blakley

That's great, Mike!

I try to restrict myself to pictures taken with either Leica or RF equipment; this can be a pretty loose straitjacket, as in the case of this week's pic, which was taken with a Leica lens but with a non-RF camera (of course, Leica SLR gear is fair game here too...).

 

I do allow myself to slip in a totally non-Leica-non-RF photo on very rare occasions, if I think the picture is of special interest.

<p>You're a prince, Jeff. And thanks for the instructions!</p>

<p>Hmmm... Something about Photo.net's HTML processing has changed recently, and the site is now defeating my attempts to center photos. Any ideas?</p>

<p>Seriously underexposed due to backlighting and rescued in Photoshop<br>

<a title="_1010406 by blakley, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4502769207_a9b5e0f4d5.jpg" alt="_1010406" width="500" height="500" /></a></p>

<p><em>Panasonic GF1, 40/2 Summicron, 1/1600@f/2@ISO 800, Photoshop</em></center></p>

<p><a title="Scowl by blakley, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2739/4485818934_23a2ce469e_o.jpg" alt="Scowl" width="525" height="525" /></a><br /> <em>iPhone + Hipstamatic app</em><br /> Great shots, Barry and Jeff!</p>

 

<p>It's always music night in Austin!</p>

<p>Never started one before...</p>

<p><a title="L1007236 by blakley, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2775/4468415031_b7eb1eaf63.jpg" alt="L1007236" width="500" height="400" /></a><br>

<em>M8, 50/1.2 Noctilux "Asph", filter, 1/60 @ f/1.2 @ ISO 640, Lightroom</em></p>

<p>Nice one, Tom!</p>

 

<p align="center"><a title="27B/6 by blakley, on Flickr" href=" title="27B/6 by blakley, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4423294726_1b3359cf74_o.jpg" alt="27B/6" width="525" height="525" /> </a></p>

<p align="center"><em>iPhone 3G, Hipstamatic app, John S lens, Kodot Verichrome "film"</em></p>

<p>While I love the LX3, it's not really a replacement for a D90 because it doesn't let you interchange lenses.<br>

My first choice would be the Panasonic GF1. It has interchangeable lenses and quite a lot of user control over functionality - including manual aperture and shutterspeed and manual focusing. It accepts a variety of lenses, including image-stabilized micro-4/3 lenses, 4/3 lenses, and manual lenses from a wide range of mount families. <br>

It's quite compact and robust, it has a built-in pop-up flash, and you can get a very compact and high-quality kit lens (the 20/1.7, which, however, is not image-stabilized). It has long-exposure noise reduction built in.</p>

<p align="center"><a title="L1006647 by blakley, on Flickr" href=" title="L1006647 by blakley, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4395554115_5c18784a1d.jpg" alt="L1006647" width="400" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p align="center"><em>M8, 50/1.4 Summilux Asph, filter, 1/8@f/1.4@ISO 640, Lightroom</em></p>

<p>That's a really good one, Jeff.</p>

<p align="center"><a title="L1006128 by blakley, on Flickr" href=" title="L1006128 by blakley, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/4314799665_216fa9b3db.jpg" alt="L1006128" width="400" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p align="center"><em>M8, 50/1.4 Summilux ASPH, filter, ISO 640, 1/30@f/1.4, Lightroom</em></p>

<p>Nice week; I especially like Thodoris' shot. 2010's been insanely busy so far; this is my first POW of the year:</p>

 

<p align="center"><a title="L1005570 by blakley, on Flickr" href=" title="L1005570 by blakley, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2765/4298656164_615f94df11.jpg" alt="L1005570" width="400" height="500" /> </a></p>

<p align="center"><em>M8, 50/1.4 Summilux Asph, filter, ISO 640, 1/125@f/1.4, Lightroom & Photoshop</em></p>

<p>Deb,<br>

If you're looking to sell this lens, I'd advise you to talk to a reputable dealer (KEH would be a good choice) about arranging the sale so that the lens is properly graded, you get a good price, and the buyer gets a fair deal.</p>

<p>A "new in box" copy of the f/1.2 Noctilux is selling on the 'bay for a bit over $12,000 right now.</p>

<p>If you do indeed have an f/1.2 Noctilux, it's a great lens. Even worn it's probably worth $US 5,000. But consider using it rather than selling it; it's really a wonderful lens with quite unique rendering. <a href=" are some photos I've taken with this lens.</p>

<p>When you're updating M8 firmware, pay particular attention to instructions which tell you to wait for a specified period of time before performing the next step (often there will be an instruction which says something like "wait 3 seconds before performing the next step"). MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS. If you don't obey the "wait" instructions, the firmware upgrade may fail, and it can in rare cases fail in a way which leaves the camera inoperable. If that happens, you'll have to send the camera back to Leica for service.</p>

<p>Well, not exactly. The m4/3 system cameras don't have a rangefinder system, so you can't use manual-focus lenses without using the built-in LCD's manual-focus magnification system or the same system through the clip-on viewfinder. The experience is going to be like a high-end digital point-and-shoot if you don't have the clip-on viewfinder; if you do have it the experience will be like a DSLR. In neither case will the experience be very much like using a rangefinder - even though you will be able to use your rangefinder lenses.</p>

<p>Low-light performance of m4/3 cameras is a bit better than the M8 but not nearly as good as the current generation of full-frame DSLRs.</p>

<p>Telephoto lens selection will be much better with m4/3 than with a rangefinder; wide-angle lens selection will be a bit worse.</p>

<p>Sad news, but not tragic. Al enjoyed his time on this earth, and made the most of it. I'll miss him. </p>

<p>Here's to you, Al - a New Year's Eve (almost) toast. I hope they have superwide lenses where you're headed. And stuffed monkeys. And cigarettes and coffee, and pretty girls.</p>

<p>Love to hear the story that goes with that one, Jeff!</p>

<p><em><strong>In fact, based on my testing of a new M8.2 and some expensive Leitz lenses, the image quality of the Olympus EP-1 meets or exceeds those I made with the Leica.</strong> </em></p>

<p>If Farace is using the cameras to shoot JPEGs at ISO 160 and f/5.6, this is easy to explain. At ISO 640, 1/4 sec, and f/1.4 in DNG, the M8 provides quality no micro 4/3 camera can touch. I've used the M8 and several Olympus E-series cameras in these conditions, and while the Olympus cameras are good performers, anyone who thinks they're an image quality match for the M8 has got a bad sample or is doing something wrong.</p>

<p>It can't beat the flexibility of my 4x5 monorail camera either.</p>

<p>I'm also looking at the GF1 but wonder whether waiting a bit might be rewarded.</p>

<p>The review simply doesn't support your statements that the X1 is "two steps behind other manufactures" or "hopelessly behind in just about every way". It describes the camera's strengths and weaknesses. Some of the strengths are considerable. So are some of the weaknesses. The review makes a strong case that, especially at high ISO, the RAW file quality of the X1 is significantly better than the GF1 you say your money is on.</p>

<p>If you value fast, accurate autofocus and 3-stop IS more than high resolution and low noise, choosing a GF-1 or EP-2 is a valid choice. If your preferences run the other way, the X1 is a valid choice.</p>

<p>If you're not willing to pay $2,000 for high-resolution low-noise photos, that's a valid choice too. $2,000 is 100 rolls of color film + pro lab processing for your MP. I used to shoot twice that many rolls each year in my MP, and I'm not a pro. I still shoot probably 25 rolls a year, so an X1 - which will undoubtedly provide more than 4 years of high-quality photos with reasonable care, doesn't seem that expensive.</p>

<p>By the way, I don't have an X1 and don't have any current plans to get one, so I have no dog in this hunt.</p>

<p>That's not what the review says, Jack.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p><em>"...the X1 is comfortably the best-performing small camera, in terms of high ISO noise, currently available.</em><br>

<em>...if you shoot in raw the X1 provides files which have technical quality beyond any other camera of a similar size, and on a par with the best APS-C DSLRs. Raw resolution is very impressive, and high ISO performance is excellent.</em><br>

<em>...with a little care and attention, the X1 can provide image quality which surpasses any other camera of a similar size, and equals most DSLRs."</em></p>

</blockquote>