That Certain Something

When it comes to shooting with a Leica, there was always that particular something with the snaps. That almost magical separation of background and foreground was just difficult to describe. People called this bokeh, but with a Leica lens, there is an ethereal quality to that.

Modern cameras and smartphones had algorithms to recreate this, but it almost looked fake. Nothing could replace the real thing. And having an afternoon in town with Leica rangefinder and a summilux lens gives you that great buzz.

Despite been using my medium format in the last few outings, I returned to the rangefinder set up on the previous few outings. I must say that the experience was completely different since I bought an electronic viewfinder - the EVF-2. It gave a different dimension to my snaps, allowing me to not worry about focusing since my eyesight is not perfect.

The electronic viewfinder also allowed me to be in control with the depth of field, the exposure and the white balance. Before this, I tended to bracket my shots at different exposure compensation since the camera tended to underexpose. Not anymore with my new setup. I was able to get better snaps, and the setup time was also sorter and the snaps more controlled.

All in all, I can never go back to the rangefinder without the viewfinder attached. It was not just for the focusing, but to get more control of the snaps. And for those who wanted to invest in one, it was well worth the upgrade ...

Back to the Cron

After taking the new zoom for a couple of spin, it became very clear that I should stick to primes for photowalks. Zooms were good for the family outings and general use, but for my own snaps, definitely prime lenses were the way forward.

I just was not impressed with the new zoom despite it being top of the line. And I don't think it was the fault of the lens per se. It was more of a personal choice and the fact that I had been spoilt by the quality of the Leica lens I had with me.

So, to prove the point that I still possess some photography mojo, I went for a quick walk around Bukit Bintang last Sunday. With me came the Sony Alpha 7 mark II with the Leica Summicron-M 50mm through an adaptor of course.

The result? Stunning photos. Definitely the lens - and the fact that the Sony was full-frame made a major difference. The colour rendition was a lot better and I don't mind the manual focusing. It took a bit longer to get the snaps, but I was a lot happier with the setup.

The main difference was the micro-contrast on the lens. The Leica had them in abundance. I would still use the zoom, but only when the need arise. For my usual walk-about, the Alpha 7 and Cron combination looked to be with me for a while.