So this happened to me yesterday!!!! Took 2 portrait shots, same person, same lighting .... first with a Leica Q2 / Summilux 1.7 (47MP) and second with an X-pro2 (24MP) with cheap $100 TTartisan 1.4. Cropping the Leica to same FOV, I was shocked how similar they looked in Lightroom on my 5K monitor full screen. At first, I was pissed at my Leica. But then, I was proud of my X-pro2 and cheap lens hahahahah ....
I, too, am just how amazed at how much I enjoy shooting a Leica, also with the 35mm f/1.4 (the generation just prior to the current close-focusing version). I really enjoy the film like colors and contrast it give, though, so I can't imaging using it for B&W photos at all. And I couldn't care less what camera someone else uses to make a photo. For my own use it's about which camera I am most likely to take with me and enjoy using, so I actually take a lot of photos, in any given situation.
That said, I really love the “smoothness” of your videos. There’s a jazz kind of vibe to them. Maybe that’s a Cali thing. And for me, I’m a Leica M3,M7,SL2-S, Q3 fanboy. And a Contax 645 fiend. Continued happiness and success to you and yours. Be Blessed, Doc Chaps
I’ve really enjoyed my time with my Fuji GA645. Creates really beautiful shots and is simple because it’s basically a medium format p&s. Dream camera right now is the Mamiya 7 lol.
I prefer my GA645 to my mamiya 7II I had to be honest. In my opinion the Mamiya 7 is overrated, and 10 out of 10 times I’d rather have the Pentax 67II.
Hey Dave, love your videos. I will just say, IMO this is proof that all is in the light. If you control the light and the subject, you can take usable photo with any gear. When I work events, or night part of the wedding and put side by side my Canon R5, R5C files or any Sony camera vs. my Q2Mono. That is when blind dog see the difference. Clients love it to the point that I want to get typ 246 wihh 50 sumicron to pair it with 28 on Q2. With only usable light, in difficult situation or for some specialized jobs, gear will always matter and "the look" will be obvious. Thank you for the great content!!
Honestly, I couldn't really tell any real differences in this instance. I think the way you shoot and edit matters more. Personally I agree with you on how I like to shoot a Leica (SL2S and M11), which is the haptics and interface. But I have to say, once you edit, the Sony A7RV is just as good in most cases. As for medium format - if you like rangefinder, and still a big neg, I love my Mamiya 7. Easy to shoot, easy to compose and opitcal quality is excellent.
Hello Dave, Mamiya 6 is very compact system, Fujifilm GF670 has 80mm fixed lens, is foldable and even much more portable. For 6x7 format system camera take a look at Bronica GS1, a lot lighter than Mamiya RB/RZ.
I feel like if you like the Leica experience it’s pretty easy to assume the Mamiya 6 or 7 would be a great fit. Lightweight, great glass, same operation. The 6 is pretty underrated and a better value if you ok with 6x6. I’d stay far away from a Pentax 67 if your issue with the RB is weight/size. Rolleiflex is my favorite but definitely less versatile than the mamiyas. The built in light meter with the mamiya 6/7 is a huge + for me.
Dave, that was cool! I was not convinced any of your first 3 photos were Leica. Happy to hear they were IPhone. I shoot Leica m10 with the 35mm summilux mostly. And there is a character to that lens. I also shoot Fuji sometimes (if I need the autofocus). My bias is definitely toward Leica. I shoot manual mostly for creative control. Regarding medium format, I’d lean towards Hasselblad. Thanks for the cool video.
Thank you for this bias video. I have wondering why the fawning to the Leica "cult" (yes I said that) persists for those hobby photo takers who actually shoot with their iPhones 99% of the time. I silently looked into Leica forums and wondered if I should ask that question "Can someone replicate your Leica digital pictures using a non-Leica camera costing 10 - 20% of the price?" If you give me a great street shot of a small group of diverse people in a city or at a beach with cool architecture in the background, can everyone really see the difference between a Leica and non Leica version? I would say no, but to the professionals out there, what would you say? At the end, are Leica buyers doing it because 1) they"can" 2) they enter that exclusive club and 3) they enter the experience of using a Leica not dissimilar to me enjoying that quality analogue feeling when I wear an IWC watch instead of checking the time on my iphone
Thanks for sharing. I’d say, as I’ve said many times in my videos, Leica is an experience and that’s why we shoot it. The look… it’s a look. But the experience can’t be replicated.
Hi Dave, thanks for this video. Have you ever try GFX 50R ? Much more than a full frame clearly, and such a amazing expérience ! I love Leica as you do, but medium format brings you to heaven 😊
I would really recommend getting a Hasselblad 500 or 501. it’s so awesome. Had two of them and sold them, regret it almost every day. Great video besides that.
Not film but try a Leica S series. I Wass blown away with it but purchased the SL2 instead, but my go to cameras are my M11 & M11M it is just that whole experience I like using these cameras & I've been doing photography sine the late 1960's & got bored but found Leica & like you enjoying my creative side again.
In my film days I had a Rollei SL66 and a Zenza Bronica SQ-A. The Rollei SL66 is a bit on the heavier side, but the built-in (tillable) bellows was very helpful for close-ups and landscape. Not so good for flash (focal plane shutter syncs to 1/30s only) and fast action. The Bronica is a bit of a modern copy of the Hasselblad. Mechanics has been replaced by Electronics which gives some additional options (I liked the prism finder with built-in meter and the handgrip) which maked it perfect for people shots. Back to your video: I cannot agree more. I shoot Leica because of the photographic experience. I know that I can get similar results with my old Olympus E-M1 (at least when printed and hanging on the wall or resting on the coffee table), but it is not the same fun shooting with it.
Just to say I love the Mamiya RB 67 and enjoyed using it so much. If your looking for a medium format that`s less cumbersome have a look at the Bronica ETRSI SYSTEM. It`s 6.45 cm medium format but much more light weight than the RB 67 I used this camera a great deal for weddings and commercial work before going down the digital route. To my eye the iphone stood out a mile as an inferior image the high lights were terrible and yes the Leica was clearly the better camera.
A portable medium format? My favorite is the Fujica GS645 Professional, a foldable range finder from the '80s with a razor sharp 75mm f/3,4 lens and mechanical leaf shutter. It shot 15 6x4,5 frames in "portrait mode". If you like square or a bit larger frame, the much more recent Voigtländer Bessa III 667 (or Fujifilm GF670, it's depend on market) is very similar, but it shot 6x6 or 6x7 frames and it has a electro-mechanical leaf shutter on a 80mm f/3,5 lens. The GS645 has no filter screw mount, the specific and rare lens hood is necessary to use 40,5 mm filters. For both check carefully the bellows. There are also some "wide" variants (GS645w with no range finder, GS645s, Bessa IIIw/GF670w), but these versions are not foldable.
Always buy the camera that get you making photos and get you inspired. A medium format for traveling, then the mamiya 7 will be a good choice, and it’s range finder like Leica. Pentax 67 are same big camera like Mamiya RB67. Good hunting and thanks for your video 🙏🏼
when i had my dad's minolta and his rokkor set, i swore by minolta- then when i went olympus, sore by olympus. the same when i went digital- canon, sony, olympus. the funny thing is when i look through my entire catalog of past work, i couldn't tell you what i shot with. i surprise myself when i swear this photo was taken with the olympus omd and i check the exif and it's the sony nex-3. you're 100% right, the camera almost doesn't have any bearing on the output, cuz if the output isn't "me" we're gonna edit the photo until it is "me" anyways. the camera really is all about the fun- do you have fun using it? right now i'm having a blast with a Leica d'lux and people tell me i actually have a panasonic. well i played with the panasonic version and i have more fun with the Leica. I've also driven both a bmw z and a supra (also "rebadge") and the supra is way more fun. is it real or perception? is life real or a dream? does it matter? lol what the
If you want small medium format, the smallest is the 907x Hasselblad. It's cropped medium format but it has the best colors I've seen and comes in 50 or 100mp, with the 90mm v, it's amazing for portraits. I also shoot Sony and Leica, so I completely feel your point about bias.
The first set of three images looked so very similar, I did not even attempt to choose a Leica-like image, and it does not surprise me that they were all shot with the same camera, that being the camera within the iPhone. Each generation of iPhone does keep getting better, in the ability of the cameras, but, as you indicate, in your narrative, the most important aspect of shooting is the user experience, and, well, shooting with an iPhone generally annoys me, whether in vertical or horizontal orientation.
I just realized that my previous post, above, seems to have a negative “tone.” That was not my intention. The point was that I enjoy shooting with a Leica M camera, and with my DSLRs, depending upon what the task may be. Life is good. 🙂
I love my Pentax 67! When I nail a shot, it absolutely kills my other cameras/formats. However, I wind up taking my Mamiya 645 more often. 15 shots and it’s much smaller. If you do get a new medium, bear in mind that the Pentax 67 isn’t much better than the RB. Being an slr, I do find it easier to shoot than the boxier waist level style cameras. Something light shooting 67 (like the Mamiya) is very tempting $$$ lol! Good luck!
Dave, about 10 seconds in, I was thinking... Oh No! Dave has turned to the dark side. Thanks for your point at 7 min. That was exactly my thought. Thanks for staying in the light!
Interesting - I enjoy your channel, as a recent Leica adopter. But, please, not all of us live in the US. the Bay Area meant nothing to me, so i had to look it up. A bit of quick explanation would be valued 😊
I’ve been really lucky and have a couple medium formats. I think if I had to pick just one, and budget and portability were the two main considerations, it would be a toss up between any 3.5 model Rolleiflex and a Moskva 5 folder. I’d probably even lean a little towards the Moskva since it’s so compact and because you can shoot either 6x6 or gloriously big 6x9 as long as you have the negative frame. Plus it’s a rangefinder, so you get that fun.
I really loved the Rolleiflex when I had it, and I shot so many rolls through it. That said, I like to change focal lengths out and I really enjoy systems where I can change up the look. A fixed lens for me gets a little boring after a while.
@@davidherring I definitely like having a Rolleinar to at least shorten up the focusing distance. Not exactly a different focal length, but at least something different to play with.
I don’t expect to see any difference in the pics. The difference is in the user experience of using the camera. I loved using my Mamiya 7. I love using my Leica. I hate using my iPhone. But for 90% of the time I can’t tell the difference in the photo.
I've found with individual photo comparisons I'm about 50-66% likely to identify a picture taken with a certain camera, which isn't great. However, given a larger grouping of pictures (e.g. these 3 pictures were taken with camera A, these 3 cameras were taken with camera B, etc.) my accuracy goes up dramatically.
I think I could make a video and share all iPhone photos and say it’s a Leica shoot and 9/10 people will talk about image quality and how great it looks. I find this often on IG. This is camera bias. You’re right - it’s really tough when looking at individual photos, but that’s how we process photography.
@@davidherring I believe it. IG compresses images so much that without bokeh/DOF to give it away, it's hard to tell the difference. One of your previous videos comparing Leica to Sony you talked about something that I find to be true: Leica cameras/lenses do a good job of conveying "texture" -- IG's compression absolutely nukes the details/microcontrast/whatever you want to call it that make it really easy to tell when something was taken with an iPhone or a nicer camera.
Check out the Fuji GW670III or any of the variants. It's big but doesn't weigh much because it's all plastic, the lens is great and it's a range finder. I'm sure you'll like it. I have the GW680III.
Thought I was going crazy with the first blind test. I’m like “They look all the same”. Definitely agree the experience makes a difference. I to am into the Sony & Leica Ecosystem. Personally for me depends on the situation which I pick up. The Leica 11 or M6 definitely for the experience and ease of use. Furthermore, the sooc jpeg is just beautiful as is at times. Great video man. Question for you given your recent wildlife photos don’t you think the Sony may have been better suited or do you find the Leica handles those situations well ?
Thanks for sharing! The Leica M for wildlife is kind of an insane endeavor. Even with 61mp on the M11 and a 135, it just isn’t designed for that and didn’t work well. Maybe at a zoo, but def not in the wild. The SL2S with the 100-400 worked alright, but the limited megapixels made it not so practical. I’ve found my Sony A7RV and a 100-400GM is the best combo you can walk around with, except the 400GM should you ever want to sell a kidney.
First thought was # 3 because of the highlights, but definitely agree. We almost all have biased to what we actually enjoy shooting more than what the end results will be. I shoot Leica because the M is the only body that gives me a true rangefinder experience and similar feel to shooting film with no extra costs on top of the system. If I had the time and money I’d love to still shoot film, but I’m a hobbyist with two kids and another on the way. So the MP240mis my camera of choice !
In the first three photos I was looking for flatness, a too HDR look, to make out the iPhone. Somehow they were all the same in that aspect ;). I didn‘t even think I could make out the difference between the pro cameras, they are all pretty close now. But in the second comparison that flatness is the difference to the pro bodys. I think lenses make more of a difference, not so mich with the super-corrected new ones. Are my M10-R photos as sharp as my Sony Alpha ones? Nope. Love them more even so, because I had more fun shooting them.
Hasselblad 500c/m or a Rollieflex sl66 - have both the Sl66 and bit heavier but the choice of lenses are fantastic. On the other had you can now get the digital back for the hasselblad with 100MP!!
I used to shoot on a Blad. I knew other guys shooting on the RB 6x7. Always looked pretty cumbersome. I'm a Leica guy now, M11 curently. But... that new Hasselblad 100MP unit looks very cool. I could see myself with that!!!
Honestly, I really don't have camera bias. Digitaly I shoot Sony , Fuji, Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, Ricoh. and FIlm wise Pretty much every brand you can think of both 35mm and Medium format. I think they all have thier strengths and I enjoy them all. To me it comes down to value for money and that's why I don't own a digital Leica. As far as medium format I would have to say that so far my Favorite is the Mamiya 7 II. It takes amazing photos and the best part is it's size and weight for a 6x7, I have pretty much taken it on all my trips. I agree the RB and the RZ are just huge and heavy and at one time I was seriusly considering it until I held an RZ in my hand for a couple of minutes. You just can't go wrong with the Mamiya 7 II when it comes to 6x7 medium format.
@davidherring Here is a thought, maybe you can make a video one day about it. Hasselblad has amazing 6x6 film projector - PCP 80. Quality of images are mind boggling. That is the reason 90% of time I shoot Hasselblad 500. I do not need to scan my slide film - just mount it and enjoy the experience. I have a short on my profile how it looks. I do not get why people avoid slide film 😮
For 6x7 MF: I sold my RB67 which is no option in your case. I kept the Pentax 67 as a system camera but it is not much more portable. Got a Makina 67 for that. Other MF: I love the Hassy 500cm and shot with 50/60/80/120/150/180/250/350&500. I sold most and gravitate towards 80/120/150. Very portable with WLF+80 but not as portable as a TLR. I am also playing with the Fuji GW690iii at the moment but this one needs to go ... too many cameras. I decided to stay away from electronics as much as possible, the Pentax being the exception. No Mamiya 6, Mamiya 7, or Fuji GF670 for me. Camera bias: it is a hobby and I don't care. I shoot the cameras above & the M system for my own enjoyment. Manual focus & exposure is just fun and relaxing. I use my Canon R system to digitize my negatives, when I need AF, or when I need long lenses. BTW: Nice channel! Loved your RB67 story, and your Niles video was basically next door. No idea how many pics I took of this gas station 😂
@@davidherring You'll love it. The PM prisms are great and lightweight. Extra hassy benefit: Karl at Seawood can fix most common issues so you have a local repair guy. He fixed multiple bodies and A12 backs for me.
the first 3 i didn't see any difference and i really tried, later i see the depth of field difference from camera to smartphone. How you like Leica you should get mamiya 7 since you already have the RB67 if you want to use an SLR
I like the leica experience too (the rangefinder is so much fun), except that my brand new m11-p had 4-5 freezes in less then a month and it’s my sixth leica m11 in less then a year 😂🙄, I considering leaving leica (digital) and make the switch to Hasselblad 🤔
For real, I’m not the smart, but all I could see was an iPhone. The clarity and definition that I’d look for in either the M11 or the dreaded Sony wasn’t evident in any of these images.
First three photos: I have to admit, I was a bit irritated. The photos didn't really look like what I'd expect to see from a Leica, but I wasn't 100 % set on that, too. However, after looking at them for a while I thought, huh, they look so similar, is this even a comparison or just one camera? Depth of field is what got me thinking in the first place, just because I expected to see some blur and smooth transition to the background, and there is basically none of that. Sure, you could have stepped down to fool the ones of us that think like me here, but I still wasn't convinced. Now to the second set of photos. I can clearly see the difference between a "real" camera and a phone, but I didn't identify the Leica as a Leica. Could have been the Sony, too. I'm not too familiar with Leica photos, so maybe it's due to a lack of experience. All in all: I prefer any camera over a phone, but at that point, the actual model doesn't really matter anymore. I started with Nikon (APS-C) and switched to Fuji (APS-C) in 2021, really like their colors.
I hear you! Depth of field is always a giveaway that you’re using a real lens. That said, remove depth of field and it gets a bit more challenging. That’s how good sensors even in smart phones has gotten.
I really enjoy your videos. This one I didn’t at all. First I knew right away the first 3 were iPhone photos. So that that dumb. Second, taking images and trying to make them all look the is ridiculous. Each camera has its unique output and the images should be shown as such, not you editing them to look alike. You’re basically removing the camera’s signature look on purpose and say hey guys they look the same. No Duh.
With film cameras that’s 100% true but nowadays with different sensors and processing algorithms for cameras, the camera 100% makes an impact on the image.
