Everything not Forbidden is Compulsory
Two Hours with the Leica M 240
The Summicron-M 28mm Lens
Sharks or Jets?
Jeanloup Sieff often shot with a Leica M and only a 28mm lens. It’s a tricky focal length for fashion and portraits: too close and your subject’s head grows bulbous; too far and she’s lost in the frame. But with the right distance and composition, the 28mm field of view sings with the style, humor, and hint of danger that was Sieff’s signature.
Flexible Files
While images straight out of the M 240 (hereinafter “M”) require little editing, the DNG source files are incredibly flexible. The shot of Katya (below left) is completely un-retouched. You’ll notice that at f/9.5 the dust spots are prominent. Since the M was a loaner I don’t know how common this problem is, and whether the photographers who handled the camera before me took proper care to protect the sensor. The shot on the right represents sixty seconds in Lightroom: Lens profile correction, exposure +0.3, spot removal, horizontal level, Kodak Portra 160 NC.
Film-Like Grain
ISO 640 shows very little grain, and what grain there is looks like film — as seen in this 100% crop. Surprisingly, f/4.8 on 28mm won’t rescue you from missing focus on the close eye.
Both Eyes Open
You can shoot a rangefinder with both eyes open, and when you mount the Summicron-M 28mm you’ll want to — the hood blocks about 10% of the viewfinder. This was jarring after years of shooting (and seeing) the world through an EVF, but doesn’t take long to overcome. When shooting with both eyes open you absolutely feel more engaged with the scene and your subject.
Compared to the Sony A7
N.B.: If you’re looking for a brick wall shootout, you’ll need to go elsewhere.
My primary gear is the Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH mounted on the Sony a7 with a Voigtlander adapter. The combination is small, well balanced with a pleasant heft, and renders excellent images. Both cameras feature a 24 megapixel CMOS sensor, and although the sensors are manufactured by different vendors the output is remarkably similar: more alike than unalike. For all but the most exacting landscape or product photography 24MP is perfectly sufficient. In fact, the a7R’s 36MP sensor renders a punishing level of detail; unless you’re prepared to spend extra time in Photoshop your models will not thank you.
The a7 sensor does have a greater dynamic range than the M: 14.2 EV compared to 13.3EV. When shot with the Leica 50-Lux the a7 can render stunning detail in the shadows, as seen in the image below.
The differences between the M and the a7 come down to the shooting experience. But what an experience:
Build
While the build quality of the a7 is solid, there is still some flex and wiggle with the 50-Lux mounted — as one would expect with an adapted lens. The M, conversely, feels cut from a chunk of metal. There is no give, flex, or wiggle with an M lens mounted on an M camera.
Handling
The a7 has a deep grip which keeps the camera comfortably in hand for hours at a time. But the M feels as natural in hand as any camera I’ve ever shot, save the Leica S.
Intangibles
The a7 — with autofocus and zoom lenses — is the more versatile camera and beats the M in most measures where one can list a specification. But there is no school of a7 photography, and there is no rhythm to shooting a Sony.
The Summilux-M 50mm ASPH
The M is different. There is a way to shoot a rangefinder, and there is a way to handle an M. After an hour of practice everything falls into place and just clicks: the sound, the feel, and the output. Final shot of the portfolio: Leica M with the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH.
End Notes: Leica M 240 and Leica Summicron-M 28mm courtesy Leica. “Sharks or Jets?” was displayed at Leica DC September, 2014. This review originally appeared on exposure.co on August 27th, 2014.
