This week we have included several articles dealing with Kaizen, the Japanese concept of continuous improvement, even though only one story has the word in the title. Fujifilm is one of its great practitioners, ultimately delivering the acclaimed and continually improving X100 series. Although Leica might not use the word, its commitment to continuous improvement is evident in the steady advances across its M, Q and SL ranges. In fact, to paraphrase The Troggs, whether it’s sensors, entire cameras, or rechargeable batteries, Kaizen is all around us.
Leica: Selling L-Mount cameras is tougher than selling Q or M
In a recent interview, Leica’s Vice President of Photo and Technology, Stefan Daniel, hinted that selling SL cameras is a tougher proposition than marketing the tradition M or the very successful Q ranges. He said that the company could have chosen to sit out on making a full-frame mirrorless camera, but decided it was important to take part.
Mr Daniel told PetaPixel that the full-frame mirrorless area is “by far the biggest market in the camera industry, and the fastest growing. Either we participate, or we keep to our photographic specialities. We decided we wanted to be part of it quite early when we launched in 2015, when the battle between DSLR and mirrorless wasn’t decided yet”.
He went on to say that the company’s goal was to appeal to new customers, not just the ones who are already fans of what Leica does, but to do it in the ‘Leica way’ with fewer buttons, easier operation, and Leica build quality and image quality.
Read the full interview here on PetaPixel
The real meaning of Kaizen
Here at Macfilos, we’ve covered the famous Japanese business concept of kaizen on many occasions. Back in 2016, Bill Palmer wrote about the importance of the process of steady improvement in relation to Fujifilm. It can be argued that Fuji is one of the greatest practitioners of kaizen in the photographic industry, with the X100 series exemplifying the process of gradual improvement. This commitment contrasts starkly with some other manufacturers who have chopped and changed their models with the weather.
Kaizen is a compound of two Japanese words that together translate as “good change” or “improvement.” However, Kaizen has come to mean “continuous improvement” through its association with lean methodology and principles.
Here, Richard Butler of DPReview gives us an in-depth view of the importance of kaizen, particularly in relation to the continuous development of the X100 series.
Pentax Monochrome: One journalist might never return to colour
As a Leica enthusiast and a past user of several versions of the Monochrom (without a final e), I’ve cast glances in the direction of Pentax and the K-3 Mark III Monochrome. It’s a DSLR with a 26MP APS-C sensor which, as the name suggests, shoots only in black-and-white. Sadly, we haven’t had the chance to play with this, and in any case, we definitely prefer mirrorless cameras these days. However, journalist Dan Bracaglia of Tom’s Guide has had the pleasure and is pretty much hooked:
Little did I know that my afternoon with the K-3 III Monochrome would help shake me out of a photographic rut and get me stoked to snap frames again. By the end of the day, I took nearly 400 photos with Pentax’s B&W-only digital camera — and I may never shoot in colour again.
Read his the full story here
I bought an old digital compact for £5. Am I mad?
When Amateur Photographer’s Geoff Harris spied a vintage digital camera on the Disabled Photographers stand at the recent Photography & Video Show in Birmingham, he bagged a bargain. But was he mad to spend all of five pounds on an ancient Panasonic Lumix FZ20? The proof of the pudding…
… “I can live with the klutzy handling and ho-hum design considering I paid chump change, but here’s the million-dollar question for my £5 camera. Can the Panasonic Lumix FZ20 still take good photos? Well… yes. I chose to shoot in fine JPEG mode rather than messing about with TIFF – there is no raw option – and generally the results ranged from not too bad to surprisingly good, given the camera’s age.”
To find out how he got on and view some results, head over to Amateur Photographer and find out.
Fujifilm X100VI vs Ricoh GRIIIx: Which is better for street photography?
It’s fairly well accepted in enthusiast photographic circles that there are four main contenders for the title of “street photography camera of the year”. The list doesn’t change much from year to year. It’s no secret that the cameras are the Leica M (any M, from the original M3 to the latest M11), the Leica Q3, the Ricoh GR and the Fujifilm X100VI. There are many other cameras that will do the job well, but for unobtrusiveness and ease of use, this quartet takes some beating.
For most photographers, though, the Leicas represent a considerable investment, even if you plump for an elderly film M. The Fujifilm X100 (now in its sixth iteration) and the GR (now in 28mm and 40mm guises) are more mainstream and naturally the focus of more attention. But which is better? Here at Macfilos we own a couple of Ricohs, one GRIII and one GRIIIx, and find them to be a great complement to our larger interchangeable-lens system and ideal for discreet street photography. When the Q is too big to carry around all day, there is always a corner of a pocket for the Ricoh.
We’ve owned several X100s in the past, but currently find the Leica Q2 and Q3 to be a better option (if you can justify paying nearly four times as much), despite the larger size. The X100 is definitely an in-betweener in comparison with the Ricoh and the Leica, although the Leica wins ultimately with its (now) 60MP full-frame sensor.
The Bath test
Photo blogger Mark Hanna took to the photogenic golden sandstone streets of Regency Bath to discover the better choice in the Ricoh vs Fuji conversation. Watch for the moment when the shooter gets snapped on Pulteney Bridge by another Ricoh GRIII fan. The streets are wonderful, but Mark’s a bit short on detail, especially in describing the physical differences between these two cameras, which have such a big part in choice.
The Fuji has more features, including a hybrid viewfinder, while the Ricoh is unashamedly built for maximum performance in a minimal form factor.
On the other hand, Benj Haisch in his comprehensive video below majors on the detail and the comparison between the two cameras. If you are dithering, this is the one to watch. Existing Ricoh III and IIIx owners will be interested in viewing Benj’s demonstration of the square lens hood (with protective glass filter) which, at first, I thought was a modified Leica hood.
Despite the added bulk, this is definitely a cool accessory that will appeal to Ricoh photographers, not least because it promises to cure the well-known problem of dust seepage through the extending lens unit. At first, I thought this hood was a new Ricoh accessory, but it does not appear to be listed. I’ve asked Benj for more details. I believe it could be manufactured by Squarehood and costs £72 here in the UK. I will update this article if I get further information.
This powerbank can charge all your devices as you go
In-camera charging via the ubiquitous USB-C connector has taken the world of photography by storm. Few, if any cameras, are now sold without this life-saver. True, the downside is the disappearance of external battery charging units, meaning that anyone who wants to charge more than one battery at a time has to buy an accessory pod.
If you invest in a new Leica SL3, for instance, you will definitely need a spare battery or some means of charging via USB while out on a day’s shoot. Bang does another £150. And if you need to charge it independently of the camera, expect to cough up another £135 for the new dual-battery charger. This is where the Jackery Explorer 100 Plus comes in. Most of us will already have a power bank for phone charging, but most likely it has relatively low a capacity of 10,000 or 12,000mAh.
Come fly with me
This device caught my eye because it is the largest-capacity power bank that can be taken on board an aircraft without going through a rigmarole of paperwork. With a capacity of 31,000mAh, there’s enough juice on tap to charge an SL3 battery several times over. It is naturally bulkier than most phone-centric power banks, but with a weight of 2.13 lb (ca. 966 g) it is an acceptable addition to a camera bag.
Jackery is a specialist manufacturer that has a good reputation for quality and performance. You can read a full review here at ZDNET.
The clincher is that the price tag of £139 here in the United Kingdom or $129 in the USA, this powerful unit is cheaper than a second battery for the SL3. And, what’s more, you can use it with all your other cameras, and devices while on the move. Note that if you purchase using the above links, Macfilos will receive a minute amount of commission, which will help with our running costs.
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There is no best street photography camera. Also, the Ricoh, Fuji x100vi, leica q series are great options for street but each is a different market segment. The Ricoh is truly pocketable with great images but no viewfinder, the fuji is amazing with 35mm equivalent lens and affordable for many, the Leica Q series are amazing but 28mm equivalent and one must sell a kidney to buy.
Perhaps ze Germans call it the Deming Wheel?
That picture of the power brick is deceptive. It looks as though it is huge but the report says it is “palm sized”. Whatever, at nearly 1 kg in weight i think I’ll give it a miss. I carry a 10,000mAh power brick and it seems to cope well with occasional boost for the Q3. Admittedly, it wouldn’t do much for the pro SL user though.
Those new Ricoh cameras sound like nonsense to me. What we need is a new GR IV, not a camera with fancy filters which mean losing the useful ND filter. What are they playing at?