I thought the couple in the second picture looked familiar and, when I looked back through my catalog, I discovered I'd photographed them in the same location seven weeks earlier.
Mathieu18 wrote:
Trying to channel my inner Samuli. Loxia 35, usually at f/2.5. - f/2.5 is quite brave with this lens, boke has unpleasant fuzziness in some scenes (e.g. your 2nd and last). It goes away @ f/3.2, and sometimes even @ f/2.8 (very rare) and some scenes have some harshness remaining even at f/3.5 (also rare). This naturally limits the lens usage as DOF gets quite large @ f/3.2.
For years I have tried to like Leica Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 (v2), mostly failing on it. It's nice for all sharp landscapes etc. but I rarely shoot that kind of scenes. Boke is quite harsh @ f/2.8 and even @ f/4. Closing down to f/5.6 boke quality becomes better, and by then the hexaconal shape of aperture is very visible. Even @ f/5.6 close up/higher magnification boke is quite harsh (seen on 2nd shot below). So it's providing very narrow "operation range" for me; about 1m to 1.3m (3 to 4 feet) and @f/5.6 + all sharp landscapes. Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/28 C/Y is much more versatile, it's boke is sometimes usable @ f/2.8 and almost always usable @ f/4, and boke quality remains good also in close-ups. But it's focus plane is not as good as this Leica from f/2.8 to f/5.6, by f/8 they are both about as good and f/11 I prefer Zeiss. I would not use neither of these lenses on standard thick cover glass Sony cameras.
Hopefully 2019 finally solves the "lack of 28mm issue"; we have two 28mm f/1.4 lenses came/coming publicly available from (7artisans & Sigma), which I hope one or both provide finally nice 28mm "boke lens".
Leica Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 v2 @ f/5.6, 1/50s, Sony A7 (Kolari v2) @ ISO 100 (120cm / 47" reflector was used to brighten the foreground subject)
Leica Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 v2 @ f/5.6, 1/50s, Sony A7 (Kolari v2) @ ISO 200 (120cm / 47" reflector was used to brighten the foreground subject)
nikonos6 wrote:
There is one lens defenitely matching your demands in this regards ( especially boke for a 28mm 1.4 ) -
but is is the Nikon one
It's a good lens, but in my opinion Nikon made wrong compromise with both of it's best f/1.4 lenses (105mm & 28mm); size is shrunk so much that perceived boke in corners looks like f/2.8. I was very close of buying Z6 in order to gain access to the 28mm, but in the end decided it makes no sense to buy expensive camera body to be able to use one lens, and currently I'm not interested of any other Nikon lenses. If there would be Canon RP price range (or cheaper) Z-body it might have been an option. Camera bodies are so expensive, and all for it for AF and other functions I don't need.
Dolwyddelan Castle in North Wales (from a recent trip) - don't normally post alternate versions but am considering how to process the shots from the rest of the trip. The B&W is "all my own work" and the colour uses the RNI Natura simulation as a start point with further adjustments.
Samuli Vahonen wrote: - f/2.5 is quite brave with this lens, boke has unpleasant fuzziness in some scenes (e.g. your 2nd and last). It goes away @ f/3.2, and sometimes even @ f/2.8 (very rare) and some scenes have some harshness remaining even at f/3.5 (also rare). This naturally limits the lens usage as DOF gets quite large @ f/3.2.
For years I have tried to like Leica Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 (v2), mostly failing on it. It's nice for all sharp landscapes etc. but I rarely shoot that kind of scenes. Boke is quite harsh @ f/2.8 and even @ f/4. Closing down to f/5.6 boke quality becomes better, and by then the hexaconal shape of aperture is very visible. Even @ f/5.6 close up/higher magnification boke is quite harsh (seen on 2nd shot below). So it's providing very narrow "operation range" for me; about 1m to 1.3m (3 to 4 feet) and @f/5.6 + all sharp landscapes. Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/28 C/Y is much more versatile, it's boke is sometimes usable @ f/2.8 and almost always usable @ f/4, and boke quality remains good also in close-ups. But it's focus plane is not as good as this Leica from f/2.8 to f/5.6, by f/8 they are both about as good and f/11 I prefer Zeiss. I would not use neither of these lenses on standard thick cover glass Sony cameras.
Hopefully 2019 finally solves the "lack of 28mm issue"; we have two 28mm f/1.4 lenses came/coming publicly available from (7artisans & Sigma), which I hope one or both provide finally nice 28mm "boke lens".
I'll be interested to hear you comparative thoughts on the 7Artisans 28 vs the Leica R Elmarit. I used to own the Leica and, to this day, I regret selling it. For me, the overall rendering of the lens was was special. I have a 7Artisans on its way as well and look forward to seeing what it can do!
Samuli Vahonen wrote: - f/2.5 is quite brave with this lens, boke has unpleasant fuzziness in some scenes (e.g. your 2nd and last). It goes away @ f/3.2, and sometimes even @ f/2.8 (very rare) and some scenes have some harshness remaining even at f/3.5 (also rare). This naturally limits the lens usage as DOF gets quite large @ f/3.2.
For years I have tried to like Leica Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 (v2), mostly failing on it. It's nice for all sharp landscapes etc. but I rarely shoot that kind of scenes. Boke is quite harsh @ f/2.8 and even @ f/4. Closing down to f/5.6 boke quality becomes better, and by then the hexaconal shape of aperture is very visible. Even @ f/5.6 close up/higher magnification boke is quite harsh (seen on 2nd shot below). So it's providing very narrow "operation range" for me; about 1m to 1.3m (3 to 4 feet) and @f/5.6 + all sharp landscapes. Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 2.8/28 C/Y is much more versatile, it's boke is sometimes usable @ f/2.8 and almost always usable @ f/4, and boke quality remains good also in close-ups. But it's focus plane is not as good as this Leica from f/2.8 to f/5.6, by f/8 they are both about as good and f/11 I prefer Zeiss. I would not use neither of these lenses on standard thick cover glass Sony cameras.
Hopefully 2019 finally solves the "lack of 28mm issue"; we have two 28mm f/1.4 lenses came/coming publicly available from (7artisans & Sigma), which I hope one or both provide finally nice 28mm "boke lens".
I know that these are not the normal kinds of images that you take, particularly with the Leica R 28mm f2.8 V2 lens. But the images below were taken on my stock A7r (before the modification to my Kolari V3 thin sensor cover) and stopped down to f16 for the first 2 images and f22 for the last. Yes, I was into diffraction, but the lens still held up well; I needed the depth of field for my desired results.
Tripod mounted Leica R 28mm f2.8 V2 lens and A7r. ISO 50 to slow down the water. Shenandoah NP, VA below Dark Hollow Falls, June 8, 2015.
Now with having my Cambo Actus Mini camera as an alternative to not stop down as much, I might opt to use the Cambo with one of my A7r cameras and tilt with less stopping down with my Leica R 28mm f2.8 Super Angulon PC lens.
I know that these are not the normal kinds of images that you take, particularly with the Leica R 28mm f2.8 V2 lens. But the images below were taken on my stock A7r (before the modification to my Kolari V3 thin sensor cover) and stopped down to f16 for the first 2 images and f22 for the last. Yes, I was into diffraction, but the lens still held up well; I needed the depth of field for my desired results.
Tripod mounted Leica R 28mm f2.8 V2 lens and A7r. ISO 50 to slow down the water. Shenandoah NP, VA below Dark Hollow Falls, June 8, 2015.
Now with having my Cambo Actus Mini camera as an alternative to not stop down as much, I might opt to use the Cambo with one of my A7r cameras and tilt with less stopping down with my Leica R 28mm f2.8 Super Angulon PC lens.
Nice waterfalls photos from Shenandoah. I still regret that I didn't properly visit Shenandoah while I lived in York, PA & later traveled tens of times there. I only drive through Shenandoah once when I decided to transfer myself to our South Carolina office by driving there instead flying (of course I used whole weekend, had time to take some photos in Shenandoah and other nice places, but it was in February so not optimal...).
Waterfalls are nice to look & shoot, but they are quite rare here in Finland. Almost always when I travel (for photography) I go places with mountains, and I quite often shoot waterfalls as well. My favorite place to shoot this kind of images is Smokey Mountains NP, NC - I specially liked that there were lots of scenes like this, where I could combine lush nature to streaming water, preferably also having mist or fog.
I feel that Leica 28 loses it's unique brilliance and focus plane rendering becomes duller when closing down to f/11 or more. If shooting requires f/11-16 range, then I have been happier to various Zeiss lenses (ZE 2/28, C/Y 2.8/28 & G 2.8/28) which don't seem to get any duller at f/11 and f/16 does not get as dull as Leica. For sure Leica still renders better at these small aperture than most lenses even diffraction reduces the special rendering style this lens is famous for.
For a little self promotion - I recently signed to be a guest artist in a gallery in Northeast Minneapolis. I've installed a few images with more coming this week. This area of Minneapolis is filled with studios and galleries in old warehouse buildings. The artists span every possible medium. It's been too many years since I've exhibited so it's good to get back into the gallery scene.
For those who are local to the Twin Cities, my images will be in the Inside & Out Gallery in the Northrup King Building (Studio 132). Showings start this Thursday from 5-9 and Saturdays from 12-4 (and of course, by appointment).
I want to thank all my fellow photogs in this forum. You have all inspired and supported me in some way. This forum is the best when it comes to support, friendship and the most amazing photography on the web.
[edit] - sorry for the larger than life sized image!
- f/2.5 is quite brave with this lens, boke has unpleasant fuzziness in some scenes (e.g. your 
