An Analog Leica M6 Photographer Tries a Digital Leica M9

by Johnny Martyr I'm pretty committed to film photography. Not because I think film photography is superior to digital photography - on a technical level, it's just not. And on an artistic level, there is no such thing as "superior," there's only how things feel and how they make you think. I am not committed...

Q&A: Why Do You Use 0.85x Leica Rangefinders instead of 1:1 Voigtländers?

by Johnny Martyr Yesterday, long time photo buddy Brent Legum Levenson asked a really great question on my Facebook page. He was referencing my Leica M6 TTL cameras which have 0.85x viewfinder magnification. "Any reason you got the .85? I think I’ve only seen the .72 versions in person. Also, I liked that the Bessa R3s...

Q&A: How Do I Shoot Landscapes With a Barnack Leica and a 135mm Lens?

by Johnny Martyr Yesterday in the Leica III Users group on Facebook, someone asked:"I just got my camera back and am wanting to put my 135mm Elmar to use. Does anybody know of a good video or guide on how to use the lens? Am I just overthinking it? The Summitar 50mm is pretty intuitive,...

Gilligan’s Return: Leitz 90mm Tele-Elmarit-M Thin Review Part II

by Johnny Martyr Since Molly Kate kindly featured it on 35mmc, my Leitz 90mm Tele-Elmarit Thin Review has been getting alot of traffic. The review concluded with my decision to throw Gilligan overboard and invite The Skipper to join me on the top deck. Quick recap: I was lead to believe that all Thin Canadian...

Leitz 90mm Tele-Elmarit Thin Review

by Johnny Martyr Recently, I met up with my friend Ben to photograph the DC Pride parade. He used a 90mm 2.8 Tele-Elmarit, which he recommended, stating that he sold his 90mm Summicron shortly after getting the Elmarit. I had never researched the 90mm Elmarit line but had long heard it was the cure for...

Leica Lens Accessory Sizes

By Johnny Martyr When I got into Leica, I was a bit confused by the diameters listed for lens filters and hoods. Most other manufacturers just use one number. Nikon and Canon are usually 52mm. Pentax and Olympus are usually 49mm. Alot of Leica lenses are 39mm. But you'll often see filter size for Leica...

Engagement Photos with the 1979 Leitz 50mm f2 Summicron Tiger Paw

By Johnny Martyr If you've read my blog 5 LTM 50's for $500 or Less, you will have some idea how deep a rabbit hole I've gone down, searching for the perfect Leica-mount 50mm lens. Despite a belief that you don't need to spend a lot on a Leica mount 50mm, I eventually found it...

Little Camera, Big Money

Leica Camera Number 105 - Leitz Photographica Auction, LEICA CAMERA CLASSICS Everyone else is making money from Leica Number 105 so I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring for a few bucks too. Hey! Before you read any further, like and subscribe as they say!  😉  Don't know what I'm talking about? Last...

Leitz 5cm f3.5 Elmar: The Meaning of Gestalt

I'll admit it. As I shuffled around the streets of downtown Frederick, Maryland anticipating the paths of passersby and lifting my little black Leica to my eye, I imagined that this is what it was like for Henry Cartier Bresson before this equipment was legendary, new methods were standard practices and the genre was a...

Happy Birthday, Kodak Tri-X

Kodak Tri-X, as a concept, has been around since the 1940's when it was a 200 ISO b&w sheet film. Because it was their first fast film, when Kodak released the 400 ISO roll film version, the Tri-X name was maintained. Just like Kodak TMAX P3200 revolutionized low light photography in 1989, Tri-X was an...