Once again, the Sigma fp wows me and makes me reconsider.....everything. South Congress. Dancing at Jo's Coffee.

 

Paul and I had coffee at Trianon last week and we were both bemoaning the huge surplus of cameras and lenses that seem to show up from time to time in our respective workspaces. We talk a good game about downsizing and getting rid of the clutter. We talk about cameras and lenses we don't use enough and which we now need to get rid of. 

I came home and started scrounging through the cabinet that holds a bunch of cameras and lenses. Among the cameras that seem to have been left by the wayside since I bought the Q2 and the M cameras was the old Sigma fp. I thought I should probably sell it off. Same with the Panasonic S5. But, having made a number of photographs that I liked very much with the Sigma I thought I at least owed it one more spin. One more relaxed walk through the landscape of my Central Texas Reality. Just to see if subtracting it from the mix would be a mistake.

Yes. I would be a mistake. It's a great image maker. And I was using it in the worst case scenario. Naked camera body. No grips. No thumb rests. No EVF. One 45mm f2.8 lens. I walked through downtown and then over the bridge to South Congress Ave. Since I didn't bring the loupe or an EVF (don't have one for that camera) I had to resort to dirty baby diaper hold. Looking at the screen on the back on a day with full sun. But you know what? It worked. We can actually work with many fewer "features" than we think we need. 

The shots of dancers at Jo's Coffee are some of my favorites. Some of my best in a long time. Check them out and tell me if you agree.

I enjoyed every minute of my walk with the Sigma fp and its 45mm lens. It's not going anywhere. 

Please consider looking at the images big. Really big. Thanks!

Not fans of street photography. Leipzig, Germany 2013

 

There were actually three posts put up on October 15, 2013. Here's the second one:

10.15.2013

Have you noticed that some cameras get down on their hands and knees and just beg you to shoot with them?

I've bought cameras that I had high hopes for and they ended up languishing on a table after the first few attempts at making photographs. As time went by they seemed like more of a burden than a partner and off they went to owners with less romantic ideas about how cameras should feel. Then there are cameras that seem dorky and lumpish that seem to come alive as you use them, tossing a lasso around you and tightening their grip until you hardly think of shooting with anything else. I can never tell when I buy one just how I'll feel but after the first few dates you start to get a sense of which way the relationship will go. I stopped dating a woman once who was incredibly gorgeous and all my friends thought I was nuts. Until I told them that she liked to eat chicken noodle soup with her hands....

I got rid of a well respected Nikon camera because the sound of the shutter was so boring and offensively obvious.

I don't pretend that there's some sort of logical engineering references that inform my decisions. Some cameras work and some don't. I guess it's all very personal. I do know that eating soup with your fingers is not the way to go....

 

What were we writing and reading about here exactly ten years ago to the day? I know! And I've posted it for your enjoyment. Was I correct in my predictions?

 10.15.2013

Inflection point reached. The death watch for traditional DSLRs begins now. begins now.

Nearly four years ago I wrote an article that was very unpopular with "serious" photographers. In it I talked about the new EVF's and I predicted that in a few short years most cameras would ship with EVFs while traditional optical viewfinders would exist only on specialty cameras aimed at people with big wallets and a high resistance to change. When I look out over the landscape of photographers and consider the choices they are making with their gear purchases I can see that I was a little premature but I also see that the inertia is right there and the change is accelerating.

I have exactly one camera with an OVF, the Sony a850. It's a sterling example of a last century concept for a this century digital solution. It's big, heavy, solid and ponderous. And it makes good images. No better than an a99 but good images all the same. When I look at the rest of my stuff I find EVFs in everything but the Samsung NX 300. That camera is available only with a rear LCD. Also something I never dreamed I would own. Much less use. But everything changes.

I speak about the inflection point because a number of industry announcements (and nearly announced rumors) make me believe that, going forward, it's all going to little TV screens in our finders.  And down market it will all be little flat panel TVs on the backs of cameras. Really, really good TVs.  You may hate this trend. You may be one of those who "will give up his D4 when you pry his cold, dead hands off the camera," but I predict that you will eventually cave as well.

The first announcement (oddly enough) was about the crappiest Sony camera I can ever remember handling. It's the a3000. But it's an important camera because it showcases the concept that will bring mirrorless imaging with EVF to the masses. It has the popular form factor and Sony is able to supply the camera with a very decent zoom lens and quite a good sensor at an astonishingly low price. How? By eliminating the moving mirror, the pentaprism optical finder and the attendant mechanical complexity. The EVF is the worst I've ever seen but it will hardly matter as the iPhone and now the Galaxy phones have trained an entire generation of entry level photographers to compose and shoot on the rear screens of their cameras. Sony is, in effect, supplying a picture machine that can compete with Canon and Nikon APS-C cameras (in the parameter of image quality) in a body style that evokes the public's idea of serious photographic camera at the first totally affordable price point for the masses in the history of digital imaging. They are the first mover in this market. And the changes and compromises will flow uphill.

But the a3000 also sent a signal rippling through to the Sony DSLT faithful: To wit, going forward we are pouring all of our R&D funds into the Nex lens mount. This new configuration will be our corporate standard bearer. How do we intuit this? Well, there should be an announcement in a few days showcasing a new Sony camera model that makes their strategy clear. The web is redolent with rumors about the new Sony a7 camera. Photos of the product are flying across not only the rumor sites but also the reputable sites. The camera will (according to all accounts) to a mirror less, interchangeable lens camera that features a 24 megapixel, full frame (135) sensor. The designs shown seem to echo the overall design of Olympus's newest "pro" camera and that points to a very high quality EVF with a very fast refresh time. Once this hits the market and we see how well the adapters work with the traditional mirrored Sony cameras there will be no reason for Sony to keep two lines of competing cameras in inventory.

The focus on one mount gives them a number of advantages, including (given the short back focus distance of the Nex mount) the ability to use the legacy lenses from just about any traditional DSLR system from any maker. Just add the right adapter and go. You may (or may not) lose some automation but you open up an enormous range of specialized gear for what will be a nearly universal platform.

If you are so inclined you can pick and choose from the best optics from every current maker to use on the new Sonys. Perhaps you have a hankering for a Nikon 14-24mm or a Canon 17mm tilt shift lens. With an adapter you can take advantage of both. And, if the sensor is as tremendous as many people presume it will be can you imagine the cold chill that's going through the halls of Leica's camera designer facility? Leica lenses on a state of the art, full frame chip camera for a fraction of the previous tariff. When and if the a7 and its rumored higher pixel count version hit the market the dealers in Leica glass will have a wild celebration, as will a rash of serious photographers. And it will all be done without mirrors and without optical finders.....Perhaps Leica will roll with the tide or they may just become a "lens only" company...

In one sense it's the holy grail for hobbyists. It's the chance to bounce from lens system to lens system with near reckless abandon. And when an improved sensor becomes available NONE of the investment in glass is impacted. In fact most of it can be cross ventilated to the Fuji or M4:3 systems if better choices arise there.

Let's move on an consider a few more tidbits of change. I asked all my professional movie maker and video production friends about which digital still camera is the best video camera. Some mentioned the ubiquity of the Canon 5D3 but to a person they all said that the Panasonic GH3 has, hands down, the best looking video of all the hybrid cameras. The caveat that keeps Canon 5D3's in place is their ability to handle lower light levels with less noise. But the reality is that for just under $1,000 the GH3 provides the best video imaging of the still camera class. And that includes $5000 Nikon D4's and the Canon 1DX. What makes it great? Well, for one thing the engineers at Panasonic got the codec for video just right. But they also added microphone and headphone jacks and full audio control. But the coolest thing is that the EVF and the mirrorless design work to give you more flexibility than ANY of the bigger, more expensive, traditional cameras. You can use the EVF in full sun without the need for extra (and bulky) loupes. And the camera can focus, quickly, while in operation. Plus it's small and light enough to carry around all day. The confluence of advantages offered up by the mirrorless design and the EVF moved that camera into contention. The finesse of the video stream made it ascendent.

The two hot cameras of the last year? The ones that caught everyone's attention? Oh yes, those would also be mirrorless cameras with EVFs. The Olympus OMD EM5 has been wildly popular. Not in terms of overall sales to the masses but in the affection of and uptake by very serious hobbyists and professionals who no longer wish to keep a chiropractor on staff. The image stabilization is legendary and the EVF in this camera has converted more people to the pleasures of electronic viewing than anything else.

The second hot camera? That would be the Fuji x100s. A runaway hit. Drooled over by no less than Zach Arias, David Hobby and countless other professionals. What's not to like?  A great processor in a fake Leica body, coupled with a great lens and, of course, an EVF and hybrid optical viewfinder. Of course it's mirror less. Why would it need a mirror? But it's not just the x100s that is making for happy Fuji fans. Fuji hedged their bets by releasing the Pro-1X first. It has a combination optical and electronic finder. Now they've launched several other bodies that retain the sensor users loved but with simplified bodies offering just EVF's. And they are selling well. Fuji's secret for success is simple: mirrorless cameras are cheaper to build so, if sold at the same (or higher) prices than competitive DSLRs their margins will be higher. The chips are good and the lenses are even better. What's not to love?

What will this year's hot camera be  for the cognoscenti ? (Not for the Target/Walmart/Costco shoppers).  All signs point to a battle royale between the Olympus OMD E-M1 and the Sony a7. And that's funny because they seem to both be variations of the same basic body style. Not that funny given the cooperation between the two companies.

What will the drivers be? The smaller size, the lower weight, the incredibly good EVFs, the ability to use millions and millions of lenses, the choice of a new sensor size in the mirrorless space, the new performance of on-chip AF sensors, and a new style of imaging that's less about the mythology of how "pros used to shoot" and the reality of how people shoot today. We are so much less concerned about capturing super fast action and so much more concerning about documenting our lives. Different tools. Different ways of seeing.

Finally, I think the evolution will continue, rapidly. I never thought I'd compose and shoot primarily with the screen on the back of a camera (although I certainly did back in the days of view cameras). I've been vocal in my dislike for the "hipster hold" for cameras (also known as the stinky baby diaper hold) but I've found myself quite happy using the enormous rear screen on the back of the Samsung Galaxy NX camera. Especially in the studio and on locations where we control the light. Again, the camera is equipped with an EVF (which I guess is the new credential for "professional") and is mirrorless.

If Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Fuji and Samsung all make only EVF driven mirrorless cameras---and they are a preferred choice by the coolest photographers---can a real "tipping point" in the industry be far behind? I don't think so. The phones will train the next generation to eschew traditional camera paradigms because of their ponderous affect and their complexity. People love composing with a live view and not a truncated live view with focus issues. That love of live composing coupled with a desire to compose on a screen will be the drivers of a whole new camera paradigm. And, of course, the efficiency of pre-chimping(tm)....

The days of the dedicated professional loaded like a llama with an arsenal of heavy, expensive, ponderous  gear are coming to a close. People want their adventures in image making to be smooth, compact and easy. Even the serious people who are trying to squeeze out the finest images possible will be convinced by a the rich profusion of choices coming at us in the next year. Remember how quickly people adapted to smart phones? The product cycles are shrinking and the products are evolving. The days of the flapping, frantic mirror and the "dumb" viewfinder are quickly coming to an end....

Now, what do I do with this big Sony stuff?

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Adobe updated Lightroom and added "Lens Blur" to their toolkit. It's a feature that uses artificial intelligence to blur the background behind a foreground subject. It works.

SOOC. No added blur.

Straight out of Lightroom. Blur added to the background.

I'm happy to announce that Adobe added a Lens Blur/Background Blur tool to Lightroom. It's very similar to the Depth Blur tool in the Photoshop App. Depth Blur has been there for a year or so as a beta part of that program. It's worked well for me for jobs on which I photographed people on white backgrounds and then dropped them into existing backgrounds (cityscapes, offices, industrial architecture, etc) and wanted a realist representation of focus falling off as one looks deeper into the frame. 

The version in Lightroom Classic analyses the image you want to apply the effect to and makes a 3D depth map to aid in making the blur more realistic. It's a nice option to have when a background is a bit too detailed and takes attention off the main subject of the photograph. The effect between the image at the top and the one just below it is subtle. I rendered it the same way I would have if I'd been working for a client. And a good thing about it is that you have control over the amount and characteristics of the blur.

If you are on the $9.99 a month Photo Plan from Adobe it's entirely possible that your LRC app was automatically updated last night or the night before. With this addition and an added precision color picker, along with the vastly improved automatic selection tools, Adobe is doing a good job helping photographers take even more control over their images. 

Subject break.

I'm packing up and heading out to do a favor for a friend this afternoon. He's getting married (again) at age 74(?) and he's having a small ceremony over in the state Capitol Building. I volunteered to take photographs. It's been decades since I last photographed a wedding but this is on a very small scale with no big theatrics (I hope). We'll start at 5 and be finished by 7.

I've packed the Fuji GFX 50Sii along with the small zoom lens and also the 90mm f1.25 TTArtisan lens. I recently picked up a Godox V1 flash, dedicated to Fuji, and my tests show that the flash, combined with the GFX works very well. Good exposures and also easy to use.

As a back-up I'm taking along a Panasonic S5 coupled with the 24-105mm zoom. This combo has a lot going for it. The body and lens work together to give one dual I.S. And the sensor in the camera is wonderful at higher ISOs and lower light levels. I have a dedicated V1 for that system as well. 

For grins I'm taking along the Q2 for quick grab shots and generally to keep my hands busy during the down times. 

When I turned on the shower to clean myself up and get ready for event I discovered that a monitor lizard has been living, rent free, in my bath tub, retreating into the drain whenever I get too close. B. and I were able to trap him and release him out in the gardens where he can actually do some good and eat some of the plant predators (insects) that come, lockstep, with gardens. Sadly, now I have no monitor lizard to keep me company and with which  to sing duets in the shower... He'll no doubt join the growing herd of monitor lizards we keep seeing in the backyard.

Subject break.

My right hand is still mending. Just more slowly than I would have liked. I've now skipped out on both Friday and Saturday swim practices but I bought some big, waterproof bandaids and hope to get to the pool tomorrow. Before I forget everything I ever knew about swimming. 

***

I thought I was on a roll with my travel to Montreal but my kid has me beat. He was in Las Vegas last week for a medical technology conference and in just fourteen days he'll be flying out for a two week vacation in Japan. I'm jealous. But I lent him my new roller case anyway. 

He's so corporate now. Actually gets several weeks of paid vacation and lots of flex time. I'm living vicariously through him as I never worked as an employee in a large company and am amazed to see all the perks and benefits that executives get. 

He's doing so well that his mom (B.) and I have run out of things to worry about and fret over. A nice feeling to have a kid who has launched himself quite well. 

Now heading to the wedding. Hope I still remember how to focus stuff. And how to best handhold a camera. 

Lovely to still love photography as much as I do. How do I know? I miss it when a day goes by and I haven't made a photograph. And I still marvel at it when an image turns out well. 

Mix and Match. An alternative to the Q2 and the M.

 

"It's always more exciting to get newer cameras than it is to stick with the status quo and work every day with old favorites." That must be a "law" of consumerism that's written down somewhere.

Leica introduced the CL (digital camera = Typ 2373) back in November 2017. The MSRP was about $2,800 USD, camera body only. The CL stands for "Compact Leica." 

While I have "better" cameras I have a strong affinity for the CL because it's almost a direct copy, body style wise, of the original Leica screw mount cameras that were the sole camera products from Leica until around 1955 when Leica introduced the M3 and a continuing line of M mount cameras. Effectively replacing the company's long line of screw mount lens bodies and their lenses. 

My very first Leica, bought for a couple hundred dollars --- with lens, was the screw mount IIIf red dial. I compared that body to the CL and found that, as far as dimensions are concerned, they are a close match. Since this was the main camera for Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank and many other superstars of photography in the first half of the 20th century it carried with it the gravitas of photo history and the glow of its long correlation with some of our favorite documentary photographers. At least that's the way I always looked at those early Leicas....

The IIIf red dial was a fun, small, hand camera. It had a 50mm optical finder (no correction for parallax!) and a separate finder window next to the viewfinder for the rangefinder. Mine came with a 50mm f3.5 Elmar, collapsible lens. The lens was pretty good once I stopped it down to f5.6. Also, one had to custom trim the leader of pre-packaged films in order to get them to work in these cameras. Lots to think about. 

I bought that IIIf back in 1979 and I still have it here in the studio. And it still works. 

When I first saw the CL (digital) in person it was such an obvious nod to the early generations of Leicas that I could see right away that the camera was a gracious homage to the originals. But updated for modern times. 

I made the mistake of handling a Typ. 2373 and was enamored. Enough so that I eventually purchased two of them. Both in like new condition. 

There are two things beyond the look and feel of  the camera that I really like. One is the use of a Panasonic BLC-12 battery which is also used, under a different product designation, in the Sigma fp and  fpL cameras as well as many recent Panasonic and Leica compact cameras. These are inexpensive to buy new. Unless you opt for the Leica branded version. My preference is for the Sigma branded version which is designated the BP-51. It's so great that one has a wide range of brands to choose from since the cameras tend to be battery hogs. The Sigma BP-51 will set you back about $ 45. Yes, it's a bit more than the completely generic ones but there is a margin of implied safety there that has value... The Leica battery (and I've used both a lot) is no better or worse than the Sigma; just a lot more expensive.

The CL uses the L mount lens system and will take pretty much every L mount lens made. That's its other super power. 

So, the camera is small and light (but dense). It uses a contemporary lens mount. It can use cheap batteries. What are the downsides?

Well, the biggest downside is that it's been discontinued. Bound to become a pricy collector's item over time. And I wish the EVF was of a higher resolution. But that's certainly not a "transaction disruptor." 

A while back I outfitted the CL system with a set of Sigma Contemporary lenses for the APS-C L mount cameras. Sigma makes a nice selection of lenses that work well on the CL and are pretty cost effective: at least when compared to Leica lenses. I bought the 16mm, the 30mm, the 56mm  and the 18-50mm zoom. All are very good performers on the camera. But it's also notable that the camera works equally well with the full frame lenses. 

It's kind of silly to use some of the FF lenses with the diminutive camera body. The Leica 24-90mm zoom looks outrageously inappropriate on the small camera. Same with big, fast lenses. But there is a whole family of FF Sigma lenses that seem nearly perfect for use on the CL. These are the all metal, Contemporary lenses with aperture rings. I have a number of them but the three I like to use with the CL cameras are the 24mm f3.5, the 45mm f2.8 and the 90mm f2.8. 

Each of them are sharp; even wide open. All three are relatively small and light. Certainly they look appropriate on the cameras. And they all work with the camera's processing.

When I over-use a camera I can tell quickly. I start to get bored with it. A bit lethargic about going out to shoot. And I find myself stumbling through camera store websites. 

When I finished really looking at the work I'd done recently with the M camera I was ready to take a break from manually focusing and manually exposing and I started looking around for a camera with some spirit and some automation. 

I went instantly to the CL and the assorted full frame Sigma lenses. The look and feel, and operation of the lenses seems like they were made for each other, and the results are great. So, for a little while the Q2 and the M are getting some R&R in the gear cabinet and the CLs have come out to play. One with the 24mm lens (35mm eq.) and one with the 45mm f2.8 Sigma (66mm eq.). They make a really nice pair. One on the shoulder and the other is a very small shoulder bag. 

The cameras use the same 24 megapixel sensor as the also discontinued Leica TL2. It's a great sensor and the color science of the cameras is wonderful. And I know, that's mostly a result of processing, but I think the sensors do make a difference. 

I was going to sell off the CLs but I've changed my mind. They are valuable to me because they allow for more "crop rotation" between camera types and shooting styles and my limited attention span appreciates this. Also, they are just that much fun to handle.

Today's choice for a camera to take to lunch to see my friend, Greg, is one of the CL cameras with the Sigma 24mm lens. It's a just right combination. 

I really like the CL camera and hope that Sigma makes an APS-C camera body in a rangefinder style just for use with all these L mount lenses. It just makes good business sense....

Anyone else still enjoy shooting the "cropped" frame cameras? 

Wanna read more about my experiences with the CL? Hit these links:

CL links:

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/06/dont-you-hate-it-when-companies.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-leica-cl-and-leica-tl2-exit-camera.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2023/07/an-interesting-travel-and-street.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-leica-cl-was-underappreciated.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/07/camera-guys-love-to-modify-their.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/12/youre-finished-with-commercialheavy.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2020/03/thinking-about-what-lens-sigma-should.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2020/03/thinking-about-what-lens-sigma-should.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2020/03/thinking-about-what-lens-sigma-should.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/07/a-minimalist-carry-everywhere-camera.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2023/01/love-camera-love-lens-hated-combination.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2023/02/strange-cameras-and-equally-strange.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/09/sigma-contemporary-30mm-f14-lens-is.html

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2022/12/getting-up-to-speed-with-really-nice.html

Wow. I've written a lot about one particular camera..... gee 

After my harrowing near brush with mortality (cut hand) I gathered my wits about me and headed over to South Congress Ave. for three important things.

 

Read about my traumatic swim injury in the previous post. https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2023/10/ot-tragedy-strikes-not-real-tragedy.html

First thing, after banging up my hand and getting triage, I decided I needed protein. Stat. To start and fast track the healing process. I did the logical thing and headed to the Torchy's Taco restaurant on S. Congress Ave. for a couple of their ample egg, bacon and cheese breakfast tacos. My hand instantly felt a bit better. The protein and life giving fats were quickly doing their work.

With new nutrients working their way through my body and to the top of my hand I headed down the street to my next stop. A unique and fortifying elixir to help me focus more clearly on situational awareness. You may know it as coffee. I headed to Jo's Coffee on the same street as Torchy's so I could sit outside and embrace the freezing gale (a 5 mph breeze at 68°) and feel the nurturing effects of the caffeine in a large cup of drip coffee. 

Properly fortified I strolled down the street with my camera held in the very same hand on which the injury occurred. Getting back in the saddle, so to speak. And I spent a calming hour just snapping images with the Leica M and a 35mm Zeiss lens. 

I am overjoyed to report that even though the swimming wound is slightly painful it in no way hampers my ability to make photographs --- even in spite of using a fully manual camera!

A reminder that actual participation in life comes with unpredictable dangers... But it's still worth fully embracing.

Ramping up  the couture for the Austin City Limits music festival.

Mindlessly snapping away while drinking life affirming coffee.

don't stop making iterative photos until you have what you  want...

People in Austin really do like Willie Nelson. All of us, I think.

I will be back. I swear, I will be back!

Actually it's not that big a deal. It's just that my life is usually so charmed that 

when even the smallest part goes awry I'm shocked. Just shocked.