Leica M Monochrom = Street Photography

Do you notice that our cars seem to drive better after we've washed it? Or how we physically feel better when we wear our favourite pair of jeans? Sometimes the physical objects we adore can affect how we feel, making us better at whatever we're doing. The Leica M Monochrom is exactly that, an emotional catalyst that changes how we feel and can improve our ability to take great pictures. 

No autofocus, no EVF with live histogram, no colour images, no 1 million dot LCD screen to check for focus? How can this camera possibly help us take better pictures? By its limitations, we are forced to use the M Monochrom as a tool and not a device (more explanation in my full review).  We don't depend on technology to take better pictures, we depend on our eyes and our hands... and the camera of course. This is where the Leica is a solid tool, it's dependable, focused, precise. 

Upcoming Review: Fuji X-Pro 1 with 14mm

Fuji X-Pro 1 with 14mm F2.8 lens. 1/1000 sec F/11 @ ISO 1600, manual mode, zone focus

A few weeks ago Fujifilm Canada asked if I wanted to test the X-Pro-1 with the updated firmware 3.0. The main improvements are faster autofocus speeds and the inclusion of focus peaking. I said sure, but I asked for the 14mm F2.8 lens, as well as the 18mm F/2 lens. The irony is that these aren't the best lenses to test the improvements of the new 3.0 firmware, but the improvements were noticeable. The full details will be in my upcoming review. 

What I did really enjoy was using the 14mm lens. It's amazing, and I want to do a separate review of just the lens on its own. At 21mm equivalent, it's great for street photography. At first I thought it would be too wide, since I would have to be that much closer to the subject to capture their essence. However, as the above image shows,  the wide angle lens really brings in the surrounding environment as well as focusing on the main subject. The trick is to bring the subject in closer than usual (compared to 28 or 35mm lens) and make sure the surrounding is interesting as well.

I'll try to get my review up in a few days, but until then, keep checking back for more images. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and don't forget to comment or if you have any questions. I have a few more cool cameras that I'm reviewing now, but I'll keep that a secret...happy shooting!

Now Posted: Full Review of the Fuji X-Pro 1 

Public Chess Battles? Goto Van Art Gallery

Ricoh GR-D IV. 1/1000 sec F/2.5 @ ISO 160

It rains a lot in Vancouver. You sort of get use to it, especially when you spend time outdoors. I rode my bike to work for 6 years, and during high-school I had an early morning paper route. Rain or shine, you do what you have to do. Whenever anyone complained about the rain, I would always say: If you stopped doing what you were planning to do just because its raining, you wouldn't get anything done in Vancouver!

My hardcore opinion has changed recently as I spend more time downtown while testing camera equipment (upcoming review of Leica M Monochrom and Fuji X-Pro 1 with 14mm F2.8).  I see street artists painting masterpieces on busy sidewalks, public pianos throughout the city for anyone to play with, and street musicians on every other corner. More of a participatory activity, public chess boards left out for anyone to play is a great idea to encourage people to interact with others in a stimulating public forum. Where can you find these outdoor gamers playing on a concrete platform? 

Ricoh GR D IV: Firmware Update Ver 2.30

Ricoh GR D IV 1/17th sec F/1.9 @ ISO 200: self portrait with sick beard

Ricoh is committed to their products, especially the GR series cameras. They understand its cult-camera status and treats it as such. If you can believe it, Ricoh has just released firmware update version 2.30 for the now discontinued GR Digital IV. What company prioritizes firmware updates for a discontinued camera instead of a currently available camera, the new GR? It's not just fixing bugs, but they've added 4 new features/functions:

1. Additional White Balance modes (expanded fluorescent lighting)
2. AF/Spot Focus added as custom Fn feature
3. Vignetting added to certain Jpeg modes
4. Target Selected function added to Macro button

Check out the full details on their global website:
http://ricoh.com/r_dc/download/firmware/grd4/

Check out the full review of the Ricoh GR Digital IV here

Upcoming Review: The Leica M Monochrom

1/250th sec F/5.6 @ ISO 1600 converted from RAW file

When my Leica rep asked if I was interested in borrowing the Leica M Monochrom, I got pretty excited. I've been wanting to hold this camera ever since it was announced, and I finally was allowed to test it for a week...and then I got sick!! Nooooo!!! I spent most of the week playing with it in my bedroom and taking self portraits. I know, pretty sad. 

I did eventually get 2 full days to shoot with it, including the above picture of Moustafa and Miles, students at the Vancouver Film School. Speaking of film, although this is a reduced sized image from the original 35mb DNG file, you can see how film-like the picture is. The Ricoh RAW files converted to black and white also look a lot like film, but the M Monochrom does it better...much better. It's safe to say, it's the most film-like images from any digital camera I've ever shot with so far.

Review: Fuji X-100S is Stylish but Powerful

1/280 sec F/8 @ ISO 800 using Motion Panorama swept vertically and 120 deg

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Japan 

The camera industry is fast moving and brutal. Trends come and go, and if a company invests in the wrong trend or stays in one too long, you can see your company exiting the photo industry, or merging with a larger firm very quickly. That's what happened in the 60s-70's when the Japanese SLR industry overwhelmed the existing rangefinder industry. Many European brands went out of business, famous brands (like Contax) were bought out by newer unknown companies (Kyocera), and even Leica had to team up with Minolta to create a success SLR line-up (Leicaflex was an utter failure). The same thing happened again in the early 2000's with the digital revolution, with household names such as Kodak, Konica, Minolta and Polaroid going from something to nothing overnight. Other companies seem to adapt well to changes, investing in the right thing at the right time, often leading the industry with innovative design and/or technology. Enter Fujifilm.

Yes, the official name still has the word "film" in it, and yes Fuji still produces a wide range of really great films. Coming from the wholesale photofinishing industry, when I think of Fuji I think of their industry leading photo labs and photo paper, solid machines, solid paper. However, in the minds of most consumers, Fuji makes really cool looking digital cameras. What most might not know is that Fuji has a very long history of well designed and innovative cameras, including some very unique medium formats (the first autofocus compact rangefinder 645) and a full frame 35mm panorama cameras (re-labelled in N.America as a Hasselblad XPAN). 

What's trending right now in the photo industry? For the first time in history DSLRs are outselling point and shoots, completely changing the camera shelves at our local electronic retailers. How are companies adapting their R&D and sales focus amid this new retail landscape? Some have focused on the highest volume to survive (Canon has 56 DSLR kits selling at B&H), while others have ventured into new territory by creating new categories, such as  the mirror-less market, including micro 4/3, Sony's NEX system, and Fuji's X series. This new category of no more than 4-5 years old has exploded, and has lead to another new category: high-end, mirrorless point and shoots with large sensors. Welcome the Fuji X-100S. 

Upcoming Review: The Fujifilm X-100S

1/500 sec f/5.6 @ ISO 800 and adjusted in Photoscape (DR, toning)

I've been working on my review of the X-100S the past few days and I've been comparing it in my mind with the other cameras I've recently tested. It's like when parents say they don't compare their kids with each other, we know its a lie. Yes, parents love their children equally, but they always have a favorite right? I happened to test the X-100S, Ricoh GR and the Leica X-Vario all at the same time, so each camera review is in relation to the other cameras I tested. Which did I like best? I like all three equally...ok, I'm lying! Of course I had a favorite. I'll reveal my favorite in my X-100S review. I can say though that each camera had their strengths (and weaknesses), and depending on the style of photography you shoot, you may choose a different camera over the next person.

I thought I would post this teaser for now. I scale focused this image (1.5M), cropped, HDR toned and converted to b&w in Photoscape. I had fun shooting with the X-100S. It's a solid camera, and I can see why so many street photographers have made the switch, and why this camera is sold out everywhere. Stay tuned for my full review in the next few days...

Full review of the Leica X-Vario posted here.

Full review of the Ricoh GR V posted here.

Finally, full review of the Fuji X-100S posted here.

Bokeh Test: iPhone, Ricoh GRD, Fuji X100S

I've been testing different cameras recently and I've been talking about depth of field and the importance of it in certain types of photography. The more the better if you're shooting food or products, especially if you're trying to keep everything in focus (which is usually the case). Let's begin by taking three different cameras with 3 different sensor sizes: iPhone 4 with a 1/3.2" sensor, Ricoh GR D IV with a 1/1.7" sensor, and the Fuji X100S with a APS-C size sensor.

I've taken the same image and tried to see how much of the food is in focus from front to back. I'm sure the waitress thought I was crazy, but hey, it's sushi. It's not like it's going to get cold! I focused all three images on the salmon skin rolls on the bottom left, and see how much depth of focus we can get by looking at the fruit in the middle, and the raw tuna and salmon on the top left. Alright, let's take a look at these pictures!

Review: Ricoh GR D IV still a Great Camera!

Taken with new Ricoh GR (V)

Why am I doing a review of a discountinued camera? Aren't people still reviewing old and discontinued film cameras, like the Ricoh GR21? I know, the old Ricoh film GRs are pretty much all cult cameras, but I reckon the recently discontinued Ricoh GR D IV will become one too...one day soon. In addition, the GR D IV is now selling for $200-300 less than when it was a current model, and about half the price of the new GR V. So is the recently discontinued GR worth $400? It depends on your needs, but for me, I think it is, and this review is to explain why. Let's start with the pros and cons first:

PROS:
-high quality construction, solid buttons and dials, solid feel.
-well thought out controls and ergonomics (single handed operation)
-the most customizable point and shoot, more than most ILCs
-advanced control over camera functions (manual flash control, white balance compensation)
-advanced features (level and tilt with calibration, skew correct, dynamic range, interval composite)
-amazing 1.23 million pixel LCD screen. It's enjoyable just looking at your images.
-advanced focus system: dual AF system, snap focus, dual shutter focus-type selector
-great jpegs and DNG RAW files. Highly customizable jpegs.
-really good battery life, compact charger, cheap and generic batteries, AAA back-up
-sharp lens even wide open at F/1.9
-super close 1" macro mode. Perfect for product and food shots.
-truly pocket-able, unlike GR V, which is only slightly bigger,but just a bit too big (for me)

CONS:
-compared to big brother, small 1/1.7" CCD sensor (although there are advantages to small)
-VGA video (although for me, I could care less about video)
-expensive when it was a current model (although the price has dropped significantly)
-non zoom lens (although this is a matter of opinion. I'm fine with 28mm equiv for EDC camera)
-after turning on in play mode only, you can't jump into shooting mode. You have to cycle off! 

The Ricoh GR V: A Compact APS-C Monster

1/350th sec F/2.8 @ ISO 400

It was 1998 and my wife and I were about to embark on our honeymoon in Vegas, which would include a scenic drive to Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. I was already dragging 2 SLR bodies, 3 lenses, 2 tripods, and lots of film. However, I didn't have a point and shoot camera. I wasn't going to drag an SLR to dinner or a show, so I needed something that would satisfy my need for optical quality and image control, versus compact size. Enter the original Ricoh GR1. 

I loved my Ricoh GR1. During that honeymoon, I actually put more rolls through that camera than the other 2 SLR's combined. I even started loading it with black and white film and used it for my wedding jobs, and many of those images became the most loved pictures of the entire wedding!

The Ricoh GR family has a short but prolific history, beginning with the GR1, GR10, GR1S, GR1V, GR21, GR Digital, GR D II, GR D III, GR D IV, and finally the current GR (V). What makes the current one so different than the past 4 digital GR's is that it has a much larger APS-C size sensor. Is this a big deal? It's a modern technological accomplishment, as the new Ricoh GR is the smallest APS-C sized compact point and shoot on the market.