Someone emailed to find out "why I never use that expensive Leica zoom lens???" and to also ask if they could see some samples. I'm nothing if not accommodating....

 

the last photo of today's walk. Just a few yards from where I was almost run over by 

a young driver who decided that people in cross walks were fair game....

the walk today was unusual for many reasons. It's not often I grab a big, fat, heavy, ponderous zoom lens and use it for making photographs on a casual and relaxing walk. But today I went out with the mighty Leica 24-90mm lens attached to the front of a nearly as heavy Leica SL camera body. Why? Masochistic Imaging Day in Austin. 

The day was also unusual in that I was accosted by a hostile street person for the first time in at least a year. To be very clear I was not photographing at the time and certainly not aiming my shoulder mounted camera at anyone. He demanded to see my credentials giving me the right to be out with a camera. He was clearly disturbed and looking for trouble. I think he quickly surmised from my expression and stance that I would have no hesitation in using the four or five pounds worth of camera and lens to beat him into submission and he relented. I guess I have practiced my "game face" well over the years. But you do get a hit of adrenaline whenever you are accosted by anyone who is hostile and carrying a large stick.... I let it all go by the time I was a half a block away and I'm proud I deescalated my own reaction to the event so quickly. 

The walk was unusual as well in that I've walked the route I took through downtown hundreds of times but this is the first time that someone has willfully driven their car through a crosswalk and almost hit me. I had to lurch backwards to miss their passenger side door and rear fender. That event took a bit longer for me to recover my composure. How I longed to come across the car at the next stop light... But to what effect? 

But the day was also unusual in that it was bright and warm. Winter bright which makes photographs of things sparkle. The light comes from a different direction and some things seem to take on a different personality when the angles change. 

I shot this set of images with the equipment I listed above. Everything was shot in Manual Exposure but I did let the lens do the heavy lifting of hitting focus. It's certainly a package to carry around but for a couple hours it didn't seem that bad. Much better than almost getting run over...

So, here we are my emailing friend. An assortment of images at an assortment of focal lengths and apertures. Mostly taken at the two opposite ends of the zoom ring and mostly at f5.6 and f8. But I think it gives a good idea of what the lens is all about. Bright, sharp, detailed. A lens like this should deliver something if you are willing to carry it around. But I guess we all need to keep working on building muscle mass as we get older....this combo will definitely help with your strength training.

A good cup of coffee really goes a long way to calming one's nerves...

click on the images to make them bigger. Your reward? Bigger photographs.

Addendum: I use the 24-90mm on nearly every paying job. It just doesn't always get to do the fun stuff...