waileong
Well-known
I've just come back from an 8-day trip to Angkor Wat. While this was a holiday with my wife, I did bring along a full camera bag + monopod for photography.
This post is to share with all what worked and what didn't. It may be relevant to those who are shooting in third-world countries.
Equipment selection:
a. M7, M4, 24/2.8 Asph, 35/2 IV, 50/2DR + goggles, 90 TE, Minilux.
b. 1.25x, small flash, Ultrapod II, cable release, Leica lens carrier, Kirk QR plate, Gossen meter, 39 mm orange, KR3 filters, 39-55 step-up ring, 55 mm KR6, polarizer, 0.6 grad ND, orange and FL-D filters.
c. Monopod with Acratech ultimate ballhead.
d. About 50 rolls of film, mainly Velvia and R3. On daily basis, I carried about 10 rolls in the bag.
I decided to bring the above lenses rather than the 90/2 AA and 35/1.4 asph so I could share the 39 mm filters. The 55 mm filters were for the 24/2.8, no 39 mm options there.
I also debated whether to bring my 135/4 TE. Left it at home, although I did miss it for a few shots where the 90 mm wasn't long enough.
Weight was also a consideration. The modern lenses are heavy! Maybe I'm a weenie, but all the stuff above in my Hadley Pro was really heavy, even with an Optech weight-reducing strap!
1. M7 vs M4 (ie meter/AE vs manual)
No doubt about it, the M7's meter/AE is a life-saver. For snapshots in the streets, in the markets, when I barely have enough time to focus, when I don't have time to meter and set aperture and shutter speed, the M7 is the fastest gun in the west.
However, for planned shots (such as landscape pictures of the beautiful structures at Angkor Wat, the meter is less useful. On slide film, the M7 meter sometimes doesn't agree with my incident reading of the highlights. For B&W, I need to meter the shadows and the M7 meter is sometimes fooled by strong backlighting.
Yes, I know I can use exposure compensation, but unlike SLR's with a thumb wheel, the M7 exposure compensation dial position (against my nose) just sucks. Adjusting the aperture while locking the exposure is also not an option for me, especially in landscape shots, as I have already hyper-focused by determining the depth of field I want. And it's not possible anyway when I have a cable release. In any case, it doesn't have a spot meter for me to accurately meter the highlights or shadows.
2. Filter or no filter
No question about it, filters are necessary in dusty third-world countries. Unless you enjoy cleaning dust off the front elements of your $3k and up lenses, I suggest you filter every lens you have.
Because the dust from the roads kick up so easily, unless you can blow the dust off your filter before every shot, I'd say that it doesn't really matter what brand lens you use. Dust is the great leveller.
3. Colour & B&W
My M7 was largely dedicated to colour and the M4 to black and white. However, switching lenses between the bodies is a pain in a dusty environment. Worse was switching orange filters and polarizers between lenses. Now I wish I'd bought more than one orange filter!
This is really a problem for the dedicated B&W film shooter. Filters rob speed, and screwing/unscrewing them robs time. Even having different bodies for B&W and colour is not enough, unless you don't have to switch lenses. But that brings its own limitations and constraints.
4. Tripod or no tripod.
No doubt about it, Leica's can be used on a tripod, and for best results, that's where they belong. I borrowed a tripod for my Angkor Wat sunrise/sunset shots, and used a monopod for dimly lit interior shots (when a tripod would have obstructed passage ways, etc).
Don't believe those who say they can shoot handheld at 1/4 s-- yes I know they can, but at f1.4 or f1 there's just no depth of field and that's not what I want. Not to mention that handshake will inevitably be magnified with 16x20 and larger enlargements.
5. 35 vs 50.
I found the 35 mm more useful due to the larger depth of field. It also allows me to engage people from a closer distance, which was good for building rapport, while being able to take in their surroundings for context. I usually used f8 and hyperfocused, so that I was ready for a snapshot with my M7. Indeed, for most of my 35 mm shots, I used f8 or f11 for maximum depth of field, only using f4 when the light was poor.
In fact, I'm becoming something of a 35 mm shooter, the 35/2 IV is the lens most often used on my M7.
That said, the 35 does not replace the 50 (or vice versa), although the focal lengths are so near. The 50 is great for landscape shots (I find wide angles make mountains and distant subjects too small, and it's sometimes difficult to fill the foreground with interest). The 50 is also great for half-body portraits.
6. 24 and 90
The 24 is great for cramped interior shots and also for emphasising piles of rubble on the ground against the actual temple ruins and the skies in the background. It was also great for capturing the carved reliefs without standing so far away from the walls.
The 90 was used for distant silohuette shots of Cambodians frolicking in the mud pools at sunset without wading right into the water myself, although in retrospect I wish I had a 135.
7. Zooms vs primes
No zooms in Leica-land, of course, but I did wish I had a 3E. Would have saved the weight of one lens. I don't care for 28 mm-- it's not wide enough for interior shots-- but I could have used a 3E instead of a 35 and a 50.
8. AF vs Manual Focus
No AF's in Leica-land, of course, but the DOF markings on manual lenses are extremely useful for landscape shots, and for hyperfocusing/zone-focusing street shots.
With all the R&D $$ into DSLR's, you wonder why someone can't provide a calculated DOF for every focal length and aperture that appears on the LCD (or even in the viewfinder) so that you don't have to guess or do calculations in your head. Stopping down to preview is not a good way as the viewfinder becomes too dim, esp at f8 and above.
This is one area where manual lenses triumph over modern AF lenses and zoom lenses.
9. Leica makes you a better photographer.
Well, maybe not Leica per se, but certainly manual photography has made me understand photography much better. I think before I shoot, I look at the DOF scales, I think about whether I should meter the highlights or the shadows, I think about the contrast range vis a vis my film, I think about what shutter speed and aperture I should set, I look for distractions in the viewfinder before expending film, I aim to shoot just one or two frames at most (if bracketing).
I would not have done or understood this if I was an auto-everything photographer. And even now, with my M7, I still think very hard about exposure before I shoot, I don't just leave everything to the camera.
10. What worked, what didn't.
Things unused:
a. Close-up goggles for 50 DR-- I preferred to capture more of the carved reliefs (to tell a complete story) rather than individual carvings.
b. 1.25x magnifier-- no time to screw and unscrew in addition to changing the lens.
c. Ultrapod II-- I preferred to use the monopod. In any case, there were no tree branches in the interior of temples to mount the ultrapod against.
d. Spare batteries-- thankfully my M7 battery consumption wasn't that high.
e. FL-D filter-- wasn't necessary, no fluorescent lamps.
Everything else got some use, incl. the flash (for really dim interior shots). Yes-- your Leica can use flash.
11. Minilux
The minilux on my belt was my sidearm, used when I had no film in my M's or if they were in my bag and I needed to shoot quickly. For all its quirks, this camera produces lovely images.
12. Things lost/damaged
a. Dented my 12585 hood slightly when I slipped.
b. Lost my M7 flash sync port cover-- should have left it at home.
c. Lost my monopod cover (how did it drop?)
d. Chipped my ballhead slightly when it dropped.
All in, I got off lightly.
13. Results
I exposed 21 rolls over 8 days. It'll be next week before I can post any images. I'm doing my own B&W, but the slides will be ready likely after Christmas.
Hope to post some pictures soon.
This post is to share with all what worked and what didn't. It may be relevant to those who are shooting in third-world countries.
Equipment selection:
a. M7, M4, 24/2.8 Asph, 35/2 IV, 50/2DR + goggles, 90 TE, Minilux.
b. 1.25x, small flash, Ultrapod II, cable release, Leica lens carrier, Kirk QR plate, Gossen meter, 39 mm orange, KR3 filters, 39-55 step-up ring, 55 mm KR6, polarizer, 0.6 grad ND, orange and FL-D filters.
c. Monopod with Acratech ultimate ballhead.
d. About 50 rolls of film, mainly Velvia and R3. On daily basis, I carried about 10 rolls in the bag.
I decided to bring the above lenses rather than the 90/2 AA and 35/1.4 asph so I could share the 39 mm filters. The 55 mm filters were for the 24/2.8, no 39 mm options there.
I also debated whether to bring my 135/4 TE. Left it at home, although I did miss it for a few shots where the 90 mm wasn't long enough.
Weight was also a consideration. The modern lenses are heavy! Maybe I'm a weenie, but all the stuff above in my Hadley Pro was really heavy, even with an Optech weight-reducing strap!
1. M7 vs M4 (ie meter/AE vs manual)
No doubt about it, the M7's meter/AE is a life-saver. For snapshots in the streets, in the markets, when I barely have enough time to focus, when I don't have time to meter and set aperture and shutter speed, the M7 is the fastest gun in the west.
However, for planned shots (such as landscape pictures of the beautiful structures at Angkor Wat, the meter is less useful. On slide film, the M7 meter sometimes doesn't agree with my incident reading of the highlights. For B&W, I need to meter the shadows and the M7 meter is sometimes fooled by strong backlighting.
Yes, I know I can use exposure compensation, but unlike SLR's with a thumb wheel, the M7 exposure compensation dial position (against my nose) just sucks. Adjusting the aperture while locking the exposure is also not an option for me, especially in landscape shots, as I have already hyper-focused by determining the depth of field I want. And it's not possible anyway when I have a cable release. In any case, it doesn't have a spot meter for me to accurately meter the highlights or shadows.
2. Filter or no filter
No question about it, filters are necessary in dusty third-world countries. Unless you enjoy cleaning dust off the front elements of your $3k and up lenses, I suggest you filter every lens you have.
Because the dust from the roads kick up so easily, unless you can blow the dust off your filter before every shot, I'd say that it doesn't really matter what brand lens you use. Dust is the great leveller.
3. Colour & B&W
My M7 was largely dedicated to colour and the M4 to black and white. However, switching lenses between the bodies is a pain in a dusty environment. Worse was switching orange filters and polarizers between lenses. Now I wish I'd bought more than one orange filter!
This is really a problem for the dedicated B&W film shooter. Filters rob speed, and screwing/unscrewing them robs time. Even having different bodies for B&W and colour is not enough, unless you don't have to switch lenses. But that brings its own limitations and constraints.
4. Tripod or no tripod.
No doubt about it, Leica's can be used on a tripod, and for best results, that's where they belong. I borrowed a tripod for my Angkor Wat sunrise/sunset shots, and used a monopod for dimly lit interior shots (when a tripod would have obstructed passage ways, etc).
Don't believe those who say they can shoot handheld at 1/4 s-- yes I know they can, but at f1.4 or f1 there's just no depth of field and that's not what I want. Not to mention that handshake will inevitably be magnified with 16x20 and larger enlargements.
5. 35 vs 50.
I found the 35 mm more useful due to the larger depth of field. It also allows me to engage people from a closer distance, which was good for building rapport, while being able to take in their surroundings for context. I usually used f8 and hyperfocused, so that I was ready for a snapshot with my M7. Indeed, for most of my 35 mm shots, I used f8 or f11 for maximum depth of field, only using f4 when the light was poor.
In fact, I'm becoming something of a 35 mm shooter, the 35/2 IV is the lens most often used on my M7.
That said, the 35 does not replace the 50 (or vice versa), although the focal lengths are so near. The 50 is great for landscape shots (I find wide angles make mountains and distant subjects too small, and it's sometimes difficult to fill the foreground with interest). The 50 is also great for half-body portraits.
6. 24 and 90
The 24 is great for cramped interior shots and also for emphasising piles of rubble on the ground against the actual temple ruins and the skies in the background. It was also great for capturing the carved reliefs without standing so far away from the walls.
The 90 was used for distant silohuette shots of Cambodians frolicking in the mud pools at sunset without wading right into the water myself, although in retrospect I wish I had a 135.
7. Zooms vs primes
No zooms in Leica-land, of course, but I did wish I had a 3E. Would have saved the weight of one lens. I don't care for 28 mm-- it's not wide enough for interior shots-- but I could have used a 3E instead of a 35 and a 50.
8. AF vs Manual Focus
No AF's in Leica-land, of course, but the DOF markings on manual lenses are extremely useful for landscape shots, and for hyperfocusing/zone-focusing street shots.
With all the R&D $$ into DSLR's, you wonder why someone can't provide a calculated DOF for every focal length and aperture that appears on the LCD (or even in the viewfinder) so that you don't have to guess or do calculations in your head. Stopping down to preview is not a good way as the viewfinder becomes too dim, esp at f8 and above.
This is one area where manual lenses triumph over modern AF lenses and zoom lenses.
9. Leica makes you a better photographer.
Well, maybe not Leica per se, but certainly manual photography has made me understand photography much better. I think before I shoot, I look at the DOF scales, I think about whether I should meter the highlights or the shadows, I think about the contrast range vis a vis my film, I think about what shutter speed and aperture I should set, I look for distractions in the viewfinder before expending film, I aim to shoot just one or two frames at most (if bracketing).
I would not have done or understood this if I was an auto-everything photographer. And even now, with my M7, I still think very hard about exposure before I shoot, I don't just leave everything to the camera.
10. What worked, what didn't.
Things unused:
a. Close-up goggles for 50 DR-- I preferred to capture more of the carved reliefs (to tell a complete story) rather than individual carvings.
b. 1.25x magnifier-- no time to screw and unscrew in addition to changing the lens.
c. Ultrapod II-- I preferred to use the monopod. In any case, there were no tree branches in the interior of temples to mount the ultrapod against.
d. Spare batteries-- thankfully my M7 battery consumption wasn't that high.
e. FL-D filter-- wasn't necessary, no fluorescent lamps.
Everything else got some use, incl. the flash (for really dim interior shots). Yes-- your Leica can use flash.
11. Minilux
The minilux on my belt was my sidearm, used when I had no film in my M's or if they were in my bag and I needed to shoot quickly. For all its quirks, this camera produces lovely images.
12. Things lost/damaged
a. Dented my 12585 hood slightly when I slipped.
b. Lost my M7 flash sync port cover-- should have left it at home.
c. Lost my monopod cover (how did it drop?)
d. Chipped my ballhead slightly when it dropped.
All in, I got off lightly.
13. Results
I exposed 21 rolls over 8 days. It'll be next week before I can post any images. I'm doing my own B&W, but the slides will be ready likely after Christmas.
Hope to post some pictures soon.
Last edited:
