Happy New Year! Updates and cool stuff…SLR Magic, Gizmon, LA Workshop updates and more!

Happy New Year! Updates and cool stuff…SLR Magic, Gizmon, LA Workshop updates and more!

Hello to all! It’s Tuesday Jan 3rd and I just arrived home from a 4 day trip to COLD Chicago to spend New Years Eve with my girlfriend. I am now back in Phoenix to the warm sunny weather and my daily routine of waking up to work on the site. The photo above was shot at the Phoenix airport baggage claim last night at 1 in the morning with the Panasonic GX1 and Olympus 17mm 2.8. I was there for 45 minutes waiting for my luggage and then when it did not show up on the belt I decided to take a look for it elsewhere. I ended up finding it 300 feet down and the US Air employee told me “Oh yea, that one came in an hour ago on a different flight”. Fun! Came home, got some sleep and here I am now scheduling a few things for the site this week.

At 1:30 AM the airport is pretty empty. The 17 and GX1…

During the last few days I was without a computer and all of the updates and posts were scheduled so if you e-mailed me and did not get a response this is why. I am now back to work and ready to make 2012 a GREAT year. I took the Panasonic GX1 with me to Chicago along with the 25 1.4 Summilux lens, which is a fantastic lens BUT different than the 20mm 1.7 which I also adore.

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I am finding that the more I use the 25 1.4 the more I appreciate the qualities of the lens which have a richer feel than the images I get from the 20, which tend to put out flatter images than the 25. This is probably due to the 25 being a bit longer and a bit faster. It’s also quite a bit larger but if I were to recommend one of the two lenses, it would be the 25 1.4 for it’s richer color and overall character. I must admit though…I enjoyed using this lens on the Olympus E-p3 more so than the GX1. Why? Well, for some reason the E-P3 nailed focus more with the lens and I had about 36% misses with the GX1 and maybe 8% with the E-P3. Why? I have no idea. Also, after shooting both cameras over the weekend I found the E-P3 to focus SLIGHTLY faster than the GX1. Both are super fast for Micro 4/3 though and most would not even notice a difference. 

My lovely Girlfriend Debby just before we went out for New Years Eve, smiling as always! Shot with the E-P3 and 25 1.4 at 1.4. Grain added with Alien Skin Exposure. 

I hope you guys enjoyed the three GX1/E-P3 comparisons as well as the David Babsky GX1 piece. I am still gathering my thoughts on the GX1 and have purposely been shooting it alongside the E-P3 to see which one I truly enjoy more since I proclaimed the E-P3 the best M4/3 (for photos) a while back. I am hoping to have my review of the GX1 and 25 1.4 SOON. I can say that I have been enjoying the GX1 with the Olympus 17 2.8 (black version). On the camera the lens seems like a perfect fit and size. Looks like it was meant for the camera and the quality is there as well.

So look for the GX1 review soon right here!

Gizmon nICA iPhone 4 Case

Check this out! I know it has been posted on other sites already but this looks pretty interesting if not impractical. This huge case takes your iPhone 4 and turns it into a retro (Leica) looking camera with strap and all. The only problem with this is that what if you get a phone call while you are out pimping your new case? Seems a bit overkill but it does look cool. You can get attachment lenses such as a macro and fisheye. A case, a lens and strap will set you back around $140 or so. You can read more about it at the official site HERE.

Los Angeles Workshop update and SLR Magic f0.95 For Leica M

Some of you if not all of you have heard about the all new, designed from the ground up SLR Magic 50 f0.95 for Leica M mount. This is a lens that SLR Magic has been working on for a LONG time and I have been fortunate enough to have been in contact with them over the past several months regarding this new lens and all of the  revisions it has gone through. One thing I do know is that SLR Magic is really working hard and spending tons of money t0 perfect this lens and the construction is solid and HEAVY. It is also larger than the Leica f/0.95 as of right now. I was supposed to get one in December to test out (but not publish) but they are still working on perfecting it.

The GOOD news? THIS lens will make its physical debut at my Los Angeles workshop on Jan 27, 28 and 29th of THIS MONTH. Andrew from SLR Magic is flying in with at least two of these, maybe three. All in attendance with Leica cameras can attach one to their M and  give it a whirl. This lens will not be cheap when it goes up for sale later in this year but it will be MUCH cheaper than the Leica version. How will it compare? We will all have to wait and see but I see a “crazy comparison” coming up between these two low light heavyweights. Think you will be surprised? You just might. 🙂

If this is something you want to see, leave a comment. 

BTW, there are TWO seats left for the LA workshop and then we will have a full house. They are going quick so if you have been thinking of attending, see the workshop page HERE. So far we will have Leica shooters, Micro 4/3 shooters, DSLR shooters, and X100 shooters.

Enjoy and again, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

13 Comments

  1. I am surprised that there are so many misses with the GX1 + PL25 combo. I have always like the ergonomics of the EP1/2/3 over the GFs and now the GX1. The touch screen on the EP3 also feels better than the Pany touch screens, IMO.

  2. Isn’t your experience at the airport the norm now? That happens to me more times than not.

    The airline lost our luggage in Budapest and I didn’t have clothes for three days, but I had my camera. That’s all that counts!

  3. That’s very exciting news Steve, and I can’t wait to see this new lens later this month in LA. Hopefully Andrew from SLR Magic can explain the difference between t/0.95 and f/0.95. There seems to be much confusion on this point (including myself).

    • Sure Steve, I will explain the different between T0.95 and f/0.95 to you in LA. Which camera system are you shooting with? I might bring along some adapters if not everyone is using the M system. Unfortunately there will be no adapters to put the lens on DSLR. We get this same question almost everyday.

      • Thanks Andrew, I look forward to meeting you and seeing this new lens. I’m an M9 user who doesn’t own a Noctilux, so I suppose I’m your target demographic!!!

        Stephen Patterson (too many Steve’s around here!!!)

    • T is a measured value, f-number is a property of the lens. The f stop is defined as the ratio between the diameter of the lens and the focal length. However, lenses do not all let the same amount of light through, the more glass is placed between the less actual light reaches the sensor. The T/ is a way of measuring the actual amount of light reaching the sensor, to be able to very accurately expose. The T/stop is the standard for cinema, the f/stop for still photography, but it would be really nice to know the T stop for all our current lenses as well

  4. Happy New Year to you, Steve, and hope your site goes from strength to strength in 2012.
    A very pretty girlfriend you have there stashed away in Chicago, with a beautiful smile.

    Best wishes,

    Andrew

  5. Happy New Year to you, Steve!

    Good to read that you had a wonderful time in Chicago.
    Thanks for the update and all the interesting news.

    I must admit I am surprised by the amount of effort and money that SLR Magic seems to invest in developing new lenses. Of course, I would love to give the 0.95/50 a spin on my M8 to see if it can be better than a VC 1.1/50…. IMHO that would be a fair comparison. But there are good reasons why the Noctilux is so expensive…. and probably better than both the VC and the SLRM.

    For the last weeks, I was hoping to find your opinion on the Ricoh GRD-4, which you had for review recently.
    I remember you mentioning that you only write reviews about cameras which you like and rather not spend time writing about cameras that you do not enjoy…. so can we expect a review on the Ricoh at all ?

    I look forward to reading your blog for another exciting year!

    Kindest Greetings
    Christian

    • I, like Christian M, have been waiting for your review of the Ricoh GRD 4, and would find it hard to believe that you are not reviewing it because you don’t like it.

      I bought it anyway, and love it – a worthwhile upgrade to the GRD 111 with it’s Hybrid AF System, refined optical filter, new image engine, and Image Stabilisation function.

      With it’s small sensor, and fixed 28mm lens, it is not every ones cup of tea, as we English say, but a very refined cup of tea all the same.

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