Godfrey
Well-known member
Two big boxes arrived from the Leica dealer yesterday. One box contained a Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-f/4 ASPH lens for the SL. The other box contained a Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens for the M-D. "The Bazooka and the Button": Can two lens systems from the same manufacturer be any more different? :thumbup: Can't wait to put them to use!
The Bazooka at first impression feels like a heavy stovepipe affixed to the front of the SL, but—shockingly—it balances very nicely for hand-held use and the SL body's grip and controls really work extremely well with it. I've only made a couple of test shots so far ... the image stabilization seems to be amazingly good: a 1/30 second exposure of a model on my bookcase shelf at 280mm setting is just stunningly crisp and shows extremely little camera motion. I'm sure in less ridiculous shooting circumstances it is going to do exactly what I hoped for. The rotating tripod mount is very sturdy and beautifully designed. Quite the lens! I'll get out with it during the week.
I just fitted the Button to the M-D for today's outing to Redwood City. The focusing on this lens is just right: beautifully damped and precise, light but not twitchy. This is a used lens, approximately 2008-2009 manufacture, but you'd never know it. Just right on the M-D body...
The reason why there were two large boxes, instead of just one, is that my long-considered equipment rationalization is happening. The dealer sent me both lenses in big boxes with a huge surplus of packaging materials because five Leica cameras and nine Leica lenses are going back to him for trade/consignment sale against these two lenses. They leave on Monday. Next I'll be posting the Pentax, Nikon, and Olympus gear for sale ... I'll do a for sale post here and then move it to Ebay.
Lots of changes. Lightening up feels good. I just want to make photographs and get to work on books and movies to distribute them. One more step along the way.
G
The Bazooka at first impression feels like a heavy stovepipe affixed to the front of the SL, but—shockingly—it balances very nicely for hand-held use and the SL body's grip and controls really work extremely well with it. I've only made a couple of test shots so far ... the image stabilization seems to be amazingly good: a 1/30 second exposure of a model on my bookcase shelf at 280mm setting is just stunningly crisp and shows extremely little camera motion. I'm sure in less ridiculous shooting circumstances it is going to do exactly what I hoped for. The rotating tripod mount is very sturdy and beautifully designed. Quite the lens! I'll get out with it during the week.
I just fitted the Button to the M-D for today's outing to Redwood City. The focusing on this lens is just right: beautifully damped and precise, light but not twitchy. This is a used lens, approximately 2008-2009 manufacture, but you'd never know it. Just right on the M-D body...
The reason why there were two large boxes, instead of just one, is that my long-considered equipment rationalization is happening. The dealer sent me both lenses in big boxes with a huge surplus of packaging materials because five Leica cameras and nine Leica lenses are going back to him for trade/consignment sale against these two lenses. They leave on Monday. Next I'll be posting the Pentax, Nikon, and Olympus gear for sale ... I'll do a for sale post here and then move it to Ebay.
Lots of changes. Lightening up feels good. I just want to make photographs and get to work on books and movies to distribute them. One more step along the way.
G