Last month, I had the pleasure of being invited, along with three esteemed Leica SL3 ambassadors: Robin Lowe, Marcus Bell, and Alex Drewniak, to visit BMW's Museum and BMW Welt (World) in Munich. It was truly a unique opportunity to learn about BMW's rich heritage and gain insights into the brand's past and current direction.
Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH Lens Review
You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but here goes!
The new Leica Summicron-SL 50/2 ASPH is almost as amazing as its ‘APO’ brother and ‘my’ preference for the 50mm focal length in the SL lens line-up. I have used this new lens for several months on my Leica SL2-S and here is my non-technical perspective.
My fully produced video for Leica Camera
Last year I was excited to be asked by Leica to try out the new SL2-S before it’s launch, and to make a video showcasing it’s abilities. Usually most Leica videos are behind the scenes style videos that depict the photographer doing his/her thing, along with a voice over, with a video team is assigned to shoot and produce it.
Being ‘me’, I decided to do things differently. I wanted to direct and produce the video based around ‘storytelling’ and decided to use an aspiring dancer to be the inspiration. My goal was to tell the story of a an amateur dancer struggling to complete her moves effectively. After many falls, she is transported to a forest, where she is free to let go and find her inner strength to be free and enjoy the moment. Once she completes her final jump, we find that she was never in a forest, but in the studio the whole time.
The setting was great as it allowed me to focus on exploiting the camera’s capabilities in high speed shooting and high ISO performance, while telling the story in a cinematic fashion.
The shoot was conducted in between pandemic lockdowns in 2 half days of shooting, which was very short, using pre-production firmware and without a production team. Overall I’m very pleased with the results from the SL2-S and hope you enjoy the video.
5 YEARS 1 CAMERA | A Photographer's Story
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I’m often asked why I’ve kept the same camera for 5 years and I’m happy to answer it here in this story. This video was not made in conjunction with any brands, but features brands that I use and support. All images were shot using the original Leica SL from 2015, and have very little post-processing to provide a clear and accurate representation of the natural settings I work in. All images shot in manual exposure, including ISO.
Leica Q2 Professional Evaluation
The Leica Q2 is at least double the camera it was. No joke.
I remember writing the Leica Q review with much positivity and enthusiasm, as I felt it was an amazing camera for the (mostly male) traveller and street photographer. Well a lot has changed since then. The Leica Q has taken on a massive cult following and has certainly taken attention away from the legendary M line. But what does this all mean for the legendary Leica M, and the brand overall? Read on to find out my thoughts.
Leica Q (TYP 116) Australia Edition - the 'Marlow'
Today Leica Camera announced Leica Australia's first camera, the LEICA Q (TYP 116) AUSTRALIA EDITION, which I am unofficially nicknaming "The 'Marlow'", after renowned Australian Street and Documentary Photographers and In-Public member Jesse Marlow, who is the product ambassador for the Leica Q Camera.
Leica Noctilux-M 75/1.25 Field Test and Review
For those of you that read my article called ‘Clash of the Titans’ which was featured on Steve Huff’s website, you know that the Noctilux and fast lenses in general spark a lot of interest from all kinds of photographers; not only for their abilities to provide faster shooting speeds in low light conditions, but more so for their unique rendering and signatures of the way they capture light and draw out of focus areas.
The Noctilux-M is quite possibly Leica’s biggest celebrated lens, and is the star-child of the company’s lens design history. Historically, it has always been a 50mm lens, starting with the 50mm f/1.2 in 1966, then the different variants made with an f/1 aperture in 1976, and then the current model pushed to an incredible f/0.95 in 2008. Fast forward almost 10 years and we are blessed with Leica’s latest marvel, in a 75mm focal length, and technically their slowest speed Noctilux to date.
Zoom Lenses – Ultimate Flexibility and Efficiency....and performance
Do you prefer prime lenses to zoom lenses? Have you been told by influencers and photo enthusiasts that prime/fixed lenses are the better way to go? Well I’m writing this article to help dispel the notion that prime lenses are better than zooms.
When I first started photography some 25 years ago, I was told that prime lenses were far superior to zooms lenses. The reasons for this were primarily based on performance and application, which came down to the limits of technology at the time, as well as prime lenses having significant advantages in low light due to their fast maximum apertures, allowing for faster shutter speeds when using film at ISO 800 and below.
The Leica TL2: Brief Field Test Review
After my first go at the TL2, I was interested in testing it further to see if it could work as a professional backup to my SL, and that is what I looked to test in this brief field test. The SL is an amazing performer and as Leica’s first attempt at the professional 35mm market, they really delivered beyond my expectations, and it has continued to be my 'go-to camera' for all my professional work for the last 2 years......
Pushing the Leica SL to it’s limits in low light
.....One of the most difficult challenges every photographer faces is shooting in low light – often referred to as ‘difficult lighting’. In the last few years camera manufacturers have shifted their focus from increasing the amount of megapixel output to maximising performance in low light by improving noise reduction at high ISOs using improved sensor technology and better in-camera image processing. A lot of my work happens to be in such difficult lighting situations and my tool of choice is of course ‘still’ the Leica SL.......