Inquries about membership, upcoming events, replacement Viewfinder issues, and special orders should be directed to:
Richard Rejino, LHSA Executive Director 14070 Proton Road, Dallas, TX 75244 info@lhsa.org, (972) 233-9107
Viewfinder is the official publication of the LHSA, The International Leica Society, a nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Delaware. Copyright 2014. Reproduction or use of any material contained herein without permission of the Sociey if forbidden.
Leica is a registered trademark. It and other trademarks pertaining to the Leica System are the property of LEICA CAMERA, USA, INC.
ISSN 1543-8732
2 a letter from the president by Alan Weinschel
3 a letter from the editor by Bill Rosauer
5 wetzlar 2018: lhsa annual meeting by Keith Sbiral 8 2018 annual contest winners by Richard Rejino 10 how to set up your own one-day photo safari by Dale Farkas 14 batch processing in lightroom by Bill Royce 17 oufro on the leica m10 by Ed Schwartzreich
PRESIDENT Alan Weinschel alan.weinschel@lhsa.org
VICE PRESIDENT Jay Paxton jaypax@mlhs.net
SECRETARY/TREASURER Thomas Campbell leicar7@aol.com
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Gary Hough gary.hough@lhsa.org
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
James L. Lager
Rolf Fricke
Bill Rosauer
APPOINTED OFFICERS Viewfinder Editor Bill Rosauer lhsaeditor@yahoo.com
Associate Viewfinder Editor Ed Schwartzreich ed.schwartzreich@imagere.com
nokton
the leica m10-d by
weisbier & the leica cl by Gary Hough
iceland's summertime auroras by David Knoble 42 the photography of art
ELECTED DIRECTORS
Class of 2019 Peter Dooling peter@leicastoremiami.com
Andrew Godlewski harley772@yahoo.com
Bill Royce wfroyce@gmail.com
Class of 2020 Douglas Drumheller dougdrum@comcast.net
David Knoble dmknoble@gmail.com
Dan Tamarkin dan@tamarkin.com
Class of 2021 Wilbur Norman coupdefoudrellc@gmail.com
Keith Sbiral ksbiral@mac.com
David Spielman david@davidspielman.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
S.R. Gilcreast, Jr. (603) 381-8293
James L. Lager jlager@bellatlantic.net
S. Willis Wright beoon@aol.com
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
by ALAN WEINSCHEL
is an honor to write my first President’s letter for the Viewfinder. Since Gary Hough’s last letter, it has been a busy time, and Gary is a hard act to follow. He oversaw and guided the recent dramatic changes in our organization, designed to help us cope with the challenges of generations X, Y and Z and the social media-centric environment that we and other membership organizations must contend with. It is fair to say that we are on the right track now and optimistic about the future, but we still face challenges in attracting and retaining enough members to allow us to continue. During my term, there will be renewed emphasis on enhancing our value proposition and providing the services our members want and need.
WETZLAR
One of the things we offer of course, is great meetings. We ended our year-long Jubilee (50th year) celebration with a terrific finale in Wetzlar. Leica welcomed us with great hospitality and Leica executives were present for nearly every session and made memorable presentations.
On Thursday we had a chance to pepper some Leica executives with questions. Stefan Daniel and product managers Stefan Schulz (S & SL) and Jesko von Oyenhausen (M) gave us candid and thought provoking answers to a wide range of questions. I was worried that we wouldn’t have enough questions, but I should have known better, given our membership.
On Friday, our keynote speaker was Ruud Peters, who is the CFO of Leica. It was a great presentation on the Leica organization and how it has grown. Friday also gave us a session with Peter Karbe, who oversees Leica optics - those lenses we love. Peter’s exuberance - and pride - about Leica lens development was on display and he wowed us with insights into the difficulties of lens development and MTF charts for some recent lenses that were astounding. The takeaway from Peter was “shoot everything wide open!!” There are two exclamation points there on purpose. On Saturday, at our annual banquet, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Leica’s driving force, spoke about how the company has been put together and rearranged and his role in the revital -
ization of Leica and the Leica brand, and he stayed for great conversations with members as well.
For those who cherish the history, there was a trip to the cemetery where the Leitz family reposes, as well as presentations by Lars Netopil on his new book, and tours of the Leica archives by its director, Monika Bock; Monica has already told us she will be coming to talk at the next annual meeting in Boston in October 2019.
Keith Sbiral, one of our new board members, wrote a beautiful piece on the meeting. You can find it here: https://lhsa.org/2018/10/this-is-why. It is one of those things, where “you had to be there” to appreciate the experience, but Keith’s article captures its essence.
The meeting really brought home to me a couple of important things: first, we are indeed an international organization. There were attendees from about 19 countries and a variety of accents were heard through the course of the meeting. The common language was “Leica” of course, and that leads directly to the second point, something I mentioned at the banquet. This is an organization of people, with relationships and friendships forged over our shared passion. People passed around their gear for others to try it out, took lots of photos of each other, drank some beer, and built and extended those connections that tie us together. LHSA is not merely a website (though the website is pretty darned good now!). LHSA is you, the members, and the relationships we forge in our part of the Leica community.
MEMBERSHIP
While we are talking about members and the Leica community, since October 1, an offer of a one-year free digital membership in LHSA has appeared on the Leica owner’s site where people register their cameras for warranties, etc. This offer is for purchasers of new Leica system cameras and Leica Q’s. Also, starting about the time this issue will publish, when someone buys a qualifying camera, they will see a flyer with the offer from LHSA in the box. We have already gotten more than two hundred new members from this offer, and
we are hopeful that will continue. It will be up to us to persuade these new members to renew before their free year expires, and we will work hard to do that. We are very grateful to our friends at Leica for allowing us to make this offer and working with us to make it happen.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Some of the new members have asked about our name and I thought I should share what we have been saying. We are the International Leica Society, an international organization of Leica users as well as collectors with members from more than 20 countries.
We were founded more than fifty years ago as the Leica Historical Society of America (LHSA) and continue to
use “LHSA” and the LHSA logo as a link to our roots. Just as history plays a large role for Leica cameras, it remains important to us as well.
I hope to see you in Asheville in April. The Spring shoot will be instructional, and our Board member David Spielman will reprise his role as Headmaster that he played so well last year in Santa Fe. Helping him are Peter Dooling, Tom Campbell and David Knoble. I can assure you that you will learn a lot and of course have a chance to connect or reconnect with your LHSA friends. Check the website calendar for registration details.
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
by BILL ROSAUER
issue of Viewfinder closes out our 50th Anniversary year. Coincident with our annual meeting in Wetzlar, Alan Weinschel assumed the presidency of the LHSA, succeeding Gary Hough. As Alan says in his first president’s page in this issue, Gary is a tough act to follow. Gary did the heavy lifting of getting the LHSA turned around and has set us on the path to a positive future. A big thank you to Gary for all of his tireless work on behalf of our Society, and we wish Alan well in his new position as President.
Speaking of the Wetzlar meeting, Keith Sbiral has written an excellent report on the festivities in Leitz Park. By all accounts, it was one of the best meetings ever, and I regret not being able to attend. We also present the winners of the LHSA annual photo contest in this issue. Congratulations to the winners on their great work.
Dale Farkas, David’s father, writes about challenging oneself to a one day photo safari to improve your photography. Dale’s point is one can really learn a lot by going out in your local surroundings and shooting what most people would miss and pushing yourself to “see”.
Of course, we have news of the latest gear for Leica enthusiasts in this issue. Jonathan Slack reports on the new Leica M10-D camera, a niche within a niche model from Leica which has sparked quite a lot of debate and controversy. It is interesting to read the opinions online about it. Some love it, some hate it and most just don’t get it. I had a chance to try one out courtesy of Leica USA at Thanksgiving. Not having a rear screen to distract you is truly liberating and gets you as close as possible to film photography with a digital camera. I also love the “faux advance lever” thumb rest. I think this should become a standard feature on all future digital M cameras. I would love to have an M10-D to call my own, but it could never supplant the “normal” M10 for me, as I need to have a rear display for most of my work. But then again, maybe I could see adding this wonderful camera to my stable! Read Jonathan’s report and decide for yourself! It is interesting to note that Mike Evans of Macfilos and Steve Huff have both named the M10-D their choice of “Camera of the Year, 2018”. I put the highly anticipated new Voigtländer 50/1.2 VM Nokton lens to the test in real world conditions on my trip to the Mediterranean this fall. I found the new lens to be an excellent performer in a well-
executed, affordable package. Please read my review of it in this issue. For the Leica user, we have Ed Schwartzreich’s experiences with the OUFRO accessory extension ring in the field. The M10 and other Leica digital cameras with Live View make this a relevant and highly desirable yet handy piece of kit to have in your bag. Ed gives some great tips on how to get the best out of this once obscure Leica accessory. Dick Gilcreast writes about a most unusual Screw Mount 3.5cm f/3.5 Elmar lens, which has quite good performance even by today’s standards.
Bill Royce continues his Lightroom Tips and Techniques column with some very useful advice on batch processing your images in Lightroom. This can be a tremendous time saver in post processing large amounts of images from your photo shoots. Post processing can be quite time consuming and intimidating, as I well know after taking over 1,600 images on my recent Med Cruise! Bill offers several different approaches to take, and I’m sure this will help you out tremendously in dealing with large quantities of images. Albert Knapp and Ruth Oratz team up again to share their technique in photographing art in museums and other displays. Having read their article prior to my recent trip, many of their tips and suggestions came in quite handy. Recent Leica digital cameras with Live View make this type of photography much easier to get great results, and Albert and Ruth give some great guidance to help you out.
Past president Gary Hough takes a humorous approach on his journey to discover the best Pils and Weisbier on his trip through Germany and the Czech Republic, which coincided with the LHSA annual meeting in Wetzlar. Anyone who has been to Europe understands the challenge of finding the best beer and the joy of the hunt on your own personal quest. Ein Prosit, Gary!
Of course, what would Viewfinder be without a contribution from Jim Lager? In this issue, Jim shares an image of Italian King Vittorio Emanuele III at the 1932 Leica Exhibition in Milano. Jim also shows us a very interesting pre-War Leica book, “Professional Photography and Photo Reportage with the Leica” from the mid-Thirties.
As we go to press, I received word of the passing of two of our members. Dave Schumaker, who had recently served on the LHSA board, and Dan Black, past president of the Society from 1994 to 1996. Our condolences go out to their family and friends.
2018 IN WETZLAR, GERMANY
THE INTERNATIONAL LEICA SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING
by KEITH R. SBIRAL
any Leica user, Leica enthusiast, or Leica history buff, the Wetzlar meeting was precisely why we belong to the International Leica Society. It is the culmination of why so many people are lifelong members. It is why we are who we are. So, let me take a few paragraphs to summarize the 2018 annual meeting.
Nearly 130 members from 19 countries descended upon Wetzlar October 4-7 to find a Leica campus completely energized. Many attendees had been to Wetzlar before, some arrived for their first visit, some had visited Solms prior to Leica’s move back to Wetzlar, but few had been back since the opening of Leica Park III. The campus itself is a stunning veritable photographic buffet of architecture, nature, people and, well, Leica. The Ernst Leitz Hotel, Leitz Cine Wetzlar, Ernst Leitz Werkstatten, and of course the new Leica Welt building complete with training spaces, a museum, and the incredible Leica Archives create a lively and well-designed campus setting ideal for meetings or even just a visit.
DAY ONE
From the opening reception to the opening session, the energy in the air made clear that this meeting was something special. In the works for over two years, the International Leica Society opened a meeting at the headquarters of Leica and the first item on the docket was a factory tour. The tour was conducted by tour guides who were very knowledgeable, explaining everything from glass production, lens grinding and polishing, assembly, and quality control to production of camera bodies and accessories. (Nevertheless, some guides confessed to being slightly intimidated by the vast knowledge of the tour participants; this was a community of Leica people, learning from each other.) For those who have not been to the headquarters building, it contains large open public spaces encompassing gallery exhibits, the Leica family tree of products, and of course a Leica Store where you can pick up that latest 50mm APO Summicron if you so choose.
Upon returning from the tour, participants were treated to an open forum with presentations and a question and answer session from Leica executives, including Stefan Daniel, the head of Leica’s camera business, Jesko von Oyenhausen, the M product manager, Stephan Schulz, the S and SL product manager, and Peter Karbe, who oversees Leica optics. Participants had an opportunity to ask anything they wanted directly to those charged with the future roadmap of Leica equipment. This was a very engaging session where attendees peppered the representatives with questions.
Before lunch, we were treated to Dr. Guenter Kisselbach discussing the vast array of photographic opportunities and historic Leica sites in and around the Wetzlar area. Lunch was alongside Leica employees at the Casino in the main factory building. Again, an exciting opportunity to have access to the people who work for Leica every day. The interaction with Leica was not a typical scripted tour that you might get at any other factory, and it certainly wasn’t the closed off-campus reception you find when visiting the Apple headquarters in Cupertino. This event was more like a homecoming or a family reunion where everyone had a common connection and was genuinely interested in not only meeting each other, but having meaningful conversations about photography, cameras, travel, and an assortment of other topics as the week went on. The first day closed out with activities including an LHSA board of directors meeting, a walking tour of Wetzlar, and a reception in the evening, attended not only by members, but many Leica executives as well.
DAY TWO The keynote for the annual meeting kicked off day two and was delivered by Chief Financial Officer Ruud Peters. It was a deep dive into what makes Leica of 2018 tick, the subsidiaries purchased, the roadmaps for products, and the overall corporate structure and health. While this type of information might typically be dry, every person in the room seemed to be hanging on every word. And, of course in the theme of the week, open questions and answers followed.
Then came the show stopper. The session that would be talked about the remainder of the weekend, and likely well beyond next year’s meeting: Peter Karbe, Head of Optical Development, designer of the lenses so many of us use today, and one might say a hero of sorts to many, would talk lenses and optical design. A day earlier in the question and answer session Mr. Karbe mostly deferred to his camera colleagues, but today the entire presentation was his, and he held the room for well over an hour. As his allotted time ended, nobody moved to curtail the discussion. One would have expected excitement for the M lens designs. But the incredible passion Mr. Karbe showed for the CL and SL system lenses almost visibly solidified the quality of their designs in the minds of those listening to every word he said. “Shoot wide open!” he proclaimed, “that is why we designed the lens!”
He went on to note that the CL is “the real Barnack camera of today.” He emphasized that with the quality of Leica lenses, one should not be afraid of a non-full frame sensor. He also expressed visible excitement about the L-mount Alliance between Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma. If you weren’t excited about glass, coatings, and the overall generational improvement in lens technology before Mr. Karbe’s presentation, you were after just 10 minutes of his talk. Like a rock star, people lined up for photos with Peter Karbe following his presentation.
Who would want to follow that? I can’t imagine sitting in that room knowing I was the next one to take the microphone. The responsibility fell to Jonathan Slack. His presentation entitled, “Reflections of a Leica Beta Tester” was equally as riveting. If you are online and follow any Leica photography forums you know the name, and you know the photography. Who hasn’t wanted to meet Mr. Slack? I have to say prior to his presentation he was sitting behind me and I was a bit intimidated. I introduced him to my wife as, “the guy who takes those incredible dog photos I show you....” He is, as it turns out, easily able to keep the attention of the group, even following Peter Karbe. His stories of real world testing of beta cameras told a story of a company that isn’t shooting for average or a good consumer product, but a company that is determined to see
into the future, design for the future, and design and build for the highest quality possible. Jono’s presentation solidified what Leica is all about in a way that only a real photographer could. After all, it isn’t about MTF charts and technical specifications in the end, it is about photography. There was no one better to bring this message home than Jono Slack.
The day continued with presentations by Hari Subramanyam, Lars Netopil, and George Furst. Again, a walking tour of Wetzlar, a visit to the cemetery where Barnack, Berek, and the Leitz family have their final resting places, and time to visit the various buildings of the Leica campus and town of Wetzlar.
One of the truly fascinating opportunities was taking a tour of the relatively newly created Leica Archives with Archivist Monika Bock. Ms. Bock has a passion for all things historical and all things Leica. Her tour of the archive had participants silent and in awe of the history that is contained in the various rooms. From blueprints to prototypes, collections to one-of-a-kind examples, Leica is committed to documenting history. As this archive is built out and fully modernized, this will certainly be the go-to place for answers to questions regarding all things Leica. Ms. Bock’s excitement extends beyond Leica. As my wife and I were walking down the street in nearby Braunfels, Germany on Saturday afternoon, we happened to run into Ms. Bock. She was so excited about her town, its history, the castle, and even tied it into Leica history by showing us where Leitz and Barnack would go for coffee on Sundays many years ago. And true to her passion, she had her Leica camera at the ready, even as she attended to her Saturday errands.
DAY THREE Saturday found people focusing on their photography, whether on their own or with the organized bus trip to Marburg. And Saturday night brought the banquet. The banquet was hosted at the Ernst Leitz Hotel and included the announcement of the winner of the International Leica Society photography grant for 2018, Mr. Mark Kauzlarich. We were also treated to a photo review and presentation by last year’s winner, Ms. Ksenia Kuleshova. After the business of the banquet, the keynote speaker was introduced. Dr. Andreas Kaufmann discussed the past, present, and future of Leica Camera, AG. Dr. Kaufmann was open and accessible to members the remainder of the weekend and could not have expressed more excitement about hosting the group at Leitz Park.
On Sunday, a majority of the participants chose to wake up early and head out for a day-long Rhine River cruise. On this cruise, people had time to comfortably discuss the events of the last several days, photograph the beautiful Rhine River valley, and continue to build the network of connections with world class photographers and Leica enthusiasts. It was a relaxing and beautiful way to cap off the entire week.
Appreciation and thanks for this weekend go to many, many people. Naming them all would only result in missing someone. But certainly, Alan Weinschel and Richard Rejino have to be mentioned. Dr. Kaufmann, and all of the Leica executives and employees, and all of the speakers who made the week what it was. And thanks to the participants from 19 countries who made the effort to meet in Wetzlar this year!
Whether your goal is to collect the rarest of Leica cameras or lenses, you are an enthusiast for the brand, you desire to improve your photography or expand the scope of your photography, or you simply purchased a Leica and signed up for the International Lecia Society as part of your registration, you would have found something of interest and many new friends at the annual meeting.
The 2018 Wetzlar meeting was an incredible success. Registration for the 2019 spring shoot and annual meeting will be posted on the LHSA website in the coming months: www.lhsa.org
Keith R. Sbiral is a member of the International Leica Society and serves on the board of directors. He is also an executive coach and consultant at his firm, Apochromatik. He is a photographer and travel writer for RedDotBlueDot.com and leads trips to Cuba though his company Complete Cuba.
contact: krs@reddotbluedot.com
2018 LHSA ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
The winners of the 2018 LHSA Annual Photo Contest were revealed on Saturday, October 7th, at the Leica Society annual meeting in Wetzlar. This year’s judges were Wilbur Norman, Dan Tamarkin, and David Spielman, who selected the winners from two categories: Portrait & Landscape. The Leica Society wishes to thank all the photographers who entered the contest, and extends its special congratulates to all of the winners and honorable mention entries.
SECOND PLACE - PORTRAITURE GEORGE MICHAEL LANE
THIRD PLACE - PORTRAITURE JOHN DAY
HONORABLE MENTION - PORTRAITURE BOB SOLTYS
FIRST PLACE - PORTRAITURE DOUG KUZMIAK
FIRST PLACE - LANDSCAPE ALAN WEINSCHEL
SECOND PLACE - LANDSCAPE EDUARDO MARQUES
THIRD PLACE - LANDSCAPE PRAVIN TAMANG
HONORABLE MENTION - LANDSCAPE STEVEN CALE
HOW TO SET UP YOUR OWN ONE DAY PHOTO SAFARI
by DALE FARKAS
Do you enjoy taking candid pictures in "touristy" locations?
Most of us live near a vacation destination that many outof-towners find appealing. These locales can be a great place to spend a mini-vacation day honing your photographic skills and creativity.
Here in Florida there's no shortage of beautiful places where locals and tourists congregate. My guess is that you have someplace near your home that would give you an excellent one-day photo safari.
I'd like to offer some ideas and tips you might use to have a fun, adventurous day on your own or with likeminded photographers.
My son, David, owns Leica Store Miami. He conducted a morning "boot camp" for new Leica SL camera owners in Miami's South Beach and at Loomis Park in Miami Beach. I'll be using some of the 25 photos David took and posted on Facebook to suggest simple techniques you can use to get great pictures.
I hope you'll find these tips useful.
South Beach Has Historic Architectural Design. This Neighborhood Is Active & Vibrant.
TAKE PICTURES THAT REFLECT A REPORTER'S VIEW OF A SPECIAL PLACE
What makes this seemingly straightforward picture work? (top)
• The palm trees, blue sky and green grass all say "Sunny Florida."
• Buildings are Art-Deco, harkening back to the 1940s & 50s.
• Cars and trucks bring us to the present; when the picture was taken. The contrasting periods make the shot interesting... just like South Beach.
• Can you see how the composition & choice of colors balance this picture?
• The reds of the vehicles on the left are picked up in the red sign and awning on the right. The red "line" is carried through with the object being carried by the pedestrian and in the tail light of the pick-up truck.
• The blue awning in the center brings your eye there. The vertical Colony sign provides a focal point.
• This composition uses the Rule of Thirds both vertically & horizontally.
CAPTURE IMAGES FROM UNUSUAL ANGLES
A "different" grab shot of an activity can be a great way to show the spirit of a place. David's ground level view created an awesome image. (center)
• The legs of the skaters say "youth."
• Directionality of movement brings the eye to the beach.
• Note the great use of shadow. The palm tree's shadow tells the tropical story and gives the picture part of its strong design.
• The Rule of Thirds, vertically & horizontally, is employed for visual effect.
SHOOT VISUAL DESIGN ELEMENTS
Simple items or objects can add interest to your story. (bottom)
Roller Blading In The Park - Design Elements Lead the Viewer's Eye
Sometimes just a straight shot can be an excellent starting point in telling your visual story.
Depth of Field Can Separate Objects From Background
ACTION PICTURES TELL GREAT STORIES (above)
• Dramatic color & movement will create dynamic images.
• Utilize broad fields of color to separate a subject from background images. Or...
• Use framing shapes for a powerful central image in an otherwise cluttered photo.
A FACE IS ONLY PART OF A PORTRAIT
The shape, form and functionality of the human body are beautiful to behold. (right)
• Activity & emotion allowed David to capture a portrait that truly tells a story.
• Directionality created a sense of movement & excitement.
• The ropes lead your eye into the picture.
• The man's eyes bring yours down to the crux of the story: his painful exertion.
• Lighting plays a key role. Note how the highlights on the man's shoulder and bicep stop your eye from leaving the picture and bring you back to his facial expression.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & DALE LABORATORIES
Dale Farkas is the founder of Dale Laboratories, a professional photographic laboratory in Hollywood, Florida.
Dale Labs has provided digital & film services to America’s amateur & professional photographers since 1974 and are an excellent choice for Leica owners. Order prints on photographic and fine art papers, as well as canvas and metal. Get pro-quality processing of all 35mm color and B&W films by mail. Services include develop & proof, slides, high-res scans and custom enlargements.
Animals in public places are an important part of every cityscape.
Why this picture works:
• Selective Focus - The dog is tack sharp. His owner is visually connected based upon line of sight but slightly out of focus.
• Color Linkage - The dog's blue eyes are strikingly beautiful. But, what holds the picture together is the blue of the eyes, the similar color of the owner's shirt, the blue sky and the very subdued bluish dress on the left (which brings your eye back to the dog.)
PHOTOGRAPHER'S ETIQUETTE
I've had a lot of street photographers tell me that it's legal to take a picture of anyone...adult, child or animal...in a public place. That may be the law, but I don't think it's right. Good manners dictate to me that you should ask a parent if you want to take his or her child's picture. The same is true for people in an activity on a beach in a public park...or if you want to take a picture of a pet.
Are there exceptions where discreet shooting is OK? Maybe. But, I suggest that when you undertake this type of urban photo safari that you include the people and animals you take pictures of in the fun.
It will improve your day...and not disrupt theirs.
Pets With Their Owners Can Give You Impressive Portraits
BATCH PROCESSING IMAGES USING ADOBE LIGHTROOM
by BILL ROYCE
Note: This is another article in a series that is provided to LHSA members as a benefit of their membership. In addition to these articles, LHSA members have access to experts in many aspects of Leica photography to include the cameras, how to use them and how to produce better images in post-processing.
Many of us return from a photo outing or a trip with hundreds of images. It is a time-consuming task to edit these images, often with settings or adjustments that are repeated from one image to another. Examples of settings that you might wish to apply to multiple images are reductions of highlight tones, increases in shadows, sharpening, noise reduction, chromatic aberration, profile corrections, etc. You may also wish to add your copyright information to the metadata and apply common keywords to all the imported images. These “routine” edits can serve as a starting point for you when adding finishing touches such as setting white and black values, adjusting overall exposure and contrast, clarity, vibrance, dehaze, etc.
In this article, I discuss three different time-saving methods for processing multiple images: During import, after import, and using the Sync Settings feature in the Library Grid view. The first two methods rely on using develop presets that you
choose. These presets can either be Lightroom presets or usercreated (custom) presets. I have discussed how to create and use presets in a previous article.
During import, there is a very efficient method to add routine edits, keywords and metadata changes to your images. When you select the Import dialog, and after you have specified your File Handling and File Renaming settings, you should enter the settings in the Apply During Import panel. The top line allows you to add Develop Settings. If you click on the drop-down menu symbol you can select any of the Lightroom or user presets. On the second line you can add your copyright information, and finally, enter the keyword(s) that are common to the images. In illustration #1 below, I have selected a user preset called “Color punch it up”, added my 2018 copyright information, and specified “MT” and “open pit mine” as keywords that apply to the images selected for import.
After import, you can apply routine edits and information to multiple images while in the Library Grid view. Simply select the images to which you wish to add information and open the panels on the right side to make changes to the entire batch at one time. In this example, shown in illustration #2, I have selected two lines of images in the Library Grid view and selected a saved preset “Color punch it up”
from the drop-down menu of presets. As soon as this preset is selected, it is applied to all the highlighted images. Just below the preset window, you can also do batch processing with basic settings such as tone control, exposure, clarity, vibrance, etc. Further down the list of panels you can add keywords, metadata changes, etc., in a similar manner.
The last method I would like to discuss involves use of the Sync Metadata and Sync Settings features, found in the grid view on the lower right side of the window. This method is useful if you wish to copy edits and metadata from one image to others in a batch process. In illustration #3, I have highlighted the image on the far left and then extended the
highlight to the entire line. Note that the left most image (the first one selected) is highlighted brighter than the others on that line. This image was selected first since it contains the develop settings that I wish to copy to the other images that are highlighted.
Illustration #2
Illustration #3
Once you have made the selections, to synchronize develop settings, for example, click on the Sync Settings button on the lower right. You will then see a dialog box (illustrati0n #4) that allows you to select the settings you wish to copy to the other images.
In this example I have selected basic tone, clarity, dehaze, sharpening, noise reduction, spot removal and lens corrections. Note that by selecting spot removal, you can duplicate spot removal edits from one image to the others, which can be a big time saver when you know that the same spots exist in all the images in a batch!
In a similar fashion, Metadata, including copyright information, can be synchronized by selection of the Sync Metada button. (Illustration #5)
These tips are valuable time savers for anyone adding multiple images to their Lightroom Library.
Illustration #4
Illustration #5
OUFRO (16469) ON THE LEICA M10
by ED SCHWARTZREICH
It started a few days after receipt of my new M10 last year. I was out hunting for images and I came upon this shot of a leaf. (figure 1)
Rain had just let up and, in my mind’s eye, I could see this leaf with the dew drops on it, looking a bit like the famous M. C. Escher ‘Dewdrop on Leaf' mezzotint. I had a rigid 50/2 Summicron on the M10, and of course I could only focus to around one meter with it. Nonetheless I took the picture, cropped rather severely, made a monochrome conversion, and got what I wanted. (figure 2)
Luckily the cropped 24 MP image had enough resolution to make a reasonable print.
Sony A7r had the ability to make close-up and even macro images fairly easily, with its Live View and focusing collar accessory. I had not considered that I might encounter a situation, such as this one, where I would wish to make a close-up and only had the M10 with me.
When the equipment I would usually casually carry around consisted of a Leica SM or Leica M body and a couple of lenses, at times I would keep one of the Leitz close-up attachments in my bag – a SOOKY or SOMKY, or even at times a BEHOO. Slow and fiddly to use, they worked nonetheless.
My plan in purchasing the M10 was to use it for all of those occasions when a rangefinder Leica was all that was needed and was the best solution. After all, I had reasoned that my
At home I have all manner of Leitz close-up devices, everything from ELPRO’s to a Reprovit IIa, and in between spiderleg devices, several Viso’s and most Viso accessories, and a bellows to boot. It dawned on me that since the M10 also has Live View, what about an extension ring for it? It turned out that I owned a (16469Y) adapter that I rarely had used. Also known as an OUFRO, this 10mm-extension Leitz M
bayonet-female to bayonet-male serves in the Viso System as “extension ring for 50mm and 35mm lenses to give reproduction ratios of 1:1 and 1.4:1 respectively”. Hmm, 1:1 sounds like just what I had needed, and this ring, quite heavy actually so not that easy to lose, slips easily into a pocket of my bag in a minimalist sort of way.
When I went online to do more research, I discovered: that many people have had the same idea, especially starting with the introduction of the M240; that OUFROs had become rather scarce and pricey; and that there currently were clones available from China. A little research showed me that the OUFRO was introduced in about 1959. In 1960 it cost $7.50; by 1964 the price was $10.50, but in 1979, near the end of its production, its cost had risen to $103.74! It stopped being produced in 1983, and today used examples can cost up to $200.00, although they are usually closer to the last Leitz price.
Since the Noctilux is a 50mm lens (mine is the f/1.0 version), why not try that with OUFRO? Lots more misses than hits, that’s why, and f/1.0 gives no quarter at all in close-up. Here is a hand-held image at about f/4 of a tomatillo blossom (figure 3) ; there were bees buzzing around, and I hoped that one might land and stay a few seconds where I was (hand) focusing, but that was asking too much. Nonetheless, it truly works.
In Live View, if one wants Focus Peaking for such a shot, one has to use the zoom-in button.
And what about something like the ancient Summar f/2? Here is what a tripod-mounted close-up of a jadeite carving looks like with my very-clean Summar at f/3.2. (At f/2, it was a jumble). Again this is quite acceptable. I am finding in general that f/2 or faster is problematic. (figure 4)
And finally, what about a longer lens with the OUFRO? Here is a bronze casting of an owl with a 90/2 Apo-Aspheric at f/4. (figure 5) The close-up feeling is less pronounced than with the shorter 50’s, but one can render three-dimensional objects in a rounded way, yet still throw the background easily out of focus with a 90 and an OUFRO. The beauty of Live View is that one can open and close the diaphragm and immediately see the effect on the monitor or Viso.
Let us talk for a moment about the downside of Live View. The M10 using Live View is said to have a reduced shutter lag relative to the analogous operation on the M240, but it is still about 1/5 second. Add the average human reaction time of another 1/5 second, and your shutter fires close to ½ second after the event you are trying to photograph actually takes place. If Live View is switched off, the shutter lag portion of
that photograph-capture falls 90%, to about 20 milliseconds, comparable to film M’s, significantly shortening the time parallax. Therefore, if one wants to capture the bee on that flower, a case can be made for switching off Live View after initial focusing and using the regular viewfinder mode or even one’s eye if the camera is tripod-mounted, or perhaps even if it is not. Given the vagaries of this sort of photographic situation, one may need to makes several attempts at getting the image one wants in any case, and one may indeed need to touch up the focus regardless. Your camera battery charge will last longer too without engaging Live View. The beauty of the modern digital Leica M’s is that both RF / VF viewing and Live View are both available, and quickly and easily switched.
There are 3 or 4 slightly different versions of OUFRO, depending on the size of the (raised) red dot, or of the bayonet release pin. The Leitz catalog code/number changed from “OUFRO” to “16469” and to “16469Y” during production. All are operationally identical.
When I am out and about, I routinely carry a small pocketknife, and also a small decorative bottle opener on the chain I use for my wallet. The OUFRO will definitely go into my walkabout camera bag henceforth as of equal utility. And to prove this, here is an image of some spring wildflowers, taken since I have started to carry the OUFRO with me. (figure 6) It was used here with a 90/2 Apo-Aspheric on the M10, probably at f/5.6, with Live View and a Leitz table tripod.
And finally, while at Leitz Park a short while ago, my wife’s dessert at Café Leitz simply called out for my OUFRO, which I focused on the chocolate wafer with the writing on it. (figure 7) Lens was the LHSA 50/2 Apo @ f/2.8, and that really narrow DOF you see appears to approximate the classic 1/3 in front, 2/3 behind scenario. I later checked this out with actual DOF tables, and this finding was verified for the particular parameters of the shot.
Voigtländer announced their new 50mm f/1.2 Nokton Aspherical lens back in March of 2018, and Leica M users have been eagerly awaiting its arrival. I am a sucker for fast 50’s; Xenons, Summarits, Summiluxes, Sonnars, Noktons, etc. I have so many that I won’t admit to the exact number in my collection! I own Voigtländer’s earlier speed king, the 50/1.1 Nokton lens, so this “new and improved” version certainly got my attention. You may recall that I had tested a number of 50mm lenses for Viewfinder a few years ago in my article entitled “The Bokeh Kings”, where I compared the Bokeh of over a dozen 50mm lenses available in Leica mount. The new lens has 12 aperture blades, so its Bokeh should be good. Voightländer has gotten rave reviews for their recent 40/1.2 Nokton Aspherical VM lens, so my expectations for this 50mm version have been high. According to Stephen Gandy, this new 50mm lens was designed by the same team as the 40/1.2 Nokton. As the 40mm focal length is neither fish nor fowl for many users including myself, I was eager to try out this new 50mm lens.
The specs for the new lens are as follows: new 50mm nokton
8 Elements in 6 Groups
4 Aspherical Lens Surfaces
12 Aperture Blades, which should contribute to smooth, beautiful Bokeh
Aperture in half-click stops from f/1.2 to f/22
Weight 344 g
Size 63.3mm x 49mm
7 Elements in 6 Groups
1 High Index Glass Element
10 Aperture Blades
Weight 428 g
57.2mm x 69.6mm
As you can see, the new speed king from Voigtländer is a bit lighter than its predecessor, and slightly longer and slimmer, has one more lens element, two more aperture blades, and has a more common 52mm filter size. Close focus is 0.7 m, which improves on the older lens which is limited to 1 m. The new lens sports a more exotic specification with the use of four aspherical lens surfaces and a High Index glass element with low dispersion, which is certainly impressive. There is no direct comparison to current Leica lenses as the Noctilux is faster at f/.95 and the Summilux is slower with a f/1.4 maximum aperture. Even though they have the same maximum aperture, I would certainly never compare the 1.2 Nokton to the original pioneer speed king, the 50/1.2 Noctilux.
I contacted my friend of many years, Rich Pinto of The Photo Village, and he graciously sent me one of the first lenses he had available for review. Thank you Rich! The lens is modestly presented in a neat little matte black cardboard
box with silver highlights, molded foam inserts to hold the lens securely, front and rear caps and a minimal instruction booklet in Japanese, Chinese, German and English. Very understated, more than enough to do the job, yet miles away from the presentation of a Leica lens or even a Zeiss ZM lens. I guess Cosina Voightländer doesn’t want you to think you spent your money on unnecessary frills like packaging!
The lens certainly has presence when mounted on an M camera, so you know this is some serious glass. The haptics are excellent, with the focusing ring having a substantial scalloped knurling which is easy to find by feel and clearly differentiated from the fine knurling on the aperture ring located at the front of the lens. The aperture ring clicks smoothly and positively in half-stops from f/1.2 to f/22. Voigtländer has adopted the chromed bayonet ring hood attachment system on this lens, first seen on the Zeiss ZM lenses. Unfortunately, a hood is not included with the lens and is an extra cost option. At over $100, these hoods are a little too dear considering the price of the lens itself. The standard hood is the LH-8, and the LH-10 hood is extra deep for even more protection from flare. I purchased an inexpensive screw-on hood from Amazon for about $10, which certainly did the job but doesn’t quite match the look and quality level of the rest of the lens. I would recommend biting the bullet and purchasing one of the genuine Voightländer hoods for the lens. The focus ring is beautifully damped, as is the aperture ring. They are both as smooth as silk, with just the right amount of resistance. The lens exudes a feel of extreme high quality, approaching that typical of Leica lenses. Cosina Voightländer has reached a new level in quality, and I would say this lens has better feel, fit and finish than most of the lenses CV produces including the Zeiss ZM lenses. The new lens is certainly not the heavyweight titan that the 0.95 Noctilux is, and is close to the size of my 50/1.4 Summilux ASPH Black Chrome without the weight penalty of the all brass construction used on that lens.
Overall, the Voigtländer balances well on the camera, is quite pleasant in everyday use, and has the look and feel of a quality optical unit. The black anodized finish is neatly engraved with the aperture scale and distance settings in both feet and meters, the former being red and the latter in high visibility white. The lens mount has a recessed area to facilitate lens coding, and I coded the lens with an industrial grade black Sharpie to read as a 50/1.4 Summilux M ASPH, to better keep track in the EXIF data when reviewing my images. Due to its smaller diameter, it is easier to access the lens release button on the camera, which is much appreciated when compared to its older sibling.
Arrival of the review lens coincided with my trip to the Mediterranean, and I anticipated numerous photographic
(top) Arch of Constantine, Rome. Shot Stopped Down (bottom) Bernini’s Fountain, circa 1651, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, River God Ganges. Shot Wide Open.
opportunities to test the new lens out. I brought along two similar lenses to compare with the Voightländer, my 50/1.4 Summilux ASPH and the Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar C ZM. My intention was to take the same photos with all three lenses as part of my review. Needless to say, the best laid plans often go awry. The reality was we had a limited time in each port/city on the cruise, so taking three sets of images with three lenses at various apertures was totally out of the question. In addition to the lack of time available, the wisdom of dragging around so much valuable equipment in some of the areas we visited was questionable. As it was, in my bag I carried the indispensable 16-18-21 WATE, a 24/3.4 Elmar ASPH or 28/2.8 Elmarit ASPH, a 35/1.4 Summilux ASPH and 75/2.5 Summarit. Most days, to lighten the load and ease the strain on my shoulder and back, I would leave the 35 and 75 back in the cabin safe. In a nod to my dear departed friends Tom Abrahamsson and Sal DiMarco, I usually carried my kit in a small Brady Ariel Trout shoulder bag, in my case all-black to avoid unwanted attention. With a simple insert, you can comfortably and safely carry quite a bit of gear in a high quality, functional, yet low profile package that doesn’t scream “camera bag”. I also carried a Sony NEX 6 around my neck with its kit zoom lens as my “decoy” camera, for times when I didn’t want to be seen with the expensive Leica kit.
Instead of a technical review under controlled conditions with the camera locked down on a tripod and multiple images made of a static subject, I will be showing how the lens actually performed in the real world, under real conditions. I shot the lens wide open under a variety of conditions, mid-day in full daylight with a ND8 filter as well as under less than optimal lighting conditions at night. I also shot the lens stopped down to midapertures of f/5.6 to f/8 to see how well the lens performed at its “sweet spot”. Wide open, I could consistently nail my intended point of focus at close to medium distance. I was not really concerned with infinity focus as this is not a lens intended for landscapes. The M10 with its improved viewfinder certainly makes this easier to accomplish than with earlier M cameras. I deliberately did not resort to the Visoflex 020 EVF for any of the images I made with the 50/1.2, as I wanted to see how well I could achieve proper focus with the M’s optical viewfinder. On close examination of my images, the lens sometimes did appear to slightly front focus, but nothing to the extent where I would consider it to be a problem. As you can see by my images where I was shooting wide open, my intended point of focus was achieved consistently without resorting to the acrobatics required of a Zeiss Sonnar not optimized for maximum aperture shooting.
I would say the Voigtländer performed on a par with my 50/1.4 Summilux ASPH in this regard. I did not see any evidence of chromatic aberration in my images, even with strongly backlit situations. I could see no detectable barrel or pincushion distortion. Is it sharp edge to edge? Wide open, who knows with such a shallow depth of focus. Stopped down, the lens seems to do just fine, and if you’re really worried
(right) Estrella Beer, Barcelona. Shot wide open.
(below) The Voigtländer 50mm Nokton f/1.2 Aspherical.
(left) “Mythos” Mykonos. Shot wide open – creamy Bokeh! Point of focus on lip of the bottle neck. This shot shows the shallow depth of field at f/1.2
about this go with the APO 50/2 Summicron ASPH. Of course, I can hear you asking, what about the Bokeh? As can be seen in my images, the Bokeh is very pleasant. I would not characterize it as nervous, busy or jittery, but not quite the super smooth, creamy kind seen with the 50 Summilux ASPH or the original 35/1.4 Summilux preASPH lenses. As Goldilocks would say, it’s “just right”. The lens renders quite well wide open for portrait applications, and stopped down it does very well rendering typical travel subjects of architecture, people and street scenes. Wide open, it does a fantastic job with subject isolation from the background, drawing the viewer’s attention to the intended point of focus and subject matter. Colors are rendered quite accurately, and fine detail in the images is quite crisp. It is clearly an improved lens in every way over the earlier Voigtländer 50/1.1 Nokton, and Voigtländer is showing its optical chops with this new lens. This lens need not take a back seat to any of its more costly competitors.
Overall, I would say the Goldilocks analogy is quite apt. This lens does things “just right”, and will return impressive images under a wide range of conditions. Wide open, the lens renders subjects with a very nice 3D effect. The lens does not get in your way, is not cumbersome in size and weight as some other high speed lenses are, and can be counted upon to get great results when used. It is not a “one-trick pony” that does just one thing well at the expense of being a good allaround performer. One YouTube reviewer goes so far to call it the best 50mm lens ever made! That may be going a bit too far, and I would say that the title of world’s best 50mm lens would go to the APO Summicron 50/2 ASPH. However, this lens definitely belongs to the upper echelon of 50mm lenses on the market for Leica M users, and holds its own with lenses many times more expensive. With a retail price of just over $ 1,000 USD, it is a relative bargain in the world of Leica lenses.
I highly recommend this lens, and it deserves a place in your bag if you are looking for a high performance M lens at a very reasonable price. Talk is cheap, but I was so impressed with this new high speed 50mm Voightländer lens that I am purchasing my review copy. Yes, it is that good! Voightländer lenses are available from all of the usual suspects, but give Rich Pinto at The Photo Village a call at 212-989-1252 and tell him Bill sent you.
(above) Changing of the Presidential Guard, Athens. Shot stopped down at f/8. (left) “Jeri” - Effective for portraits. Shot wide open.
(above) Provence Cityscape. Shot stopped down.
(left) Marseilles. Shot wide open. (center) Piazza Navona, Rome. Fontana del Moro. Shot wide open, (right) “Moses” Near the Spanish Steps, Rome. Shot wide open.
LEICA M10-D
by JONATHAN SLACK
INTRODUCTION
In my household the M10-D has caused more controversy than any other camera that I’ve tested for Leica, and on the internet forums the leaked images and descriptions of the camera seem to have caused almost as much disagreement.
WHAT IS IT? AND WHAT IT WAS.
The M10-D is a digital rangefinder camera without an LCD screen and with what looks like a wind-on lever. To be fair, it’s this ‘wind-on lever’ which seems to have caused most of the controversy (certainly around here). I’ll leave that to later.
The original Leica M-D came out as a special limited edition, but there was so much interest that Leica brought out a series version; the M-D (TYP 262) in April 2016. Personally I wasn’t very sure that I needed chimping relief, and the idea of having full-time auto white balance was a real discouragement, so I never even played with one.
Others on the other hand quickly fell in love with it, and for many photographers it was a real hit. Limiting their options left them free to concentrate on taking pictures, and having to wait until you got home before you could look at the images was a throwback to the excitement of film days.
Superficially, the new M10-D is the same thing, updated with the new M10 sensor, an exposure compensation dial and the lovely quiet shutter from the M10-P.
But the M10-D is also much more than that. If you are nervous about shooting with the rangefinder, you can plug in an electronic viewfinder. If you feel the need to look at the images when you’re out and about, you can just switch on the WiFi and connect with your phone or tablet (iOS or Android).
More than that, you can edit some of the settings in the new Leica Fotos app (currently metering mode, file format, white balance, but there will be more). And then there is the wind on lever (more about that later).
TECHNICALITIES
The M10-D has four principal digital exposure components on analog displays on the camera body:
• Aperture • Shutter Speed
• ISO
• Exposure Compensation
Most other basic criteria of a digital camera can be changed in the Leica Fotos App:
Camera:
• Drive Mode
Image :
• White Balance
Camera Settings :
• Max Auto ISO
• Metering
• Max Exposure Time
• Focus Aid
• JPEG Settings
• ISO M
• Auto Review Duration
• Auto Power Saving
• Date & Time • Format SD Card
The only thing obviously missing is the Lens Selection option for uncoded lenses (later perhaps).
If you use the EVF, the zoom/focus mode is set to ON, so that if you turn the focus ring on an M lens, it will zoom in at the centre of the frame. It would be nice if there was a way to switch this off (and on) - hopefully there will be later on.
Leica is serious about the limitations, so you cannot review images in the EVF, or turn on the menus.
The Leica M10-D has the same sensor as the M10 and is fundamentally identical with respect to the image processing and firmware. The body itself, from the front, is just like the M10-P with the Leica logo on the top and the screw replacing the red dot. The back has two rotating dials, the inner one is for exposure compensation and the outer one is for Off / On / WiFi.
You can still shoot when the WiFi is selected. There is a bar code under the baseplate for connecting to the Fotos app for the first time, after that it should link up automatically. It takes about 30 seconds for the camera to be ready. In addition to the settings options above, you can review your images, save them to a personal gallery on your phone / tablet and also shoot the camera via remote control.
This all works pretty well. It’s early days, but I think Fotos has a bright future, both for controlling and setting the camera, and also for a streamlined workflow between the camera to the phone and on to Lightroom on your computer. Of course it will work with all the current Leica cameras.
SHOOTING WITH THE M10-D
I didn’t get a prototype of the M10-D, but I was involved in the Leica User Forum beta test which started towards the end of August this year. This is always a rewarding experience; there are many excellent photographers and there is good camaraderie and lots of intelligent suggestions.
Whereas the M10-P had been pretty much universally welcomed, feelings about the M10-D camera were fairly polarised, especially with respect to the wind-on lever.
I hadn’t come to any firm conclusions during the testing so I resolved to use the camera on our walking trip in Crete in September. We went for 18 days, just with cabin luggage, I took the M10, the M10-D and four lenses (28 Summaron, 50 APO-Summicron, 75 APO-Summicron and the WATE).
On the first day I just took the M10-D, and I was quickly infuriated - I don’t actually review images all that often, but if I find something good, then I want to see if I’ve got the focus right before moving on, and I couldn’t. The next day I left it in the hotel room and took my M10.
After a day or so I felt that I really should give the camera more of a chance, so I used it every day, and after four or five days I found that it actually did make a difference to the way I was shooting, and that I was rather enjoying it. It seemed that I was thinking more about the aperture to use (rather than shooting either wide open or at f/8). What’s more, there was a little frisson of excitement downloading the images to my computer when I got back to the hotel in the evening. Slowly I fell in love (and it is such a lovable object...I’ll talk about the wind-on lever later).
Then we were invited to a Cretan christening. I wasn’t the official photographer, but I was asked to take some snaps, so I brought both cameras with me and a couple of lenses. (Images can be seen here: https://adobe.ly/2NfxonW)
I started off shooting with the M10-D, but I was very quickly irritated again - it was all very well walking through the mountains, but I needed to know whether the picture of the priest painting the baby with olive oil was actually in focus (or not). I shot the rest of the evening with the M10.
The next day, back on the coastal path, the M10-D was my friend again, keeping out of the way and allowing me to take the pictures I wanted.
Since returning from holiday I’ve been using the camera quite a lot, both for walks in the countryside and visits to the local pubs. My only real complaint is that it’s a bit of a pain to go into Fotos to change the WB from Daylight to Auto, but that’s probably largely my problem as most of the people I speak to prefer to use Auto White Balance.
THE WIND-ON LEVER
It has to be talked about! Lots of people use variants on thumb grips, these usually plug into the hot shoe and then push against the back of the camera (some simply stick on). I’ve never liked them much, partly because the hot shoe is blocked, but also because I’ve always found that in the end they mark the back of the camera (usually when dust gets in and scratches it). Also, they tend to snag on your bag when putting the camera away, and they’re expensive!
When I first saw it earlier in the year I thought the wind-on lever was rather kitsch, but it was explained to me that it had started with a discussion on how to make a better thumb grip. After some thought, they came round to the idea that the wind on lever was perfect: It doesn’t take up the hot shoe, it’s entirely optional to use it and doesn’t damage the camera or snag in a bag. And, it’s an affectionately humorous nod to the history of the M camera.
I was still sceptical, but I have to admit that whilst carrying the camera for hours around Crete (especially with heavier lenses) it was a real benefit.
This is what has caused such heated discussion here; my son is adamant that “A thing should be a thing; it should not look like a thing and not be it”. He really isn’t interested whether it’s useful as a thumb grip or not; it’s pretending to be a windon lever, but it isn’t one.
Someone on the beta forum referred to it as ersatz , and that’s hard to argue with.
In the last few days there have been leaked images of the M10-D going the rounds of the internet sites and there has been a lot of speculation on what the wind-on lever actually does: Does it cock the shutter? Does it switch on the camera?
Well, it doesn’t do either, and quite right too - if it cocked the shutter, how could one shoot continuously? If it functioned as an On / Off switch then you would need to have it out all the time one was shooting. Either would impose restrictions without really conferring any benefit.
50mm
(top) R-Adapter-M - ISO 200 (middle) 75mm APO-Summicron-M f/2 ASPH - ISO 200 (bottom) 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH - ISO 200
(top & bottom) 75mm APO-Summicron-M f/2 ASPH - ISO 200
CONCLUSION
Whilst we were in Crete, I showed the camera to a few friends (even one Leica shooter), and having told them it was digital, I asked them whether they thought there was anything odd about it. Nobody did; they didn’t even seem to notice that it didn’t have a screen on the back.
I imagine that, just as in our household and on the beta forum, this camera will really polarise opinion. Personally, (although I wouldn’t have it as my only M camera) I very much like shooting with it. I’m even considering buying one (not least to irritate my son!). Whatever the arguments about its functionality, the camera is a beautiful object, a pleasure to hold and a pleasure to shoot with.
Some people may feel that, in including the EVF and WiFi with the connection to Fotos, Leica has compromised the ‘purity’ of the original M-D. My feeling is that it’s good to have the options available, but I didn’t find myself using them in real shooting conditions (either the WiFi or the EVF).
Eve Arnold, who was the first women to join the Magnum group, once said “It is the photographer, not the camera, which is the instrument”. If you find the restrictions imposed by this camera liberating, then perhaps it frees you to become a better instrument.
Leica should be congratulated on designing new cameras which really do ‘get out of the way’ and allow you to concentrate on taking photos. This is a perfect example of that kind of thinking, and I really hope that it will be the success that it deserves to be.
35mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH FLE - ISO 200
WEISBIER & THE LEICA CL
by GARY HOUGH
member Tom Holland and I spent 11 days pre-LHSA Wetzlar plus six more days at the LHSA meeting, on a mission to determine the best Weisbier or Pils during our 8-city marathon through Germany and the Czech Republic. Our chosen locations included: Leipzig, Jena, Dresden, Prague, Nurnberg, Rothenberg, Wetzlar, and Marburg. PROST!
Both having engineering backgrounds, this was to be a scientifically conducted experiment, with notetaking on various qualitative aspects of Pils and Weisbier at each of our stops. And what better way to document these experiments than using the discrete features of the Leica CL. Ein Glas Weisbier bitte!
With the CL, we could quickly auto focus on the effervescence, count the bubble formation and calculate the exact sipping moment, check the amber color against a known standard, measure the height of the suds, check the fluidity, viscosity, and boundary layer effects as the liquid passed over our lips.
Our miscalculation was that quantitative consumption of bier trumps qualitative analysis. I have none-the-less included some Weisbier imagery showcasing close auto focus and shot wide open-my favorite method of shooting. With our scientific studies trashed, I quickly switched to another CL attribute-that of rapid auto focus for quickly and accurately capturing the desired moment. I need time to focus wide open with my M cameras and especially during those intense photographic moments after having several brewskis. I happily include a few examples with people self-absorbed in their moment, and with the discrete size of the CL, getting close with either the pancake 18mm (28mm equiv.) Elmarit-L or 35mm (50mm equiv.) Summilux-L is easy and nonobtrusive. I am practically invisible.
Leipzig was heavily damaged during World War II, and rebuilt on the cheap, but it provided some good evening entrainment and our first bier tasting (#2) . Image #1 reminds me of the Pink Floyd song, ‘We Don’t Need No Education’. The highlights of this trip for me was Dresden (#3 & 4) and the Zwinger, Kathedrale, Kreuzkirche, Frauenkirche and Neumarkt - and we stayed at the five-star Hotel Taschenbergpalai Kempinski - of course. I enjoy the European city living style where the locals eat at the restaurants below their flats and socialize with friends.
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
Prague (or Praha) offered some great day and night shooting on and under the St. Charles Bridge (#5,6 & 7) and along the Vitava River. We took an evening dinner cruise on the Vitava, and a group of German men at one table across from us started singing. I kept supplying the bier and we were entertained for the entire 4 hours. The glass enclosed Hauptbahnhof in Praha was an interesting architectural find, and with an elderly lady pushing an old style baby carriage adding to the emotion in the scene. (#8) At one point she moved away from her carriage-which I thought was odd, so I walked closer and looked in the carriage. It was a baby doll wrapped up, not a real child.
The interesting walled city of Nurnberg with the Lorenz-Kirche and Imperial Castle Kaiserburg provided abundant photo opportunities (#9) I walked into a large room at the Imperial Castle and noticed a bank of curtained windows on the left side with a gentleman shooting out one of the windows. It made for a nice image, so I walked behind him and took the picture while thinking that the back of the gentleman’s head sure looked like Tom Smith. About five minutes later, I got a tap on my shoulder. Sure enough, in a far distant land from the USA appears my good friend. I leave it to you statisticians to calculate the probability of that occurrence. A very sobering afternoon was spent at the Former Nazi Party Rally Grounds- a very dark period of world history.
Rothenberg (#10 & 11) , the walled city, had great opportunities for dramatic walled portal night shooting and a night watchman tour giving the historical perspective.
During one of our intense scientific tasting sessions, I got lonely and found some people to talk to (#12) . For hours we conversed. I finally told the shop keeper to set them free. The shop keeper started yelling in some strange dialect, and the Polizei was not amused. Entschuldigung und Halt!
The pancake 18mm (28mm equiv.)
Elmarit-L f/2.8 is perfect for discreet street photography, the 35mm (50mm equiv.) Summilux-L f/1.4 for dark settings and night, and the 60mm (90mm equiv.)
APO-Macro-Elmarit-L f/2.8 for properly focusing the bier images - making this the perfect travel kit.
So, what was the result of our experiment?
Tom and I are already planning a return visit but putting limitations on the imbibing issue. If any of you readers wish to tour Europe and use the scientific study method for investigating Weisbier and Pils of Germany and the Czech Republic, please invite us along (paying our way of course), and you will benefit from our vast experience of locations and bier selections.
#12
#13
NIGHTTIME PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE LEICA S007
by DAVID KNOBLE
grey-green streams above slowly snaked from the glacial mountain across our small knoll overlooking the Jökulsárlón Lake at one o’clock in the morning. I had tightened the tripod legs and closed the grips on the arca-swiss mount securing my camera. My coffee was in the thermos resting underneath the tripod and my wool cap pulled over my ears. Powered on, I checked the settings one more time, ISO, custom white balance, lens aperture and long shutter speed. Too dark to meter, I used a recently learned rule of thumb.
Click. After pushing the remote shutter button, I watched the display slowly count down, 8.. 7.. 6. Then, realizing I was biting my lower lip, I watched the noise cancelling count again, 5.. 4.. 3. In all, sixteen seconds went by and the LCD screen lit up with a preview. Mouth open in awe, I saw a series of green streaks with bright white stars shining through and a reflection on the ice filled lake below. My first photograph of the Aurora, or the northern lights. The awe quickly spread to a widemouthed grin. The adrenaline was moving and coffee was not needed even at this late hour.
I clicked again, looking up. The grey-green lines were more pronounced as the dance had begun, but nothing like the color captured on the digital sensor. The sky was moving like the snake coming out of a charmer’s basket, weaving back and forth, stretching across the sky, horizon to horizon. Everyone in the group said something different, but they were all one-word descriptions of having made the first image. Glancing back at the camera, 3.. 2.. 1. I looked at the screen while unlocking the tripod head and changing the angle and direction for better framing. Tightening with one hand, I pressed the remote with the other.
I let the camera record what it could see with the medium-format S series 24mm lens (19mm equivalent) and I soaked the rest in putting the images into a permanent folder inside my head. I think I said out loud, “I feel like a child in a candy store.” I quickly calculated the time for each image, 16 seconds results in about 4 images per minute. The aurora waits for no-one so the challenge was to take as many photographs as I could, but not miss the spikes and ebbs that played out before us while waiting for a noise cancelling routine.
Someone quietly shouted, “look behind you!” The horizon on the other side had stripes with distinct lines between them. Swivel. Click. 8.. 7.. 6. The snake in the sky was multiplying and spreading out. Again, “Look behind you!” At this point, we were all pointed in different directions. I finally said, “The lake is zero and the mountain range behind us is 180. Call it and we’ll all have a frame of reference.” It worked and we even excitedly burst out with a “90” every now and then as overhead became the show’s main attraction.
For almost three hours I recomposed, press the shutter, waited, oohed and awed at the LCD screen while I recomposed and took the next shot. Gathering up my equipment as the morning twilight began erasing traces of nature’s magnificent light-show, I
headed back to load up images and sleep. Cars were beginning to pull in as we left, presumably getting ready for sunrise. As I watched them through the window of our vehicle, I could not help but think that they had missed the show. A sunrise, beautiful in it’s own right, would now forever hold second-place my world.
The aurora (https://www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html) is actually formed by collisions of electrically charged particles from the sun as they enter the earth’s atmosphere. Seen above the magnetic poles of the earth, northern lights are called Aurora borealis and southern lights, Aurora astralius. Probably most interesting is scientists' belief that the northern lights and the southern lights are mirrored copies with similar shapes, movements and designs.
The lights in the Aurora are the results of atmospheric gases colliding with charged particles from our sun’s atmosphere. The color of the light tells us which gasses are interacting with the solar particles. The most common, and the one we saw, is a yellowish-green glow consisting of lower altitude oxygen molecules about 60 miles above the earth. More rare, the red glow Aurora results from interactions with high-altitude oxygen up to 200 miles above the earth. Blue and purplish-red Auroras stem from Nitrogen.
Around 1880 scientists believed the Aurora resulted from sunspot activity. This was confirmed in the 1950’s through work with the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. There they used balloons and measuring devices to study the atmosphere providing a decade long accumulation of data.
Think of the sun as a spinning top in the center of our solar system. Temperatures in the millions of degrees Celsius above surface of the sun cause gases to collide with explosive forces. These massive and forceful collisions split the atoms apart, throwing charged electrons and protons out into space through holes in the sun’s magnetic field. These fast-moving charged particles are known as the solar winds.
The magnetic field of the earth causes most of the particles to bounce off into space, protecting our home. However, the north and south poles have the weakest magnetic fields, so some of the particles get through, colliding with the atmospheric gases and producing the Aurora. While it is hard to imagine standing on the ground looking up, the moving strands of excited gas molecules generally occupy the space between 50 miles and 400 miles above the surface of the earth.
All of these images were taken in southern Iceland during the summer months. The conditions have to be just right, including a clear sky, no light pollution from manmade lights or the sun, and strong solar winds. Summer-time in Iceland has very short periods of dark night-skies and even then the horizon stays bright from the sun that just barely sets. Over a ten day period, we tried three times to photograph the Aurora and were only successful this one night.
I was part of a small group in a photography workshop led by the Leica Store Miami. In a future article I will share some day-time images of Iceland, a truly magnificent landscape full of its own natural colors. I will also share the benefits I have found in attending photography workshops, no matter the size and scope.
(left) "Children’s Games" - 1560, Pieter Bruegel, The Elder, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Leica Q at f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO 3200.
(right) Detail of "The Kiss" - 1908/1909, Gustav Klimt, Upper Belvedere Palace, Vienna. Leica Q at f/5, 1/250 sec, ISO 6400.
(above) "Hunters in the Snow" - 1565), Pieter Bruegel, The Elder, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Leica S007 & Summarit-S 70mm at f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO 1600.
THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF
Art
by ALBERT KNAPP MD & RUTH ORATZ MD
Photographing art is a unique niche of photography as art. In 2005, Albert published “The Challenges of Museum Photography” in Viewfinder (Volume 38.4, pgs. 15-18).
We recently traveled through Germany and Austria with a particular goal of visiting some of the world’s greatest art museums. Berlin, Dresden and Vienna house extensive and fine collections of rare antiquities, Old Masters, fine porcelain, objects made of ivory and gold and gemstones, Impressionists and Expressionists and Secessionists.
To engage more closely with these spectacular artworks we undertook to photograph them. But, how to show the original art work at its very best, how to enhance the colors in a painting while remaining true to the artist’s palette, delineate the texture of brushstrokes or render 3 dimensional sculpture into a 2 dimensional format? Museums today utilize scientific methodology in the organization, restoration, preservation and displaying of artwork. Special attention is paid to original materials and techniques, requirements for temperature and humidity control, considerations of natural or artificial lighting, and effects of UV radiation. Some pieces are behind glass; others glare because of the shiny high gloss finish of the paint itself. Window reflections, shadows from frames and fixtures also pose impediments to capturing the work directly in the camera.
Museums have changed in other ways over the last decade. Large crowds often fill the galleries. They now expect that visitors will snap pictures of the pictures with their phones, point and shoots and even an occasional Leica S or Q. Museum photography was once a furtive sport where you matched your wit and cunning against the beleaguered guards. This is no longer true. But they have not given up entirely: Flash remains prohibited as it can destabilize the pigment and tripods are forbidden for fear that “professionals” might use the files for commercial purposes.
Digital photography has radically altered the technology and technique of photographing art. Albert now uses both the Leica M10 with a 50 mm f/2 APO ASPH as well as the Leica S (Typ 007) coupled to the 70 mm f/2.5 ASPH. Ruth relies on her easy to handle Leica Q with a 28mm f/1.7 ASPH. These excellent Leica cameras also have their specific attributes. The M10 is light and less noisy but parallax is an annoying problem. The Leica S is heavier, has greater resolution and is more reliable for accurate framing. Although the fixed wide angle of the Leica Q is limiting in some circumstances, it is ideal for large artworks and details. Ruth’s feet provide the perfect zoom in the confines of a museum gallery!
There is no doubt that the digital improvement in functional ISO is the most important technical advance for indoor
Leica S007 & Summarit-S 70mm at f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO 1600.
museum photography. With all three Leicas, one can safely use ISO 1600. Also, all Leica lenses are optimized for wide-open apertures. Practically, this means that effective speeds of 1/90 to 1/125 sec further increased by exposure compensation can be achieved. As a general rule, a sharp picture can be obtained at a speed that is equal to 2 or 3 times the focal length. This is not a problem for the Q, but the M and S are borderline in this regard.
Therefore working with both the M and the S requires proper position directly in front of the artwork, steady handholding and then exhale slowly and take multiple pictures in continuous mode of the artwork. Over the years Albert has found that the first picture in continuous mode is very often the best, but the second, third or fourth pictures may also be superb and sharp. It is critical to eschew coffee or other caffeinated products, relax, and take the time needed to minimize camera shake and truly enjoy the experience of visualizing the original artwork clearly seen through a Leica viewfinder. This is a skill that is learned and practiced. Don’t forget to take a photograph of the museum description label for accurate referencing in keywords and metadata.
The true joy in photographing art comes in the post-process, courtesy of Lightroom. After baseline processing using your preset, group the photographs of the same artwork together then compare in the “C” mode. Select the sharpest file with the highest magnification and discard the rest. Then white balance the photograph cautiously: take note that many museums still rely on antiquated lighting systems that seriously distort the artworks’ color temperature and that many artists did not paint their works with an ideal color temperature in mind. Also pigments and substrates have altered color value over time. With color accuracy as a goal, search the Internet for a representational photograph and balance accordingly so as to achieve a realistic rendition. Adjust contrast and selectively increase highlights or shadows judiciously, as these are powerful tools with which subtle moves can result in drastic effects. Then eliminate keystoning or other artifacts in the transform mode. For a photograph that is not perfectly sharp, turn to Photoshop for rescue and select a high pass filter with soft light or overlay, but again use this tool gently so as to preclude artifact. A mask is helpful if only select areas are “unsharp.”
We feel that in photographing paintings in museums it is best to eliminate the decorative frame; this is a distracting element, not created by the artist and is usually out of focus given that the lens is wide open. Occasionally, one will experience varnish-mediated glare or frame-induced shadows due to the vagaries of museum lighting. These two problems are easily addressed by the brush function in Lightroom by either lightening the shadow area or in the case of glare, cutting down on highlights and whites.
The photography of art in the digital age requires a modicum of technical skill, practice and patience. It may not be the ultimate in personal artistic expression but it most definitely augments our personal viewing and pleasure of fine art. The choice of what and how to photograph, means that we are indeed spending more time with each painting, sculpture, object, that we are looking more closely and seeing more deeply. This process enhances our love of the visual arts as participants not merely observers. By photographing the work we are connecting with it, creating our own images as well as embedding memory and shared emotion, with one another and perhaps with an artist from another time and place.
When done with care, photographing art can provide a nice database and many pleasant recollections. For now the technical limitation is undoubtedly the maximum ISO. While ISO 1600 is certainly fast, it is not quite fast enough. With the development of newer CMOS sensors, we are sanguine that the effective Leica ISO will exceed 3200 or even 6400 which, when coupled with the fast wideopen Leica lenses, will allow baseline exposures of 1/250 or greater that will obviate all camera shake and photo sharpness issues.
(this page) Ruth Oratz MD & "The Rainer Boy" - 1910, Egon Schiele, Upper Belvedere Palace, Vienna. Leica S007 & Summarit-S 70mm at F/2.5, 1/60 sec, ISO 1600.
(left) "The Glass of Wine" - 1661/1662, Jan Vermeer, Gemaldegalerie, Berlin. Leica S007 & Summarit-S 70mm at f/2.5, 1/180 sec, ISO 1600. (right) Head of a Male, Terra Cotta, Nicosia, Cyprus (7th C BCE), Neues Museum, Berlin. Leica Q at f/2.8, 1/500 sec, ISO 6400.
(left) "The Abduction of Ganymede" - 1635, Rembrandt, Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, Zwinger Palace, Dresden. Leica S007 & Summarit-S 70mm at f/2.5, 1/90 sec, ISO 1600. (right) The Yellow Mask II - 1910, Max Pechstein, Leopold Museum, Vienna. Leica S007 Summarit-S 70mm at f/2.5, 1/180 sec, ISO 1600.
You are invited to join Bill Rosauer, LHSA Viewfinder Editor and President Emeritus, on a personal guided tour of Wetzlar & Leitz Park. Our group will be limited to fifteen participants.
Highlights will include:
Tour of Leitz Park, including the Factory, Customer Care Department and Museum. In addition, we have many special events planned at Leitz Park, including meeting with Stefan Daniel and Peter Karbe, Head of Lens Design at Leica. President Emeritus Jim Lager will participate in a special extended visit to the Leica Archives at Leitz Park. Leica AG will also provide loaner cameras and lenses to our group during our visit.
In old Wetzlar, you will stand on the very spot where Oskar Barnack took one of the first images with the Ur-Leica. We will visit the old Leitz factory Hochhaus and adjacent Administration Building, the historic Hausertor Werke where the Leica was originally made, and also the site of the historic Board Meeting of 1924 when Ernst Leitz II made the fateful decision to take the risk to make the Leica. A visit with Lars Netopil, VP of Leica Historica is planned at his shop and
gallery in Wetzlar. During this visit, you will have a chance to obtain a personalized copy of Lars Netopil’s new book, “Museum Leica”.
Exclusive for our tour, we will be the special guests of Knut Kühn-Leitz, grandson of Ernst Leitz II for a personal guided tour of Haus Friedwart, the Leitz family home.
We are in the final planning phase now, with the tour scheduled for the week of May 19 to May 24, 2019, with our home base being the Hotel Ernst Leitz at Leitz Park. The tour includes six nights double occupancy lodging (single at additional cost), meals (alcohol not included) and transportation when required to tour locations. Participants are responsible for their own air fare and transportation to Leitz Park.
Regular price for this tour will be $ 5,995.00. LHSA members will receive a special $500 discount from the regular tour price.
If you are interested in joining us and want more details:
derleicaman@gmail.com • www.derleicamantours.com
LEICA PHOTOREPORTAGE IN 1930'S GERMANY EXHIBITION IN MILANO 1932
by JIM LAGER
The postcard shows Vittorio Emanuele III walking past the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar booth. The date? Almost cetainly 1932 as the oversize Leica II is prominently positioned on the counter top.
by JIM LAGER
The title of the 80 page soft cover 4 ¾ x 6 ½ inch book is Mit der Leica als Berufsphotograph und Bildberichterstatter - loosely translated as "Professional Photography & Photo Reportage with the Leica." A small booklet (circa 1933-1935) that is unknown outside of the German market. Many of the photos were taken in available light with the Leica II and III and 5cm Hektor, 5cm Summar, and 7.3cm Hektor. Personalities of the period include Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, and von Moltke.
Dust cover showing photographer on ladder for better vantage point.
At the Leitz Booth Milano 1932
Dust cover removed. Author Alfred Klein.
AN UNUSUAL 35MM f/3.5 ELMAR
by DICK GILCREAST
you ever wonder how Eisenstaedt got that famous available light shot of the girl in the box at the La Scala Opera House with such a nice flat field when using his wide angle lens wide open? Or Stackpole's wide angle shot of the Mayor of Paoli reading a newspaper on Main Street, perfectly sharp from the newspaper four feet away to the clock face on top of the town hall tower way across the street? Both pictures were made in the 1930's using Leitz wide angle 35mm f/3.5 Elmar lenses. And both pictures reveal both deep depth and a very flat field. The first shot was made wide open with focus only about four or five feet away, with the distant tiers of balcony boxes somewhat beyond the depth of field, but showing no curvature. And the second showed sharp and deep depth at a small aperture all the way from four feet at the bottom of the frame to infinity at the top edge.
Most of us old timers have tried 35mm Elmars at one point or another and found them almost always to have a more or less curved field, especially wide open. This is also true of the 35mm f/3.5 Summarons. Well, some early 35 Elmars did have flat fields, and some of those selected 35 Elmars were used by professionals well into the 1950's - such as by the two photographers above, as well as in W. Eugene Smith's famous Spanish Village and Nurse Midwife photo essays, for instance. After that there were no really flat field 35's until the first Summicron came out in 1958 - along with that unbelievably wide f/2 aperture!
Back then, as with all lenses, there was (and still is) some variation in performance levels between individual examples. A pro would test several examples of a lens anq pick the one he found best exhibited the qualities he wanted. A flat field
(left) The lens is set at its closest 19 inch distance. The closest marked distance is 2 feet, the "2" seen close to the slow speed dial. Film tests confirm distances at both settings from focal plane to subject.
(right) The focus lever of this 35mm Elmar is located at the 12 o'clock position when mounted on a Leica. The lens has the standardized "0" mark, but is not rangefinder coupled. And, being a close-focus version, almost the entire circle of the lens flange is used for the distance scale down to 19 inches.
was one of those desired qualities. But what happened to that selected lens after the pro used it? It might have been kept for backup, or sold to a fellow photog, or bought by a collector. That means very few of the best examples of a particular lens are rarely ever found on the used market.
Well, once in a while one might come along. This may be one of them. It is a 35mm f/3.5 Elmar, in early nickel finish. Its first unusual feature is the focus lever, with no infinity lock, which stands at the 12 o'clock position - straight up - when the lens is mounted on a camera. On closer examination the lens has no serial number and no rangefinder coupling, but it does have a standardized "O" on the mount. The lack of coupling puts the year of manufacture no later than 1931. Or possibly 1930, having had the standardized mount fitted to it in 1931. The focus scale is calibrated in feet, with a complete depth of field scale, and - even more interesting - it goes down to closeup focus somewhat beyond the closest marked distance of two feet! The calibration in feet would make it intended as an import to England or the U.S. It is uncoated, of course, still fairly clean inside, with aperture blades in good condition and moving freely as though it was kept in shape for use. Evidence
of black repainting in the inside rear of the mount might indicate disassembly for cleaning at some point, but it was never rangefinder coupled.
Once tried out on a camera, its performance is impressive. Wide open it is quite evenly sharp over the whole field, contrast not too low even with its lack of coating, and it handles bright light at the edges of the field well. But the big surprise is that it has a very flat field! Even wide open! Next checked was the minimum focus, the closest marked two foot setting accurate when measured with a yardstick, and the unmarked closest focus testing out to be 19 inches from the focal plane.
It might have been the property of an amateur or pro who got it to use in its early days, and who then perhaps kept it and continued to use it on a standardized camera without a rangefinder? The 12 o'clock lever would suggest that the lens is a very early example, possibly a prototype, or maybe modified when changed to "0" mount in 1931? But it does have that flat field, and might have been kept for that reason.
(bel0w) All vignetting in the corners gone by f/6.3, this scene shows the central green in the small town of Washington, in south-central NH.
Researching close-focus 35 Elmars, the author has seen four reported, all scaled in meters. One was reported by B. Bawendi in the British Leica Society Newsletter (No. 86, 2009. p. 22,) with a picture of the lens not mounted on a camera. A second is mentioned in Dennis Laney's Leica Collectors Guide (1992 Ed., page 142) listing a lens under "variations" focusing to 0.5 meters, not illustrated. A third is shown in a photo in Jim Lager's Leica Illustrated Guide II (1978, paperbound) on page 16, upper left, showing 35 Elmar No. 107 mounted on a non-standard Leica C. It is also scaled in meters, with standard 11 o'clock focus lever. The same photo is seen in Lager's later Leica: An Illustrated History, Volume II - Lenses (1994, hardbound) on page 15, plus a second non-standardized metric 35 Elmar No. 585 shown mounted on Leica C No. 53585. It also has an 11 o'clock mount, and the angle of the photo shows a depth of field scale.
This early 35mm Elmar is still very usable, but more importantly it provides an interesting look into the newest gear that became available to a photographer beginning in 1930, and for that matter all the 90 years since. Imagine, in those days of tripoded 5x7 and larger glass plate photography, being able to easily handhold an exposure - combining enough width and depth and speed together - to cover and stop the action in a large area of activity such as in a flooded town square? We have seen that was what Barnack was aiming for in the slightly narrower 40mm pictures he made in 1920, and the resulting wider angle 35mm lens that came from his efforts is still one of the most used focal lengths, being copied and produced by all camera makers from then on into the present digital era. It was Oscar Barnack and Prof. Max Berek - with the help of Ernst Leitz II -who invented it!
(below) The town's river seen from a bridge made with the Elmar wide open at f/3.5 to show the flat field and sharpness from edge to edge. Focus was at infinity. The color negative film helps to minimize the corner vignetting.
(left) This angle was picked to illustrate the flat field of the 35mm Elmar, made during a recent NH covered bridge shoot with friend and fellow Viewfinder author Norm Woodward. Focus was set at about 15 feet, with Norm about 12 feet away. Aperture was set at f/4.5, and examination of the depth of field scale showed depth from 9 feet to 50 feet. Look at the relatively sharp telephone pole and wires at the far right edge. It demonstrates the flat field. A lens having a positive curvature of fieldwhere focus is closer to the camera around the edges of the frame - would not be able to render the distant pole and wires as clearly as this at the edge of the frame, especially when it's beyond the DOF limit.
(above) A scene on a Peterborough NH town street with depth from the close flowers almost to infinity. Handheld exposure at f/18. Focus was at a pre-set 6 feet, the DOF scale showing depth from a little over 3 feet to 50 feet.
(above) Closest focus on flowers at 19 inches, using the camera strap to measure distance to central blooms. Aperture f/18 for maximum depth.
