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, nor the 2nd Digilux 2 I bought in early 2011 and sold on a while later as I found I was not using it enough.

  • LEICA M8.2 After a full year of using an 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 get better B&W images from the M8, which for me is important! No reflection on the M9 itself - just me I suppose. So it's an M8.2 from now on - but - I have now an additional camera (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.

  • Leica Elmar-M 24mm f3.8 (Effective 32mm) One of my all-time favourite lenses on the 8/8.2. Renders images beautifully, as long as I have the 8.2, I'll keep this one!

  • 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, optically identical, black one.

  • 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.


  • Voigtlander Color-Heliar 75mm f2.5 (Effective 100mm). A compact and lightweight medium telephoto lens with a performance beyond its price point. Arguably the equal of the equivalent Leica Summarit lens


  • 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.


    • I process all my digital images using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, now in Version 4.1, with several useful plug-ins (notably Silver Efex Pro and 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 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.