Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Earlier this week, a dramatic video titled Leica – The Hunt hit the web, praising all photojournalists and conflict photographers “who lend their eyes to make use see.” However, the video has caused a major backlash in China.
The story is set in Beijing in 1989, clearly referring to the Tiananmen Square protests, which are a sensitive topic in China. Now the whole case has gone so far that it made the word “Leica” banned from Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter.
Leica has today officially unveiled the new Leica Q2 mirrorless camera, offering a rather impressive 47.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, with 10 frames per second shooting up to ISO50,000 and 4K DCI 24fps video. It features a Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH lens, and with fully weather-sealed construction.
Last October, when Leica manager Stephan Schulz was badmouthing Sony’s E Mount, and how it simply couldn’t handle faster lenses due to its small stature, Sony come back not long after they said that they could absolutely do f/1.0 lenses. They just don’t think it’s worth the hassle and that the demand simply isn’t there.
Well, they seem to have taken things a little further now. With Nikon’s claim of theoretical f/0.65 lenses, Sony claims that they could produce f/0.63 lenses. And they have diagrams to prove it!
You probably know Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo or Aquaman. But did you know he’s also a big fan of Leica cameras? In a recent post on his Instagram, he revealed his impressive collection of Leica cameras. And what’s more – it seems that he’s working on a special project with the company.
Leica has just introduced the latest addition to its series of lenses for the SL-System. The APO-Summicron-SL 35 mm f/2 ASPH is a prime AF lens designed for Leica full frame cameras. With the 35mm focal length and high durability, it’s aimed primarily at photojournalists and street photographers. And with the high price tag, usual for Leica gear, it’s also aimed at photographers with deep pockets.
Well, even though Light’s L16 wasn’t the critically acclaimed success that the hype hoped it would be, it looks like Light’s technology is definitely being taken seriously by the smartphone world. After some heavy investment from Leica, a partnership with Sony, and the new Nokia 9 PureView containing Light tech, Light has now announced a new partnership with Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi.
If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering a Panasonic S1 or S1R mirrorless camera but were worried about lens options, then worry no more. Sigma has today announced that 11 of their Art series prime lenses are coming to L mount, along with a pair of new MC-21 adapters allowing you to mount your Canon EF and Sigma SA mount lenses onto Sigma, Panasonic and Leica L mount bodies.
While covering clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Islamic State militant group in Syria, Italian freelance photojournalist Gabriele Micalizzi was severely injured. He was photographing the conflict in the village of Baghuz on 11 February 2019 when shrapnel hit him. Luckily, he survived and is recovering – and he claims that his Leica cameras saved his life.
Shortly after launching a Safari version of M10-P camera and Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens, Leica announces another limited edition of the M10-P. The Leica M10-P ASC 100 Edition is coming soon to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers. It’s introduced as “an exclusive tool for filmmakers,” although it won’t shoot video.
Leica Camera has released a new Leica M10-P camera and Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens. They’re a lot like the old M10-P and 50mm f/2 lens, except these are limited “Safari” edition. Leica says that the release of these items “reopens a beloved chapter in Leica Camera’s ongoing tradition of special olive green camera releases”. There will only be 1,500 M10-P cameras up for sale worldwide and only 500 of the matching lens.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
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