Sweet Lineup of Rare Leicas Up for Grabs in Leitz Photographica Auction

If your need is strong and your wallet is ready, there’s a bunch of rare Leica goodies waiting for you in the upcoming Leitz Photographica Auction.

We’ve been keeping an eye on rare Leica cameras on our vintage finds features, but the upcoming 34th auction of the Leitz Photographica Auction (formerly WestLicht Photographica Auction) is most likely your best bet for scoring some of the rarest. Chances are, you’re still missing one or two (or even all) of the items in the collection, so mark your calendars and make plans for Wetzlar, Germany on June 8th if you’re keen on checking them out.

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Just How Does the Weather Sealing on Higher End Cameras Stack Up?

We asked manufacturers to show us what they’re got when it comes to weather sealing their cameras.

Weather sealing is far more important than you’d think when comes to your camera’s operability. It’s one of the biggest variables that we test with cameras that boast this. With our 10 years of testing cameras and lenses, we asked each manufacturer to show us some of their best. With that said, we asked for weather sealing diagrams on some of their best cameras–and they provided, for the most part. We incorporated this with our real world testing to see just how each system is stacking up to one another.

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Review: Leica Q2 (Almost a Perfect Camera, But Still Not There)

The Leica Q2 on paper showed a whole lot of promise; but in real life practice it didn’t surprise as much as its predecessor.

When I first got the Leica Q2 in my hands, I really wondered if Leica had created a perfect full frame point and shoot. And in some ways, I think that they did; but in other ways I believe that it wasn’t thought out fully despite the big deal of it being given some of the best weather sealing on the market. Targeted as a backup camera for professional photographers and as a camera for photographers who want to travel a lot, the Leica Q2 offers a lot. In addition to the tank-like exterior, it boasts a 47.3MP full frame sensor in addition to a high resolution EVF. The focal length is still a 28mm f1.7 lens but this time it is not only weather sealed but offers optical image stabilization. The camera can also shoot at 10fps to help you capture the decisive moment. And while the Leica Q2 delivers beautiful images, I’m still not sure that I can give it a full stamp of approval.

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5 of Our Favorite Film Rangefinder Cameras (One for Everyone)

If you’re really looking for a solid film rangefinder camera, you should know that you don’t need to spend a whole lot.

When I went on my journey to grow as a photographer, some of the best tools that I had were film rangefinder cameras. I’m still very much of the belief that any and every photographer should shoot film and use cameras that don’t have metering built in to become better. They’ll move slower, they’ll have a lot more intent with their images, and they’ll create something much more unique to them. So we went into our reviews index to find some of our favorites film rangefinder cameras. And here they are!

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Someone Needs to Make a Full Frame, Rangefinder Style Camera with Autofocus

There are too many SLR style full frame Mirrorless cameras out there and not enough rangefinder style.

My biggest hope for years now were that Sony would take the form factor of their a6xxx series cameras and make it full frame with a few extra upgrades; but we never got it. Then I was looking to both Canon and Nikon to do it. And they never did it. Surely I thought that Panasonic, with their history involving Leica, would be the ones. But alas, I was again disappointed. Like some of you, I fall into the camera of photographers who like the Olympus Pen F, the Fujifilm X Pro 2, and the Fujifilm GFX 50R more so than the SLR style camera bodies. To me, they’re more familiar. Perhaps like you, I was trained on Leicas. The feeling of a Hexar AF, a Contax G2, and a Mamiya 6 appealed to me more than some of the most prolific film cameras of all time.

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The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f2 ASPH Sweetens the L Mount

If you’re looking for a fast prime Leica SL lens to slap on your L-Mount Camera, your search might be over.

We all love prime lenses, and today Leica SL, and L Mount Alliance camera users should rejoice. Leica Cameras have just announced that a new fast prime will be joining their family; the APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f2 ASPH. This high performance lens may have a long name, but it’s short, wide focal length will make it popular with street, environmental portrait photographers, and documentarians everywhere. Continue reading…

This $750,000 Leica 35mm F1.4 Summilux-M AA Prototype Is Still Up for Grabs

Looking for the next rare Leica item to add to your vintage collection? This prototype lens certainly fits the bill — and is guaranteed to rip a hole through your wallet.  

It’s yet another day for a rare vintage Leica, so if you’re looking for one, today is your lucky day. But, maybe not so much for your wallet. This rare silver prototype of the Leica 35mm Summilux-M f1.4 Double Aspherical Lens has once again surfaced on our ebay radar, still with the hefty price tag. But, we’ll let you be the judge of whether it’s worth the $750,000 asking price!

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Sigma Updates 11 of Their Art Lens Primes for the L Mount

Sigma’s first L mount lenses are a conversion of their current lineup of DSLR Art Prime lenses.

Just in time for WPPI 2019, Sigma is announcing a conversion of a number of their lenses. In the same fashion that they did for the Sony E mount, Sigma is retooling and rehousing a number of their lenses for L mount. Sigma, along with Panasonic, joined Leica to create the L mount coalition in an effort to deliver more full frame mirrorless camera and lens variety to the current market. Just like they did with the Sony E mount, Sigma’s first offerings are a number of their very good prime lenses.

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RNI All Films Gets Updated to Support Nikon Z6/Z7, Leica DLux 7, and More

 RNI has updated All Films Lightroom presets to v4.0.9 and includes native support for new RAW file formats.

While digital images are great, many photographers (myself included) are still in love with the unique look of film. Fortunately, there are things we can do in post to recreate the look of films we love. We can either spend hours trying to recreate the looks ourselves, or we can use Lightroom presets. RNI’s All Films has presets for negative, slide, instant, black and white, and vintage films, and now the preset pack has been updated to work with the new Nikon Z line, the Leica D-Lux 7, and many more new cameras. Join us after the break to find out more. Continue reading…

This Rare Leica IIIf was Made for the Swedish Army in 1956

Feast your eyes on this rare Leica IIIf model if you fancy another military-issued vintage beauty to add to your collection.

It’s time once again for us to share our latest vintage find to those of you keen on expanding your camera collection with another rare addition. This time, it’s another early edition Leica which not only comes in stunning black color and some brassing here and there, but also with a fascinating military history. If military-issued cameras are your thing, you better make space — and find funds — for this beauty!

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Review: Leica 35mm f2 ASPH Summicron (Leica M Mount)

With the Leica 35mm f2 ASPH Summicron lens photographers are getting a bokeh render that they’re bound to appreciate.

Though I’ll admit that I’m more partial to the Summilux series of lenses, the Leica 35mm f2 ASPH Summicron is surely an option that many photographers using Leica or other cameras will want to consider in part due to its pretty darned affordable price point. Introduced just a few years ago, the Leica 35mm f2 ASPH Summicron and in general the 35mm f2 lenses from Leica have been a favorite of many photographers for the bokeh. But if you ask me, I’d like to think that the Leica 35mm f2 ASPH Summicron isn’t better than the Summilux version and that this option is really just for the film photographer that wants something on the more affordable side. It’s a nice lens for sure; but at the same time, it’s also, well, boring. By that, I mean that I don’t see or feel the magic of this lens that I have with many of the company’s other optics.

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A Warming Lens Filter vs a Warm Filter in Photoshop – Which is Better?

A lens filter can help you get images right in camera, but do they work as well as Photoshop filters?

There’s no doubt about the fact that programs like Lightroom, Capture One, and Photoshop have changed the photography world, but are the changes always for the better? The guys over at NegativeFeedback recently started applying a warming filter to their images in Photoshop, and for the most part the effect was liked. After thinking about things, and after doing a little research, a decision was made to buy a warming lens filter to see if the effect from the analog filter would be better than its digital counterpart. Continue reading…

Watch How This Leica Camera Sensor Gets Cleaned

Sensor Cleaning

Leica’s official sensor cleaning procedure takes time, effort, and patience.

Have you ever wondered what’s involved when it comes to cleaning a camera sensor? While there are kits available for you to do this at home, it’s really not recommended unless you have the utmost confidence in your own hand eye coordination, especially if your dealing with a camera that costs as much as a Leica does. After the break we have a video that shows just how much care a Leica technician gives to each Leica camera that is taken in for a sensor cleaning.  Continue reading…

Cheap Photo: Fujifilm X-T3 for $1,399; Nikon D7200 for $696.95, and More

We’ve searched high and low for the best photography deals on the web.

Whether you’re looking for new a new camera, some accessories, or tutorials, guides, and software, we’ve got you covered. We’ve been searching the web for photography deals and we’ve put all of the best ones together for you here. Right now you can step into the luxurious world of Leica with the Leica D-Lux (typ 109) for just $935!! There’s also a great deal on a a workhorse APS-C cameras too. The Nikon D7200 can be had for $696.95, and the outstanding Fujifilm X-T3 is just $1,399!! You can also pick up 1850 Photoshop actions for $19, and you can learn how to improve your post processing in Photoshop with the Color and Black and White Post Processing Course for just $19. Check out all of the sweet photography deals after the break.

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Hints of a Leica 35mm Noctilux Lens Spill Onto the Web

We might be treated to some new Leica cameras and lenses in the very near future; including a Leica 35mm Noctilux lens.

If you’re a fan of all things Leica you’re going to like this news. During LHSA (Leica Historical Society of America) meetings that were held late last year, current Leica employees and product managers hinted around that the company road map is littered with new cameras, lenses, and initiatives that could all be released and rolled out in the near future. One of the coolest things is the addition of a hybrid viewfinder Leica M camera that sounds similar to how the Fujifilm X Pro series of cameras works. But perhaps the most exciting thing is the addition of a Leica 35mm Noctilux lens.

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The Panasonic Lumix S Full Frame Cameras Are Getting HDR and High Res Shot Modes

More details about the brand new Panasonic Lumix S cameras emerge at CES 2019.

Some consider the Panasonic Lumix S series of cameras to be the only real competition to Sony right now in the professional grade mirrorless camera world partially due to their Dual Card slots. Today we got a few more details about what the cameras will offer. Panasonic’s press release states that the company will offer both HDR and High Resolution shot modes. It isn’t crystal clear if this is going to be in both of Panasonic’s new L mount cameras, but there are also a few caveats.


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Pictures Speak a Thousand Words – A Love Letter to New York City by Photographer Andre Josselin

andre josselin

Photographer Andre Josselin writes a love letter to NYC with his Leica M (Typ 240). All Images by Andre Josselin and used with Creative Commons permission.

We all have certain places in the world that we want to visit. We build up the destination in our heads to such massive proportions that we then start to wonder whether the magical place can really live up to our expectations. Photographer Andre Josselin’s dream destination was New York City, and after a couple of years of things not going how he planned, he decided to visit the Big Apple. After the break check out some of the truly magical shots Andre was able to capture during his visit to his dream location. Continue reading…

This Stunning 24K Gold Leica M4-2 is Yours for $19,999

Fancy a gold Leica to add to your vintage camera collection? Better make some space and get your wallet ready; this one is a beauty! 

Another day, another rare vintage camera to drool over! Our latest find is yet another stunning rare item that’s guaranteed to make a fine addition on our camera shelves, and put a dent in our wallets; a 24K Gold Leica M4-2 with a matching, German-made, 50mm f1.4 Summilux lens.

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Camera Bag Review: Billingham Rucksack 35 (Just the Essentials)

Reviewing the Billingham Rucksack 35 helped bring me back to basics; sometimes that’s all we need.

I’ve been using the Billingham Rucksack 35 for a number of months now, and it has made me carefully consider what gear I bring on different occasions. This bag isn’t all that huge, but it’s designed in such a way that it can be accommodating. You can stuff many of your daily essentials in the Billingham Rucksack 35, and using the divider compartment, you can store a fair bit of camera gear in here. If everything is separated and there is no lens on your camera body (or a small one), you can stuff a camera, a lens, and a flash in here. But if a lens is attached, then you’re probably getting your camera with said lens and another lens inside. For those who deem themselves to be natural light photographers with all the fury that is their Instagram feed, this is enough. And to that end, this could be your next rucksack.

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Grab This Extremely Rare Black Paint Leica MP + Leicavit MP Combo for $237,500

If you have some space in your vintage camera collection for yet another rare Leica, you might want to ready your wallet and check this out.

Here’s another for all you Leica collectors out there with deep pockets to match. Our latest vintage find is an original 1957 black paint Leica MP body with a matching Leicavit MP fast winder. If this is something that tickles your fancy, be prepared to shell out a whopping $237,500 for it!

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Grab This Rare Leica 35mm Summilux-M F1.4 AA Prototype for $750,000

Missed our amazing vintage finds? Our latest is a rare Summilux lens that will look gorgeous on your Leica M camera– but also put a dent in your wallet.

It’s been a while since we shared some awesome stuff from the depths of ebay, but we’re sure our recent find is worth the wait. Of course, it has to be yet another Leica. This time, it’s a gorgeous and super rare 35mm Summilux-M f1.4 AA prototype lens that will also surely burn a hole through your wallet.

According to the listing by Canada-based ebay seller setadel_studios, this 35mm Summilux-M f1.4 AA is the only prototype still out there today. It comes in chrome instead of the regular black version; while the latter has a lighter anodized body that weighs 340 g, this prototype has a brass body and weighs a little heavier because of it at 400 g. The AA stands for the double hand-ground aspherical lens element. There’s also a concave lens element on both the front and rear element, and it’s reportedly the only Leica lens to have this feature. All these make it a highly collectible lens along with the likes of the 50mm f1.2 Noctilux.

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