The Personal Pick - Part Two - The Trigger Point

I often wonder what it is that will trigger a purchase in the camera shop. Price, of course, is often seen as the overweening factor. Novelty is another. Prestige, colour, and social status all can play a part.

And sometimes it is a very subtle thing...something that can be felt but barely articulated. A wisp...

I like to call it industrial nostalgia. The effect of design that recalls us to our history - even if we never experienced it before. Perhaps a call to desires that we once had.

Two products in the Camera Electronic Murray Street shop started the juices flowing. One by Fujifilm and one by Leica. See if you get the same feeling.

The Fujifilm X100F got a full write-up a couple of weeks ago. The chrome version was winking away in the Murray Street cabinet, looking for all the  world like a film camera of the 1950's or 1960's. It begs for a leather half case, a leather strap, and a slotted lenshood. And then it begs for a trip to Zermatt in winter or Lake Louise in summer. For good, comfortable travelling clothes and a schedule that has scenery and architecture and historic places. Also for morning tea, afternoon tea, and a good dinner...Well, suit yourself about that but a well-fed tourist is a good thing to be.

The person who uses the Fujifilm X100F to best advantage is the thinking photographer - one who brings themself close enough to their subject to make use of that 23mm lens. One who makes use of the Fujifilm X-trans sensor and the film simulations as much as possible. Say what you like about always using RAW files, the convenience of a really good JPEG camera that can go up to a high ISO is not to be sneezed at. If you are a person who combines a WiFi camera with a tablet and cloud storage you may well be able to take an entire office in a bag. Not that you want to work in the office if you are sitting on the hotel deck at Lake Louise with a nice afternoon tea...

Okay, one button pushed on one side of the shop. The other siren call came from the other side - the Leica cabinet. Someone in the Leica factory got all nostalgic and looked out an old lens design...

The Summaron-M is only 28mm focal length. It only opens up to f: 5.6. It closes down to f:22 and focuses to a metre. It has a tiny piece of glass inside a classic chromed brass mount ( with Leica code pads on the mount for modern digital cameras ) and it looks as if it comes straight out of the 1950's. It even has the classic push-button Leica infinity stop to park the lens when you put it away.

It also costs a bomb. But it is built with the precision that Leica have always employed for their optics and it is the perfect accompaniment for the Leica M10. Also recommended for that Swiss or Canadian trip but you won't have as much spare change left to tip the waiter. Particualrly if you also indulge yourself in Leica collapsible Elmarit 50mm and 90m lenses to complete the nostalgia kit. Oh, and the tan leather half case...

I wonder if dear old Walter Benser is still making leather boxes?

The Eye Of A Fish - Tokina

I have not reviewed many fish-eye lenses in this column over the years - not for any sinister reason, mind, but really because I am at a loss as to what images will be best captured with them.

I do not swim underwater with the fish and rarely go to pop concerts or inaugurations that might have tens of thousands of people attending them. I rarely go into caverns or cathedrals, and generally do not take the wide view of the place. So for me, the fish-eye view is a novelty.

For others, it can be the exact way they see the world...and I am not talking about haddock and tuna...some people see a wider view than I do. Not surprising, really, as I was fitted with spectacles at the age of eight and have seen the world through frames for the last 60 years.

For those who do see more, the Tokina AT-X 10-17mm f:3.5-4.5 DX Fisheye lens is a wonderful device. It is avaiable for Canon and Nikon mounts - this one is the Nikon version - and is built in the old-school material - metal. Note the slightly bulging front element that is characteristic of a fisheye lens and the fixed compact lens hood.

As we said with the other Tokina lens reviewed recently, the focus and zoom ring action is smooth and well damped and the operation very quick indeed.

A worthy optic for experimenters, interior shooters, landscapists, and environmental shooters. Not exactly a portrait lens, unless your taste in portraiture differs markedly from that of the rest of the world...and from that of the clients. Mind you if your clientele are haddock or you do schools portraits for herring and you can sell  the images, by all means come in and buy one!

As with all Tokina: made in Japan

A House Is Not A Home

Polly Adler was right for many reasons...not the least of which concerns the business of real estate photography. Her houses may have attracted more police interest than the average set of units in City Beach, but the local market for digital images is absolutely huge.

Huge. To some extent it seems even to dwarf the catalogue and flyer trade that pushes pictures of lamb chops and potato crisps into our post boxes every week. Real estate pictures are everywhere - even in a lot of places that do not have real estate. They seem to be necessary for any offer of sale and can amount to works of art in their own right.

It is not an easy game, apparently. Even though the subjects that will be photographed do not move - except in New Zealand  - the light that falls on them does. Making the property look good is the general purpose and this sometimes requires shooting at ungodly hours. External light may not play nice when internal views are needed so separate hours are required. Also lots of additional light sources, gels, wide angle lenses, tripods, and bad language.

The additional complication of occupants in the buildings means that the real estate shooter must be a personal negotiator. Someone has to clean the place up the right way at the right time and keep it clean until the pictures are taken. The real estate shooter needs to have the eye of a hawk to spot potential troubles in the image - it costs time and money to remove these sorts of things in post-production.

I'm continually impressed by the real estate shooters who come into the shop - they are the most inventive people in the world. And they are not afraid to try new things - when they need to do eye-catching shots they go up on giant ladders or put cameras up on extendable poles - or equally belly flop on the ground. They own and use flying drones. And they have an eye for design and interior decoration that sometimes has eluded their clients.

But one question remains...is it they who take those terrible portraits of the real estate agents that appear on bus shelters and public rubbish bins? If so, is it art or revenge...?

Wide And Shallow - A New Leica Lens Is Announced

Leica Camera Australia Pty have just sent us news of a new Leica lens.

It is the Leica Summilux-M 28mm f:1.4 ASPH. Their press release says that it is the first Leica M lens to combine the f:1.4 aperture and 28mm focal length.

Their PDF goes on further to point out that this wide aperture will mean that the shallow depth of filed and softened background images that are generally seen in longer focal lengths will now be available for a wider view.

Indeed - the ten elements in this lens - including one group that floats behind he the diaphragm - should deliver a horizontal angle of view of 65º on the full frame Leica M and 51º on the M8 and M9. This is more than enough for architecture, interiors, or the safari landscape. 700mm close focusing distance - f:1.4-f:16.

It is to be supplied with an all-metal lens hood. We would also recommend that users invest in a Leica E49 filter to protect the front element.

The lens is, of course, made in Germany. We'll likely see them in June though the press release does not set an exact time or date.

Arca Swiss Cube Tripod Head

They're baaaaack.....

 To see where...

Wide and Fast - Fujifilm 16 f:1.4

There are more ways in this world to go fast and wide than buying a Maserati...Fujifilm have just introduced one; the Fujifilm 16mm f:1.4 prime lens.

It follows precisely the style elements of Fujifilm X lenses - metal construction, smooth focusing ring, precise click stops for the aperture, and fast focusing.

It has the addition facility - shared with the 14mm and 23mm lenses  -of snapping the focus ring out of automatic focus into a mechanical manual focus. Wonderful for studio shooting, particularly if you have activated the focus peaking on your X-series camera and can watch the plane of focus "walk"over your subjects.

The real forté of this lens is the wide aperture - f:1.4 - which means it is perfect for interiors. The real estate photographer using the Fujfilm X system could make this lens their primary optic - it will render straight lines straight and give the breadth of vision that sells houses - even pokey little ones...

I can also see it capturing the magnificence of a cathedral interior during a wedding - or trailing out to all the seaside landscape points that fascinate Western Australians.

In store-now.

Leica T Wide Angle Zoom

Unpacking this morning's delivery disclosed a delight - one of the Leica lenses for their T-system.

The lens is the 11-23 Super Vario Elmar T f:3.5-4.5 ASPH. it is a little larger in physical size than the 18-56 that you may have seen, and of course the front element has a pronounced curve - but not to such an extent that it precludes use of a slim filter.

Those of you still accustomed to think of lens angles as they applied to the Leica M series of 35mm cameras can envision this lens providing a variable focal length from he equivalent of 16.5mm to 34.5 mm. Landscape shooters, interior shooters, and those unfortunate enough to have large groups of people to photograph will appreciate this coverage. The lens won't make a large group of people behave or pose better but at least it will capture whatever they are actually doing with great resolution and contrast.

As usual, superb quality of construction and presentation. As usual, a Leica price...

The Ball O Light - Gary Fong In The Steampunk Era

I am glad that the neighbours can't see me in my little studio. They would ring the department, the men in the white coats would come, and that would be the end of it. As it is, I close the curtains and put on my Mad Doctor outfit and start experimenting...

The current line of research revolves around a steampunk event that will be run in May. I've decided to run a portrait set-up and have been assembling the equipment and the lighting. The get-up is no problem - I've been wearing steampunk outfits for the last twenty years at various events and it has stopped being costume long ago - it is clothing now, and old clothing at that...

The camera is the new Moriarty Portrait camera - supplied innocently by Justin Moriarty and the Fujifilm company. Not that they knew it at the time, mind, but I'm sure they will be charmed by the results in the end. Hey, any company that deliberately gives me a sepia setting in the menu of their digital camera ( the X-E2) must expect me to grab the idea and run with it. If they will kindly put a daguerreotype, ambrotype, and tintype setting in as well I will send them a bouquet of chrysanthemums.

Camera sorted, I have turned to lighting. As tempting as it is to devise a lighting system that incorporates a miniature steam engine ( Saito Mfg.. from Japan), a motorcycle generator, and antique light fittings, the work and oily mess involved would make photography impossible. So I have chickened out and  opted for electronic flash.

The Elinchrom Quadra system would do it on a professional basis - two light stands, two heads, battery controller, Skyport trigger and such, but I don't own one and I don't want to borrow one of the Rental Department's kits. The idea of steampunk is you think it up and make it yourself.

I do own some Nikon SB 700 speed lights so I turned to one of them and the Gary Fong collapsible Lightsphere. In the top the sphere I dropped one of the silver diffusers - up until now I have never been able to make this chrome accessory do anything. Now it is brilliant. It fires the light out into a flat annular pattern while still allowing some of it to exit the top of the Fong going toward the ceiling.

The result is absolutely even lighting and some degree of reverse fill in the shadows to the back of the portrait subject. No hot spot on the frontal planes of the face and no burn-out on bald heads. ( I have found my own pate useful for test purposes...)

I've got the light on a standard light stand and  have found that the legs of it can stand within the compass of my tripod legs - thus reducing the chances for people stumbling over them in the dark of a ballroom. I am thinking of decorating the legs of the tripod to further warn off the punters.

Next experiment will be to reduce the output from the Fong and do a hand-held SB 700 with a snoot or grip for spot lighting. Steam on!

The Straight Eights - Buick and Sigma

1948 Buick Straight Eight with Dynaflow, thank you. Yes, I own it.

2013 Sigma 8mm to 16mm f:4.5-5.6 HSM, thank you. Yes, I own it.

If you are a photographer who wishes to deal with crowded interiors, with vast landscapes, with real estate presentation, or with large numbers of people - and you are using one of the APSC - sized cameras - then the Sigma 8-16 should be on your list of wanna-see lenses.

I bought one, with my own money, a couple of years ago. I have never regretted it. It goes to all my weddings for the church and hall interiors, it captures the largest wedding party, it opens out crowded exhibition halls and museums, and it makes tabletop photography look vast.

I can't use a filter on it as the front curved surface and the extreme angle of view would mean a very large filter indeed. Never mind - I don't use polarisers on any other lens and I am careful enough with the front surface of my glass. That petal lens hood is a metal protector anyway.

The joy of the Straight Eight is the giant engine and the luxurious appointment inside it. Buick were always the cars of successful executives. The joy of the Sigma 8-16 is the straight lines at the edges of the frames - no fish-eye curvature. Highly recommended for successful executives...

You can get the Sigma to fit Canon, Nikon, or Pentax. If you've got a D7000, a D5200, a D300 - or a 60D, a 650D, or a 7D....motor on down to the shop and let us fit you out with a superb lens. If you arrive in a Buick Straight Eight with Dynaflow you get a special discount!