“What are you talking about, dad?” I half-laughed through the phone.

My father, a recently-ordained pastor, eagerly explained that he’d been invited to India to speak at a few pastors conferences being organized by his friends’ ministries.

“Everything will be lined up for us,” he continued, trying to convince me. “Besides, it’ll be a good opportunity to spend some time with your dear old dad.” He’s been using this bargaining chip a lot more now that I’m grown up and live a thousand miles away. Between wanting to support my dad and my unquenchable desire to travel, I couldn’t say no. Besides, India is supposed to be a street photographer’s dream, right?

Committing to the Leica CL

Fast forward a couple months, and I was on a 16-hour flight en route to Hyderabad, India.  Tucked beneath the seat in front of me was the Leica CL, the newest addition to Leica’s interchangeable APS-C system. For the past few years my go-to camera setup has been the full-frame Leica Q, either solo, or accompanied by an also-full-frame Leica M with a single 50mm lens. My decision to bring the cropped-sensor CL to India wasn’t an easy one. For someone who is used to the comforts of a full-frame, it was hard to fathom traveling to the other side of world with only an APS-C camera. But, the CL was intriguing. With a sharp built-in viewfinder and simple button and dial layout, it was reminiscent of both my Q and M. I could shoot in my usual style and feel comfortable using it as my primary camera.

What ultimately solidified my decision to take the CL was its compact size paired with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses. For this trip, I was lucky enough to nab four of the seven CL-system lenses currently offered: the 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL, 35mm Summilux-TL, 60mm APO-Macro-TL, and the new pancake prime, the 18mm Elmarit-TL. I don’t normally travel with such a large array of lenses, but this wasn’t my typical kind of overseas backpacking adventure, which usually involves hostels, couch-surfing, and sometimes-sketchy overnight bus rides. In such situations, lack of luggage space and security woes have taught me to travel with only the camera gear I can carry on my person at all times. India would be different though. I was staying in an actual hotel with my own private room, and even more unprecedented, I was checking a bag. This meant I could bring extra lenses and switch them up from day to day, feeling secure in leaving what I didn’t use back in the hotel room.

My Leica CL setup.

Part I: Warangal

We got into Hyderabad at 3 AM and my dad’s friend, Pastor Jesroon, was waiting for us at the airport. For the first week, we’d be staying at a hotel near his home in Warangal, Telangana, a three-hour drive from Hyderabad airport. The second week, he’d be handing us over to Pastor Israel in the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh. Both pastors had lined up several pastors meeting as well as visits to local churches.

We were dropped off at our hotel in Warangal, advised to “take some good rest,” and to be ready in the lobby by 7 PM for an evening service. We were also cautioned not to leave the hotel because “maybe that’s not such a good idea” – just what a street photographer wants to hear. This was frustrating, but after our first night in town, I understood why. Warangal wasn’t really a destination for Western tourists and my dad and I didn’t exactly blend in. Everywhere we went, heads turned, crowds gathered and cameras clicked. There was no hope of being a fly on the wall. I would have to leave the spontaneous, unposed street scenes to Craig Semetko.

Our schedule was structured pretty much the same day-to-day. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Be picked up. Go to a pastors’ meeting or church service. Dine with the pastor’s family or congregation. Be dropped off back at the hotel. Repeat. Despite my inability to roam, I managed what street shots I could while being carted about town. However, that first week in Warangal, most of my photographs were taken during or after services.

Primary colors. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, /2.8, ISO 3200

Secondary colors. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/125th sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200

Praying. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/160th sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200

The Good Book translated into Telugu. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 250

During services, I was always designated a seat front and center behind the pulpit. At first it felt a little confining and terrifying (I’m mortified of being in front of crowds.), but after warming up, I realized this was an interesting angle and turned the camera outwards, towards the congregation.

The pastor's daughter. 35mm Summilux-TL, 1/60th sec, f/8, ISO 200

Floor seating. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200

It didn’t take long to warm up to the CL. Just like my M and Q, I was able to dial in my auto ISO settings, switch my shutter to AUTO, and shoot in aperture priority. After initial setup, I shut off the LCD and the CL’s dual thumb wheels allowed me to adjust every aspect of exposure, without having to ever go into a menu. Leica cleverly added a center button within each thumb wheel, so you can easily toggle the functionality of each. I had it set up so the right thumb wheel’s primary function was Aperture, a quick press of the center button, and it switched to ISO. The left thumb wheel set to Exposure Compensation as primary functionality, and shooting mode (PASM) as secondary.

Leica’s auto ISO function has become extremely advanced. If understood, it can be a powerful tool. By dialing in maximum ISO and minimum (slowest) shutter speed, I’m basically telling the camera to think like I do. Keep my ISO at 100 (base) as long as I’m able to stay at 1/125th sec or faster. Once I run out of light and have to start making changes, then boost the ISO. Keep raising the ISO until I hit 6400. These parameters worked for most situations. For unique lighting situations such as extremely low light or back lit situations, I’d switch to a manual shutter speed and/or ISO.

I found myself taking a lot of photographs from rooftops – of the hotel, of the pastor’s house, of the churches. I wasn’t allowed to wander out, but I could wander up. I always travel with my Sirui 025x carbon fiber tripod. With a folded length of only 12 inches and weighing just two pounds, I can fit it in my Oberwerth Kate camera bag. Any larger or heavier, and it would have been left at home. With the high ISO capabilities of the CL and fast prime lenses like the 35mm Summilux-TL f/1.4, a tripod wasn’t an absolute necessity, but I was happy to have it, allowing me to to play around with different lenses and get cleaner nightscapes.

Warangal from the hotel roof. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 30 sec (tripod), f/13, ISO 200

Warangal from the pastor's roof. 35mm Summilux-TL (handheld). 30 sec, f/13, ISO 200

Shadows passing by. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 19mm). 1/6th sec (tripod), f/4.2, ISO 3200

Our last day in Warangal, Pastor Jesroon and his family planned a day trip around their home state of Telangana, which took us through a scattering of ruins from the Kakatiya dynasty, through protected forest areas and past lakes and waterfalls (which to our dismay weren’t flowing in the dry season). This outing not only gave me a chance to see the Indian countryside, but also an opportunity to further experiment with the different lenses I had brought, specifically the 11-23mm (18-35mm equiv.). I’ve always been shy of super-wide angles, but India already had me so far out of my comfort zone culturally, it only seemed natural to push my comfort zone photographically as well. Besides, the Kakatiya ruins posed a perfect subject for a super wide lens.

Warangal Fort. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 11mm). 1/60th sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200

Warangal Gate. 35mm Summilux-TL, 1/160th sec, f/8, ISO 100

Kakatiya ruins. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 13mm). 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 100

We probably spent most of our time in the car that day, but as the sun fell behind Telangana’s rolling hills and we sped back to Warangal, I couldn’t help but feel immensely satisfied. Just as I was getting comfortable in Warangal, it was now time to leave.

Fresh chilis. 60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

Coming home. 18mm Elmarit-TL, 1/1000th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

Telangana sunset. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 500

Part II: Andhra Pradesh

The following day we headed a few hours south to meet up with our second host, Pastor Israel. As soon as we pulled up to our new accommodations, I could immediately tell this next leg of our journey was going to be quite the change of pace. After our first week spent in a bustling, sleepless city of 12 million, we were now tucked away in a quiet lakeside oasis in the Andhra Pradesh countryside.

I would spend the next few mornings exploring our hotel, the Vijay Vihar Resort, and the wildlife that called it home. I would wake up at sunrise, sip my garam chai and watch as exotic birds, wild boars and rhesus monkeys got about the day. Again, I found myself grateful for the variety of lenses I had brought. The 60mm APO-Macro-TL allowed me to get closer to nature both near and far. I was warned to not get too close to the monkeys, so the 90mm (equiv.) focal length gave me enough reach to get the shot, without riling up my excitable subjects. On the opposite end of the focusing scale, the macro function allowed me to capture the color and details of Vijay Vihar’s lush landscape.

The Vijay Vihar Resort. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 11mm). 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 500

Bokeh. 60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. f/2.8, ISO 125

Rhesus monkey. 60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/320th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

After my morning retreats, our entourage would head out for the afternoon. We spent most of our time in small towns and gypsy villages, each with its own characters and story to tell. Often times, the entire village would be waiting as we pulled up in our van, throwing marigold petals, beating drums, and bearing welcome banners. By this point in the trip I had learned to smile and accept the excessive, unwanted attention. This was their culture; this was how they welcomed their guests.

Welcome party. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/250th sec, f/8, ISO 125

Gypsy village waiting our arrival. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 1/320th sec, f/8, ISO 100

Drum escort. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 14mm). 1/125th sec, f/8, ISO 100

For each outing, I would take two lenses with me, usually one wide angle and one longer lens.  During the day, I would shoot any combination of lens, but at night I would opt for the faster of the four lenses I brought: the 18mm (28mm equiv.) f/2.8 and the 35mm (50mm equiv.) f/1.4. As an M shooter, the 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 was always a favorite, so it comes as no surprise that I gravitated towards the CL’s equivalent. Even though I had multiple lenses with me, I still shot with a one-camera-one-lens mentality. I’d pick a lens, mount it, and dedicate myself to that focal length. Changing lenses can often be distracting, causing us unnecessary frustration and missed shots.

Open air service. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/125th sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250

Peaking in. 60mm Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/250th sec, f/2.8, ISO 250

The villages gave me the freedom and security to explore and shoot. The communities were small, the people curious and inviting. We were welcomed into homes and offered meals. In one village, I was escorted with beating drums to a woman’s house where I was dressed in her grandmother’s traditional tribal clothing. A crowd of women giggled as they layered me in brightly colored fabrics and jewelry.

Being dressed. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL. 1/125th sec, f/3.5, ISO 3200

Arriving for dinner. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/60th sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200

Learning to sew. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/125th sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200

Garam chai. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 500

After each service or meeting, both in Warangal and in the villages, a local family would prepare a meal for us, which was inevitably always chicken biryani, with the exception of our last communal meal. On our drive to the village, Pastor Israel  joked, “Today, we are having bird biryani.” By bird, I assumed he meant chicken. Nope. He meant crow.

Eat crow. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 1/125th sec. f/4.5, ISO 3200

Part III: Chennai

We were flying home by way of Chennai, the sixth largest city in India, and Pastor Israel’s home. Arriving in such a sprawling metropolis was a bit of a rude awakening after spending the previous week in remote country villages. Western tourists dotted the lobby of our hotel, Starbucks was just a quick jaunt down the road, restaurant menus offered pizza and hamburgers. We were closer to home already. With only a day in Chennai, we went out for some sightseeing and spent time with Pastor Israel’s family.

Chennai. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 23mm). 1/500th sec, f/13, ISO 400.

Pastor Israel preparing dinner. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 1250

Pastor Israel's dog, Harry Potter. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.4, ISO 2000

Part IV: Home

Of the 1,500 photos I took during my two weeks in India, about 500 were taken with the 35mm, another 500 with the 18mm, 350 with the 11-23mm, and 150 with the 60mm.

If I had to pick only one lens for the CL, it would hands-down be the 35mm (50mm equiv.) Summilux. I might be a little biased as a die-hard 50mm shooter, but focal length aside, the Lux proved its worth over and over again. With a two-stop advantage over the other lenses in my bag, it let me take on tricky handheld night shots without resorting to slow shutter speeds or ridiculously high ISO's. As the only Summilux in the TL system, it rivaled its full-frame equivalents in terms of sharpness and bokeh. I was also surprised by the shallow depth of field I was able to achieve with an APS-C sensor, one of my bigger concerns of giving up full frame. I’m crossing my fingers that Leica will introduce more Summilux lenses for the C/TL system.

Straw brooms. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/160th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

Chilis drying on a windowsill. 35mm Summilux-TL. 1/60th sec, f/1.5, ISO 1600

When packing for this trip, I threw both the 11-23mm (18-35mm equiv.) and the 60mm (90 equiv.) in my bag thinking maybe I’d use them once or twice for the occasional architectural or macro shot. I was surprised by how much I actually used both these lenses. Even though I shot significantly less with 60mm, the percentage of “keepers” was much higher than the other lenses. Because it allowed me to capture details both near and far, I had just as many shots with 60mm as the other lenses in my final edit.

The Vijay Vihar Resort. 60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 1/640th sec, f/2.8, ISO 250

Lake Nagarjuna Sagar at the Vijay Vihar Resort. 60mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. 2 sec (tripod), f/13, ISO 100

The 11-23mm (18-35mm equiv.) was the lens that surprised me the most. I've never been a big fan of zooms or wide angles. Like changing lenses, zooming in and out always felt like more of a distraction than anything else. Not to mention the commonly held notions that distortion in super-wide angles is unavoidable and that zoom lenses aren’t as sharp as their prime counterparts. The 11-23mm, however, breaks all of these stereotypes. Leica has thrown the idea that zoom lenses are inferior out the window. They’ve proved this with the SL’s 24-90mm and 90-280mm lenses, and the 11-23mm furthers their case. It’s sharp edge-to-edge throughout the focal range and distortion, even at the widest setting, is minimal.

1000 Pillar Temple in Warangal. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 11mm). 1/60th sec, f/3.5, ISO 3200

With the 18mm (28mm equiv.) attached, the CL weighed a mere pound and was reminiscent of a baby Q. Protruding only one inch from the camera and virtually weightless, I barely knew it was there. Slung across my shoulder and tucked underneath my sari, nobody else knew it was there either. In an environment where eyes were constantly following me, this proved to be the best setup for being discreet.

Washing clothes. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/400th sec, f/5.6, ISO 100

One lens I didn’t have access to but would have liked to bring along was the 23mm (35mm equiv.) Summicron-TL. A stop faster than the 18mm and only slightly larger, it would have given me a little more wiggle room in low light.

The CL at 24MP has the same resolution as Leica’s full-frame cameras (M, SL, Q), but cramming the same number of pixels onto an APS-C sensor comes at a cost: smaller pixels. This generally results in more modest ISO performance and less dynamic range. This was my biggest concern in shooting APS-C. Would it give me the same image quality that I was used to in my Q and M? APS-C sensors have come a long way in the last few years and I was eager to process the images and see just how close the CL files came to Leica’s full-frame cameras.

In terms of dynamic range, the Leica CL blew me away. In shots that were seemingly blown out, I was able to bring back the highlights in Lightroom and recover an incredible amount of detail.

Original file. Boat on Laknavaram Lake. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 13mm). 1/160th, f/8, ISO 100

Processed in Lightroom. Boat on Laknavaram Lake. 11-23mm Super-Vario-Elmar-TL (at 13mm). 1/160th, f/8, ISO 100

I was also pleasantly surprised with the CL’s ISO performance. At 3200, the CL produces a nice, clean file with well-defined shadows. Bump it up to 6400 and a well-exposed image with a little noise reduction in Lightroom still makes a clear image. However, push it to 10000 and things fall apart. While I haven’t done a side by side comparison, I feel this is where I could separate the CL from my Q and M files. The full frame sensors could manage at 10,000 what the CL could only handle at 6400. For being a smaller sensor, one stop less of ISO performance and equivalent dynamic range isn’t too shabby at all.

Late night drives. 18mm Elmarit-TL. 1/80th sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400

The CL is hands-down Leica’s most compact and versatile interchangeable lens system. While the CL doesn't have the full-frame advantage, it makes up for it in its range of focal lengths and flexibility. I don’t think the CL could ever replace my Q, but it certainly compliment it. Since returning from India, I went on a hiking trip to Zion National Park in Utah. I brought the Q, as well as the CL with the 35mm (50mm equiv.) Summilux and 11-23mm (18-35mm equiv.). This was a nice combination. Not only did this setup provide an extra body – God forbid one were to tumble down Angel’s Landing – but it also gave me a faster 28mm.

Both India and the Leica CL forced me out of my comfort zone. With a camera I never thought I would shoot, in a country I never dreamt of traveling to, I broke my own rules and discovered a new way of shooting.

More Images

The post Two Weeks in India with the Leica CL: Getting out of my Comfort Zone appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

Without the girls, I may never have ventured to all the places I’ve gone. Anyone who’s traveled knows the importance of a good travel companion. I’ve been fortunate to have found several. But, almost as important as the people I travel with, is the camera that I choose to carry and document my adventures.

The Leica Q (Typ 116) was announced in early June, then started shipping in late July – just a month before our trip. I was lucky enough to get ahold of one. The compact 24 MP full-frame camera was one of the most sought after cameras of 2015. Even now, more than six months later, it can be hard to find one.

The Q is reminiscent of the M, Leica's classic rangefinder, but with a few modern perks. At first glance, the fixed 28mm Summilux f/1.7 might look like an M lens. You'll find a familiar focusing tab and distance scale found on a traditional M lens. Take a second look, and you'll notice “Macro” and “AF” engraved onto the lens barrel. Surely, not an M lens. This makes the Q a very appealing camera for travel. With an M, I'd have to lug along a macro adapter or an R lens to achieve macro images – both good options to turn out stunning image quality but not practical for my travel style. This was a backpacking trip with girlfriends, and I needed to fit everything into a carry-on.

I toyed around with the idea of bringing solely the Q, but I chickened out at the last minute and threw a Monochrom (1st version) and a 50mm Summicron-M into my bag. After all, Paris was on the itinerary. Paris, the city of Bresson, Atget, Doisneau – the city of black and white. Besides, could I really survive with just a 28mm?

LONDON

London has long been on my bucket list. My grandmother was an English war bride. After marrying my grandfather, an American soldier, she moved to International Falls, MN, a modest city on the Canadian border commonly known as “the icebox of the nation” – temperatures are known to drop to 40 below. My grandmother never went back to London, but she also never forgot London. Her enthusiasm for the ol' country passed on to my mom. Growing up, our house was sprinkled with all things British – a four foot tall replica of a red telephone booth, delicate tea sets, Christmas ornaments painted with the Union Jack. “Kirsten, you’ve got to go to London,” my mom would lecture me ad nauseam in an over-pronounced British accent.

So the day finally came. After 26 years, I made it to London.

Our first night on the town was low-key. We walked along the river Thames and enjoyed fish n' chips at a traditional English pub. London at night brought back stories my mom would tell of my grandmother growing up in the East End during the 40's. “You know your great great grandfather had a run-in with Jack the Ripper.” Yeah, okay, mom.

1/80th sec, f/1.7, ISO 3200

1/60th sec, f/1.7, ISO 3200

The London Eye. 1/125th sec, f/4.0, ISO 6400.

View of Big Ben from the London Eye. 1/100th sec, f/4.0, ISO 6400.

The second day, we got an early start and went full-out tourist, hitting up all the must-sees: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London. We stopped for lunch near Mayfair then strolled through Hyde Park. With English roses abound, I had plenty of opportunities to utilize the Leica Q’s macro function. With most M-System lenses I would have only been able to focus from 0.7 meters away. With the Q, I was able to get as close as 17cm.

Of course, one cannot go to London, without experiencing High Tea. The Wolesley was our tea establishment of choice. I have to admit, I’ve never been a tea drinker and I was tempted to order coffee instead. But you know what they say, “when in Rome”. I took turns photographing my friends as they fixed their tea – everybody loves a coffee marble – er – tea marble. I switched the Q into continuous and shot away at 11 FPS as cream took over our Lady Grey. Side note: Since this trip, I have become quite the tea drinker.

Hyde Park. 1/3200th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

Hyde Park. 1/2000th, f/1.7, ISO 100.

High Tea at Woseley's. 1/125th sec (burst), f/2.8, ISO 3200.

High Tea at Wolesley's. 1/100th sec, f/2.8, ISO 3200

DOWNTON ABBEY

Our last day in London, took us outside of the city on a tour of Highclere Castle and the small village of Bampton. For those of you who are Downton Abbey fans, these images will look very familiar. For those of you who aren’t Downton Abbey fans, well, you should be.

Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). 1/125th sec, f/5.6, ISO 100

Downton Village (Bampton). 1/800th, f/4.0, ISO 400

A foggy morning at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). 1/400th, f/9.0, ISO 1600

The Gardens at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). 1/320th sec, f/2.8, ISO 400

The Gardens at Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey). 1/60th sec, f/7.1, ISO 320

PARIS

Paris was only a day trip – a quick Eurostar ride from London. Not sure when we’d be back to Europe, and being only a couple hours away, we simply couldn’t resist. We hit up the major attractions – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre. Then, had lunch at a brasserie and pastries at a pattiserie. Apparently, we got really lucky. We only waited 15 minutes to climb up the Eiffel Tower and there was virtually no wait at the Louvre.

The Louvre at High Noon. 1/250th sec, f/11, ISO 100

Elizabeth relaxing by the Eiffel Tower. 1/100th sec, f/11, ISO 400

Inside the Eiffel Tower. 1/200th sec, f/4.0, ISO 100

ISTANBUL

We arrived in Istanbul in the late afternoon and wasted no time hitting the streets. One of the hostel employees recommended a rooftop teras where we could watch the sunset while enjoying a cup of Turkish çay (chai/tea).

The walk to the Teras was nothing short of enchanting. The late afternoon sun followed us as we strolled through Sultanahmet, past the Grand Bazaar. The smell of spices and roasted corn filled the air. The Teras was nestled behind the Süleymaniye mosque on one of the city’s high points. As we climbed to the rooftop, we saw the city sprawl out beneath us and for the first time got a sense of just how vast Istanbul really is. As far the eye could see were rolling hills, blanketed in stone buildings and minarets.

Dusk began to consume the skyline and we watched as Istanbul lit up. I love strange lighting. To me, a city becomes so much more interesting as the sun sets and the city lights transform the landscape – creating shadows and color palettes otherwise unseen. Triads and complimentary colors began to emerge. Red, blue and yellow. Purple, orange and green.

Corn vendor outside the Grand Bazaar. 1/1000th sec, f/1.7, ISO 100

Courtyard of the Süleymaniye Mosque. 1/125th, f/5.6, ISO 200

Sharing Naan. 1/80th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

Istanbul Skyline. 1/250th sec, f/4.0, ISO 100. Panorama Mode

View of Süleymaniye Mosque from the Teras. 1/250th, f/1.7, ISO 6400

Paper Lanterns in Istanbul. 1/500th sec, f/1.7, ISO 6400

Our first night in Istanbul was a success and we started to head back to the hostel. As we meandered through the winding streets, we got a little lost. But we didn’t mind, finding ourselves in streets decorated with colorful paper lanterns.

We finally made our way back to our hostel, Cheers Hostel, located just a stone’s throw away from the famous Hagia Sophia mosque. The hostel is a tall, skinny building with a top-floor cafe of its own and an incredible view. Every night, travelers headed to the cafe to wind down and talk about their days’ adventures. The girls and I eagerly joined. We made several friends including Mike, a guy from Baltimore on his way back from Sri Lanka. We introduced ourselves – where we’re from, what we do, etc. When I mentioned I work at “a German camera store,” Mike’s interest peaked.

“Leica?” He asked.

“Yea.” I was surprised. Most people outside of the photo community have never heard of Leica. I pulled both the Leica Q and the Monochrom out of my purse. His eyes lit up. It turns out he was a photographer too. I handed Mike a camera and my friends tuned out while we dove deep into camera talk.

Noticing we were photographers, the cafe server, Mustafa, suggested we actually climb out the window and onto the roof of the hostel to get the best shot of Hagia Sophia. Heck, you only live once. Mike immediately ran downstairs to grab his Canon gear. I already had everything I needed in my purse, including my compact Sirui tripod, so I headed straight for the roof. Mike reappeared a few minutes later, a large camera backpack and tripod in tow.

One thing I love about Leica is the size. In a moderately-sized woman’s purse, I fit my entire setup: two full-frame cameras with lenses, a full-sized tripod, filters, memory cards, chargers and spare batteries, along with my wallet, iPhone and other travel necessities. I never had to choose which gear to bring on a day’s outing because it was really easier to just bring it all.

Mike and I set up our cameras and each of us took a stab at photographing the historic mosque. Low clouds surrounded the dome and we played around with our shutter speeds until we perfectly captured its atmospheric glow. After a half hour we scrambled back through the window and into the cafe.

“Alright, here’s the moment of truth,” Mike said. “Let’s see what we got.”

We both scrolled through the images on the back of our cameras, ooh-ing and aah-ing at the images we created. Mike sighed, “I wish my Canon captured color like that.”  

While comparing images on a camera’s LCD is hardly a fair comparison, I do have to say I love how the Leica Q renders color, especially in “bad” lighting. Most cameras have trouble with artificial lights, but not the Leica Q. Anything I threw at it – sodium vapor, tungsten, LED, fluorescent, or any combination of the above mentioned – the Q handled with style. Out of camera the DNG’s files were impressive. With a little tweaking in Lightroom, the camera turned out what I think are some of the best nightscape images I have ever taken.

View of Hagia Sophia from our hostel. 8 sec (tripod), f/8.0, ISO 1600

View from the roof of Cheers Hostel. 1/5 sec (tripod), f/1.7, ISO 3200

Our second day in Istanbul was filled with sightseeing. We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. The cistern is a large underground plumbing system built in the 6th century to collect and hold rain water. Lit only by small lamps, I was forced to push the Q’s ISO to 12,500 and shoot handheld at 1/15th of a second.

“How are you taking photos right now?” My friends pestered. This wasn’t the first time they were astounded by the Q’s low-light capability and it certainly wasn’t going to be the last. Other tourists struggled. With a strict no flash and no tripod policy – and without understanding exposure settings – their cause was hopeless. I overheard frustrated mumbles. It’s all blurry. Let me try again. It’s coming out all dark.

Basilica Cistern. 1/60 sec, f/1.7, ISO 12,500

Basilica Cistern. 1/15 sec, f/1.7, ISO 12,500

I’m not afraid of high ISO’s. I’d rather have a noisy shot than no shot at all. Especially in the digital age – is there really anything to lose by trying? I wouldn’t print either of these images on a large scale, but for web and small prints, the files hold up just fine. If I would have shied away from the high ISO’s and given up, I wouldn’t have these images or memories.

Inside Hagia Sophia. 1/50th sec, f/4.0, ISO 3200

Courtyard of the Blue Mosque. 1/100th sec, f/13, ISO 100

Blue Mosque. 1/50th sec, f/13, ISO 100

Our third day in Istanbul started off with some down time at a haman. The communal Turkish bath consisted of a long sit in a steam room, followed by being scrubbed and massaged head to toe by a masseur and finally a dip in a cold pool to close the pores. For obvious reasons, no photos were allowed in the hamam. We capped off our spa retreat with a pedicure, which in this case meant submerging our feet in a vat of minnows so they could feast off of our dead skin. It was definitely one of the more interesting experiences in my life.

Pedicure. 1/125th, f/1.7, ISO 3200

In the evening, we took a ferry across the Bosphorus to the neighborhood of Üsküdar where we met a college friend of mine, and an Istanbul native, Derin. The ferry ride from Sultanahmet to Üsküdar was unforgettable. Like dinner at the Teras the night before, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The ferry set sail just as the sun began its descent.

It was nice to get outside of touristy Sultanahmet and get a local’s perspective. We ate at Inciralti, a local restaurant serving freshly-caught seafood, tapas style. After dinner, we explored the neighborhood a little and stopped for traditional Turkish baklava.

The Bosphorus. 1/400th, f/11, ISO 800.

Inciralti Pub. 1/80th, f/1.7, ISO 1600

Baklava. 1/800th sec, f/1.7, ISO 6400

GÖREME, CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

The next day we flew to Cappadocia in central Turkey for perhaps the most look-forwarded t0 part of our trip: hot air-ballooning over the region’s fairy-chimney rock formations. Perhaps equally exciting were our accommodations: the Kelebek Cave Hotel. Arriving at the hotel at night was much like arriving in Rivendell after a wearisome journey from the Shire (that's a Lord of the Rings reference for the uninitiated). It was breathtaking – like nothing we had seen before. The elves – er, staff – welcomed us like royalty and gave us a tour of the ancient, magical dwelling we would call home for the next couple of days.

Kelebek Cave Hotel. 8 sec (tripod), f/11, ISO 800

Kelebek Cave Hotel. 1.6 sec (tripod), f/11, ISO 800

Our hot air balloon ride was scheduled for sunrise. We woke at 5 AM, still in a daze, not really sure if this was reality or if we had slipped into some sort of dream. We bussed twenty minutes to the launch point. As we snaked across the valley, we began to see the small glow of hot air balloons dot the landscape. It reminded me of watching fireflies in our backyard on a hot Minnesota summer night.

Before we knew it, we found ourselves climbing into the basket of our own balloon. As it began to fill with air and lift off the ground, I felt panicked for the first time. Who’s idea was this anyways? But, as the ground faded below us, so did my anxiety. There was no wind, no clouds, no sound. Everything was incredibly still.

Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia. 1/60th sec, f/11, ISO 400

Hot Air Ballooning in Cappadocia. 1/125th sec, f/11, ISO 400

We watched the ground transform below us as the sun rose and spilled over the landscape. Olive trees and grapevines cast long, spindly shadows. Vineyards and pastures grew larger beneath us until we coasted just a few feet from the ground.

The captain landed the balloon flawlessly on a trailer towed by a pickup truck. The crew secured the basket and drove us, balloon and all, to a field where a picnic awaited us. It’s tradition to end every hot air balloon ride with champagne and a light breakfast.

Cappadocia from above. 1/125th, f/11, ISO 800

Cheers! 1/16000 sec, f1.7, ISO 800

PAMUKKALE & EPHESUS, TURKEY

After Cappadocia, we rented a car and explored more of the countryside. For those of you who are curious – driving in Turkey was a joy. The roads are well-kept and the drivers courteous. Besides, driving allowed us to explore the country at our own pace. Our destinations included the Biblical cities of Hieropolis (now Pamukkale) and Ephesus. I grew up in a strict Baptist household and two of my travel companions grew up in traditional Catholic families. For us, visiting these ruins was more than just admiring a bunch of old rocks. It was the stories we heard as children come to life.

Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish. The city gets its name from its white travertines, created by sedimentary rock deposited from hot springs. The travertines cascade down a steep slope and create shallow pools of varying temperatures. We spent the morning splashing through the travertines. Some pools were cool and muddy, other were warm and clear. The second stop, Ephesus, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and is still currently being excavated.

Travertines at Pamukkale. 1/640th sec, f/11, ISO 100

Travertines at Pamukkale. 1/500th sec, f/13, ISO 100

Ampitheater at Ephesus. 1/100th sec, f/13, ISO 200

Steps at Ephesus. 1/400th sec, f/5.6, ISO 200

We ended our short road trip in Izmir, where we caught a flight to Zagreb, Croatia.

ZAGREB, CROATIA

During my freshman year of college, I lived with Lina, an international student from Croatia. Throughout the semester, Lina taught me about her country and language. I’ve always been fascinated by other cultures – reveling in any chance I get to experience the way other people live. During the evenings, Lina and I would hang out in our dorm and she’d teach me Croatian. “How do you say table in Croatian?” “Stol.” “What about book?” We’d spend hours scanning the room and translating everything in sight. Unfortunately, after eight years, the only Croatian I remember is sok od bručnica. Translation: cranberry juice. Needless to say, that phrase wasn’t very useful during our trip.

Our layover in Zagreb was just long enough to allow us time to meet up with Lina in the city center. Lina gave us a warm welcome and a grand tour of the city she calls home. Our time with Lina was short. Before we knew it, we were waving goodbye through a bus window. In a few short hours, we would be in Plitvice.

St. Mark's Church, Zagreb. 1/1250th sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

Miniature replica of Zagreb. 1/160th sec, f/8.0, ISO 100

PLITVICE NATIONAL PARK, CROATIA

By 7 AM the next morning, we were at the entrance to Plitvice National Park, one of the oldest national parks in southeastern Europe. Plitvice is famous for its cascading lakes, which shift between magnificent shades of blue and green. We started our day by ferrying across to the Upper Lakes. As we navigated across the glassy turquoise waters, the early morning sun heated the lake and steam escaped from its surface.

Ferry at Plitvice National Park. 1/60th sec, f/13, ISO 100

Morning steam at Plitvice National Park. 1/800th sec, f/16, ISO 400

To our delight the trails in the Upper Lakes were empty. At first, we thought we must have taken a wrong turn. Where were all the tourists? We weaved through the wooded paths and waterfalls, taking our time and enjoying nature’s beauty. I played around with ND filters and long exposures on the Leica Q.

Plitvice National Park. 1/6th sec (tripod), f/11, ISO 400

Plitvice National Park. 1 sec (tripod), f/11, ISO 100

Plitvice National Park. 1/250th sec), f/4.0, ISO 100

By 11 AM we had made our way to the Lower Lakes. It was packed with tourists. Photography became nearly impossible. Blurring the crowds with long exposures was out of the question. The wooden paths were constantly shaking with tourists dancing by. We headed back up towards the exit, and I was able to sneak in Plitvice’s classic postcard shot.

Plitvice National Park. 1/200th sec, f/11, ISO 400

SPLIT, CROATIA

We left Plitvice and bussed directly to Split, a peninsula city along Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. We spent most of our time in Split relaxing and enjoying the warm Adriatic summer. During the day we laid out at Bačvice beach. At night, we enjoyed gelato and drinks at Diocletian’s palace. Central Split is built around the sprawling remains of the the 4th century palace, which now serve as shops, restaurants and residences. The central courtyard has become a public square, where each night locals and tourists alike gather for live music and socializing.

Sunbathing at Bačvice Beach. 1/320th sec, f/8.0, ISO 100

Grapes. /2500th sec, f/2.8, ISO 100

View from our hostel. 1/500th sec, f/5.0, ISO 100

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

Of all the cities we visited during our trip, Dubrovnik definitely competes for first place (alongside Istanbul or Goreme). The “Old City” of Dubrovnik is built within a medieval fortress. Walking through the Old City at night felt like walking through the set of of the movie. If you’ve ever seen the original Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews, or any film from that era, you’ll know what I mean. The entire movie was filmed indoors, even the outside scenes. The trees didn’t rustle in the background. The clouds were frozen in the sky. The lighting wasn’t quite natural. Because Dubrovnik is a walled city, sheltered from the wind, it has that same eerie stillness.

Dubrovnik is also the setting for King’s Landing in HBO’s Game of Thrones, so that may have influenced my cinematic impressions of the city. My fellow travelers and I are all huge fans of the show. We spent an afternoon walking the walls and doing our own self-guided Game of Thrones tour. We saw where they filmed some of the most iconic scenes.

Dubrovnik. 1.6 sec (tripod), f/4.0, ISO 200

Dinner at Lady PiPi. 1/30th sec, f/2.8, ISO 6400

Dubrovnik. 1/30th sec, f/1.7, ISO 1600

King's Landing. 1/125th sec, f/1.7, ISO 6400

King's Landing Harbor. 1/80th sec, f/1.7, ISO 12,500

Walking the walls also gave us an opportunity to see the old town from above. You can see the city’s history through the clay tiles of the rooftops. Dubrovnik suffered significant shell damage in the early nineties during the breakup of Yugoslavia.The contrast between old tiles and new is a stark reminder of the not-so-distant past.

Dubrovnik as seen from the walls. 1/800th sec, f/8.0, ISO 400

Dubrovnik. 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400

Dubrovnik. 1/80th sec, f/10, ISO 100

Old City Tiles. 1/2000th sec, f/1.7, ISO 100

View from our hostel. 1/125th sec, f/1.7, ISO 100

We got an even wider view of the Old City and the Adriatic from the top of Srd Hill, which you can summit either by hiking or cable car. We opted for the cable car.

Dubrovnik from Srd Hill. 1/200th sec, f/11, ISO 400

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Budapest was the last stop on our itinerary. We had strategically planned our trip around the Budapest International Wine Festival. Could there be any better way to end such an amazing trip? The night before the wine festival, we visited the spas at the art-nouveau Hotel Gellert. No cameras were allowed inside the spa, but we spent most of our time outside anyways.

Danube River, Budapest. 1/13th sec, f/1.7, ISO 800

Sauna at Hotel Gellért. 1/160th sec, f/1.7, ISO 6400

Secondary colors at Hotel Gellért. 1/30th sec, f/4.0, ISO 6400

Our last day of the trip was spent at the festival where we discovered the wonderful world of Hungarian wines and pastries. As we sipped our Furmint and Irsai Oliver, we reminisced over the last couple weeks and decided on our next adventure: New Zealand.

Walking trough the Budapest International Wine Festival. 1/4000th sec, f/1.7, ISO 200

Until our next trip! 1/1000th sec, f/2.8, ISO 200

CONCLUSION

The Leica Q (Typ 116) proved to be a perfect travel camera. It was compact, versatile and turned out stunning images. My qualms about the 28mm focal length were quickly squashed. There were very few times throughout our trip that I wished I had a longer or wider focal length. If the image wasn’t filling the frame, I zoomed with my feet and got closer. If a shot simply wasn’t possible with 28mm, I adjusted my perspective and captured the scene in a different way. Limiting yourself to one focal length takes away the distraction of changing lenses and forces you to focus on creating a photograph. Since the using the Q, I’ve grown to love 28mm and it has become my go-to lens.

The Monochrom acted more as a security blanket for me. I knew it was there and I had the option, but I could have left it at home. In the end, I used the Leica Q for about 80% of my shots. For the few times I did use the Monochrom, it was usually because the battery on the Q died and I had no other option. Word of advice: if you do plan on traveling with the Q, bring a couple extra batteries. You’ll easily burn through two or three in a day. Another word of advice: bring LOTS of memory cards. The Q doesn’t allow you to shoot DNG only; you have to shoot DNG+JPEG. On top of that, the DNG’s are uncompressed. I shot about 3,600 shots throughout the trip and used 120GB of memory cards. 

The Q and I have seen a great deal together, and I’d like to think this is just the beginning. It has really become more than just a camera. It’s become a loyal travel companion.

The post Five Countries, One Camera: Travels with the Leica Q appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

BOU INANIA MEDERSA MEKNES MOROCCO

AIT BENHADDOU MOROCCO

MAUSOLEUM OF MOULAY ISMAIL MEKNES MOROCCO

Morocco is a close knit kingdom that has been spared the religious and political turmoil of recent years. It is also one of the most scenic countries in Africa. My wife Ruth and I visited Morocco with John Paul Caponigro and Seth Resnick of Digital Photo Destinations in March 2014. Our trek began in Marrakesh and then meandered South through the Sahara desert before returning to Fes and Chefchaouen. The physical and spiritual magnificence of the Sahara desert can be overwhelming, but the real surprise was the people of Morocco.

ERG CHIGAGA MOROCCO

ERG CHEBBI MERZOUGA MOROCCO

FES MOROCCO

ROOFTOP MEKNES MOROCCO

TELOUET MOROCCO

I had my two Leica S (typ 006) bodies along with my Vario-Elmar-S 30-90mm f/5.6 ASPH, Super-Elmar-S 24mm f/3.5 ASPH, Super-Elmar-S 24mm f/3.5 ASPH, Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH,  APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 and APO-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5 ASPH. Because of the relentless sand and dust, all lenses had a B&W F-Pro UV MRC filter and both bodies and lenses were protected by Storm Jacket Camera Covers. All lens changing occurred inside our 4 wheel drive vehicles, with all windows closed and the motor off. Rigorous cleaning and inspection took place at the end of the day’s shooting, safely indoors. I am happy to report that both bodies and lenses performed flawlessly.

ERG LIHOUDI M'HAMID EL GHISLANE MOROCCO

THE CAPITOL VOLOBILIS MOROCCO

AIT BENHADDOU MOROCCO

The Marrakesh Souk is a photographer's paradise, but is especially challenging given that Moroccans in general prefer not to be photographed. I was able to capture the human element by respectfully using the APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 lens. The lens also worked perfectly for capturing details and textures of the market. 

ERG CHEBBI MERZOUGA MOROCCO

JARDIN MAJORELLE MARRAKESH MOROCCO

THE SOUKS MARRAKESH MOROCCO

THE SOUKS MARRAKESH MOROCCO

The expanse and raw beauty of the Sahara were readily captured using the Vario-Elmar-S 30-90mm f/5.6 ASPH and the Super-Elmar-S 24mm f/3.5 ASPH lens. The Leica lenses had no trouble showing the subtlety of the wind-blown sand.

ERG ZHAR MOROCCO

ERG ZHAR MOROCCO

ERG CHIGAGA MOROCCO

In the southeast corner of the Sahara we came upon the small town of Rissani and visited its medieval and untouched souk. 

THE SOUKS MARRAKESH MOROCCO

FES MOROCCO

The city of Fes is the crown jewel of the kingdom and has not really changed since the 12th century. The old town, the sites, the smells, the serpentine alleys and various markets within the Souk are quite marvelous. But most of all the people of Fes are inspiring and photogenic.

FES MOROCCO

FES MOROCCO

FES MOROCCO

FES MOROCCO

Our last stop was Chefchaouen also known as the “blue city.” Clinging to the hillside, the streets, buildings, and walls of this ancient town are all painted various shades and hues of blue. The Leica S did a great job of catching a sense of the unique experience of “blueness”.

CHEFCHAOUEN MOROCCO

CHEFCHAOUEN MOROCCO

CHEFCHAOUEN MOROCCO

CHEFCHAOUEN MOROCCO

The post Travels through Morocco with the Leica S appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

Leica S (Typ 006) with Vario-Elmar-S @ 90mm, f/5.6 @ 1/3000th, ISO 400

Leica S (Typ 006) with Vario-Elmar-S @ 90mm, f/9.5 @ 1/1000th, ISO 400

I brought my two Leica S (typ 006) bodies  along with my Vario-Elmar-S 30-90mm f/5.6 ASPH, Super-Elmar-S 24mm f/3.5 ASPH,  Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH,  APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 and APO-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5 ASPH. Because of the dust, all lenses had a B&W F-Pro UV filter and both bodies and all lenses were protected by Storm Jacket Camera Covers. I made sure to perform all lens changing inside our four-wheel drive vehicles with the windows closed and the motor off. Rigorous cleaning and inspection took place each night on return from the field.  Ultimately, I am happy to report that all bodies and lenses performed flawlessly in spite of the harsh environment.

The first highlight was the immense wind-cut volcanic pumice fields spanning 60 square miles. The individual stones, some up to 50 feet in height, were mind-boggling in both their awesome size and natural beauty. We spent several days and evenings wandering the fields and letting our creative imaginations fly.

Leica S (Typ 006) with 120mm APO-Macro-Summarit-S, f/6.8 @ 1/1500th, ISO 200

Leica S (Typ 006) with Vario-Elmar-S @ 90mm, f/8 @ 1/2000th, ISO 400

Leica S (Typ 006) with 24mm Super-Elmar-S, f/3.5 @ 16 sec, ISO 800

Leica S (Typ 006) with 24mm Super-Elmar-S, f/8 @ 1/1000th, ISO 200

The APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 and the Super-Elmar-S 24mm f/3.5 ASPH lenses were both exceptionally useful in these fields, but I found myself using the 24mm most frequently as the ultra-wide perspective really lent itself to the landscape.

There are several small and very remote villages in the desert, nestled in the mountainous terrain. We stopped in the tiny farming village of Autofagasta de La Sierra. Certainly a far cry from city life with a population of less than 700 residents, but quite photogenic.

Leica S (Typ 006) with Vario-Elmar-S @ 67mm, f/5.1 @ 1/500th, ISO 400

Leica S (Typ 006) with 120mm APO-Macro-Summarit-S, f/4 @ 1/3000th, ISO 800

The last part of our journey in the Atacama was to a series of vast natural salt flats. Argentina has one of the largest reserves of lithium in the world and the industry is quite robust. Fortunately, the mining operations have been careful not to compromise the striking beauty of this eerie landscape.

Leica S (Typ 006) with 24mm Super-Elmar-S, f/11 @ 1/500th, ISO 200

Leica S (Typ 006) with Vario-Elmar-S @ 30mm, f/13 @ 1/320th, ISO 200

Leica S (Typ 006) with 24mm Super-Elmar-S, f/9.5 @ 1/250th, ISO 200

Leica S (Typ 006) with 24mm Super-Elmar-S, f/8 @ 1/350th, ISO 100

Leica S (Typ 006) with 24mm Super-Elmar-S, f/4 @ 1/250th, ISO 400

You can see more pictures along with an accompanying article in the LHSA Viewfinder (2014), Volume 47, pages 34 to 43.

The post Photographing the Atacama Desert with the Leica S (Typ 006) appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

I have been testing cameras for Leica since 2008. Initially, I beta tested firmware updates for the M8, which led to camera testing of the M9 and afterwards, the M Monochrom and the M (Typ 240). I have also tested all the X cameras. It’s something that most photographers would love to do, and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity. During that time and as a result of personal contact with Leica’s product managers I’ve come to understand Leica’s philosophy, especially with respect to Das Wesentliche (The Essence).

I first got a glimpse of the Leica T during a visit to Leica’s previous headquarters in Solms, in May 2013. Maike Harberts, product manager for the T range of cameras, thrust one into my hands and said “What do you think?” The solidity and simplicity was an instant revelation – love at first sight! I received the test camera in October, just in time for a trip to Lanzarote, off the coast of Morocco, to grab some sunshine before the winter.

Lanzarote – 18-56mm zoom at f/5.6 and 56mm

Since that time I’ve had three different T cameras, one black and two silver, and I still find it difficult to decide which color I like best. I’m sure that the silver camera will be the one which is remembered most – the icon for the new system, but the black camera looks smaller and has a certain charm about it.

The T System

The Leica T was a major new step for Leica. Since the introduction of the Leica M in 1954 with the M3, Leica has released just three new camera platforms. The R system was introduced in 1964 with the Leicaflex, the S system was announced in 2008 and the T system early in 2014.

Lanzarote – 18-56mm zoom at f/5.3 and 42mm

The mirrorless camera market seemed to be becoming more and more important, with the ability to produce excellent image quality from a relatively small camera with interchangeable lenses. Leica decided to design and produce a camera which both embodied their philosophy, but was also bold and modern, aimed squarely at enlisting a new generation of Leica users. To this end they enlisted Audi Design, headed up by famed automotive designer Walter de Silva who had spearheaded the design of the Leica M9 Titanium. It was a brave move as the new system would be competing directly with Fuji, Sony and micro 4/3 systems.

Lanzarote – 18-56mm zoom at f/11 and 18mm

Taifun

The code name for the Leica T (Typ 701) was Taifun (German for Typhoon) – and that’s still the way I think of it. The first camera I received was a black one – it was as beautiful as I remembered it, and I was impressed that Leica had resisted the temptation to label the buttons and dials. On the other hand, I was slightly disappointed that the camera didn’t have a built-in EVF, and that the sensor was only 16 MP; in fact I didn’t have an EVF for the first three months with the camera, which was perhaps a good thing in that it helped me to get to grips better with the interface.

Somerset UK – 23mm Summicron at f/2.5

The second camera I received was around Christmas 2013 – this was a silver body prototype with serial number 00000030, which I’m still using and which is still working flawlessly. Bear in mind that I’m not careful with test cameras (it’s not the point!). Together with the two original lenses (the 23mm and the 18-56mm zoom) This camera has been used extensively for just about a year now; it’s never been in a half case and there has been no protective screen on the LCD. It’s been to the beach (and put down in the sand), it’s been up the mountains on ski trips, it’s been in light rain. Every time I finally think that I’ve put a mark on it, I find that it just wipes away. The surface is really tough, as is the glass of the LCD and the lenses. The only mark anywhere is very slight paint loss on the 18-56mm lens where the metal lens hood bayonet attaches. Not just a pretty face then!

Buttermere UK – 35-70mm Vario-Elmar-R f/4 lens – 3200 ISO

The Interface

Some people love it, and other people don’t want an interface like a phone on a camera. But it isn’t really like a phone. In reality, it’s much more minimalist.  Rather, Leica just takes advantage of all the work companies like Apple have done with interface design over the years. Assuming that you are familiar with modern smart phone technology, the interface is really intuitive and it’s immediately evident how it should be used.

Sauze d'Oulx Italy – 18-56mm at f/5.6 and 55mm

I use a lot of different cameras, and what really does irritate me is when I pick one up after a lay off of a month or so…and I can’t remember how to use the thing. There have been several times over the last year when I’ve put the T away for a while to look at a different camera. It’s always a pleasure to come back to, instantly comprehensible.

There have been a number of firmware updates over the past year – the latest, v1.3 has considerable performance improvements (particularly with startup time). Gradually the interface is reaching maturity and it seems that those who ‘got it’ like it more and more.

Norfolk UK – Leica 50mm Noctilux-M f/0.95

Norfolk UK – Leica 50mm Noctilux-M f/0.95

The Essence

It’s been very interesting being involved with the camera over the year – I have received many emails from people – mostly asking for something particular to be included in the firmware. Each request is sensible on its own (I’ve got some things I’d personally like as well). But the whole point of “The Essence” is not to end up with a camera just like all the other modern cameras with screen after screen of options – of course, all of these are useful to someone . . . but most of them are useless to most people.

Leica have really strived to pare the T down to the minimum number of necessary options. They’ve stuck to this principle throughout the development of the firmware of the T, things have been refined, and sometimes simplified, but very little has been added. The point is that one really can’t have it both ways; simplicity doesn’t come with a thousand options!

Suffolk UK – Leica 60mm Macro Elmarit-R at f/2.8

The T lenses

It’s easy to be underwhelmed by the bare specification of the four lenses currently available:

• 23mm Summicron-T f/2 ASPH (35 equivalent)
•  18-56mm Vario Elmar-T f/3.5-5.6 ASPH (28-85 equivalent)
•  11-23mm Vario Elmar-T f/3.5-4.5 ASPH (18-35 equivalent)
•  55-135mm Vario Elmar-T f/3.5-4.5 ASPH (80-200 equivalent)

They sound like every other company’s kit lens lineup. However, they have three very clear distinctions.

The first quality is obvious the moment you pick one up – the build quality is immaculate with metal bodies and lens hood bayonets; even the main body of the lens hood is metal. This extends to buttery smooth zoom and focusing rings. Clearly this beauty isn’t just skin deep – a year later the two lenses I’ve been using are just as they were when they came out of the box.

The second quality is size – they’re small – in some cases smaller than equivalent lenses designed for the smaller m43 standard.

Finally the quality; I love using zoom lenses, but I don’t like making too many sacrifices in terms of quality. These lenses really do pack a punch, sharp from corner to corner at all apertures and focal lengths.

Suffolk UK – Leica 11-23 Vario elmar at 11mm and f/11.6

Since I started writing this article Leica have sent me sample versions of the 11-23mm and the 55-135mm zoom lenses. I’ve only had a couple of days to check them out, but they seem to be stunning. The 11-23mm especially is reminiscent of the lovely 21-35mm Leica R lens (but of course it’s much smaller). It’s sharp right to the corners, even at 11mm and f/3.5. The auto ISO mode with the 55-135mm is very intelligently implemented, and I’ve been getting fine sharp photos. Both lenses create images with a real presence about them.

Suffolk UK Leica 55-135 Vario Elmar at 135mm f/4.5

I think quite a lot of people would have liked to see more prime lenses, but Leica’s logic here makes sense to me: They have provided an excellent M adapter, so one can use any M lenses with the camera, and with the three zooms you have a complete focal length range from 18 to 200mm (equivalent). I’d like to see a fast 50, and perhaps a macro lens as well, but in the meantime I can bolt on my 50 ‘Lux or the lovely collapsible 90mm Macro-Elmar-M with the Macro Adapter M.

Suffolk UK – Leica 90mm Macro Elmar-M with Macro Adapter M

3rd Party lenses

One of the attractions of the mirrorless camera is the ability to use all sorts of different lenses, both ancient and modern. The Leica T is no exception.  Currently Leica only produce 1 adapter for the T – the Leica M Adapter T; hopefully they will produce more in the future (it would be especially nice to see an adapter for R lenses – preferably one which would read the ROM chip in the later lenses). Although this seems like a limitation, in practice it isn’t a problem. The M adapter is fantastic quality, and adding another adapter for other lens types seems to work perfectly well. I’ve spent a lot of time stacking the M Adapter T with the R Adapter M or the Macro Adapter M, with no problems. I’ve also combined it with Novoflex and Metabones adapters to allow me to use Contax and OM lenses.

M lenses

The M Adapter T has electrical contacts, and it reads the 6 bit code in Leica M lenses – this is a great bonus for me as it passes the lens information through to the EXIF information. One of the irritations of using older lenses is forgetting what you were using!

M lenses work really well on the T – the 1.5x magnification factor turns the 135mm Apo Telyt into a splendid 200mm f/3.4 and the Noctilux into a perfect fast portrait lens. Of course, the wide angle lenses are less interesting, but they all work properly with the T – no color shifts or smeary corners as one finds adapting M lenses to some other cameras.

Istanbul – with the Leica 75mm Summicron-M APO

R lenses

There are so many wonderful R lenses available on Ebay and in camera stores. Some of them are very expensive, especially the recent lenses like the 28-90mm and the 70-180mm, however there are also lots of bargain lenses which don’t have quite such a grand reputation but still work very well – three of my favorites are:

• 60mm Macro Elmarit-R
•  35-70mm f/4 Vario Elmar-R (this has a nice macro function)
• 80-200mm f/4 Vario Elmar-R

The first was made in Germany, the latter two in Japan by Kyocera. All three can be got reasonably cheaply and work really well on the T and all are reasonably sized and produce stellar results.

Of course, when you use R lenses you need to stack adapters and you don’t get the lens information as you do with the M lenses

Suffolk- with the 11-23mm Super Vario Elmar at 23mm

Focusing 3rd Party Lenses

With the new version of the firmware you can set the left hand dial on the T to zoom in 3x or 6x as a focusing aid. The T doesn’t have focus peaking. This is because Leica didn’t feel they could implement it as well as they would have liked and so decided not to. Personally I don’t use either (not just with the Leica T, but with other EVF cameras either). I use the Visoflex EVF alone – it seems to me that with practice it’s easy to see where the point of focus is (there is usually a ‘shimmer’ at the point of focus). Focus peaking is often overwhelming, and sometimes misleading as well.  I’ve written an article about this which may be of interest:

Manual Focusing with the Leica T: http://www.slack.co.uk/2014/Leica_T_Manual_Focus.html

The Future

The Leica T is a first step into a new world, hopefully there will be more lenses and more cameras over the next few years. I have no information about what is to come, so I’m free to speculate! Personally, I really hope that “The Essence” is not compromised, and I don’t think the next T needs any extended feature set. However, to my mind there is a clear distinction between features and functionality. I really don’t think that the next T needs more features, but I do think that it would benefit from more functionality. I’d like to see the next camera being properly weather sealed (it can’t be too much of a problem in a unibody design). The new firmware has certainly improved startup and AF speeds, but I’d like to see both improved, and much more especially shot-to-shot times. It would be nice to have a built in EVF, but the Visoflex works really well, mine has never fallen off, and it has the benefit of leaving the back of the camera uncluttered – and also that it tilts for those low down shots.

Most importantly I’d like to see in-body Image Stabilization – to my mind it’s the most useful recent design development. It allows for handholding longer focal length lenses, 3 or 4 stops seem to be the norm (Olympus E-M1, Sony A7ii). This is a bigger change than any likely improvement in ISO via sensor design.

Norfolk UK – Leica 50mm Noctilux-M f/0.95

There has been some discussion on Internet forums about Full Frame; certainly it seems that the T mount is wide enough to house a full frame sensor. But the whole point of the T is that it should be compact without sacrificing quality. If it were full frame then the lenses would necessarily be much bigger. The larger mount allows Leica to produce better quality APS-C lenses, I think that’s the way it’ll stay. Perhaps it would be nice to have a 24 MP sensor, but not if it was at the expense of corner qualities when using M lenses. In reality, 16 MP allows for printing very large, especially when the sensor has no AA filter.

Suffolk- with the 11-23mm Super Vario Elmar at 23mm

Conclusion

Despite some initial reservations that Leica would find it hard in the new and cutthroat world of Mirrorless Cameras, in reality, it seems that they have taken a sideways step and concentrated on quality and usability rather than ticking feature boxes and focusing on the specification.

Every time I pick up the T again I like it more. I think it’s remarkable that such a small company as Leica can compete in terms of image quality with the big guns at Fuji, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic, but it seems that the image quality of the T is right up there with the best. It was a brave move on their part; I really hope that they stick to their guns and persevere with the T system whilst resisting the temptation to complicate things.

The post A Year with the Leica T (Typ 701) appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

I was at Leica Store Miami the day that the new V-Lux (Type114) arrived and I thought about upgrading to the new model. It was a difficult decision to make. The new V-Lux has a variable aperture, f/2.8-4 verses a constant f/2.8. The zoom has been reduced from 25-600mm to 25-400mm, and the camera is visibly larger. The advantages are a much larger sensor (1″), more resolution, and better low light performance. Fortunately, I decided to make the switch.

Having finished my first trip with the new V-Lux I can honestly say that I love it. The images it produces are wonderful. My results were from fine JPEGs since Lightroom is not yet reading the RAW files, so the quality can only improve from here.

The camera is definitely larger than my V-Lux 4, but is lighter than it looks, and handles very well. The controls are in familiar places, but sometimes get pushed accidentally. My fault I'm sure. Focus is lightning fast, even in low light, and images shot at ISO 1600 were fantastic.

I used the V-Lux in my travels to England, Portugal and Bermuda, covering a broad spectrum of situations from macro to extreme telephoto, and low light to bright beaches. I was extremely pleased with the results.

One of my passions is live music. I photograph a lot of concerts and dance performances. The V-Lux 4 had difficulty with exposures with stage lighting. The new V-Lux(Type114), though, did a great job of finding focus and good exposure in this situation. No need for exposure bracketing or exposure compensation to get the desired results.

I can't speak to the flash or video capabilities of the new camera as I haven't tried them. Not my thing.

I read in the myriad of early press write-ups on the new V-Lux that it was the “Swiss Army Knife” of cameras. I couldn't agree more. This camera, along with my M Monochrom, will be in my bag for a long time.

The post The Leica V-Lux (Typ 114): A versatile travel companion to my M Monochrom appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

Though my S has an unfortunate shutter issue that leaves me with a number of black files, it is still producing stunning images. This is the last light over Santa Fe this evening. Great color separation and amazing sharpness, even on peaks 30-150 miles away. File compression doesn't do the details justice. The 24mm lens is a joy. Handheld, mf, 1/60th @ f3.5, ISO400.

The post Every Bit of the Last Light appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

The post X2 Goes Skiing! appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

The post S2 and concert photography appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

The post Christmas Morning, First Light Over the Teton Range, Wyoming appeared first on Red Dot Forum.