With its extended dynamic range and high-ISO capabilities, the Leica M Monochrom is ideally suited to explore the relationship between light and shadow. But which lens should you choose? Assuming you want a film-like result, and you’re drawn to wide-angle focal lengths, you might consider pairing it with the 21mm Super-Elmar-M. Together they can produce [...]
In my previous post for the Leica Camera Blog, I mentioned I was looking forward to using the 18mm Super-Elmar-M with an M Monochrom in low-light situations. I would be able to bump up the ISO setting to compensate for the lens’ maximum f/3.8 aperture. In January, I had a chance to do just that. [...]
I love wide-angle lenses. Why settle for reality as we know it, when you can have a wraparound view that’s larger than life. Accompanying this panoramic effect is an increased depth of field. Details become sharply focused across the visual plane. The trick is knowing where and when to use a wide-angle lens. I usually [...]
I have a confession to make. I’m shy about photographing strangers. I feel that I’m intruding. I’ve found a few techniques to help deal with the problem, but mostly I’ve avoided shooting portraits. So imagine my surprise as I looked through my recent photos from Cologne and Tokyo, when I discovered that some of the [...]
After three-and-a-half years of shooting with an M-series rangefinder, I still feel like a newbie. Fortunately, I have a background in classic films to draw on for inspiration. Lately I’ve immersed myself in the Hollywood film noirs from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many of these films have darkly lit sets with characters and [...]
Sometimes you need to narrow your focus in order to be more creative. You have to step outside of your comfort zone so that you’ll be challenged to take a different approach to your work. It may be a step forward into new territory, or it may be a step back to explore a path [...]
In choosing a lens, you have much to consider. Cost is a factor. So is the character of the lens. Then there’s the sticky issue of which focal length to select. Why choose a 35mm lens over a 50mm, for example? Is the field of view that important when the focal lengths are so close [...]
I love old movies. And now that I’m interested in photography, those movies have become fertile ground for inspiration. That’s especially true with my architectural shots. When I shoot with a 24mm Summilux or 18mm Super-Elmar, those images already have a larger-than-life perspective due to the wide-angle focal lengths. But it’s when I edit those [...]
What makes a great lens? Some photographers want an all-purpose lens with the widest possible zoom range. Others want the fastest lens possible for capturing photos in the dimmest of light. In the end, all that really matters is image quality. I had a chance recently to try out the new Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4 [...]
Part of the wonder of taking photographs is discovering what kind of photographer you’ll become. Not that you should limit yourself, but inevitably you’ll be drawn to certain subjects, camera angles and lens choices. You also learn, when you show your photos to others, which kinds of photos strike a chord with other people. This [...]
If you could have only one lens, what would it be? For me, that lens would be the Leica Summilux-M 24mm. It’s a wide-angle lens that isn’t too wide for most purposes. It’s extremely sharp across the frame with no red or cyan corner issues. When opened up to f/1.4, you can use it for [...]
What’s the most exotic city in the world? Let me suggest a city that’s famous not for its indigenous culture, but for its artificialness. In fact, it’s known for appropriating other cultures and spitting out faux replicas of those cultures. The city is Las Vegas. As a substitute for the real-world locations, it fails miserably. [...]
Paper or plastic? Cash or charge? Daily life is full of choices and photographers face yet another one: color or black-and-white? With a film camera, we tend to make the choice upfront when we purchase the type of film. With a digital camera, we usually wait until the editing stage, where we can process the [...]
I suppose it was inevitable. Acquire a taste for wide-angle lenses, and you’ll soon wonder just how wide you can go. With an M-series camera, that can be as wide as 12mm, if you’re willing to go with a third-party lens. As you may have guessed, I couldn’t resist the call to walk on the [...]
Ask any M-series photographer what the best three lens kit would be, and you may hear something along the lines of a 28mm, 50mm and 90mm. You might also hear 35-50-90 or 28-35-75. Either way, the center-point is usually a 35mm or 50mm lens, which is considered to be a “standard” lens with 35mm film [...]
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