Posts tagged articles
Leica M kit bags for Glamour and Stealth
Gene Fama | January 5, 2011
First the glamour
I own a lot of bags. When not on the road I pack my rangefinder into a Fogg b-Sharp. For my money, the b-Sharp squeaks by the b-Laïka (which is designed specifically for Leica kits) as the best high-end bag for M rangefinders. The main difference between the two is that the b-Sharp is less deep from front to back than is the b-Laïka, which is a good thing. You wouldn’t want the b-Sharp to protrude more than it already does.
Fogg bags are minimalist, classy, and expensive—like the camera. The lining is satiny linen. The workmanship and materials bring tears to your eyes. Dividers are modular and beautifully made—including a hinged piece you can use to cover the camera compartment and protect your darling from a stray set of keys or an unattached Thumbs-up. My b-Sharp easily accommodates the M9 in its Luigi half-case with a
Breadcrumbs from the Rangefinder Trail
Gene Fama | September 15, 2010
I’m new to a Leica (M9 review coming soon) but it’s immediately obvious that rangefinder photography is way different from SLR photography. There’s a learning curve. Now, I’m no Ansel Adams, but I’d hate to be the only person learning from my trial and error. Here are some tips garnered in the early weeks—for me lest I forget, and for anyone who might benefit.
Micro Four-Thirds: Olympus E-P2 or Panasonic Lumix GF1?
Gene Fama | August 7, 2010
We’re lucky when our choice is limited to two options. Such is the case with micro fourth-thirds cameras. The format has been around for at least forty years, but digital micro four-thirds is new. It appeals to photobugs because it offers a good compromise between the image quality of consumer SLRs and the size of compact cameras. The image sensor is only a third smaller than that of an SLR, but nine times the size of a typical compact camera. Since sensor size is correlated with goodies like background blur (“bokeh”) and lower color noise, along with the fact that pictures taken with bigger sensors are deeper and more accurate, micro four-thirds is a boon. With a compact prime (“pancake”) lens attached, they’re not too big for a coat pocket. Add to this that the lenses are interchangeable and the format is friendly (via adapter) to every imaginable lens mount — including legacy manual-focus classics often available inexpensively on eBay or molding away on your old film SLR body. This adds up to an irresistible proposition for the early adopter whose neck hurts from hauling around a big hunk of metal and glass.
