Tobers Posted March 2, 2016 Share #1 Posted March 2, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) I've just returned from a 2-week landscaping trip to Assynt in north west Scotland. My primary weapon was my Leica M-240 with 28 Elmarit, 50 Summicron and 90 Summicron lenses. I've found that people are confused and curious when you turn up to do some landscape photography with a Leica M - it's meant to be a "street" camera isn't it? Definitely not - it's fantastic for landscaping too. Conditions were simply amazing. Scotland has "interesting" weather in February - basically everything happens several times a day. The result was some unique opportunities which I tried my best to capture. I benefited from a week's tutoring from David Ward for the first week which was excellent - I highly recommend his workshops. The second week was spent putting the lessons into practice. For those wondering how my M performed in quite challenging conditions, up against the latest & greatest from Sony and Canon, I've written up my experiences for you to look through. Here are a couple of images as tasters... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 2, 2016 Posted March 2, 2016 Hi Tobers, Take a look here Leica M - winter landscaping field test. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Vern Dewit Posted March 2, 2016 Share #2 Posted March 2, 2016 Thanks for sharing - I agree with your comments that the Leica M system makes a wonderful landscape photography tool. One of my favorite things about the M system is that hyper-focal focusing actually works, rather than just being a 'guess' with other systems / manual lenses that I've used in the past. Since almost all of my landscapes are shot at small apertures, I find focusing is extremely quick, easy and reliable. Having the live view / EVF helps immensely when you shoot wide, such as the 21mm SEM that I use. Just to make this post interesting, I'm including an aurora shot from a month ago. Not a scene most folks think an M240 with a slow lens like the 21 SEM can capture! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 2, 2016 Share #3 Posted March 2, 2016 Very nice writeup and good photography, thanks. One thing though, the Leica M is not conceived as a street-shooters camera, although many use it to great effect. It is primarily a travel and reportage camera - and your use falls well within its concept. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobers Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted March 2, 2016 Thanks. Most people I know think of it as a street camera but you are right as always :-). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted March 2, 2016 Share #5 Posted March 2, 2016 I often use the M for landscape work...handheld or tripod (it doesn't do 'landscaping', as we call it in the US.....we hire gardeners and such for that ). Of course every tool has its pros/cons.....I've given up medium and large format cameras for similar work, but a DSLR still provides some advantages, e.g., when incorporating tilt/shift lenses (which might have afforded you more flexibility in a few of your already nice shots), moving focus points around (including LV magnification), using wider or longer tele lenses without VF aids, etc. And a tank like the 1D series can stay out in all conditions, even heavy rain (assuming the photographer even wants to, or has no choice). Whatever gives one pleasure and gets the job done. Thanks for sharing. Hope you make some nice prints....some of your more compressed color abstractions might make a nice series. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencoyote Posted March 3, 2016 Share #6 Posted March 3, 2016 For those wondering how my M performed in quite challenging conditions, up against the latest & greatest from Sony and Canon, I've written up my experiences for you to look through. Here are a couple of images as tasters... Dude that is awesome. You have almost exactly the same kit that I have right down to most of the accessories. And I basically agree with your whole write up and your experience. I havent had had the dust problem you seem to have had. I took my M to Burning Man this past year and it was really dusty. I didn't even get a spec of dust on my sensor or inside my lens and I wasn't even using a case. My T on the other hand is very dust prone and so I almost always carry a squeeze blower. What do you do with your camera strap when you use the capture clip? I always find it gets in the way when I'm using the capture clip. This is much worse than any other camera I have had. Which Lee filters do you find yourself using. I've been kind of thinking about getting that Seven5 system but have never used filters. I've never been quite sure which glass plates to get. Instead, I tend to underexposed when I shoot and then pull up the shadows in LR. The way that the baseplate forces you to remove a QR plate is one of the few things that I annoys me about the M. Let me just say if they ditched the archaic baseplate and made a S,T, SL type battery in the next version, I'd be happy. The 12v charging capability of the charger is one other thing that I would mention. It is great for longer trips. It allows you to charge from solar. I'm glad to here about your experience with the batteries. I've never had any problems with battery life but I live in temperate California and haven't really used the camera in the real cold, The limitation of long exposure even in bulb mode is a bit of annoyance for low light and star shots. I hope the next M can use the same high res EVF as the T. I've heard that GPS is much faster than the one in the hand grip which I've heard is all but useless. A built in GPS would be even nicer. Over the the very long haul, I'll probably: add a 90mm Macro-Elmar for backpacking instead of the Summicron which is kind of heavy. I already have the macro adapter. add a CV 15mm ultra wide for night shots. I want a lighter tripod, I've got the gitzo 1551T with a Leica ball head which is small and light and stable but it is still a DSLR sized tripod. I want something that is 500g not 1.1kg I'm probably not going to take the 50 lux on my next back country trip 28 and 90 seem to be the outdoors lenses for me. Your stats seem to suggest the same feeling. If I do end up leaving the 50 lux at home a lot I might upgrade the 28 from a cron to a lux. I don't know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 3, 2016 Share #7 Posted March 3, 2016 Advertisement (gone after registration) Excellent write up, enjoyed reading it and the images. Thank you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobers Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted March 3, 2016 What do you do with your camera strap when you use the capture clip? I always find it gets in the way when I'm using the capture clip. This is much worse than any other camera I have had. Which Lee filters do you find yourself using. I've been kind of thinking about getting that Seven5 system but have never used filters. I've never been quite sure which glass plates to get. Instead, I tend to underexposed when I shoot and then pull up the shadows in LR. I just leave the camera strap around my neck when it's on the capture clip. That way, should the clip fail (unlikely) the camera won't fall to the floor. Plus, when I take the camera out of the clip, it's already around my neck which keeps things simple. Plus plus it keeps the strap out of the way. For the Lee filters, I have 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 graduated ND filters plus a circular polariser. I use the 0.6 one most frequently. While you can adjust things afterwards, I find that colours and exposure are more natural looking if using a grad filter, rather than taking the exposure down in post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clactonian Posted March 3, 2016 Share #9 Posted March 3, 2016 A very enjoyable read and a useful link to David Ward's site. You have really whetted my appetite for using my relatively new M240 for landscape work which has until now been the reserve of my DSLRs. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted March 3, 2016 Share #10 Posted March 3, 2016 I've just returned from a 2-week landscaping trip to Assynt in north west Scotland. My primary weapon was my Leica M-240 with 28 Elmarit, 50 Summicron and 90 Summicron lenses. I've found that people are confused and curious when you turn up to do some landscape photography with a Leica M - it's meant to be a "street" camera isn't it? Definitely not - it's fantastic for landscaping too. Ha! The instant I saw the first photo, of Stac Pollaidh which I see from my window, I knew I'd agree with you about the M being good for landscapes. I use it literally everyday up here. It accompanies me everywhere. I sold all my DSLRs a good few years ago and never miss them. I occasionally use a tripod but the great advantage of the M is you can stuff it in a jacket pocket and always have it with you, yet get the full quality of a modern camera whenever you want it.. My better landscape photos have always come as almost accidental sightings as I'm doing something else when I happen to spot something striking, usually to do with the rapidly changing light making something familiar look unfamiliar, and the M is always with me for those moments whereas a DSLR simply wouldn't have been. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed our beautiful corner of the world. The sights and wonders are inexhaustible aren't they? And the winter is a fabulous time to be here. I personally find it far more interesting than the summer, although that holds wonderful secrets too. I Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyalf Posted March 3, 2016 Share #11 Posted March 3, 2016 Thanks a lot for sharing. Great review and photos. I also use the M during winter conditions up in Norway. Please see some comments below. "My weaponry for the trip was very minimal – My Leica M with 3 lenses, 28mm Elmarit, 50mm Summicron and 90mm Summicron APO ASPH" Was that the 28/2,8 ASPH? I wasn't 100% happy with mine during cloudy white-out winter conditions. Mine gave a slight color cast on sides that was difficult to get rid of, in particular on long exposures. "I found the sensor quite susceptible to dust." Agree. In fact it seems to slightly worse during winter (as I discussed before). "Even my Sony RX100IV compact is an over-complex user interface mess which frustrated the hell out of me after using the Leica." Totally agree. In fact its quite hard to switch to any other camera since their so worse when it comes to handling. Please continue to share! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyalf Posted March 3, 2016 Share #12 Posted March 3, 2016 ... I hope the next M can use the same high res EVF as the T. I've heard that GPS is much faster than the one in the hand grip which I've heard is all but useless. A built in GPS would be even nicer.... Please allow me to disagree . A built-in EVF would take its toll on batteries. Its more flexible to have LV + external EVF. As to built in GPS; no thanks . It adds weight, complexity and reduces the battery time. Imo its better to use the GPS in cellphone for geotagging. You use an app, record your route and geotag all photos when back home. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencoyote Posted March 3, 2016 Share #13 Posted March 3, 2016 .For the Lee filters, I have 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 graduated ND filters plus a circular polariser. I use the 0.6 one most frequently. While you can adjust things afterwards, I find that colours and exposure are more natural looking if using a grad filter, rather than taking the exposure down in post. I'm assuming that's a soft grad not a hard grad right? I kind of agree about colors, I would say that I am a bit more like Peter H. While there are times when I take a tripod and setup and take a shot, most of the time I'm out running or biking or hiking and I see something and whip out my camera. That being said, I do stack the deck and go by places at different times when I think the light or the conditions will be interesting. It's only occasionally that I'll intentionally go out and shoot. The most common for me is before the rest of the camp has woken up or after dinner on a backpacking trip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bencoyote Posted March 3, 2016 Share #14 Posted March 3, 2016 Please allow me to disagree . A built-in EVF would take its toll on batteries. Its more flexible to have LV + external EVF. As to built in GPS; no thanks . It adds weight, complexity and reduces the battery time. Imo its better to use the GPS in cellphone for geotagging. You use an app, record your route and geotag all photos when back home. No what I meant was instead of continuing to use the old rebranded Olympus low res EVF. They use exactly the same high res EVF that works on the T - literally the same part number. This has a GPS built in. For built in GPSs these days, the battery consumption is pretty low. For the M what I would kind of like is either a built in GPS like the SL or another accessory similar to the T's EVF which sits in the hot shoe but without the EVF and just has just the GPS. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sml_photo Posted March 3, 2016 Share #15 Posted March 3, 2016 For the Lee filters, I have 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 graduated ND filters plus a circular polariser. I use the 0.6 one most frequently. While you can adjust things afterwards, I find that colours and exposure are more natural looking if using a grad filter, rather than taking the exposure down in post. Do you use the square or rectangular filters and hold them up to the lens, manually, with your fingers? (I have another brand of ND's--Singh-Ray and that's how I use them with my DSLRs.) If so, I imagine you use LV for framing and composing. Or do you use screw on filters? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted March 3, 2016 Share #16 Posted March 3, 2016 A lovely set of shots from an area I know well. I was up Stack Polly last September; my first visit was as a student geologist in winter 1973, when I camped in a blizzard at the head of Loch Assynt (next to the Peach & Horn monument). You have whetted my appetite to go back in winter as a more competent photographer than I was then (my camera then was a respectable Voigtlander Vito B. Thanks also for the experience of the camera clip, which I will investigate. I don't like neck straps, and use a wrist strap; that is risky on rough terrain, where I usually put the camera in my pack, a F-Stop Loka: it is quick access, but not as quick as having it close to hand, as in your set-up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
futura Posted March 3, 2016 Share #17 Posted March 3, 2016 Nice pics and complete agree that the M is good for landscapes. David Ward is also one of my favourite photographers, one of the masters of minimalist compositions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobers Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share #18 Posted March 3, 2016 I'm assuming that's a soft grad not a hard grad right? The Lee Seven5 filters are all "hard" as per their larger 100mm system. Because the filter size and lenses are much smaller in the Seven5 setup, "hard" actually works out as "soft" in these smaller filters. Do you use the square or rectangular filters and hold them up to the lens, manually, with your fingers? (I have another brand of ND's--Singh-Ray and that's how I use them with my DSLRs.) If so, I imagine you use LV for framing and composing. Or do you use screw on filters? The filters are rectangular and slot into a filter holder which clips onto a ring which you screw onto the lens. Check the Lee website for more info. If you held the filters with your fingers it would be awkward and you'd get reflections from behind going into the lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmahto Posted March 3, 2016 Share #19 Posted March 3, 2016 Beautiful pictures and very good narration of your experience. Thanks for sharing. My choice of lenses are also similar, 28cron (mostly), 50lux(least) and 90 macro-elmar. I drop 50 just to loose weight on long hikes otherwise it is part of the set. I would also think that a really wide lens (15 or 21) can be used in such a landscape to get dramatic shots. Lastly, I have tried Capture pro clip couple of times and it does keep camera stable and very easily accessible but I don't use it now since it makes weight on my shoulders unbalanced, which is annoying to me. M240 is not that a light camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted March 3, 2016 Share #20 Posted March 3, 2016 Hello Tobers, Welcome to the Forum. Nice photos. Your photos are a good example of using an "M" camera (Film or Digital.) like a Kardan B on a Studex. Which it does very well. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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