Important Update: New Paywall for Reviews and Features
We want to thank you for your continued support and engagement with our content. We’re always striving to provide high-quality reviews and features, and to maintain and enhance the quality of our offerings, we have decided to implement a paywall. As usage rights, licensing, and even appropriation are increasingly being undermined for photographers and journalists in the media and the wider internet (including in the photographic press, somewhat disingenuously), leading to requests for low fees or even free content, we trust that you will understand our shift to a subscription and affiliate-funded model as a commitment to protecting these essential rights. Certain content, including news and commentary, will still be…
Leica Summilux-M 50 F1.4 Classic (11 714) Lens Spec
Technical data: Lens Leica Summilux 50 mm F1.4 Classic (11 714) Angle of view (diagonal, horizontal, vertical) 45°, 38°, 26° Optical design Number of elements/groups 7/5 Number of aspherical elements Position of entrance pupil in front of the bayonet flange 29.8 mm Focusing Working range 0.7 m to infinity Smallest object field 275 x 413 mm Largest reproduction ratio 1:12.5 Aperture Settings/functions Click-stop diaphragm with half-increment lock settings Aperture setting range 1.4 – 16 No. of blades 12 Bayonet/sensor format Leica M-bayonet, full-frame 35 mm format Filter thread E46 Dimensions and weight Length to bayonet flange 45 mm (71mm with hood) Largest diameter 58 mm Weight…
Favourite gear
I’m often asked about my thoughts on gear, which was one of the reasons I started reviewing and consulting in the early noughties. I’m still asked about gear all the time, so I thought I would list some of my favourite items. These days, I only review gear that I think I’ll like anyway, so it’s a lot more personalised and relevant to the type of photography I currently practice: architecture, homes, and gardens. Personal projects include the hybrid documentary landscape genre. I have an Amazon page here where I list some of the items. However, this page here gives you an idea of why I like them and why…
Pentax 645D review
An edited version of my review first appeared in Hotshoe magazine over a decade ago. Pentax has been promising a digital iteration of their film-based 645N medium format camera for several years, and now, finally, it’s here. The biggest surprise, though, was the price of around 950,000 yen or around £10,000 ex VAT (the price has since dropped considerably, please see below). Even then, the 40-megapixel Pentax 645D was to be released for the Japanese market only, and it seemed unlikely that it would ever be officially exported outside of the home market. The low price caused ripples through the market, as witnessed by the introduction of the competitively priced…
Leica M EV1 in stock at Park Cameras
Launched today without pre-orders, the Leica M EV1 is selling out already. However, Park Cameras are showing 3+ in stock with free next-day delivery [affiliate link]: Park Cameras (UK) Leica UK are also showing stock with delivery in 2-5 days: Leica UK As an affiliate member, I may earn a commission when you purchase through these links. It does not affect the price you pay. Read our review of the Leica M11
Leica announces highly anticipated Leica M EV1 with electronic viewfinder
Leica has announced the Leica M EV1, a long-rumoured model based on the Leica M11 body and M-mount but with an electronic viewfinder instead of the rangefinder. I have called for this feature for some time, and I expect the demand will be high. Leica users will immediately notice the similarity between the existing Leica M and the Leica Q models, the latter being a fixed lens model with an electronic viewfinder and based on the rangefinder-equipped Leica M. The new Leica M EV1, therefore, is a synthesis of two models and features the full-frame 60MP BSI-CMOS sensor with Triple Resolution Technology (60, 36 or 18 megapixels) of the Leica…
Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens review
What is it? Bearing the prestigious L-series designation, the Canon RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM is a versatile 4x zoom with a decent wide and telephoto coverage and a 0.45m minimum focus distance. It’s also the first in the RF mount to feature a new, compact “thin” Nano USM actuator providing quiet yet fast AF. According to Canon, it is also “particularly well-suited to stop-and-start operation that’s quite common in video shooting. It also helps ensure much smoother AF during video acquisition.” As such, it’s the kind of zoom lens that appeals to photographers and those who also need some video capabilities, for example, when recording interviews. This would be…
From the past: Samyang/Rokinon T-S 24mm F3.5 review
An edited version of my review first appeared in the British Journal of Photography* magazine well over a decade ago. With their range of movements, tilt and shift lenses offered in various focal lengths for 35mm full-frame DSLRs have become indispensable for architecture, interiors, still-life, food and product photography. Before Canon redesigned their film-era 24mm version with an improved optical design and, uniquely, adding a user-selectable option of aligning the tilt function with the shift movement, these lenses were quite reasonably priced. A little over four years ago, Canon offered three focal lengths (24, 45 and 90mm). At just £899 inc VAT, the low price suggested that these were marketed…
Mamiya DM33 review
An edited version of my review originally featured over a decade ago in Hotshoe International magazine. With the closure of Franke and Heidecke*, the medium format market has been dominated by just two players: Hasselblad and Phase One. Hasselblad has since chosen a closed system on their H4D series, preventing third-party backs from being fitted, while digital back-maker Phase One hastily became the majority shareholder of Mamiya. Phase One also deftly acquired the assets of back-maker Leaf from Kodak recently, giving the company a second line. Leaf’s higher-end backs are still marketed using their brand-name, but the three so-called “entry-level” 22/28/33-megapixel Aptus II models are being re-branded as the…
From the past: Hasselblad H4D 60 review
An edited version of my review was published over a decade ago in F2 Freelance Photographer magazine. The last couple of decades have been turbulent for medium-format camera manufacturers, but now, after several well-known names have withdrawn, the market looks reasonably healthy. Two new unexpected entrants, Leica and Pentax, have added to the dynamic at opposing ends of the pricing scale, forcing the two established system players to compete fiercely in their traditional, rarefied role as well as in the “entry-level.” Partnering with both Leaf and Mamiya, Phase One has developed a trio of “entry-level” Mamiya DM models starting at under $14k/ £9k while continuing to offer a wide range of…
