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CONTENT

Fabian Zapatka: cab driver at lake Sewan, Ar

Focal lengths 16 to 24 mm for the Le

Annibale Greco: Dhobis in Mu

PORTFOLIOS

FABIAN ZAPATKA 6

Two bikes and little luggage: Fabian Zapatka and Lorenz

Schrter embark on a seven week bicycle journey across

Georgia and Armenia, where Zapatka points his Leica MPat the ordinary, the unique, and the very odd.

ANNIBALE GRECO 52

They do the dirty work so others can have clean clothes

to wear: the launders of the Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai.

Annibale Greco from Italy captured impressions in black

& white from Indias biggest laundry house.

TECH TALK

NOCTILUX: NEW! 20

Reincarnation of a legend: The Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95 Asph,

the fastest asphere lens in the world, is ready to ship.

We tested this new and improved masterpiece for its potential

and user-friendliness at maximum aperture.

S SYSTEM: THE CENTRAL SHUTTER 28

A number of lenses in the Leica S2 system will optionally

feature a central shutter, created like so many

components of Leicas new flagship completely from

scratch. We report on its development.

WIDE ANGLE FOR LEICA M: 16 TO 24 MM 34

From Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm f/4 Asph to Summilux-M

24 mm f/1.4 Asph: The seven lenses from the 16 to 24 mm

segment cover all your wide angle needs.

We compare their properties on film and on chip.

EQUIPMENT BAGS 50

Lowepro 160 AW and 250 AW from the award winning

Classified Series are spacious and comfortable.

SECTIONS

EDITORIAL 4

EXHIBITIONS 18

LFI READERS GALLERY 64

PREVIEW / IMPRINT 66Fabian Zapatka: Small-town trains

station in Dillijan, Armenia

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LFILEICA FOTOGRAFIE INTERNATIONAL

5/2009

JULY

FABIAN ZAPATKAADVENTURE. TWOBIKES, ONE LEICA MP

IN THE CAUCASUS

NOCTILUXFANTASTIC. FIRSTIMPRESSIONS WITH THE

50 MM F/0.95 ASPH

WIDE ANGLEOVERVIEW. THEM FOCAL LENGTHS

16 TO 24 MM

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PEDDLINGTHROUGHTHECAUCASUS

PHOTOS: FABIAN ZAPATKA

An exceptional trip from theBlack Sea via Tiflis to Eriwan:With a Leica MP, two old racingbikes and time on their hands,photographer Fabian Zapatkaand author Lorenz Schrterembark on a dusty road tripthrough Georgia and Armenia.

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8 LFI 5/2009 5/2

This page, clockwise: cigarette

sales in Gori; Georgian kids on the

side of the street; street scene in

Samtredia, Georgia; cab driver near

Gori, cab driver in Georgian village,

magazine vendor in Eriwan

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10 LFI 5/2009 5/2

This page, clockwise: Tiflis

Georgias capital in the

evening hours; an Armenian

butcher and meat; idyllic villas

in the Caucasus; a painter

with muse on city outskirts

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NOCTILUX-M 50 MM F/0.95 ASPH LEICA RANG

5/20

THE HIGH SPEED WONDER FROM SOLMS

It reached us in a black case, embedded in black satin, like a

precious trinket. Yet it was never designed to be locked away

in a safe or pulled out on special occasions only. This was

clearly made to be used passionately by all of those willing

and in the fortunate position to invest the 8000 Euro which

the new Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95 Asph has been relieving

customers of since its market inception in earl y May, 2009.

What exactly, apart from an absolute superlative of a lens

with record-breaking ambitions which cannot help but feel a

little non-contextual, do you get by opening this mother of a

jewellery box?

The new Noctilux design weighs in at a proud, yet

well proportioned 700 grams. It is only nominally longer

and wider than its predecessor, boasting an extraordinary

f/0.95 maximum aperture which is unquestionablyone of lens designs greatest triumphs as well as partly

marketing-related. When Solms set out to work, the objective

was to exceed the predecessor in every way. The forbearing

Noctilux f/1.0 has enjoyed a prime spot in Leicas lens

portfolio for more than 32 years and contributed greatly to

the Leica nimbus, having helped cement the brands kudos

as a specialist for outstanding available light lenses if not

through perfection then definitely through singul

High-speed lenses and we really are talkin

fastest known to mankind are extremely diffic

Designing them requires the careful balancing

types of optical errors, such as spherical aberration

aberration and koma. Moreover, they demand ze

manufacture if they are to deliver the goods as i

the engineers. This explains both its price and

The message is: If you can build a Noctilux and b

you can basically build anything. The other mes

henceforth, the f/0.95 world record is no longe

with Canon, who built a corresponding 50 mm

the 1960s. More importantly, however, it proves

all that you can have the best of extreme aperture a

quality fused in a single lens provided, of comade by Leicas optical department.

Still, isnt a lens like this an anachronism? If

the conditions leading to the creation of super spe

like the Noctilux, and you also understand the

historically surrounding who could create the faste

the answer is yes. The term Available Light real

two things: the photojournalistic need to documePhotos:OS;productshots:Leica

Are you looking to treat yourself? If so, heres an idea: the new Noctilux by Leica.It took a long to make but its turned out fantastic. A first impression.

5/2020 LFI 5/2009

The latest masterpiece from

the Solmsian lens design

department in a dignified

black satin box. The Noctilux-

M 50 mm f/0.95 Asph is a

real treasure one that insists

on being put to good use

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LEICA RANGEFINDER NOCTILUX-M 50 MM F/0.95 ASPH

22 LFI 5/2009

testimonies of time even when the subject is illuminated by

little more than a pit lamp; and the necessity to cope with the

slow emulsions of the 1960s. The possibility to increase the

aperture just a little bit more may have dictated whether ornot you succeeded at getting that picture.

Meanwhile, the world of photography has moved on.

Today, an f/1.4 lens is all you really need to create powerful

low-light photography (see 50 mm Summilux-M Asph). And

yet pushi ng t he speed boun daries through the roof is no t

solely about making a point. The significance of maximum

aperture has also changed. In the past it primarily denoted

the ability to see in low light. Today, it stands for increased

compositional possibilities and ways of emphasising

photographic content throu gh focus and blur. It comes as no

surprise then that the design process has also evolved to a far

greater level than if it were simply about chasing pictures

in the dark. The focusing plane, given its tiny depth of field

of two centimetres at one metre distance or eight centimetres

at two metres distance with full aperture, as well as the skill

involved in focusing it correctly, really has to earn its name;

the transition from focus to blur and the detail in the bokehhas to be harmonious and smooth, as well as precise and

teeming with nuances. What is more, the lens will want to

perform to an equally high standard across all aperture stops

as you wouldnt want to invest all this money in a lens that

lacks convincing all-round qualities.

The Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1 developed by Walter Mandler

at Leitz Canada in 1976 consisted only of spherical lens

Maximum aperture at evening light. The result is so crisp youd never

think it were shot at f/0.95 if it werent for the creamy bokeh

The new Noctilux contains

two asphericals of large diameter,

whose manufacture demands

a highly sophisticated grinding

and polishing process

5/20

Footloose snapshots at maximum aperture neednt be complicated. The

focusing ring requires a little force but operates smoothly and precisely

Thanks to the plasticity generated at maximum aperture,

anything shot with the Noctilux will have a special appeal

forphotography

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TECH TALK LEICA S SYSTEM

28 LFI 5/2009

LEICA S SYSTEM T

5/20

THE CENTRAL SHUTTER

Leicas proprietary central shutter readies the Leica S2 fortop performance in the field and in the studio. Though its yet to reach

completion weve been granted a sneak preview.

The Leica S2 abandons the familiar and enters uncharted

territory with the development of a medium-format-

ish image sensor. It also pushes developers to consider

numerous other new technologies, such as lenses withcentral shutters. Here, the medium format market has a

sizeable gap down the middle, as illustrated by our two

examples: Hasselblad, for instance, works exclusively with

central shutters; they were never very successful with their

focal plane solutions. Mamiyas esteemed 645 cameras are

based entirely on the focal plane shutter system, despite

the companys recent announcement to introduce their first

central shutter lens to this system. Studio photographers

generally want more than superior image quality. One

of their reasons for shooting medium format in the first

place is precisely because of the central shutter. Where

focal plane shutters for medium format cameras warrant

a maximum shutter speed of 1/125 sec when working

with flash, in action photography this is far from ideal.

Central shutters, on the other hand, can be run across their

complete speed spectrum.

To this end, Leica is placing all of their cards on thedevelopment of a dual system and includes, what is for

medium format image sensors, an extremely fast focal plane

shutter with a maximum 1/4000 second shutter speed and

1/125 flash sync. Sports and action photographers will be

pleased to hear this. Moreover, most S lenses will be available

in CS editions with central shutter, while the camera will

feature a switch to swiftly toggle between CS and FPS mode

(central shutter and focal plane shutter). The entire platform

will revolve aroun d both shutte rs equally. There is n othing

quite like it in the photography industry today.

THE OPTICAL CORE

Focal plane and central shutters are fundamentally different.

The central shutter sits right up against the aperture in

the optical centre of the lens. In other words, the shutter

activity takes place inside the lens and not the camera body.

The speed at which the shutter sectors move is finite,

which is of little importance in practice as long as the

movement is fast enough to respect the set shutter speed.

This speed, however, limits maximum shutter speed, which

is why central shutters typically operate between 1/500

and 1/1000 second values which, as well find out later, are

rarely accurate.

With focal plane shutters, faster exposure speeds per

pixel are easily achieved by firing two shutter curtains

virtually simultaneously (in rapid succession). However,

the flash will only work when the shutter is fully open

and the sensor completely exposed. Its a limitation centralshutters do not have, which is key to studio photographers.

Where the focal plane shutter is restricted to 1/125 sec flash

sync speed, the central shutter can go up to 1/500 second

and faster and allows for exposures of at least 2 EV less.

This effectively suppresses ambient light and prevents

double contours and blur from occurring when shooting

moving objects. It also gives you more control outdoors.

BY HOLGER SPARR

5/20

Konstantin Aab, intellectu

the Leica central shutter s

experimental model. In the

the shutter as CAD model

Photos:Leica

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LEICA RANGEFINDER WIDE ANGLES 16 TO 24 MM

34 LFI 5/2009

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Since Photokina 2008 the Leica M system has grown by several new wide angle lenses.Its latest family member: the Super-Elmar-M 18 mm f/3.8 Asph. For us it means mounting all

seven wide angles and putting them through their digital and analogue paces.Heres the latest from the 1624 mm department.

Getting our hands on Summiluxes

21 mm and 24 mm f/1.4 Asph was an

act, despite their Photokina introduction

now residing almost three quarters of a

year back. The logistics revolving around

the production of these complex designs,however, are now being finalised. As

a result they will likely become more

readily available. Thats excellent news.

Sure theyre expensive, weighing in at a

whooping 5000 Euro. Its what you pay

when you want lens speed, wide angle

and compact design in one. However,

all hope is lost the moment any one of

these fine young ladies meets her M

counterpart, when you find yourself

drooling over the dazzling light of the

Summilux design.

Similarly, the two new super widesof the f/3.8 division glow with special

appeal. It is thanks to their moderate

speeds, alongside new and rationalised

production processes, that you can now

purchase the Elmar-M 24 mm f/3.8 Asph

and Super-Elmar-M 18 mm f/3.8 Asph

for what are for Leica standards genuine

peanut prices: 1795 Euro and 2300

Euro respectively. Both are wonderfully

compact and a pleasure to use.

If a little more speed is what you need

but the mere thought of 5000 Euro makes

you cringe, consider the time-honouredElmarit-M 21 mm f/2.8 Asph for 3300 Euro,

or the 24 mm f/2.8 Asph for 3100 Euro

(both designs introduced in the 1990s).

Also worth your time and money:

the Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm f/4 Asph

from 2006. You pay 4495 Euro but get

the most extreme of all M angles as well

5/20

Super-Elmar-M

18 mm f/3.8

Asph

Summilux-M

21 mm f/1.4

Asph

Elmarit-M

21 mm f/2.8

Asph

Summilux-M

24 mm f/1.4

Asph

Elmarit-M

24 mm f/2.8

Asph

Elmar-M

24 mm f/3.8

Asph

Tri

16

Asp

Angle of view

(diagonal)

100 degrees

(M8: 84 degrees)

92 degrees

(M8: 75 degrees)

92 degrees

(M8: 75 degrees)

84 degres

(M8: 68degrees)

84 degrees

(M8: 68 degrees)

84 degrees

(M8: 68 degrees)

10

(M8

Lenses/groups 8/7 10/8 9/7 10/8 7/5 8/6 10

Closest foc. distance 0.7 m 0.7 m 0.7 m 0.7 m 0.7 m 0.7 m 0.5

Dimensions

(diameter x length)

61 x 58 mm 69.5 x 66 mm 58 x 46 mm 61 x 58.5 mm 58 x 45 mm 53 x 40.6 mm 54

Weight 310 g 580 g 300 g (black)

415 g (silver)

500 g 290 g (schwarz)

388 g (silbern)

260 g 33

Filter E58 Series VIII E55 Series VII E55 E46 E6

Price 2300 Euro 4995 Euro 3300 Euro 4995 Euro 3100 Euro 1795 Euro 44

SPECIFICATIONS

Super-Elmar-M 18 mm f/3.8 Asph Summilux-M 21 mm f/1.4 Asph Elmarit-M 21 mm f/2.8 Asph Summilux-M 24 mm f/1.4 Asph Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm

Elmarit-M 24 mm f/2.8 Asph

Elmar-M 24 mm f/3.8 Asph

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LEICA RANGEFINDER WIDE ANGLES 16 TO 24 MM

36 LFI 5/2009

WIDE ANGLES 16 TO 24 MM LEICA RANG

5/20

as three focal lengths in one mount.

The deal includes the Universal Wide-

angle Viewfinder M a gadget commonly

referred to as the Frankenfinder due toits indisputably monstrous size, yet crucial

to the correct functioning of the lens.

The mere existence of the accessory

finder raises a very central question:

Is the Leica M system really designed

for wide angle photography? Well, it

depends on how you look at it. If you

assess the seven lenses for what they

are each in their own way consistently

excellent then the answer is simply:

yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt. On topof that, the Leica M is the most precise

manual focusing system for lenses below

the telephoto threshold.

On the downside, the nature of the

rangefinder mechanism puts a hold on

how close you can get, with the buck

usually stopping at 70 cm. It means

you wont be shooting those grotesque,

wide angle close ups which we take for

granted in SLR photography. Moreover,

wide angle photography with the Leica M

will always feel a little excessive: Because

the viewfinder features only a limited

number of frames for a limited number

of focal lengths, the use of focal lengths

smaller than 28 or 24 mm respectively

(analogue and digital M respectively)

requires the use of an accessory finder if

you dont just want to guess. We were here

75 years ago, when the Leica II introduced

a coupled rangefinder system with twoview windows, whereby one composed

the shot and the other adjusted the focus.

Last but not least, there is the crop

factor question. Since the introduction of

the Leica M8 there have been a number

of complaints regarding the expensive

21 mm, that it is a timid 28 when run

digitally. Its a valid point, and the fact that

you could have simply carried on shooting

M6 if the 92 degree angle of view is

absolutely essential to your work is of

course a rather sarcastic response.

Ultimately, it is the dawn of the M8

that boosted the amount of research &

development activity currently taking

place in the wide angle field. It is precisely

because of the crop sensor that thelens portfolio has downright mutated.

First came the Tri-Elmar, successively

introducing digital M users to the

width (if not the speed) of traditional

M photography. And it isnt just digital

thats benefiting: traditional M users have

never had this many partners to dance

TECHNIK LEICA S-SYSTEM

5/20

The new, metal-case

accessory finders for

18, 21 and 24 mm lenses

unite classic design with

total clarity and viewfinder

light frames. They sell for

650 Euro a pop

Super-Elmar-M 18 mm f/3.8 Asph,

aperture 5.6, M7 (left),

Summilux-M 24 mm f/1.4 Asph,

aperture 1.4, M8 (right)

Photos:OS.

SpecialthankstoAutomuseumP

rototyp,

Hamburg(www.prototyp-hamburg.de),fortheirfrien

dlysupport;productshots:Leica

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IN INDIASWASHHOUSE

PHOTOS: ANNIBALE GRECO

Every day a million garments pass through tcentral laundry facility of Mumbai. Using aLeica M7, Annibale Greco documented the gworking conditions here in the Dhobi Ghat.

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54 LFI 5/2009

This page, clockwise: A man beating laundry; a Dhobi wor king in a wash basin; the chemicals.

Right page: Young Dhobi the work of a Dh obi is passed from generation to generation

PORTFOLIO

ANNIBALE GRECO

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Left page: For 10,000 Ind ians, some still children, the Dhobi Ghat is the end of the line. This page, clockwise:

Man waits for spin dryer to become available; the launders are well organised; concrete wash basin

P

ANNIBA

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64 LFI 5/2009 5/20

ONE LINER.What does the back of a shirtlessman on the Mediterranean Sea share in common

with the legs of a young girl or a sleeping black

man on a park bench? Answer: a remarkably

consistent style of delivery. Roman T. Parker

(alias cyberean) has been known to dabble in

many a photographic genre. It is his street

photography, however, that is probably most

recognisable. Where a handrail stretches across

one of the images, a brick wall or park bench lines

the next. The Californian loves his horizontal lines

just as much as he enjoys shifting the focus to the

far edge of his pictures, placing his subjects and

backgrounds in visually stimu

Parkers photography has a w

it, always meticulously crafte

gentleman, however, the Leic

butterfly nets to capture wha

never plans or waits. He plays

allocates his subjects to the

picture, and boosts the alre

with a little Photoshop twea

testing your eye for composit

through the M8 Master Shots

and see if you can single

certain cyberean. www.lfi-o

The wondering man, the wandering child: Often

a singular subject catches Parkers attention.

At first glance, the picture shows little emotion;

at a second, the subject reveals through subtle

expression and body language an individual story

LFIGALLERY

From radiant colours and smooth compositions

to colourful characters and striped stockings:

Roman T. Parkers photography shows urban life

from an unusual angle, even though many of

his shots were taken right in front of his doorstep

in the remote village of Dana Point