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Boyscout outside the boyscout's villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.
   
 
     
   

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Index of Thorsten Overgaard's user review pages on Leica M9, Leica M9-P, Leica M-E, Leica M9 Monochrom, Leica M10, Leica M10-P, Leica M10-D, Leica M10-R, Leica M10 Monohcrom, Leica M11, Leica M 240, Leica M-D 262, Leica M Monochrom 246, Leica SL, Leica SL2, Leica SL2-S, as well as Leica TL2, Leica CL, Leica Q, Leica Q2 and Leica Q2 Monochrom:
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Review: Leica M10 goes to Cuba

By: Thorsten Overgaard. January 12, 2018. Edited January 9, 2024.

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I flew into Cuba with the Leica M10 for my Havana Workshop in March 2017, armed with the then new Leica M10, a handful of American Dollars and my fedora hat to shade for the sun. It turned out to be a good trip. Seven days made me 690 final images for my archive. Here's the story and some of the photographs.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

I did expect some sort of color renaissance. I expected Cuba to be one of the places I would prefer to do in colors. By now, I have already changed my settings on the Leica M10 so I always only photograph DNG files, and then later in Lightroom I change those into black & white, by using my own Leica M10 b&w preset that I designed to give Leica M9-like tonality.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

If you have followed my adventures with the Leica M9 and Leica M240, you will know I usually photograph DNG and JPG Fine, and leave the JPG Fine in black & white as my - mostly - "final black and white edition". But not in the case of the Leica M10 where I find the black and white tones to be too muted, and particular the skin tones to be lacking depth. So I made my own Leica M10 Preset to fix this.

 

Kids playing in Old Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Kids playing in Old Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

         
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Arriving in Cuba

I flew to Cuba from the US, which is supposed to be the most "difficult" or "impossible" way to visit Cuba. In reality it wasn't difficult at all. I simply bought a ticket online from Alaska Airlines and arrived at the Los Angeles Airport in the morning. I checked in my luggage and got a boarding pass, then moved over to the line next to mine, which was for a $100-visa for Cuba.

Tourism is not allowed, so I had to fill out a piece of paper, stating that my visit was in support of the Cuban people, Journalism, Artistic Activities or one of the other 10-12 possible reasons. Nobody ever asked me for any details.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

Once I had availed myself of the visa, I took the stairs up to departures where I went through the usual TSA security check. Once through that, the gate with the Havana flight was just one of numerous gates with flights to San Francisco, Brazil and all the other places without embargos.

That's how simple it was - and still is - to travel to Cuba from the United States, despite all you hear and read. You can read more on how to get to Cuba on my Overgaard Cuba Workshop Page.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

 

             
 

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Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Outside the airport there were a lot of classic cars acting as taxis, but also - to my surprise - a line of Yellow Cabs of a much newer brand.

I had my driver waiting for me, so I jumped in the backseat and went to the villa. First I had to change my USD to Cuban money. That's done in the Arrivals hall in the airport (or any larger hotel). I went in there and there was a small line, but also a man that offered to change my USD to Cuban money for a smaller fee.

It was clearly something that people knew was going on, even though he pretended to be hiding the transaction. We were standing just next to the ATM (which I would not dare use in Cuba) and the exchange counters.

I was a little nervous if I got the right money. There are two Cuban currencies. One that works, and one that is close to worthless. But it was the right one.

 

Taxi from the airport to Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Taxi from the airport to Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Off I went with my driver. The irony of the American embargo is that if you bring USD, you pay a 10% fee for exchanging. If you bring Euros or Canadian Dollars, there is no fee.

The fee was supposed to have disappeared in 2016, according to the government, but it's still practiced. Next time, I'm bringing Euros (as well as a little left-over of Cuban money so I can pay for the taxi and deal with exchanging money at a later point than the airport).

 

Taxi from the airport to Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Taxi from the airport to Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

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Cuba Colors

In many cases, setting the white balance to cloudy will create satisfactory results. But often, the tones are even too cold for Cuba. It may be correct, but it doesn't looke like Cuba. It has to be warmer and slightly more colorful to match the impression I have of Cuba, the emotion I want the photographs to relay.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Almost always, I prefer as close to natural colors as possible. For Cuba, the light is warm in the same way as I find it in other Caribbean islands - as well as India, Nepal and Bangladesh for that matter. Going through the 1,800 photographs I took in Cuba, I wasn't satisfied with the "real colors", so I decided to warm them all up by moving the Kelvin (white balance) slider to warmer. If the actual correct white balance said 5,500 (daylight), I'd go to 6,100 or 6,500 (cloudy).

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The typical Cuban scene will have warm tones, but also a tint of cold blue light from the blue sky, showing as reflections in the cobblestone, and in the shadows. This is the type of light you will get in Rome in the early spring before summer comes and it all looks really warm. Other places, too. It may look very clean and all, but I wanted to get rid of the blue and cold look to it. After all, it was really warm being there, and the feeling had to be like that, looking at the photos. Cuba is as warm, colorful and dusty as India, but without the dust.

 

The last light from the sunset over Old Havana. I tried to have energy to go to the city late in the afternoons to get the great light. Once the sun went down, I could return to my dinner in the villa and a cozy book. No more light for photography. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The last light from the sunset over Old Havana. I tried to have energy to go to the city late in the afternoons to get the great light. Once the sun went down, I could return to my dinner in the villa and a cozy book. No more light for photography. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

Playing with colors

I generally don’t touch saturation to get more saturated colors. If there is any place where increasing the saturation would be in its place, it would be for photographs from Cuba and India. Steve McCurry is the example of great photographs with increased saturation. His pictures of India are beautiful and saturated - because he bumps up the saturation a lot - but my general ideal is natural colors.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

I am making some Lightroom presets for fun, inspired from classic painters. So I have a Van Eyck Preset that creates his muted darker reds and blues, as well as warmer skin tones. The modern camera sensors sometimes have a hard time following that color philosophy, so in some cases the blue sky goes too digital. But for interiors in soft low light they work wonders.

The Van Eyck Preset you can buy now, and more famous painters will come. They are not great for everything, but for some things.

I used it for this one because... well, I don't know why. I felt it was asking for some funky Dutch colors added.

 

Old Havana, Cuba. I used my Van Eyck Preset to make the colors a little more funky. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Old Havana, Cuba. I used my Van Eyck Preset to make the colors a little more funky. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Understanding Cuba

When I flew into Havana, I noticed the square fields on the ground, which usually indicates that there is good agriculture in a country.

For seven days I enjoyed affluent and very aesthetic breakfasts prepared by the chef and served by the maids. I felt as I was in a 1950's time pocket with fresh honey, fresh cows’ milk and "good old organic food".

 

My vegetarian breakfast table in Cuba with fresh juice, milk, honey, eggs and strong muddy coffee. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
My vegetarian breakfast table in Cuba with fresh juice, milk, honey, eggs and strong muddy coffee. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

In the last morning, I decided I would go to the kitchen and do a small photo reportage on the fresh cows’ milk and what other organic miracles I would find in such a kitchen.

When I got to the kitchen and asked to see the milk bottles, I learned that there are two types of milk in Cuba: One is powder to mix into milk, the other is ready-to-use milk made from powder milk!

Needless to say, there went the idea of doing a reportage of how healthy the Cuban agriculture is. Of course it also says something about what the eyes see, what the mind thinks, and what the actual realities are.

 

I saw this large group of people outside a hole in the wall of an old building. It turned out to be a butcher selling meat. It looked like they had limited supplies, it was almost over by the time I looked into the room. It didn't make much sense to me as all hotels and restaurants seem to have ample supplies of meat. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
I saw this large group of people outside a hole in the wall of an old building. It turned out to be a butcher selling meat. It looked like they had limited supplies, it was almost over by the time I looked into the room. It didn't make much sense to me as all hotels and restaurants seem to have ample supplies of meat. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

For me, that is one of the wonders of Cuba. Trying to figure out what is up and what is down in a country that got isolated back when. Seemingly, Cuba used to be an affluent place with nice cars. But once the embargo stepped in, there was no more car importation. Hence the beautiful old cars of which many have been re-equipped with engines from any other car available.

 

Havana has magnificent buildings. You can easily envision the Chanel store and the Apple Store being put there in a couple of years. It's ready, somebody just has to do it! Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana has magnificent buildings. You can easily envision the Chanel store and the Apple Store being put there in a couple of years. It's ready, somebody just has to do it! Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Also the grand buildings in the city and the large villas in the local neighbourhoods seemed to tell a story of a once-affluent country. Many of them are ruins, and we half-joked when we walked around the city, that "That's the future Chanel store" and "That's going to be a great Apple Store". The potential is very easy to see, but the reality is that nobody can buy any buildings yet. You can read an article about buying property in Cuba here.

 

Lots of villas with lots of unused space. In any other economy, these would be expensive private homes, but in Cuba where nobody are allowed to own anything, the government mostly owns these empty shells as a sign of past glory. You can read more on buying real estate in Cuba in this article. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Lots of villas with lots of unused space. In any other economy, these would be expensive private homes, but in Cuba where nobody is allowed to own anything, the government mostly owns these empty shells as a sign of past glory. You can read more on buying real estate in Cuba in this article. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

I stumbled into an exciting location that I returned to a few times with the Leica M10 and the Fuji X-Pro 2: the 1930's building complex, Edificio Arcos. I came across it as I was walking down a street and found that the only way to continue was via the balcony of Edificio Arcos.

 

Close to where I lived, I found this exotic looking 1930's building complex, Edificio Arcos, where the balcony served as the walkway between two streets. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Close to where I lived, I found this exotic looking 1930's building complex, Edificio Arcos, where the balcony served as the walkway between two streets. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

It's photogenic, but you should watch out for leaning against the rails. You might fall 2-3 floors down to the ground. The people living there has been requesting the government to renovate it for years, and that opens up for another pocket of understanding of Cuba: The government owns the property, so nobody buys a building or apartment and renovates it. I still have to learn how one would apply for an apartment, but the fact seems to be that once you live there, the only one who could decide to renovate it, is the government.

 

Two guards outside a building in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Two guards outside a building in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

I kind of wonder why a government would inflict on itself the responsibility of owing and running everything in a country. But that's the idea of Marxism, and I guess that's why it never worked for more than seemingly a few decades anywhere.

 

In Havana I saw this odd scenery of men having tempered discussions about what could seem the planning of a violent revolution. It turns out to be men who have a license to discuss baseball. One of the things that will never make sense, I guess. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
In Havana I saw this odd scenery of men having tempered discussions about what could seem the planning of a violent revolution. It turns out to be men who have a license to discuss baseball. One of the things that will never make sense, I guess. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

The walkway from one street to another going through Edificio Arcos, Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The walkway from one street to another going through Edificio Arcos, Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

       
 

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Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Cuba has some of the logics, or the feel, of East Berlin. When I did a workshop in Berlin ten years ago, I was staying in the old West Berlin, and every morning I would set the GPS in the car and drive to the workshop location in East Berlin. The GPS would take me on a route that went under a long tunnel, and when we arrived on the other side it was all grey.

"This must be East Berlin", we joked in the car, and in actual fact, that was what it was. The difference in the mood of the people, the appearance and colors of the buildings, and all is so different between Western and Eastern Berlin - even though the wall disappeared in 1989.

 

The last light just after sunset in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The last light just after sunset in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

What is really mindboggling is the fact that the Berlin wall stood less than 30 years, and yet almost 30 years later it's presence is still felt so clearly as if the wall was still a fact.

 

Edificio Arcos, Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Edificio Arcos, Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Now, it wasn't the wall, but the ideology, that changed one city into two different cities, in the case of Berlin and Germany. For me, it explains to some degree the mystery of Cuba. It explains why a seemingly flourishing culture, seeming affluent society, feels like a third world country in so many ways, without actually being a poor third world country.

Some people say Cuba is poor. It is not. It's just been suppressed for a number of years. Nobody is allowed or encouraged to rise to new heights. Everybody has been encouraged - or forced - to be equal. No initiative, no goals, just a straight vertical line of surviving.

 

Havana has lots of large, beautiful estates. There are so many of them that you sense there is not enough activities and people to fill them up. Some are empty ruins that seem to wait for a wealthy foreign buyer, others are made into several apartments, either in poor or fairly good condition. An overwhelming number of large villas has a government sign saying they are for elderly, mentally ill, scouts, music schools, or other activities run by the government. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana has lots of large, beautiful estates. There are so many of them that you sense there is not enough activities and people to fill them up. Some are empty ruins that seem to wait for a wealthy foreign buyer, others are made into several apartments, either in poor or fairly good condition. An overwhelming number of large villas has a government sign saying they are for elderly, mentally ill, scouts, music schools, or other activities run by the government. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

That said, East Germany and Cuba are not the same. The culture was and is so different, the climate, location and everything is different. But they have many similarities in what they went through, and to me it means that Cuba in 30 years will likely be very much like Cuba today, even when Havana has three Chanel stores, two Apple Stores and everybody is driving new fancy cars.

For me, this is part of the unique adventure and mystery of Cuba. The history unfolding. It looks like another Caribbean island, but it isn't. It looks poor, but it isn't. There are so many controversies to understand, in order to make Cuba make sense.

 

Chad Monnin out and about in the Overgaard Workshop in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Chad Monnin out and about in the Overgaard Workshop in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

         
 

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Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Is Cuba a poor country?

In numbers not. The BNP of Cuba is approximately 10,000 a year per citizen, which is more than Jamaica (8,300) and Thailand (8,700) and Cambodia (2,700) but only 1/3 of Italy (30,000) and 1/5th of the USA (47,000).

What is right and what is wrong in Cuba is something one have to decide for oneself after seeing it. I definitely think they need change.

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Taking the girlfriend for an evening ride in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Taking the girlfriend for an evening ride in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The people of Cuba

I learned that no matter what I told a taxi driver, I would always end up at the same square, Plaza de San Francisco. It's the center of tourism in Havana, it's where the cruise ships anchor and send off the tourists and all their cash. It's where there is a massive amount of selfie sticks taking pictures of tourists before some bronze statue in front of the cathedral.

 

The Avenue del Puerto promenade outside Havana, just after sunset. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The Avenue del Puerto promenade outside Havana, just after sunset. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

It went like this. The first day I would tell the driver I would like to go to San Cristóbal Paladar (the restaurant that President Obama visited, as well as a Jay-Z and Beyonce). He dropped me off at the Plaza de San Francisco square and pointed to the buildings on the other side of the square, "It's over there", and left. Of course I never found it. It's on San Rafael No 469, E, a twenty-five minute walk from the square.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Next day, I told my driver I would like to go to Hotel Saratoga because that was where I left off the day before. Same thing happened, he dropped me off at Plaza de San Francisco and pointed to the buildings on the other side of the square, "It's over there", and left. This time, however, I had my bearings such that I knew it was a twenty minute walk off the target

 

The square in front of Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The square in front of Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Never mind, I'll walk myself! The Plaza de San Francisco is not a terrible location to arrive at. Just a ten minute walk and you are out of the touristy area and in the center of what most of us would agree is the real Havana.

 

I saw this nail salon in a private apartment through the open window. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
I saw this nail salon in a private apartment through the open window. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

As a vegetarian, I had trouble finding restaurants that would understand what vegetarian meant, much less serve vegetarian dishes. So whenever I asked (and they understood), they would serve a bowl of rice. This of course didn't work, so as to not die of rice poisoning, I retreated to my villa for dinner and breakfast for the rest of my stay. I had a chef that made the most delicious food for me.

That said, the restaurants have ample meat dishes and fish dishes, so unless you are vegetarian or vegan, you'll do just fine.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Be aware that you have no Google Maps on your phone in Cuba. Well, you have Google Maps, but you have no WiFi. So if you plan to visit a certain restaurant, you should print a map and mark it so you would be able to walk there. Good old-school navigation. But once you arrive, it's too late to navigate with the ease you might be used to.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Friendly people that stay in character

So this was the worst I could tell you about the Cuban people; that the taxi drivers don't care, and that the restaurants serve rice to vegetarians. Apart from that, the Cuban people are friendly, they don't trick you, they don't steal, they don't harass you with t-shirts and stuff. They are genuinely interested in what you are up to, without getting in your hair. They willingly participate in photos. In many ways, they are like the New Yorkers: They know they are in your picture, and they will stay in character so you can get a true photograph of what Cuba is.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

You are a tourist, no doubt about it, so you get the tourist treatment. You may wonder that if a worker’s daily salary is $20, then why is wifi $10 an hour, or why is a taxi ride $20. I didn't worry about it, because I didn't feel tricked. It's as if that is the established system; in these instances, you act as the stupid tourist and play along. In most other things, you enjoy sincere and honest treatment.

The stories about people begging for money and such, I never saw any of it.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

There are always a few bad people around. You can get mugged in any country, but you usually knew when you walked into that street that the guys over to the right looked sketchy. Doesn't matter if it's Milano, Munich, Los Angeles or Havana. You should know how to spot bad company, and avoid it. Generally, Cuba is friendly and honest.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Outside the cance school in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Outside the cance school in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Capturing the real Cuba

One of my goals in visiting Cuba was to capture the real Cuba. I didn't want to come home with colored cars, people with hats and dirt roads.

I had the idea I wanted to see what else there is. I always have a goal in the back of my head to capture some photographs that show, "This is Tokyo", or "This is Hamburg", or in this case, "This is Cuba". I know that I tend to photograph only "my photographs", which are special light and people. I think most photography tends to be a tunnel-vision of what we see as interesting.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

We seldom take a wider view, or a more ordinary look at things, so as to capture how a street or city actually looks. We search for special things, exiting things, awesome light, and so on.

My idea of Cuba was that it was a few houses divided with dirt roads, because that was what I had seen in photographs. Of course I could look on a Google Street map, or a satellite map, and I would immediately see that it's more dense than that. But I never did. I actually never "ruin my view" by doing extensive research.

In the case of Cuba, all I researched was where the best coffee places were, when the sun comes up, and when it goes down. The rest, I knew, I would see when I got there.

 

This school girl walking the streets of Havana, Cuba became the cover of my eBook, "A Little Book on Photography" ($47). Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
This school girl walking the streets of Havana, Cuba became the cover of my eBook, "A Little Book on Photography" ($47). Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

I did go through the book "Cuba - A Grace of Spirit" by Peter Turnley to make a note of locations he would visit. He's been spending a lot of time in Cuba. I saw that a lot of his photos were from Old Havana, as well as from certain dance schools and boxing studios. So that could be a guide as to places I would seek to visit.

I never got to the dance studios or boxing studios, and I also find it a little "too typical Cuba". I did what I mostly do: I walk from where I am located, and then I follow my instinct for what could look interesting. I simply see what happens.

 

All year, through day and night, the ocen hits the island. Walking or driving along the main road, a shower is included. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
All year, through day and night, the ocean hits the island. Walking or driving along the main road, a shower is included. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

One of the challenges of being a photographer is that you don't want to miss anything. This is what leads one to photograph a lot, and often too much.

"You can't get them all" as Robert Franks once told Annie Lebovitz when they were on tour with the Rolling Stones.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

The Thorsten Overgaard articles on the Leica M 246

Here's the complete overview of my articles on the Leica M 246. Enjoy!

 
Understanding Colors and White Balance in Photography
Old School is the New School / Menu Settings

  Understanding Colors and White Balance in Photography
Leica M 246 goes to Paris

Understanding Colors and White Balance in Photography
Jose Galhoz interviewed by Walter Leica

  Understanding Colors and White Balance in Photography
John Botte and the Leica Monochrom
Leica M-P 240 Safari
The Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 with CMOS
 
Leica M 246 goes to Rome
     
     

 

I very much believe in the moment. You can't plan to go somewhere and get the iconic photo. You can plan to go get some certain photos, but the really iconic ones are the ones that happen almost by accident. Suddenly the right people do the right thing, with the right background, the magic light and all - and you happen to be ready to take the photo.

 

Out and about in the local neighbourhood in Havana. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Out and about in the local neighbourhood in Havana. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

These iconic photos might just as well happen around the next street corner as they might happen in some exotic, distant, hard-to-get-to country you always wanted to travel to. You never know. But I do know that if I get out, look and I'm ready, something will happen.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

A hard challenge for any photographer is to not photograph, but just observe. I really try to look at things to see them, to understand, to figure out what is going on and how I might put that concept into a photo that would communicate that story to somebody else who wasn't there. I also want to add aesthetics, magic light and all, and that's where the tunnel vision comes in. Because on one hand I want to show things as they are, but on the other hand I want to show my vision; and mostly my vision is what seems most worthwhile pursuing and recording.

 

Taking an evening walk in my neighborhood the first evening to get a sense of what was there. I never found the restaurant I was looking for, but I did get some great photos of "nothing happening". Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Taking an evening walk in my neighborhood the first evening to get a sense of what was there. I never found the restaurant I was looking for, but I did get some great photos of "nothing happening". Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

To photograph, you have to see first. You cannot observe and get inspired by the surroundings - be it Exotic Havana or a boring street in Hamburg - if you don't look, and you cannot look if you are photographing. It's a very interesting balance, because it's easier to photograph a lot than it is not to.

 

Cuba in the evenings is semi-dark, but feels very safe. There are clubs, bars, restaurants hidden in all places, very few of them promoting their existence with large bright signs. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Cuba in the evenings is semi-dark, but feels very safe. There are clubs, bars, restaurants hidden in all places, very few of them promoting their existence with large bright signs. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

To look is not a very natural ability, especially not in this day and age where we have become accustomed to looking at our screen whenever we have 10 seconds where "nothing is happening".

For the photographer, the art is to not look at anything other than what is happening. Because there is always something happening in front of you and around the next street corner. But if you don't look, you don't see it.

 

This 96 year old lady was outside in her garden as the workshop walked by in the suburbs. I asked if I could do a portrait. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
This 96-year old lady was outside in her garden as the workshop walked by in the suburbs. I asked if I could do a portrait. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Naturally, as you encounter a street crossing, you are faced with four roads you could walk. No matter which one you choose, you are potentially missing something on the three streets you didn't walk down at. "You can't get them all" as Robert Franks said, is very true.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

At some point I will usually have gotten enough of the suburbs, the sandy beach, the skyscrapers, or whatever I am walking amongst. Then I either call it a day, or relocate to a different setting. In Cuba, I would walk in my neighbourhood of villas and embassies, and then late afternoon I would take a taxi to Old Havana and walk the streets until 20-30 minutes after the sunset. Then call it a day.

 

School girls on my street as I was heading back home after a day out and about. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
School girls on my street as I was heading back home after a day out and about. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

I never seek markets, "places to see" or places packed with people or tourists. The trap of many people and "a lot of things happening" is that you forget to look. You get so taken by all the activity that you feel you must get it all. You photograph every second, and you never get time to step back, look at it, and decide what would be a great photo. It's all served to you, like television, and after some hours of it you realize you wasted your time on nothing special.

This is where the truth comes about, the thing I always tell my workshop students: "The less that happens, the more you get into it". And that's why people will find themselves in suburban streets in my workshops, where literally nothing happens, and yet get great photographs they felt really happy doing.

 

A boy and his girlfriend returning home to their apartment building. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
A boy and his girlfriend returning home to their apartment building. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

 

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The Fuji X-Pro 2 vs the Leica M10

One of my projects in Cuba was to use the Lecia M10 and the Fuji X-Pro 2. I ended up doing about 1,800 photos with the Leica M10 and a few hundred with the Fuji X-Pro 2.

 

"It's not a Leica"

My overall conclusion on the Fuji X-Pro 2 was that's "It's not a Leica", which anyone can hardly disagree with. After all, it's a Fuji.

I like the Fuji as much as I liked having my first semi-pro cameras when I was a teenager. The feeling of having a tool that I can make "real photographs with" was the same with the Fuji, as back then. If it wasn't for owning a Leica, I probably would feel fulfilled having the Fuji X-Pro 2.


I like the Fuji as much as I liked having my first semi-pro camera when I was a teenager. I got my first Nikon EM (left in the photo above) when I was 15, and it was the ultimate camera and all I needed, as long as I couldn't go to the Moon and fetch the Hasselblad, the Apollo 13 mission had left. (Photo: Norbert Michalkes Shop).
I liked the Fuji as much as I liked having my first semi-pro camera when I was a teenager. I got my first Nikon EM (left in the photo above) when I was fifteen, and it was the ultimate camera, all that I needed if I couldn't go to the Moon and fetch the Hasselblad that the Apollo 13 mission had left behind. (Photo: Norbert Michalkes Shop).

 

The Fuji doesn't have the simplicity of the Leica. As product manager of the Leica M10, Jesko Neuhausen said when the Leica M10 was released (in an even simpler version than the previous Leica M240): "We didn’t want to do everything that’s technically possible for the Leica M10".

By that Jesko Neuhausen was referring to the unlimited number of requests from users, as well as new technical possibilities arriving on the horizon. Just because something is possible doesn't mean it has to be in a camera.

That is my philosophy, too.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The Fuji doesn't seem to share that philosophy. One early morning in Cuba, while sipping my morning coffee, I wondered about the buttons and the extensive menu of the Fuji. I got curious and decided to count the menus and sub-menus of both the Fuji and the Leica.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Complications of Leica vs Fuji

The Fuji has what seems an endless menu-structure that allow the photographer to make all sorts of decisions; and a lot of them I don't think a user should ever be faced with deciding on. Other choices have such names that it’s unlikely one could make any intelligent choice. Fuji seem to have the philosophy that if something is possible to change, the option should be there.

 

16 buttons and 575 menu points to keep track of, vs. 7 button and 88 menu points on the Leica M10.
16 buttons and 575 menu points to keep track of, vs. 7 button and 88 menu points on the Leica M10.

 

This is the short comparison, and I threw in a good old Leica M4 film camera for comparison:

    Fuji X-Pro 2   Leica M10   Leica M4  
Sub-menu's   575   88   0  
Main Menu's   57   26   0  
Quick/Favorite Menu   16   7   0  
Wheels   5   3   1  
Buttons   16   7   2  
Fn buttons/dials   5   1   0  

 

Out and about in the local neighbourhood in Havana. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Out and about in the local neighborhood in Havana. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

A Fuji camera doesn't work that well with Leica M lenses

I had the idea that the Fuji X-Pro 2 would be a great way to get a camera and start adding Leica lenses one at the time, and then - eventually - get a Leica M body.

What I learned rather soon was that the Fuji X-Pro 2 doesn't take Leica M lenses that well. The 28mm Summilux, the Noctilux f/0.95 and the 50mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0 simply don't come to right on the Fuji. The corners are blurred (28mm Summilux) despite that it's a cropped sensor, and the purple fringing is extreme on the Noctilux, and just more than acceptable with other Leica M lenses.

 

The amount of purple fringing using the Leica 50mm Noctilux on the Fuji X-Pro 2 was extreme, as you can see on the edges of the chrome on this car. Fuji X-Pro 2 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The amount of purple fringing using the Leica 50mm Noctilux on the Fuji X-Pro 2 was extreme, as you can see on the edges of the chrome on this car. Fuji X-Pro 2 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Purple fringing occurs with digital sensors and modern, sharp lenses. You can get rid of purple fringing by making the lens or photo less sharp (blurring it), removing the purple fringing in software, or tuning the sensor to the lens.

I wondered about this, after all the Fuji X-Pro 2 is a cropped sensor. It's well known that Leica put a lot of thought and work into making the Leica M full-frame sensor so it could handle the steep angle with which the light enters the sensor (because the M lenses sits so close to the sensor). But that is mainly in the edges and not so much in the center of the frame.

 

The normal CMOS sensor compared with the Leica M sensor. The light is directed by the micro-lenses on top of the sensor to arrive more precise into the actual sensor.
The normal CMOS sensor compared with the Leica M sensor. The light is directed by the micro-lenses on top of the sensor to arrive more precise into the actual sensor.

 

My conclusion is that it takes more than just that to make a sensor that takes M lenses. The Fuji X-Pro 2 sensor is great when you use Fujinon lenses, because they all come with a software correction file that fixes fringing, distortion and other undesirable lacks of the lens and/or sensor.

In the case of the Leica M lenses, there are no corrections, and the shortcomings of the sensor come to light. This is not meant as a criticism of the Fuji X-Pro 2 sensor; at least not more than any other sensor that wasn't made specifically for Leica M lenses. Even the Leica TL2 and Leica CL have signs of not having been fully optimized for the Leica M lenses, though they are doing a much better job than the Fuji X-Pro 2. On the other side, we have the Leica SL full-frame sensor that seem to make the Leica 50mm APO-Summicron f/2.0 look better than the Leica M sensor does (and handles the rest of the Leica M lenses in a similar way that the Leica M sensor does).

The conclusion in short: Buying a Fuji X-Pro 2 camera body to use Leica M lenses on it won't give you the Leica M result. It's a waste of money and/or Leica M lenses. If you wish to have a compact and competent camera that produces good photographs, the Fuji X-Pro 2 does the job with Fujinon lenses. No point in buying other brands for it. "It's not a Leica", as I said, and that's what I mean by it.

 

I had brought my Fuji X-Pro 2 for testing it in Cuba. I also brought my Danish made high-quality bluetooth speaker from Dali Speakers, as well as a non-stop track of Cuban inspired music to make sure I stayed in character as some 1950's excentric writer. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
I had brought my Fuji X-Pro 2 for testing it in Cuba. I also brought my Danish made high-quality Bluetooth Dali Katch speaker from Dali Speakers, as well as a non-stop track of Cuban inspired music to make sure I stayed in character as some 1950's eccentric writer. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The current EVF situation

Another reason I got the Fuji X-Pro 2 - well, actually the reason - was that Stefan Daniel of Leica Camera AG told me that the reason Leica had given up on making an internal EVF, or a combination of electronic viewfinder and optical viewfinder, was that the technology wasn't good enough. An EVF that Leica might find good enough (such as the Leica SL electronic viewfinder) wouldn't fit inside the Leica M body.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Our talk about EVF's back then also centered about the - in my opinion - less than adequate external EVF 0020 which Leica Camera AG had decided to sell as accessory for the Leica M10. Besides denying a prototype existed that I could borrow (but not entirely denying one existed), Stefan Daniel also seemed to subscribe to the opinion that most Leica M photographers prefer to use the classic rangefinder.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

All in all, this led me to buy a Fuji X-Pro 2 to explore the current status of digital viewfinders. People have been raving for years that "if Fuji can make it, why can't Leica?" I felt it was time to find out for myself.

 

A look into a school class through an open window in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
A look into a school class through an open window in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

After having used the Fuji X-Pro 2 for three months, I had to agree with Stefan Daniel. The EVF of the Fuji X-Pro 2 was by no means impressive. The resolution, the colors, the accuracy of the exposure preview left me unimpressed and annoyed. What made it even less usable for me was the fact that the Fuji X-Pro 2 EVF sits so close to the edge of the camera body that loads of daylight disturbs the view.

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

A car in the street waiting for new tires. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
A car in the street waiting for new tires. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Connected in Cuba

When you go to Cuba, bring a good book. WiFi is almost non-existent. Trying to catch up on email with the slow wifi will turn into an all-evening pastime. So better to just get off the grid while you enjoy Cuba and quiet nights with a good book.

 

Edificio Arcos, Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Edificio Arcos, Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

All public parks and squares offer "free wifi" which requires a login and password that you can buy in kiosks. It's very slow, and so is the wifi that international hotels offer for $10 or $20 an hour. Considering that is almost the daily salary for a worker in Cuba, you feel ashamed spending that much an hour for slow wifi.

Maybe it isn't that important to be online. Take advantage of it and get off the grid for some days or weeks while in Cuba.

Street life in Cuba: Most squares and public parks in Cuba has wifi. It requires a password and login that can be bought in kiosks. It's very slow and you can forget about logging into online banking and PayPal. Most of those websites do not accept login attempts from Cuba. The international hotel next to this square offers 1 hour internet access for $10, which is just as slow (and has a limit of 512MB, which for most use will be gone in 10 minutes). Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Street life in Cuba: Most squares and public parks in Cuba has wifi. It requires a password and login that can be bought in kiosks. It's very slow and you can forget about logging into online banking and PayPal. Most of those websites do not accept login attempts from Cuba. The international hotel next to this square offers 1 hour internet access for $10, which is just as slow (and has a limit of 512MB, which for most use will be gone in 10 minutes). Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The Villa

I went with AirBnb when I looked for a place in Havana. I sort of liked the idea of an old-school hotel, but it didn't appeal that much as staying local. So I found a big villa with security, chef and two maids that was meant for a large family to stay. But in reality, having all that for just one person was about the same price as a hotel.

 

The villa I stayed in was like a time pocket. I could easily imagine living in the 1950's. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The villa I stayed in was like a time pocket. I could easily imagine living in the 1950's. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

Back to the 1950's. The villa I stayed in in Havana for seven days. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Back to the 1950's. The villa I stayed in in Havana for seven days. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The office space in my villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The office space in my villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Detail from the villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Detail from the villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

I had the pleasure of a visit of Leica photographer Volker Figueredo Véliz and his wife Somaida to me and the workshop in my villa. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
I had the pleasure of a visit of Leica photographer Volker Figueredo Véliz and his wife Somaida to me and the workshop in my villa. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Somaida. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Somaida. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Chad Monnin from the US being my portrait subject in the villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Chad Monnin from the US being my portrait subject in the villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.


The workshop villa at sunset. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The workshop villa at sunset. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The wortkshop bird ... Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The wortkshop bird ... Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The security guard takes on some garden work in the afternoon. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The security guard takes on some garden work in the afternoon. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

The outside area of the workshop villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
The outside area of the workshop villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

 

 

 

Street portrait of Abdul Nasser Al Kaabi who came all the way from Dubai for the workshop in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Street portrait of Abdul Nasser Al Kaabi who came all the way from Dubai for the workshop in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Which Leica M to get?

Here is an overview of the different models.

Model Leica
M8
Leica
M8.2
Leica
M9
Leica
M9-P
M
Typ 240
M-P
Typ 240
M
Typ 262

M-D
262
Leica
M10
EVF No No No No 1.4MP
EVF-2
External
1.4MP
EVF-2
External
No No 2.4 MP Typ 0020 Visoflex with GPS device.
(or 3.7MP
Leica Bizofurex)

Screen
              No  
Start 2006 2008 09/2009 06/2011 03/2013 11/2014 12/2015 05/2016 01/2017
End 2009 2009 2012 2012 - - - - -
MP 10 10 18 18 24 24 24 24 24
Sensor CCD CCD CCD CCD CMOS CMOS CMOS CMOS CMOS
Format 18x27 18x27 24x36 24x36 24x36 24x36 24x36 24x36 24x36
AA filter No No No No No No No No No
Video No No No No Yes Yes No No No
Adapters Leica
screw
mount
Leica
screw
mount
Leica
screw
mount
Leica
screw
mount
Leica R
Nikkor
LeicaCine
Leica
screw mount
Leica R
Nikkor
LeicaCine
Leica
screw mount
Leica screw mount

Leica
screw
mount

Leica R
Nikkor
LeicaCine
Leica
screw mount

Shutterless No No No No No No No No No
Mirrorless Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Live View No No No No Yes Yes No No Yes
WiFi No No No No No No No No Yes
Framelines         LED
White or
Red
LED
White or
Red
LED
White
LED
White
LED
White or
Red
DNG DNG DNG DNG DNG DNG DNG DNG DNG DNG
JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG JPG No JPG
Base ISO 160 160 160 160 200 200 200 200 100
Max ISO 2800 2800 3200 3200 6400 6400 6400 6400 50,000
Processor         Maestro Maestro Maestro Maestro MaestroII
Buffer No No No No No 2GB 1GB 1GB 2GB
Frame selector Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes
USB port Yes Yes Yes Yes Extra Extra No No Extra
GPS         Extra
handgrip
Extra
handgrip
No No Extra
(Sits in
the EVF)
Viewfinder     0.68X 0.68X 0.68X 0.68X 0.68X 0.68X 0.73X
Weather sealed No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weight     580g 600g 680g 680g 580g 680g 647g
Digital color filters for B&W         Built-in Built-in      
Price $US new 4,800 5,995 7,000 8,000 6,595 6,995 5,395 5,995 6,595
Price Pounds 2,990   4,950 5,395         5,600
Price Euro                 6,500

 

Local kids playing football after sunset. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Local kids playing football after sunset. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

           
 

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Chad Monnin and I in a taxi to catch the last light over Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Chad Monnin and I in a taxi to catch the last light over Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 
 

 

 

 

More articles coming

I hope you enjoyed this article on the Leica M10, sign up for the newsletter to stay in the loop for more.

As always, feel free to e-mail me questions, suggestions and ideas to thorsten@overgaard.dk

 

To be continued ...
     
Page 1: Leica M10 - The Force Awakens
Page 1: Leica M10 - The Force Awakens
  Page 3: Leica M10 in the rain
Page 3: Leica M10 in the rain

 

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

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Leica M10 and Leica M10-P
Digital Rangefinder Camera Specifications

 

Leica M10 & M10-P Imaging Specifications:
Lens Mount Leica M bayonet
Camera Format Full-Frame (1x Crop Factor)
Pixels Effective: 24 Megapixel
Maximum Resolution 5976 x 3992
Aspect Ratio 3:2
Sensor Type CMOS
Sensor Size 24 x 36 mm
Image File Format DNG, JPEG
Image Stabilization None

Leica M10 & M10-P Exposure Control Specifications:

ISO Sensitivity Auto, 100 to 50000
Shutter Speed 1/4000 to 8 Seconds 
1/4000 to 125 Seconds in Aperture Priority Mode 
Bulb Mode 
Metering Method Center-Weighted Average, Multi-Zone, Spot
Exposure Modes Aperture Priority, Manual
Metering Range -1 to 20 EV
White Balance Auto, Color Temperature, Manual
Continuous Shooting Up to 5 fps at 24 MP for up to 40 Frames (JPEG)
Self-Timer 2/12-Second Delay

Leica M10 & M10-P Focus Specifications:

Focus Type Manual Focus Only

Leica M10 & M10-P Viewfinder and Monitor Specifications:

Viewfinder Type Optical
Viewfinder Magnification Approx. 0.73x
Monitor Size 3"
Monitor Resolution 1,036,800 Dot
Monitor Type Fixed Touchscreen LCD

Leica M10 & M10-P Flash Specifications:

Built-In Flash No
Maximum Sync Speed 1/180 Second
Flash Compensation -3 to +3 EV (1/3 EV Steps)
External Flash Connection Hot Shoe

Leica M10 & M10-P Interface Specifications:

Memory Card Slot Single Slot: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
Wireless Wi-Fi
GPS No

Leica M10 & M10-P Physical Specifications:

Battery BP-SCL5 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 7.4 VDC, 1300 mAh
Dimensions (W x H x D) 5.5 x 3.1 x 1.5" / 139 x 80 x 38.5 mm
Weight 1.5 lb / 680 g (Body with Battery)

Leica M10 & M10-P Packaging Info Specifications:

Package Weight 5.075 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH) 8.85 x 8.8 x 6.85"

 

Leica M10 Definitions:

AF = Auto Focus. The idea is that the camera does the focusing itself (the word auto comes from Greek "self").

Aperture = (also written as f/) = The metal blades inside a camera lens that regulates how much light passes through the lens. On a f/1.4 lens, the lens is "fully open" at f/1.4. At f/2.0 the aperture inside the lens make the hole through the lens smaller so only half the amount of light at f/1.4 passes through. For each f/-stop (like f/4.0 - f/5.6 - f/8.0 - f/11 - f/16) you halve the light. The f/ fundamentally means "f divided with": The aperture of the lens is basically the focal length divided with the f/-stop = size of the hole (50mm divided with f/2.0 = the hole is 25 mm in diameter, or 50mm at f/1.4 is 50mm divided with 1.4 = the hole throug is 36mm. ). ORIGIN: Late Middle English : from Latin apertura, from apert- ‘opened,’ from aperire ‘to open’.

The aperture blades inside the lens is clearly visible in this photo.
The aperture blades inside the lens is clearly visible in this photo.

ASPH = stands for "aspheric design". Most lenses have a spherical design - that is, the radius of curvature is constant. These are easy to manufacture by grinding while "spinning" the glass. This design however restricts the number of optical corrections that can be made to the design to render the most realistic image possible. ASPH lenses, however, involve usually 1 element that does *not* have a constant radius of curvature. These elements can be made by 1) expensive manual grinding, 2) molded plastic, or 3) Leica's patented "press" process, where the element is pressed into an aspherical ("non-spherical") shape. This design allows Leica to introduce corrections into compact lens designs that weren't possible before. Practically, the lens performs "better" (up to interpretation) due to increased correction of the image, in a package not significantly bigger than the spherical version. Sphere: ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French espere, from late Latin sphera, earlier sphaera, from Greek sphaira "ball".

     
Normal spheric lens (grinded)   ASPH (note the shape of the glass as result of pressing rather than grinding)

 

Banding = Noise in digital images. Horizontal lines in a horizontal picture (if the camera is in portrait mode/vertical, the lines will be obviously be vertical). It's simply noise; the result of uncontrolled algorithms working overtime with an image the sensor really can't see because it's very dark. (If your image has vertical lines in it, it is more likely that the sensor needs remapping).

Bokeh = The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens: It's a matter of taste and usually photographers discuss a 'nice' or 'pleasant' bokeh (the out-of-focus area is always unsharp why the quality discussed is if one likes the way it renders or not by a particular lens). The closer you get to something, the 'more' bokeh' you get (in that the focus becomes less for the background and foreground at close distances than at long distances). ORIGIN from Japanese 'bo-ke' which mean 'fuzzines' or 'blur.'.

Bokeh: The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image. Photo at Bar del Fico in Rome. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Bokeh: The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image. Photo at Bar del Fico in Rome. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

Camera - is today’s short name for Camera Obscura (meaning “a dark room”). Camera means Chambre and was used only as a Latin or alien word, actually only for Spanish soldiers’ rooms, until popularized in connection with photography in 1727: “Camera Obscura”. In 1793 the slang term “camera” was used by Sterne Tr. Shandy: “Will make drawings of you in the camera” and by Foster (1878), “The eye is a camera”. Camera Obscura was described by Iraqi scientist Ibn-al-Haytham in his book, “Book of Optics” (1021) and by Leonardo da Vinci in 1500; popularized and made widely known in 1589 by Baptista Porta when he mentioned the principle in his book “Natural Magic”. Johannes Kepler mentions Camera Obscura in 1604.
Camera = chambre (room), Obscura = dark (or cover).

Central Shutter = Some lenses, for example the Leica S lenses and the Leica Q where a shutter is located in the lens itself. In most cameras there is a shutter curtain just in front of the sensor, and in SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras there is also a mirror in front of the shutter curtain.
In the Leica T/TL/TL2 the shutter is in front of the sensor, but only acts to "refresh" the sensor. In the Leica TL2, there is a mechanical shutter curtain from 30 sec. to 1/4000 shutter times, and digital shutter from 1/4100 to 1/40,000 shutter times. A digital shutter is simply "turning on/off the recording of the sensor.

CMOS sensor (as used in Leica M10, Leica CL, Leica LT/TL/TL2, Leica SL, Leica Q, Leica X, Leica D-Lux, etc.)
= (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) chips use transistors at each pixel to move the charge through traditional wires. This offers flexibility because each pixel is treated individually. Traditional manufacturing processes are used to make CMOS. It's the same as creating microchips. Because they're easier to produce, CMOS sensors are cheaper than CCD sensors. CMOS allow Live View and use less energy than CCD.

Contrast - The degree of difference between tones in a picture. Latin contra- ‘against’ + stare ‘stand.’

Digital Shutter = A digital shutter is simply "turning on/off the recording of the sensor. In the "old days" this had to be done with an actual mechanical shutter curtain; a metal curtain in front of the sensor (or film) that goes up for 1/125th of a second, for example. In the Leica TL2, there is a mechanical shutter curtain from 30 sec. to 1/4000 shutter times, and digital shutter from 1/4100 to 1/40,000 shutter times.

Digital Zoom = In some cameras (but not the Leica TL2), there exist a possibility to enable "digital zoom", which basically means the camera can zoom closer into something than the lens is actually designed to. The way digital zoom works traditionally is that the camera simply crops the picture; so you get closer, but without resolution. In other words, it's the same as if you took a normal photo and then cropped into the center of it.

DIS = Digital Image Stabilization. This is a feature often offered in video recorders and sometimes for tele lens still photography (so as to avoid motion blur when the lens is moving during slow shutter speeds).

 
  Lens distortion looks like this. The lines are not straight. Our eye uses distortion correction. Lens designers can design lenses so they have very little distortion, or they can make less complicated lens designs and "fix" the distortion in software.
   

Distortion = In photo optics/lenses: When straight lines in a scene don't remain straight because of optical aberration.

Lens designers can correct for distortion to a degree so the whole image field is perfect corrected and all lines remain straight. In modern lens design many designs rely on Software Distortion Correction (SDC).

The eye adjusts for distortion so we always see vertical and horizontal lines straight when we look at things. Even when you get new prescription glasses (if you use such), you will often experience distortion in your new glasses. After a few days they eyes have adjusted for the glasses and the distortion you saw to begin with is now gone. Software Distortion Correction (SDC) is far behind what the human eye can perform of adjustments. (Also see my definition on Perspective for more on the eye and optics)

DNG = Digital Negative, an open standard developed by Adobe. It is a single file that contains the raw image data from the sensor of the camera as well as date, time, GPS, focal length, settings, etc.
The alternative is a RAW file + XLM file where the RAW file contains the image information and the XML contains the rest of information about where, how and when the picture was taken.
A Camera Raw profile (that is specific for that camera) in the computert fact

helps the software program, for example Adobe Lightroom, to translate the RAW data into the image.

DOF = Depth of Field. This is how much of the image will be in focus. Shallow DOF is a generally used term in photography that refer to lenses with very narrow focus tolerance (which can be used to do selective focus; for artistic reasons or for specific storytelling, like making irrelevant subjects in the foreground and background blurry so only the subjects of essence are in focus and catches the viewers eye).

Depth of Field: Focus is on the flowers and the photograph on the desk and the foreground and background is blurred as the depth of field is narrow. If one stop down the aperture of the lens from f/1.4 to f/5.6, more will be in focus. If one stop down the lens to f/16 even more (if not all) will be in forcus. Another rule: The closer you go to a subject (the less focusing range), the more narrow the Depth of Field will be. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Depth of Field: Focus is on the flowers and the photograph on the desk and the foreground and background is blurred as the depth of field is narrow. If one stop down the aperture of the lens from f/1.4 to f/5.6, more will be in focus. If one stop down the lens to f/16 even more (if not all) will be in forcus. Another rule: The closer you go to a subject (the less focusing range), the more narrow the Depth of Field will be. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Depth Of Field scale from Fujifilm.
Depth Of Field scale from Fujifilm.

 

Depth - Distance between front and back. Distance from viewer and object.

Dynamic range. The grade of ‘contrast range’ (or number of tones) a film or sensor, or simply a photograph, possess between bright and dark tones. The human eye is said to have a dynamic range of 10-14 ‘stops’ (but because we scan area by area and compile a concept of the overall scene, they eye is often thought to have a much higher dynamic range), Film used to have 7-13 ‘stops’ and some modern sensors have up to 15-17 ‘stops’.

Elmarit = Refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f2.8 . The name is obviously derived from the earlier (and slower) "Elmar" designation. Not every f/2.8 lens is called an "Elmarit" though, the most obvious current exception being the 50mm f2.8 Elmar-M collapsible lens which for nostalgia and marketing reasons has kept the original 1930's Elmar name (the 50mm f3.5 collapsible Elmar, manufactured 1930-59, was one of Leica's most famous and popular lenses).

EVF = Electronic ViewFinder. The Leica M10 and the Leica T/TL/TL2 uses the Leica Visoflex model 0020.

Exposure Bracketing = The possibility to set the camera to automatically record a series of images where the exposure is above and below what the camera measures. The idea is that at least one of the images will be correctly exposed.

Fn = Short for Function. It's a button you can program. On the Leica M10 has a front button that can be programmed to other Fn (Functions).

Focus, in - Sharp and clear in appearance. Focus - “The burning point (of a lens or mirror)”. In Latin the word focus meant fireplace or hearth. The word was probably first employed outside of its Latin literal use as “the burning point of a lens or mirror” in optics, and then came to mean any central point. The German astronomer Johannes Kepler first recorded the word in this sense in 1604.

 
  A 28 mm lens has a 74° viewing angle
   

Focal length = (also written as f-) = On the Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4 it is 35mm and originally referred to the distance from the sensor (or film in older days) to the center of focus inside the lens. Nobody uses that measurement, except those who construct lenses! For users of lenses, focal length refers to how wide the lens sees. The viewing angle, which is often given in for example 90° viewing angle for a 21mm lens, 74° viewing angle for a 28mm lens, 6° viewing angle for a 400mm lens, etc.
Each human eye individually has anywhere from a 120° to 200° angle of view, but focuses only in the center.
The Leica TL2 has a APS-C sensor, which "crops" the traditional focal lengths with 1.5X, reducing the angle of view of view with 1.5X.

Full Frame (FF) = The size of the sensor is 24 x 36mm which is the format Oskar Barnack and Leica Camera AG invented with the first Leica that was introduced in 1925. Many other formats invented since, such as APS, APS-C and all usually refer to Full Frame ratio, by which it means what size they have compared to Full Frame.

 
  Full Frame is "king of photography"
   

The 24 x 36mm Full Frame format is so "king of photography" that it has continued to be the ideal for all cameras. Besides this, there exists Large Format cameras such as 4x5" (100 x 125 mm) and Medium Format 6x6 (60 x 60mm amongst other sizes in that area).

ISO = Light sensitivity of the camera sensor is given in ISO (International Organization for Standardization). It's a standard that was used in film and is now used in all digital cameras also. The base ISO for the Leica TL2 sensor is around 100-150 which means that this is what the sensor "sees". All other levels are computer algorithms calculating the effect as if the sensor could "see" more (hence noise at higher ISO levels).
ISO goes in steps of doubling: When the ISO is raised from 100 ISO to 200 ISO, the camera only need half the amount of light to make the same picture. For each step in ISO to 400, 800, 1600, 3200, etc. the light sensitivity is doubled for the sensor (and the camera sensor only need half the light of the previous ISO to record the same image).


6400 ISO indoor photo. With modern cameras the ISO can go to 3200, 6400, 12,800 and even higher without loss of dynamic range and without digital noise. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

JPEG = A standard for picture format made in the 1990's by Joint Photographic Experts Group). Mostly referred to as JPG as in L1003455.JPG which would be the name for a JPG file from the camera.

Summicron = Refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f/2.0 . There are many guesses how this name came about, a popular one being that the "summi" came from "summit" (summit means the highest point of a hill or mountain; the highest attainable level of achievement) while the "cron" came from "chroma" (ie. for colour). Not so: The name (Summi)cron was used because the lens used Crown glass for the first time, which Leitz bought from Chance Brothers in England. The first batch of lenses were named Summikron (Crown = Krone in Deutsch). The Summi(cron) is a development from the orignal Summar (the 50mm f2.0 lens anno 1933)

Summilux = Refers to the maximum lens aperture - normally f1.4 , "-lux" added for "light" (ie. the enhanced light gathering abilities). In the Leica Q the lens is a Summilux even it is a f/1.7 and not f/1.4.

Leica = A compound word derived from " (Lei)tz" and "(ca)mera". Apparently they were originally going to use "LECA", but another camera company already used a similar name in France, so they inserted the 'i' to prevent any confusion.

Lens - A piece of glass or similarly transparent material (like water or plastic). It has a shape so that it can direct light rays. The word “Lens” is used both for single piece of glass as well as a camera lens with several lenses that works together. From ‘lentil’ because similar in shape.

Lens hood = A tube or ring attached to the front of a camera lens to prevent unwanted light from reaching the lens and sensor. ORIGIN Old English hod; related to Dutch hoed, German Hut 'hat,' also to hat.

Light = Tiny particles called photons that behaves like both waves and particles. Light makes objects visible by reflecting off of them, and in photography that reflecting off of subjects is what creates textures, shapes, colors and luminance. Light in its natural form (emanating from the sun) also gives life to plants and living things, and makes (most) people happier. So far, nobody has been able to determine exactly what light is. The word photography means “writing with light” (photo = light, -graphy = writing). Read more about light in my book Finding the Magic of Light.

Live View = This is the ability to see the image the sensor see, live, via the screen, or via an electronic viewfinder (EVF).

MACRO = Macro lens. The Leica 60mm APO-Elmarit-Macro ASPH f/2.8 is both a 60mm lens for portraits, landscapes, etc. as well as a near focus macro. The word macro comes from Greek makros ‘long, large.’

 

The word macro comes from Greek makros ‘long, large.’ The Leica 60mm APO-Elmarit-Macro ASPH f/2.9 is both a 60mm lens for portraits, landscapes, etc as well as a near focus macro. © Thorsten Overgaard.
The word macro comes from Greek makros ‘long, large.’ © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

Maestro II - A processor developed first as Maestro for the Leica S2 and upgraded to Maestro II for the Leica S (Typ 007). The Leica M10 has a Mestro II (and the Leica Q a Maestro II Q-edition) processor developed by SocioNext Inc. based on Fujitsu's Mibeault architecture.

mm = millimeter(s), as in a 50mm lens. (Earlier in lens history lenses focal length was given in cm = centimeters; as in a 5 cm lens). For anyone used to centimeters and millimeters, it’s no wonder. But if you grew up with inches, feet and yards, you may have had a hard time grasping what a 50mm lens was. But as lenses were designed first in Europe, the metric system with centimeters and millimeters was used to describe lenses.
The reason a 50mm lens is a 50mm lens is that there is 50mm from the focus plane (the film or sensor) to the center of focus inside the lens. When photography was a young subject, it was engineers who made it all, and the users were expected to understand. The engineers were so into the making of the lenses, that it apparently never dawned upon them that today’s users would think of a 21mm lens as a wide angle lens rather than a lens where there is 21mm from the sensor to the center of focus inside the optics.

Optic = Eye or vision. From French optique or medieval Latin opticus, from Greek optikos, from optos ‘seen.’

Perspective - The way objects appear to the eye; their relative position and distance. Also, selective focus (foreground and background out of focus) can change the perception of perspective (also see Three-dimensional). A wide angle “widens” the perspective and makes objects further away appear smaller than they are to the eye, and objects nearer, relatively larger than they are to the eye. A tele lens will “flatten” the perspective and often objects further away will appear relatively larger than nearer objects, compared to sizes in real life. A 50mm lens is the one closest to the perspective and enlargement ratio of the human eye.

Perspective is relative position and distance. As here where the girl in front is more than two times taller than the peoplle walking, and 8 times taller than the people in the far background. Also, the parts of the buildings closer to the viewer are "taller" than the parts of the same building further away. Late afternoon sun in Denmark. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Perspective is relative position and distance. As here where the girl in front is more than two times taller than the peoplle walking, and 8 times taller than the people in the far background. Also, the parts of the buildings closer to the viewer are "taller" than the parts of the same building further away. Late afternoon sun in Denmark. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

S = Single image. In the menu of the Leica TL2 you can choose between single image at the time, or Continuous where the Leica TL2 will shoot series of 20-29 pictures per second as long as you hold down the shutter release. In Single mode it takes only one photo, no matter how long you hold down the shutter release.

SDC = Software Distortion Correction. A correction of lens distortion (not straight lines) applied in the camera and which is part of the DNG file. In Lightroom the SDC of the camera file is applied automatically (and cannot be removed), in software like AccuRaw one can open the DNG file without the SDC correction. Sean Reid reviews have written a good article on what SDC is and does in "Software Distortion Correction".

SDC (Software Distortion Correction): In Lightroom the correction profile for the Fujinon 23mm is applied automatically and cannot be turned off. If you go into Develop mode in Lightroom and look under Lens Correction > Profile, you will see a message in the bottom with an exclamation mark. When you click on that, you get the message above.
SDC (Software Distortion Correction): In Lightroom the correction profile for the Fujinon 23mm is applied automatically and cannot be turned off.
 If you go into Develop mode in Lightroom and look under Lens Correction > Profile, you will see a message in the bottom with an exclamation mark. When you click on that, you get the message above.

Sensor = A device that detects a physical property (like light) and records it. A camera sensor is a plane plate with thousands of small “eyes” with a lens in front of each, which each individually records the amount of red, green and blue light rays that comes through the lens. together Red, Green and Blue form all colors of the spectrum. From Latin sens- ‘perceived’

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Saturation: How colorful, intense or pure the color is. Less saturation would be less colorful, more saturation would be more colorful. In today’s photography, desaturating a photo on the computer will gradually make it less and less colorful; and full desaturation would make it into a black and white photo.

Sharpness - See “Focus”

SLR = Abbreviation for Single-Lens Reflex; the lens that forms the image on the film/sensor also provides the image in the viewfinder via a mirror. The Leica Q has no traditional viewfinder and no mirror. the image seen in the EVF is what the sensor sees.

Summilux = Refers to the maximum lens aperture - here f1.4 , "-lux" added for "light" (ie. the enhanced light gathering abilities). In Leica terminology a Summilux is always a f/1.4 lens and a Summicron is a f/2.0 lens.

Three-dimensional = Having the three dimensions of height, width and depth. In photography and lens design, three-dimensional effect is also the perception of even small micro-details; the texture of skin can appear flat and dead or three-dimensional and alive. Also, selective focus (foreground and background out of focus) can change the perception of depth. Also see Perspective.

Three-dimensional = Having the three dimensions of height, width and depth. Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.
Three-dimensional = Having the three dimensions of height, width and depth. Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Leica TL2 with Leica 35mm Summilux-TL ASPH f/1.4. © 2017 Thorsten Overgaard.

 

 

Leica M 10 Forums:

Leica M240 (M10) User Forum Facebook (curated by Thorsten von Overgaard)

 

Leica M 10 Reviews:

The "Viewfinder" issue contains user report by Jono Slack, interview on the Leica M10 with Leica Camera AG Global Manager Stefan Daniel and Leica M10 Product Manager Jesko Oeynhausen, and more. Sign up for a print membership or digital membership at lhsa.org (Leica Historial Society International).
The "Viewfinder" issue contains user report by Jono Slack, interview on the Leica M10 with Leica Camera AG Global Manager Stefan Daniel and Leica M10 Product Manager Jesko Oeynhausen, and more. Sign up for a print membership or digital membership at lhsa.org (Leica Historial Society International).

 

Enche Tjin: "Interview with Stefan Daniel and Jesko Neuhausen on M10" (as of January 29, 2017)
Sean Reid: "Black & White Comparison of Leica M10, M240 and M246"
(as of January 28, 2017)
Sean Reid: "Color Studio Comparison Tests of Leica M10, M240 and SL"
(as of January 22, 2017)
Chromasoft: "Leica M10 raw file (DNG) analysis"
(as on January 21, 2017)
Erwin Puts: "Leica M10, 2,000 hours"
(as of January 20, 2017)
Steve Huff: "Leica M10 higher ISO tests vs Sony A7RII, Leica SL"
(as of January 20,2017)
Jonathan Slack: User Report Leica M10
(at L-User-Forum as of January 18, 2017)
Jonathan Slack: User Report Leica M10 (at LHSA as of January 18, 2017)
Steve Huff: The Leica M10 is Here!
(as of January 19, 2017)
RedDotForum.com
(as of January 18, 2017)
Sean Reid: Reidreviews
(as of January 18, 2017)
DP Review: The M U want: Leica M10 First Impressions Review and Samples (as of January 18, 2017)
DP Review: Leica Boss: Hands-on with new Leica M10 (as of January 18, 2017)
Thephoblographer.com: Review of M 10 (as of January 18, 2017)
Mirorless Comparison: "The 10 Main Differences Between the Leica M10 and M240" (Jan 18, 2017)
Amateur Photographer: Leica M 10 Hands On First Look (as of January 18, 2017)
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS: Leica M10 (as of January 18, 2017)
Techcrunch Stefan Etienne: "Leica M10 more artisan than professional" (as of Feb 6, 2017)
Street Silhouettes: "An Inquiry into Digital versus Film - The M10 vs M9 vs M6" (March 2017)
John Barbiaux: "Street Photographers Review of Leica M10" (as of July 3, 2017)


Leica M 10 Video Reviews:

The Phoblographer: Stafan Daniel talks about the Leica M 10 (as of January 18, 2017)
Amateur Photographer: Leica M 10 Hands On First Look (as of January 18, 2017)
Steve Huff: The Leica M10 video review (as of January 19, 2017)
DP Review: "Leica M 10 Hands On" (as of January 19, 2017)
Matt Stuart - "Exploring Brussels with the Leica M 10" (as of January 19, 2017)
Kai W: "Leica M10 Hands-on Preview" (as of January 19, 2017)
Matt Granger: Leica M10 (as of January 19, 2017)
Red35 Photography: "The Leica M10" (as of February 1, 2017)
The Verge: "Leica M10 Review" (as of February 17, 2017)
Thorsten von Overgaard/Magic of Light Television: "Leica M10 Introduction Review PART 1":


 

Leica M 10 Live Blogging:

David Farkas of Leica Store Miami is on site, provied up-to-the-minute coveraeg from Wetzlar, Germany. You can follow him on twitter at https://twitter.com/reddotforum and on facebook.com/reddotforum. After the event, he provided a re-cap with more details at www.reddotforum.com.

 

Leica M 10 Rumors:

LeicaRumors: "New Leica M 10 in 24 hours" (as of January 17, 2017)
Steve Huff: A New Leica M Coming Soon..?"
(as of January 17, 2017)
Leica M10 Rumors: The Big Recap
(LeicaRumors as of January 11, 2017)
LeicaRumors: One more picture of the Leica M10 in black (as of January 11, 2017)
LeicaRumors: "New picture of the entire back of the Leica M10 camera" (as of January 11, 2017).
LeicaRumors: "New leaked picture shows the buttons on the back of the Leica M10 camera"
LeicaRumors: "Another picture of the Leica M10 camera" (as of January 10, 2017)
LeicaRumors: "Leica M10 camera to be announced on January 18th, 2017" (as of Dec 8, 2016)

 

 

 

 

Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright 2017-2018 Thorsten von Overgaard.
Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. Copyright Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Index of Thorsten Overgaard's user review pages on Leica M9, Leica M9-P, Leica M-E, Leica M9 Monochrom, Leica M10, Leica M10-P, Leica M10-D, Leica M10-R, Leica M10 Monohcrom, Leica M11, Leica M 240, Leica M-D 262, Leica M Monochrom 246, Leica SL, Leica SL2, Leica SL2-S, as well as Leica TL2, Leica CL, Leica Q, Leica Q2 and Leica Q2 Monochrom:

Leica Digital Camera Reviews by Thorsten Overgaard
Leica M11 /M11-P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8                          
Leica M10 / M10-R
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8                         Video
Leica M 240
P 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44            
M 246 Monochrom 26 27 28 29
30
31      

                     
Leica M-D 262 1 2                                        
Leica M9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20   M9-P
M Monochrom 20 21 22 23 24 25      

                     
Leica SL / SL2 1   3   5 6 7                              
Leica SL3 1                                          
Leica Q 1                                          
Leica Q2 / Q2M 1                                          
Leica Q3 1 2                                        
Leica TL2 1 2                                        
Leica CL 1 2                                       Books

   
   

 

– Thorsten Overgaard
#1745-0118

   


Thorsten von Overgaard
Thorsten Overgaard's Leica Article Index
Leica M digital camera reviews:   Leica L digital cameras:
Leica M11   Leica SL
Leica M11-P   Leica SL2
Leica M11 Monochrom   Leica SL2-S
Leica M10   Panasonic Lumix S5 II X
Leica M10-P   Panasonic Lumix S1R
Leica M10-R   Leica SL3
Leica M10-D   Leica TL2
Leica M10 Monochrom   Leica CL
Leica M9 and Leica M-E   Leica L-Mount lenses
Leica M9-P    
Leica M9 Monochrom   Leica R digital cameras:
Leica M240   Leica R8/R9/DMR
Leica M246 Monochrom    
Leica MD-262 and Leica M60   Small Leica mirrorless digital cameras:
    Leica Q3
    Leica Q2 / Leica Q2 Monochrom
Leica M film cameras:   Leica Q
Leica M6   Leica V-Lux
Leica M4   Leica C-Lux
Leica CL /Minota CLE (1973)   Leica D-Lux
    Leica Digilux 3
Leica M lenses:   Leica Digilux 2
Leica 21mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4   Leica Digilux 1
Leica 21mm Leica Super-Elmar-M ASPH f/3.4   Leica Digilux
Leica 21mm Super-Angulon-M f/3.4    
Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4   Leica R film cameras:
Leica 35mm Summilux-M ASPH FLE f/1.4 and f/1.4 AA   Leica R8 / R9
Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leica R4
Leica 35mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leica R3 electronic
Leica 50mm ELCAN f/2.0   Leicaflex SL / SLmot
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95 FLE   Leica compact film cameras:
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M f/1.0   Leica Minilux 35mm film camera
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M f/1.2   Leica CM 35mm film camera
7artisans 50mm f/1.1   Leica R lenses:
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f//1.4   Leica 19mm Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 "rigid" Series II   Leica 35mm Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leica 50mm Summicron-R f/2.0
Leica 50mm Elmar-M f/2.8 collapsible   Leica 60mm Macro-Elmarit f/2.8
Leica 75mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/1.25   Leica 80mm Summilux-R f/1.4
7artisans 75mm f/1.25   Leica 90mm Summicron-R f/2.0
Leica 75mm Summilux-M f/1.4   Leica 180mm R lenses
Leica 90mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.5   Leica 250mm Telyt-R f/4.0
Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0   Leica 400mm Telyt-R f/6.8
Leica 90mm Summarit-M f/2.5   Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leica 90mm Elmarit f/2.8   Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/4.0
Leitz 90mm Thambar f/2.2    
    Leica S digital medium format:
Leitz Cine lenses:   Leica S1 digital scan camera
Leica Cine lenses from Leitz Cine Wetzlar   Leica S2
    Leica S
     
History and overview:   Sony mirrorless digital cameras:
Leica History and Heritage   Sony A7
Famous Leica Usears   Fujifilm mirorrless digital cameras:
Leica Definitions   Fujifilm X-Pro 2
Leica Lens Compendium    
Leica Camera Compendium   "Magic of Light" 4K Television Channel
The Solms factory and Leica Wetzlar Campus   Thorsten von Overgaard YouTube Channel
     
Photography Knowledge   Thorsten Overgaard books and education:
Calibrating computer screen for photographers   Thorsten Overgaard Masterclasses & Workshops
Which Computer for Photographers?   Lightroom Survival Kit
What is Copyright? Advice for Photogarphers   Lightroom Presets by Overgaard
Synchronizing Large Photo Archive with iPhone   Lightroom Brushes by Overgaard
Quality of Light   Capture One Survival Kit
Lightmeters   "Finding the Magic of Light" eBook (English)
Color meters for accurate colors (White Balance)   "Die Magie des Lichts Finden" eBook (German)
White Balance & WhiBal   "The Moment of Emotional Impact in Photography"
Film in Digital Age   "Freedom of Photographic Expression" eBook
Dodge and Burn   "Composition in Photography" eBook
All You Need is Love   "The Portrait Book" eBook
How to shoot Rock'n'Roll   "A Little Book on Photography" eBook
X-Rite   "After the Tsunami" Free eBook
The Origin of Photography   "Why do I Photograph?"
Hasselblad/Imacon Flextight 35mm and 6x6 scanner   "The Artist's Guide to the Galaxy" eBook
    "The Leica M11 Know-All eBook"
    "The Leica Q Know-All eBook"
    "The Leica Q2 Know-All eBook"
    "The Leica Q3 Know-All eBook"
    "The Leica M240 Know-All eBook"
    "The Leica SL3 Know-All eBook"
    The Digital Photographers Extension Course
    The Overgaard New Inspiration Extension Course I
   
Leica Photographers:    
Henri Cartier-Bresson   Riccis Valladares
Rodney Smith   Christoåpher Tribble
Birgit Krippner   Martin Munkácsi
John Botte   Jose Galhoz
 
Douglas Herr   Milan Swolf
Vivian Maier   Jan Grarup
Morten Albek    
Byron Prukston   Richard Avedon
     
The Story Behind That Picture:   Learn with Thorsten Overgaard:
More than 250 articles by Thorsten Overgaard   Leica M9 Masterclass (video course)
Thorsten Overgaard Workshop Schedule   Leica M10 Masterclass (video course)
    Leica M240 Masterclass (video course)
Leica Forums and Blogs:   Leica M11 Masterclass (video course)
Leica M11 / M240 / M10 User Forum on Facebook   Leica Q Masterclass (video course)
Jono Slack   Leica Q2 Masterclass (video course)
Sean Reid Review (reviews)   Leica Q3 Masterclass (video course)
Heinz Richter's Leica Barnack Berek Blog   Leica SL2 Masterclass (video course)
    Leica SL3 Masterclass (video course)
Connect with Thorsten Overgaard:   Leica TL2 Quick Start (video course)
Thorsten Overgaard on Instagram   Camera Excellence (video course)
Thorsten Overgaard on Threads   A Fly on the Wall (video course)
Thorsten Overgaard on YouTube   Mastering the Noctilux (video course)
Join the Thorsten Overgaard Mailing List   The Leica 50mm Lens Class (video course)
Thorsten Overgaard on Facebook   Street Photography Masterclass (video course)
    Adobe Photoshop Editing Masterclass
    The Photoraphers Workflow Masterclass
    Adobe Lightroom Survival Kit
    Capture One Survival Kit
    Overgaard Workshops & Masterclasses
    Overgaard One-on-One Training
    Thorsten Overgaard Archive Licencing
    Commision Thorsten Overgaard
 
The Von Overgaard Gallery Store:   Von Overgaard Ventilated lens shades:
Ventilated Shades "Always Wear A Camera"   Ventilated Shade for Current 35mm Summilux FLE
Camera Straps "Always Wear A Camera"   Ventilated Shade E46 for old Leica 35mm/1.4 lens
The Von Camera Bag   Ventilated Shade for Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH
The Von Mini Messenger Walkabout Camera Bag   Ventilated Shade E43 for older 50mm Summilux
Desk Blotters 'Always Wear A Camera"   Ventilated Shade for 35mm Summicron-M ASPH
Sterling Silver Leica Necklace   Ventilated Shade for older 35mm/f2 lenses
Software for Photography   Ventilated Shade E39 for 50mm Summicron lenses
Signed Thorsten Overgaard Gallery Prints   Ventilated Shade for Leica 28mm Summilux
Video Masterclasses   Ventilated Shade for current 28mm Elmarit-M
Photography Books by Thorsten Overgaard   Ventilated Shade for older 28mm Elmarti-M
Home School Photography Extension Courses   Ventilated Shade E49 for 75mm Summicron
    ventilated Shade E55 for 90mm Summicron
    Ventilated Shade for 28mm Summaron
    Ventilated Shade for 24mm Elmarit
    Ventilated Shade E60 for 50mm Noctilux and 75/1.4
Gallery Store Specials   Ventilated Shade for Leica Q, Leica Q2 and Leica Q3
 

 

Above: Boyscout outside the boyscout's villa in Havana, Cuba. Leica M10 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten von Overgaard.

 

Leica reviews by Thorsten Overgaard. LEICA = LEItz CAmera. Founded 1849 in Wetzlar, Germany. Leica logo in photo by Thorsten Overgaard

LEItz CAmera = LEICA
Founded 1849 in Wetzlar, Germany.

 

 

Leica M User Forum Facebook

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hat designer Van Huynh from JJ Hat Center in New York made a fedora specially for Thorsten von Overgaard. Photo: Brian Shimansky.
Hat designer Van Huynh from JJ Hat Center in New York made a fedora specially for me. Photo: Brian Shimansky.

Thorsten von Overgaard is a Danish-American multiple award-winning photographer, known for his writings about photography and Leica cameras. He travels to more than 25 countries a year, photographing and teaching workshops to photographers. Some photos are available as signed editions via galleries or online. For specific photography needs, contact Thorsten Overgaard via email.

You can follow Thorsten Overgaard at his television channel magicoflight.tv.

Feel free to email to thorsten@overgaard.dk for questions, advice and ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

Also visit:

Overgaard Photography Workshops
Books by Thorsten Overgaard
Street Photography Masterclass Video
Adobe Photoshop Editing Masterclass
Adobe Lightroom Survival Kit
Lightroom Presets by Overgaard
Lightroom Brushes by Overgaard
Capture One Survival Kit

Capture One Styles by Overgaard
Signed Original Prints by Overgaard

Von Overgaard Gallery Store
Ventilated Shades by Overgaaard
Leather Camera Straps
Camea Bags
Leather Writing Pads
Sterling Silver Camera Necklace

Leica Definitions
Leica History
Leica Lens Compendium
Leica Camera Compendium
Leica 21mm Super-Elmar-M ASPH f/3.4
Leica 21mm Super-Angulon f/3.4
Leica 21mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4

Leica 28mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
Leica 35mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
Leica 35mm Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0
Leica 35mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0

Leica 40mm Summicron-C f/2.0
Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95
Leica 50mm Summicron-SL f/2.0
Leica 50mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0
Leica 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0
ELCAN 50mm f/2.0
Leica 50mm Summilux-M ASPH f/1.4
7artisans 50mm f/1.1
Leica 75mm Summilux-M f/1.4
Leica 75mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/1.25
7artisans 75mm f/1.25
Leica 80mm Summilux-R f/1.4
Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M f/2.0
Leica 90mm Summilux-M f/1.5
Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/2.8
Leitz Cine lenses
Leica L lenses

Leica M6

Leica M11-P
Leica M11
Leica M11 Monochrom
Leica M10
Leica M10-P

Leica M10-R
Leica M10-D
Leica M10 Monochrom
Leica M9, M9-P and Leica ME
Leica M9 Monochrom
Leica M 240
Leica M 240 for video
Leica M 262
Leica M-D 262

Leica M 246 Monochrom

Leica SL
Leica SL2
Leica SL2-S

Lecia SL3
Panasonic Lumix S1R
Leica R9 dSLR
Leica / Kodak/ Imacon digital back
Leica Q
Leica Q2
Leica Q2 Monochrom
Leica Q3
Leica CL
Leica TL2
Leica Sofort
Leica S medium format
Leica X
Leica D-Lux

Leica C-Lux

Leica V-Lux

Leica Digilux

Leica Digilux 1

Leica Digilux 2
Leica Digilux Zoom

Leica Digilux 4.3

Leica Digilux 3

Light metering
White Balance for More Beauty
Color Meters

Screen Calibration
Which computer to get
Sync'ing photo archive to iPhone
The Story Behind That Picture
"On The Road With von Overgaard"

Von Overgaard Masterclasses:
M11 / M10 / M9 / M240 / Q / Q2 / Q3 / SL2 / SL3 /TL2 /

 

 

 

 

Overgaard Photo Workshops


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 


     
Buy eBooks by
Thorsten Overgaard
     
"A Little Book on Photography"   "A Little Book on Photography"
Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     
"The Leica Q Know-All eBook"  
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Finding the Magic of Light"   "Composition in Photography - The Photographer as Storyteller"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"The Freedom of Photographic Expression"   "The Moment of Emptional Impact"
Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     

The Portrait Book
How to Make People Beautifu
    Add to Cart
     

Preorder: The Noctilux Masterclass
    Add to Cart
     
Extension Courses
     
The New Photography Extension Course"   "New Inspiration Extension Course"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     

Lightroom
Survival Kit 11
 


Workflow
Masterclass

Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     
Video Classes
     

eBook
+Video

This is Street Photography

  Street Photo
Masterclass

Add to Cart

  Add to Cart
     


Leica Q2
Masterclass

  "Leica Q Video Masterclass"
Leica Q
Masterclass

Add to Cart

  Add to Cart
     
"Leica TL2 Quick-Start Video Course"
Leica TL2
Quick-Start
Video Course
  "Leica Q Video Masterclass"
Preorder:
Leica M9
Masterclass
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Leica M10 Video Masterclass"   "Leica M 240 Video Masterclass"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Presets
     
Lightroom Presets Leica M10   Lightroom Presets Leica M9
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Presets Leica TL2   Lightroom Presets Leica Q
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Dutch Painters Presets by Thorsten Overgaard   Leica Presets for Lightroom by Thorsten Overgaard
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Hollywood Film Presets"
Add to Cart    
     
Hemingway Presets for Lightroom by Thorsten Overgaard
Add to Cart    
     

201 Lightroom Presets
+ 4 Export Presets
Add to Cart    
     
Capture One Styles:
     
"Capture One Pro Survival Kit"
Capture One
Survival Kit 22
  Leica Styles for Capture One by Thorsten Overgaard
Leica Styles for
Capture One
  Add to Cart
     

17 Capture One Styles
Add to Cart    


     
     

Join a Thorsten Overgaard
Photography Workshop

I am in constant orbit teaching
Leica and photography workshops.

Most people prefer to explore a
new place when doing my workshop.
30% of my students are women.
35% of my students dotwo or more workshops.
95% are Leica users.
Age range is from 15 to 87 years
with the majority in the 30-55 range.
Skill level ranges from two weeks
to a lifetime of experience.
97% use a digital camera.
100% of my workshop graduates photograph more after a workshop.

I would love to see you in one!
Click to see the calendar.

     
St. Louis   Chicago

Hong Kong

 

New York

Shanghai

 

Boston

Beijing

 

Washington DC

Tokyo

 

Toronto

Kyoto

  Montreal

Taipei

  Québec
Seoul  

Seattle

Jakarta

 

San Francisco

Bali

 

Los Angeles

Manila

 

Las Vegas

Singapore

 

Santa Barbara

Kuala Lumpur

 

Santa Fe

Bangkok

 

Austin

Sydney

 

Clearwater

Perth

 

Miami

Melbourne

 

Cuba

Auckland

 

São Paulo

Napier

 

Rio de Janeiro

Moscow

 

Cape Town

Saint Petersburg

 

Tel Aviv

Oslo

 

Jaffa

Malmö

 

Istanbul

Stockholm

 

Palermo

Aarhus

 

Rome

Copenhagen

  Venice

Amsterdam

  Wetzlar

Frankfurt

  Mallorca

Berlin

  Madrid

Münich

 

Barcelona

Salzburg

 

Amsterdam

Vienna

 

Paris

Cannes  

London

Reykjavik   Portugal
Roadtrip USA   Milano
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 

 

 

Overgaard Photo Workshops


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 


     
Buy eBooks by
Thorsten Overgaard
     
"A Little Book on Photography"   "A Little Book on Photography"
Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     
"The Leica Q Know-All eBook"  
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Finding the Magic of Light"   "Composition in Photography - The Photographer as Storyteller"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"The Freedom of Photographic Expression"   "The Moment of Emptional Impact"
Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     

The Portrait Book
How to Make People Beautifu
    Add to Cart
     

Preorder: The Noctilux Masterclass
    Add to Cart
     
Extension Courses
     
The New Photography Extension Course"   "New Inspiration Extension Course"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     

Lightroom
Survival Kit 11
 


Workflow
Masterclass

Add to Cart  

Add to Cart

     
Video Classes
     

eBook
+Video

This is Street Photography

  Street Photo
Masterclass

Add to Cart

  Add to Cart
     


Leica Q2
Masterclass

  "Leica Q Video Masterclass"
Leica Q
Masterclass

Add to Cart

  Add to Cart
     
"Leica TL2 Quick-Start Video Course"
Leica TL2
Quick-Start
Video Course
  "Leica Q Video Masterclass"
Preorder:
Leica M9
Masterclass
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Leica M10 Video Masterclass"   "Leica M 240 Video Masterclass"
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Presets
     
Lightroom Presets Leica M10   Lightroom Presets Leica M9
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Presets Leica TL2   Lightroom Presets Leica Q
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
Lightroom Dutch Painters Presets by Thorsten Overgaard   Leica Presets for Lightroom by Thorsten Overgaard
Add to Cart   Add to Cart
     
"Hollywood Film Presets"
Add to Cart    
     
Hemingway Presets for Lightroom by Thorsten Overgaard
Add to Cart    
     

201 Lightroom Presets
+ 4 Export Presets
Add to Cart    
     
Capture One Styles:
     
"Capture One Pro Survival Kit"
Capture One
Survival Kit 22
  Leica Styles for Capture One by Thorsten Overgaard
Leica Styles for
Capture One
  Add to Cart
     

17 Capture One Styles
Add to Cart    

 

 

           
  · © Copyright 1996-2024 · Thorsten von Overgaard


 

© 1996 - 2024 Thorsten Overgaard. All rights reserved.

 

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