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ISSN 1543-8732
PRESIDENT Brad Husick Medina, WA
EXEC.VICE PRESIDENT
David Knoble Charlotte, NC
VP / TREASURER William Fagan Dublin, Ireland
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Keith R. Sbiral Chicago, IL
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
James L. Lager
Rolf Fricke Bill Rosauer
APPOINTED OFFICERS Viewfinder Editor
Bill Rosauer
Buffalo Grove, IL lhsaeditor@yahoo.com
Associate Viewfinder Editors Ed Schwartzreich Waterbury, VT
Amitava "Chats" Chatterjee Manassas, VA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Richard Rejino Dallas, TX
ELECTED DIRECTORS
Class of 2023
Sandra Eisert Redmond, WA
Robert Levite Coral Gables, FL
Ashwin Rao Seattle,WA
Jonathan Slack United Kingdom
Class of 2024
Amitava "Chats" Chatterjee Manassas, VA
Wilbur Norman Sante Fe, NM
John Pegouske Dearborn, MI
David Spielman New Orleans, LA
Class of 2025
Henry Berman Chestnut Hill, MA
Bill Royce Prescott, AZ
Hari Subramanyan Heidelberg, Germany
Kirsten Vignes Minneapolis, MN
SENIOR DIRECTORS
Gary Hough Woodinville, WA
Douglas Drumheller Pittsburgh, PA
Alan Weinschel Roslyn Heights, NY
Contributing Editors
James L. Lager Closter, NJ
S.R. Gilcreast Jr. Peterborough, NH
S. Willis Wright Port Washington, NY
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
by BILL ROSAUER
Another great issue of Viewfinder, thanks to our wonderfully talented contributors and Kirsten Vignes’ fantastic job on layout. It’s a wonderful mix of Leica history, Leica and Leica-related gear, Leica technique and wonderful Leica photography.
With this issue of Viewfinder, we come to the end of Brad’s term as president. Congratulations Brad on a job well done! David Knoble will be the new incoming president of the LSI. Both have president’s pages in this issue.
Lita Sands, shares her experience on becoming a street photographer with her article, “Learning to See People”. Her transition began after a meditation workshop with a Buddhist monk from Nepal and attending her first workshop with Ricahrd Sexton in New Orleans. As she says, street photography was never her thing. She was a landscape photographer who waited for the people to leave the scene in front of her before pressing the shutter to make an image. I think you will agree that work as a street photographer is fantastic and she really connects with her subjects. Might be time for you to consider following Lita’s lead and doing some street photography yourself!
Mark Bohrer brings some really excellent photography in this issue with his article on photographing Death Valley’s Ibex Sand Dunes. Mark has some really good tips in his article on how to get really good composition in your images. Mark and I go back to Junior High when we both worked in the same camera store after school. We’ve maintained our friendship and love for Leica for over 50 years, and it is wonderful that we are still “Leica Guys”.
Ed Schwartzreich’s article on a new lens from Light Lens Labs, their copy of the Cooke Speed Panchro S2 50/2. Light Lens Lab has been introducing a steady stream of exciting lenses since their original re-make of the Eight Element Summicron 35 of a few years ago. One might consider this Cine lens a bit esoteric , but as Ed explains, a strong case can be made for considering this lens for your arsenal as one who “knows from nothing” about these types of lenses. Ed gives us some insightful background on this lens, including discussions with Mr. Zhou of Light Lens Labs. Ed also shares some of his images from testing the lens, Showing the results that can be achieved with it. He finds it to be a very unique lens and that many Leica still photographers should consider checking it out.
Jonathan Slack brings us a thorough review of the exciting new Leica Q3 camera. We had to save Jono’s review for this issue as we
were full up on the last issue. I think you will agree that it was worth the wait. We can hardly wait to see what exciting new products Leica will introduce at the Celebration of Photography in a few weeks! You can be sure we will have Jono’s take here in the pages of Viewfinder.
Alvis Upitis’s story of One Camera One Lens, namely the Leica M2 and 35 Summicron he used to document the international racing scene of the 1960’s. It is amazing the results that Alvis obtained with this simple setup, when most photographers on the circuit were using Nikon SLRs with massive telephoto lenses on them. Alvis’s non-intimidating style enabled him to get “up close and personal” with his Leica, becoming more of an intimate observer of these racing greats. You can see how at ease his subjects were around Alvis and his Leica, when he was literally an arm’s length away from them.
Dick Gilcreast shows us how versatile a simple Leica rangefinder can be with a single 50mm lens. With the screw mount Leica and collapsible 50mm lens, you can easily slip this setup into a pocket, and with the modern film emulsions of today, get some really excellent results.
Bill Royce shows us how you can “virtually” add a wide-angle lens to your bag, when you encounter a scene where you “wish” you had brought along a super wide when you only had a 50 or a 35 with your Leica outfit on that outing. Bill outlines a post-processing method where you can merge images to get that panoramic image after your return home. It’s a great option easily accomplished after following Bill’s step by step.
Jim Lager with an article on some interesting prototype lenses from Ernst Leitz Canada that unfortunately never made it into production. I really appreciate Jim’s dedicated documentation of these Leica rarities, sharing them with us here in the pages of Viewfinder
Alan Stokes has a very interesting article in this issue on the difficult time period in post-WWI Germany of the hyperinflation which had its peak in 1923, when the value of the German Mark was being devalued on a daily basis. As a result of Germany not being able to pay its loans and war reparations, the government resorted to printing more money, which created the hyperinflation. This is a cautionary tale for the governments of today! Alan shows us several Leitz Gutschein (voucher) notes printed by Leitz, to be used for purchasing essential food stuffs from local merchants in Wetzlar at agreed-upon prices. Leitz, being the paternalistic company they were known for, felt they had to do something to help their employees survive and provide food for themselves and their families. Good friend Holger Dietz helped out with the translation of the declaration of the local merchants who would participate in supplying essential food supplies at set prices for the Leitz employees.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Wetzlar for the annual meeting! Bis nächste zeit! - Bill
A LETTER FROM THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT
by BRAD HUSICK
Dear LSI Members and Readers,
This is my last letter to you as President of LSI. It’s been an honor to serve you these past two years, and I’m delighted to hand the reins to our new President, David Knoble. He has been a fantastic Exec VP and will be an outstanding, steady leader for LSI. William Fagan moves into the Exec VP position, and he’s our ever-present voice keeping the I (international) in LSI. We welcome Henry Berman from our board of directors to the newly vacated VP and Treasurer position. Henry has years of experience working for non-profits and is a great asset and friend.
We have many achievements to celebrate together over the past two years, all of which were team efforts at LSI. Membership has increased to over 2500 worldwide. We have nurtured our social media platforms and now enjoy the company of more than 40,000 followers. We have gone from a financial loss to solid ground with reserves that make it possible to offer our members even better experiences. Our relationship with Leica Camera AG and US has never been closer or better aligned. We designed and established our new identity, evolving from LHSA to LSI. We designed and built an entirely new website with a modern back-end to accommodate our growth. We implemented a new Google ads program using grant funds from Google, and we’re happy to say it is bringing new members to LSI.
We had wonderful experiences at our Seattle, Colorado Springs, Dublin, New Jersey, and Rome conferences. We gather again at the Mothership in Wetzlar for an unforgettable event in October. Porto, Portugal will be the site of our next European Spring Shoot.
We established a new Sustaining Member program for our most enthusiastic supporters, and we’re delighted to see that more than 150 of you are participating. We thank you from the bottom of our camera base plates. We also set up the Corporate Sustaining Member program and are proud to have them join us. Please give them your business. Together with Oberwerth, we introduced two entirely new camera bags with our unique design, and with Rock & Roll Straps, we launched the Film Straps with LSI branding. Our annual Photo Grant program for rising photographers now includes a new Leica camera (thanks to Leica Camera USA) and
increased grant awards. We also set up a new LSI merchandise store on the website, and hundreds of our members are now sporting LSI logo gear. We reached out to our most generous supporters and established the LSI Wetzlar Circle donor program.
There are a few LSI people I owe my sincere thanks to. Alan Weinschel, past President of LSI, has been my mentor and consigliere. Gary Hough, who rescued this organization from certain doom and cajoled me into serving, is my dear friend and a big reason LSI is here today. Richard Rejino, a.k.a. “Thomas the Tank Engine,” is the delightful colleague who drives everything we do and without whom our events wouldn’t happen. Sandra Eisert, my brilliant, lovely friend, and LSI board member, gave me the harshest feedback on my photography and forever made me better; thank you. Bill Rosauer, our Viewfinder editor and past President, it’s been a delight working with you. Kirsten Vignes, thank you for your inspired design work on Viewfinder . Chris Herbert, thank you for jumping into LSI with vigor, and Blake Mistich, one of our newest and strongest enthusiasts, you will be key to the future of LSI, and I thank you for all your support. And thank you to the entire LSI board for the experience you bring to our growth.
My friends at Leica: Andreas (Dr.Kaufmann), my friend and spiritual leader of all things Leica, thank you for bringing LSI under Leica Camera's wing and seeing our members as the best representatives of Leica in the world. Andrea Pacella, the voice of Leica everywhere, it seems like we just met, and at the same time, we have been comrades forever. Stefan Daniel brings us all the most marvelous things to play with. Peter Karbe is the lens master who achieves the impossible. Stephan Schulz reminds us daily that there’s more to the world than “M.” Mike Giannattasio - Evangelist Extraordinaire who must never sleep. Kiran Karnani - Master of Marketing reminds us that lasting images come from people of all types around the world. David Garcia-Nelles, without whom our Wetzlar event never would have happened.
And thank you to all our friends at Leica Camera who give us all the reason to come together as photographers and share our special moments.
In your service, Brad
A LETTER FROM THE INCOMING PRESIDENT
by DAVID KNOBLE
Dear Members of the Leica Society International,
Firstly, allow me to express my deep gratitude to our former president, Brad Husick. His steadfast leadership and unyielding commitment to our society have both strengthened our foundation and illuminated the path we walk today. Brad’s invaluable contributions have indeed left an indelible mark on LSI, and it is with great honor and responsibility that I step into his shoes.
The core of LSI has always been a sanctuary for Leica camera enthusiasts. A place where we gather to delve deeper into the art of photography, share our masterpieces, and reminisce about the historical significance of Leica cameras. Our mission is not just to celebrate the legacy of Leica but to ensure that every member, whatever their skill level, feels a part of this grand narrative.
I am thrilled at the relationships we have with all of our corporate sponsors and the values they bring to our members whether it be special LSI gear, true silver halide photographs, world-wide
destination workshops, new gear to try, and focused Akademie opportunities. This collaboration and our own LSI programming promise a plethora of opportunities for you, our members. to learn, grow, and excel in your personal photographic endeavors.
Sustainability is a cornerstone of our vision for LSI. Ensuring the continued growth and vitality of our society is imperative. In this regard, reaching out to and engaging with Leica enthusiasts who are yet unfamiliar with our society is crucial. It is our collective responsibility to extend a warm invitation to them, acquainting them with who we are and the incredible journey we offer.
Furthermore, in this digital age, we recognize the importance of both online and in-person interactions. We are committed to exploring innovative ways for our members to connect. These interactions are vital for learning, sharing our captivating works, and celebrating the art and craft of photography - all of which represent the very fabric of our community.
In closing, I am profoundly humbled and excited by the opportunity to serve as your president. Together, let’s continue to foster a space of learning, sharing, and celebrating the magic that is photography and Leica cameras.
In your service, David Knoble
Carrying A Solo 50
by DICK GILCREAST
There are times when one wants to travel or walk around with no more than a single small camera to record what is happening. A screw-mount Leica with a collapsible 50mm lens can be quite small, carryable anywhere in a pocket, but it will be very useful when it gets there! These shots were made at a neighborhood junior school soccer match which included two grandkids.
A 50mm lens can be a good length for close portraiture, but it can also record middle-distance action as on the field here. The shots can be printed full frame when the action is close, but when the action is farther away, the pictures can be cropped square to produce the effect of a 75 or 85mm tele shot, since the short dimension of the 50 frame is the same as the long dimension of a 75. This was done with the shot of the goal attempt. The other was cropped only slightly at one end. Even further cropping won't
emphasize the grain from one of the modern color negative films such as Kodak Gold 200 or 400 Ultramax, both currently available, as seen from my cameras during recent years in Viewfinder.
Fast color negative film can work in any lighting - especially with an f/2 lens as in a place like a theater - but it can also very usable in daylight when working at higher shutter speeds on the field of action. And one important point is that these films can be exposed as much as two stops over or under the "ideal" metered value due to their great latitude, thus allowing guesstimated exposures without any metering needed inside or outside the camera. The automatic printing machines at the processing station, and their operators, will correct any variations in exposure, producing excellent print quality, without the need for the post-editing of digital capture. or any of the equipment required for that process.
The camera used here was a Leica Illc with 50mm f/2 Summitar. In this daylight an older f/3.5 Elmar would have given equal results, but the reason for carrying the f/2 lens is to be ready for indoor
work without flash. Any M or SM Leica has an excellent rangefinder which will put the focus exactly where wanted during the action in a complicated frame, where autofocus can have trouble finding the correct target, and then the Leica shutter will trip instantly when the moment for the shot is seen in the unblinking viewfinder.
So, since the 50 can handle the close people and middle-distance action, even with a little cropping, the single small camera can cover many activities without any backup. It can sometimes be useful to have a second lens or camera with a wider angle of view to get the whole scene in an introductory shot, but it is not essential, as the 50 can do a pretty good job just by backing off a little, or by joining two or more pictures together. Therefore the single camera and lens - along with that very useful color negative film can travel anywhere and photograph anything, in any lighting whether metered or not, and almost always without the need for flash.
Adding a Wide Angle Lens to Your Bag
by BILL ROYCE
You might find yourself out shooting one day with just a 50mm lens on your full-format (FX) camera, or in the case of an APS-C camera (DX), just a 35mm lens. You might then encounter a scene that demands a wider view than your standard lens can cover. How can you effectively shoot this scene and get a satisfactory result?
First, you should understand the angle of view of your standard lens and the wide angle lens you wish you had. For this example, the scene demands the angle of view of your 35mm (FX) lens or your 23mm (DX) lens.
The following lens data is worth understanding, with approximate field of view (FOV) values:
With this information, you can see that if you rotated your full-format camera to the portrait orientation with a 50mm lens on it, and shot just two exposures with no overlap you would approximate the field of view of your 35mm lens.
The scene you would like to capture approximates the view of a 35mm (FX) or 23mm (DX) lens. (upper image)
Using the FOV information in the above table, you can use the standard 50mm lens (FX equivalent), shoot in the portrait orientation and place the two images side by side to get approximately the same view. The 35mm (FX) image is 54 x 38 degrees, and the two images below it are a total of 54 x 40 degrees FOV. Note, these images don’t precisely align with each other, but the merge process can fix this. (middle images)
In the case of the DX (APS-C) format, the resulting total FOV is nearly the same (50 deg horizontal, 37 deg vertical)
Now the challenge is merging the images using a panorama merge. Merging these two images will likely be unsuccessful, since panoramic merges need at least a 25-40% overlap. Clearly, two images are simply not going to be enough.
The solution? Take a third image, overlapping (in the middle) the two images you wish to combine, and then perform the panorama merge.
The scene must be static. You need not be precise about the amount of overlap and for daylight scenes, where your shutter speed is acceptably high, you can do the sequence hand-held. You can estimate the amount of overlap by carefully placing the edge of each frame before pressing the shutter release button. It can be useful to use the frame lines in your viewfinder to help you correctly frame sequential shots, although Photoshop and Lightroom will correct for minor mis-alignments during the merge process.
With minor tweaking, the result is quite pleasing and fulfills your requirement for a wide angle image that spans the view you wish to capture. (bottom image)
Once you have completed the panoramic merge, you can crop as needed.
There is another benefit worth mentioning: The merged panorama will be much larger in pixel dimensions than a single wide angle image by itself. The merged image will have enough pixels from the combined images to do a wall-size enlargement.
A similar result could be done to approximate the FOV of a 21mm (FX) or 14mm (DX) lens, simply by overlapping three 35mm (FX) or a 23mm (DX) lens images as above.
Traveling light does not always mean you have lost the benefit of that extra lens you left behind!
35mm Summilux-M
Pano Result
50mm APO M
Learning How to See People
by LITA SANDS
In my life, I have had two great teachers who have taught me how to see.
One is a Buddhist monk from Nepal and the other is a photographer from New Orleans. Separated by over 8,000 miles, they have taught me how to see the beauty in everything around me. And this is what I learned.
Street photography was never my thing. I was a landscape photographer who would wait for the people to leave before I clicked the shutter. A psychiatrist on a workshop once told me that “we should talk.”
I valued isolation and treasured the weekends with my husband. As two introverts, we could spend the day hiking with our dogs. We desired a place to live where all you heard was nature, where the noise of neighbors would not pierce our peace and quiet.
When I first took a meditation workshop with Yonge Mingyur Rinpoche, he taught us that life was people.
How much we are interconnected. How our lives could not be lived without all the hundreds, thousands, millions of people who grow our food, teach our children, care for our sick. Life is people.
I would think about that a lot.
My first workshop with Richard Sexton in New Orleans was street photography with the Leica Monochrom. We shot the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Still very shy about photographing people, I found that New Orleans was the perfect place to learn since everyone was thrilled to have their picture taken (especially with a few libations in the mix). What I captured surprised me.
There is both joy and menace in these photos. A child’s first parade. An evil clown. A beautiful woman walking in the dark.
New Orleans holds this magnificent tension of extraordinary people surrounded by an ever-present existential threat of crime and floods that makes everything burn brighter.
It is this impermanence that brings life into such sharp focus.
I don’t think I could ever replicate this beauty in any other city. Living close to NYC, I’ve certainly tried. But there is something so romantic about this fragile city with such extravagant beginnings that is crumbling before our eyes. It feels like the last true place where the arts still hold sway, where opening a window is like tuning into a radio station, where people have absolutely no problem being their unique, beautiful selves, happy to see and to be seen, and where perfect strangers will invite you to their table when they see you are alone.
Whatever it is, New Orleans has created a hunger for me to return again and again. And I return safe in knowing that no matter how many times I shoot there, I will always see something new.
Because life is people.
The Leica Lei c a
Q3
by JONATHAN SLACK
Orange & Blue. Leica Q3. Shot at f/1.8, 1/8000th sec, ISO 100.
Theoriginal Leica Q (Typ 116) was released on June 10th, 2015, It was a real surprise, with lots of novel features and was a big success for Leica.
The Q2 arrived on 7th March 2019. It was the same basic concept with a lot of useful updates:
• New Full Frame 47mp Image sensor
• Weather-sealed, dust and splash-proof
• New, faster Maestro family processing engine
• Same Summilux f/1.7 28mm Asph lens
• New OLED EVF 3.68mp (same resolution as Q but clearer)
• Higher capacity battery (the same as the Leica SL)
• Faster top electronic shutter speed (1/40,000th sec)
• New 3 button user interface (similar to Leica CL)
• Touchscreen functionality on the LCD
• Improved digital zoom with framelines for (28), 35, 50 & 75mm
• Improved Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
It was a big list! The Q2 has become a hugely popular travel camera, and is in use today with hundreds of photographers, sometimes as a second camera but often as a first camera. It's so good that I know several professional photographers who use it as their primary camera.
In May I was at the LSI (Leica Society International) Spring Shoot in Rome, where I think there were more Q2’s visible than M cameras and L cameras put together!
The Q2 was such a success that Leica then brought out the Q2 Monochrom.
If you're interested, you can find my writeups for the Q2, Q2 Monochrom and original Q (Typ 116) at https://www.slack. co.uk/ or using the QR codes at the end of this article.
Azzuro - the most wonderful Italian Restaurant. Leica Q3. Shot at f/3.5, 1/2500th sec, ISO 100.
(top) Pike Place Pencil. Leica Q3. Shot at f/5.6, 1/2000th sec, ISO 1250. (bottom) Last Year's Bracken. Leica Q3. Shot at f/2.8, 1/160th sec, ISO 100.
The Leica Q3
So, today (May 25 th, 2023) Leica has released the Q3. I've had one for several months now, and in this article, I'll discuss the improvements (or otherwise) in relation to the Q2. Changes:
• New 60 mp BSI back-illuminated CMOS sensor (Similar to the M11)
• USB-C and Mini HDMI connectors
• Phase-Detection AutoFocusing (PDAF)
• Tilting LCD
• Improved Bluetooth & WiFi
• Small, medium, and full-sized DNG and / or JPG files (60.3 mp / 36.5 mp / 18.6 mp )
• Reliable Geotagging in conjunction with Leica Fotos
• Updated rear button layout
• Long exposures are possible (with any combination of ISO and shutter speed) and Long Exposure Noise Reduction can be disabled.
• One additional function button
• USB-C Charging
• Optional Grip enabling wireless charging
• Better resolution EVF 5,760,000 dots with a magnification of 0.79
• Digital Zoom now has 28, 35, 50, 75 and 90mm framelines
• Leica Looks
The Body
The Leica Q3 has the same, wonderful 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens as its predecessors, This is certainly a case of “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.” However, there are changes to the rear of the body.
TILTING
LCD
Leica has been doing their research, and the most requested new feature was a tilting rear monitor (it doesn’t twist) . This will save you dirty knees when photographing that toadstool, and allow you to take photographs over the heads of the crowd at any event or concert.
This has been very nicely implemented. Most of us will have the screen behaviour set to EVF Extended (so that menus and review comes up on the rear screen LCD and the EVF is used
for framing and shooting). If you pull out the tilting LCD then the camera assumes that's how you will be framing and the LCD switches on. When you push it back in it reverts to EVF Extended. Excellent!
USB-C & MINI HDMI CONNECTORS
There is a new port on the left-hand side of the camera (looking from the back). This contains a USB-C port and a mini HDMI connector. The door itself is plastic and it is hinged on two rubbery strips attached to the camera body so it pulls clear. It seems to me that this is a much better solution than a hinged door (however tough) because if it breaks it won't be part of the camera and should be easily replaced.
UPDATED REAR BUTTON LAYOUT
This is a bit more controversial. The three Play-FunctionMenu buttons on the left-hand side of the back of the body have been moved to the right-hand side back of the camera (to make room for the flippy LCD). Instead of three buttons, however, there are just the Play and Menu buttons, with an improved four-way switch where the FN button used to be.
Rear view of the Leica Q3
Rear view of the Leica Q2
RGB. Leica Q3. Shot at f/2.8, 1/400th sec, ISO 100.
Coffee Time. Leica Q3. Shot at f/2.5, 1/640th sec, ISO 100.
Whisk. Leica Q3. Shot at f/2.5, 1/400th sec, ISO 100.
I'm not really convinced by this, I can see the rationale, but it was good to be able to use both hands on the rear screen, and the large function button on the left was extremely useful. But it only takes a day or so to get used to it.
ONE ADDITIONAL FUNCTION BUTTON
There is an additional function button on the back of the camera at the top. This might seem like a replacement for the old function button on the left, but now you can also configure the Set button with a long press.
The Hardware
NEW 60MP BSI BACK-ILLUMINATED CMOS SENSOR
(Similar to M11)
The new sensor is a real step forward. Leica isn't very forthcoming about sensors, but as I understand it, this is a modified version of the sensor in the M11. BSI sensors are much better at low light, and this is something I've had a look at (see the image quality section below)
The only downside of the new sensor is that it has a slower readout time than the one on the Q2. This will result in more of a “rolling shutter” effect when using the electronic viewfinder, and it also results in a slightly longer blackout time between shots when you fire quickly. For most people this will be something they don't even notice, but for someone who shoots bursts of photos, it might be an issue.
PHASE DETECT AUTOFOCUSING
Both Leica and Panasonic (in both the SL, S, and Q cameras) have been using Contrast Detect AutoFocus in the past. This works well, but the difficulty is that if an image is out of focus, the camera doesn't know whether it is front or back focusing, and has a tendency to hunt back and forth. Phase detect requires specialised pixels but can detect where the plane of focus should be and head in the right direction without hunting.
This is a real step in the right direction. At the moment, the focusing of the Q3 doesn't seem a great deal better than the Q2 (which was very good), but this is something that should be able to be improved in firmware updates in the future. Leica has finally bitten the bullet and used the best method of autofocus.
IMPROVED BLUETOOTH & WIFI
The Q3 has hugely improved WiFi and much better Bluetooth than the Q2. As a result, the connection with Leica Fotos is much faster. Download of images over WiFi to your phone or tablet is really fast. In fact, it's much faster than a cable connection (and of course much more convenient)
Small, Medium, and full sized DNG and/or JPG files
Like the M11, you can choose three levels of file quality. The sensor's native resolution is 60 mp (9520 × 6336 pixels) But, it can also output 36 mp (7416 × 4928) or 18 mp (5272 × 3498) all in both DNG raw files or JPG.
Personally, I'm not very convinced by this. I feel the best way to preserve space is to do proper culling, but I do understand that lots of people like the option to create smaller resolution files. Very little detail is lost using the lower resolution.
LONG EXPOSURE IMPROVEMENTS
With the Q3 any combination of ISO and shutter speed can be used, and long exposure Noise Reduction can be disabled. This makes the Q3 very suitable for night photography, especially when you consider the excellent high ISO capabilities of the camera.
USB-C CHARGING
This option is so convenient. It means that when you arrive in Fuerteventura for 10 days and find you forgot to pack your charger, it's no drama. I find it more convenient than the traditional charger. I have a USB block by my bed to charge my phone/watch and it has a USB-C cable so it can charge the camera overnight as well. It also means that you can charge the camera from a power brick when away from an electricity supply.
OPTIONAL GRIP WITH WIRELESS CHARGING
The optional grip connects to the camera and allows wireless charging. Sadly, I didn't have a grip, so I couldn't test this. Apparently, Leica will also be selling an induction pad to go with the camera.
BETTER EVF WITH 5,760,000 DOTS & 0.79 MAGNIFICATION
I have to say that I never had much problem with the Q2 EVF, but this is even better. It's clear and bright and incredibly detailed.
Octopus Froth. Leica Q3. Shot at f/5.6, 1/800th sec, ISO 100.
Fish Face. Leica Q3. Shot at f/1.7, 1/8000th sec, ISO 100.
Heavenly beach & the Lighthouse. Leica Q3. Shot at f/5, 1/1250th sec, ISO 100.
BETTER RESOLUTION 3-INCH DISPLAY WITH 1,843,200 DOTS
The display quality is really good, clear and bright with excellent viewing angles and real detail.
DIGITAL ZOOM WITH 28, 35, 50, 75 & 90MM FRAMELINES
There are now 5 digital zoom levels:
• 28mm (9520 x 6336, 60.3 mp )
• 35mm (7616 x 5072, 38.6 mp )
• 50mm (5328 x 3552, 18.9 mp )
• 75mm. (3552 x 2368, 8.4 mp )
• 90mm (2960 x 1968, 5.8 mp )
The extra sensor resolution makes the digital zoom even more usable than previous Q cameras . I wasn't really convinced until now. However, I only shoot DNG, so I am not committed to the lower resolution in post processing. The 35 and 50mm options are particularly useful.
I was thinking that 5.8 mp for the 90mm really isn't very much, and then remembered that we decorated our Cornish house with A2 sized images from the Olympus E1 back in 2005. That camera was only 5 mp and the images look great.
Just like the Q2, at the longer focal lengths the display shows frame lines representing the crop. For lots of purposes this is perfect, but I think it would also be great to have an option to show the crop full screen (both in shooting mode and in replay).
Leica Fotos
Leica Fotos works extremely well with the Q3. WiFi download of larger DNG files is incredibly quick (much faster than using the cable provided).
Geotagging is now accurate and consistent. You don’t need to have the camera connected to the app for it to work, just to have the app loaded on your phone.
Leica ‘Looks’ can be chosen in Fotos and transferred to the camera - they are: Contemporary, Classic, Blue, Selenium & Sepia
Probably more will be added later if this is successful. The Looks can also be accessed through the JPG settings on the camera. This isn’t something I’ve really examined. I tend to shoot DNG only, and make changes in Lightroom rather than the camera.
Leica Q2 (left) vs. Q3 (right) - ISO 100
Leica Q2 (left) vs. Q3 (right) - ISO 3200
Leica Q2 (left) vs. Q3 (right) - ISO 12,500
Leica Q2 (left) vs. Q3 (right) - ISO 50,000
Fotos has really come along since the early days. I’m still trying to figure out how to incorporate it into a complete digital workflow, but it’s really good for creating quick content for social media, and also for connecting to Lightroom Mobile. But for me, it’s worth its presence for the Geotagging alone.
Focusing
In single shot mode, the focusing is very precise and quick, just as it was in the Q2. Eye detect seems to work pretty well too. Continuous focus and tracking are still behind the competition, but at least now Leica has finally embraced PDAF (Phase Detect AF). We can expect real improvements in firmware going forward.
Image Quality
This is where the Q3 really shines. The new sensor has incredible dynamic range and excellent high ISO characteristics. It's hard to measure the dynamic range improvement (it's obvious though) , but I feel that the new camera offers about 1.5 stops improvement in noise at high ISO.
On the opposite page are some comparisons at 100 ISO, 3,200 ISO 12,500 ISO, and 50,000 ISO.
Conclusion
The Leica Q3 offers some solid advantages over its predecessor including: an excellent new sensor, Phase Detect AutoFocusing, a tilting LCD, much improved Bluetooth and Wifi, variable sized DNG files and excellent Geotagging in conjunction with Fotos. The new EVF is sparkling and the digital zoom has somehow come into its own. The only slight downside is the increased blackout time when shooting fast. The image quality is right up with its big brother the M11 and it would make a great companion with the M11 or the SL2 for lots of serious photographic assignments.
The Q has always been the perfect travel camera, and the Q3 has built solidly on that heritage. I'm sure that a very large proportion of the current Q (Typ 116) and Q2 users will find the improvements well worth the upgrade, especially with the USB-C charging and the much improved low-light quality.
Looking, looking. Leica Q3. Shot at f/6.3, 1/2000th sec, ISO 2500.
One Camera One Lens
Coming from a family of photographers, I was aware of cameras at an early age. They came in all shapes, sizes, and brands. But my dad held only one camera in reverence, his Leica Ic. Eventually, he passed along to me the camera, original box, manual, leather case, and 35, 50 & 90mm lenses.
Scanning his negatives years later, I realized that on a single roll of Agfa film he had documented our family coming into New York Harbor, crossing New York City to Grand Central, riding the train along the Hudson River and finally reaching our immigration sponsors to America. We had fled native Latvia during WWII.
The camera documented the obligatory year we owed our benevolent family sponsors. My dad’s photo knowledge landed him a job in a small-town studio. He was dismayed to learn that 35mm was held in low esteem and was forced to shoot 4x5. But the Leica was always around and used for all family and personal work. Most photos were done with the collapsible 50mm Elmar, but I learned the uses for the wide angle 35mm Summaron and the 90mm Elmar. I was allowed to occasionally click a few frames, under supervision, but could not take the camera anywhere. That changed on hearing that Kodak and Ansco held annual high school photo contests, and my dad advised I search for photos to take well ahead of the entry deadlines.
by ALVIS UPITIS
Augusts Upitis holds son Alvis coming into NY Harbor on June 25, 1950 after a nine day freighter crossing from Germany.
Mario Andretti and the Ferrari 312B before the Questor Grand Prix in which Formula One cars competed with Formula A cars on March 28, 1971 in Ontario, CA.
On one outing, when I took several repeat frames of a subject my dad asked why. I said I just wanted to be sure I got the shot. My dad said, “One is enough, it's a Leica." With that Leica, I won several of the contests and was thrilled to see my photos displayed at the Kodak exhibit in Grand Central Station and at the New York World’s Fair. Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) awarded me a scholarship and my life in photography was launched.
On a summer college trip to Europe, I shot the 4x5 format that was required for stock photography at the time. It was not visually satisfying so when I saw a Leica M2 in a Hamburg shop, I was smitten. It was recognizable immediately as the camera every respected photojournalist carried. I chose the 35mm Summicron for its legendary sharpness and compact design. The M2 body had key features: solid build, quiet shutter, pinpoint rangefinder focus, and no need for the optical viewfinder.
But there was a budget problem. Backpackers like me still carried “Europe on $5 per Day” so an indulgent $300 purchase was not possible. I had set up a Chase account in New York City from part-time and summer jobs and brashly walked into a Chase Bank
in Hamburg and asked funds be wired. It took some pleading, but a day later I had the money.
On returning home, my dad did not immediately approve of my purchase. I left the room and on returning, he was carefully examining the camera. A few minutes later, he declared, “what a camera!”.
I began using my Leica M2 for school assignments, carrying it everywhere (to laundromats, county fairs, concerts, and pool halls) and developing a stealth street technique of waiting and quietly getting intimately close to subjects.
That acquired technique was particularly useful when I began covering my favorite subject - motor racing. I began as a fan photographing the action from afar with telephoto lenses. The cars and the action were the focus. But the more I learned the more fascinated I became with the drivers and what went on between track sessions. Early on, magazine editors realized my knack for capturing pit drama and personalities.
In studying the published work of Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank, Larry Burrows and other photo heroes, I learned
Jim Hall leans on the wing of his Chaparral 2G and chats with Denny Hulme before the Road America CanAm on September 1, 1968 in Elkhart Lake, WI.
Graham Hill works on his BRM as team mate Jackie Stewart walks by at the US Grand Prix on October 2, 1966 at Watkins Glen, NY.
John Surtees, driver of the Honda RA301 Formula One car, in the pits before the United States Grand Prix held at Watkins Glen, NY on October 6, 1968.
Bill Vukovich, Jr. beside his car for the USAC Championship Trail Indianapolis Raceway Park 200, a two heat race, run on July 21, 1968 at Clermont, IN.
Al Unser (left) and Parnelli Jones, car owner, at the USAC Championship Trail Indianapolis Raceway Park 200, a two heat race, run on July 21, 1968 at Clermont, IN
Roger Penske (left) and A.J. Foyt Jr. (right) in Indy pit lane during qualifying for the Memorial Day race on May 9, 1970 in Indianapolis, IN
Pedro Rodriguez (R) studies gear charts with fellow Brabham driver Jo Siffert and mechanic at the Questor Grand Prix at the Ontario Motor Speedway in which Formula One cars competed with Formula A cars on March 28, 1971 in Ontario, CA.
Chris Amon in front on his Ferrari 312 before the United States Grand Prix held at Watkins Glen, New York on October 6, 1968.
that the photographer was responsible for the full content of the frame, including every edge. I wanted more than a snap of a key driver so I waited and moved to capture relevant elements- car, driver, mechanic, etc. in just the right place at the right time. I was after a pure journalist’s observation without staging anything or disrupting the situation.
The 35mm forced me to move in closer and provide the intimate feel of actually being in the scene and ideally relating to the tension and drama of the situation. Seeing the same drivers at various races helped as they began to recognize me and realize I was not going to intrude into the scene and certainly not ask them to pose. Perhaps the M2 provided extra cache´ as it was not a camera I saw often on the grid. (The only reaction I recall from photographing a driver was when a friend passed an Instatmatic to me and asked me to take a photo of his favorite driver. The driver immediately did a double take.) This familiarity was most beneficial at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen in 1968. I had
photographed Mario Andretti many times as he was competing for the USAC Championship that year. At Watkins, he had drawn a ride at Lotus for Colin Chapman. Winning the pole was paramount, and on one quick pit stop, I spotted Andretti and Chapman pondering adjustments for better lap times. I slipped in close and low and was ignored. Carefully framing the sponsor’s, name, driver, and owner was essential and the ironic twist was catching Graham Hill, the lead Lotus driver who would go on to win the Championship, only visible in the background enduring the humiliation of being recorded with an Instamatic.
A few years later, on an off day from an assignment photographing new car releases in Detroit, I spotted a Leica M4 in a mall store. My only quibble with the M2 was the small film rewind knob, a feature that famed custom camera repairman Marty Forscher dealt with selling a $10 clip-on accessory to speed the rewind. The M4 had a nice, beveled rewind as well as improved film loading, though I do not recall it being held
in the same esteem as the M2. I added a 50mm Summicron despite professionally using the 50mm far less than any other lens. However, I found it particularly essential in shooting my MFA Thesis. The project was essentially street photography documenting a small town over a one-year period. The desire not to be intrusive made the slightly longer reach of the 50mm key in my eternal quest to fill the frame, composing and clicking only when all the elements seemed right. The subtle advantage of seeing beyond the frame in the viewfinder and not momentarily blinking as with an SLR was useful. The 50mm is considered a normal lens. I was always drawn to how the 35mm pulls me into the scene. The perspective of this favorite lens is so pleasant and realistic. But perspective has nothing to do with the lens but where you stand. A 20mm lens and a 100mm lens give the same photographic perspective from the same viewpoint. I like how the 35mm often draws you in closer for an intimate feel of being right in the scene. You could photograph three people yielding
about the same size standing back with a longer lens, but the perspective is flatter and you look at the scene and not as much in the scene were you to move closer.
My dad trained me to be aware of the distortion of the wide angle. Though 35mm is barely a wide angle, it can distort and knowing how close to the frame edge a face might be or how it is turned can affect how normal it looks.
Today I enjoy my Leica Q2. The 28mm lens is a welcome option but often I walk up to a scene and the look through the viewfinder is too wide. Picking the 35mm crop usually feels better. After many years and dozens of lens options, I can assess any situation and pick the lens needed, from circular fisheye to super-telephoto. But if only one lens is available, I'd be happy with a 35mm on a Leica rangefinder.
You can see more of Alvis' work at https://www.alvisupitis.com/
Lotus Team owner Colin Chapman talks with Mario Andretti during practice for his first Formual One Grand Prix race in which he captured pole position during qualifying for the US Grand Prix 1968. Lotus driver Graham Hll with back to camera.
Jackie Stewart holds his winner's trophy after the United States Grand Prix held at Watkins Glen, NY on October 6, 1968.
Plants & dunes.
Leica Sl2 & Canon FD 100-300mm f/5.6L.
Shot at f/8, 1/1250th, ISO 400.
UNTRACKED TEXTURE
AT DEATH VALLEY'S IBEX SAND DUNES
by MARK BOHRER
WEwere only supposed to walk around 3 sandy miles. But it turned into almost twice that.
It was day two of Action Photo Tours’ Death Valley Photo Workshop. The word was that Mesquite Dunes, the most accessible dune field in the park, was pretty tracked up by visitors. When you shoot dunes, you want untracked, wind-rippled textures. So we were off to more isolated Ibex Sand Dunes, an hour and 40 minute drive to the extreme southern end of Death Valley National Park.
I'd been looking forward to shooting sand dunes at sunrise or sunset. At White Sands National Park a few hours south of my Albuquerque home, I'd only ever been there to shoot in harsh mid-day light, not the best time. And because the park was open 7 am - 7pm, it would have to have been sunset light outside the summer season for that warm, low contrast light photographers love.
top Some tracks at Ibex Dunes. Leica SL2 & Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4. Shot at f/10, 1/200th sec, ISO 400.
bottom Ibex Sand Dunes. Leica SL2 & Lumix S 50mm f/1.8. Sshot at f/14, 1/320th sec, ISO 400.
opposite page
top The paved ride was easy... Leica SL2 & Lumix S 50mm f/1.8. Shot at f/14, 1/250th sec, ISO 400.
bottom Near & far - spidery shadows. Leica SL2 & Lumix S Pro 1635mm f/4. Shot at f/18, 1/125th sec, ISO 400.
BUMPY DRIVE IN
Light conversation and bad jokes made the time go quickly on the paved roads. Then the fun began. We turned off-road for a bumpy, deeplyrutted 3-mile drive. In one especially challenging section, some participants pretended they were on a roller coaster thrill ride, complete with off-kilter shimmying and dips you felt in the pit of your stomach. Thankfully it was full daylight, and our drivers had been there before.
After parking, we could see distant specks walking around the closer, northern part of the dunes. Fortunately for us, the dune field was large and there were plenty of smooth curves left. The catch was we now had a 2 1/2 mile walk in.
But walk in we did. Some people opted to hike behind the tracks and shoot that nearest northern dune field anyway. I stayed with the group that turned right and walked further south for the less-trafficked dunes.
DON'T PUT IN THE KITCHEN SINK
I always look for the simplest yet most interesting composition I can find, choosing a few important details to fill the scene. This can be a challenge with a 16mm or wider focal length, where there's so much coverage and temptation to throw in everything you can see. Getting close to something interesting with a supporting background is the key.
I went for a vertical near and far composition first, looking for foreground branches to create some close interest. (Yes, there are plants in Death Valley.) Then I placed some middleground rocks and a larger plant behind them, and added dunes with a mountain background. Sidelight shadows created a spiderweb from my foreground branches.
CHANGE THINGS UP
An old mentor, Mountain Bike Action Editor John Ker, never photographed longer than a few minutes at any viewpoint. Taking a similar cue, I swapped the wide zoom for a 50mm 'normal' lens and looked for different, tighter compositions. I found a nice sand curve with vertical ripples and subtle shadows. Folded mountains rose behind the dune.
But 50mm can be limiting and a bit ordinary in its field of view. So I mounted the manual-focus FD 100300mm f/5.6L zoom for my favorite practice of choosing important details to suggest the whole.
Black and white focuses a viewer's attention on textures without distracting color. I started doing serious photography while reading black and white landscape master Ansel Adams' photography series. (Black and white film was also all I could afford to shoot and process myself early on.) I liked the curvy parallel "road" shadow and dune forms, and colors weren't really working for me anyway just then. So I shot with black and white in mind for post processing.
OLD TELEPHOTO ZOOM PROBLEMS & LENS USE
Then I noticed a line of plants backed by more curved dunes and shadows. Again, partly-hidden mountains crouched behind everything. There was just one problem - my mount adapter wasn't engaging the FD zoom lens' aperture mechanism properly, so I was stuck with the maximum f/5.6 aperture. No depth of field for me. Fortunately, there was enough for the distant captures I was shooting. I pulled in some sand lines and shadows for more abstract compositions.
Some of us had gone further south in search of pictures. So instructor Kevin McNeal walked their way to tell them we had some good stuff here, and that we'd also be meeting in our area just after sunset to walk back to the cars.
Meanwhile, I started swapping between the 50mm and 1635mm wide zoom for shots in the steadily warming light. I found more foreground plant shadows, then shot a diffraction sunstar of the setting sun. The Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4 has pretty good flare resistance for this, so I avoided most of the annoying flared color spots. Yes, some people embrace flares in their shots, but I'm not one of them.
top ‘Road‘ shadow and textures in black & white. Leica SL2 & Canon FD 100-300mm f/5.6L Shot at f/4.8, 1/800th, ISO 400.
bottom left 50mm textures. Leica SL2 & Lumix S 50mm f/1.8. Shot at f/14, 1/125th, ISO 400.
bottom right A small piece of the whole. Leica Sl2 & Canon FD 100-300mm f/5.6L. Shot at f/5.6, 1/500th sec, ISO 400.
END OF THE DAY
As the sun disappeared, I shot some shadowed scenes bathed in soft violet light. Many photographers pack up the cameras and go home after the sun drops below the horizon, but some of the best light happens post-sunset. I later post-processed one of these pictures in black and white, again to focus viewer attention on textures. But my favorite shot was a soft purple and rust brown color scene in the same area.
Then it was time to pack up. We walked (for me, stumbled) by headlamp light through growing darkness back to the SUVs. When we drove through the toughest dirt road section in the dark on the way back, I was very happy our instructor-drivers were experienced with this road.
top Late-day shadows & plants in Death Valley. Leica SL2 & Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4. Shot at f/14, 1/100th, ISO 400.
bottom Into the sun. Leica SL2 & Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4. Shot at f/14, 1/80th sec, ISO 400.
SHOT NOTES
Before the trip, I started having problems with leg pain from a pinched sciatic nerve. Knowing I'd have to carry my gear while hiking as much as 3 miles every day, I pared my load down to a minimum. My goal was less than 10 pounds of camera, lenses and tripod, and I hit that. My photo backpack added another 2.6 pounds to the total.
I had two complete camera setups, Canon EOS R5-based and Leica SL2based. The SL2 has thinner glass and no LPF over its sensor, resulting in slightly sharper pictures. And the Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4 is the sharpest wideangle zoom I've ever used, subjectively slightly better than Canon's RF 14-35mm f/4L IS.
So I chose the SL2 system for Ibex Dunes. But the longest lens I had for the SL2 was an adapted Canon FD 100300mm f/5.6L, an old manual focus lens from the 1980s. And I had the
top Soft colors post-sunset. Leica SL2 & Lumix S 50mm f/1.8.
Shot at f/16, 5 sec, ISO 100.
bottom Time to pack up. Leica SL2 & Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4.
Shot at f/8, 10 sec, ISO 200.
Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 between the wide zoom's 35mm and the Canon's 100mm. I didn't expect these lens choices to pose limiting restrictions, and they didn't - I ended up with many pictures I liked. I was very fortunate the FD 100-300mm f5.6L had sufficient depth of field at the stuck f/5.6 aperture that it didn't mess up my telephoto pictures.
MORE INFORMATION
U.S. National Park Service (nd), Death Valley National Park - Sand Dunes https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/sand-dunes.htm.
U.S. National Park Service (nd), White Sands National Park https://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm
Photography Life (nd), Canon FD 100-300mm f/5.6L Macro https://photographylife.com/lenses/canon-fd-100-300mm-f5-6l-macro
End of the day in black & white. Leica SL2 & Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f/4. Shot at f/16, 1/4th sec, ISO 200.
Mark Bohrer has been photographing people, dogs, wildlife, mountain bike races, painted light and other things since he found his grandfather’s Leica M3 in the basement in 1969. He’s also played keyboards, performed his own songs onstage, designed analog and mixed-signal chips used by Cisco, HP and others, and been an interpretive ranger for the National Park Service. Today he photographs ruins and the sky at night, dog action, light-painted aliens and aircraft when he’s not travelling with his wife and dogs. His website is www.markbohrerphoto.com.
Find him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/markwb_photo/
LIGHT LENS LAB'S COOKE SPEED PANCHRO S2
50MM F2 COPY
by ED SCHWARTZREICH
The author has been asked to enter what can only be termed for him a parallel universe.
Recently, he has been asked to test and evaluate a Light Lens Lab cine lens in M-mount, about which he “knows from nothing” and about the definitive uses of which he draws a blank. Cine lenses and equipment, and Leica Ms and their lenses, have historically been distinct animals. Different people involved and different uses.
As most of us Leicaphiles with an historical bent already know, 35mm film was used for movies long before it was chosen by Barnack for his new Leica camera. Barnack was a hobbyist / cinematographer who also contributed inventions to the new field of movie camera technology before and concurrent with the development of the Leica camera. And Dr. Paul Wolff, Leica pioneer, was also enamored of movies and made many shorts for the City of Frankfurt a/M before he started using a Leica camera. Such movies – quasi-commercial or home brew - were a true mania in the 1910’s through 1930’s, and onwards. The cat’s meow. One can still view movies made by both men 100 years later. Barnack and Wolff used and were knowledgeable about both mediums, but both concentrated on the Leica camera and not movies in the definitive parts of their respective careers. And the dominant photographic focus at E. Leitz through the years remained that of still photography. Despite the success of its Mechau movie projector, Leitz sold its projector plant (Leitz Kinowerke GmbH) to AEG around 1929 because of the high costs needed to work on the new sound projection systems. Presumably, that is when a cine / still split occurred for Leitz, and as a result for Leica users.
Flowing from this is where the author’s alternative universe comes in. He has never used a cine lens on a Leica, ever. Aside from a couple of brief videos with Leica lenses on a Sony A7r (to show it could be done) and occasional such use of his iPhone, he has really never made a video or a movie at all or thought
much about this field. No one has ever told him about any Leitz lenses possibly being manufactured specifically for movies in the classic 1930’s period. None of the Leica historical and collectors’ books speak about Leitz movie equipment at all, although such items as Leitz cine viewfinders and the occasional 35/3.5 Elmar lens converted to Arriflex mount existed. Leitz theater projectors existed in the post-WWII period, and of course there was the 8mm Leicina camera and its lenses during a period of 1960-72 for a fairly specialized market. Leicina lenses do not cover a full M format in any case. But a full frame cine lens on an M? Why use one? What would / could that do? Or alternatively, how might cine lenses be different?
Lenses for 35mm cine cameras historically used what we now call half-frame, covering an approximate 18x24mm format, and one of the most successful of these in the 1930’s (in whatever cine mount) was the Cooke Speed Panchro Series II, its design springing from Zeiss Planar lineage. These lenses have gone through several iterations to date, and, at some point, full-frame 24x36mm Cooke cine lenses were made, probably around 1945. Light Lens Lab has decided to slightly remanufacture and adapt a Speed Panchro Series II 50/2 for modern-day still usage on Leica M -- although it would also clearly make videos or movies on those cameras onto which it could mount. There was so little information available that Mr. Zhou’s company had to make ray diagrams and run MTF curves from a donor lens.
The author knows that a Leica affiliate makes a highly-regarded series of cine lenses currently. Society members may recall a talk by Professor Iain Neil at the 2011 Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, which brought us into awareness of the Summilux-C lenses and something about their characteristics. Dr. Neil spoke of f/1.4 maximum aperture throughout the series, smaller size, equidistance of T stop markings, and minimal vignetting, along with incredibly high resolution, contrast, and minimal chromatic aberration – a new standard for cine lenses.
However, the author definitely did not know until starting to write this article that Leica (Leitz Cine Wetzlar) had appended to its Summilux-C line a current series of 8 full-frame cine lenses, in M-mount no less. The M-mount is used, per the available information, because of its small size and ease of adapting to other cine camera mounts, not especially because it could be mounted to an M camera. These lenses are named the M 0.8 Series, because they feature a 0.8 module standard cine focus gear ring, and 32-pitch focus and iris gear for use with common motion picture accessories. These lenses are very fast, f/1.4 for most. Significantly however, the Leica ad copy for these lenses emphasizes inherent focus differences from other lenses, so that what one gets is allegedly more life-like, more like the eye sees, than the flat-plane normal lenses. It talks about “centerweighted field of focus” and “curving focus roll off”. Although modern lenses, they have a “vintage” look. As such, they sound made to a different design philosophy than the highly accurate Summilux-C line.
From a Leitz Cine Wetzlar Ad:
"Modern lenses pop into focus in a flat and layered manner that appears unrealistic by drawing attention to themselves. The M 0.8 lenses roll into focus on a curve that more accurately recreates natural perception and the imperfection of the natural world. This creates images that feel different and dimensional, that appear satisfying on a subconscious level."
The question: are these just normal M lenses with different ways of adjusting focus and aperture? David Farkas who sells them, questioned by the author, says these are regular M lenses which have simply been adapted for cine use. While the ad appears to say they have a different design from “modern” 35mm lenses, David again helpfully steps in here and says the ad copy merely “sounds like an accurate description of M glass ... compared to many ‘perfect’ cine lenses. Everything in context”. Methinks the ad writer above talks out of both sides of his / her mouth; oh well, the author knows well how modern M lenses draw.
Besides the Summilux-C line and the M 0.8 series, there are now also Summicron-C, Hugo, Elsie, Prime, Thalia, and Henri series of Leica cine lenses! The author did not wish to bother David again for an explication, but will remark that Leica is definitely into this niche now.
Into this environment enters Light Lens Lab and their 50/2 Cooke Speed Panchro replica, using (much) older lens design techniques to get their “classic look”. Words like “gentle”, “painterly”, “subtle” and “a bit warm” have been used to describe how this lens draws.
Below, we see the lens diagram as well as the MTF curves at f/2 and f/4. They improve even more when the lens is further closed down.
One can see that the lens is a 7-element double gauss design. The MTF curves at f/2 show all line pairs very close together but of lower contrast than we might be used to. These curves’ configuration implies very little distortion, low presence of spherical or chromatic aberration, and evenness, smoothness across the field, with good sharpness (albeit with loss of the finest details).
Lens Diagram
MTF Curves f/2
MTF Curves f/4
These wide-open curves are totally unlike those of any 50mm Leitz lens, and to the author indicate the parallel universes of cine versus still photography that existed when this lens was originally formulated for is specific uses. From f/4 further closed down, the lens performs impeccably, sharpness is excellent, and the curves looks better than the Summar or Summitar, the contemporary stablemates of the original Cooke Panchro Series II.
Here is what Mr. Zhou had to say about his lens: (translated by David Yu Heng Chen, who supplied the lens to the author for testing, and slightly adapted):
"This is a beloved cinema lens known worldwide for its vintage rendering. Cooke was a part of four major cinema lens manufacturers: Angenieux, Cooke, Dallmeyer, and Kinoptik back in the day. Cooke has been renowned for its technological innovation in optics and innovation for the past 100 years, and its current cinema lenses are still prevalent due to their optical performance. (Specifically, the “Cooke Look”). The Speed Panchro S2 50mm f/2 has been a staple of Cooke lenses since its introduction in the 1930s. There are several versions of Cooke lenses, and the Speed Panchro series was one of the first cinema lenses to feature, at the time, an ultra-fast f/2 aperture. The Speed Panchro series were also available before Leica’s f/2 Summar and Summitar designs in the photographic world.
"Many movies at the time were shot using Speed Panchro S2 as Cooke supplied many of its optics to cinema camera manufacturers for rehousing to be fitted onto their cinema cameras (such as Arri Mount and Mitchell Cameras). These cameras are highly sought after by professional productions due to their high performance and reliability. However, the lens set was never available on the photographic side as Cooke only manufactured its optics for cinema cameras (with the one very rare exception of the Reid & Sigrist Cooke Amotal Rigid Anastigmat 2-inch f/2)
"Both Cooke’s SP2 series and LLL’s Speed Panchro 50mm f/2 offer a low contrast, low dispersion, anti-astigmatism, and low spherical aberration rendering. Such was unheard of when the series was introduced in the 1930s, and it became an instant success for Cooke in the Cinematography world. The original lenses are highly sought after by amateur hobbyists for DIY-rehousing into M-mount, or for a professional movie production studio to be
rehoused into modern cinema standards. Hence the reason for the replication.
"The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 S2 is slightly bigger than the usual 50mm f/2 made by other manufacturers, but the size is ergonomic and the weight appropriate for any film or digital M camera. It will also be available in five different versions for other still and movie cameras."
Here are some additional details from Mr. Zhou:
"1) Cooke and Light Lens Lab Speed Panchro S2 50mm F2 have mediocre control of flare – some even say they have inadequate flare control without a lens shade/matte box. A lens hood is necessary for using this lens in harsh lighting situations.
"2) The original Speed Panchro sets were designed for cinema cameras that cover 18.66 x 24.89mm film size (S35). Heavy vignetting will occur when the original Speed Panchro sets are mounted on Leica M cameras (some may even damage the camera’s shutter/digital sensor). The Speed Panchro S2 series (on which Light Lens Lab Speed Panchro 2 is based) came in later and has further improvements in optical design supporting both S35 and full-frame 24mm x 36mm film sizes.
"3) There will also be a lens shade specifically designed for Speed Panchro 50mm f2 included in the production model."
So, here we are. But what subject matter to portray with this lens? Everything about 1930’s movies and “subconscious satisfactions” implies glamor. The author takes informal portraits quite frequently, but only with natural light, so such would be his real-life test of this lens. One would like to see the roll-off in the out-of-focus areas, and the bokeh, so shooting fairly wide open seems a given.
The lens was received; it is, and looks like, a prototype, with a somewhat hastily-applied screwed-on focus tab, albeit very easily accessed as would be needed for cine work. Focus is very smooth, to 0.7 meter, but backwards relative to our usual M lenses. F stops are clicked, and go to f/22 in half stops. The lens is single coated, amber, but we are told that the final product will be multi-coated and similar to the original. The lens has a screw-in shade, but the production lens will have a Reid-style clip on shade. The filter size on the prototype is E46 or close to that – E46 accessories will fit; one is not sure about this aspect on the upcoming commercial lens.
The author tries to test and assess the lens: (images not shown) Right off, on the M10-R, the author made images wide open at 1 meter of two “still lifes”. He then compared this to similarly shot images made with his very clean Summar, Leitz’s earliest 50/2 (because Mr. Zhou mentions this as contemporary to the introduction of the original Cooke Speed Panchro S2 lens). There were obvious differences wide open: the Summar clearly seemed to have more aberrations off axis than the Cooke, its focus rolled off rather abruptly, and it was a bit softer in the center. Both lenses are somewhat of lower contrast than our modern lenses, but both acquitted themselves nicely enough. The Summar is much maligned, but, if the front element is not scratched or weather damaged, it is a decent lens. Following this was the now obligatory (for the author’s lens testing) informal portrait wide open of the author’s brother-in-law in his chair, showing pleasing subtle softness, more muted colors, and a smidgen of flare. A similar portrait / lens image with LLL’s ELCAN replica from months earlier was more contrasty and felt sharper in the center, as expected, seemingly involving the ELCAN’s higher microcontrast, as the Cooke image was indeed pretty sharp.
The author made wide open tripod-mounted test shots of a ridgeline about ¼ mile away with the Cooke replica and an
APO-Summicron 50/2 Ashperic. The Cooke showed mild to fairly pronounced purple fringing and flare viewed in PS at 200%, with the degree of the fringing depending on where the sun was, but considerable sharpness as well, both center and edge. One cannot be absolutely sure but the fringing seemed more likely due to flare than to chromatic aberration. Away from such edges as the actual ridgeline but still in the same light, at f/2 the overall effect was “painterly” in an impressionistic way on high enlargement. Fringing was much less by f/2.8, and largely gone by f/4.
The Prototype
To the left is an actual M10 Monochrom image, lens wide open, on a moderately bright overcast day, which unexpectedly for the author showed this rather dramatic flare on bright reflective surfaces (similar to what registered as purple fringing in the ridgeline color shots ) . This is an interesting, atmospheric image that did not look that way at a other time of day when the author made others shots; such a result certainly might not have been wanted by someone just shooting randomly. Note that most areas in the middle and far background are fairly sharp nonetheless. Apparently only some shooting situations elicit this sort of flare. On further testing photographing silverware and actually trying to elicit flare, this was minimized by f/4, and essentially gone by f/5.6. There would be a learning curve here, as many times what one would expect to flare does not, and vice versa. It is not so clear that a matte box would have helped, as this effect seemed intrinsic to the internals of the lens. So, one would not choose this lens for Ansel Adam-like landscapes, but it is very sharp regardless.
With the lens again on the M10 Monochrom, the author got very pleasing close-ups, nearly wide open, of a milkweed pod, and a yellow apple; look at the bokeh, and note that there was no obvious flare here. (right)
The author made no images with film, but did shoot some short videos with the lens mounted on his A7r. Following focus was very smooth and predictable even for a neophyte like the author. Changing stops was also easy enough. The lens was fun to use this way.
To try to look at the glamor aspect of the lens, the author took it on his M10-R to an apple festival in a nearby orchard, and to the shore of Lake Champlain, taking mostly unposed portraits at f/2 to about f/3.5. (The one of the gourds was shat at f/5.6). The lens has quite sharp rendering, but also an overall subtle softness, roundness, and smoothness. Colors could be a bit muted. There is a gentle swing to OOF areas. There was vignetting, not that objectionable, wide open, and contrast was a bit low at times (but not as low as expected by the author) . Quoting a beta tester whose text was submitted to the author and with whom he is in full agreement: “The lens is very sharp at the center and has excellent control on highlights, flaring control, subject colour rendering, and a smooth transition from subject to out-of-focus area”.
A few images from this outing are on the following page, to show what this lens can do. Most are made at or near wide open. Some are cropped a bit, and some have had their exposure and contrast slightly tweaked. Two had discordant objects in the background removed in PS.
The final pair of images to the left require some explanation. Here are two shots of older women, the first (top) taken with the LLL ELCAN replica, and the second (bottom) with the LLL Cooke replica, both nearly wide open. This comparison will show better than most how the Cooke lens draws wide open, vis-à-vis a more modern one. There are subtle differences in rendition. Look closely at the difference in how the models’ hair is rendered. Both are sharp, but there seems a gradual roll off in sharpness with the Cooke replica, whereas the ELCAN replica has more planar areas of sharpness and unsharpness, harkening back to the ad copy for the Leitz Cine Wetzlar blurb above.
The lens acquitted itself very well, and, if the author owned one, he could choose it for many routine daily uses. It would mostly be a question of preference or of style rather than of obligation. He would generally prefer a more biting, less esthetical treatment for reportage and for certain landscapes with high detail, those into which viewers can almost lose themselves. For informal portraiture, either approach / lens could work. The author tends to shoot at or near wide open, so this distinction is important. Closed own, well, the Cooke replica is as good as most current 50s, and better than its purported 1930’s age-mates. As always, horses for courses.
The author had further thoughts to explain this lens to our readership. While some might off-handedly consider this lens as a softer-focus lens, thinking perhaps of the f/1.2 Noctilux, or even the Thambar, the Cooke is unlike either. The Nocti has high contrast with just a bit of softness wide open, plus very shallow DOF for its effect. The Thambar works its soft magic via increasing spherical aberration. Think of the Cooke lens as not unlike the 125/f2.5 Hektor, which wide open is low contrast and slightly soft, but with little distortion, and sharpens up a significant amount when closed down. The Cooke is similar, although sharper at f/2. With it wide open one gets loss of the finest detail only and slightly lowered contrast, but in a lens which renders smoothly, sharply, and distortion free. The Cooke rapidly recovers to excellent specs when closed down even a bit. The effect of the Cooke is not dreamy or delicate (unless you are in a situation that allows the lens to flare), but for lack of a better term let us call it “cinematic” -- living, credible. It is a cine lens, folks.
Bottom line: this will be a desirable lens for many still photographers. Generally speaking, the Cooke replica draws beautifully (but learn where it flares), and the lens is a credit to Mr. Zhou and his staff. It was a pleasure to use and performed reliably. Not sure why the focus was backwards relative to Leica lenses, but one got used to it. The author still appreciates that this cine lens may be a different animal from those modern lenses where sharpness and high microcontrast may be the main goals, but thinks that it has likely much more than niche usage potential for us still photographers because of how pleasant and believable its images are. He has never seen a Cooke Amotal 50/2 (2 inch) lens, much less had an opportunity to use one, but wonders now why Cooke otherwise never marketed its lenses for still cameras, the way Leica is now marketing its M lenses for cine. Their
universes may have been kept relatively separate for many years, but perhaps it is time for the other cine companies to make Leica-compatible lenses. Putting a large cine lens into an M mount would likely entail miniaturizing and RF coupling it, but otherwise this might well be worth the investment. We would all be the richer for this. •
Addenda
1. Light Lens Lab sent me another version of this lens to test out. It looks almost exactly like a 1950’s Rigid 50/2 Summicron, except it has the lens elements of the Cooke Speed Panchro in it. I am told it has an 8-leaf diaphragm, whereas the original has more blades, and a slightly different lens coating. When I made A:B images with it and with the more traditionally cine-looking version, I could see no obvious difference. I think the rationale for this different lens mount is that it is smaller and possibly more likely to appeal to the M-shooter rather than the cine user.
2. I was asked to look at focus breathing, that unwanted phenomenon for cine lenses whereby images appear to grow larger or smaller when focus is racked back and forth. I checked that very crudely, using a Sony A7r and simply watching several targets, at different distances, as I racked focus. There was an apparent small amount of change is the size of in-focus and out-of-focus targets. For myself, I would not have found such objectionable in a video or a movie, but who can say what a cinematographer might fee. I compared what the Cooke replica did versus the lens that had been sitting upon the Sony (a 28-35-50 Tri-Elmar) at the 50mm setting. The TE seemed to have a bit less focus breathing, but it has a much shorter focus throw than the Cooke, so I don’t know if that could have psychologically influenced my perceptions.
ERNST LEITZ CANADA PROTOTYPE LENSES
by JIM LAGER
35mm f/1.4 Campolux with typical ELC protype number 1234567
During the 1950's through the 1970's Ernst Leitz Canada (ELC) experimented with lens designs to be used on the Leica M and CL.The illustrations show three configurations under development. The 35mm f/1.4 Campolux became the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux in 1960. The 180mm f/3.4 rangefinder coupled Telyt was never available as a catalogued item. Maintaining the position/alignment of the magnifying ‘goggles” was nearly impossible especially under conditions encountered by professional photojournalists. The 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-C was fitted with a special viewfinder for the Leica CL of 1973. This Elmarit variant did not reach commercial availability.
180mm f/3.4 Telyt for Leica M Prototype number 047-0005
28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-C Protoype number 0000005
ERNST LEITZ OPTISCHE WERKE CURRENCY VOUCHERS – 1923
by ALAN STOKES
Between the years 1921 and 1923 (primarily in 1923) the German Papiermark currency of the Weimar Republic was severely impacted by “hyperinflation”.
The background to this “hyperinflation” was that between the first world war years 1914-1918, German Emperor Wilhelm II and the Reichstag decided to fund the German war effort by borrowing money.
They believed that this enormous debt would then be paid off following a victory by Germany and imposing war reparations on the defeated allies. Their strategy ultimately failed as Germany lost the war and the Weimar Republic was saddled with war debts of circa 132 Billion gold marks.
The Treaty of Versailles war reparations meant the first payment by Germany of 50 Billion marks was due in June 1921 to the allies.
The currency exchange rate for the mark against the US dollar gradually devalued between the years 1914 – 1921 from circa 4 marks to 330 marks per US dollar.
In late 1921 the president of the German Reichsbank decided on a strategy of buying foreign currency at any price to pay the war reparations, this was to be achieved by printing more money. This strategy failed, it triggered off “hyperinflation” and in 1922 the mark was virtually worthless. By 1923 the exchange rate against one US dollar was 4,210,500,000,000 marks.
To limit the effects of this “hyperinflation” to his workforce, Ernst Leitz II made an “Announcement” on November 9th 1923.
The official “Announcement” document is seen on the following page detailing the proposals by Ernst Leitz II. The document is written in the “old” style font “Altdeutsche Schrift” and trying to
translate this for a non German speaker proved very troublesome, so assistance was required. The full English translation is detailed next to it. [1]
The “Announcement” document states that the Leitz workforce will now be paid part of their wages and salaries (initially around 25%) in the form of paper currency vouchers, printed and signed by the firm Ernst Leitz Optische Werke.
This would allow the Leitz workforce to purchase groceries in the local Wetzlar shops at agreed prices using their Leitz currency vouchers. The document details the prices for basic foodstuffs (bread, flour, pasta, rice etc) and their cost relative to the value of the vouchers. The vouchers were valid for 14 days from issue.
Ernst Leitz II had also arranged in addition to these vouchers, for foodstuffs to be specially procured and imported into Wetzlar from Denmark with foreign exchange money that was earned through the export sales of current Leitz products. [2]
The imported foodstuffs could be purchased at specified local Wetzlar shops, also detailed on the “Announcement” document.
Above is an original example of an Ernst Leitz Optische Werke currency voucher serial number 6781, dated 25th October 1923 and it reads as follows.
“Voucher over 10 Billion Marks [3]
This voucher has been issued with the approval of the responsible supervisory authority and it is accepted in payment by all Wetzlar banks and savings banks.
It loses its validity after prior notification in the Wetzlarer Anzeiger [4] Wetzlar, October 25, 1923 - Ernst Leitz Optische Werke Wetzlar”
It shows Ernst Leitz II was a very considerate employer, who obviously cared for the welfare of the Leitz workforce and during this period of economic turmoil in 1923, they were also testing a new revolutionary camera with selected recipients.
These “Null series” cameras would later go into series production in 1925 as the Leica 1A.
NOTES
[1] – My sincere thanks to Bill Rosauer who organized the translation of the “Announcement” document and Holger Dietz (ex Leitz employee) who translated it from the “old” style German font to English
[2] – In 1923 the Leica camera was only in prototype testing stage (“Null Series” cameras 101 – 125)
[3] – To put this amount in perspective, a loaf of bread in 1922 cost circa 160 marks, by late 1923 it cost 200,000,000,000 marks
[4] - Wetzlarer Anzeiger in 1923 was the local Wetzlar newspaper published by Carl Schnitzler who also published the Ernst Leitz currency vouchers (see bottom of voucher). Carl Schnitzler also went on to print some Leica camera literature following its launch in spring 1925.
Announcement !
Our German paper mark has recently been devalued to an unforeseeable extent and often from one day to the next. In agreement with the Works Council, we have therefore decided to pay out part of the wages and salaries – initially about a quarter – in vouchers of stable value. For these vouchers, which are denominated in R.M. (= Reichsmark) 1.00 - 0.50 - 0.10 and 0.05, foodstuffs that we have procured are available in the following stores in the city of Wetzlar. Initially, the following foodstuffs will be on sale at the prices listed:
1 bread (peace quality) 4 lbs. heavy at R.M. ………….. 0.85
Rye flour 70% per pd. at R.M. …………………………… 0.25
Lard per pd. at R.M. ……………………………………... 0.80
Pasta per pd. to R.M. …………………………………….. 0.45
Rice per pd. at R.M. ………………………………………. 0.25
Peas per p.pd. at R.M. ……………………………………. 0.25
Corned beef per p.pd. at R.M. …………………………… 0.65 (The latter is only available from the beginning of next week)
The delivery of the bread and flour takes place at:
Bäckermeister Müller, Silhöferstr.
Bäckermeister Damm, Schmiedgasse
Bäckermeister Axt, Neustadt
Bäckermeister Eucker, Bahnhofstr.
The dispensing of the remaining foodstuffs has been taken over by the following stores:
Thiele, Neustadt
Rasch, Obertorstr.
Steinbeck, Schmiedgasse
Imgardt, Schmiedgasse
Drullmann, Schwarzadlergasse
Bastert, Eisenmarkt
Schnierle, Bahnhofstr.
Berghäuser, Niedergirmes
Münch, Langgasse
Saalbach, Büblingshausen
Konsumverein, Lahnstr. Marquardt, Steindorferstr.
The number and type of supplies and their price will be changed, if necessary, depending on the procurement possibilities, as well as the distribution points. A special announcement will be made in each case.
The validity of the vouchers is limited. Until further notice, they must be redeemed within 14 days.
