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 p.1 #2 · Using Leica together with other camera brands? | |
To test the waters, with digital photography, I bought a Sony DSC-H20 camera, larger than a pocket camera, but with a fixed-in-place zoom lens. This was about 2008 or 2009, or so. I later learned that some people call this a “bridge” camera. I soon realized that macro photography was important, and started shopping for DSLRs.
Fortuitously, a bag of Canon kit was found to be available, for me to use. The camera was an XTi, a.k.a. 400D. More importantly, in addition to the kit zoom, a Tokina 100mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro Macro lens, and the then-top-tier 580EX Speedlite, were also in the bag. I quickly realized that the tiny camera body was difficult to use, as if made for children’s tiny hands. I learned about “semi-pro” camera bodies, and quickly bought a pre-owned Canon 40D, in late 2010. This was soon followed by Canon’s best EF EOS system macro lens, the weather-sealed EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro I.S. (IS = Image Stabilization) By then, I had attended police forensic photography training, and was on a fast-track to VERY serious photography, in all weather, day and night. Canon EOS EF remains my serious macro system, with a “team” of 7D Mark II, 5Ds R, and 5D Mark IV cameras.
When my wife’s employer, the County Medical Examiner, went digital, for death scene and forensic images, a Canon 40D was her first issued camera. For some reason, the next batch of issued cameras were Nikon, and the M.E’s office settled upon Nikon DSLRs for all of their photography. She used the D200, then D300, and then D300s. (Notably, it was while handlingher employer’s D300s, that something “clicked” in my brain, about becoming a serious photographer.) My wife and I both started become serious about nature, bird, and wildlife photography. It soon became apparent that our “pro zoom trinity” and long telephoto lenses would break our budget, if we tried to build two complete sets of lenses, for two systems. So, I started adding pre-owned Nikon F-mount cameras, in 2014, and then new Nikon D5 and D850 camera in 2018. Nikon F remains my most-often-used DSLR system, other than macro. My wife has added one Nikon Z camera, but, generally, we still use Nikon F.
I added the Leica M system in April 2018, largely in order to be able to use one specific Leica lens, the Summilux-M 50mm ASPH. I had seen images, posted on-line, captured with this lens. I then found a pre-owned Summilux, to test-shoot, at a full-line pro-oriented camera store, that was a Leica dealer. I fell in love with the Summilux, and with rangefinder shooting, during several visits to the camera store. I have added several other focal lengths, but normally use 50mm, 35mm, and, a distant third, 21mm.
A reason that my Canon kit seems frozen in time, with equipment dating from the 2016-2018 era, is because I retired from the police department in 2018, so, had much less need to do serious macro shooting. Part of recovering from the stress of police photography was leaving my Canon equipment largely cased/boxed, for about five years. In 2023, my wife and I started photographing insects, at night, for “citizen scientist” purposes. “Action Macro” Time, again!  The Canon 100 Macro L lens has excellent Image Stabilization, and its highly-capable AF does amazing things at and near MFD.
Edited on May 17, 2025 at 02:41 PM · View previous versions
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