and dynamic range in high ISO.  Be it manual or auto focus, DSLR can be just as fast as a Leica M.  So that’s not really a problem.  Sure the default focusing screen is not a split-screen type like old film bodies, so you rely more on the green light to confirm focus.  It’s not exactly inferior to rangefinder, IMHO, it’s just different.

My main reason for not using DSLR that much is the imposing size and mass of a pro DSLR.  Imagine yourself being photographed, you see a photographer approaching with a big black mass and a sub-bazooka-sized lens.  Fire a few shots, and the mirror swings and clicks audibly.  It can be quite intimidating being on the other side of the lens.  What else? The menu hierarchy is also perplexing with too many settings for, what I think, too many buttons on the camera.  Oh, and there’s that weight on my shoulder.  That’s it.

However, I’m quite sure that many others think just the opposite.  Its bulk offers sturdiness and ruggedness that are not commonly found in smaller cameras. The continuous shooting speed is perfect for action shots, while the comprehensive menu offers granular adjustments to suit every need and style of photography. 

I can also say a thing or two about compact cameras and Micro Four Thirds (MFT).  The compacts, being relatively inexpensive, usually come with lower expectations from the users. MFT system, however, can be costly depending on lenses, and models.  Many compacts can now shoot RAW, and have very fast lens up to f1.8 on some models.  Sure, they have their limitations like AF speed (less suitable for action photography) and noise in high ISO.  MFT system promises more and this is where trouble begins.  The format is not exactly new, yet there is only a limited selection of lenses for MFT bodies, namely from Panasonic and Olympus.  Not only is the selection of lens is small, the two companies are asking big money for their glasses.  Yet, theses lenses are only average in performance, while in some cases, are tied to manufacturer’s own bodies for optimum results.  Last but not least, there’s no optical viewfinder for MFT system.  Olympus EVF is a great example, but it’s still electronic, and makes the camera bulky. 

The bottom line is that you must choose a camera system that suits your style of photography most.  There's a good chance that the lightest and smallest system isn’t your best option.  If you like the speed of DSLR, its superior noise suppression, and vast lens selection, get the smallest DSLR that meets your needs.  You will have to live with the weight and bulk to get the pictures you want.  If you don’t need big zooms, fast AF, and if you’re fortunate enough to afford the M9, go for it.  But you’ll have to get used to the manual focus, a slightly different way to meter and to compose, and a good chance that your sensor will collect dust in no time.  Maybe your style of photography is suitable for MFT system where you enjoy good quality photos (that most compacts cannot deliver) with minimal weight and equipment to carry.  Don’t forget that most of the time, it’s the person behind the camera that matters most. 

The following set of images are taken with different types of camera, from compact, Micro Four Third, APS-C, full-frame DSLR, and the M9.  As long as they let me shoot what I want and how I want, I have no problem.  Unfortunately, some of these cameras did not deliver the user experience I had expected.  For me, what matters most is that a good camera should work with the photographer, enabling the photographer to make the right exposure at the right moment. Happy shooting!

Wisrute

Back to the Future

Years ago when I started my first photography class, I remembered start using black & white bulk films mainly because it was a cost effective way to capture images, flexible enough for processing, and durable enough to enjoy the result for years to come.  I also shot colors, and color transparencies over those years for convenience, and different challenges, respectively.  Color transparencies presented a whole new challenge when shooting by forcing one to think more before shooting.  Lighting, exposure, and especially composition must be nailed before firing that shutter.  There's no second chance to recompose color slides given how it was used and viewed.  

Fast forward to the new millennium and the early digital camera era.  Colors were generally inaccurate.  Dynamic range limited, and a whole new challenge with white balance.  After a decade or so, it seems that the real improvement has been made to improving dynamic range.  Newer generation cameras like Canon 5D (I and II), Nikon D700 sport very capable full frame sensors boasting impressive dynamic range.  White balance remains a game of hit and miss, and consequently color accuracy suffers.  RAW files and modern software like LightRoom and Aperture have largely transformed digital photography, paradoxically, to a more analog-like process.

I must be among the many photographers who have re-discovered the joy of photography in this ever-changing digital era.  Today, those RAW files are simply digital negatives, and software like LightRoom or Aperture are simply the darkroom as we used to know it.  While I do not deny that my Leica M9 has brought back the fun in photography for me, a big part of this fun came from the RAW file format and Aperture.  The latitude of adjustments is generally quite great, much like the control available when developing negatives, and printing.  Easily, a RAW file can be adjusted by a few stops without losing too much tonality and details (even though this flexibility reduces with higher ISO).  Colors and white balance can also be corrected with relative ease (but remains a challenge, still). 

What is great about RAW is that one can shoot first, and later decide to 'print' in either color, or black & white (or both).  This was not possible back in the film days.  Since I've taken ownership of the M, I have been regularly converting the photos to black & white for two main reasons.  One, sometimes the white balance is just hopeless, despite post-processing, it remains hopeless.  Two, and this is the main reason, I still prefer black & white, its tonality, contrast, and the way black & white photos draw the audience to the subject in ways color prints often distract.  Black and white reduces the essence of each photo to its subject, the mood, and the feeling its subject conveys.  Be it the eyes, the smile, the sky, they are presented in the most fundamental way without their natural colors so the viewer can focus more on what's going on.  

Modern software are well equipped with darkroom techniques such as burning, dodging, and contrast adjustment, which, two decades ago, was all that we needed.  I no longer have to rely on filters and effects to make the pictures look good (if they did at all).  Now I'm forced to make the pictures look good every time the shutter is released, much like shooting films and color transparencies. 

While prints from digital files may never have the same glow of gelatin silver prints (hmm, some would say, 'Never say never.'), it's still worthwhile to have so much control and flexibility with digital like we used to have with film.  So, I was a black & white convert, and now I can say that I remain so in this digital age.  It's Back to the Future.  

Below are some of my recent black & white favorites.  Enjoy.

Missus - M9 + 24 Summilux

Play - M9 + 50 Summicron

Party Smile - M9 + 50 Summicron

Smiles - M9 + 24 Summilux

Dad Contemplating - M9 + 24 Summilux

Fake Smile? - D-Lux 5

Birthday Smile - Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24/1.4

Putting "Magic" into Leica

The word "Leica" and "magic" are frequently used together in a sentence by many.  I don't know if there's a better word than magic to describe Leica images.  Over the years, I had not paid much attention to Leica images until recently.  There's something special about the way the lights are captured and rendered in those images.  The magic of Leica, I believe, lies largely in their very special lenses.  As special as their cameras may be (and they truly are), it's the lens that paints the images.  


As my interests in Leica grew, I started browsing the internet for more and more images taken with Leica cameras.  Many of them possess that dreamy and painterly look that is unique to Leica.  Later I discovered that there's one particular lens, the Noctilux, that is renowned for this special quality.


Many have written about the Noctilux, its history, quality, and the different versions over the years.  I'm not even going to try.  One version that I find most interesting is the last series of the f1.0, before Leica replaces it with the f0.95 version.  The optics isn't technically perfect since its root dates back quite a few decades.  But the refinement over the years have made this f1.0 a truly unique lens.  The bokeh of this lens is truly unique in a sense that it almost has a signature look to it.  At f1.0, it renders the bokeh with a swirly effect and the focus area remains on the soft side, much like older cinema lens would.  Stopping it down a few clicks, and it sharpens up while keeping a watery-smooth look in the bokeh.  This quality seems to be missing in the new and technically superb f0.95 version.  


Late in 2009, luck came my way when a used 6-bit coded Noctilux popped up in the local market.  I didn't even have the M9 when I decided to buy it.  The seller showed me a few shots he had taken with the lens, and I tested the focusing on his M6.  After some more inspection, we had a deal.  No matter what camera format you normally shoot, the Noctilux is a heavy lens.  By Leica standard, it's huge!  By DSLR standard, however, it is on the 'normal' side.  Focus throw, on the other hand, is quite long and it takes time getting used to unlike Leica's smaller "Lux" and "Cron" lenses.


I started shooting the Noctilux on Olympus EP-1 before my M9 arrived.  Even with Micro 4/3 format, I was already impressed by the images.  But not until I shot the Noctilux on the M9 that I truly appreciated its special quality.  For some, the Noctilux will remain an occasional lens.  For me, I don't really mind carrying  and shooting with it.  Most of the time, I shoot the Noctilux between f1.4 - 2.8 so that the images remain sharp with silky smooth bokeh.  I shoot at f1.0 only when it's very dark, or when the swirly bokeh is desired.  For me, the Noctilux will always be the definition of Leica magic.  There are other great Leica lenses, no doubt, but the Noctilux has its place secured in the history book.

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This photo must have been shot at f2.0 or so, note three dimensionality and the creamy bokeh.  

One of my early shots with the M9, testing out the Noctilux.

"Salute!"

One evening, we had to pick up our son from the boy scout camp at school.  This teacher in the photo also taught me years ago, so it was really special to see him working, still!

"Star Spotting" - This shot was made in near total darkness (later adjusted in Aperture). I came away impressed with the ability of the Noctilux.

A recent photo taken at a local concert, showcasing the warm glow of Leica lens.

Hope you enjoy the photos,

Wisrute

My Gear, Part II: The Leica M9

Since I'd switched to digital several years ago, I've never been all that satisfied with the photos.  Sure I've taken some good pictures, but it was never the same somehow.  Dynamic range and tonality of digital files (at least from early 2000s) were not even close to film's.  In the last few years with full-frame sensors, they sure brought back some dimensionality to the pictures.  The cameras themselves also changed a lot.  ISO can now be freely adjusted from one shot to the next.  Colors are more camera dependent, rather than film dependent like before.  White balance is a whole new frontier in digital photography! Pro's DSLR are now capable of ultra fast autofocus, virtually lag-free shutter, and they now shoot HD videos.  I can't help but wonder what these cameras will do in a few years.  Wash your clothes, maybe?
Leica's first attempt with digital started with the M8 and later with M8.2 which were flawed in their own ways.  Despite those flaws, Leica engineers must have learned quickly and produced the M9 the way the M8 should have been.  


Moving from DSLR to a rangefinder was a big risk for me, but a calculated risk nonetheless.  Rangefinder cameras have their own attributes that differ somewhat from pro DLSR.  Attributes like manual focus only, no-mirror, basic center-weighted metering, and no full auto exposure can unacceptable to many photographers.  But for others, these attributes are attractive.  


With the Leica M9, I am more 'photo conscious' and I look for the opportunity to shoot more often.  When I carry the M9 along, I think mostly with the 35mm frame line in mind (my 'default' lens).  Other times, I react to the environment around me and the M9, despite being almost full manual, let me do that quite quickly.  It sure is very different to be shooting prime (MF) lens on a rangefinder than DSLR with autofocu zoom lens.   With a rangefinder, there's no viewfinder black-out (mirror interruption), less vibration (again, no mirror flipping up and down), fixed viewfinder with frame lines so I can see outside the frames, small foot print, manual focus works even in low light where AF fails, and the list goes on.

A lot of things have already been said (and written) about the M9 technicality.  I will not repeat especially when I'm not a tech expert.  What I can say and confirm, is that the M9, due to its smaller dimension, helps bring out the neutrality of your subjects more than professional DSLR.  Being smaller and lighter also means I carry my M9 around much more often than I do with my DSLR.  I  have three M lenses, the 24 Elmarit, 35 Summilux, and 50 Noctilux, and I use them all.  I cannot say the same with my old Nikkor AF-S 70-200 VR.

With the M9, I shoot exclusively in RAW (Compressed DNG).  This works exceptionally well with Aperture 3 and my iMac i7.  RAW format brings out the best of the M9 especially in dynamic range department.  Aperture, and I'm sure LightRoom, plays a big part of mimicking that film development experience, minus the chemicals and smell.  

A Leica M is truly a special equipment.  It certainly isn't for everybody.  Some may find its features as limitations.  Some may never get used to the manual focus.  Some may crave for ISO12500, HD video, and GPS navigation from their pro camera.  But if you love photography and want to get back to the basics, give a Leica M a try.  No matter it is film or digital.  

Now I understand full well what it means when someone once said, 'Shooting with the M9 is like taking a step back technically, psychologically, and financially. 

The photos below show just how practical the M9 can be.  Given practice, it can do action shots as well as portrait shots.  

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Even when the 35mm Summilux isn't shot at maximum aperture,

there's still plenty of depth and sharpness.

Our recent trip to Hong Kong Disney, I shot this one to test the camera's metering and the lens bokeh.  Both performed very well.

This night shot on the Main Street is a straight output, no processing whatsoever!

A photo from a series of 3-4 shots.  Without any mirror interruption in the VF, I don't miss opportunity like this.

Buzz LightYear ride was a perfect challenge for the camera and myself alike.  Most autofocus systems would have failed in this situation.

A friend, also a Leica owner, and his lovely daughter.

Practice makes perfect.  Action shoot with the Noctilux.  

My daughter is now good friends with the M9.

With an optical finder and manual focus, low light shoot is not that difficult.

Have a good week,

Wisrute

One Wedding and a Leica

Last month I received good news from a good friend that he would be getting married.  Over the years, many friends have tied the knots and I never thought (nor wanted) to seriously take any pictures of their weddings.  To me, suits and big DSLR just don't mix.  I'd rather enjoy the wedding and do away without the camera bulk.

This wedding, however, was a little different.  I have now been using my M9 for four months and I have more confident in shooting with it than ever.  Plus, the M9 is small enough to carry even while wearing a suit.  To make things more challenging, I decided to mount the 50mm f1 'Noctilux' to the wedding as its only lens.  To most DSLR user, the size  of the Noctilux is consider 'average' for SLR lens even though it weighs a tad more than average.  The challenge of the Noctilux, for me, isn't its weight or size.  It's the long focus throw that needs to be mastered to capture the images in right moments.

In the space of around three hours, I shot some 75 pictures of the wedding (as a guest, not a wedding photographer).  Later, I decided to process them into black & white to set a different tone from many 'traditional' colorful (Thai) wedding photos.  Surprisingly, there are  more than 20 pictures of the bride & groom, plus the friends, that I really like.  It reminded me of the time when I used to shoot black & white films, that there would be a good number of photos from every few roles of film shot.  After this shoot, I became fully convinced that there's life after DSLR!

A true test of the camera and lens set up.

It holds up shadow details real well given such challenging lighting.

This is one of my favorites.

The contrast and my friend's expression really made this photo special.  

True to its reputation, the Noctilux produces that swirly bokeh.

I'd like to call this photo "Smoky Dreams."

With a rangefinder, there's no mirror interruption like DSLR.  So the action can be viewed through the finder continuously.

If you're quick enough, it's not so hard to snap moments like these.

Have a good week,


Wisrute

My Gear, Part I: Leica DLux 4

In addition to my Leica M9, I use a few other cameras for different occasions.  This is the first part of "My Gears", let's start small with the DLux 4.


This is my default camera.  I carry my DLux 4 with me almost all the time due to its versatility and compact size.  I love its 24mm perspective, the useful f2.0 aperture, and a long battery life.  (In fact, the Panasonic LX3 can do equally good jobs for much less money, but more on that another time.)  Just to be clear up front, I do not shoot RAW with my compacts.  I like to keep things nice and simple with everyday camera.  With intuitive controls and simple operations, the DLux 4/LX3 just works.  It allows me to concentrate on shooting, rather than fiddling with the menu.

I use the DLux 4 when I don't want to carry a camera bag with me although it isn't quite 'pocketable.'  It can fit in my messenger bag on most occasion.  The macro mode comes in handy when I do those fun food shots (for memory purpose, LOL) and other things close up. The little joystick on the back comes in handy when I need to change a few settings from ISO, aperture, white balance, resolution and even exposure compensation. I'm not a demanding photographer who needs the best image quality from my compact.  A compact is a compact so don't expect miracles to happen from a compact.  Over the last few firmware updates, the DLux 4 / LX3 have improved its focusing speed, white balance accuracy, and a little more.  Hats off to Panasonic and Leica.

My DLux 4 is fitted with a custom grip after a few close-calls of dropping it.  I'd like to keep it small so the bulky OEM Leica grip was out of the question.  I also keep the Panasonic Lumix 24mm optical finder on all the time.  It's great for landscape framing (despite being slightly inaccurate), and especially helpful in low-light.  Holding the camera close to one's face is still far more stable than the now-popular-shoot-with-the-LCD posture.  The optical viewfinder let me do just that.  The Luigi's wrist strap is carried over from my LX3.  I find it very handy to keep the camera on my wrist, rather than around my neck, when I shoot.

If you are in the market for a compact that works well in full manual, full auto, and everything in-between, give the DLux 4 / LX3 a try.  Here are some of my favorite photos from the DLux 4.


I love the 24mm perspective.  This is a out-of-camera JPG in black & white setting with minor tweaks in level (by Aperture).  

This is a low-light shot at Disney's It's A Small World ride.  The optical viewfinder came in handy allowing a steady shooting position.  (Shot at 1/20 sec., f2.0, ISO400.)

Another example of a situation where the optical viewfinder can help steady the camera by holding it in a conventional way.  (Shot at 1/13 sec., f2.0, ISO200.)

The DLux 4 and LX3 are among my favorites when it comes to color reproduction.  This photo illustrates how well it renders different shades in one single shot.  More importantly, it's an accurate reproduction of the scene, too.  (Shot at 1/13 sec., f2.0, ISO200.)

Thanks to its simple custom white balance setting and macro mode, I use the DLux 4 extensively to photograph food (for personal reference).  In fact, I can probably start another blog on food alone.   

Another photo showing its macro ability.  Shooting moving subject close-up requires pre-focusing.   

Last but not least, the DLux 4 (Titanium Edition) itself with Panasonic's optical viewfinder, Luigi's wrist strap, and a custom grip.