Category: Mean street …Machine

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Leica Q… Full Frame Street Photography…

 

Written and researched by Stefano Cerquetani

 

… It is not a pocket camera, it is not a mirrorless, it does not have the rangefinder, the body is made of magnesium with laser-etched engravings, it’s a full frame camera with superb lenses:

Leica Q is a “compact” with very high performances! I used different camera models for my “street photography” shots, first the compact ones, then the mirrorless ones, up to the full frame SLR … since a few months use only the Leica Q … it was love at first sight and unconditional one … but founded on very solid bases.

The camera features a 24 megapixels full frame sensor, especially suitable to the performances of the stabilized Leica 28mm Summilux lens, a masterpiece camera lens with 11 elements in 9 groups, 3 aspherical elements and an aperture ranging from f / 1.7 up to f / 16 in 1/3 steps. The result: spectacular three-dimensionality, exposures almost free of noise and full of detail with unparalleled quality, and this thanks to the high ISO values that extend up to ISO 50,000. The autofocus operates almost in real time, the fastest in the category of full frame compact cameras. It features an integrated Wi-Fi module, for the immediate and quick download of the photos. The 3-inch touchscreen LCD display, allows you to directly control focus and snap!

Here are my impressions after use on the street.

I was immediately struck by the quality of materials and the build solidity that the machine transmits, typical characteristic of the German mark; soon after that, when I started looking at the camera with eyes of a photographer, I found all the basic commands, that have disappeared from most of modern cameras, such as the times control, the aperture ring and the exposure control ring. Not surprisingly, those who designed it, called it “das wesentliche”, which in German means “essential” …

The lens, a 28mm, stabilized, has an exceptional luminous efficiency and color! A lens that fills the frame, and that requires you to get close, very close to your subject, it is a more intimate focal length, personal one but at the same time that allows you to live and shoot in tight and crowded spaces: a lens for “street-photography”, reportage and creative story telling.

I understood the meaning of its essential nature when I tried to customize the “free” button with a functionality of my choice, well … I did not find any command that was not already present and immediately available! The functions available on the Leica Q are many, but once charging the battery and inserting a memory card, one quietly starts a shooting session without fear of getting into difficulties: everything is at hand, or menu, but the functions that count, the ones you need immediately, are right there where you expect them. I would say … a great tool for my “street photography” and that I would describe with three words: speed, image quality, simplicity; all features that allow you to concentrate on the framing and on emotions in the scene and not the use the camera.

…non è tascabile, non è una mirrorless, non ha il telemetro, corpo realizzato in magnesio con scritte incise al laser, full frame, ottica superlativa: Leica Q una “compatta” dalle prestazioni elevatissime!

Ho utilizzato diversi modelli di fotocamere per i miei scatti “street photography”, dalle compatte, poi mirrorless, sino alle reflex full frame…da alcuni mesi uso esclusivamente la Leica Q…è stato un amore a prima vista, incondizionato…ma fondato su basi ben solide. La camera monta un sensore full frame da 24 megapixel, accordato in modo speciale alle prestazioni dell’obiettivo Leica Summilux 28mm stabilizzato, un capolavoro con 11 lenti in 9 gruppi, 3 elementi asferici e diaframmi da f/1.7 sino a f/16 in passi da 1/3, risultato: spettacolare tridimensionalità, esposizioni quasi esenti da rumore e ricche di dettagli con una qualità impareggiabile, e questo grazie anche agli alti valori ISO che si estendono fino a ISO 50.000. L’autofocus opera quasi in tempo reale, il più rapido nella categoria delle fotocamere compatte di pieno formato; è dotata di modulo Wi-Fi integrato, per l’invio immediato e velocissimo delle foto. Il display LCD da 3 pollici touchscreen, permette di comandare direttamente messa a fuoco e scatto!

Ecco le mie impressioni dopo l’uso in strada.

Mi ha immediatamente colpito la qualità dei materiali e la solidità che la macchina trasmette, tipica caratteristica del marchio tedesco; subito dopo, quando ho iniziato a guardare la macchina con occhi da fotografo, ho ritrovato tutti i comandi essenziali, sono scomparsi dalla maggior parte delle moderne fotocamere, come il controllo dei tempi, la ghiera dei diaframmi e la ghiera di controllo dell’esposizione. Non a caso, chi l’ha progettata, l’ha definita “das wesentliche”, che in tedesco significa “l’essenziale”… La lente, un 28mm stabilizzato, ha una resa luminosa e cromatica eccezionali! Un lente che riempie l’inquadratura e che richiede di andare vicino, molto vicino al proprio soggetto, è una focale più intima, personale ma che al tempo stesso consente di vivere e scattare in spazi stretti e affollati: un obiettivo da street-photography, da reportage e da racconto creativo.

Ho capito il senso della sua essenzialità quando ho cercato di personalizzare il “tasto libero” con una funziona a mia scelta, bhe…non ho trovato alcun comando che non fosse già presente e già immediato!!

Le funzioni disponibili sulla Leica  Q sono molte, ma una volta caricata la batteria e inserita una scheda di memoria, si parte tranquillamente per una sessione di scatti senza temere di trovarsi in difficoltà: tutto è a portata di mano o di menu ma, le funzioni che contano, quelle che ti servono immediatamente, sono proprio lì dove te le aspetti.

Direi…un strumento ideale per la mia “street photography” e che descriverei  con tre aggettivi: velocità, qualità delle immagini, essenzialità; tutte caratteristiche che consentono di concentrarmi sull’inquadratura e sulle emozioni nella scena e non sull’utilizzo della fotocamera.

 

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MEAN STREET … MACHINESMEAN STREET … MACHINES

Written and researched by Fabio Rigo

Defining what Street photography actually is , it’s a task probably best left to be discussed by much better photographers than me , but one important point is universally agreed by all street photographers (or streephers if you wish) : size matters.
fff
I am talking about the size and weight of the camera one has to carry around as a mean to capture those beautiful and significant pictures that are the core of street photography . A prerequisite of street photography is to use a camera that is portable and compact, the ideal cameras for street being light in weight and discrete (the less you are seen, the better).

The great masters of reportage belonging to the past analogical era used to use cameras that still have a reputation that borders on myth, in spite of the predominance of digital. The best analog cameras for street photography are the rangefinder cameras, such as Leica M or Voigtlander Bessa, with lens of optimal quality, ranging from 35mm to the canonical 50mm. They are compact so that they do not draw much attention, they are light in weight (mercifully for the necks and arms of the street photographer engaged in long walks on the streets) and finally they have a very silent shutter.
images
Here comes 2008 and finally something new appeared on the market that seems to be tailored to answer to the points raised above: the first E.V.I.L. camera (which stands for Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens), the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 was presented.

Some people call them mirror-less DSLRs. These cameras have interchangeable lens like DSLRs but they lack a moving mirror and many of them use an electronic viewfinder. However, the key, exciting feature is that EVIL cameras take images at or near DSLR quality but with a significantly smaller and lighter body.

Since the debut , in 2008 , EVIL cameras , or if you prefer a less spooky indication , Mirrorless cameras have been produced by all the major players on the market , from CANON with its quite traditional and subdued EOS M , to the bold and innovative Sony A7 and A7R full frame mirroless camera (the first ever).

In this little space we are going to examine the various possibility of the EVIL world , its pros and cons, specifically considering the world of street photography : it goes without saying that this is meant to be as an informative column , with no pretence of absolute knowledge or originality , just a way to illustrate what I have learned as a first hour EVIL Shooter.

References :

http://www.hydeparkphotography.net/the-best-camera-for-the-street-photography/; http://blog.atmtxphoto.com/2010/10/29/in-search-of-an-evil-camera/ ; http://www.alexcoghe.com/best-cameras-for-street-photography-an-update/Written and researched by Fabio Rigo

Defining what Street photography actually is , it’s a task probably best left to be discussed by much better photographers than me , but one important point is universally agreed by all street photographers (or streephers if you wish) : size matters.
fff
I am talking about the size and weight of the camera one has to carry around as a mean to capture those beautiful and significant pictures that are the core of street photography . A prerequisite of street photography is to use a camera that is portable and compact, the ideal cameras for street being light in weight and discrete (the less you are seen, the better).

The great masters of reportage belonging to the past analogical era used to use cameras that still have a reputation that borders on myth, in spite of the predominance of digital. The best analog cameras for street photography are the rangefinder cameras, such as Leica M or Voigtlander Bessa, with lens of optimal quality, ranging from 35mm to the canonical 50mm. They are compact so that they do not draw much attention, they are light in weight (mercifully for the necks and arms of the street photographer engaged in long walks on the streets) and finally they have a very silent shutter.
images
Here comes 2008 and finally something new appeared on the market that seems to be tailored to answer to the points raised above: the first E.V.I.L. camera (which stands for Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens), the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 was presented.

Some people call them mirror-less DSLRs. These cameras have interchangeable lens like DSLRs but they lack a moving mirror and many of them use an electronic viewfinder. However, the key, exciting feature is that EVIL cameras take images at or near DSLR quality but with a significantly smaller and lighter body.

Since the debut , in 2008 , EVIL cameras , or if you prefer a less spooky indication , Mirrorless cameras have been produced by all the major players on the market , from CANON with its quite traditional and subdued EOS M , to the bold and innovative Sony A7 and A7R full frame mirroless camera (the first ever).

In this little space we are going to examine the various possibility of the EVIL world , its pros and cons, specifically considering the world of street photography : it goes without saying that this is meant to be as an informative column , with no pretence of absolute knowledge or originality , just a way to illustrate what I have learned as a first hour EVIL Shooter.

References :

http://www.hydeparkphotography.net/the-best-camera-for-the-street-photography/; http://blog.atmtxphoto.com/2010/10/29/in-search-of-an-evil-camera/ ; http://www.alexcoghe.com/best-cameras-for-street-photography-an-update/

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