Month: February 2025

Nikon Zf – What an autofocus

Two ladies going shopping in Genoas Centro Storico - an opportunity for me to try the Autofocus of the Nikon ZF
1/8000 sec | f/2 | ISO 6400 | 40mm

Ok – this is not the prettiest of street photographs. But it shows a couple of things from putting my new baby, the Nikon Zf, through some initial tests on the streets of Genoa. The 24.5-megapixel full-frame BSI CMOS sensor combined with the EXPEED 7 image processor produces awesome results, delivering beautifully rendered images with a high dynamic range.

The autofocus of the Nikon Zf is a true champion

But what an autofocus the Zf has. It was already getting dark in the alleys of Genoa’s Old Town. I dialed in ISO 6400 (which produces absolutely usable images with little noise) and the max aperture of f/2 to shoot wide open. This resulted in a shutter speed of 1/8000 sec, enough to freeze any action.

I dialed in wide-area autofocus with eye/face detection. It totally amazed me how easily the camera picked out the faces of oncoming people and nailed the focus on their eyes. I walked towards the also quite fast walking oncoming ladies and pressed the shutter. E voilà, a sharp image. The Leica SL2-S could never ever have done this.

I took this street photograph with my Nikon Zf and the Nikkor Z 40mm 1:2 SE. It is a jpg out of the camera using the Zf’s default black & white mode. I could quick-select this mode by turning a dial on top of the camera. This is another awesome feature of this amazing camera. Stay tuned for more feature reviews as I continue to discover and learn my new camera.

So far, I can only rave about the Zf and say that I’m truly glad I replaced the Leica SL2-S with the Nikon. I’m also amazed at how superior the Nikon is compared to the much more expensive “high-end” Leica. Especially, the autofocus simply blows the SL2-S away. I have found my perfect street photography camera.

If you are looking for tips and inspiration around street photography, check out my free Learning Center.

Have a great Friday!

Marcus

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A very special visitor

Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 1:2 50mm

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Lensbaby Streetshot

7

White Giant

White Giant - a stuffed white Tiger in Genoa's Museum of Natural History
White Giant | Genoa | 2025

There is more from the last weekend’s visit to Genoa’s Museum of Natural History. In my last post I have mentioned juxtaposition as compositional element. Now how about this juxtaposition? This white tiger was by far the largest tiger I ever saw, dead or alive. Crazy big. The card in the display said the animal died in 1758 in a Circus, was subsequently stuffed and eventually ended up in the museum for everyone to simply admire. The Tiger was huge by my standards. How must that little girl feel looking up to this white giant?

A street photographer can apply many compositional elements to the images to generate a viewers interest. Leading lines guide the eye through the image, creating a sense of depth and direction. The rule of thirds divides the frame into a grid, helping to position subjects in a way that feels balanced and engaging. And, like in this example, Juxtaposition places contrasting subjects or elements side by side to create visual tension or highlight differences. Like the white giant and the little girl.

Taken with my Nikon ZF and the Nikkor Z 40mm 1:2 SE, image specs 1/125 sec @ f/5.6 and ISO 6400, 40mm focal length. Jpg out of camera using the Zf’s default black & white mode that can be quick-selected by a dial on top of the camera.

If you are looking for more tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center. 

Have a great Thursday

Marcus 

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Instant Inspiration (24) – Fine Art Wildlife

Instant Inspiration (4) – Juxtaposition

Namibia Explored – Etosha Wildlife

A Whale of a Day

17

Ghosting

Skeletons looking over the shoulders of museum visitors doing Ghosting
Ghosting | Genoa | 2025

Another one from the last weekend’s visit to Genoa’s Museum of Natural History. Wouldn’t these scene be considered ghosting? Maybe the skeletons noticed the Street Photographer behind the glass of a display with stuffed primates. Musesums or exhibitions are great places for some inconspicuous “street” shooting, as people with cameras (or smartphones) would not stand out much. And there are always funny juxtapositions to be captured.

Taken with my Nikon ZF and the Nikkor Z 40mm 1:2 SE, image specs 1/800 sec @ f/2 and ISO 6400, 40mm focal length. Jpg out of camera using the Zf’s default black&white mode that can be quick-selected by a dial on top of the camera.

If you are looking for more tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center. 

Have a great Tuesday

Marcus 

Related Posts:

Street Photography Quick Tip 2 – Another way to shoot inconspicuously

Street Photography Quick Tip 10 – Using Photographic Obstacles

Instant Inspiration (13)- Pictures in an Exhibition

Instant Inspiration (6) – Storefront Windows

8

Casual Observation

Mom looking into a stroller in front of a museum showcase of skeletons seemingly on a casual observation
Casual Observation | Genoa | 2025

Regular readers should know that I have a hang for street photography in museums. And that where I run across skeletons on display, try my best to have them “interact” with the visitors in front of the displays. Like in this snapshot taken yesterday, when The Signifcant Other and I visited Genoa’s Museum of Natural History. Creepy? No, not really. Come one, after all they are just a bunch of skeletons on a casual observation of people passing in front of the glass cases. Or not? Well, as long as it is not yet Night in the Museum 😉

Taken with my Nikon ZF and the Nikkor Z 40mm 1:2 SE, image specs 1/30 sec @ f/13 and ISO 6400, 40mm focal length. Some post-processing (mainly cropping) in Lightroom Classic.

If you are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center. 

Have a great Monday

Marcus 

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15

Fearless

Man looking fearless at a grinch mural
Fearless | Genoa | 2025

We are living in a crazy world. There are plenty of things around us that cause anxiety. But at least we all should do the things we can do to make things better, safeguard democracy and keep the planet afloat for our children and future generations. Like casting our votes in general elections. It won’t help to stick our heads into the sand. Germany is voting today. Let’s keep the faith that everyone has realized what’s on the plate.

This is the first street photo I have taken with my new Nikon ZF and the Nikkor Z 40mm 1:2 SE on a walk through Genoa’s historic center yesterday. It is a jpg straight out of camera, only some cropping in Lightroom Classic. Images specs 1/1250 sec @ f/4 and ISO 6400, 40mm focal length. I love my new camera more every day!

If you feel like picking up your camera (or smartphone) for a Sunday walk and are looking for tips and inspirations around street photography, check out my free Learning Center. 

Let’s all be fearless!

Have a great Sunday

Marcus 

Related Posts:

Street Photography Quick Tip 1 – A way to shoot inconspicuously

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13

Nikon Zf – A Retro Beauty with Modern Power

Nikon Zf – A Retro Beauty with Modern Power
My New Baby | Nuremberg | 2025

After my tumultuous journey with the Leica SL2-S, marked by repeated hardware failures and frustrating customer service experiences, I had decided to move on. Prerequisite was to get another full frame camera, as the larger sensors ensure better low light capabilities, greater dynamic range and more depth-of-field-separation (bokeh) when shooting wide open. And I was looking for a camera that is (like the Leica from its design and haptics doubtless also was) a joy to pick up and makes me want to go out and shoot. Only reliable.

Going through all the current full frame models on the market, I quickly set my eyes on a particular model. The brand I knew well from my early DSLR shooting days. These cameras never failed me and were reliable work horses. I knew I needed to look no further. There was a camera I instantly fell in love with. Enter the Nikon Zf – a retro beauty with modern power….and my new baby since a couple of weeks now….

Continue reading “Nikon Zf – A Retro Beauty with Modern Power” →
28

Instant Inspiration (33) – Ichigo Ichie

Morrocan School Girl

I haven’t done an Instant Inspiration post in quite a while. I have written already about Wabi-Sabi, which celebrates the beauty of perfect imperfection. There’s another Japanese concept, that’s been on my mind lately—Ichigo Ichie (一期一会). It loosely translates to one time, one meeting or once in a lifetime. The idea? Every moment is fleeting, never to be repeated in quite the same way. And because of that, we should embrace it fully, be present, and take it in before it slips away. For a photographer, this philosophy is everything. Continue below for Episode 33 of my Instant Inspirations, my series for you if you look for something to overcome “Photographer’s Block” or simply want to shoot something that you have never tried, or at least not recently.

Continue reading “Instant Inspiration (33) – Ichigo Ichie” →
20

The end of my journey with Leica

Man walking out of a tunnel into the light. And this is the end of my journey with Leica.
Bye bye Leica | Nuremberg | 2025

With the Leica finally back in my hands after this long and frustrating ordeal, there was only one decision left to make. And it was an easy one.

I will sell the SL2-S.

Not because I need the money. Not because I lack appreciation for the legacy of the Leica brand. But because I simply cannot trust this camera—or this company—ever again. The repeated failure of the SL2-S, the arrogant and dismissive handling of my case by Leica’s customer service, and the condescending physics lecture that came with my repair invoice have sealed my decision. I refuse to own a camera that I feel the need to constantly second-guess. A camera that, despite its premium price and supposed professional-grade engineering, has failed me twice in critical moments. A camera that has left me with more frustration than joy.

And with that, I will leave Leica behind. For good.

I have been a passionate photographer for years, and in that time, I have used cameras from various brands—Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus—without ever experiencing this level of unreliability and poor service. Those cameras have been true workhorses, tools I could count on no matter the conditions. I never had to worry about them suddenly failing in the middle of a vacation, a client shoot, or an important moment. I never had to brace myself for a repair saga that dragged on for months, only to be met with corporate gaslighting.

Leica likes to present itself as a brand of excellence, a brand built on heritage, craftsmanship, and a close relationship with its customers. My experience has been the exact opposite. What I’ve encountered is a company that refuses to take responsibility for repeated hardware failures, treats its customers with skepticism rather than support, and hides behind technical jargon instead of standing behind the reliability of its products.

The SL2-S is now repaired, but I will never put my trust in it again. And I will certainly never buy another Leica camera. Some brands earn their reputation. Others merely trade on nostalgia while failing to live up to it.

Leica, for me, belongs firmly in the latter category. And this is the end of my journey with Leica.

Have a great Sunday

Marcus

Related Posts:

My Leica failed me

The Leica failed me – AGAIN

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37

Ice Ice Baby

Ice skating little boy
Ice Ice Baby | Nuremberg | 2025

Walking into the city the other day, I was quite surprised to see an ice skating rink on the Main Square in Nuremberg’s Old Town. And many people, old and young, obviously enjoying themselves. An awesome opportunity for some low light street photography. Ice Ice Baby….

Continue reading “Ice Ice Baby” →
13

The Leica failed me – AGAIN

Leica SL2-S Shutter Failure
Leica SL2-S Shutter Failure

The last picture I took with my Leica SL2-S is not a pretty one. After working flawlessly at the start of our summer vacation in Brittany last August, my expensive premium German mirrorless full frame camera, from one exposure to the next, started behaving strangely again, giving me the shivers when I noticed. Because it was exact the same behavior the SL2-S showed before failing me at the second day of our Israel vacation in 2022, when the camera was brand new. With a defect of the electronic shutter. You can read about my frustrations with Leica and its customer service back then here and here.

The camera was fixed, but I never used it with the same confidence as my Nikons, Fujis and Olympus cameras. There was always a bad feeling. That it could fail me again. From one moment to the other, as before. So when on vacation, or on a photography gig, I always felt I had to carry a second camera as a backup. This is why in France I also had my trusted workhorse Olympus OM-D E-M1X with me. Which was good. Because it has happened again. The exact same error. The Leica failed me – AGAIN!

But at least I got a free physics lesson out of it. The rest was expensive….

For the full saga between me and the Leica customer service in the past 4 months following the renewed hardware failure, continue after the jump….

Continue reading “The Leica failed me – AGAIN” →
21

The End is Near

a skeleton in the middle of people - the end is near
1/60 sec | f/2.8| ISO 6400 | 70mm

No, the world will not end tomorrow. Also the reaper is (hopefully) not looking over my shoulder. Nothing nearly as dramatic. But there is change ahead, after (yet another) big emotional disappointment. I’m really loyal to the brands I use. But there are limits. And I don’t like to be taken for a fool. So the end is near.

Image taken with the Leica SL2-S and the Vario-Elmarit-SL 1:2.8/24-70 ASPH. Post-processing in Lightroom Classic.

Have a great Saturday

Marcus

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My Leica failed me

The Leica is back

My photographic journey 2022

Night Vision Lens

7

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