Dreams of a Leica!

I am sure that there are very few Street Photographers in the world who would not want to be shooting with a Leica! In the world of photography and especially Street Photography, Leica is a brand of camera that very high on most people's lists of dream cameras. As a collector of vintage cameras I would love to add a vintage Leica film camera to my collection.

If you know your cameras, then you will always recognise a Leica when you see it. Pretty much every Leica camera share a similar look. Rounded edges, all metal construction, similar dials and controls are all Leica "trademarks". The reviewers who have used various Leica's say you can look at a photo and always tell that it was taken on a Leica, they just have a look to their images, their colours, the amount of "noise" to their images also add to the "Leica look".

As great and iconic as Leica cameras are their is one major downside to their cameras that keeps them out of the hands of the average photographers.....they are greatly over priced. Even the most basic camera is around two thousand dollars. The most expensive of their cameras can run you close to ten thousand dollars. These price tags put the best of the Leica brands out of the reach of most photographers. Even the older, used film cameras sell for thousands of dollars.

So I will probably never own a Leica, however there are two Leica cameras that I wish other companies would take inspiration from. They are the Leica M Monochrom (type 246) and the Leica M-D (type 262).

The Leica M Monochrom is a very interesting and appealing camera, especially for those who like black and white photography....why? Because the camera's sensor only processes pictures in monochrome (B&W). As a Street Photographer who shoots mostly in black and white this is very appealing. The pictures even show up on the live view screen in black and white. Only thing that thing I don't like about the camera is the optical viewfinder. I would much rather it had an electronic viewfinder that shows the scene only in black and white. I think the optical viewfinder which shows the scene in color would take away from the appeal of shooting only in black and white. This camera, like all Leica is very over priced at almost eight thousand dollars (U.S. price).

The other Leica that really catches my interest is th the Leica M-D (type 262). The reason this camera is intriguing is that there is no back screen to set the camera settings. There are dials for Aperture and Shutter control and a dial on the back of the camera to set ISO and a wheel for exposure compensation and that is it. There is no buttons for white balance, focal points, no flash (but there is a hotshoe). It has a rangefinder style optical viewfinder. It appears to be the camera that is the closest there is in a digital camera to shooting film. There is no way to check you images until you upload them onto your computer. The camera doesn't even have wifi so you can't upload them onto your phone. The camera also only shoots in RAW format, making you edit them into JPEG format before you can upload your pictures. It is a very intriguing camera indeed. However, again like all top Leica's it is way over priced at six thousand (U.S. price).



I would live to see another manufacturer, like Fujifilm or Sony, take inspiration from these two cameras and make their own versions, at a much cheaper price. I especially would like another company to make a B&W only camera that the average person could afford. I would like to see a B&W version of the X100T or X30 from Fujifilm or a version of the Sony A6300. Now all of these already shoot B&W but I would like to see what they can do with a sensor dedicated to monochrome only.

So until either someone gets inspired by Leica and makes something similar to the Leica M Monochrom or the Leica M-D....or I win a lottery....my Leica Dreams are just that, dreams.

A Street is a Street!

Some people feel or believe that you have to be a big city like New York or London if you love Street/Urban photography. Now while places like New York are certainly the mecca for Street photography, they are not the only places where you can make great pictures. I have shot Street/Urban photography in small towns, in small cities and in biggger cities. And some of my favourite shots have been taken in small towns and cities. While smaller communities may not have the diversity that big cities have, but they do have their charms. A lot smaller communities have unique "downtown" areas that while have a slower pace still have a lot of life to them. You may find things in these places that you won't find in other places.

This picture for example was taken in a small town north of Toronto called Alliston. It has a small main downtown area that mainly consists of a main street that stretches about five blocks and a a few side streets. This old advertising sign hangs on one of the side streets. I don't even think the building still holds a bar, but Schlitz beer signs still hangs proudly.

This next shot was taken very early one morning downtown Barrie. Barrie is a small city about an hour or so north of Toronto. It is a widely spread out city but it does have a great downtown core with a great main street and some great alleys. I just wish the rest of the city had kept the same charm that the downtown has, even though it has it's share of problems.

Another favourite place to do street photography is Saint John, New Brunswick. It is Canada's oldest city. It has such history and an amazing core of streets, shops and landmarks. While not as big as places like Toronto, it ranks 78 on the list of Canada's biggest municipalities based on population.(Barrie ranks 34th). What Saint John might lack in size it more than makes up for it in history. It is definately one of my favourite places to shoot. It has a very laid back feel to it. This shot was taken this past summer

So while places like New York, London and even Toronto will be the mecca's for Street/Urban photography, you can get great shots no matter where you live or are visiting. All you need is a good eye and an open mind. 

Fujifilm X30 vs Canon T5

I have had my Fujifilm X30 for about nine months now, and I have had my Canon T5 for a couple months. Which do I prefer? My answer might suprise you.

Both cameras are great cameras. Both take great photos. However if I was to name a favourite camera between the two I would have to say I prefer the X30. Why?

The number one reason is the viewfinder. I would rather have the electronic viewfinder of the X30 over the optical viewfinder of the Canon. I find the focal points on the Canon T5 had to see, especially in low light or against a dark background. Where as the focal points are much easier to see on the Fuji. And the Fuji has more focal points and more options as where the camera will focus. Also you can increase/decrease the size of the focal area with the X30. Another bonus is the overlay options that the Fuji offers, such as the "Rule of Thirds" overlay which is only available on the live view screen on the back of the Canon and not on the viewfinder.

Another thing that I prefer on the X30 is the menu systems on the camera. I find the menu's on the X30 easier to understand and navigate. The Canon is a little more confusing and seems to more limited. The "Quick" menu on the X30 makes it so much easier to make adjustments. And the customization on the X30's buttons is a lot better than with the Canon.

I also prefer the dials on the X30 over the Canon. I like to be able to make adjustments to exposure on the X30 quickly with the compensation dial over trying to find it in the menus on the Canon. This is something that would make the Canon T5 much more comfortable to use and shoot with. The other dials and controls on the X30 makes it a much easier and enjoyable camera to use. The Fuji also offers more customization of the function buttons as well.

Other things I prefer on the X30 include the tilt screen, film emulations and in camera special effects and filters. They are much more advanced and easier to access on the X30.

The Canon T5 has its advantages as well, including price, availability of accessories, better low light performance, bigger sensor/more megapixels. It is a better camera for portraits and landscapes.

For the majority of the types of shooting that I do I would rather use the FujiFilm X30 over the Canon T5. All this considered I do plan on upgrading to a better Canon DSLR over a FujiFilm mirrorless system. This is mostly based on price of the camera and availability and price of the lens and accessories. Canon cameras are more compatible with "third party" accessories than the Fuji cameras are. If I could afford to buy a more advanced Fuji mirrorless system such as the XPro2, I would. But I can get two good Canon's for the price of one good Fuji camera. I am not talking about "Pro" grade DSLR's but rather the Hobbyist or Enthusiast grade of cameras such as the T6I/S or the 70D (or 60D or 80D).