Most prime lens SLR kits are a 28-50-85 or 135. Most rangefinder kits are a 28 or 35-50-90. 75mm is an odd focal length. I don’t think it’s even available for SLR’s and most rangefinder shooters fall on the side of either 50 or 90 – the distinction between normal and portrait focal lengths. 75. […]
Read more "An Odd Length; Voigtländer 75mm 2.5 Heliar"Since buying, shooting and writing about the Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 Nokton MC, I feel like I see this lens everywhere! I didn’t realise how popular it is. The blog I wrote about it is my third most viewed of all time, I see it mounted to many of the cameras that I read reviews of […]
Read more "One Year with the Voigtlander 40mm 1.4 Nokton MC"The Leitz 9cm f4 Elmar is almost as ubiquitous as the famous Leitz 5cm f3.5 Elmar but often seems forgotten about. The lens dates back to 1933 and was Leica’s first 90mm. It was likely designed to take advantage of their newly released rangefinder camera, the model III. The 9cm Elmar is part of the […]
Read more "There’s No Excuse Not to Own a Leitz 9cm f4 Elmar"I guess that I don’t typically shoot my Leitz 50’s in wooded areas. But slowly, an image here, and image there, I began to notice something. When I shot portraits at closer distances and wider apertures in wooded areas with my Leitz Summitar and Summarit lenses, I got something unexpected. Something that I’d always associated […]
Read more "Discovering The Swirl"This spring, I had the pleasure of photographing one of the most fun and inspiring, weddings I’ve photographed. Downtown Frederick, Maryland art icons Kayleigh Montgomery and Chris Morris were engaged to be married, and of all the amazing analog shooters in the area, I was fortunate enough to be tapped to cover their festive occasion. […]
Read more "Downtown Frederick Art Icons Get Hitched!"A while back, I dropped my Leica M6 TTL on concrete. The camera was fine but it’s full weight came square down onto the Voigtlander 50mm 1.5 Nokton ASPH that had been my go-to 50mm for years. The focus ring became very tight from the impact. Because I’d had this lens rebuilt once before and […]
Read more "Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.5 Rebuilt Again"A lens that has been a long-time staple in my Nikon kit, since about 2005 actually, is my Nikkor 85mm 1.8 K AI’d. I chose the 85/1.8 for the reasons many people reach for an 85/1.8; available light portrait work and a little smaller, lighter, less expensive, easier to control lens than an […]
Read more "Go-To Portrait Lens: Nikkor 85mm 1.8 K AI’d"Didn’t I already write about the 1949 Leitz 5cm 1.5 Summarit? Why yes, I did, but in light of several recent conversations about this controversial fistful of German metal and glass, I want to make it clear, THE LEITZ SUMMARIT 5CM 1.5 DOES NOT SUCK! Okay, so you might not be into swirlios and soft […]
Read more "15 Photos That Prove The Leitz 50mm Summarit Does NOT SUCK!!!"When we think of Leica, the second thing we often think of is Summicron. But before Leica formulated their legend, there was a lesser known yet still quite remarkable nifty 50. Thanks to having been overshadowed by the Cron, this very capable Leitz 50/2 is usually available for less than $400. That’s right, I’m talking […]
Read more "Leitz 5cm f2 Summitar"Volumes have written about the much maligned and despised Leitz 5cm 1.5 Summarit. But, it’s one of my favorite lenses and I can tell you why in just two photos! Shot One, taken at approximately 5 feet away from the subject at f4 with Kodak Tri-X 35mm film rated at 1600 ISO, processed in Kodak […]
Read more "My Summary of the Leitz 5cm 1.5 Summarit… in Two Shots!"