We are talking about a camera with all the information on the lens barrel to shoot in hyperfocal and zonal focus. You can find a second-hand Leica M240 for around $5000, a second-hand Leica M9 for around $3000, and a second-hand Leica M8 for around $1800. Maybe go to f/11 and try zone focusing. If you shoot film, the best bang-for-the-buck Leica setup is the Leica M6 (~$1500) + Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 lens (~$450) = ~$2000. The interface and menus follow the same minimal design of the latest Leica Cameras with ergonomics and usability, typically German. I just took some classical duet concert photos last night with my M Monochrom and 75mm lens. The GR3 is perfect for street photography. Aperture f1.7 @ 1600 iso. Shutter speed of 400 should be OK, unless subjects are running or speed walking, in which case try 500 or even 800. Amazing shotsI am thinking of getting the Qbut wondering if it is as quite as the Fuji The ability to crop at 75mm allows a narrower field of view, which lends itself to shooting tighter images such a portraits, and when used in conjunction with the macro mode, can be a useful macro lens. The best ice cream in town. I havent tried my Q yet for real street shooting, but it has everything you need, especially the rapid focusing and quiet shutter, not to mention the speed of operation. My Favorite Piece of Photography Gear by Stephen Roberts Hi All, Firstly, a big thank you to Steve for giving all photographers, includingmyself, a platform to post their work to a bigger wider audience. The girl in the blue hat is too much girl and not enough woman yet. The Art of Fashion Photography Discover S Magazine. Or do you raise it up at the last moment? As a rule of thumb, you should be able to buy two Leicas in cash (if you know if you can really afford it). Stay connected With the new Leica FOTOS App If you like Manual operations completely, have at it! By I find that works well. If there is one focal length street photographers love, its the 28mm. Dont buy one on credit. Or you can pick up a second-hand Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron lens ($1500-3000) depending on if you get the older versions, or the newest version. This point might be a bit more controversial: many people who first get a Leica buy a 50mm lens because that is the lens that Henri Cartier-Bresson shot with. I rented a Q2s over the weekend I Have owned a Q for 4 years. More Details In Stock Share $5,795.00 Also the lens is very sharp (apparently it is modeled after an older 35mm Leica lens design). This is all information I wish that I knew, before I started to shoot with a Leica/rangefinder, and also practical tips when shooting street photography. I have a dedicated profile for street photography that sets face/field focus,auto iso to max 6400 and minimum shutter speed to 1/125. The Leica Q2 Monochrom features a newly developed 47.3-megapixel full-frame sensor based on its sibling model, though in line with its Leica Monochrom forebears the sensor has seen the purposeful omission of the color filter array to give it added light gathering potential and increased sharpness in true black and white. Leica Q2 Review: The Only Leica You Should Want The Leica Q2 looks like the old Q, feels like the old Q and costs even more than the old Q. Because they are all relatively new cameras, and any new body style will get outdated or made redundant pretty soon. And most beginners arent that comfortable shooting that close. Personally, I wouldnt buy anything besides a Leica M body. Why? Super pictures! The Nikon Z 26mm f2.8 Lens is the slimmest, lightest Z series full-frame pancake lens ever. The best bang for the buck Leica lens is probably the Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit lens. I do use the auto iso but have set the upper limit to 6400. why not auto focus, especially when shooting street with the Q or Q2? Granted this will not be a 100% true 35mm but you will still have a huge 30 megapixel file and about an estimated f2.8 look in terms of Bokeh. Shot at Piazza del Pantheon in Rome. However for today the QP would have to do and it certainly did and did it well indeed.. View fullsize Read our full Leica M10-R review for more details. Best fixed-lens digital compact: Ricoh GR IIIx. Compare that to the Leica Q2 the price difference is $3,800 USD. Along with its robust exterior, the camera is distinguished by a deliberate discreet appearance -- enabling the photographer to work without drawing undue attention. But nowadays most of my photography is shooting with a small compact camera for street photography (Ricoh GR II). So I think it is just easier to get the most affordable Leica within your budget. If there is a camera that had changed my way of shooting in the street this is undoubtedly the Leica Q.I was among the lucky photographers who were able to test the Leica Q2 on the field before it was released on the market.As I said in 2015 when I first reviewed the Leica Q this is a camera system that was born with two souls. I find this leads to more effective focussing in fast paced environments. If you have a film Leica or rangefinder, I recommend reading my book: The Film Photography Manual where I have covered technical settings on shooting street photography on film in detail. lens with . But you can always take a step forward. CINQUE_TERRE-763.jpg(CC BY 2.0)Gential LAMBERT. I thought that buying the Leica would help me make better images, because it was quicker and more discrete. Aperture f2,0 @ 100 iso. It is the camera which holds its value the best (compared with other brands), and the camera you can probably use for the longest time (before it gets outdated). I treat this as my default mode in case I see a Moment Where I am planning ahead I will move the A as I require. Blue hat girl for instance is stunning for its lighting and saturation, especially if it was done via face detection snapshot. Everything I will share in this manual is based on my personal experiences. The Q2 is of course natively 28mm and with a fast lens, its great for low light street photography too. The Camera always felt reactive despite the increased resolution meaning that also the Maestro Cpu has been updated with a faster one. Wow. If you see on the internet, almost everyone talks about how amazing it is to shoot wide-open on a Leica (with Leica lenses). Street Photography by Chris Mozyro: Leica photography - the big picture since 1949 Discover LFI Magazine. Obviously, it's going to vary a little bit depending on your particular subject (and how close they are and how fast they are moving). RICOH GR III is $899, whereas Leica Q2 is $4995. Learn More Another exciting feature is that with that kind of resolution the 35mm and 50mm modes now have much more available resolutions. If it gets cloudy, increase ISO to 800, or 1600 if it gets darker. 100Xs?? **The track here is from Youtube Audio Library. This enables a sensitivity range of ISO 50-50,000 and a maximum continuous shooting rate of 10fps (frames per second) in Continuous High Speed mode or 20fps in Continuous Super Speed mode. It means you have one less thing to worry about. --https://www.flickr.com/photos/jafleming3/setsjohn. The image-making company is also hosting a 'Photographs from the James Bond Archive' photography exhibition at the Leica Gallery London through March 23, 2023. If Q was my favorite camera when it comes to street photography, Q2 did nothing but strengthen my love for this system. And you won. A Street Portrait taken in the district of Sal Lorenzo in Rome. The Q2 is one of those rare cameras that give me colors that I like out of the box. Whenever you notice your shutter speed dropping below 1/250th of a second, I recommend increasing your ISO. News and updates about Eolo Perfido exhibitions, interviews and workshops. The number one rule of street photography is: always have a camera on you. All; For the Leica CL and for my upcoming trip, I'm setting up the camera and am looking for the best autofocus and metering settings. I submitted some images to you almost exactly a year ago (back stage with the x-pro 1), which you kindly placed on your site. Theres lots of other really fabulous stuff in your site as well but these two environmental portraits are my favourite. Do you have it on a short leash, meaning a shortened strap? If everyone uses the same or similar setting then the users ended up getting similar shots. This wide-angle prime lens may be compact but it packs powerful features. Leica is still the Kong of street photography!!! While many would go for the RX1R if they are 35mm lovers, the Leica Q2, as long as you do not mind that it will only be a JPG (but you will have the full 28mm raw if you shoot RAW+JPG) can shoot at 35mm quite well. However I think in todays modern world, where the streets are much more crowded, a 50mm is just too tight. I would have been dubious about using a 28 but your work and others I has seen prove otherwise. . With a focal lengths of 28mm at f/1.7 I could get a good separation of the photographed person to the background, but not too much. I tested it, and the camera was able to keep shooting for about 14 frames before the buffer got full. Do consider leaving it at auto ISO for when the light suddenly changes, it allows you to have a chances of making a shot that works if you do not have time to change your ISO settings. I love shooting with them, as I love the rangefinder experience. Best wide angle lenses The camera is great no matter how you like your street photography. Then we have the new sensor with 47 million pixels. Affiliate links are used on this site. The Leica Q2 Reporter continues the long-standing tradition of integral design specifically crafted to meet the challenges of reportage and press photography. What is the difference between the Leica M8 and Leica M9 from the more modern Leica M (240) variant? At ISO 1600 (during the day), your shutter speed will be around 1/250th of a second if youre shooting in the shade. Unfortunately Leicas with a .58 magnification are only film ones not digital ones. This means less charging time (and fewer chargers) and greater flexibility during my shootings. But shooting with a Leica is certainly a different experience than using a DSLR or a traditional camera. I fell in love. Leica Q: The ideal street photography camera . Because that will default your shutter-speed to something slower. The interface and menus follow the same minimal design of the latest Leica Cameras with ergonomics and usability, typically German. What settings do you use for the zone focusing? I went to your website. Furthermore, early practitioners in street photography (like Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz) would shoot black and white film (pushing the ASA/ISO to 1000+). Released in June 2015, the Leica Q (Type 116) is a full frame, fixed-lens camera ideal for street photography. I do use the auto iso but have set the upper limit to 6400. i use 500 as well and leave it set to 5.6 A and focus manually. Fortunately, the Leica Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH. The Q2 can still shoot 10 frames per second, but this time we are talking about outstanding 47mpixels pictures. If you have a digital Leica or rangefinder, lets move on: If you have a digital Leica, I recommend shooting in Aperture-priority or A mode. Iso performance of the camera is pretty solid, and I was able to shoot portraits in low light with excellent results even at 6400iso. Best compact: Sony RX100 VII. The 35 and 50 crops work quite well if you plan on anything 812 or even 11 x 14 for the latter. and lipstick . A portrait of Angelica taken on the steps of Piazza di Spagna in Rome. For example, if your lens has a focusing tab (the little plastic grip in the middle of your lens) this is a benefit. So assuming you got the RICOH GR III and the 21mm adapter, the total price is only $1200. https://soundstripe.com?fpr=octavian - :) Sound Stripe (use the coupon code \"STREET10\" for 10% off a yearly or monthly subscription!) Aperture f11,0 @ 1600 iso. They lust after f/1.4 lenses, and even the legendary f/.95 Noctilux lens. The Q2 has them and makes zone focusing a breeze. Then we have the new sensor with 47 million pixels. But the new Leica M240 has many benefits. Simply go an focus on shooting! Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. P.S. Exibart Street Contest Third Edition Winners, Exibart Street Contest Third Edition Finalists, Create an account and sign up to the contest. My good friend Todd gave me his film Leica M6. I know that some set the shutter speed and put the lens on A - essentially shutter priority - but I don't like giving up control of the aperture. I prefer the grittiness of the street. But also a camera that has maintained a strong bond with the past. Would like to see it in plain monochrome. Of course if I have the time the auto focus can be very useful and I do use it. Do I detect more aggressive post-processing with some of your images, or are you consistent and areas that look a bit processed merely reflect being out of focus? ByClub Unesco SK See original post HERE (You can Purchase the GFX100 at B&H Photo HERE) After releasing of GFX100, my first reaction was that it is unnecesarily big, with unnecesarily [], NEW LEICA X1 FIRMWARE COMING.. You need a lot of balls to get that close. The Camera always felt reactive despite the increased resolution meaning that also the Maestro Cpu has been updated with a faster one. Ambient light. I prefer the smaller size it is easier to carry with me everywhere I go, it is cheaper (so less anxiety about losing it), and even less obtrusive. If you can afford it, I highly recommend the Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron ASPH lens (apparently the sharpest Leica 35mm lens). The camera has the spirit of the Ricoh GR III, with the built-in 28mm fixed lens and form factor, so you will have to love the 28mm focal length, which can be too wide for some. By putting your ISO to 1600 (or above), you will achieve a shutter speed of at least 1/250th of a second during the day (assuming youre shooting at f/8). That's why I prefer setting the ISO. My favourite would be the image of the smoker, the movement of him just draws my eye every time. My purpose in writing this is to share some of my personal experiences showing with a Leica. I think many will see the Leica Q as a great street photography camera. If youre shooting street photography and have moving subjects, you want your shutter-speed to be at least 1/250th of a second. Shooting wide-open (f/1.4-2) is necessary if youre shooting at night, in dark situations, without a flash. I dont want to poo-poo the 50mm lens too much. I am a non-technical photographer, who picked up a Leica by chance, and have been learning a lot about both digital and film Leicas. Nice images. The Q2 can still shoot 10 frames per second, but this time we are talking about outstanding 47 megapixels pictures. No matter how expensive your camera is, you will never be satisfied. Thanks to the camera's digital zoom, the photographer can select crops of 35, 50, or 75mm. With the Leica Q when I took pictures all day with the LCD display on, I was forced to have to change the batteries even two or three times per day. Furthermore, if you wear glasses (like I do) you cannot fully see the edges of the frame lines on a 28mm lens (assuming your Leica has the default magnification of .72). I wanted to have a reliable full frame camera with a great lens and good file output, with files that can stand my sometimes very intense processing attempts. With the Leica Q when I took pictures all day with the LCD display on, I was forced to have to change the batteries even two or three times per day. The Leica Q2 comes in this limited Traveller Kit including an extra battery and the brand-new leather wrapping cloth that reliably protects the Leica Q2 against scratches and dust. Theyd match. I then put my camera in aperture priority, usually somewhere between 2.8 and 5.6, sometimes switching to fully manual by setting a lower shutter speed when I want to introduce motion blur. Leica M10-D. This will help you save valuable time, and capture the decisive moment without wasting time focusing. You should be able to find a good-working condition Leica M6 for ~$1500-$1800 (about the same price as most modern digital cameras). for me too. Also, the Leica M8 and Leica M9 are a bit frustrating to shoot with. The Leica Q2 is an exciting full-frame mirrorless compact camera with a 28mm fixed lens. With much difficulty, we've limited this list of famous street photographers to 20. The EVF is perfect and shutter lag is virtually non-existent. Inspired by iconic song lyrics, Leica Q2 "Dawn" by Seal embodies the visual poetry of light - each camera is one of a kind. New Sensor With 95% More Resolution Than Its Predecessor A Environmental Portrait shot in Rome to Al Amin and his family in their fruit shop at Pigneto. If you look at the best street photographs in history, almost all of them have a relatively deep depth-of-field. Apparently I also read that the human eye sees the world from roughly a 38-40mm perspective. Or just use any 35mm M-mount lens that you find which is affordable. First of all the Bokeh is excellent even at f1.7 @ 28mm, and if you do not mind the crop mode, the portraits are even better. A big part of street photography is standing around and waiting for those special moments to happen, and you don't want to wreck your shoulders in the process. Great set of images, stephen. It is much faster to shoot with, more responsive, and has a quieter shutter sound. Gallery. Theres no two ways about the Leica Q2 is a beast. The camera then optimizes shutter speed and ISO. Also worked fine, even for highly cropped 57 and 46 inch closeups (print, page publication or web size images). Leica has paired the Q2's 50.4Mp (47.3Mp effective pixel count) sensor with an updated version of its Maestro processing engine. Ambient light. A lot of pixels means not only very detailed images but also have a creative tool at our disposal that can allow us to take photographs far more distant from the subjects, knowing that then it will be possible to make even greater crops. . What about the Leica Q, SL, T, X, or other Leica cameras? Soon after buying the Leica M9, I got the film bug. Another tip: when youre out shooting on the streets, and walking on the sidewalk, learn the distances of the sidewalk. Of course, you also have a great eye and sensibility: which would carry over to any tool you use. One less thing to worry about. A modern full frame camera equipped with a 28mm Summilux 1.7 lens, an LCD screen without any lag, high-speed autofocus and an electronic shutter. If you dont want to bother with film, want a Leica, and might be more on a budget Id recommend a second-hand Leica M8 or Leica M9 (for the rangefinder experience). The sensor offers ISO sensitivity settings up to 50,000 and 4K video resolution. This is not news to you if you used Leica rangefinders but theres many modern cameras that omit focus markers on their lenses! Love the color shot with the lady in the hat. Technically, I should be referring to rangefinders not Leicas (because not all Leicas are rangefinders). Then see how far it actually is, then learn how much you need to adjust your focusing tab (either to the left, center, or the right). One of my dreams in life was to own a Leica. Display as a link instead, I might has well been using binoculars. How do you hold your Q camera? Everything about this camera is ideally suited to street photography, from its full-frame sensor to its exquisitely sharp 28mm f/1.8 lens to the excellent optical viewfinder, durable construction, and weather sealing. Simply choose a small aperture (see Leica Q2 street photography settings below) and line up the markers on the lens, the feet are in yellow and the meters are in white and you are done! There's a special improvisatory skill that street photographers need. A Street Portrait shot at Piazza Navona in Rome. prime lens, fast autofocus, innovative OLED technology, and timelessly elegant design, the Leica Q2 elevates the tradition established by its predecessor, the Leica Q. Leica Wrapping Cloth Some Fuji users use aperture priority and set the camera to not not go below a certain shutter speed - not sure that's possible on the Q2. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Dont make my mistake barely being able to afford one. Posted August 9, 2018. Street Photography & Photojournalism . Look at your lamp across the room, ask yourself: How many meters or feet do I think that is? Make a guess in your mind, then pre-focus your lens to that distance, then bring your camera to your eye. OUR WEBSITES. With these settings all you need to do is put your camera at f8 and look at the lens, but the left f8 marker and line it up to 1 meter. The Leica Q2 is Leica's foray into competing with Fuji and Sony, but on their own terms. Ambient light. Best Summicron lenses We still have 3.68 million dots, but now Leica call it organic EVF, and it's far better and more luminous than the Leica Q original one. The more control you have, the better. Great work!!! For example, with a 35mm lens, at f/8, pre-focused at 1.2 meters, everything between .9 meters-1.5 meters will be in focus. Hi Stephen, Worked fine. Highlights: +1 Shadows: +0 Color: +3 (sometimes I'll drop it to +1 when I want a less saturated look) Noise reduction: -4 Clarity: 0 Sharpening: 0 Grain effect: Strong Grain size: Large Color chrome fx: Off Color chrome blue: Weak Exposure compensation: typically between +1/3 and +1 Samples: A lot of pixels means not only very detailed images but also have a creative tool at our disposal that can allow us to take photographs far more distant from the subjects, knowing that then it will be possible to make even greater crops. English. I would rather take that $3,800 . Your approach, though, is quite reasonable. Using the Q2, what settings do you recommend for street photography to ensure a reasonably fast shutter speed and good depth of field? Too late for you to post the blue hat one in B&W? 1. Just stunning. I am not the Leica expert. When I had the chance to try out the Q2 for the first time, I immediately asked myself how it was possible to improve something that I felt virtually perfect. There is a world of difference between them . Aperture f1.7 @ 500 iso. How to zone focus: final words. I currently use the M240 and I am looking at the Q. Kenko 52mm Real Pro Circular Polarising Filter. Add to all this also a discreet EVF for the time and a truly exceptional ergonomics. But by then, theyve missed the moment. Know the camera you have is already more than sufficient for street photography. A modern full frame camera equipped with a 28mm Summilux 1.7 lens, an LCD screen without any lag, high-speed autofocus and an electronic shutter. Because if you employ zone focusing (pre-focusing to a certain distance, and using a small aperture like f/8-f-16) you will never miss the decisive moment. Whenever I miss a shot on a Leica or rangefinder, I never blame my camera I can only blame myself. I still think many participants here dont realize that the 28 on the Q with a 24 MB sensor is not the same as on on film or a lower resolution sensor. It looks like a point and shoot camera, can slip in your pocket and its also a 28mm camera. Noticing how the MMs LCD flashed its presence after every shot, I decided to shut it off on the Q and only use the viewfinder. I know that some set the shutter speed and put the lens on A - essentially shutter priority - but I don't like giving up control of the aperture. Another tip: you want to learn how to focus based on feel. Also the wider your lens, the more of your scene will be in focus, and the more depth you will have. Whats your technique? I treat this as my default mode in case I see a Moment Where I am planning ahead I will move the A as I require. I eventually ended up selling the M9, and trading it for a film Leica MP. It also allows you to shoot blind with a wide aperture and throw the background out of focuseven with the 28mm lens. Basket. Image Quality Image quality is obviously very important to any photographer. If Q was my favorite camera when it comes to street photography, Q2 did nothing but strengthen my love for this system.I tried the camera even during some environmental portrait sessions, finding both the 28mm and the 35mm and 50mm modes really useful in many situations. In reply to ImDrRichard Mar 15, 2022. Your email address will not be published. The image quality is out of this world and its nice and portable. Also the LCD screens on these cameras really suck. I recommend a 35mm lens for most street photographers starting off shooting with a Leica or rangefinder. She gave you that quick, cold, engaging, standoff look. Most of the time in street photography youre going to be shooting at f/8 so dont see the f/2.5 as a disadvantage. Therefore if you are unsure whether shooting with a Leica or rangefinder is right for you, Id recommend starting off with a cheap film rangefinder, or a film Leica. I watched some NY street photographer videos, and they were using M6, 28mm elmarit and Portra 800, zone focus . Matthias. I use three different settings for focusing depending on the situation, zone focusing and face detection auto when I am shooting blind, and manual focusing when I am shooting using the viewfinder. 9 Essential Smartphone Street Photography Tips. Therefore whenever they clicked and hit the shutter (with their 28mm or 35mm lenses), they would capture the decisive moment in images that were both sharp and in-focus. The main difference is the sensor the older M8 and M9 have a CCD sensor (people say the colors and black and white files look more like film, but the high-iso performance is worse). Leica Q / Leica Q2 For Street photography do you go with AF or zone focusing For Street photography do you go with AF or zone focusing By Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS February 14, 2016 in Leica Q / Leica Q2 Share Followers Reply to this topic Start new topic Prev 1 2 Page 2 of 2 Msohio Members 73 Location: Waite Hill, Ohio, USA #21 Also influenced by Steves great review of the Q. An f2.8 aperture paired with a 20cm minimum focusing distance produces creative shots with smooth bokeh and gorgeous background blur. Rather, I am a big fan of the Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron lens, which is much lighter, more compact, and more affordable. Also f/2 is nice to use if youre shooting in darker situations, or photographing a pretty portrait of a friend (shot at f/2). Create an account, Yongnuo YN450, the Mirrorless Camera Who Runs Android and Canon Lenses. Also have the thumb rest. Everything from 1.25 meter to 5 meters will be in focus. Well done, your chronicling of life is so refreshing and a throw back to some of the great street photographers of the past. Both cameras have existed for several decades without significant changes because they just work. Why? Another exciting feature is that with that kind of resolution the 35mm and 50mm modes now have much more available resolutions. Composition, lighting (especially in her eyes), flowing lines of the hat brim and cool blue against her warm skin tones. So please, take everything you have read in this guide with a grain of salt. Ambient light. Digital Leicas are obviously much more expensive. So you can pre-focus when you see certain subjects walking towards you at certain distances. It is like having a really expensive iPhone and who owns an iPhone longer than 3-4 years? This means that a fast SD card will be needed to empty it as fast as possible. When I first started street photography, I used a bulky DSLR (Canon 5D). with eleven elements (including three aspherical) divided into nine groups. A Street Portrait taken in the district of Sal Lorenzo in Rome. A brand-new Leica M is around $7000, and even more for the Monochrom (black and white only) variant. So is your smartphone. . In particular the resolution, crop options, weather sealing, button layouts , menu system and EVF just to name a few. This way you can probably re-sell it for almost as much as you bought it for. A portrait of Enrico at Piazza Navona in Rome. Then choose your aperture to f/8 as a default. Great color. I still think the Leica is a fantastic camera for street photography, and dont discourage anyone from investing in one.