A little of this, and a little of that...

Today's post is a bit on the rambling side. I've been playing with a lot of miscellaneous items this past week. I've been doing some of my macro work with the old Kern Macro-Switar 50mm f/1.8 lens adapted to fit my Leica M 240. Some of the equipment shots I did for this blog recently were taken with it. The lens is sharp, but, in keeping with an old lens on a new digital camera, it has a very soft, hazy quality to it that I like. I'm planning to do some more still life work with the combo.

This close-up was taken with the Macro-Switar with a wide open aperture on the Leica M 240. 

A Leica Standard of 1932 taken by the Macro-Switar. There was quite a lot of haze in this backlit shot. Much of it still remains even after I tried the new "Dehaze" effect in Photoshop CC. 

I have fully integrated the Fuji X100T into my workflow. It's the camera I now carry with me the most when I'm just walking around. It has also been affecting the way I shoot lifestyle situations. My sequence of most used lenses always started the 56mm f/1.2 doing about 80% of the work, followed by the 35mm f/1.4, and occasionally the 23mm on the X-T1. For the past few weeks the 56mm has become my least used of the three focal lengths, as the X100T has had me moving in closer with it and the 35mm for more of a candid look that integrates the foreground better with the subject. The other thing I like about the X100T is its ability to take close-ups that have a very unique look.

I found this worn flag on the back of a fire truck parked in the street and took this close-up with the Fuji X100T. The muted color is a result of processing the image as Fuji Classic Chrome in Photoshop. 

Yesterday I received a Zeiss 55mm f/1.4 Otus Distagon lens to try out on some panoramic experiments I've been doing combining multiple images. I want to see how how sharp it is when combined with my Nikon D810.

The Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 lens is a real monster. It actually weighs more than the camera. 

Replacing the shutter in a Nikon D4 camera

The shutter in a Nikon D4 camera is rated to go for 400,000 actuations. When the camera is new it is hard to believe I'd even hit the 400k mark, but with a shutter blazing away at 10fps it's easier to get there than you think. Recently, as with my D3 before it, I was coming very close to the end of the rated shutter life span. My D3 gave me indications that it was dying with intermittent malfunctions that never could be fixed by Nikon even after several visits to Nikon repair. In the end, I bit the bullet and replaced the shutter, and was glad I did.

Replacing a shutter sounds like a big deal -- read "expensive".  Turns out it wasn't. At the time of my D3 repair the cost was in the $300 range -- not really bad when you consider this gives the camera a completely new life. This time around, as my D4 shutter began approaching the 400k mark, I decided to take some preventative medicine and replace the shutter before it began to go bad.  Yes, it is possible the shutter would never have gone bad, but, recalling the shutter trouble I had had with my D3,  I didn't want to take the chance of the D4 suddenly dying on me in the middle of a shoot due to an exhausted shutter. To spur my decision along, Nikon began offering a 25% discount on Nikon service repairs for NPS members,  So off my camera went to Nikon to have the shutter replaced. It was returned a week later fully serviced in addition to the shutter replacement. Looks and feels just like a new camera. With the 25% discount it came to $336.

If I had tried to sell my D4 with that many actuations, I never would have received much for it. With that in mind, I consider the expense of the new shutter an investment in the value of the camera.

Creating large panoramas using multiple images from the Leica M 240

I have been experimenting lately with creating high res panoramas by stitching individual images together into one large photo. For those of you who have been following my blog, you may recall that I was testing the idea of combining a Sony A7R II with Leica lenses to use for this purpose. I am trying to find the best camera/lens/software combo to provide the highest resolution images to use for the final assemble panorama.  The A7R II would give me a 42.4mp image and the Leica lenses would provide the high quality optics, thus combining the best full-frame sensor available with what I consider the best full-frame optics.

The Sony A7R II isn't available yet so I decided to do some experimenting using just the Leica M 240 with its 24mp sensor. Below is an image I took last night of lower Manhattan at twilight. It is comprised of ten vertical photos, 2 rows of 5 photos each, and stitched together into one file using PTgui software. The lens was a 50mm Summilux with aperture set to the sweet-spot of f/5.6, ISO was at its its lowest, which on a Leica is 200, and shutter speed was 1/3second.

Ten images put together to form one giant panorama. The native size of the final photo is over 4' wide, but it could easily make a much larger print. 

Download the full res image (322mp) by clicking here.
Download a med res version of the image (100mb) by clicking here

The Leica was mounted in a vertical position on the tripod and centered for the nodal point of the lens. It was fairly easy to adjust the camera position for the nodal point by aligning a foreground object with a distant building and rotating the camera on the tripod to make sure that the two objects kept their alignment. It only took some minor adjusting by moving the camera back and forth to stabilize the alignment.

This is a typical rig I use to take the multiple images. The Leica M with Summilux 50mm lens, Really Right Stuff L-bracket, and a slider mounted on the tripod head.  The camera position was adjusted so the nodal point of the lens is centered over the tripod to give all ten images the same vantage point. When I need to do multiple passes that require the camera to also be tilted up or down, I also add a vertical slider. 

The rig I used is fairly simple, but then the Leica with 50mm lens is a very light camera so I didn't need anything more substantial. It consisted of a slider mounted on top of the tripod, plus a Really Right Stuff  L-bracket for the camera. I also have L-brackets for my Fuji X-T1 and Nikon D810 for doing similar work.

The ten images formed a grid of 5 across and two down. They were taken with the camera in a vertical position and allowance was made for approximately a 20% overlap of the images so the stitching software had similar reference points in neighboring images to make a smooth transition. 

The ten images need to be consistent so the camera is set to manual focus, and manual exposure. I shot the images in RAW and processed them as 16-bit tif files, which were then brought into PTgui for combining into one image. PTgui is very simple, drag-and-drop software that does a really quick and accurate alignment of the images but allows for later manual adjustments. I didn't need to adjust anything because the tripod was fully leveled beforehand.

I took this photo on a weekend evening, but it would be better to shoot during the week when more of the building windows are lit.

The sharpness of the Leica lenses and lack of anti-aliasing filter on the sensor often causes moiré patterns in buildings when shooting citiscapes using the Leica M. It is apparent here in the gold top of the building on the left -- something I'll have to deal with later in the final image.

The final image is 322mp in size, with a width of 51" (112.8cm). I have also tried some similar tests of combining ten images taken with the Fuji X-T1 and 35mm lens. Even though the X-T1 is a 16mp camera vs. 24 for the Leica, the final image was not much smaller (48" vs 51").

First thoughts on the new Leica Q (Typ 116)

Leica's latest surprise is its new, full frame, 24.2mp "Q" model with a fixed 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens. Although it may look like a typical Leica M 28mm, this lens has been specifically designed for the Q camera and has the extra niceties of autofocus, and optical image stabilization unusual for a wide angle lens. Couple that with the fast f/1.7 aperture and 100-50,000 ISO range and this baby should be able to take handheld shots in almost total darkness. The lens also has a macro mode that focuses down to 6.60" (17cm).

The lens is very obviously modeled after the typical Leica M lenses. Given its advanced specs, we can always dream that Leica would make an interchangeable version to fit the the M.

It looks great with that understated classic simplicity of design that is quintessentially Leica. And, in case you miss the point, there is the distinguishing Leica red dot to remind you. 

Some photographers, including me, might find a 35mm lens on a fixed lens camera to be more of an all-around practical tool. Leica gets around this objection by providing two crop modes, one of 1.25x for 35mm framing, and the other of 1.8x for 50mm framing. The appropriate cropping frames are visible in the viewfinder. A drawback to this system is that it effectively reduces the sensor size down to about 19.4 megapixels for the 35mm crop, and 13.4 megapixels for the 50mm.  I suppose that a a little like having a Fuji X100T with both the TCL and TWL built in.

The rear of the camera is as exciting as the front, especially when we see that large viewfinder window with its best-of-class high resolution 3.68 MP electronic viewfinder, and the  3.0" 1,040k-dot LCD touch screen below it.  I also like the recessed thumb area on the right to help with quick orientation to the nearby controls. 

The full-frame 24MP CMOS sensor, is powered by the Maestro II image processor borrowed from the S camera series to provide sharp, high-resolution images and full HD video with exception low noise and ISO speeds up to 50,000.  The Q camera can shoot a continuous burst rate up to 10fps.

The nearest other full-frame, fixed lens camera out there for comparison is Sony's RX1, although that is getting a little old and will probably be replaced with an update soon. Surprisingly, Sony did not introduce a model II to replace the RX1 when it announced its latest A7R II and RX100 IV recently. As they now stand, the newer features of the Leica Q run circles around the RX1, but in terms of weight and size the RX1 is a much smaller package. In fact, the Q is less that a half inch shorter than an M.

Other features:

The camera is sturdy enough with its solid machined aluminum top plate and a magnesium alloy body. 

The built-in Wi-Fi module allows linking the camera to a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The Q also has an NFC chip for tap-to-connect functionality with certain devices. There is a free Leica Q app that further allows remote control of the camera for adjusting exposure while shooting from difficult or inaccessible locations.

Flash sync is up to 1/500 second. There is an auxiliary hot shoe for accessory flashes. 

The Q can record full HD 1080p video at 60 or 30 fps, as well as 720p at 30 fps.

The top and rear control layouts look a lot like those of the Leica M 240, although I don't see any screw-in cable release socket in the shutter release. 

The $4250 price tag appears typically Leica expensive, but the Q includes a built-in viewfinder and 28mm Summilux lens. The lens alone is probably worth the price if we compare it to similar interchangeable lenses for the Leica M series.

I will be posting a full, hands-on review of the Leica Q once I have put it through its paces.

Even going back to this first Leica I of 1930 we can see the roots of the classic Leica body design in the current Leica Q. 

The Leica Q Typ 116 is available for pre-order now with delivery expected after June 16th.

You can pre-order one here: BH-Photo   Adorama    

Adapting a Nikon super-telephoto to the Fuji X-T1

During the month of June the sun advances to its most northern point in Manhattan, as we approach the summer solstice on June 21st. On two of those days, 21 day before and after the solstice, the sunset is in perfect alignment with the grid layout of the city streets, and New Yorkers are treated to an event that is gaining in popularity called Manhattenhenge because it mimics the alignment of the summer solstice with the stone monuments of Stonehenge in England.

For me this period is a fun time to photograph the sun and its effect on buildings, streets, and environs of New York. Last night I was thinking about the 100-400mm zoom predicted to come out sometime in late 2016 -- a long way off. In the interim this leaves us with 200mm as the current maximum tele focal length in the Fuji lineup. For shooting close-up, dramatic shots of the sun or moon, or animals for that matter, 200mm simply isn't going to cut it. I have mentioned in the past that one thing Fuji needs in its optical lineup to really attract professional converts is going to be some super-tele lenses.

While I am waiting, impatiently, for Fuji to deliver us a super-tele option, I slapped a Nikon-G-to-Fuji-X adapter on the superb Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom and took some photos of the sun as it set into clouds above the horizon. The 400mm zoom extension gave me a long tele focal length equivalent of 600mm, and coupled with the Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E it was further pushed it to an equivalent length of 840mm. This is a manual focus setup so I won't be photographing any birds in flight coming towards the camera, nonetheless I can still have some fun with more static subjects and parallel moving objects. Below are a couple of shots I did with this combo last night.

With the sun setting directly to the west of Manhattan it is in line with the flight path to Newark Airport. For this shot I had only the Nikon 80-400mm zoom mounted on the Fuji X-T1 and was able to capture some to the jets passing in front of the sun on their final approach into Newark.  This shot was taken with an equivalent of 600mm lens, perhaps even a bit more, since I did crop it a bit into a more panoramic format. 

As the sun dipped into the clouds I added the Nikon 1.4x tele-converter to the lens resulting in an 840mm focal length, and with the square crop it is probably equivalent more to 1000mm. 

I really wish Fuij would step up production of some long telephoto offerings. Don't they know how many birders and animal photographers are out there chomping at the bit for a lens like this?

This is how the whole contraption looks  when assembled. Left to right: Fuji X-T1, Nikon-G to Fuji-X adapter, Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E, and Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom. 

In the meantime, there are several Nikon G to Fuji X adapter options out there. Some are more expensive than others, but they all do essentially the same thing. The real trick with a G lens is that there is no external aperture selector ring on the lens itself. (This is one reason I often prefer D lenses instead.)  To get around this the adapter must have its own ring coupling with the Nikon lens to open and close the diaphragm. This is a fairly simple operation. Personally, I use one of the more modest adapters, and it gets the job done. For anyone interested,  here are some options:

Metabones $139.00:  BH-Photo   Amazon
FotodioX $59.95:    BH-Photo   Amazon 
Fotasy $22.71:  Amazon

First thoughts on the Sony A7RII 42.4mp digital camera

A little while back I began performing tests with a Sony A7 series cameras in anticipation of the A7RII, which everyone knew would be announced soon, and probably in June. Turns out the rumor mill was right. Yesterday, Sony announced the new A7RII, but instead of a 36mp sensor or an anticipated 50mp sensor it will have a 42.4mp sensor. Sony has been ahead of the pack with sensor development in their A7 series, and undoubtedly this new one will be a top-of-the-line winner. Sorry, Canon. I know you announced a new 50mp sensor, but Canon sensor track record hasn't been in the same league with Sony So, yes, I'm betting on the Sony sensor here. Plus, the A7RII will accept Canon lenses -- along with the lenses of many other manufactures --  with AF to boot.

In my first report on the Sony A7 series cameras, I was critical of the fact that the camera came out with no solid lens support. On top of that, I was skeptical of a full-frame mirrorless camera in general. I always thought that it would take a typically large full-frame lens to cover the full frame senso thus defeating its purpose. Sony fooled me. Apparently, all along their strategy had been to make the A7 series adaptable to the vast lineup of high quality lenses from other manufactures -- an idea smartly echoing back to the old Alpa 35mm cameras.

I wouldn't need an A7 with a 24mp sensor because I already have that file size with my Leica M 240, but a larger sensor -- particularly with Sony quality -- such as that in the new 42.4mp of the A7RII, is another story entirely.

When I began my recent tests with the A7 cameras, it was to determine how smoothly it worked with Leica M-mount lenses. Why? Because every time I am surprised by the sharpness of one of my older photos and I check to see what camera was used, it always turns out to have been taken with a Leica lens. I am sold on Leica optics. Yes, the lenses are ridiculously expensive, but when sharpness matters above all else, and the inconvenience of manual focus can be tolerated, for me Leica wins every time. At present I am planning a series of super-high resolution images of New York City, and Leitz lenses are one of the top runners in my tests. If I can marry the optics with a camera like this new Sony A7RII, it might be a marriage made in heaven. We'll see.

Of course, this is just my reason for wanting an A7RII camera, but there are many new ground-breaking innovations that may move this camera to be leader of the mirrorless pack.

The α7R II has the first  35 mm full-frame CMOS image sensor with back-illuminated structure. This delivers a 42.4 megapixel resolution, plus expanded sensitivity and extra-low noise performance. On top of that the new architecture speeds readout resulting faster AF performance and continuous shooting rate of 5fps, quite fast for a sensor producing 42.4mp images.  Sony A7 cameras are already the lowest in noise at high ISO's. This sensor will be even better.

The XGA OLED viewfinder advances the optical finder another notch, especially when coupled with the world's highest mirrorless magnification of 0.78x. 

I have a feeling the A7RII is going to appeal big time with film makers. The thing all videographers have been lusting for, 4K, is not only here, it can record at 4K resolution in a 35mm full-frame format also. Plus it can do so in a camera body that can accept almost any form of quality optics. 

There are 399 focal plane phase-detection AF points covering 45% of the image area. This is coupled with 25-point contrast-detection AF coverage for very impressive AF capabilities.

The A7RII will have 5-point image stabilization built right into the camera. This system is built to compensate for five types of camera motion that generally occur in handheld shooting and will be magnified by the high res 42.4 high res sensor. 

Hmmm...I wonder what this will look like with a Leica M lens on it?

The list of ingredients in this camera is impressive, but I will say what I always say: Without quality and convenient lens support even the best camera is worthless. The A7 series has been around long enough to have established the lens support it needs. Interestingly, this came from a wise Sony strategy of creating an open architecture making it convenient to adapt other manufacturer's lenses. This still leaves one big problem. Mirrorless is expected to be a small, convenient format. Full frame mirrorless cameras negate this feature by requiring super-sized optics -- unless the optics are M-Leica in size, which takes me to my main reason for looking to this camera as a high res vehicle to very small, very high quality Leica lenses. 

That said, I may be one of the first photographers picking up one of the first A7RII cameras when they become available in August. I have been burned by this eagerness in the past with problematic first editions. So I'll be going into this with fingers crossed. 

Tha A7RII is expected to be out in August and sell for $3199. Check back here for leads on early offers and ordering information. 

Fuji XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens -- a hands on review

My favorite full frame lens for shooting lifestyle is an 85mm wide aperture. On a Fuji X camera this translates to the 56mm f/1.2.  A main reason for this choice is that I want to keep the background very soft so it doesn't interfere with the main subject, while at the same time retaining some story-telling detail in the out-of-focus area. I am often afraid of using full frame lenses at a full aperture of f/1.4, since it often means sacrificing some detail in the focused area. The Fuji 56mm lens is different. I find I can use it at f/1.2 with no loss in sharpness in my main subject.

I have already posted a full hands-on review of the Fuji XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens. Since it is the same lens used to create the APD model, I will spend my time here in discussing the only difference between the two models, the effects of the apodization filter, and refer the reader to the other review for a fuller explanation of the similarities the two lenses share. 

The profile of the APD version of the 56mm f/1.2 lens is identical to that of the standard R version. Looking pretty nice here on an X-Pro1. 

The only way to tell the two lenses apart from the their profile is the writing on the lens barrel. The new APD adjusted aperture markings are in red below the actual diaphragm markings, and the lens is marked with a red "APD" next to its size. 

The newer iteration of this lens, the APD model, is the exact same lens as the R model, except for the inclusion of a special apodization filter inside of it next to the diaphragm. They probably would not have done this had they not started with such a good lens. 

The main reason this lens works well with a softening filter is that it remains optically sharp at f/1.2 where it is focused. I regularly use my standard 56mm R lens wide open at f/1.2 even when photographing close-up portraits. The APD filter performs its magic with a wide open aperture. To help maintain f/1.2, even in bright light, the lens comes with its own 3-stop ND filter. A red scale beneath the white aperture ring indicates the effective aperture value caused by the APD filter as it relates to depth of field. 

The background blurs gradually melt into one another creating a softer transition than a standard aperture lens. The sample images below tell the story better than words. 

The softer bokeh effect caused by the APD lens is due to the graduated neutral density of the apodizaiton filter along the edges when the lens is used at it wider apertures. This effect gradually diminishes as the lens is stopped down and disappears totally by f/5.6 at which point it behaves like the regular 56mm R version. 

The shape of the aperture will be echoed in the out-of-focus blurs. If the aperture were star-shaped, the blurs would also assume the star shape. Because the aperture is made up of individual metal blades that form a circle the shape of the blurs are circular when the aperture is wide open.  As the aperture closed the shape becomes typically six, seven, or eight sided depending upon the number of aperture blades.

The out-of-focus blurs with the APD lens are smoother in their transition, but they are also smaller because at f/1.2 the APD is actually f/1.7 due to the addition of the darkening caused by the ND softening area around the aperture, and f/1.7 is almost a full stop closed down from f/1.2. That is going to affect both the exposure and the size of the out-of-focus blurs.

Note the differences in the sizes of the out-of-focus blurred shapes. The apodization filter inside the 56mm APD lens causes the aperture to be smaller (f/1.7 instead of f/1.2) resulting in smaller shapes to the blurs. On the other hand, the blur shapes from the standard lens have a harder edge to them, while those taken with the APD version have a much softer transition at the edge. This is what this filter is all about. Note also how both images are tack sharp on the model's face even with the wide open aperture.   Download a high res version of this image here.

In the photo below with the aperture stopped down to f/2.8 the blurs take on a seven-sided shape because the Fuji 56mm lenses have a seven-sided aperture.

This file shows the bokeh effect at f/2.8. Download a high res version here.

Both images shot wide open at f/1.2. Compare the softness of the blurred circles caused the by the apodization filter in the left image with the harder edge of the blurred lights with the standard aperture lens on the right.    Download the high res version here.

This lens works particularly well for portraiture when we want a sharpness to the face but a high degree of softness in the background to minimize distracting details.

Even in very close the lens is very sharp at full aperture. In this photo the model's eyelids and eye lashes are completely sharp as the rest of the image drifts off into a soft blur. 

Moving in tight while still at f/1.2 the lens shows off its abilities to juxtapose sharp detail with soft bokeh backgrounds. 

The wide open aperture of this lens completely blurred the very distracting background in this close-up, candid snapshot, while leaving the girl's face very sharp. 

Lens used at f/1.4. 

Working at f/1.2, even pulled back to include more of the subject, keeps the background soft enough not to interfere with the subject, but with enough detail to tell the story. The lens maintains sharp detail in the subject even with this wide open aperture. The ability to maintain focus while moving along with the model and  the model moving directly towards the camera is always difficult, especially at f/1.2. For these walking shots I had the X-T1 set to face recognition mode, and it seemed a good job of returning mostly in-focus results. 

Conclusion:

This specialized lens is not for everyone. It performs its best magic when used wide open and when the background is mottled with light. The standard R lens will still provide a very soft bokeh effect but the transition edges will be a little harder edged.  If you require a sharp lens that can maintain an ultra smooth transition in the out-of-focus area, then spending an extra $500 for the APD version might be worth it to you. One trade-off is that it does lose almost a full stop of light wide open.

I think the image samples above tell the story better than words. If this ultra-smooth blurring effect is important to you, then this lens may be for you. Otherwise, the standard R lens still does a magnificent job of creating pleasing softness while remaining super sharp at wide open apertures.

The price of the Fuji 56mm f/1.2 APD lens has recently been reduced to $1374.60, but is still $500 more that the standard R version, which has received a similar price reduction.

If you are planning on purchasing this camera or lens, you can help support this site at no extra cost to you by purchasing from one of our affiliate sellers listed below -- and thanks for your support.

The Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R APD lens is available for ordering at:   BH-photo  Adorama  Amazon

If  you are content without the extra softness offered by the APD filter, the standard R model is now available at a 15% discount for $840.80:

The Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R lens is available for ordering at:   BH-photo  Adorama  Amazon