The Phoblographer

Show us an original photo of a woman who inspires you.

We’d like you to join Leica and The Phoblographer in celebrating women everywhere. And just by participating, you can score a brand new Leica Q2. How do you enter? Well, take a picture or share an original picture of a woman who inspires you. Then tell us the story of this woman and why you look up to her. All the details are after the jump.

Who: Open to everyone in the world 21+

What: Win a Leica Q2 by entering our special contest with Leica. The submissions will be judged by Editor in Chief Chris Gampat. One person will win the camera, and four runners will win a chance to be interviewed on the site.

When: November 12th, 2020 at 12AM EST to December 14th at 11:59PM EST

Where: Please head over to our special landing page for a chance to enter!

How: Submit one original photo that you’ve shot yourself of a woman who inspires you. Tell us the story of this woman and why she shines so brightly to you.

Official Rules

OFFICIAL RULES OF WOMEN THAT INSPIRE ME PORTRAIT PHOTO CONTEST 1) Introduction: The Phoblographer LLC and Leica Camera Inc. (“Sponsors”) are conducting a portrait photography contest, titled “Women That Inspire Me” (the “Photo Contest”). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS PHOTO CONTEST. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.2) Eligibility: Entrant must be 21 years of age or older as of date of entry. Employees of Sponsors, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and agents and the immediate family (defined as parents, spouse, children, siblings, grandparents) of each such employees, and all those with whom such employees are domiciled, are NOT eligible.3) Timing: Photo Contest begins at 12:00:01 a.m. E.S.T.

November 12, 2020 and ends at 11:59:00 p.m. E.S.T. on December 14, 2020 (“Content Period”). Judging Period will be December 22, 2020 through December 20, 2020 (“Judging Period”). Winner will be announced on December 22, 2020.4) Submission Requirements & Method of Entry:a) NO PURCHASE NECESSARY OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS PHOTO CONTEST.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.b) To enter the contest, entrants much provide their email address and submit one (1) portrait photo of the/a woman that inspires them, and a short (200 words or less) narrative caption of why, via direct upload of an image, Facebook or Instagram via the Gleam platform, at this web address: Please ensure that your image is publicly visible for ease when judging.c) Submissions may be captured using ANY camera system.d) The entry must fulfill all contest requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are not complete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of the Sponsors.e) Entrants may only make one (1) Submission. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules.

If you use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of the Sponsors.f) Submissions must not, in the sole and absolute discretion of Sponsors, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content. Submissions deemed by Sponsors to be inappropriate will be disqualified.

Submissions owned by a third party, or the use of any trademarks, service marks, logos, brands, or products owned by a third-party are not acceptable for entry into the Photo Contest.g) Entrant must be prepared to provide a signed written personal release from all person(s) who appear in the Submission authorizing use of their image by Sponsors for specific purposes identified herein. Entrants do not need to send release(s) with Submissions but will be contacted if personal releases are needed. Failure to provide the required releases will result in disqualification of the Submis...

The Leica M6 is by far one of the most popular and revered Leica cameras of all time, and these are the lenses we recommend you pair with it.

Many of you know we’ve always had an affinity for film. It’s important that we don’t forget about this tool in photography. Film is something that helps unite passionate photographers everywhere, but more importantly, it’s also at the heart of the Leica M6. This camera is one of the most popular ever made by the company. Lots of folks love it. Choosing the right lens for it can be a bit tough, so we’re sharing our experiences with some of our favorites.

Leica 75mm f1.25 Noctilux (See in the Dark)

“...you buy a Leica M film camera because you want it. You shoot film because you want to. You go for rare and exotic lenses for their unique look and because you won’t settle for anything less. Those who laugh at you don’t understand. And in the age of the internet, less and less people understand interpersonal experiences despite the massive library of information that’s available at your fingertips. In a way, technology has made us dumber: which is a big theory in the world of communications and journalism. But the Leica 75mm f1.25 Noctilux pulls us back to an era where one really had to work for the shot.”

The Analog Take: This lens was used briefly with Kodak Ektachrome 100 in the Leica M6. And we found it to be incredible for portrait photography. We’re highly recommending it as the only portrait lens you’ll need for the system. It’s got a super shallow depth of field at f1.25, so be careful and line your shots up just right.

Pro Tip: Strive to shoot at a minimum of 1/125th. The reciprocal rule of shutter speeds recommends that for a stable shot. But of course, it’s also a Leica M6, and so there’s no shutter slap.

Sample Images with the Leica M6

Buy Now: $14,095

Leica Summaron-M 28mm f5.6 (Better Street Photography With the Leica M6)

“When the Leica Summaron-M 28mm F5.6 first came in for review, I wasn’t sure what I’d think of it. However, I’ve been making an effort to review more Leica lenses and I have to say this is one of my favorites by far. It’s at a decent price point and for that price point you’re getting a whole lot of adaptability,classic image quality, low profile and some solid build quality. I genuinely like the Leica Summaron-M 28mm F5.6 and one day when it hits the used market, I’ll probably pick one up.”

The Analog Take: The special thing about the Leica Summaron-M 28mm f5.6 is the small size. You want to bring your Leica M6 everywhere with you. And this is the best lens to do that with. It’s affordable, compact, and has a beautiful quality to it. We’ve used it a lot with Kodak Tri-X. A film like that will make photos from this lens incredibly sharp. Alternatively, Kodak T-Max 400 is a favorite of ours too.

Pro Tip: Zone focus with this lens and go shooting in the streets. Focus out to five or six feet away and have fun with it!

Sample Images with the Leica M6

Buy Now: $2,595

Leica 35mm f2 Summicron ASPH (The Everyday Lens)

“I’ll fully admit to this lens being very sharp; and for the type of work that demands critical sharpness you can expect great results from the Leica 35mm f2 ASPH Summicron. Just stop it down, focus and shoot.”

The Analog Take: The Leica 35mm f2 Summicron ASPH was paired with our favorite general film: Fujifilm Superia. The two work together to deliver nostalgic colors that will remind you of the happiest of times. This lens specifically works well with the Leica M6 because of the size. If the 28mm isn’t your cup of tea, this surely will be!

Pro Tip: This is a fantastic general-purpose, everyday lens. Use it to document everyday life. Capture the decisive moment with it.

Sample Images with the Leica M6

Buy Now: $3,295

Editor’s Note: This special feature is presented by Leica.

The Light and Motion CLx10 continuous light could be a great light for on the go hybrid photographers.

We are huge champions of learning how to use flash, strobes, and continuous lights here at The Phoblographer. Nothing is more liberating or more freeing than being able to shoot in many lighting conditions. We were offered the chance to test and review the Light and Motion CLx10. The CLx10 is a 10,000 lumen continuous light. Many photographers might appreciate continuous light more than a standard flash in the day and age of exposure previews. How does this continuous light source work in the real world? Should you buy it? Find out in our full review.

Pros and Cons

Pros

The light is smaller than 70-200mm f2.8 lenses

It’s lightweight, well built and weather-sealed (IP54 rating)

An output of 10,000 lumens

The light produced is very accurate

Easy to see and use rear control panel

The CLX10 is compatible with Elinchrom modifiers out of the box, but many adapters are available for other modifiers such as Bowens

Just 75 minutes to reach 100% charge

Cons

The CLX 10 is $1,299.99. The Kit we were sent is $1,999.99

At full power, the battery will deplete in under an hour

At full power, the fan is quite loud, which could be an issue for videographers

No remote triggers to change power settings are included. An RF remote is $129.99 on top of the price of the light

If you’d like to learn more about dramatic lighting techniques, check out this fantastic lighting tutorial. This guide will teach you about single light setups and multiple light setups. It contains diagrams, settings, and it will teach how to shoot with continuous light. The best part? It’s just $19!

Gear Used

We used the Light and Motion CLx10 Portrait Plus Kit with various light modifiers, including shoot through and reflective umbrellas.

Tech Specs

All technical specifications have been taken directly from the official website for Light and Motion:

Lumen Output: High (10000), Medium (4000), Low (500)

Charge time: 75 Min

Beam Angle: 120° (flood), 120° (native), 50° (modified), 25° – 120°° (range)

IP Rating (FL-1): 54

Product Color Temperature: 5600k

TCI/TLCI: 92/94

LUX: 18750

Flicker-Free FPS: 1000

Thermal Management: Active

Fast Charge: True

Product Dimensions: 7.17′′ x 3.46′′ x 3.46′′

Ergonomics

The first thing you’re going to notice is how small the Light and Motion CLx10 is. This light, for as powerful as it is, is small. With dimensions that make it a little smaller than most 70-200mm f2.8 lenses, and with a weight of just 2.7lbs, the CLx10 is very easy to tote around.

You’ll find that the Light and Motion CLx10 is quite minimalistic in design. On top of the unit you’ll find the silver on/off switch, and three buttons which control the mode and power levels.

The rear of the CLx10 houses a small, easy to read digital display. You’ll also find the proprietary charging port above the LCD. As I mentioned above, minimalism seems to have been the name of the game when it came to designing this light.

Almost the entire front half of this light is taken up by a huge fan to keep the Light and Motion CLx10 nice and cool. At the very front of the body, you’ll obviously find the 10,000 lumens, 5600k LED. The CLx10 is set up to accept Elinchrom modifiers out of the box, but you can buy additional adapters for other light modifiers. The underside of the body houses the mount which will allow you to attach the CLx10 to a light stand of your choice. The mount also has an integrated umbrella holder, which is a nice feature.

Overall, the Light and Motion CLx10 is a well-designed light that’s small enough and light enough to be carried around without breaking your back. The controls are laid out in a way that makes the Clx10 easy to use. From an ergonomics standpoint, Light and Motion have done a great job with the Clx10.

Build Quality

The Light and Motion CLx10 is a very robust lighting unit. Light and Motio...

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While most photo editing software offers a list of similar features, the same tool’s performance may vary across the board. Capture One has consistently delivered more flexibility with RAW photo editing than the competition. It starts with better noise reduction algorithms to squeeze out a bit more shadow recovery, and runs the gamut. But they’re not done yet. Announced today, Capture One 21 adds several new features topped by a customizable Dehaze tool and Speed Edits.

While Dehaze isn’t something Adobe hasn’t thought of before, Capture One isn’t just copying the competition. The company makes the tool their own with custom shadow tones. With Speed Edits, Capture One makes keyboard shortcuts actually make sense for slider-based editing. The update also addresses one of our previous complaints by speeding up and simplifying the import process and enhancing the learning tools. But, are those changes enough? How does Capture One 21 compare to Lightroom?

I tested a beta version of Capture One 21 to find out. The version tested is basically the closest to finalized you can get. I’m a Capture One newbie — I’ve only used the previous version for about a month. Throughout the testing, I compared the features to the old version as well as the industry standard and the editor I am most familiar with, Lightroom.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Faster editing with excellent new keyboard controls

New Dehaze tool adds life back into flat images

New ProStandard color profiles

Updated learning tools

Fully featured photo editor from asset management to layers

Option to buy it outright or subscribe annually

All the same features we’ve loved in the past are still there, including better noise reduction and shadow/highlight recovery than competing programs

Cons

A cluttered interface, which is tougher to learn. But you can adapt it to a degree.

The cataloging tool lacks some features

Pricier than Lightroom

Gear Used

I tested the beta version of Capture One Pro 21 on a MacBook Pro, circa 2015, with 16 GB of RAM.

System Requirements

Taken directly from Capture One:

Windows

Windows 8.1® 64-bit or Windows 10® 64-bit

Intel or AMD CPU with 2 cores

10 GB free disk space

8 GB of RAM

Mac

MacOS 10.13, 10.14, or 10.15

Intel CPU with 2 cores

10 GB free disk space

8 GB of RAM

Main Features

The biggest new tool coming to the December 2020 release is a Dehaze slider. Like Lightroom’s tool by the same name, the Dehaze slider adds contrast, polarization, and clarity back into a flat image. The tool is helpful for backlit images, as well as fog and, of course, haze. Dehaze can also add a little more blue into the skies and fix the lack of contrast created by lens flare.

But while the slider has the same function as Lightroom’s, Capture One 21 has a second control — the shadow tone. Sometimes, using the slider creates unnatural tones in the darker areas of the image. Lightroom has no way to control this. Capture One 21 does. Using manual shadow tone simply requires clicking on a darker area of the image with an eyedropper tool to correct any odd color tints. I edited a golden hour backlit photo in both programs, and Lightroom left a very slight green tint in the background. Capture One 21 was a bit better even on auto, but excellent once adjusted for manual shadow tones.

The update also adds ProStandard camera profiles. Available for only a limited number of cameras at launch, more support is coming. But at the moment only Canon, Nikon, Sony, Phase One, and Leica cameras are getting support. Sorry, Fuji! Capture One claims that this RAW color profile creates more natural color renderings. Deeper support is coming later. When comparing the default profile to ProStandard, the difference was very subtle but more true to life. In one of the photos that I worked on, ProStandard created more accurate shadow tones. This p...

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I’m an enthusiast, not a professional and I embrace that. My abilities with a camera are limited- not false modesty as there are things I’m good at – this just isn’t one of them. I’m completely fine with that though, the pleasure and peace holding a camera and taking a photograph gives me is reward enough. I’d always had film cameras as a kid, my dad had one and I used them for a while when I left home but I never learned to develop film and I stopped using them during the late 90s.

Want to share your passion to the My Favorite Camera series? Here’s how! We’re excited to read about your love of photography.

Seeing a blurry family photo from years ago is still a powerful thing for me: the emotional experience far outweighs any technical limitations.

An alpha and an omega got me back into cameras and photography. The alpha: I had children and a phone just never documented them quite the way I wanted them to be documented. The omega – my mother passed away and I realized we did not have a recent photographic portrait of her – never again, I decided.

And so I bought ‘the wirecutter’ recommended Olympus OMD EM10 M2. (That’s not my favorite camera by the way, though I still love and use it.) I read lots of other reviews before buying, including this one.

I loved the images and I wanted to take the Olympus everywhere and use it all the time. But England... so rain... lots of rain. The OMD EM5 M2 and OMD EM1 Mk2 were too expensive.

Around this time I read this review I got the whiff of damnation with faint praise. Let’s face it; the site usually picks Olympus in the Micro 4/3 round-ups and for some very good reasons I’ll admit.

Everyone seemed to like this camera – no one seemed to love it apart from Dave Thorpe. Which was good because it was then discounted heavily and it was weather sealed.

So when it rained or I was outdoors/overseas that’s what I took.

Years passed, YouTube was watched, I read about photographers and photographic techniques, and collected photo books. Meyerowitz, HCB, Newman, Heisler, Gampat, Perello, Salgado, Souza, Gorman, Winters, Sontag, Carter, etc. The shelves groaned – my wife groaned louder.

I always have the Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 and the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8, a Nissin i40, and I mix in the Lumix 15mm f1.7, Olympus 25mm f1.2, or Lumix 25mm f1.4 as required (all of which I picked up very reasonably second hand and fit into a 10L sling bag with an iPad). I bought other cameras (Fuji! Leica! Medium Format! GAS!), dabbled in film, and tried to learn. But when I traveled, when I was just about being in the moment not trying to learn a new technique, I reach for the GX8. I use Olympus and Panasonic lenses and have never felt I’ve paid an undue penalty for mixing manufacturers.

The menu was logical and intuitive to me. Even the feature that many seemed perplexed by, the tilting eyepiece, came to be something I relied on. I still use it and bought a second one when prices hit rock bottom post Panasonic’s full-frame announcement, but prices are slowly creeping back up I notice.

The camera seemed so discrete, it wasn’t perfect, but the more I used it, it seemed so ‘sensible’. Every time I used another camera, I would think, “This or that ‘works better on that gx8,” and that, I guess, is when I realized it was my favorite.

I’d love another range-finder style Panasonic M4/3 flagship (and yes I know the audience is suggesting I should probably see elephants fly first), and while I’m in wishful thinking territory, perhaps some phase-detect autofocus points. The contrast-detect focus needs help.

Thanks for putting up with the ramblings.

My current project: I’m doing socially distanced portraits in my neighborhood for anyone who wants one, particularly focused on the elderly/families so that they have something for posterity.

Instagram: @sanjayvijay

All words and images by Sanjay Vijayanathan...

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Every time I hear about laptops targeting creatives, I get really excited. The new HP ZBook Firefly G8 seems to be targeted Macbook users pretty hard. Specifically, in their press release, they claim the weight of their 14-inch variant to be around that of a MacBook Pro 13′′! That’s impressive. As a working journalist, I’ve always preferred 13-inch laptops. But I’m very intrigued if I can get more real estate for the same weight.

Here are some specs they’re touting in the press release:

Keep remote workers productive. Get improved performance with new NVIDIA T500 professional graphics, featuring 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM, and up to 3X graphics performance over the previous generation21, and 2.6x better performance than the Dell Precision 355022 – pull up schematics or designs and get the job done from anywhere, even while multi-tasking with conferencing or web applications. Additionally, be more productive while using multiple applications like video conferencing, web browsing, and streaming.

ZCentral Remote Boost brings users a revolutionary way to collaborate by taking advantage of remote access to even more powerful desktop workstations at the office.23 The real-time collaboration capability of this solution allows collaboration across teams and applications remotely with almost any device.

Enjoy a true color digital canvas with a DreamColor19 display boasting a billion on-screen colors20 with world-class visual fidelity. Creators will have confidence in their colors as new PANTONE® Validated displays meet Pantone’s color fidelity criteria in the simulation of the full range of real-world PANTONE Colors.

We don’t have pricing info yet for the HP ZBook Firefly G8 14 or 15-inch laptops. But we’re supposed to get them later on this month when the products hit the market. Here are some more stats:

HP ZBook Firefly G8 14 Inch

Starting at 2.99 lbs

5G internet

11th i7 or i5 Intel Core processors

NVIDIA T500 graphics

32GB and 64GF RAM configurations

256GB with up to 2TB PCIe in one configuration

1080 display

100% DCI-P3 coverage and HDR capabilities

Windows 10 pre-installed

4.7 GHz

Made with recycled ocean-bound plastics, recycled aluminum, and no plastic in the packaging.

Rubber domes on the keyboard

Ambient light sensing backlit keyboard

Thunderbolt 4

170-degree clamshell design

720p HD camera

A claim of 14 hours of battery life

HP Quick Drop, which is like their version of Apple’s Airdrop.

HP ZBook Firefly G8 15 Inch

Starting at 3.78 lbs

5G internet

Privacy screen

11th gen Intel core processors

NVIDIA T500 graphics

Made with recycled ocean-bound plastics, recycled aluminum, and no plastic in the packaging.

Up to 4.7 GHz

Rubber domes on the keyboard

Ambient light sensing backlit keyboard

Thunderbolt 4

1080 display, but there’s a 4K UHD version

170-degree clamshell design

720p HD camera

A claim of 14 hours of battery life

HP Quick Drop, which is like their version of Apple’s Airdrop.

Right off the bat, I’m scratching my head a bit with the features and ergonomics. I’ve been using Apple computers since college. And it’s challenging to tear me away from them. But I also have a gaming PC in my office that I use a lot more than I should. Right off the bat, I like the slightly off-center touchpad. It’s like HP wants to cater to MacBook Pro users. It immediately tells you to ignore the keypad to the right. However, I wish more laptop makers just put the keypad below the rest of the keyboard interface. That would mean that it’s potentially out of the way.

The HP ZBook Firefly G8 laptops have traditional USB ports and USB-C ports. The 14 and 15-inch variants have different numbers of them. There’s also a headphone/microphone jack. Additionally, it boasts a power button and an HDMI port. With this laptop, you can hook it up to a second monitor and use it as such. That’...

The Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter is an invaluable tool for photographers specializing in daytime long exposure photography.

Shooting long exposures in broad daylight can be very challenging, and the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter was created with this in mind. Most conventional ND’s simply don’t provide enough light reduction. When photographing on a sunny day, you’re limited to exposures of a second or two at best. That’s barely enough time to blur out moving clouds or flowing water. Thanks to the whopping 17 stops of light reduction on the Haida Red Diamond Filter, significantly longer exposures become possible. For example, a 1/60 second filterless exposure would take 36 minutes and 16 seconds to complete. That’s a notable difference. We recently got to test the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter out in the wild. Check out how it fared in the real world after the jump.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Allows you to create long exposures even in broad daylight

No discernible color cast

Available in two form factors:

* Industry-standard 100 × 100 mm square filter (that can be used with both the Haida M10 Filter Holder as well as most filter holders available on the market).

* M10 Drop-In filter (for use with Haida’s own M10 Filter Holder).

Nano-coating on both sides keeps the filter waterproof and minimizes reflections, fingerprints, dust, and scratches

Cons

Precise exposure times are hard to calculate due to inconsistent cloud coverage or when the amount of ambient light changes erratically

Due to the extremely long exposure times required, you may need to enable Long Exposure Noise Reduction, but that will effectively reduce your shooting time in half

Gear Used

We tested the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND Filter using the following:

Haida M10 Filter Holder System

3 Legged Thing Bucky Tripod

Sirui SR-3204 Tripod and SR-66C Column

Sony A7R III

Sony A7R IV

Sigma 35mm f1.2 DG DN Art (Sony E Mount)

Sony 85mm f1.4 G Master

Fujifilm GFX 100

Fujifilm GF 30mm f3.5 R WR

Tech Specs

Tech Specs for the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND Filter taken from Haida’s official press materials:

Size: 100 × 100 mm

Thickness: 2 mm

Can be mounted onto the Haida M10 Filter Holder’s Square Filter Slots

Also available as an M10 Drop-In Filter for the Haida M10 Filter Holder

Toughened, shockproof optical glass

ND 5.0 solid Neutral Density filter

17 stop light reduction

Darkens entire image

Allows reduced shutter speed and wider aperture

Not only for long exposure but for shooting the sun

Nano coating on both sides, scratch-resistant

Water and oilproof

Ergonomics

The Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter is available in two form factors. It’s available as an industry-standard 100 × 100 mm square filter, and you can also get it as a proprietary M10 Drop-In filter if you’re using Haida’s M10 Filter Holder System.

The 100 × 100 mm square version of the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter comes with a metal storage tin. A semi-transparent plastic storage case is included with the M10 Drop-In. Both storage options have built-in foam padding to keep the filters protected.

The M10 Drop-In version of the filter is seen here attached to a Sony A7R IV and Sigma 35mm f1.2 DG DN Art using Haida’s own M10 Filter Holder.

Here’s the 100 × 100 mm version inserted into one of the square filter slots of the same M10 Filter Holder. This version of the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter is also compatible with most filter holders currently on the market.

Build Quality

We’ve been testing both versions of the Haida Red Diamond 17 Stop ND 5.0 Filter around New York City. While they are well built, the M10 Drop-In version offers more protection since it’s encased in a plastic frame. The M10 Drop-In version is also easier to keep clean since there’s less direct contact with the filter surfaces. The coatings on the filters made prints, dust, and water droplets easy to clean...

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We haven’t been blown away by a Nikon Z camera yet, but their Z lenses are a different story altogether. So far, Nikon has come up with some stunning lens options that are practical and affordable. While there’s already a wide-angle zoom on the platform in the Nikon Z 14-30mm f4, there was definitely space for a more pro-oriented wide-angle zoom. Nikon has now delivered it. We got to spend a few weeks with the new Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S. However, is this lens worth the nearly $1,100 premium over the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f4? Find out in our full review.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Smaller and lighter than the Sigma 14-24mm f2.8 DG DN (just 1.4lbs)

Incredibly sharp optics

Excellent autofocus performance

Great color rendition

Nice bokeh at the long end of things

Included adapter allows for 112mm filters to be used

Flares and CA are very well controlled

Weather sealing and a robust build

Digital display panel

Dislikes

Slight distortion when shooting at 14mm, but that’s to be expected

An annoying lens cap

At $2,396.95, it represents a huge investment

Gear Used

We used the Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S with the Nikon Z7.

Technical Specifications

All technical specifications for the Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f2.8 S have been taken from Nikon’s official website:

Mount Type: Nikon Z Mount

Focal Length Range: 14 – 24mm

Zoom Ratio: 1.7x

Maximum Aperture: f/ 2.8

Minimum Aperture: f/ 22

Format: FX

Maximum Angle of View (DX-format): 90°

Minimum Angle of View (DX-format): 61°

Maximum Angle of View (FX-format): 114°

Minimum Angle of View (FX-format): 84°

Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 0.13x

Lens Elements: 16

Lens Groups: 11

Diaphragm Blades: 9 Rounded diaphragm opening

ARNEO Coat: Yes

Nano Crystal Coat: Yes

ED Glass Elements: 4

Aspherical Elements: 3

Fluorine Coat: Yes

Super Integrated Coating: Yes

Autofocus: Yes

AF Actuator: STM (stepping motor)

Internal Focusing: Yes

Minimum Focus Distance: 0.92 ft. (0.28m) from focal plane at all zoom positions

Focus Mode: Autofocus, Manual

Approx. Dimensions: (Diameter x Length)3.5 in. (88.5 mm) x 5.0 in. (124.5 mm)

Approx. Weight: 23.0 oz. (650 g)

Lens Type: Zoom

Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S – Ergonomics

The Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S has a tapered design. The element end of the lens is a lot wider than the rear of the lens to house the bulbous front element. Still, work your way down the lens body, and the lens becomes smaller and more narrow. You might think that this would impact how the lens feels in hand in a negative way, but the Z 14-24mm f2.8 S feels great.

The lens is lightweight at just 1.4lbs, and at just 3.5 x 5-inches, the lens balances on the Z7 perfectly. There are just a few controls on the lens itself. You can see the assignable lens function button, the auto and manual focus switches, and the display control button in the image above.

Looking down from the top, you can see three distinct and well-separated rings. The front ring is your manual focus ring. The middle ring is the zoom ring, and the ring closest to the camera body is the assignable control ring. A lot is going on here. However, the nice spacing between these three controls and their different sizes makes them easily identifiable. Here you can also see the LCD screen on the top of the lens.

The front element of the Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S is a lot smaller than many other wide-angle zooms out there. Thankfully, there is a slight lip at the front of the lens that helps protect the element. Overall The Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S is well-designed and feels really nice in hand. All of the controls fall nicely into place, and it’s a joy to use.

“Better still, along with the weather sealing, the front element has a Fluorine coating, which helps the rain just run right off.”

Brett Day – Gear Editor

Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S – Build Quality

Nikon really spared no expen...

In front or behind the lens, the stories of these women will hopefully inspire you!

We’re currently in the middle of one of the most important photography contests we’ve run in years. The theme is women who inspire you. And we’ve partnered with Leica to award one passionate photographer a well deserved Leica Q2 camera. All you need to do is upload an original image of a woman who has made a positive impact on how you see or interpret the world. We welcome self-portraits made through a camera, tell us your story!. Reach deep down inside and share a story. We want to know. And to further inspire you, we’re sharing some of the emotional stories we’ve received so far.

For over a decade, The Phoblographer has worked to uplift the voices of women. We’ve created various roundups of female photographers and gone really deep with them in our interviews. All have fascinating stories about how and why they create and that’s important to us. Part of photography’s role has evolved further into conveying more transparent stories. That’s one of the reasons why we’re so incredibly proud to have Leica as a partner for this contest. The folks at Leica believe in this as strongly as we do.

In my personal life, there have been stories of many women who’ve inspired me. My aunts are very guilty of this. Former female staffers in some ways still inspire me to work towards being a better leader, man, and business owner. The many women I’ve interviewed and still interact with on a regular basis are all fountains of inspiration. Earlier today I watched a video about a now gone TV channel where the women discuss how it wasn’t always a safe space for them. But they paved the way for lots of others. We all need to realize that it’s a fact of the arts and tech world. I’ve written about it at length many times.

And so by entering this contest, I’m asking you to help us spread the flame. We are gathering as much kindling as possible that can only spread into a brilliant light if we all work together.

Besides, let’s be real. The Leica Q2 is a pretty awesome camera.

Editor’s Note: We’re showcasing these images because we get all the feels from the stories involved. But we’re also still giving each and every image a fair chance at the running. We hope these photos and stories compel you to enter our portrait contest. We’re eagerly waiting to hear more about the women who inspire you.

Sarah Ascough

For Stella Barclay, horse racing has been a lifetime’s ambition and one she never thought she would fulfil. In a male dominated industry, she became one of only a handful of licensed horse racing trainers in the North West of England, and the only woman in Lancashire to run her own stables. What’s more incredible is that she didn’t get her licence until she was 70 years old. She works 14 hours a day, 365 days a year caring for, buying, selling, and training race horses. Stella is an inspiration to me because I started my (photography) career in my mid 40s, and at that age I wondered if it was too late to take on something new and to make it a success. After I met and photographed Stella at her stables, I was empowered to prove that age and gender isn’t a barrier to successfully pursuing your passion in life, no matter what the industry.

Stéphane de Rouville

The cook It is in the Highlands of Madagascar that the Fifohazana community, a religious movement originating from the “Protestant Revival” and ancestor of revivalism in Africa, was born and remains established for over a century. In the picturesque village of Soatanana, its historic stronghold, some 5,000 followers dress in white, seem to live in perfect harmony, satisfying themselves with little, working the field, praying, singing, and following literally the teachings of Christ. Some speak about a sect, others about sweet dreamers. They have but one aim: bringing peace on earth.

This picture shows Marie, one of the cooks of the community, in charge of welcoming the visitors. From sunri...

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You’d think that someone would want to purchase this super rare Leica lens, right? Well, at this point, it probably belongs in a museum. It checks off all the wishes of Leica lovers too. A 35mm f1.4? Check! Brass? Check! The rare silver color? Check! And it’s a rare prototype? Checkmate!

Back in 2018, we wrote about this lens. It was going for $750,000. Here’s what we said:

“According to the listing by Canada-based ebay seller setadel_studios, this 35mm Summilux-M f1.4 AA is the only prototype still out there today. It comes in chrome instead of the regular black version; while the latter has a lighter anodized body that weighs 340 g, this prototype has a brass body and weighs a little heavier because of it at 400 g. The AA stands for the double hand-ground aspherical lens element. There’s also a concave lens element on both the front and rear element, and it’s reportedly the only Leica lens to have this feature. All these make it a highly collectible lens along with the likes of the 50mm f1.2 Noctilux.”

Then it disappeared from the web. And in February 2019, we spotted it again, listed by the same seller. We noted:

“‘Probably the greatest find and most desirable lens ever in the Leica system,’ the listing description went on. This lens is supposedly within the ranks of collectibles like the coveted 50mm f1.2 Noctilux lens.”

And recently, we saw it listed yet again. This time though, the pricing went down. It’s now going for a cool $695,000. The seller, setadel_studios, emphasizes that this is the highlight of any Leica collector. Indeed it could be! There is only one available! Further, Leica ceased production because the lens was too expensive to make, notes the seller. It makes sense since it was a double aspherical. Steve Huff confirms this and says that afterward, maybe only 2,000 were made. Huff, who I’ve known for many years, is a highly respected authority on Leica products. He’s worked directly with Leica dealers and reviews only the products he likes. If he’s featuring this lens, he obviously liked it. And from a publisher’s standpoint, the long term pageview generation potential is too good to fail.

Horatio over at Street Silhouettes got his hands on both this lens and the 50mm f1.2 AA a while back. He’s very realistic in his findings, concluding that if you’re on the fence between both lenses, you’ve probably got the money to get both. So just get both! Most of us mere mortals can’t afford this, but it’s always cool to geek out about them.

I’ve visited the Leica Museum, and I’ve always wondered how they didn’t hold onto a product like this. Maybe it was auctioned off? Leica has surely gone through some tough times. But when I’ve visited other manufacturers’ headquarters, I’ve seen lots of awesome and similar things. Canon’s headquarters in NY has a whole wall of old and rare cameras and lenses.

Is it expensive? Yeah. But let’s be honest, it’s a one of a kind. And in that case, you get to name your price. It would surely look cool adapted to your Sony a7r IV. But where I think it would be perfect is the Leica M9. Otherwise, it would be fun to use on the new Leica M10 Monochrom. The thing is that this classic lens needs a classic render to really make it do something special. And as it is, it’s hard to take a bad picture with either of those cameras.

Check it out for yourself.

All images are from the seller on eBay.