For many years my focus about cameras was skewed towards models that I could use for professional applications. When I traveled by myself with the idea of making photographs for "art's sake" I had certain ideas about what would work best. And for most of my working life I tried to shoehorn work cameras into vacation cameras that I would take along on family trips. It was always a division of attention and intention between "being" a "working" photographer and not turning family fun into a photo "death march."
Last week B. and I took a small vacation. We went to Chicago. In the past I might have taken along an SL2 or SL camera and a collection of "interesting" prime lenses. A bag to keep them all in. A million batteries. Maybe a back-up camera or two. Maybe a small tripod as well. Given enough packing time and I could fully get to the point where over half of my luggage was photo gear. And when I came back home I'd chide myself for taking along so many pieces of gear that I never used. Never touched.
This time around I decided to concentrate on seeing stuff unencumbered by the addiction to endlessly documenting the encounters with life. I took two cameras but I knew all along that I'd be carrying and using only one of them. The other camera was there because the "need" to have a back-up camera is, at this time, too well ingrained in my mind to let go.
On last week's trip the Leica DLUX8 was the perfect camera for me. It is small and light. I can wear it around all day without issue. The files coming out of the camera are very, very good --- considering the lower resolution than I am used to and the smaller format. In all it's a gem.
There are a few things I wish were a bit different. I would love for the camera to remember which focal length I was using when it shut down to save power. I also wish it had a setting that would enable zoom stops at the usual, traditional focal length angles of view. 24, 28,35,50 and 75. It would be quicker to use if the camera could do that. Another place I would change is the diopter setting wheel on the back. It's not lockable and sometimes, when it rubs against the pocket in a camera bag or against my shirt or jacket, the diopter setting changes. That's a pain in the butt which could be remedied just by increasing the strength of the detent.
Another small issue I have with the camera is that the lens extends a lot out front when one turns the camera on and the lens looks too skinny in relation to the whole package of the camera. It's just an aesthetic thing but it does give me pause from time to time.
Oh, one more thing. When you create a user profile and then set it for use it works fine as long as the camera is on but once you turn the camera off and then turn it back on again it seems to default to the standard/non-user profile and you need to either choose the profile you want again or change the parameters that are important to you in the moment. Kinda renders the idea of user profiles moot....
The focus locks on quickly in the single shot mode. I can't tell you anything about the continuous autofocus mode because I've never used it and don't intend to use it. I like the single square right in the middle of the screen or the finder, the way the photo gods intended it. I do tend to reduce the size of the AF measuring square and in that regard you have a lot of options. The smaller the better for accuracy's sake.
Finally, a nod to all the Leica Haters.... at least the red, circle Leica logo is very, very small. Understated. You probably don't even need to tape over it to be adequately stealthy out on the street.
Hint: Don't buy the $170 Leica battery if you feel like you need an extra battery. There is a Panasonic option that I believe is identical and it's about $35-40. There are also some generic options for about $20. I'll stick with the Panasonic ones, just to be a bit conservative.
The camera needs an add on grip or a nice half case with an integrated grip to feel just right out on the street. And a thumb grip is a welcome accessory too.
Finally, in their infinite gap of wisdom, Leica decided to only include a wrist strap. Major fail from my point of view. All cameras should have traditional neck straps to free one's hands for getting coffee, paying for coffee and drinking said coffee. I found a Q2 neck strap for $30 and it's perfect for this camera as well. I could write a whole new blog about straps. I think I've found the current favorite one of all time. We'll cover that later.
I'm so glad you asked!!! Yes! There are mannequins in Chicago. These were all around
the Macys Department Store. I know you'll love glancing at them and will want to click in and see them in greater detail. It's just the thing to do...
The Navy Pier. My least favorite "attraction" in Chicago...
Homage to James Popsys.
Street photographer grabs my photo when I was walking down the sidewalk.
Included as a daylight sample of the DLUX8 performance.
and, of course, you will look so cool as you go out to photograph the world around you!!!
Cheers.
26 comments:
Do a Google search for "JJC grip for Leica D-Lux 8," and you shall find one. But it ain't cheap.
Art and commerce are distinct; very distinct. You can't go out and poke around for art (IMHO) which is the big problem with street photography that nobody cares to talk about. You have to be deliberate, with a specific goal in mind, and perhaps a specific image.
Also...you could buy a Fuji X-E5 and an excellent, compact Sigma 18-50 (27-74 equiv) lens and have a camera that's barely larger than the D-Lux8, but with ~40mp and highly sophisticated guts. How sophisticated? The operating manual is 452 pages long (!) and would keep you busy through Christmas. If you put a piece of black gaffer tape on the front, people would think you're shooting Leica, so you maintain your status.
Chicago mannequins are different, not at all like the ones in Austin.
Somehow, the mannequins in Chicago seem way more mysterious than the ones in Austin.
Re: JJC HG--DLUX8 grip: I like mine. It has an open access to the SD card and battery, unlike the Leica hand grip that must be removed to to access the card and battery. Last I knew, Leica wanted $180 for the hand grip. The JJC grip is $37.99 at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Handgrip-L-Shape-Compartment-Anti-Slip-Microfiber/dp/B0DJVC5VV7
It took me years to realize that it was difficult to live in the moment when carrying “serious” photo gear while on almost any personal adventure. I suspect that’s one reason why smartphones are so popular as cameras today. That’s why, for the past 30 years, I’ve always made sure I own at least one compact camera for any trip that doesn’t have photography as its main purpose. Today, that camera is a D-Lux 8. I can’t wait for your piece on neck straps.
Hi, do you use any of the color profiles for the pictures featured here or just RAW. Thanks.
It ain't a Leica but...I'm sure you are aware the Panasonic LX100ii (poor mans version of the D-Lux 8) does have step zoom available on the lens ring, remembers the focal length when it powers down, and has a built in finger/thumb grip. It is the only camera I take on trips.
I know one thing, every time we take a vacation, I look at the credit card balances afterwards and think, hmmm, that's three good cameras right there : ) . These days I usually take a couple primes and one zoom for my used Z cameras, then end up only using a prime mostly. Like with these Chicago shots (you may find the settings familiar): https://www.juneauphotographs.org/Family-and-Friends/Vacations/Chicago-Birthday
I think those were all with my Z7 and a Pentax 35 of some sort (I should write that stuff down since the exif is no help).
John Camp beat me to the punch, but I agree that the Fuji X-E5 with the Sigma 18-50 is an excellent carry-around combination. It's essentially an X-T5 in a smaller package. The Sigma is remarkably small and light for a constant f/2.8 zoom—as is its 10-18mm sibling. (Apparently Sigma has developed a proprietary anti-gravity coating in order to appeal to aging photographers.) I also agree that the heft and finish of the X-E5 are quite Leicalike.
Having said that, the D-Lux 8 is more plausibly pocketable (depending on the size of your pockets), has slightly more reach on long end, and its menu system is more pleasant to navigate than the X-E5's. (The Leica Q3's menu is even better.) Less resolution than the Fuji, but the image quality is very respectable despite its older four-thirds sensor. And, of course, you get that discreet red dot. I have no doubt your Chicago mannequin subjects appreciated that.
I'm waiting for the publication of your mannequin coffee table book.
Hi John, I have owned the cute and capable Sigma 18-50mm lens for the L mount for use on my Leica CL APS-C cameras since 2023 and have written about it here on occasion. It's a great lens and with the small CL camera is a great combo. 24 Megapixels, a menu one can understand thoroughly in about an hour...twenty minutes if you are already working with other current Leica cameras and BONUS!!! I already own both the lens and the camera. I am not as well heeled as some of my commenters who seem able to rush out and buy the latest stuff at the drop of a hat. :-) You could buy a Leica CL and have access to a whole inventory of L mount lenses, both from Sigma, Panasonic, Leica and more lens makers. Sigma makes a 16mm, 30mm, and a wonderful 56mm lens in the same family of Contemporary lenses as the 18-50mm zoom. One should collect them all. They are fast and quite good and specially made just for APS-C. I really like em! Maintaining my status as a Leica shooter; not for the "snob" appeal but for the wonderful industrial design (surely that counts amongst those who appreciate fine art!!!) and very easy to use and uncomplicated menus. It's a win-win scenario. Of course, you can repurpose the 18-50mm and use it on an SL3 which would give you a nice, big shooting platform and about 33 megapixels of resolution at the APS-C crop. Another win-win.
You say that you can't just go out and poke around for art --- but isn't that exactly (EXACTLY) what Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Friedlander and Garry Winogrand did ? And they seem to have convinced many people of the value of their work. Oh, and the "darling" Alec Soth. And the irrepressibly ubiquitous Stephen Shore. Where would modern photography be without mindless wandering?
Left out everyone's darling, Joel Meyerowitz... Spent a life time roaming the streets with a Leica and a 35mm lens. Made a career of it. Oh, and Daido Moriyama. Everyone loves his street work. I read his book. He....just walks around in the street looking for stuff to shoot. Really. It's right there in his book...
It's wonderful how mannequins have embraced diversity.
Gordon, Thanks for posting this. I have the JJC thumb grip on my DLUX 8. Works perfectly! But instead of the hand grip I have the Kondice half case which has an integral hand grip. Works great and doesn't block the battery door. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SIUTATDSH-Vintage-Protective-Portable-Shockproof/dp/B0D9YD6XWX/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=137IJ3CDVCBIV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Yvw3lN3QcO5X_brQ7ll5cZJxhLqs-ZqSnye06KUsyFISLUwE3tdmPXUGlLNtg7WlRqv1UuwuDGyim6ujkSnftwoWQhn3g9i4KV3QmMEroqmqR3zERZp62nllB9emUysuW7RgwktADXWqMXp91pHw1Ru_6aoADFZbKlsrA88kng7jTWB0CeopBRRTMJKefcfVb-ptYlqDm7C2VAO_x2Dn64X7goRsN1KaKFU-C_M3HAY.O5LPrcWJr3eybjvpdCzAXSfzi12BP6dpXjTydgVaCUc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Half%2Bcase%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BLeica%2BDLUX8&qid=1759519816&sprefix=half%2Bcase%2Bfor%2Bthe%2Bleica%2Bdlux8%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
Nope. I haven't created a profile yet for the DLUX8. Just converted from the raw files. Thanks!
Sadly, it is nearly impossible to source a new LX100ii. I'd buy one if I could go back in time...
Also loving the real DNG raw files. So much great information in there. You know I have to reduce the files for use on blogger, right? Resolution can be both our friend and our enemy, like compound interest.
Love the Chicago mannequins! It's so hard to capture their fleeting expressions ;) I have been out with my Lumix GX-7 equipped with the stellar Olympus 12-40 f2.8 zoom. Even though it's an older camera it still holds it own, even against FF cameras for web photos. It's too bad I gave away the great and much lighter Lumix kit zoom.
Looking forward to seeing some more of the 1600 images you made on your inaugural retirement VACATION!
Eric
You shouldn't let John Krumm post anymore. As soon as I read his post, I looked at the credit card charges for my Paris trip and thought, Holy Sh-t, that's a Fuji large format camera and three lenses, right there. And for Chris Kern, I've found the X-E5 is especially great with the Fuji 27mm (40mm) pancake.
Every long weekend vacation = one Fuji GFX RF.... sigh.
Once again, John, I agree. I think of the X-E5 with the 27mm pancake lens as a smaller foreign cousin of the Leica Q3-43 in a kimono. It's an ideal poke-a-man's kit for street photography.
John and Chris, I agree with you but I like to use the X-E5 with the Fuji 15-45mm zoom. It's much more versatile.
The Panasonic LX100ii is the same camera as the Leica D-Lux 7. Both have the same lens and sensor as the newer D-Lux 8. The biggest 'upgrade' in the D-Lux 8 is the switch to the Leica operating system and menus. Unfortunately Leica discontinued a lot of the features of the previous model, including the features Terry mentions. The Panasonics have been discontinued but used ones can be found at the two large online used sellers and will include a warranty. They will also cost a third to a half less than the new D-Lux 8 and you don't have to spend additional money on a hand grip or gaffer's tape to cover the logo.
Except.... The DLUX8 has a much, much better EVF, a tougher all metal body, the ability to be used with Leica's best in class phone app, the use of real DNG files, it looks a LOT better. It's five years newer than any used LX100ii and the warranty comes from Leica, not a used camera store. Besides, I already own the Leica version and I've already expensed the black tape... Trying so hard to hate a better product.... sigh.
Um... if we really have to "love" APS-C cameras is it okay if I just continue to use my all metal, beautifully designed, best in class menu system Leica CLs? I mean, they're already paid for and I have a bunch of lenses for them already. I had some Fuji cameras. The menus uniformly suck... And if I have to buy new ones what do I do with the Leicas? By the way, they cost $1600 each when I bought them and now, four years later they bring about $2,000. Not so much with Fuji products... I guess you get what you pay for...
So, let me get this straight. You get to use two Leica cameras for four years and then you can sell them and make an $800 profit??? Amazing. Maybe some people know stuff we don't.
Post a Comment