A camera with balance

Of all the cameras I have kicking around the house, and there is a few, my wife likes the Nikon D90 with the Nikkor 35mm f2 combination the best.  Why?  For her it is the best combination of light weight and compact size, fast auto focus, good low light performance, ease of use with optical viewfinder I have.  

I have cameras that will better the above criteria, but none with that combination.

What about with the 18-105mm zoom?  Too bulky and low light performance is an issue.  D600 and Sigma 35mm f1.4?  Far too heavy.  Fuji X100 or Sony NEX 5n?  AF is too slow, especially in low light.  Leica M3?  Why would you want to shoot film?

Sometimes it's your most unloved camera that some else thinks is gold.

Nikon D600 and Tamron 180mm f3.5 macro

Leica CL in the park at winter time

         

A while back I wrote about my adventures here in Sunnybrook Park with a Leica CL, a Sony NEX 5n and a pair of snow shoes.  I fitted the cameras with the Voigtlander 21mm f4 and the Sigma 19mm f2.8, loaded some Fuji Neopan into the CL and ventured off.  

The CL is a cool camera.  It's really small, about the same size as a Sony NEX 6/7, and with the compact Voigtlander 21mm lens, it is almost pocketable.  The rangefinder is not even in the ballpark of the excellent Leica M3, but is comparable to cameras like the Fuji GS645S and the Canonet QL17.  With a slow wide angle lens like the Voigtlander, as long as you have focusing approximately right, there won't be an issue as the depth of field is so large.

Like I have written before, the Voigtlander is an excellent lens, and on film offers lovely tonality, commensurate with the Neopan film.  Compared to the shots with the Sony NEX, the contrast is much lower, with many more gradients of gray showing.  I will admit that I had set the NEX contrast artificially high, but I was still surprised to see the difference.

Leica M3 as a wedding camera

About 18 months ago I went to a wedding of some friends of ours.  I took the Sony NEX, as well as my Leica M3, along with a 50mm Summicron and a 90mm Summicron.  The Sony photos turned out well, but truth be told, manual focusing for a wedding wasn't that fun.  You can see the shots from the Sony here.  Unfortunately I forgot about the film shot on the Leica and only found it recently when I got a whole lot of rolls processed.

The results from the Leica and Fuji Neopan combination were very, very good.  It shows low contrast, but tons of tonality in a typical Leica way.  Such a look isnt really a typical way to shoot a wedding these days, but I still love the look, and so did the bride and groom when I showed them recently. 

As a wedding camera, the M3 only really works as a second or third shooter.  The slow manual focusing means you have to plan your shots, and quick candids are quite difficult.  The 90mm Summicron is especially difficult to use due to the low depth of field, making it really easy to miss shots.

Still, it was fun, and I plan to do it again.

Leica 50mm Summicron M Type 4

Sure, you can buy a 50mm f2 lens from an OM Olympus or Fujica for about 20 bucks and get great results, and these lenses are simple and common, but I will say that my Leica 50mm Summicron M Type 4, with a used value of about $1,700, is by far the best lens I own.

You pay dearly for that last bit of quality, and the law of diminishing returns is clearly evident in any Leica purchase; this lens is really something special.  It's absolutely tack sharp at f2, where it already easily out resolves the 16mp sensor of the Sony NEX5n.  The bokeh is smooth and buttery, and there are no aberrations or distortion.

The camera I most enjoy using this lens on is the M3.  I really appreciate the accurate and bright rangefinder patch, which makes getting critical focus easy.

It has a reputation of being the best 50mm lens available at any cost, and I have no doubt that this is true.

M3 and X100 side by side

Many people talk about the classic lines of the Fuji X100, and often have been asked about the 'film' camera I was using, so I decided to put it side by side to the Leica M3 for a visual comparison.  What struck me was how similar the details are, as follows:

1) Knurled dials

2) Vulcanite finish

3) Very similar looking optical viewfinders

4) Lever controls on the front of the camera, with arrows showing direction of operation

5) Same standard hot shoe (M3 is actually a cold shoe)

6) Silver paint top and bottom plates

7) Manufacturer label on the top plate

8) Silver lenses with knurled focus and aperture rings (though reversed - Leica has aperture at the front)

9) Same style shutter release with screw in remote cable release capability

The differences are few.  The Leica has more lever controls on the front, while the Fuji has a flash, and a modern button and switch visible.  

No wonder only trainspotters notice that the Fuji X100 is a digital camera.

PS:  The Leica is on the left...