Compton Verney Leica X1

A visit to an old friend ended up with a trip out to Compton Verney. After a visit to the Volcano exhibition, we took a walk around the grounds. 





After a dull day there was a break in the clouds and I was able to take a few detail shots of the Robert Adam bridge. 








Despite the softish light the X1 delivered punchy results. The images are also very sharp. 


Getty Images, the picture agency and library, has just added the X1 to its list of approved cameras. 
http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/1727025/getty-images-approves-compact-camera


This doesn't mean that much, but its the first non-DSLR camera other than the Leica M8 & M9 that Getty have ever recommended for photographers to use in submissions to them. This is the full list of "Getty approved" cameras.
http://contributors.gettyimages.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=996


There's no doubt that the X1's image quality is the equal of, and in many cases, superior to many DSLR's. I for one don't need Getty to tell me that, since I have my own eyes. There's also no real surprise here, since it has a very good sensor and an excellent lens and is made by one of the best known and most respected camera manufacturers  in the world. What does surprise people is the size of the camera. In its basic form its very small indeed. It seems that, in the camera world there still seems to be an assumption that quality requires size, bulk and weight. This camera and m4/3, Samsung NX10, Sony NEX etc. are helping to prove that isn't the case.


Words and pictures - A

Leica X1

Review from taylorstockwin on Vimeo.


A hands on personal review of the Leica X1.

Wedding Rehearsal

Wedding rehearsal with GH1 + 20mm (for video)

Plus Leica X1 (in silent mode) for stills.

Today is the real thing.

The Charlie Waite Video and the use of "alternative" cameras

Multi image stitched panorama using Olympus E-P2 and 14-42mm kit lens.

I haven't always been the greatest fan of Charlie Waite. I don't particularly like square images of the landscape, I really hate grad. filters and I think landscape photography has not been well served by what I would describe as his 1980's coffee table book style. Medium format film cameras, F22, tripod mounted, lots of filters etc. He also has a tendency to lecture and some of his comments about photography and photographers have struck me as being in the "If you don't do it like I do, then its rubbish" vein.

Having said that, he's always struck me as being a nice bloke. I had pictures with his library, Landscape Only, many years ago and there are quite a few calendars and books which feature images from both of us, back in the days when I was producing coffee table book images with medium format film cameras and grad. filters!!

Lately he seems to have been re-inventing himself, with a more flexible approach, and he's suddenly become a lot more fun! I was chuckling away watching his video. The sight of him lying on the floor with a compact camera taking pictures of skateboarders was priceless and not something I would have expected to see. His enthusiastic promotion of small and compact cameras as a serious photographic tool, and the sense of fun and liberation that he showed using them was a joy to watch. Often when you read about, or watch photographers using what might be described as

"non-professional" gear, you often get the impression that the "serious" gear is just around the corner. In this case I didn't get that feeling. He may well have had a Hassleblad lurking just out of the camera shot, but it seemed like he didn't.

Leica X1

After first watching his video a few days ago, I have been thinking very seriously about how I am using these "alternative" cameras. Regular readers will know how the shedding of weight and bulk from the process of creating photographs has been a regular and dominant theme of this blog. However I'm now not convinced that I've fully embraced what I might describe as a "Small Camera Philosophy" It seemed to me that, unlikely as I would have once thought it, Charlie Waite was adapting to the concept of the "compact camera" much better than I was. I suddenly realised that by using systems like m4/3, Samsung NX10, Leica X1 etc. that I was just trying to come up with a smaller lighter DSLR system, and not fully appreciate the benefits and freedoms that these alternative systems can bring.

To give an example. I've written in very complimentary terms about the image quality of the X1. However its very rare that I will take it out on its own. I always have my brain in a "cover all bases" mode. What if the "next great shot" needs a telephoto and I don't have one with me? The assumption is that the pictures are "out there" somewhere and need capturing rather than being inside my creative mind. I've written before about the experience of destroying two of my cameras and being left for a weeks shooting on the French Riviera with one camera and a standard lens. I wrote about how this was one of the most pleasurable and liberating experiences of my photographic life. However I seem to have largely ignored what that was telling me.

Leica X1

It did seem to me that Charlie Waite looked comfortable and at ease with the medium he was using. That he was enjoying the freedom that using these cameras brought. He was taking advantage of the simplicity, the speed and the reduced options that they provided. He looked happy! Thinking back to some of my most pleasurable photographic excursions I was struck by how often they were defined by the fact that I was using minimal gear. The fact that I earn my living from photography does mean that I have, to a certain extent, to think about giving myself as many options as possible. However I am determined to go out more often with a one lens kit. If that happens to be just a prime lens then thats fine. Should be fun.

Olympus E-P2 Lumix 20mm f1.7

Words - D

Images - D & A

Camera Porn

What is Camera Porn? Wikipedia hasn't got round to it yet, so I'm going to attempt my own definition.

How about - "The photographing of cameras and lenses in such a way that arouses the desire for use and ownership in others" Its a guilty pleasure, creating it and looking at it. But should those of us who indulge feel this guilt?

Of all the images I have posted on flickr this is the one that has had the most views:-

4000+ and rising.

Heres a few more that will probably rack up quite a few views in the coming days/weeks/months.

Any of the following sound familiar?

1. You know its showing off to photograph your camera and post it on the internet but you have to do it anyway.

2. Sometimes you love your camera more than the pictures it takes, you know you shouldn't but you do.

3. You don't seem to be able to get through the day without fondling your favourite piece of gear at least once.

4. You bore your non-photographer friends into a coma by telling them all about your latest aquisition. You know they're not interested but you just can't help yourself.

5. You buy a camera because of how it looks, not what it does.

6. You dream about winning the lottery and buying every camera ever made and housing them in a gallery you have specially built.

7. In answer to the age-old question of "In a fire which would you save? Your photographs or your camera?" You say the former because you think you should, but you really want to save your camera.

8. You always think the next camera will be the one, you won't be buying any more.

9. You tell everybody you really need this new camera because it has unique features, but you're lying. You bought it because it looked great and you had to have it.

10. You'll take a picture of just about anything, just to press the shutter.

Enough words - more pictures!!

Guilty pleasures? Why not just pleasure? The worlds in an economic downturn, we need GROWTH! That means go out and spend your money. Your country needs you to CONSUME!! If you're reading this the chances are that you like or love photography. The chances are that you also like or love cameras and photographic equipment. Well thats actually OK. In fact its more than OK, its something to celebrate.

Photography is my passion, outside of my family its my favourite thing in the whole world. I've said enough times in this blog that the reason I became a full-time photographer was so that I could take photographs every day. Its what I want to do. I remember seeing a programme about David Bailey, who's idea of a day off was to wander down to his local church with a 10 x 8 plate camera and then spend all night making prints of what he'd taken. A bit like Tom Watson, the golfer, whose idea of a holiday was to play rounds at a series of obscure Scottish golf courses. My kind of people!

Repeat after me:-

Its not a crime to enjoy taking pictures.

Its not a crime to enjoy using a camera.

Its not a crime to buy a new camera.

Its not a crime to buy a camera just because you like the way it looks.

Its not a crime to own a lot of cameras.

Its not a crime to admit to any of the above.

THE CAMERA PORN ADDICTS MANTRA.

I'm not going to apologise for spending a high proportion of my disposable income on cameras and photographic equipment. I'm not going to apologise for earning enough money to be able to buy expensive cameras and photographic equipment. Its my life, my money, my choice.

(I figure if I say that enough times, I might actually believe it!!!)

So to all you other camera junkies out there, lets banish the guilt. Lets enjoy our cameras and openly share our love of Camera Porn. Lets appreciate the designing skills of Yoshihisa Maitani, Oskar Barnack and Luigi Colani and celebrate their creations. Lets embrace the form as well as the function, and be unrepentant about our passion.

In the same way that a musician forms a bond with their instrument(s), we are entitled to do the same with our camera(s). We don't have to justify it to anyone, especially ourselves. So stop apologising, stop feeling guilty.

Enjoy Camera Porn for what it is - the desire of the beholder to publicly show his appeciation of his treasure(s). We can all understand that. Can't we?

D

Leica X1 compared to Olympus E-PL1 - noise and colour - rough test

This is a rough comparison between the Leica X1 and the Olympus E-PL1 shot under low light conditions in a "real world" situation. i.e. Cameras used hand held, wide open at 1600 and 3200 ISO. The Olympus is fitted with the 20mm f1.7 pancake and the X1 with its fixed length 24mm f2.8. IS is enabled on both cameras.

This is the Olympus full file

This is a blow up at 1600ISO

This is a blow up at 3200 ISO

This is the X1 full file

This is a blow up at 1600 ISO

This is a blow up at 3200 ISO

As can be seen the X1 examples are warmer in terms of colour balance, and incidentally more accurate as there was a mixture of daylight and tungsten light.

The X1 files are also very "clean" in terms of noise. This low noise performance in a very small camera with inaudible focusing and no shutter noise is a very useful tool in many situations that require discretion and the ability to work unnoticed. For us its the interior of churches during weddings.

Many ministers are somewhat "unimpressed" by the behaviour of previous photographers and often impose very restrictive conditions on what we can and can't do. A quick demonstration of the X1's capabilities usually reassures them.

m4/3 & small camera inferiority complex?

Samsung NX10 18-55 Zoom.


This thread has been going for a while now:- http://www.mu-43.com/f35/we-expecting-miracles-format-3979/
Here are a few quotes:-


"I do occasionly browse the dpreview forums, and there seems to be good bit of discontent with the (m4/3) format right now."


"If I was selling cameras, and a customer told me they were interested in the mFT but they just wanted to walk around with a kit lens, never expand their lens collections, and really were just after better dynamic range and higher ISO, I think there are high end P&S cameras that would satisfy."


"At dPreview forum you mainly see the early adopters and hobby / professional with too much money, that is just a small part of the market, but the impact of such reviews should not be underestimated (many people surf on internet, but hardly post). Still this will not make "normal" people buy a full frame DSLR, just because it is better (much more expensive than m43 and probably well above their budget)."


"Not all photographers are "serious" some of us just want to casually take photos so we just want a camera we can carry around with us anywhere and everywhere. P&S's fit most of the needs except image quality."


"Yes. Part of it comes from the attitude that a lot of "SLR" folks have. (Not all, but enough that it's a stereotype.) It's not even just owners but the elitist attitude even happens in stores. It's embarrassing enough and snobby enough that when I had my e410 I felt really really bad about being in public with the camera because I didn't want to be grouped in with "those guys". In the end, I think I took my e410 out of the house less than 10 times in a year.
I'm not saying all SLR owners are like this but I'm sure you've met SLR owners who think they're better than everyone else and thumbs their nose at you because of your gear etc.."

"In my own experiences, there are three types of slr users. The first is the family shooter wanting pictures of their kids running around or just snapshot type photos. The second is the more enthusiast of the group, and the last sorta combines two groups: the high end enthusiast and the professional. "

"Salesmen, at least in my area, are making no attempt at selling the ELP1.

My own experiences at events where lots of cameras are out, the SLR users who have some sort of knowledge, usually have their noses up when I have my PEN out.

Leica X1

Many of the quotes here are from photographers on limited budgets, those looking to upgrade from point and shoot and compact cameras and those who want a camera (at the moment) to merely document their lives. Sound familiar? Certainly does to me and I suspect to many of us. The interesting thing is that they are contributing to a (a rather good) forum. As you will see I have become quite involved. I've got some real concerns here, both about some of the things that are being said, and also the implications of some of these peoples experiences.

Olympus E-P2 Zuiko 40-150mm 4/3 zoom.

When I first began my obsession with photography, there was no internet, let alone photographic forums. Magazines were the source of knowledge and information in those days. Written by (usually) experienced professionals, well aware of the mixed status of their readers, they catered for beginners and "advanced enthusiasts" at the same time. A photographic institution like Amateur Photographer, here in the UK has been doing this for over 125 years.


With the emphasis less on magazines such as this and the proliferation of internet forums a different kind of "knowledge and information" has emerged. Much of it prejudiced, ill-informed and deliberately contentious. This sharing of personal experience may seem a good way to judge the performance of equipment, but in reality is it?


I suspect that its not when people seem to take what is said in forums as representative of the experience of the entire user base of a particular product when it obviously is not. This must be particularly difficult for those who have no great experience or confidence in their choices.


In the comments I have quoted above and others I have seen recently there does seem to be both an element of an "inferiority complex" and a sense of "intimidation" referred to by some of the posts.


"My own experiences at events where lots of cameras are out, the SLR users who have some sort of knowledge, usually have their noses up when I have my PEN out."


To think this is happening and to be affected by it sends out all sorts of wrong messages. It panders to those who promote the view that m4/3 and other small cameras are somehow inferior to the mighty DSLR. Those of us that have been around a while and can cope with much of the nonsense that presents itself on these forums, are able to treat it with the contempt that much of it deserves. Others may however be unable to do that and give some of these subjective, ill-thought out comments much more credence than they deserve.


I'm very reluctant to give advice but would offer the following, with all kinds of "health warnings"!!


1. Be very wary of negative comments by a few people on internet forums. The likelihood is that people who have complaints are much more likely to publish their views than those who have a generally satisfactory experience.
2. Trust your instincts. If you feel a piece of equipment is right for you then it probably is.
3. Don't get put off by people implying that the choice you have made is somehow not what "real photographers" use. Experienced photographers use whatever they think is right for them and are unimpressed by people "lecturing" them on what they "should" use.


On the specific issue of small cameras and m4/3 in particular.


4. If people tell you that these cameras are "inferior" to DSLR's don't believe them, because they are not. With careful exposure and processing you can equal or exceed the image quality of comparable DSLR's.
5. It really is the image that counts, not the camera.


You might also take a look at these:-
http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2010/04/enigma-that-is-photographer.html
http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2010/02/internet-and-photographer-insecurity.html
http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2010/06/scs.html


D



Olympus E-P2 14-42 Kit zoom.



Olympus E-P2 14-42 Kit zoom



Olympus E-P2 14-42 Kit zoom

On Your Bike

There are currently as many bicycles as cameras around here at the moment. 5 of each. We are passionate about both and its nice to be able to combine them. The bikes provide a welcome diversion from the constant grind of editing pictures as well as keeping fit. Well at least keeping us at a higher level of fitness than we would be without going cycling!!

D & A

3 Leica X1 pictures

Three pictures taken with the Leica X1.

D & A

Photoshop CS5 / Open Air Art

PHOTOSHOP CS5.

The images in this post are processed using Photoshop CS4. Strange you may think considering previous posts about CS5 and the new features, particularly the new raw processing and content aware fill.

We have had the trial version of CS5 for 30 days and that has just run out. Normally we buy the upgrade automatically, but this time decided to try before we buy.

We have decided to stick with CS4 for the following reasons.

1) CS5 crashes repeatedly on our i7 iMac.

2) Most of the new features seem more for graphic designers than photographers. (Well these photographers at least)

3) Content aware fill, while seeming incredible is very hit and miss. When we really needed it to sort out a difficult area, it usually comes up with nonsense. It works well on the easy stuff, but then so do the previous tools.

We find that using our previous techniques, of cloning, patch tool, warping and skewing achieves the same results in about half the time.

4) The new raw processing engine, while seeming better initially, doesn't seem to offer any advantages in final image quality. Since we mainly develop "flat" we haven't seen any significant improvements in our files.

5) For some reason the latest version of camera raw has removed support for the Samsung NX10, a camera we use extensively.

6) CS4 absolutely flies on the i7 iMac.

So for the first time since buying Photoshop 4 in 1996 we haven't upgraded to the latest version of Photoshop. To be honest we would have probably done it anyway if it didn't crash all the time. However we see no reason to upgrade to a unstable buggy version.

OPEN AIR ART

A recent visit to a local stately home showed the trend for such places to display "works of art" in their public outdoor spaces. At our local such estate this involves some garishly painted benches.

There is also this amazing..... sculpture?? Looking like something from an Ann Summers catalogue it gradually looms into view at the top of an uphill path through the grounds. Looks like an instrument of torture (or pleasure possibly depending on your tastes!!!)

It seems unlikely that the creator was unaware of the visual similarities to something that needs a battery and we are unable to come up with a satisfactory explanation of what it means other than the obvious. If you have any suggestions, then please keep them to yourselves as we would probably get into trouble publishing them!

Images D & A.

Eco Nonsense

I was told many years ago by a picture library owner that they didn't carry many pictures of landscapes with oilseed rape in them because they didn't sell. Newspapers and magazines wouldn't publish them as when they did they got a string of complaints. I remember when these yellow fields started to proliferate across the country, there were dire warnings about how they would repel birds and insects. It appears that this last fear is unfounded, and in fact the opposite happens. Oilseed rape fields attract more birds and insects.

In the UK there is a natural conservatism towards change and the environment. There are cries of "anti-nature" from people about genetically modified food and nuclear power. Often from the same people who are prepared to let countries like Nigeria disappear under an oil slick to provide fuel for their 4x4's. There is also an assumption that "nature is our friend" Its not, its just nature, and will just as likely kill us as cure us. There are also "evil scientists" and "malevolent multi-nationals" out to rid us of our money and health in order to enhance their reputations and make profits. Funny how the more chemicals we ingest, the less "natural" our lives, the more healthier we get and the longer we live. People seem to forget that leprosy, malaria and the black death are "natural" and existed long before we started to manipulate the environment.

I'm an ex-member of Greenpeace. There was a time when I was convinced by many things that they said. But their constant desire to return us to some modern day feudal society, where nobody moves more than 5 miles from where they were born and has to spend their whole life knitting clogs by candlelight never really appealed to me. (OK I'm exaggerating!) The final straw was when they had a spokeswoman who lived in France and "commuted" to the UK on a regular basis. If ever there was a case of "Do what I say, not what I do" that was it. When Jonathon Porritt then went off to work for Prince Charles (a man who flies off to enviromental conferences in a private jet!!!) I became almost apoplectic in my opposition to this cosy, class-riddled, "know your place" vision of the world, promoted by a series of millionaire drones with too much time on their hands. (Moving your money to some tax haven can't take that long!!) Add in the fact that the "environmental lobby" has stated very clearly that its aim is to shock and over-estimate the dangers (and lie through its teeth it seems) and you have a situation where when the wolf really does appear we will ignore it as just another cry from a bunch of "tree huggers"

Anyway back to oilseed rape! There are many threats to our environment, and often from sources who are supposedly there to protect it. Seen some farms these days? Many make the local rubbish tip seem attractive. As someone who lives in the countryside I am as concerned as anyone about what we may loose if we don't have some belief in trying to avoid harming our environment. However this has to be achieved without distortion and misrepresentation, and some proper studies and facts in place of hyperbole and propaganda wouldn't go amiss.

I certainly see no harm in these bright yellow fields that liven up often drab landscapes.

D

Images by D & A

Taken using a Leica X1 and a Samung NX0 + 50-200 zoom