The Leica File: Voigtlander 40/1.4 Nokton

Having determined that adding a Leica lens such as the Summilux 50mm 1.4 to my Elmarit 28mm would bankrupt me, I started researching alternatives and was happy to find that the Voigtlander 40/1.4 Nokton was well spoken of, and only cost a fraction ($430) of the Summilux.

The Voigtlander 40/1.4 is said to be one the fastest 40mm lens a for full frame 35mm photography. It's available in black Leica M mount, has a 43mm filter size, 7 elements in 6 groups, with a close focus of .7 meter.

I stared for a while at a couple of images on various websites that compared both lenses, and could barely make any difference...unless I read the captions which directed me to squint really really hard to see some distortion in the Voigtlander's image. Would the barely visible (to me) distortion warrant a premium of $3000 to choose the Summilux?

No.

So the Voigtlander 40/1.4 is now my second glass acquisition for my Leica M9, and probably will be my walk-around lens.

I've already shot a few images, and was impressed with the "bokeh" at its widest aperture. I'll post a few over the weekend.

"Thumbs Up" For Leica M9

I've been slowly getting used to my Leica M9 over the past weeks and I, coming from a line of Canon DSLRs, found its handling to be rather challenging. The Leica M9 is sleek and aesthetically beautiful but it didn't rest in my hand as well as I would've liked. I had to really grasp it well because there's nothing on its body that I could get a grip on...nothing like the hand contour in the Canons for instance.

Poking around the internet, I found that the Leica M9 hand grip was sold at B&H for $250, and poking around even further landed me on Steve Huff's Leica blog and his praise for the ThumbsUp which is a thumbs grip manufactured by Tim Isaac of match Technical Services.

There are a number of styles available for the ThumbsUp thumb grip, and I chose the Thumbs Up EP-1. Receiving a quick response to my inquiry from Tim that he was out of stock but who provided me a list of stockists, I chose PopFlash.Photo in California, and I ordered it on Monday for the grand total of $130.88.

It arrived today! Very well crafted, the Thumbs Up EP-1 fitted perfectly in the Leica's hotshoe, and enormously improved the camera's handling. I feel the M9 is more securely grasped in my hand with it. I look forward to leave it on the M9 as long as I use it.

I have no relationship with either match Technical Services or PopFlash.Photo. I like the EP-1 and its quality, and both companies delivered excellent service.

New Nikon ME-1 Stereo Microphone

I guess it was just a question of time before the camera manufacturers would come up with microphones that can be used with their digital DSLRs.

Nikon's foray in this field is the Stereo Microphone ME-1, an compact stereo condenser microphone that features a hot shoe mount, a 3.5mm stereo output connector, and a removable windscreen, as well as a "noise dampening components designed to minimize noise resulting from AF operation," according to Nikon's press release.

The ME-1 is meant for use with Nikon digital cameras that incorporate a stereo audio input jack, including the D3S, D300S, D7000, D5100 and P7000. The new microphone does not require a battery; instead, it draws power from the connected camera.

The issue with any camera mounted microphones is that every whirr, click or hum that the camera makes in its normal operation is picked up.

Via Rob Galbraith DPI which reports that its estimated selling price of US$179.95 in the U.S.

Leica & Magnum Announce Photo Essays Series!

Two names, well-known to all photographers and photojournalists, Leica and Magnum are collaborating to produce a series of multimedia essays that will take a deeper look into the stories behind the photographs.

The first installment in the series is “Leica & Magnum: Past Present Future”, and examines the legacy of Magnum photographers and Leica users from the Spanish Civil War to the present including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Bruce Davidson, Elliot Erwitt, Constantine Manos, Susan Meiselas, Alex Webb, Gueorgui Pinkhassov and also features photos from Inge Morath, Gilles Peress, Stuart Franklin, David Alan Harvey, Rene Burri, Dennis Stock, Burt Glinn, Paul Fusco, Alex Majoli, Paolo Pellegrin, Alec Soth, Jonas Bendiksen and George Rodger.

New Tascam DR-05 Digital Audio Recorder

Good news for budget-minded multimedia photographers! Tascam has released the DR-05 portable audio recorder for $99.99, and is aiming straight at the comparable Zoom H1. It records WAV or MP3 files at rates up to 24-bit/96kHz to microSD or microSDHC cards, and has integrated microphones and speaker. It's powered by two AA batteries or an optional AC adapter. It sports a threaded 1/4 x 20 mount for convenient tripod mounting.

The Tascam DR-05 can be seen on and ordered from B&H Photo-Video (which offers free shipping on this product).

More details of this new entrant in the budget handheld audio recorders can be found on its manufacturer's website.

While I'm still happy with my Marantz PMD620, I am on the lookout for a replacement that's smaller, lighter and that would take less space.

I should also note that there were some reports that the Zoom H1 had battery longevity issues.

POV: No Auto Focus Is Killing Me!

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

 Having decided to re-learn photography and rely less on my Canons' computerized wizardry, I strolled into NYC's Chinatown yesterday to try my hand at self-focus on a Leica M9 fitted with a Elmarit 28mm f2.8.

The verdict? To keep it simple and to the point...self-focusing is a bitch. The M9's handling is great, color rendition is great, controls are fine and intuitive...but the focusing is really tough, and it's frustrating.  Using it yesterday in virtually ideal conditions (cloud cover, etc) reminded me of when learning how to windsurf years ago. I kept falling every other second, until I finally managed to stand up for a few minutes then it was back in the water...and so on, until I finally understood the wind direction, and found my balance.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I have yet to find my balance in having no auto-focus. It's early days and I'll eventually get it. My frustration level will ebb and flow with every shutter click...but if the ebb is more than the flow, then I'll get there.

I hope.

BJP Does The FujiFilm X100

The British Journal of Photography has just featured a hands-on review (not an in-depth one yet) of the FujiFilm X100. 

It appears that the FujiFilm X100 is extremely well designed, handles well (although a bit on the lightweight side according to the photographer using it), with good image performance, and very easy to use.

On the negative side, there's a shutter lag which may or may not spoil the "decisive moment" street photographers lust for, and while it may be part of a pro photographer's kit...it would not be his/her main camera.

It's really expensive in Britain, and moderately expensive in the US....and as I wrote in my earlier posts, I don't think the price is justified at all. I've looked at the initial image samples (via BJP's website) and I'm not too impressed.  As I said before, I believe the Panasonic GF1 (which I have and use) beats it hands down in terms of image quality, price and lens interchangeability.

FujiFilm FinePix X100: New Promotional Clip

As many of us may already know, Fujifilm has started shipping the FinePix X100 in Japan, and it should begin arriving elsewhere soon. The X100 is a large-sensor compact camera aimed at most photographers, whether professionals or otherwise.

Its sensor is based on a 12Mp APS-C CMOS sensor, Fuji EXR processor and 23mm F2 Fujinon lens, and the body features traditional analogue controls for shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation. The buzz is around its new 'hybrid' viewfinder system which allows the user to switch between an optical and electronic viewfinder.

Its price point in the US is $1,199, and is available for pre-order from Adorama, as an example. B&H Photo doesn't seem to do pre-orders, and will only list it when it's in stock.

It's certainly a beautiful camera, but I've lost interest in the FujiFilm FinePix X100 for a bunch of reasons; the first is that I am very satisfied with the capability of my Panasonic GF1 and its 20mm f1.7 lens, the second is that I am not impressed by the X100's price which I think is too high, the third is that it's a fixed lens camera (in contrast to the GF1), and the fourth (intentionally cryptic) is because of a dot.

FinePix X100 Shutter Demo & Pre-Order Price

The FinePix X100 with its cool retro look from Fuji is listed for pre-order from Adorama for the higher than expected price of $1,199. And according to BJP, Fujifilm has said that the camera will be on show at the Focus On Imaging in Edinburgh from March 6, thus allowing UK photographers to get their hands on the new model, ahead of its expected launch. It's expected that that the UK price will be  up to £1200 in the UK. No shipping date has been announced.

As per PetaPixel's post, Fuji also released the above video showing the camera’s aperture and shutter systems in action. The aperture looks quite round at all f-stops, which should lead to some pretty nice looking bokeh.

I sense the price point for the FinePix X100 is at least $200 too high, and that it ought to have been just under the $1000 mark. Although this camera is exciting, I shall wait for a few months to decide and have others more courageous than I am be the guinea pigs.

Update on the Fujifilm Finepix X100 Rangefinder

WIRED's Gadget Lab has blogged on Fujifilm's new details of its forthcoming X100, which looks like an old-style 35mm rangefinder but is really a hybrid because it sports a mix of an optical and electronic viewfinder.

For those who haven't seen my earlier blog post on this hot baby, it's a camera I want ....and it's a real shame that it's not available in retail stores until March 2011. What's the payback for having been really good all year if Santa can only deliver this in March or later???

In any event, the X100 has a 12.3MP APS-C sensor, and a non-removable 23mm (35mm equivalent) ƒ2 lens.  It has manual focus (contradicting one of my discussions with a fellow photographer a few days ago), and will cost about $1000.

WIRED seems to think that the fixed lens might be a drawback when compared to Micro Four Thirds cameras...I dont know. I have the Panasonic GF1 with the sweet 20mm f1.7mm lens, and I haven't felt the need to have another focal length when I use it.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC GF2

Aaaaargh! It seems that engineers love to spoil a good thing. Panasonic has just announced the Lumix GF2, the updated version of its excellent mirrorless, lens-swappable GF1.

According to WIRED's Gadget Lab, the new GF2 comes with an updated image processor for a maximum ISO to 6400, a do-all touch-screen control, and an upgrade to the HD video mode.

The spoilers? Well, the mode selector on the GF1's top plate is gone, as well as the lever that allowed the user to choose between burst, timer and bracketing modes. The AF/MF selector is gone as well as the DOF preview button.

Moreover, the GF2's body is said to be 18% smaller and 7% lighter than its predecessor....which I think won't provide the satisfactory feel of holding a "serious" small camera as in the GF1.

The GF2 will go on sale in early 2011 but no price was announced yet. Thank you very much Panasonic/Lumix engineering staff...but I'll keep my GF1.

For a video comparison between the GF1 and the GF2 with a British perspective, drop by this website.

LCD Viewfinder (Meike)

One of the accessories I decided to get for both my Canon 5D Mark II and the new Canon 7D is a LCD viewer. which would be handy whenever I wanted to shoot video on either of these cameras.

Having looked at the B&H et al, I had the choice between the LCDVF at $170 or the much more expensive Zacuto Jr at $252, but thought these prices were too high for an add-on I would not use frequently. Some quick research led me to a post on the delightful Cheesycam website and another one here which suggested a much cheaper LCDVF clone ($59 including shipping et al) from eBay.

I deliberated for about 2 minutes, and ordered the clone from the vendor. Within less than half a day, I got an email with an acknowledgment, and a USPS tracking number. It was shipped from the vendor in Guangzhou (China) on October 20, and delivered to my door on October 26. Not bad, eh?

The amusing thing is it took 3 days to get from Guangzhou to Queens (more than 8,000 miles), and another 3 days from Queens to Lower Manhattan (less than 4 miles) where I live. Yes, I looked the distances up.

The boxed Meike LCD viewfinder and its accessories were well wrapped in a thick envelope, and the mailing address was perfectly labeled. The vendor is clearly professional and was understandably well recommended on eBay. I affixed the metal frames to both my cameras, and will test it soon. My immediate impression was that the camera was much steadier when videotaping with the viewfinder on. It steadies it against one's face.

I examined the LCD viewfinder for signs of poor workmanship but found none, and it comes with a useful pouch and a cleaning cloth as well. Oh, and there's a red plastic thingie around the top part of the viewfinder that matches the red line on Canon's L lenses...color-coordination!

One thing I know for certain: I'll never be a product or still life photographer....ever.

A Look At The Zoom H1

I've blogged a couple of times about the H1, the new handheld audio recorder from Samson Audio, and what seemed to be a handy portable stereo recorder at an unheard-of $99 price.

I haven't bought the H1 (as I already have a Marantz PMD 620 which I'm happy with), but a number of my readers have expressed their interest in seeing a review...so the above movie by Shawn Harrel will do just that.

As I expected, the H1 seems to feel a little flimsy, it has a few quirks, but does the job quite well. The price can't be beaten, so I predict I'll see it used by emerging photojournalists on a budget testing multimedia waters.

Speaking of multimedia: I have my new Canon 7D next to me as I'm writing this, but I have yet to really test it. I've ignored the manual as always, fiddled with it and so far it's quite intuitive, especially to a long time Canon user like I am. I'll be putting up some photographs as soon as I can...but one thing for sure: the 8fps is great!

In the meantime, I've added this cheap rig to my 5D Mark II. It's my Marantz audio-recorder attached to a standard mounting plate from Home Depot, which in turn is attached to the camera's tripod socket. From my Mamiya medium-format years, I had an old Hama grip that I also attached to the tripod socket, and it gives me much better control over the camera when I'm filming video.

All I need now is the LCDV.

POV: Apple MacBook Air

Well, Apple's announcement that it added two MacBook Air laptops is immensely welcome as it provides an embarrassment of choices to its ever expanding fan base.

I am especially excited by the 11-inch MacBook Air, which measures 11.8 inches by 7.56 inches, and weighs only 2.3 lbs. The 64gb flash memory model starts at $999 and would be ideal as a travel laptop for photographers. Couple it with an external hard drive of whatever storage capacity works for you, and you've got a winner.

And it's $300 more expensive than the iPad (the one sans WiFi)....that's really intelligent pricing.

I guess it isn't really a netbook..or is it? Although Steve Jobs assertion they wouldn't do netbooks, I do think this is a posh netbook...and what I do know for sure is that I'll have to hide my credit cards before Xmas.

Damn!!!

Canon 7D Is Here...Well, Almost.

I've finally decided to replace my trusted and loyal (but ageing) Canon 1D Mark II with a Canon 7D. I hummed and hawed about whether to get the Canon 1D Mark IV, but balked at its price ($4900ish) and its weight....I thought of getting a second Canon 5D Mark II but wanted a much faster fps rate...and seeing a Canon instant rebate of $100 on the 7D, I jumped at it and now have it.

Well, I should say I almost have it, since although it's physically here I can't touch it for another few days. It's technically a birthday gift so it's in the no-touch zone until then.

I think I took the right decision in choosing the 7D. It's light in comparison to the 1D models, and its smaller sensor doesn't really bother me, especially since I have the 5D Mark II's full frame when I need it. The fast fps rate of the 7D will come in handy during festivals, religious rituals, ethnic celebrations...wherever there's action.

Next step? It might be either the Zacuto Optical Viewfinder or the more affordable LCD Viewfinder LCDVF. Santa will decide.

Western Digital iPad App

Hmmmm.....that's interesting.

Western Digital announced a free photo viewing application called WD Photos for the iPad that works with its line of external storage products like the My Book World Edition, My Book Live, and WD ShareSpace.  The app is said to allow the user to access up to 285,000 images placed in a shared folder.

The advantage in this is that saved images can be accessed using the app from anywhere through a web connection. The benefits to photographers are obvious...for instance, while traveling I could show my portfolio to anyone in the world on my iPad using this app. The app has pinch and zoom functionality,  and the images can be viewed in 1024 x 768 resolution on the iPad.

However,  wouldn't it be phenomenal if the iPad could connect to a portable external drive, on which I could download my travel photographs as I made them in the field? Once the photographs were saved on the portable drive, I could then use this app to access them (at least the jpegs) through a web connection.

How Many Arms Do I Need? And WTF?

I just read in WIRED's Gadget Lab that Zoom will launch a new Flip-like recorder that records beautiful audio for about $300. Stores expect it soon.

Zoom is the Japanese company that manufactures the various audio recorders that are popular with many multimedia producers, and which recently announced the affordable H1 Handy Recorder that I posted about here.

The plethora of useful (and others not so useful) products and gear aimed at multimedia producers, photographers, and videographers is incredible...but how do we carry and operate all this stuff?

And in the WTF? Department, here comes the Leica M9 Neiman Marcus Edition limited to a only 50 units. Engadget reports that it's "wrapped in a brown ostrich leather trim this time around, and it comes paired with a chrome-finished Summicron-M 35mm f2.0 ASPH lens", and costs $17,500.

A bargain. A trifle. A bagatelle.

I used to say (tongue-in-cheek like) that only orthodontists could afford the high end Leicas...but for this one, only hedge funds honchos need apply.

Timer Remote Control For Multimedia Projects

I was so impressed by Andreas Burgess' In The Courtyard of the Beloved that I solicited advice from my good friend Anamitra Chakladar, who suggested that the time lapse frames may have been produced by using an intervalometer.

The device is a remote switch with a cord and a self-timer, interval timer, long-exposure timer, and exposure-count setting feature. The timer can be set anywhere from 1 second to 99 hours, 59 minutes, or 59 seconds. Ignoring the more expensive Canon model on B&H, I found one on eBay for less than $50 including shipping.

The brand new device, called JJC TM and made in China, arrived last night in perfect condition. Its accompanying manual is somewhat sparse in details, so I'll have to figure it out on my own (which I prefer anyway). Once I do, I'll try it out on the traditional opera singers in Chinatown or some similar activity.

PS: I figured how to work it in a few minutes...without the manual's "help".

Fujifilm's FinePix X100: Digital "Rangefinder"

These are breaking news from Photokina...Fujifilm launched the FinePix X100, a 12.3-megapixel camera styled in a 1950s metal-and-leather body. It features and APS-C sized CMOS sensor and a fixed-in-place but bright and fast 23mm f2 prime lens. It also boasts an ISO range of 200 to 6400, and 5fps continuous shooting.

According to Engadget, this camera will interest many to-be DSLR buyers provided it's intelligently priced. Absolutely, and I would think it would also interest existing DSLR users who lust after a more compact camera.

The Luminous Landscape reports from Photokina that it may cost approximately US $1,700 when it becomes available early in 2011.

UPDATE (Sept 21): Fujifilm confirmed that it will retail for about $1000 and be available in March (via BJP's 1854 blog).

New Canon D60

It's all over the blogosphere...Canon announced the EOS 60D, a sort of “replacement” for the 50D. According to the reviews, the 60D body is plastic, and uses SD cards instead of the CF.

It's certainly built for video. It has a pop-out, tilt-and-swivel rear screen which, even if it's Canon’s first on an SLR, would just drive me insane. Video can be shot at different sizes and speeds. 1080p is available at 24p, 25p or 30p frame rates.

According to WIRED's Gadget Lab, its 18MP sensor (like the LCD panel) is the same as in the 550D or Rebel T2i, its AF system comes from the 50D and the 63-zone exposure meter comes from the 7D. So it's dubbed the "Frankencam".

It will go on sale in September for $1,100 body-only.

Santa, I have no interest.