Leica T Wedding/Event Photography

[zakzavada]

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Has anyone ever tried to photograph an event/wedding with a Leica T (TL)? 

 

I am currently using a combination of Canon 5d3 and Leica Q to shoot professionally. I'm hoping to to move away from SLR's but feel that autofocus is a must. Curious to hear opinions.

[earleygallery]

If you're doing paid work, especially when it's a time critical event like a wedding, you really need equipment that helps you get the job done.

 

The T has slow AF and a mediocre clip on EVF (which excludes the use of a suitably powerful flashgun).

 

I'm not sure what it would say to a client if you turned up with a T either. Regardless of IQ I think clients expect to see hired photographers using a certain standard of equipment. You could well turn out an acceptable wedding album using an iPhone but try explaining that to a client!

 

It can turn out quality results but would you put your reputation on the line with it?

 

Good luck if you do, let us know how it works out.

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[Guest VVJ]

Compared to the Q you will be disappointed in the speed and the responsiveness of the T.  

 

The autofocus has improved but is still slow.  Further improvements are expected with the new firmware though.

 

High ISO performance is not so good as the Q either

 

The EVF is laggy and inconvenient and not as good as the Q.

 

No OIS or IBIS either.

 

The image quality of the T (despite the outdated sensor) is excellent though as are build quality, design, style, ergonomics, minimalism, simplicity, etc.

 

The T camera body in itself is a work of art and a joy to use.  The lenses are excellent.

[Belle123]

I agree at a wedding, if hired, the expectation would be something better. The Q is great. As a guest I shot with Q last summer and very pleased with the results, especially in low light conditions. Lightening speed. Also was very quiet, compared to a DSLR.

[RickP]

I used to shoot weddings back in the 1970's-80's. but have not done so since then. Recently I was a guest at a family wedding and I took a few photos  with the T.  The hired photographer had 2 full frame DSLR cameras, flashes, studio lights  plus an assistant - he most likely took thousands of shots to get what he needed.  I was reminded of the pressure that a hired photographer is under to get all of the required shots necessary to satisfy the clients desires. 

 

For my purposes, the T handled reasonably well but I was under no pressure to get any particular shots - and I missed many good scenes due to slow focusing and card writing speed.  I was pleased with what I managed to get, but it was not even close to "Photographing a Wedding". 

 

 

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[RickP]

Leica T at a small Wedding.

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Edited December 3, 2016 by RickP

[RickP]

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OK for candid shots, but the T did not have the rapid-firepower necessary to do a professional Wedding job - in my opinion.

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[vikasmg]

Has anyone ever tried to photograph an event/wedding with a Leica T (TL)? 

 

I am currently using a combination of Canon 5d3 and Leica Q to shoot professionally. I'm hoping to to move away from SLR's but feel that autofocus is a must. Curious to hear opinions.

 

If you don't need to use a flash, the T is actually very eminently usable for weddings.  back in 2014 (?) I used it for an Indian Hindu wedding in Singapore.  I went with an M240 and a Leica T but landed up using mostly the T.  The results were excellent and looked good when I made them into a printed book for the married couple who were delighted with the pictures and liked them better than the professional pictures which apparently looked artificial with the use of flash.  Admittedly when I was shooting the pictures at times I wishes I had a flash I don't have one.  Also, since I was using the EVF attachment there was no place for a flash and in the end it worked out well.  It was an indoor wedding with artificial light so low-light was not a problem and the T coped well with the colours of artificial light.

 

The EVF is very good incidentally and the fact that it rotates up 90 degrees is very useful as well.

 

- Vikas

[earleygallery]

If you don't need to use a flash, the T is actually very eminently usable for weddings.  back in 2014 (?) I used it for an Indian Hindu wedding in Singapore.  I went with an M240 and a Leica T but landed up using mostly the T.  The results were excellent and looked good when I made them into a printed book for the married couple who were delighted with the pictures and liked them better than the professional pictures which apparently looked artificial with the use of flash.  Admittedly when I was shooting the pictures at times I wishes I had a flash I don't have one.  Also, since I was using the EVF attachment there was no place for a flash and in the end it worked out well.  It was an indoor wedding with artificial light so low-light was not a problem and the T coped well with the colours of artificial light.

 

The EVF is very good incidentally and the fact that it rotates up 90 degrees is very useful as well.

 

- Vikas

 

You can take photos at a wedding with any camera. I wouldn't use a T if I was being paid to cover the event, it's just not an adequate tool for that particular job.

[zakzavada]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful replies. You confirmed what I had been thinking. I'll stick with the combo of Canon 5d3/multiple lenses + Leica Q for now. 

[tom0511]

I have shot images one wedding with a T and think the results were fine. However like others said I would not want to rely on a T when I was the main photographer because of speed.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

The real question is, "why do you want to ditch the 5D3?"

 

If it's purely size and weight there are several options. Unfortunately the T isn't one of them.

 

If it's the mirrorless experience then the SL could be the system for you. But it's no smaller or lighter than what you have. As a bonus some of your Canon lenses will work fine, with AF, on the SL.

 

Decide what you're trying to achieve and it'll make it easier to get there.

 

Gordon

[ropo54]

The real question is, "why do you want to ditch the 5D3?"

 

If it's purely size and weight there are several options. Unfortunately the T isn't one of them.

 

If it's the mirrorless experience then the SL could be the system for you. But it's no smaller or lighter than what you have. As a bonus some of your Canon lenses will work fine, with AF, on the SL.

 

Decide what you're trying to achieve and it'll make it easier to get there.

 

Gordon

 

 

B&H's site, under the apropos Novaflex adapter, has a list of the Canon lenses which will work on the Leica T. Look for the list under the Q&A section under the adapter.

[Ruz]

I'm using my Leica T for Wedding Photos. It turns out very very well. Not as bad as people thought.

The EVF is not as bad as it sounds though.

 

I used the SF40 Leica Flash to handle dark rooms.

 

[LocalHero1953]

As the father of three married daughters I consider myself an expert on this subject. Two were shot with Canikon DSLRs and one with Fuji mirrorless. In terms of IQ there was little to choose between them as displayed on screen or in A4-A3 prints. As it happens, the Fuji shooter produced the least interesting images, but that was not down to IQ, nor, as far as I could tell, from system usability. One very noticeable difference was noise. As a client, I find that DSLRs destroy the atmosphere of a ceremony or a speech at first click and rattle. 

 

I make a point of telling people I do not shoot weddings or babies, but if I ever changed my mind I would use the SL or another mirrorless (but not the T - too slow/unresponsive, as mentioned by others).

Edited December 11, 2016 by LocalHero1953

[dkCambridgeshire]

Comments in this thread stating that the T's focus is too slow and the EVF 'mediocre' : … Have these commentators actually USED the camera themselves for any length of time? And have they used it since the latest firmware update? I used my T last night, at night in illuminated streets, and the focus was instantaneous with the 23mm T Summicron ... and the EVF was superb. I'd use the T for any event photography.  And I've used it in total darkness with flash and obtained good results. 

 

Anyone remember this advert?

 

 

… and DB once shot an event using a Minolta 110 camera. 

 

Just because someone stands behind a DSLR or MF or LF camera that does not necessarily mean they'll obtain better photos than someone 'light of foot' using a mirrorless 'miniature camera'.

 

I know three experienced wedding photographers using quite old Nikon 300S APS-C DSLRs which have fewer MP than the Leica T and a more limited ISO range … and they earn their living using their cameras. 

 

I'd wager that most brides and their families do not know one end of a camera from another - and even less about using them. If they're happy with sample albums and the price is right they'll likely hire most experienced photographers regardless of camera used. 

 

dunk 

Edited December 13, 2016 by dkCambridgeshire

[honcho]

Has anyone ever tried to photograph an event/wedding with a Leica T (TL)? 

 

I am currently using a combination of Canon 5d3 and Leica Q to shoot professionally. I'm hoping to to move away from SLR's but feel that autofocus is a must. Curious to hear opinions.

Leica have never made a camera yet that I would consider a viable option for my purposes as a wedding photographer.. The problem with the T/TL is that these cameras are simply too limited in performance and lens options and, frankly, not intended for the purpose. The only exception would be the SL but I personally have seen no convincing arguments in it's favour as a wedding camera.

 

You can photograph weddings with any camera, but there is no sense in making life difficult for yourself just for the sake of using Leica. If you really want to move away from your dslr to mirrorless for wedding photography, Fuji, Olympus and Sony all offer better options. I photographed my last wedding of 2016 a couple of weeks ago on a brace of Nikon D4s's and a D750 . My next wedding is in January and all my weddings from thereon will be photographed entirely on a pair Fuji XT-2's and a selection of half a dozen Fuji prime lenses. The Fuji XT-2 and lenses are smaller but equally as robust as my Nikon equipment, the lenses are excellent and the file quality of the Fuji X-Trans iii is noticeably better than any of my previous Nikons. Others might say the same about Olympus and Sony.

 

There is no such thing as the perfect wedding camera, but some are better suited to it than others. For wedding photography, or any paid work that is going to be a regular occupation, you need to make equipment choices with your head and not your heart. Your choice.

[LocalHero1953]

 

I'd wager that most brides and their families do not know one end of a camera from another - and even less about using them. If they're happy with sample albums and the price is right they'll likely hire most experienced photographers regardless of camera used. 

 

dunk 

Sadly true, in part, though I think sample albums and websites, and cost, are more common criteria than the photographer's experience.

I say "sadly" because, as I implied in my earlier post, wedding photography is not just about the images. A photographer with two left feet, heavy breathing, a noisy camera and an inclination to be in the wrong place at the wrong time can spoil an event, however good their final output may look.

Couples planning their weddings rarely think about these things - they just look at the romantic sample pics.

I speak from experience as a paying father who had no say in the choice of photographers!

Edited December 13, 2016 by LocalHero1953

[Ruz]

Leica have never made a camera yet that I would consider a viable option for my purposes as a wedding photographer.. The problem with the T/TL is that these cameras are simply too limited in performance and lens options and, frankly, not intended for the purpose. The only exception would be the SL but I personally have seen no convincing arguments in it's favour as a wedding camera.

 

You can photograph weddings with any camera, but there is no sense in making life difficult for yourself just for the sake of using Leica. If you really want to move away from your dslr to mirrorless for wedding photography, Fuji, Olympus and Sony all offer better options. I photographed my last wedding of 2016 a couple of weeks ago on a brace of Nikon D4s's and a D750 . My next wedding is in January and all my weddings from thereon will be photographed entirely on a pair Fuji XT-2's and a selection of half a dozen Fuji prime lenses. The Fuji XT-2 and lenses are smaller but equally as robust as my Nikon equipment, the lenses are excellent and the file quality of the Fuji X-Trans iii is noticeably better than any of my previous Nikons. Others might say the same about Olympus and Sony.

 

There is no such thing as the perfect wedding camera, but some are better suited to it than others. For wedding photography, or any paid work that is going to be a regular occupation, you need to make equipment choices with your head and not your heart. Your choice.

 

hmm, I disagree that the T/TL camera have a limited lens options. You can use the R lenses, M Lenses, SL Lenses, TL Lenses which covers from 16-600mm.

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[Ruz]

Comments in this thread stating that the T's focus is too slow and the EVF 'mediocre' : … Have these commentators actually USED the camera themselves for any length of time? And have they used it since the latest firmware update? I used my T last night, at night in illuminated streets, and the focus was instantaneous with the 23mm T Summicron ... and the EVF was superb. I'd use the T for any event photography.  And I've used it in total darkness with flash and obtained good results. 

 

Anyone remember this advert?

 

 

… and DB once shot an event using a Minolta 110 camera. 

 

Just because someone stands behind a DSLR or MF or LF camera that does not necessarily mean they'll obtain better photos than someone 'light of foot' using a mirrorless 'miniature camera'.

 

I know three experienced wedding photographers using quite old Nikon 300S APS-C DSLRs which have fewer MP than the Leica T and a more limited ISO range … and they earn their living using their cameras. 

 

I'd wager that most brides and their families do not know one end of a camera from another - and even less about using them. If they're happy with sample albums and the price is right they'll likely hire most experienced photographers regardless of camera used. 

 

dunk 

True this, The new 1.6 FW for Leica T is superb. It gives you a faster performance, EVF are not as bad as the firmware below 1.5