Category: Uncategorized

Free Monthly Newsletter!

Hi friends! Here is the new monthly MrLeica.com newsletter – A summary of posts you may have missed, upcoming events, useful information and anything else I can think of!

Features

• Recap from April
• New Updates
• YouTube Videos from April
• New Blog Posts
• UK Workshops
• Overseas Workshops
• Patreon, Zoom Calls & More
• May 2022 – Coming up!

Recap from April

April came and went in a blink! Sorry still no new Leica M9 presets and no new blog posts but I did get to Poland and Spain to make new content.

April Was Costly!

I flew out to the Alicante region of Spain to plan future photography workshops in collaboration with escapar.cc cycling retreat. It was great to meet David in person but I had no idea it would cost me money once I got home!

Normally I’m reasonably safe against photography GAS as I have most of what I think I need and often don’t lust after the latest camera models. We wanted small cameras to cycle with so David asked if I’d like to try a Micro Four Thirds camera. I thought the little Olympus E-P5 ‘toy’ looking camera might be fun to try so I used it a long side my compact Leica CL camera. I was shocked by the resulting photos!  (See “Pana-Leica” video below).

New Photography Kit

After my trip to Spain I bought that new awesome tripod I discovered and a few other cool bits. See my latest kit list at https://mrleica.com/kitlist/

Group Photowalk Workshop Interest

Following the announcement of my new group workshops in the April newsletter, I’ve received interest for the UK, Poland, America (NYC), Spain, and more. Join the new workshop mailing list to receive direct emails with workshops dates for the regions you are interested in.

Wedding Season

As the weather starts to improve in the UK I received another new booking for this year so I now have one wedding a month all summer I think. My first wedding for 2022 is in May so i’ll be sure to share a sample and some feedback! It’s going to be a fun one as the couple have requested digital photos, film photos and video! (I’ll do a Patreon what’s in my bag video!) Check out my separate wedding blog and a wedding instagram for more images/ info!

April 2022 YouTube Videos Catch-up:

Below is a catch up of all the YouTube videos I published last month:

The imperfect Jupiter-12 35mm f5.6 LTM lens

Some copies are good, some are “lemons”. Both will make for creative photos!

Looking for a bomb proof Leica camera? Look no further!

Leica cameras that can be banged, dropped, knocked but just keep working

Treat your LTM camera to the new Voigtlander 40mm Heliar lens

Voigtlander answer our wishes with a new screw mount lens! (also in M mount)

How good is the Leica SL2-S? Time to upgrade?

Comparing the latest Leica SL2-S vs my original Leica SL

Love the Leica Q and 28mm view but want something smaller?

No not an iPhone but pairing the light and compact Leica CL + 18mm Elmarit

Pana-Leica lens vs real Leica lens. The winner is??

Testing the Leica Summilux 15mm f1.7 vs Leica Elmarit 18mm f2.8

Compact digital cameras for travel

Leica CL vs 6 cheaper alternatives! Sony, Fuji, Lumix, Ricoh..

New Blog Posts in April

None for April but I have already posted one in May!). Written posts supplement my YouTube review videos including full res images. There are 300+ existing blog post articles so feel free to browse the back catalogue!

Model Workshop Dates and Updates

> Workshop dates – If you a looking to kick start your photography for 2022 you are welcome to join me for one of my 1:1 workshops. There are limited places so I offer on a first come basis. For notification and dates of future workshops and photowalks in your area join my workshop mailing list.

• June 2022 – London 1:1 – 1 Space + Overseas workshops (TBC)
• July 2022 – London 1:1 – 1 Space + Overseas workshops (TBC)

See workshop prices and testimonials on the blog

New Workshops for Spring 2022!

> Discounted UK workshops (Birmingham) – full day UK workshops for only £399.99 (£50 off) or half day for £249.99 (£30 off)

> Poland – Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw. (Same price as London workshops)*

> Hungary workshops – Budapest. (Same price as London workshops)*

> Spain – Valencia-Alicante region. Multi-day, More info coming soon!

> US – New York. I will trying to plan a visit perhaps later in 2022.

> Your countries – Want me to fly to your city? Get in touch!

Travel Updates

Flights are booked for Spain again in May (this time with a model) and i’m looking to book some European trips for June and July. (Probably Poland and perhaps Budapest, TBC). I will send emails with dates via the mailing list.

> April Travel (Gdansk, Poland) – Back to Poland to shoot with a few regulars. Lots of cancellations this time sadly so less models than planned but I was testing lenses and recording YouTube videos instead.

> April Travel (Alicante region, Spain) – My first time in this part of Spain and first visit to the country for many years. This was a trip to visit David at escapar.cc and their beautiful cycling retreat/ villa close to the old town of Ontinyent. See some of the above linked YouTube videos to see some clips of the region and a full blog post to follow once I’ve developed the film. We will be running week long small group photography workshops from the villa with the option of cycling or non-cycling so to cater for everyone. Please get in touch for more details*

– Join Patreon to watch fun behind the scenes videos overseas!

May 2022 – Coming Up

I have a backlog of part recorded YouTube videos with completed lens testing. Now I need to find time to put them together for you guys! Content still to come from Poland, Budapest, Spain, Portugal and more (and then I need to develop all my film, colour and B&W).

YouTube video – spotlight (1 of the videos coming soon!)

I promised the Contax T2 film camera for April but I failed. It’s on the list so I will try to share in it May! The new video I can announce for the May newsletter is the new 7Artisans 28mm f5.6 lens. Testing already complete so coming soon! Subscribe to the YouTube channel and turn on your notifications so not to miss it (and have a chance of winning my monthly giveaway!)

Previous Newsletters (and all the video links!)

• MrLeica Newsletter Archive

—

First Time Reader? Additional Info Below

> UK Workshops

I teach basic to advanced level photography to anyone with a camera. For full details see workshop prices and testimonials + join the mailing list for dates.

> Overseas Workshops

Happy to travel worldwide to run photography workshops. See above for some of the planned countries and join the mailing list to submit your interest.

Some advantages of meeting you in your city include (1) you don’t need to travel (2) I will give you model contacts in your city that you can keep in touch with after I leave. This has worked well for photographers in the past. The flipside of that is, if you rather come to the UK for a London workshop you have the excuse for a holiday!

> More Content? Join Patreon!

Instant access to 200+ exclusive posts including 100+ videos, two 1-hour Zooms calls a month and join our friendly private Facebook group!

• £3+ Tier members – Dial in for live Q&A. Often a slightly larger group
• £5+ Tier members – Learn from each other and even take the stage and present to the group. A smaller number so more opportunities to ask questions/ chat
• OFFER* You can now sign up to Patreon for 12 months and get 10% off!

> Zoom Consultations

Not sure what camera or lens to buy or need help? Book a 1:1 Zoom call and I can answer your questions and give pros and cons of similar products.

> YouTube Monthly Giveaways

Subscribe to the YouTube channel for a chance to win! Monthly giveaways – £30/$40+ of Patreon & Zoom call access and higher value items such as lenses.

> Free YouTube Search Tool

Sign up to get a free copy of my YouTube video search tool. Search through my 200+ videos by brand, lens mount, focal length, film format and other filters.

LEICA. LENSES. CAMERAS. WORKSHOP. WEDDING. PRESETS. FILM

Sigma Lenses For Leica

Looking at Sigma lenses for Leica cameras. Specifically L mount lenses from Sigma. This article gives an overview on what Sigma offers to Leica users and does a deep dive on two lenses for YouTube . Sigma 24mm f2 DG DN and Sigma Art 50mm f1.4.

Does Sigma make Leica lenses?

Yes! Sigma is part of the “L-Mount Alliance” along with Panasonic and Leica so Sigma makes lenses for Leica cameras that have the Leica L mount. Full frame cameras like the Leica SL, Leica SL2 and Leica SL2-S and crop sensor cameras like the Leica CL.

What is Sigma L mount?

L mount Sigma lenses are autofocus lenses, both primes and zooms and offer a cheaper alternative to Leica SL lenses. Sigma L mount is the same as Leica L mount or Panasonic L mount.

Both! Sigma APS-C lenses + Sigma full frame lenses

Both crop sensor and full frame lenses are available from Sigma in L mount. Sigma DC DN lenses are for APS-C cameras such as the Leica CL. Sigma DG DN lenses are designed for full frame cameras but can be used on APS-C camera bodies too. Full frame lenses tend to be larger and heavier than a crop sensor equivalent lens.

Are Sigma lenses bad?

It depends who you ask! I think historically the build quality especially was said to be worse than other third party brands. In my first 10 years of photography I avoided Sigma but shot with brands like Tamron and Tokina quite happily (on Nikon cameras). Sigma even collaborated with Leica with some of the Leica R lenses and these are much cheaper than Leica designed optics. A common example is the Leica R 28-70mm f3.5-4.5zoom lens made in collaboration with Sigma. That is much cheaper than the Leica designed version that I use –

In recent years the build quality of Sigma lenses seems to have vastly improved. The new Sigma Art lenses and Sigma Contemporary lenses are metal and glass (mostly) and feel very smooth and well made from my testing (see below).

Sigma Contemporary vs Sigma Art lenses

Generally speaking Sigma Art lenses are big and Sigma Contemporary lenses are more compact. Sigma Art lenses tend to offer a faster maximum aperture whereas Contemporary lenses mostly start at f2 or f2.8 lenses. Sigma Contemporary lenses offer the best middle ground for me, both compact yet fast enough for most types of photography.

Sigma lenses for the Leica CL

The Leica CL is L mount even though I normally use it with small M mount lenses via an adapter. The Sigma Art lenses are too big and heavy to use on this compact APS-C body but they will work if you pair them together. Sigma Contemporary DG DN full frame lenses are more compact and pair better to the small CL body. The best option is to use the Sigma DC DN crop sensor lenses on the CL. Sigma DC DN lenses are the smallest and lightest solution but if you then use them on full frame cameras the camera will only work in APS-C mode at half resolution.

Leica CL + Sigma 24mm f2 DG DN lens

On my recent photography trip to Poland I used the Leica CL with the new Sigma 24mm f2.8 DG DN lens. With the 1.5x APS-C crop factor this gave me a 36mm autofocus lens equivalent. Here are some sample photos with this combination. All photos are RAW files plus my MrLeica Leica SL preset pack applied.

*If you’d like to join me for a photowalk I’m now running small group workshops. You can register your interest via my Mailing List to be notified of future events in your city.

Portraits with the Leica CL

24mm is often too wide for portraits but with the crop factor of the Leica CL camera it was less difficult. Photos below are 36mm lens equivalent portraits. All photos are RAW files plus the MrLeica Leica SL preset pack applied.

Leica SL + Sigma 24mm f2 DG DN

As the Leica SL is a full frame camera I could enjoy the full 24mm focal length for photowalks in Poland. I really enjoy 24mm – 25mm lenses for travel photography and I can capture most of what my eyes are seeing. All photos are RAW files plus my MrLeica Leica SL preset pack applied.

24mm portraits with the Leica SL

As a portrait photographer I was keen to try some portrait photography with this setup even if most of my model photography is shot with 50mm or often 90mm.

(See the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f1.5 lens and Voigtlander APO-Skopar 90mm f2.8 lens posts to see photos with the same models using longer lenses).

Panasonic Lumix S5 + Sigma lenses

If you are a Pansonic Lumix S5 user (or any Lumix S camera) you can also enjoy the Sigma L mount lenses. I use my Lumix S5 for photography but moreso for video. The Pansonic Lumix S5 replaced my Lumix GH5 as my main YouTube camera.

Sigma 24mm f2 DG DN for video

The reason I discovered Sigma L mount lenses is because I was looking for a autofocus wide lens for vlogging. I find 28mm a little too tight so 24mm seemed perfect. It does a great job but I realised I tend to shoot static position video so longer lenses with a fast aperture are probably better suited.

24mm Sigma lens for Leica

Full review from Poland testing the 24mm Sigma DG DN lens on the Leica SL and Leica CL cameras.

Sigma Art 50mm f1.4 lens for Leica

If you don’t mind big lenses the Sigma 50mm Art lens is optically a great performer for Leica L mount. See the full review with sample images on YouTube –

50mm Sigma Art lens portraits

Here are a few full res Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art lens portraits shot with Leica cameras. First photo (colour) captured with the APS-C Leica CL mirrorless camera. Second photo (B&W) shot with the full frame Leica SL camera. Both images are RAW files plus the MrLeica Leica SL preset pack applied.

Are Sigma lenses worth it?

So in summary, do I think Sigma lenses are worth it? (Verses all the other lens brand lenses I use on Leica cameras). Yes if you like the sharp modern look and yes if you want to have autofocus. They offer Leica L mount users a much cheaper alternative to Leica SL lenses. For me, Sigma is doing a great job with their new compact affordable DG DN lenses. Smaller size is important to me so I have no interest in the large fast Sigma Art lenses, even if they can make nice photos.

Other Sigma lenses for L mount

In this mini review I only covered one Sigma Art lens and one Sigma Contemporary lens. To see all the Sigma lenses available visit –https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/

Affordable Sigma lens for Leica

Sigma offer something for everyone and at an affordable price, especially if buying used. If I was looking to buy lenses for the Leica CL I would consider the Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN and the compact 56mm f1.4 DC DN. For the Leica SL and Lumix S5 I like the compact 45mm f2.8 DG DN lens plus the 65mm f2 DG DN which should be great for portraits. To summarise, you can chose from Sigma Art fast prime lenses, the smaller compact slower (many are f2) Sigma Contemporary lenses and APS-C lenses for cameras like the Leica CL and TL.

Buying New and Used

New: Amazon etc –

• Sigma 24mm f2 DG DN (FF) – https://geni.us/hk8JF
• Sigma Art 50mm f1.4 (FF) – https://geni.us/527E

Used: eBay –

• (US) https://ebay.to/2F0HoxY
• (UK) https://ebay.to/3ijzle2
• (DE) https://ebay.to/3iqDNYs
• (FR) https://ebay.to/2ZJ3E75
• (HK) https://ebay.to/32A8xBu

Sigma or Panasonic Lumix L Mount?

One question you may have is how do these Sigma lenses compare to L mount lenses from Panasonic Lumix? I’ve not tested any L mount Lumix primes but I recently had the chance to test a Pana-Leica prime lens (Lumix lens with Leica badge on). I was really impressed! I also own the Lumix 20-60mm kit zoom and it’s sharp and offers a less common wider zoom range.

More Info

> New! Workshops/ Photowalks Mailing List – Sign up to receive info on future events specific to your city/ country/ interest.

> Zoom Consultations – Not sure what camera or lens to buy? Book a 1:1 Zoom call and I can answer your questions and give pros and cons of similar products.

> YouTube Monthly Giveaways – Subscribe to the YouTube channel for a chance to win! Monthly giveaways – £30/$40+ of Patreon & Zoom call access and higher value items such as lenses.

> More Content? Join Patreon (Instant Access!) – Access 200+ exclusive posts including 100+ videos. Two group Zoom calls a month, a friendly private Facebook group and lots of tips and tricks. *Sign up to Patreon for 12 months and get 10% off!

> Recommended Photography Gear? MyKit – Links to current photography equipment that I use and can recommend.

> Free YouTube Search Tool – Sign up to the blog newsletter to get a free copy of my YouTube video search tool. No more struggling to find a videos. Search through my 200+ videos by lens manufacturer, lens mount, focal length, film format and other filters.

LEICA. LENSES. CAMERAS. WORKSHOP. WEDDING. PRESETS. FILM

Free Monthly Newsletter!

Hi friends! Here is the new monthly MrLeica.com newsletter – A summary of posts you may have missed, upcoming events, useful information and anything else I can think of!

Features

• Recap from March
• New Updates
• YouTube Videos from March
• New Blog Posts
• UK Workshops
• Overseas Workshops
• Patreon, Zoom Calls & More
• April 2022 – Coming up!

Recap from March

Days are getting longer, brighter and warmer so I’m already happy! Sorry that the newsletter is late coming out, I was away doing photos in Poland and didn’t get chance to prep it before leaving.

I enjoyed cheap flights to both Budapest and Warsaw in March. I’m now shooting more film than I have time to develop and building up quite a catalogue of behind the scenes videos (“BTS”) for both Patreon and short clips for YouTube. Good times and lots of new content to come!

New blog posts coming soon

With travelling twice in a month it means I am still behind with the writing new blog posts. Starting from April 2022 that will change so new articles coming soon!  Sign up  to the blog for free so not to miss these future posts!

1:1 Zoom calls

My 1:1 Zoom calls are often like buses. None for a few days then suddenly 3 in one evening! I help people with everything from Leica, buying lenses, lighting, film developing and even photo reviews. Get in touch!  https://mrleica.com/zoom/

Photography gear I use and recommend

People often ask me about my lights and the various cameras, lenses, photography equipment I use. See a full list at https://mrleica.com/kitlist/

NEW! Photography E-Book and Courses

I did a poll a few months ago on YouTube asking you guys what you’d prefer from me in terms of printed books, online courses, e-books and the like (for those than can’t attend face to face workshops). e-books were the number one choice so I will set to work on writing my first book to be released this year. The topic will be everything I can tell you about model photography after 10+ years of non-stop practicing! I may then do supplementary online courses to provide live demonstrations for the topics covered in the book. Sign up  to the blog to keep track of my progress and to take advantage of the pre-release discounted price closer to the date.

NEW! Group Photowalk Workshops

Some of you may know that I’ve been teaching photography workshops since 2014 and all of those have been on a 1-2-1 basis except the first few.   

During my last 2 overseas city breaks I’ve really enjoyed walking around looking for photos (as I wasn’t booked up with models morning until night).  I thought perhaps this is something I can share/ teach to small groups.  What I see and what I look for when taking these photographs.  I don’t offer group workshops for model photography as I try to protect the model and think 3 of us is a nice number to get good results (Me, model + 1 student).  

For walking around photos though I think 3 photographers + me can be the perfect size.  Everyone will have the opportunity to ask me all they want to know on the day and offering group session means I can drop the price so that I’m more accessible to more people.

From April onwards, I will start with offering these new photowalk workshops in cities I will be in (such as Gdansk, Warsaw, Budapest) + London (and I can do Birmingham too if requested). Going forward I can teach wherever there is a demand so ask your photographer friends and I can travel to meet you.

Photowalk Workshops include:

• 3 spaces available per day
• £250 per person
• Full day, meet in the morning, walk around a lot, light lunch, more photos, and debrief/ optional photo review at the end
• You’re welcome to shoot film and digital, any brand (not limited to Leica)
• You have the option to test 1 of my digital cameras (If I can carry!)
• You have the chance to try one of my lenses (limited to what I can carry!)
• I can explain about using a rangefinder camera,  zone focusing, film cameras
• Topics include composition, looking for light, lens choice, framing..
• Colour vs. black and white and using filters (for film users especially)
• Using different camera settings to get different results from the same location

*It will be a photowalk rather than pure street photography with more focus on light, composition, and exposure than photographing the homeless guy on the bench. Being in cities there will be people to photograph so we can include street photos.

*The format is not set in stone so I’m happy to work with you to create something that adds the most value to the group.

There has already been interest for a London photowalk. Please join the new mailing list (NEW!) for future photowalk dates/ communications. Places will be offered on a first come basis (all countries).

NEW! Meetup Mailing List

I often find myself in a city with a free day (usually after models cancel!) or if I book a last minute trip. So that I can contact those of you specifically interested in meeting me for Photowalks or Workshops (and potentially at short notice) please join the new mailing list. *This is specifically for these communications and you won’t be spammed with anything else. I will send you emails with dates relating to your mentioned city/ cities of interest and a generic monthly email with all planned event dates.

March 2022 YouTube Videos Catch-up:

Below is a catch up of all the YouTube videos I published last month:

Ready to upgrade to Medium Format? 11 ways to shoot 6×45

35mm film negatives from Leica are nice but sometimes you want more detail

Best 35mm Portrait Lens? For me it’s the Voigtlander 35mm 1.2

Model portraits with the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 III (latest version)

7Artisans 35mm 1.4 Smashes Voigtlander 35mm 1.4?

The results from this video were a surprise! 7Artisans offer an affordable 35mm

Is this the Leica Noctilux Killer? TTArtisan 50mm f0.95

Brilliant lens for portraits, especially on mirrorless cameras, I’m a big fan!

Need a 50mm with more character? Classic 50mm f1.5 Lenses

Zeiss vs Leica – Vintage lens shootout and compared to the best modern M glass

New Blog Posts in March

None for March, sorry. Written posts supplement the YouTube review videos including full res images to pixel peep on. There are 300+ existing blog post articles so feel free to browse the back catalogue!

Model Workshop Dates and Updates

> Workshop dates – If you a looking to kick start your photography for 2022 you are welcome to join me for one of my 1:1 workshops. There are limited places so I offer on a first come basis. For up to date notification of all future workshops and photowalks please join the new mailing list. I might be in your city with a day free so I will send emails to all those on the mailing list.

• April 2022 – London 1:1 – 1 Space remaining
• May 2022 – London 1:1 – 1 Space remaining + Paris – 1 Space (TBC)
• June 2022 – London 1:1 – 2 Spaces + Overseas workshops (TBC)

See workshop prices and testimonials on the blog

New Workshops for Spring 2022!

> Discounted UK workshops (Birmingham) – I’m now happy to offer full day UK workshops for only £399.99 (£50 off) and half day workshops for £249.99 (£30 off) in the city of Birmingham. This is closer to home for me so I pass on the cost saving to you.

> Poland workshops – NEW!! Now available on request in Gdansk, Bydgoszcz, Warsaw. (Same price as my London workshops)*

> Hungary workshops – NEW!! Budapest. (Same price as London workshops)*

> Spain workshops – NEW!! Organised 7 day trips to the Valencia-Alicante region of Spain. More information coming soon!

> US workshops – I have at least 3+ photographers in the New York area of the US that are interested in workshops so I will look at trying to plan a visit perhaps late summer/ September time.

> Other countries – If you want me to fly to your city to run a Leica workshop/ model photography workshop please get in touch.

Travel Updates

Flights already booked for Gdansk and Alicante (Spain) for April and Paris (France) and Bydgoszcz (Poland) are looking probable for May. I’m happy to teach in any of these cities so feel free to get in touch!

> March Travel (Budapest, Hungary) – Great catching up with model friends and I love the city for photos. Some film photos to come in future YouTube videos.

> March Travel (Warsaw, Poland) – My first time in the city and I’m a huge fan! I will be going back with more cameras! Again, sample photos to follow in future YouTube videos.

– Join Patreon to watch fun behind the scenes videos overseas!

April 2022 – Coming Up

I still want to share my thoughts on the Leica SL, CL and M cameras plus include the Lumix S5. I need to do more geeky comparison testing before I can share the results. After sharing multiple modern lens reviews recently I plan to review some of the forgotten gem lenses from yesteryear that often have more interesting rendering than modern optics. I plan to be shooting a lot more film over the spring/ summer so I can include example photos on film and digital.

YouTube video – spotlight (1 of the videos coming soon!)

One video coming in April is a review of the amazing Contax T2 film camera. I’m waiting for my colour film to be developed at the lab and then I can get onto it. Subscribe to the YouTube channel and turn on your notifications so not to miss it (and have a chance of winning my monthly giveaway!)

Previous Newsletters (and all the video links!)

• MrLeica Newsletter Archive

—

First Time Reader? Additional Info Below

> UK Workshops

I teach basic to advanced level photography to anyone with a camera. For full details see workshop prices and testimonials + join the mailing list for dates.

> Overseas Workshops

Happy to travel worldwide to run photography workshops. See above for some of the planned countries and join the mailing list to submit your interest.

Some advantages of meeting you in your city include (1) you don’t need to travel (2) I will give you model contacts in your city that you can keep in touch with after I leave. This has worked well for photographers in the past. The flipside of that is, if you rather come to the UK for a London workshop you have the excuse for a holiday!

> More Content? Join Patreon!

Instant access to 200+ exclusive posts including 100+ videos. For 2022 you can now enjoy 2 extended group calls a month (1 hour each!). Join our small friendly private Facebook group to share your work and interact.

£3+ Tier members – Dial in for live Q&A. Often a slightly larger group.

£5+ Tier members – Dial in for our interactive group chat on all things photography. Learn from each other and even request to take the stage and present to the group. A smaller group so you get more opportunities to speak.

OFFER* You can now sign up to Patreon for 12 months and get 10% off!

> Zoom Consultations

Not sure what camera or lens to buy or need help? Book a 1:1 Zoom call and I can answer your questions and give pros and cons of similar products.

> YouTube Monthly Giveaways

Subscribe to the YouTube channel for a chance to win! Monthly giveaways – £30/$40+ of Patreon & Zoom call access and higher value items such as lenses.

> Free YouTube Search Tool

Sign up to the blog newsletter to get a free copy of my YouTube video search tool. No more struggling to find a videos. Search through my 200+ videos by lens manufacturer, lens mount, focal length, film format and other filters.

LEICA. LENSES. CAMERAS. WORKSHOP. WEDDING. PRESETS. FILM

Free Monthly Newsletter!

Hi friends! Here is the new monthly MrLeica.com newsletter – A summary of posts you may have missed, upcoming events, useful information and anything else I can think of!

Features

• September- Recap
• September 2021 YouTube Videos
• UK Workshops
• Overseas Workshops
• Patreon – Zoom Calls & More
• October – Coming up!

September – Recap

After slacking off earlier in the summer with YouTube video posts I focused all my available time towards making more videos. I set myself a 4 day challenge mid-month and locked my self away so that I could release 4 full length mass lens reviews. (Links below if you missed those). What I found is most normal people don’t have the time (or interest) to watch YouTube videos 4 days in a row. View count was down after the first video post so at least I know for future reference.

How many videos would you ideally like from me each week? 2..3? ..and do you have a favourite day to sit down to watch you favourite YouTubers? I’d love to hear so feel free to comment below!

September 2021 YouTube Videos Catch-up:

Below is a catch up of all the full length YouTube videos if you missed them:

Nice camera or a rich life?

Talking about the idea that perhaps it is more rewarding to spend a larger propotion of your available income on travel than on an expensive camera or lens (once you have a camera and lens to use). It was perhaps a note to myself but hopefully you can relate to it too if in a similiar situation.

Best 50mm Lens? Shoot Out!

I was interested to compare the Leica Summicron M vs Leica Summicron R..but then I tested a few more 50s too! Don’t under estimate a Nikon lens!

Best FAST 50mm Lens? Shoot Out!

I realised I needed to test my fast 50mm lenses, f1.4 and f1.5 but then I sneaked in a few Contax RF lenses too as I wanted to see how they compared to Leica M mount and LTM mount lenses.

Best 90mm Lens? Shoot Out!

Now I have the 90mm Leica R lenses I was interested to see how it compared to Leica M mount 90mm lenses. A surprising test result!

Best 40mm Lens? Shoot Out!

I was interested in particular with Leica M mount Voigtlander lenses verses Nikon F mount Voigtlander lens performance. Are rangefinder lenses always “better”?

Best 35mm Lens? Shoot Out!

More of the same, this time for 35mm lens! Some strong performers in this group and from a broad range of brands.

Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f2 VM lens

I am happy to get this lens tested and the results shared. It was my top performing video of the month in the first 48hrs of release and includes Leica vs. Voigtlander 28mm lenses.

If you live in the UK you can get 5% off the list price of all Voigtlander lenses using the discount code “MRLEICA” at https://www.robertwhite.co.uk/

Best 28mm Lens? Shoot Out!

Back again, this time comparing multiple Leica and Nikon F mount 28mm lenses. I’m really glad I did the test! (Some surprising results!)

Shooting 120 film in 4×5 cameras

I wanted to help raise awareness on this topic as personally I really enjoy shooting 120 film backs on large format cameras, when shooting 4×5 cameras.

Workshop Dates + Travel Updates

> UK workshop dates – some spaces still available so please get in touch for more information

• September 2021 – London 1:1 workshop – Complete
• October 2021 – London & Birmingham 1:1 workshops – 1 Space remaining
• November 2021 – London 1:1 workshop – 1 Space remaining

See workshop prices and testimonials on the blog

> Overseas workshop dates – there is a growing interest in overseas workshops as travel restrictions are easing. Please let me know what countries and cities you are in if you’d like to meet up.

> Travel – I am hoping to travel for the first time since Covid soon. I will believe it when it happens but hopefully new videos to come both for YouTube and extra BTS (behind the scenes) for Patreons.

Patreon Latest & Zoom Calls

Great speaking to some of you on Zoom in September. For October I will change the format so that the £3 tier seminar call is now being replaced with a live Q&A.

October – Coming Up

For October, I hope to mix it up a bit on YouTube with my release of my walkabout video in Brighton shooting with the Leicaflex SL. I have some new medium format camera videos to come and I hope to share more thoughts on the digital Leica SL over a series of videos. On top of all that, as mentioned, I am excited to hopefully fly for the first time in ages so that will be focused on photography ..as you’d expect! 🙂

YouTube video – spotlight (1 of the videos coming soon!)

Have you ever wanted a Hasselblad camera but could not justify buying one? Stay tuned as I have a video coming to introduce the “Hasselbladski”, aka. the Kiev 88 (Mine is a modified Kiev 88 called an “ARAX-CM”). One of my most well travelled film cameras. Coming soon!

Previous Newsletters (and all the video links!)

• MrLeica Newsletter Archive

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First Time Reader? Additional Info Below

> UK Workshops

Now lockdowns have eased in the UK it has been full steam ahead for teaching 1-to-1 photography workshops again. I teach basic to advanced level photography to anyone with a camera. That said, students are often either Leica photographers and trying to get more from their cameras, film photographers trying to master their latest film camera/ film or anyone wanting to try model photography. We sometimes do street photography too so I tailor it to your needs.

See workshop prices and testimonials on the blog

> Overseas Workshops

I’m very aware many of you are overseas and quite a few in both Germany and the US that I speak to. If I can get enough people from one country looking for 1:1 workshops I can look to fly to your country and do a mini road trip to see as many of you as I can. If you are interested in me flying to you please get in touch so I have an idea of numbers. (I’ve had a request to teach in Istanbul and the Netherlands so those might be happening!)

The other option is do as some others do and fly into London and I’ll meet you there. The advantage of meeting you in your city is (1) you don’t need to travel (2) I will give you model contacts in your city that you can keep in touch with after I leave. This has worked well for photographers in the past. The flipside of that is if you rather come to London you get the excuse for a holiday!

> Patreon Features

– Zoom Call Helpline Service!

I’m starting to do more 1:1 Zoom calls as people pro-actively ask for my assistance. I help fellow photographers around the world with camera and lens purchases (especially) but also help with other topics such as film developing, lighting, film camera issues. Get in touch via Patreon if you need my assistance.

– Monthly Zoom Call Group Face-to-Face Meet ~30mins

On the Patreon platform £5+ tier members now meet for a monthly call to chat all things photography and to learn from each other. Dates are announced on Patreon, normally a Wednesday evening UK time. Join us! We also have our own private Facebook group that you can be part of.

– NEW! Monthly Zoom Call Q&A~30mins

On the Patreon platform £3+ tier members can now dial in for a live Q&A session with me. It might be chaos but we can see how it goes in October! Dates are announced on Patreon, normally a Wednesday evening, UK time.

– Patreon Extras

For access to 150+ additional post, 18+ images, photobooks and more sign up to Patreon.

> Can You Help Me

Have you Subscribed to my YouTube yet and turned on your notifications!? I know you must get really sick of hearing every YouTuber mention it constantly but sadly it’s a necessary evil as it turns the cogs of the YouTube algorithm. It makes the difference between a video getting shown to more people or not. YouTube tells us publishers the data and after August it said “video view as normal but subscribers down 25% verses previous months”.

While I have my pathetic begging bowl out, if you can click the “LIKE” button on any videos you enjoyed watching that helps more than you could ever imagine! (Now I understand quite how important likes and subs are to the success of a YouTube channel I always leave likes on videos I enjoy watching from others).

Why does this matter to you? The idea is, if I can grow the channel I can attract bigger brands and more opportunities resulting in more new camera and lens reviews, comparison testing so you then know what gear you may want to buy.

> Receive this free monthly newsletter via Email

If you accidently stumbled across this post and would like to receive these newsletters automatically via email notification feel free to sign up below!

One new perk for signing up is you now get a free copy of my YouTube video search tool. No more struggling to find a video or wondering if I have made a video on a particular lens or camera. The tool lets you search through my 190+ videos by lens manufacturer, lens mount, focal length, film format and more!