Street | Urban | Travel | Photography by Marcus Puschmann
Spring has finally arrived with sunshine and warmer temperatures. No doubt The Significant Other insisted we go on a hike through the Franconian countryside outside Nuremberg. I didn’t argue at all, as this was a great first opportunity to screw (literally) a 50 year old “Nifty Fifty” on my Nikon Zf for a first test of its legendary optics – the Pentax Asahi SMC Takumar 1.4/50. Join me on a Sunday walk with a vintage lens….
Continue reading “Sunday Walk with a Vintage Lens”
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
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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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Over the weekend I had the opportunity to test an amazing camera, the Leica SL2-S, bundled with the Leica Vario-Elmarit 1:2.8/24-70mm Asph. I was particularly interested in the low light capability of the 24mp full frame mirrorless camera. So I headed into town to do some nocturnal street photography…
Continue reading “Nocturnal Street Photography”
Last Sunday, despite the wet and wintery weather, The Significant Other and I headed into the local woods to catch some fresh air. For me an opportunity to bring along my old Leica M (Type 240) and the vintage Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 1:2 50mm lens I have on loan from a friend.
Continue reading “Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 1:2 50mm”
I was very much looking forward to this, shooting with a 60 year old lens. My Dad gave me a vintage 90mm Leica Summicron F/2 for Christmas (thanks, Dad, for the awesome present). The beauty of the Leica M system is that you can attach any lens from the Leica (M)esssucher (=rangefinder) system introduced back in 1954 to modern Leica digital cameras with an M-Mount. And as I have acquired a (for digital camera standards also vintage) used Leica M (Type 240) about a year ago, the 90mm is a great addition to my small collection of Leica prime lenses.
Continue reading “Shooting with a 60 year old lens”
I get asked a lot for advice on a low-budget entry level camera. I usually respond by asking for what kind of photography it is intended to be used. Because, frankly speaking, if people want to spend 300€ on a simple entry level camera for just some basic snapping of the usual holiday / people / travel photos, they should stay away and just use their smart phone. Because smart phones these days are also really good cameras, and one that you always carry with you….so the question is: Smartphone or entry level camera?
Continue reading “Smartphone or entry level camera?”
Who would have seen that coming, the Oly fan-boy venturing out in neighbor’s garden. Even I myself never thought I might be exploring another camera system. But it has really happened. I bought a Fuji….
Continue reading “I bought a Fuji”
One of the great features of my new Olympus OM-D E-M1X is the ability to use sensor shift technology to increase the image resolution by combining multiple shots. This function is called High Resolution Photo (also referred to as High Res Shot or HRS). The camera takes 8 (in handheld mode 16) consecutive images and moves the sensor by half a pixel between each shot. The 8 pictures are then composited to create the final output. The resolution is 80MP for RAW and 50MP for JPG (when using a tripod) or 50MP for both RAW and JPG when shooting handheld.
Continue reading “OM-D E-M1X High Res Shot”
Some camera history to start the week. In my quest to re-enter analogue film photography, I took to eBay to acquire a beautiful vintage Yashica Electro 35 GTN. For the history of this beautiful rangefinder camera and some of my film photographs I took during a test shooting on the Streets of Nuremberg, read the full post.
Continue reading “Camera History – Yashica Electro 35 GTN”
The Konica Autoreflex T, launched in 1968, was the first camera with fully automatic exposure control through the lens (TTL). Both features, in their own right, already existed before: the fully automatic exposure control with built-in light meter on the Konica Auto-Reflex, the exposure metering through the lens on the Topcon RE Super / Super D and the Spotmatic series from Pentax. But the combination of both was new. Back then, fully automatic exposure control was a very advanced feature of SLR cameras, other manufacturers were still unable to offer this option a decade later, and until the end of the 1970s fully automatic exposure control was not a matter of course.
For more about this iconic camera and a visual journey around it continue after the jump…. Continue reading “Camera History – Konica Autoreflex T2”
Winter is here for good in the streets of Nuremberg. Temperatures have dropped below freezing and yesterday we had the first snow flurries of the season, even though it didn’t last very long.
But for sure it’s getting a bit uncomfortable when roaming the streets with the camera in my hands. And as the pretty lady with her lap dog in the photo above (taken with my Olympus PEN-F and the mZuiko 25mm F/2 prime lens, specs are 1/180 sec @ f/2 and ISO 200), I’m using gloves to keep my hands warm. The thing is, regular gloves are not very handy when it comes to operating the camera with all the little dials and buttons. And I’m not a big fan of wearing fingerless gloves (what is the sense of having those, when your fingertips are freezing off). But there is something like a hybrid model. A real photographers glove. A glove with which one can simply fold the tips of thumb and index finger to the side.
I found those somewhere on the web last year (searching for photographers gloves), and they are the real thing, after testing them the rest of last winter. The crests are foldable on both gloves, by the way. It is super easy to use, so maximum you have the tips of thumb and index finger cold when leaving them exposed to operate the cam. An essential piece of gear for winter photography, not only for the street shooter.
If you look for tips and inspirations around photography, check out my free Learning Center.
Wish you a great Wednesday – and stay warm!
Marcus
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