Leica S Test Shoot - Jackie O Photo Recreated

Article and photographs by Allan S. Adler
 
When you purchase a Leica camera you become a member of an exclusive club I call the Red Dot Club. The Leica name in the Red Dot is their company logo and on nearly every Leica Camera produced. A raised Red Dot marking is on all lenses to mount it to a camera body and the lens the flange of all camera bodies with removable lenses has a recessed Red Dot for proper alignment.

Leica's storied history is second to none in the photography world. Behind Leica cameras and the Red Dot were - and presently are - the finest photographers for over 100 years and many years to come. I'm honored to be a member, and when I pick up any Leica I am inspired to create.

I became a member in the late seventies when I purchased a Leica M4 with a 35mm Summicron and eventually I added the 21mm, 28mm, 50mm, 90mm and 135mm lenses. It was my quiet camera used to capture intimate moments when I did not want my bulky and loud Nikons with motor drives to impose or disrupt the setting.

The M4 was a smooth as silk camera to hold in my hands and the winding and firing of the shutter was therapeutic. There was no sound sweeter to a photographer's ears than the sound of a Leica shutter. I was in Boston on assignment with Bob Hope when Ted Kennedy decided to run for President in 1980 against Jimmy Carter. I had no credentials, but at age twenty-one I had a fearless attitude and drive to go and do anything. I left Bob and the private jet and said I would catch up at our next location.

I arrived at Faneuil Hall the historic Boston location where Ted Kennedy announced. I roamed the crowd capturing the activities when Jackie Kennedy Onassis exited and came towards me. To my surprise I was the only photographer in that location where Jackie exited. I captured several frames on the run with the crowd moving in. When a horse mounted police officer entered frame to control the crowd Jackie began to interact for a brief moment I took a few frames up close The M4 was perfect for this situation; the quiet shutter did not interrupt the moment of Jackie with Algernon the horse. After a few more frames she entered her car and drove away. My Leica M4 captured a set of pictures of the last living member of an era we called Camelot, as many Leica photographers and Red Dot Club members had before me.

Jump ahead thirty-four years: Leica came out with it's 100 year anniversary special edition Leica S Camera with 30mm and 70mm Lenses in a special case limited to only fifty sets worldwide. The Leica Boutique at the Samy's Camera in Los Angeles has a 50 Year Anniversary Leica M4 on display alongside the Leica S 100 year Anniversary Kit, a collectors "Dream Team." After chatting with Tibor, Samy's Mr. Leica, manager of the Leica Boutique and after seeing photographs of the two special cameras I went to work.

     The Leica S felt as nice in my hands as my M4 and R4 did years ago. The Leica S controls are situated similarly as all reflex Leica 35mm cameras were. The S Camera was easy to operate, the display was intuitive and I didn't need the manual because guys don't ask for driving directions or read instruction manuals

The S Camera is paired with a Leica Summarit-S 70 mm f/2.5 ASPH CS and Leica Elmarit-S 30 mm f/2.8 ASPH. CS lenses, all bearing the centennial insignia and encased in a custom aluminum Rimowa Cabin Trolley Case. A perfect addition to any Leica collection

The S handled my shooting pace and captured my RAW images with ease. The Leica S is the most advanced Leica DSLR made and still maintains the feel and precision of its predecessors and unlike all other medium format sensor cameras on the market, none are shaped or configured like the Leica S and feels natural in my hands with all of the controls in a familiar place. The sensor captures a 37.5 MP image with no optical low pass filter in a universal DNG file format. When combined with Leica lenses there is no finer image with edge-to-edge sharpness and color rendition. A perfect combination to capture the most demanding images.

The Leica S 100 Edition is more than a camera; it is a piece of art worthy of any museum. To own a piece of Leica History and become one of 50 worldwide you may order online or call Tibor, Mr. Leica at the Leica Boutique in the Samy's Camera Flagship tore in Los Angeles. Tibor's direct phone number is 323-938-2420 x1352.

Leica M Monochrom Announced

Solms Germany (May 10, 2012) - Leica Camera AG presents the Leica M Monochrom, the world’s first digital camera exclusively for full-frame, 35 mm black-and-white photography. Featuring a sensor designed specifically for this purpose, the new addition to the Leica portfolio enables photographers to capture images in outstanding black-and-white quality, setting entirely new standards. The latest camera in the flagship Leica M-System, the Leica M Monochrom continues the successful story of the Leica rangefinder system, which has written numerous chapters in the history of innovative photography.

“Black-and-white photography is more popular than ever before. Even today, it has lost none of its fascination as an expressive medium, not even for younger generations of photographers. This is confirmed by the numerous monochrome images shown by members of the M-Community, who we are in constant contact with,” said Jesko von Oeynhausen, Product Manager for the M-System at Leica Camera AG. “For the first time ever, we are offering an opportunity to consistently and authentically explore black-and-white photography with the M Monochrom, a tool that is unique in the digital world. The camera’s exclusively black-and-white sensor brings an enormous technical benefit that is reflected in the amazing imaging quality it delivers.”

The 18 MP image sensor of the M Monochrom is perfectly matched to the unique properties of the Leica M-System and the superior performance of Leica M-Lenses. As the sensor does not ‘see’ colors, every pixel records true luminance values – as a result, it delivers ‘true’ black-and-white images that are significantly sharper than comparable exposures from a camera with a color-sensitive sensor.

To allow precise control of tonal values, the Leica M Monochrom offers a raw data histogram display to exhibit original, unprocessed and unmodified raw data. This, combined with a configurable clipping display, allows precise correction or optimization of exposures.

At the touch of a button, images captured by the M Monochrom can be converted with characteristic toning effects from black-and-white film photography (sepia, cold or selenium toning). All users need to do is save the image in JPEG format and select the desired toning effect – simply and conveniently, with no need for post-processing.

The classic, iconic design of the Leica M-cameras is carried forward by the Leica M Monochrom. The matte-black finish of the chromed top deck allows the camera to be an unobtrusive tool. Only an engraved script on the accessory shoe reveals the product name. The camera features particularly soft leather trim with ideal grip that perfectly complements the camera’s discreet character. The camera package also includes a genuine leather carrying strap in premium full-grain cowhide.

The M Monochrom is supplied complete with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a professional digital workflow solution. The software is available to customers as an online download after product registration. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom offers a wide range of functions for the management, processing and presentation of digital images. For example, this software allows for the creation of simple print layouts, slide shows and photo books.

A full-version of Silver Efex Pro 2, the world’s leading black-and-white image processing software, is also included in the package. Silver Efex Pro 2 offers an impressive collection of unique and powerful, darkroom-inspired tools for the creation of high quality black-and-white images. Silver Efex Pro 2 emulates over 20 different types of black-and-white film to recreate the glory of classical black-and-white film photography. The emulation of each film type is based on the analysis of many rolls of the respective type and guarantees perfect reproduction of the characteristic look of many popular films from ISO 32 to ISO 3200.

For the production of high-quality black-and-white prints, Leica Camera AG also offers a unique service in collaboration with Whitewall. After registering their Leica M Monochrom on the Leica website, customers can have their digital images from the M Monochrom printed on premium-quality baryte paper. These prints can be ordered from Whitewall through a personal link.

From photojournalism and available light photography to discreet, artistically aesthetic, creative compositions – the Leica M Monochrom adapts flexibly to every application and enables the expression of personal photographic style and consciously creative composition. The enormous potential performance of the current M-Lens portfolio, with focal lengths from 16 to 135 mm, is also fully accessible. In line with Leica’s renowned commitment to extreme system compatibility, almost all lenses of the Leica M range built since 1954 can still be used on the M Monochrom.

All characteristic properties of the Leica rangefinder system are also present in the new Leica M Monochrom. This, for instance, also includes the system’s intuitive and discreet handling. Its manual focusing based on the combined viewfinder and rangefinder concept and aperture priority exposure mode is an aid to photographers rather than placing undesired limitations on their creative freedom. In combination with the monitor display on the back of the camera, the simple menu navigation needs only a few control elements to enable rapid access to the entire range of camera functions. Together with its compact construction, the camera’s almost silent shutter benefits discreet and unobtrusive photography. Photographers can even select the appropriate moment for re-cocking the shutter. When longer exposure times requiring an extremely steady camera stance are essential, a slight pressure on the shutter release button in ‘soft release’ mode is sufficient.

All functions of the Leica M Monochrom are constructed with extreme robustness and a long working life in mind. Its one-piece, full-metal housing, made from a high-strength magnesium alloy, and the top deck and bottom plate, machined from solid brass blanks, provide perfect protection for its precious inner mechanisms. The digital components and shutter assembly of the M Monochrom are similarly constructed with a view to a lifetime of endurance. For photographers, this provides absolute reliability over decades of use. The experienced hands of Leica technicians at the factory in Solms are responsible for the assembly and calibration of M Monochrom bodies and the precise testing of all mechanical and electrical components. Leica Customer Care has decades of experience in repairs and maintenance and therefore creates a solid foundation for long life and enduring value. Even today, the service department maintains and repairs all M-Cameras built since 1954.

The Leica M-System has played a significant role in the development of the company’s performance in recent years. The annual figures have been correspondingly positive since the launch of the Leica M9 in September 2009 and are now registering record revenues.

The Leica M Monochrom in black chrome will be available from Leica dealers including the Leica Store Washington DC beginning in late July 2012.