Sigma happiness: Are you an L-Mount fan who would happily use only Sigma lenses in the future. Or do you agree that there’s life left in the old “nifty fifty” to the point of ditching your 28mm or 35mm “street” lens. Read these rather provocative views in this week’s Newsround. In addition, learn how Fuji has proven the doom-monger wrong, and find out what’s behind the lens in the giant M3 at Photokina in 1954.
At this point, I’d happily use only Sigma lenses
That’s quite a statement, but it highlights the impact Sigma has been making in the third-party lens arena. It also speaks to the company’s contribution to the success of the L-Mount Alliance, originally founded between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma.
The L-Mount Alliance (LMA) is now nearly six years old. But in that time it has become established as the pre-eminent cross-brand system. In fact, I can’t think of another system mount that shares lenses among several manufacturers1Of course, the third-party lens manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron cater for many mounts, but that is a different issue . The versatility and the sheer extent of the LMA is extraordinary. It is a major triumph for Leica, and has done more than anything to drive sales of the SL range. Without the LMA, there would have been constant worry that Leica might pull the plug on the system, as it did with the APS-C cameras and lenses. However, the vibrancy of the LMA has given new support to Leica. Buyers can commit to the L-Mount system with confidence in the future.
The sheer scale of the lens programme is breathtaking. From the spare-no-expense excellence of the Leica SL lenses to the cheaper-but-excellent offerings of Sigma, the buying opportunities are wide. And the Panasonic S range sits in the middle, spearheaded by a remarkable collection of six primes, almost identical in weight and size.
Sigma happiness
Sigma’s lenses are coming on apace. Originally comprising adaptations of older lenses, the programme is expanding with some rather delicious “digital native” lenses that are receiving accolades from experienced photographers. It is the more impressive considering the relative modest price tags.
In fact, Chris Niccolls of DPReview TV has waded into the LMA lens debate with the astonishing statement that he could “happily use only Sigma lenses in future”. Chris highlights Sigma prime and zoom lenses covering a focal-length range from 14mm to 500mm. He is impressed by both build quality and optical performance. Hence, his view that if he could only use Sigma lenses, this would neither diminish his range of options nor the quality of his photography. Among the Macfilos team, we have first-hand experience with several Sigma wide-angle and telephoto zooms. We can testify that they are indeed outstanding. And rumour has it that two recent Leica SL lenses are based on these very same Sigma designs that Chris likes so much.
In a convenient example of the versatility of the L-Mount lens catalogue, Jono Slack reviewed the Leica 14-24 which is uncannily similar to the Sigma version which captured the San Diego image above: Review: Leica Super-Vario-Elmarit-SL 14-24 f/2.8 ASPH
Why I shoot street photography with a 50mm lens
It’s no coincidence that the three most popular fixed-lens compacts, ideal for street photography, all have wide-angle lenses. The Fujifilm X100 series clings to the 35mm focal length, but both the Leica Q and Ricoh GR go all-out with the even wider 28mm.2The GRIIIx, a recent addition, now offers a 40mm lens which is arguably a great compromise between 28/35mm and 50mm.
But it wasn’t always so. The greats of the past, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, did much of their photography with a 50mm lens. It was the standard focal length, considered to mimic the human eye. Not for nothing was it called the “nifty fifty”. And, almost until the start of the digital era, a 50mm lens was the standard kit offering for most cameras.
In the past 20 years or so, popular prejudice has moved decidedly to a wider-angle lens, as demonstrated by the popularity of FLR, the Big Three. As a result, many photographers are now convinced that 50mm is not the right choice for what has become known as “street photography”.
The lens that launched a thousand Cartier-Bressons
Time to reconsider the 50mm focal length?
British photographer Jeff Ascough takes a contrarian view in his compelling video below. Geoff has always been a fan of the nifty fifty, and he makes a strong case for using a 50mm lens in street photography. He admits that the longer focal length presents new challenges, not least of which is working with the narrower depth of field. The wide DOF presented by 28mm and 35mm lenses makes zone focus much more useful; you can set up a range and shoot away without risk that major elements will be out of focus. But with 50mm and its naturally limited DOF, focus needs more attention.
Geoff provides some useful tips for both zone-focus settings and in focus-ring positioning for quicker manual focus. Watch the video, and you might be tempted to go back to the “standard” 50mm focal length as a lens for casual walk-around photography.
What are your thoughts on returning to the nifty fifty and your lens of choice? And what is your favourite focal length for general use when walking the streets or wherever? Please leave a comment below…
Lumix announces firmware update for S5II and S5II X
Panasonic has introduced a new firmware update for the Lumix S5II and SII X to improve the shooting experience. Firmware version 2.0 is aimed squarely at improving production and post-production efficiency, which can lead to significant time and cost savings, according to the company.
The cameras now support Adobe Camera to Cloud integration with Adobe’s Frame.io. This enables images and videos to be uploaded automatically, backed up, shared and worked on jointly via the cloud. Proxy video recording is an innovative feature enabling a low bit-rate proxy file to be recorded alongside the original video, leading to quicker post-production processes.
The update introduces Enhanced Real-time Autofocus Recognition, a system to boost the precise Phase Hybrid autofocus, efficiently recognising not only people but animal eyes, cars, and motorcycles. Enhanced E.I.S. Performance brings an additional High mode to the E-Stabilisation video function. It is now possible to achieve even more stable footage when shooting on the move.
Finally, Firmware v2.0 introduces SH Pre-Burst shooting, which records bursts even before shooting begins.
The update will be available for download on Monday, 22 April 2024. You can find the update here from next week.
See also DPReview’s take on the new firmware
Full review of the Lumix S5II
A closer look at Leica M3 XXXL photo from 1954
Jörg-Peter’s small article on the Leica M3 launch in April 1954 found a wide readership and was followed by a lively conversation – just the way we like it here on Macfilos! If you have missed it, you can read the story here and also add to all the interesting comments!
Now, Jörg-Peter comes up with something related to the official Photokina press photo from the event 70 years ago (see above). He poses an intriguing question: If you look carefully at this PR image from 1954, he says, you can see a man in a white working coat mirrored in the “front lens” of the XXXL camera model, clearly holding a small camera to his eye.
He is probably another Leitz employee, since we can assume that the “white lab coat” was the uniform for stand staff, perhaps in an attempt to emphasise the technical precision that goes into making a Leica camera. And, given the angle of view, could this man be the author of the image? This would certainly add another layer of interest. You will also notice the mirror image of the large ERNST LEITZ WETZLAR sign above the photographer’s head. We can assume that the picture was taken with a Leica camera, which looks highly likely from the reflected image. Could it have a prototype M3 or, perhaps, a IIIf?
Any thoughts are welcome in the comments section below.
Why the Fujifilm X100VI proves camera doom-mongers wrong
Do you remember all the talk about the camera industry being at the edge of a collapse? The expectation of a major market shrinkage with several brands disappearing? So far, none of this has happened.
Quite to the contrary: While the car industry is tightening the model ranges, the photographic industry is as diverse as ever. Even the Cassandra calls for Olympus/OM System, Pentax/Ricoh and other more niche-oriented manufacturers have not come true. So far, that is.
Geoff Harris is taking on this topic in a very interesting article for Amateur Photographer. For him, the success of the Fujifilm X100 series, and most notably the newest iteration, X100VI, is living proof of his thesis. He could also have taken the still existing waiting lists for the Leica Q3 (which he mentions) or the availability issues of the Ricoh GRIII as major examples.
Most remarkable is his conclusion: “And what’s more, all camera makers should be celebrating the success of the Fujifilm X100VI.” At any rate, while being just a small blog: We here at Macfilos are celebrating!
The news on the street
And we hear from dealers that some other cameras are seeing heavy demand right now. Often stirred up by influencers or TikTok coverage, cameras become suddenly sought-after. The latest candidate seems to be the Canon G7X Mark II, a one-inch-sensor camera somewhat comparable to the Sony RX100 series. We hear it was quite a shelf-warmer for some time, but now people have started asking for it again. What might be the next object of a social media hype? The retro-styled, super compact yet very competent OM Systems OM-5 is high on our list of likely candidates…
What is your favourite compact camera of all time? Let’s start a discussion in the comments section below.
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I just watched a few videos on YouTube about the Canon G7X Mark II. I had no idea. I was watching a video about a guy who sold all of his Leica gear and YouTube automatically restarted a new video after that. The G7Xii is selling for $800-1,000 on eBay now. Apparently the appeal is that the images are very film like. And the Mark II is apparently the one to get (according to influencers). The Mark III is more modern and by most considered as too perfect and too sharp. The Mark II is the sweet spot according to the ones in the know…
For me, the nifty fifty is my first choice for street photography and most of my photography. I once checked my files and 50mm was the clear winner. If I use a zoom, I generally pick a focal length and then use my feet to zoom.
My favourite compact of all time is the Contax T2 and second choice is the Contax TVS. I owned both simultaneously and they were gorgeous to look at and hold. I sold them when I switched to digital and regret selling them as they would be truly lovely displayed on a shelf. In my view, none of the digital compacts come close.
The digital compact that is the best for me is the Fujifilm X100VI. I sold my lovely X100V at a profit just before the X100VI was announced officially. It is the only photographic item that I have sold at a profit – that tells you something! Leica holds its value better than most but this is incredible for a fuji pocket camera. I got my X100VI shortly after if was announced as I preordered from my favourite local camera store before it was officially announced. I have owned the Ricoh and Leica Q for about 6 months each but could not work with a 28mm for my photography. They both have gorgeous rendering and haptics but went to homes that loved them. The only thing that could improve the X100VI for me is 50mm equivalent lens but it is close enough for me.
Brian,
Why not get the conversion lens? I have used both the tele and wide conversion lenses, and the results are excellent. The “tele” one gives 50mm equivalent.
In case you equate these to teleconverters for SLR lenses, they are not. The lens designers just computed two separate formulas, one with the converter and one without. Any latent distortion is taken care of in the firmware.
With either one attached to the front of the 23mm, the camera looks like it was made that way; it does not give the impression of an add-on.
I should have added, unlike teleconverters, you don’t lose a stop or two of light.
Magnifying the Big Leica photo (above) with Topaz Gigapixel AI, I see about ten people in white coats reflected in the ‘lens’, and several people are holding cameras (some screw-fit Leicas) vertically</>, as if there’s much more above and below the men who’re carrying the big M3.
I can’t tell, though, which camera the white-coated man at centre-extreme-right is holding, but it looks almost as if he’s also got a small ‘flower-petal’ (flashbulb) flashgun in his hand. And his camera appears to be held vertically, too. So it looks like this horizontal landscape-format photo of the big M3 has been cropped down from a vertical picture taken from some distance away, and taken with a ..wait for it.. 50mm ‘niffy-fifty’.
(..Soory about the extra italics ..I must have missed out an extra ‘i’ to stop the italics!..)
(Sorry about the extra ‘o’ ..I must be loosing my mind, or my keyboard’s gone loooopy.)
Good bit of sleuthing, David. I am convinced. Mike
Not so sure about Sigma. The lenses I’ve tried have been really good but some of those Arts are monsters. I’ve found Lumix lenses to be more rewarding in many ways. I have to 50mm f/1.8 which, I think, peforms just as well as Leica’s reinforced and rebadged Summicron at five times the price. I’ve ordered the 100 f/2.8 Macro which is more or less the same size and weight (ie small and light) as the 50 f/1.8. And i’m fascinated by the other Lumix primes which are all very much the same format, from 24 mm to 85 mm. One thing for sure, though, I could happily stick with the L-Mount system because it gives me everything I need or want. Fantastic we have so much choice these days.
Fuji deserves a medal for staying power. I remember that the original X100 was launched about a year after Leica’s X1 and the two cameras were compared in the press. Both were aiming at the same market. The difference between them (as it turned out) was Fuji’s staying power and gradual improvement turned the X100 into a major success story – as we see from the popularity of the IV model.
And what did Leica do? The X1/X2 was dropped like a stone, without the development it deserved/ It was followed by a long list of dead ends, from the X to the T and, finally, the lovely CL. While Fuji gets the medal, Leica gets the golden turnip for its neglect of APS-C.
Re the big Leica photo. I agree it looks like the photographer must be a Leica employee judging by the white coat and he is definitely holding a camera to his eye, so it must be a Leica. By the way, I’ve seen wooden cameras looking like this in dealer showrooms over the years. I think they must have been made as point-of-sale material, and I heard that they now command quite a good price when they come up for sale.
I saw one at Red Dot Cameras in London but I don’t think it is quite as big as the one in the photo. Perhaps they made them like Babuschka dolls with one fitting inside the other!
I’ve attended more photographic shows over the years than I can remember. I don’t go back as far as 1954, though, and the idea of staff wearing white lab coats is a new one to me. In the past, smart suits were the order of the day, but in recent years it’s been jeans and branded shirts. I suppose you are right in saying it was an attempt to show that Leica wasn’t just a random manufacturer of cameras, but a bastion of precision and technology. Still, a fascinating glimpse of the past.
Hi all, big fan of the blog here. To answer the prompt at then end of this article … That’s a difficult question. [TLDR: Lumix G9] I’ve carefully considered all the camera bodies I’ve owned over the years. The X-Pro1 with the 18mmf2 was so much fun and it was the first camera to make me take photography more seriously. The size and interchangeable lenses were a big part of that as I “upgraded” from an RX100M3. Ultimately, I think the Lumix G9, which was my next “upgrade” is my favorite. I bought it new with the 12-60 f2.8-f4 zoom. That camera has the absolute best ergonomics, for my hands, and button placement of any camera body I’ve ever held or shot with. The image stabilization was incredible, the top screen was my first and I loved it -in fact, it’s why I sold my S5 for an S1. I guess I needed the screen after shooting with the Fuji cameras with the exposure triangle bits easily confirmed at a glance. Sadly, I traded the G9 towards a Leica 35 Summicron at the beginning of my M mount journey. A lens that I later traded towards a 50mm Summicron -what’s wrong with me?!!! Haha!
Thanks for your continued support, Brandon, and for taking the trouble to add to various discussions. The journey you mention is a familiar one. I think we’ve all been there and done that. I also loved the X-Pro1 and dallied with the Sony RX100, Lumix G9 (I agree with your conclusion). I did the reverse on the Lumix full-frame cameras, though — starting with an S1, I moved to the S5(and now II) because of the size and weight. I agree that a top screen is useful, and I am very impressed with the new layout on the SL3. It’s tempting, although the Lumix S5II is a wonderful little camera. I think it does everything that the SL2-S can do, and is even better because of the better AF. There is so much temptation, but it helps to focus on Leica M and the L-Mount Alliance, I believe.
Mike
Regarding the nifty-fifty. my all-time favorite Nikkor, during film years and still now in the digital age, mounted on a Df body, is the Zoom-Nikkor 28-50mm f3.5 AiS. A lens that was produced for only two years, so is not as well-known as many other Nikon zooms. Nikon previously made a 28-45mm, and a 25-50mm, but these lenses, as good as they are, are much bulkier than the one I am describing.
No need to choose. 28, 35, 50, and everything in between in one lens.
Great optical performance at all focal lengths.
Very compact. It is physically about the size of the well-known Nikkor 35mm f1.4.
Unique hood design: This is a one-touch zoom, push-pull zooming / focusing ring, and the hood clamps onto said ring, not the front of the barrel. Combine this with the fact that the front element retracts at 50mm end of range, and moves to the front at 28mm end, while the zoom ring move out at 50mm and pulls back at 28mm. Much harder to explain that if I could offer images. But the point is, you get maximum possible shading at all focal lengths. This is the only lens I have ever seen that does this. A truly remarkable and useful lens.
If interested, see Ken Rockwell’s review:
https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/28-50mm.htm
I too use a zoom as a prime. The Lumix 14-28mm functions as my 28. It doesn’t extend when it zooms so I set it to 28 and go about my way.