Leica vs DSLR; culinary travels

[vonzippa]

I travel a lot, mostly on culinary vacations to Europe. So I will be taking shots of restaurants and food, not to mention the outdoor surroundings. I am new to photography (taking a class this fall). I would like to buy a Leica because I love the brand and the quality. Problem is that many people tell me that Leica will not meet my needs. I am told that Leica will not focus correctly when shooting plates of food. Is this correct? I won't be within inches of the plate, a couple of feet away at least. Seems odd that a camera like a Leica would have problems taking a picture of a simple plate of food, no?

Thanks in advance for your reply,

[stunsworth]

Depends on the camera. All of the pount and shoot cameras - C-Lux and D-Lux lines - will be ok, as should an SLR. The only camera that you may have a problem with is an M rangefinder as some lenses only focus from 1 metre onwards.

What sort of camera were you thinking of buying?

[enboe]

Leica makes many cameras capable of photographing fine food.

Their SLR line is as capable as any others.
Their consumer digitals will focus down to centimeters.
Even their range finders focus down to 3' with almost every lens, and down to a few inches with the 90mm Macro + closeup adapter. The 90 makes a compact, light traveling kit lens too.

Do you have a camera with a 50mm now? If so, try taking a few pictures and note the focus distances you are using.

Oh, and for someone like me, who the doctor told needs to lose the weight of 10 M8's in the next 4 months, the 1000th of a second shutter speed will catch the food before I snatch it away!

No worries.

Eric

[earleygallery]

From your title I'd guess that you are considering an M8 or a DSLR ?

Can you be more specific with your question? As mentioned there are many Leica cameras and also various lenses with macro capability. How much do you want to spend?

[jaapv]

Welcome to the forum

About any decent camera is suitable for your purpose, I would think.

This is the M8, Summicron 35 asph and Metz MZ3 flash±

[vonzippa]

Sorry for not being more specific, but I am interested in the M8.

Thanks,

[elansprint72]

My C-Lux2 actually has a "Food" mode. Really.

[earleygallery]

Originally Posted by vonzippa

Sorry for not being more specific, but I am interested in the M8.

Thanks,

Well, IMHO, a DSLR would serve your purposes better. You are new to photography, you're about to take classes (and they usually require that students use a DSLR) and you want to take many close up photos. A Clux or Dlux compact would also be great for the food shots but probably aren't going to suit for your classes.

The M8 is an excellent camera and of course Leica lenses are about as good as they get, but the M8 just isn't the best tool for you.

[psquared]

Originally Posted by earleygallery

Well, IMHO, a DSLR would serve your purposes better. You are new to photography, you're about to take classes (and they usually require that students use a DSLR) and you want to take many close up photos. A Clux or Dlux compact would also be great for the food shots but probably aren't going to suit for your classes.

The M8 is an excellent camera and of course Leica lenses are about as good as they get, but the M8 just isn't the best tool for you.

I agree completely. And, it doesn't have to be Leica vs. DSLR. It could be a Leica DSLR.

Leica R9/DMR + 100/2.8 APO

[vonzippa]

Thanks for the honest opinions.

psquared, nothing that I plan on taking will be anywhere near that close. I will be focusing on the entire plate of food probably about 2 to 3 feet away. The pictures you posted look like the camera is within a few inches from the food. Would this make a difference in your opinions?

[richam]

Originally Posted by vonzippa

I am told that Leica will not focus correctly when shooting plates of food. Is this correct?

This could apply only to the Point and Shoot models, which have autofocus. The Leica Ms, including the M8, are manual focus.

Here's my minority opinion. I'd take the M8 and a fast 35mm lens, such as the f1.4 Summilux or the f1.2 CV Nokton. This would set you up for good available light shooting, but you would also want an external flash, such as the Leica SF24D.

- Manual focus, but easy to use even in dim light. With DSLR, dim light focusing is more difficult, and you would probably tend to rely on autofocus. If you rely on AF, you'll end up with a number of improperly focused shots when you get home.
- Smaller, lighter, for travel. Unobtrusive for candid shots.
- M8 is simpler; DSLRs tend to have numerous complex exposure modes and other adjustments.
- M8 is quieter; no SLR mirror slap.

[psquared]

Originally Posted by vonzippa

Thanks for the honest opinions.

psquared, nothing that I plan on taking will be anywhere near that close. I will be focusing on the entire plate of food probably about 2 to 3 feet away. The pictures you posted look like the camera is within a few inches from the food. Would this make a difference in your opinions?

Yes, it does. If the food were the sole subject, then I think the SLR has far more possibilities. However, as Jaap has shown above, it is quite possible to take great pictures of food with an M8. As Richard also points out above, an M8 with 1 or more lenses may be easier to travel with. I don't think you'll have much problem in focusing.

[clw]

Originally Posted by psquared

I agree completely. And, it doesn't have to be Leica vs. DSLR. It could be a Leica DSLR.

Leica R9/DMR + 100/2.8 APO

WOW!! Very nice

[ejd]

On the subject of Leicas and food, in the Leica 2008/9 photography product catalogue ('Die Zukunft der Erinnerung'), the section on the M system opens with a picture of a chef (possibly a celeb?) in a kitchen whisking up a sauce in a saucepan with one hand, while wafting about an M8 (M8.2?) with one of the new 21 or 24 f1.4 lenses attached to it with the other. An odd combination of activities. Looks like a recipe for a lumpy sauce and sticky camera. Maybe he's trying to catch the buzzy atmosphere of the kitchen rather than the food up close in all its glistening perfection. But it suggests that the manufacturers think a Leica M and food go together well.

Actually, I would have thought that an M and the 90mm f4 macro elmar (and the macro adapter) would give plenty of flexibility for photographing food. You get a reproduction ratio of up to 1:3 (with the M8 a smallest field 54mm x 81 mm). Without the adapter you get to 1:7 (on the M8 covering a field of 126 x 189 mm).

[erl]

Vonzippa, I have just returned from 3 weeks travelling in Poland and Morocco. I photographed many of the meals served to me as well as the restaurants, markets ans souks, much as it seems you intend doing. I used only the M8 and it performed brilliantly. I had no focus issues but was glad that I could use such a compact and high quality camera. I would have no hesitation in recommending for that purpose, but would caution you to be confident of your ability to use it or any other camera. Most 'tools' are up to that job, the rest is up to you.

Go enjoy!

P.S. Nice pics Jaap & psquared.

[Michael Hiles]

Originally Posted by ejd

Actually, I would have thought that an M and the 90mm f4 macro elmar (and the macro adapter) would give plenty of flexibility for photographing food. You get a reproduction ratio of up to 1:3 (with the M8 a smallest field 54mm x 81 mm). Without the adapter you get to 1:7 (on the M8 covering a field of 126 x 189 mm).

This advice looks good to me. Even an older 90mm without the close focusing capacity should work very well doing what you have described - and the rangefinder will easily put the plane of focus exactly where you want. And the whole kit is simple to carry and use.

[Shootist]

Whoever told you that a Leica, whether a M or a D/SLR Leica, is NO good for taking pictures of food is totally misinformed, has never worked with any camera or is just plain STUPID.
Any camera can take a picture of anything, except maybe Vampires. I don't know personally because I don't think I know any vampires and never had anyone disappear from a image I was taking.

[darkstar2004]

Originally Posted by Shootist

Whoever told you that a Leica, whether a M or a D/SLR Leica, is NO good for taking pictures of food is totally misinformed, has never worked with any camera or is just plain STUPID.
Any camera can take a picture of anything, except maybe Vampires. I don't know personally because I don't think I know any vampires and never had anyone disappear from a image I was taking.

Agreed.

IMHO, it's more about lens selection than camera selection.

I have found that the M system will do about 90% of any kind of photography and do it very well. Yes, there are better systems for macro and wildlife image making - as well as medical, scientific, etc. - but the M system is very capable.

It's more of a question of the photographer's capability than the M system's capability...

[jaapv]

Another consideration: If you are sitting in a restaurant and want to pull out a camera to record the fine offering in front of you, what would you rather have: A big hulk of a DSLR or an M8?. Maybe a discreet point and shoot would be even better?

[erl]

Originally Posted by jaapv

Another consideration: If you are sitting in a restaurant and want to pull out a camera to record the fine offering in front of you, what would you rather have: A big hulk of a DSLR or an M8?. Maybe a discreet point and shoot would be even better?

Jaap's comment is totally accurate, except that personally, I found the M8 much faster and more discreet to use than the C-Lux2 (great camera though!). I frequently used both successfully in restaurants and the like.