Equipment used


Focal lengths are quoted at their 35mm equivalent as well as the actual. For film Leicas and the digital Leicas M8 and M9,
I only list the lenses I currently own and use, so this page is updated following gear changes:

  • The superb Digilux2 used a fixed Leica D Vario-Summicron f2-2.4 7-22.5mm (28-90mm) lens.
    The 4/3 format Panasonic DMC-L1 (equiv. to Leica's Digilux 3) had a Leica Vario-Elmarit D
    14-50 mm (28-100mm) f2.8-3.5 zoom lens, and later a prime Leica Summilux D 25mm (50mm) f1.4.
    I no longer own either of these cameras, or the 2nd Digilux 2 I bought in early 2011.

  • LEICA M8, and the full-frame Leica M9 acquired 13/11/09. After a full year of using the M9 - an admittedly marvellous camera, I have traded it in to go back to the M8, well actually an M8.2. I found that for some reason I was not comfortable using the M9 - it just did not attain the same degree of synergy with me. And I think I get better B&W images from the M8, which for me is important! No reflection on the camera itself - just me I suppose. So it's an M8.2 from now on - but - I have now got two additional cameras (see below)!:

  • Avenon 21mm f2.8 (effective 28mm). This lens was acquired from Japan. Also known under the Kobalux (and at least one other) name this is a rarer Millenium edition example finished in black. See my Gear post in the News/Blog section on 12 August 2011 for more details of this lens.

  • Zeiss ZM Biogon 28mm f2.8. (Effective 37mm) I had this lens on my original M8 and loved it. Why I sold it I don't know. I prefer its rendering to the Leica 28/2.8 ASPH even though it is a bit larger.

  • Leica Summicron 35mm f2.0 ASPH. (Effective 47mm) I used to have one of these in a rare chrome finish L39 screw thread version made specially for the Japanese market.
    3 types of these chrome limited edition specials were made; the one above, a 50mm Summicron f2.0, and a 50mm Summilux f1.4.
    However I found this too heavy to use regularly so I have now traded this in for the somewhat lighter black one.

  • Voigtlander 35mm f1.2 ASPH. (effective 47mm) Having just complained about the weight of the chrome 35 Summicron, there I go and buy one of the bulkiest and heaviest 35mm lenses. It is a great lens though and the widest aperture of any 35mm lens. I only need this wide an aperture very occasionally so the bulk/weight is less important.

  • Voigtlander Heliar Classic 50mm f2 (Effective 67mm). This is a collapsible "250 Jahre" Anniversary version in chrome. Only 800 of the 2500 production of this lens were made in chrome.

  • Leica Elmar-M 50mm f2.8 (Effective 67mm) collapsible (last version, now regrettably discontinued) - a much under-rated lens, small, light, and very sharp.


  • Leica X-1 digital "Compact" (in black) fixed collapsible 24mm Elmarit lens (Effective 36mm) acquired on 8/12/2010 from the first black finish batch to arrive at Red Dot Cameras - simply beautiful, and amazing images.


  • Ricoh GXR camera body and A12 M-module. This ingenious idea from Ricoh is a camera base body with plug-in "lensor" modules (lens + sensor in one unit). The module with the Leica M mount has an APS-C 1.5x crop sensor built-in, making it roughly the same as the Leica X-1, but with the ability to mount any M-mount lens. Like the M8 there is no AA-filter. I'm still trying it out but it's very promising!


    • I process all my digital images using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, now in Version 3.5, with several useful plug-ins (notably LR/Mogrify). It is very easy to set up and use presets for developing, printing and web use. It is also an excellent tool for Digital Asset Management.

    I now use an Epson Pro 3800 printer which enables me to produce up to A2 sized images. This is a first-rate printer, especially in Advanced B&W mode, using its four different tones of black ink.