The Phoblographer

It’s time to let go of the DSLR because it’s dead and over with.

Let’s round up a few facts in this post. The DSLR is dead. A while back, Canon said they weren’t going to make any new DSLRs or EF Lenses unless there’s a demand. Nikon has dropped most of their DSLR line and is committed to mirrorless. And Sony officially discontinued their A-mount products. It took way, way too long for all this to happen. Mirrorless was the future back then, and it’s the standard today. Lots of professional photographers still shoot with DSLRs, but DSLRs are massively inferior. You can’t tell me that a DSLR is built like a Leica SL2s. And you can’t make me believe a Canon Rebel is lighter than a Sony a6700. But there are two brands that are still holding out as far as we know.

Depending on who you are, you probably don’t really care about those two brands. But Pentax is still committed to DSLRs. Why? I’m not sure. Pentax will be Pentax, and they’ll continue to make great cameras while being the awkward kid in the corner. Phase One also still makes DSLRs. Arguably, that market has been killed by Fujifilm. Phase One cameras have a lot of innovations and cool things about them, but they’re no longer practical. Let’s face it, the DSLR is dead.

You can cling to your DSLR for sure. Let me also remind you of other old tech people cling to:

Plasma TVs: they had great color, but that was it.

Rabbit ear antennas: don’t get me started on this.

Cable television: who has the time anymore when you can catch whatever you want on the internet?

Fax machines: I don’t know why these still exist.

Dial-Up connections: yes, some people still use it like they use their AOL email accounts.

Those are just a few very antiquated things that make no sense. In contrast, let me talk to you about things that made a comeback and why:

Vinyl: it provides a sound you can’t get from digital.

Cassette tapes: same reason as above.

Film: Film does something digital can’t if you’re using the right emulsions.

At this point, everything DSLRs can do, mirrorless can do better. Mirrorless is lighter, faster, and more capable.

So, instead of making the rest of this post a rant about how DSLRs are dead, I’ll recommend some of the biggest changes someone will need to adapt to:

Exposure preview – It’s a handy feature. However, every manufacturer I’ve spoken to tells about how it can degrade autofocus performance. In general, it’s best to turn off the exposure simulation mode.

The smaller size – Get used to it or add a vertical grip. Most grips don’t make sense on mirrorless, though.

Touchscreens – Those are huge, but some DSLRs had them.

Understanding that each manufacturer treats autofocus tracking and continuous autofocus differently.

Face detection and eye detection – This has been a big one for many years now. It’s why people flocked to Sony’s system.

Sensor-based image stabilization – Sony, Olympus, and Pentax had this. But Sony, Olympus, and Pentax also had little of the DSLR market.

Almost total elimination of the PC sync port. It’s all radio now. Some people use constant lights. Constant light will never give the output and character a flash can.

More autofocus points than you know what to do with.

Autofocus points that go edge to edge instead of being just in the center area.

Battery life that won’t necessarily last you a week

Image quality so good that you probably don’t need to do post-production

Focus peaking when manually focusing

Better weather sealing. You can take your camera and lens out into the rain in most situations, and it will be fine.

SD, XQD, CFExpress, CFExpress Type A, and probably other cards coming.

Bird and animal face detection.

Much better multiple exposure modes

APS-C sensors that can perform as well as full-frame sensors at times.

More room in your camera bag

Less weight on your back

Deep camera menus

No more AF fine-tuning or micro-adjustments. I will never miss needing to calibrate my lenses.

So for the rest of you who have yet to come aboard, welcome t...

New lenses have become almost too clinical.

Make no mistake about it; modern lenses are fantastic. Optically, it’s pretty amazing what they can do. New lenses render sharp detail on demanding digital sensors. Distortion is becoming better controlled all the time. Flaring is rarely a worry anymore. However, at least some of that advancement has come at a cost. As a result, when looking at images from the latest glass, there’s little unique about them. There isn’t much character left in most new lenses. For more insight into this problem, read on after the break.

Lenses With Character Are Sought After

Mirrorless cameras have really opened the gates for adapted lenses. People are flocking to places like eBay and KEH for vintage lenses. Creators like Mark Holtze have made successful YouTube channels entirely devoted to them. Also, brands like Lomography and Lens Baby thrive on specialty lenses built entirely for lens character. There’s a reason for all of this. People are missing the character of lenses like those of the past. Nearly every photographer has heard of the “Helios swirl.” Some Meyer Optik lenses are also known for their “soap-bubble” bokeh. Many love the look of an old Pentax Takumar lens. However, new lenses aren’t really known for anything but laboratory clean images. None of the major camera makers are producing new lenses with character.

New Lenses Are Uncompromising

Modern lenses are uncompromising in their quest for perfection. As a result, lens character has taken a back seat in lens design. Perhaps there is room for compromise, however. A new line of lenses could co-exist with the current crop. Imagine if Canon produced an “art” or “portrait” series of lenses. These could exist with extra clean lenses as an option. It would also give the manufacturers a line ripe for experimenting with.

Pentax has done rather well with its Limited line of lenses in this regard. Pentax users love to mention the magical “fairy dust” these lenses must be made of. There’s genuinely something special about the way they render an image. They’re certainly not optically perfect, however. As a result, the 77mm Limited lens can sell next to the 85mm star lens. Pentax has a portrait lens for absolute image quality. Also, they have a portrait lens for a beautiful image that’s full of character.

Things That Could Change

Lenses would become more diverse if manufacturers did this. Manufacturers should build non-typical focal lengths more often. Something similar to the Pentax 31mm, 43mm, and 77mm lenses, for example. As mentioned before, those who have used them highly covet these lenses. Lens makers could look back to older designs for inspiration. As a result, maybe we’d see old-style aperture blades again. Lens makers should consider these things. Not everyone wants a perfectly smooth and obliterated background all the time. One person’s busy bokeh is another’s ideal of dreamy. Again, the Helios/Biotar lens design only gains in popularity as time goes by.

Also, lenses could benefit from some external character. One only needs to handle something like a Leica M-mount lens to get that. Smooth action and a stout metal build go a long way to bolster the enjoyment factor. Even less expensive vintage lenses feel great to manual focus. This is even more apparent when done alongside many focus-by-wire lenses of today. If you’ve never felt the scalloped focus ring of a vintage Takumar, you owe it to yourself to try one.

There’s also one bigger truth. Lots of older folks say that we can just add it in post-production. But it’s much cheaper, easier, and faster to just remove these character traits. Putting them back in can be a nightmare. We don’t need to spend more time in front of a computer.

Lenses Need Character Again

I’m not advocating that new lenses be stripped of technology. Nor should new lenses neglect image quality. However, there is certainly room to compromise. It shouldn’t be impossible to build a lens with character and modern feat...

The Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 Lumix S Pro isn’t so sluggish after all: it just needed better cameras.

A while back, we reviewed the Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8. In that review, we stated that the lens was pretty slow to focus. But we blamed it on the system overall. We recently updated our Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 Review, which you can check out here. We’ve been holding onto our loaner lenses for a while and found a pleasant surprise. With the new Leica SL2s firmware update, the Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 is now faster than it is on Panasonic’s own camera bodies. We tried it on the Leica SL2s, the Panasonic S5, and the Panasonic S1. Quite frankly, I never had hope for the S1. But the S5 has to be one of my favorite cameras Panasonic has made. It’s fascinating to now find the shoe on the other foot.

What do we mean by that? Just remember that we’ve tested over 700 lenses, and we’ve reviewed almost every major L Mount lens. When we were testing many of Leica’s own lenses on Panasonic bodies they autofocused better on Panasonic cameras than they did on their own. But that’s no longer the case. Now, the Leica SL2s can hold its own with the likes of Canon and Sony. That means we needed to go back and test a few other lenses.

In our Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 review, we found the lens didn’t focus so well in low light. Again, we blamed that on the camera bodies, and that’s still the case. Personally speaking, I always had hope for the Leica L Mount. But as a journalist, I sometimes look in and view it as a family that just can’t get along with one another. Admittedly, I was shaking my head at times. I’m still not convinced the companies aren’t finding minor ways to screw each other over. But I could be showing my scars from the Micro Four Thirds system. The L Mount alliance dictates things like the mount and the information transferred through there. So the brands are indeed sharing information.

For a while, Panasonic reps explained the autofocus differences to me in terms of motors. Some companies use better motors than others. That’s been explained to us and translated to you folks in more than just our Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 review. We’ve said it across various articles. From what Leica did with the 28mm f2 Summicron SL, that indeed seems to be true. Leica didn’t play around with that lens and the tech inside of it. As a journalist, it’s my job to still question what PR and tech reps tell us: we’ve been lied to before. If I took everything at face value, then they could write this blog themselves. But we didn’t survive two global recessions by regurgitating what PR reps tell us.

With all that said, the evidence points to Panasonic surely using high-quality motors inside their lenses. The cameras just had frustrating autofocus. Even in low light, the Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 does a great job now. In fact, it’s faster than Sigma’s 24-70mm f2.8 on the Leica SL2s. However, the Panasonic is also more than twice the price of the Sigma variant.

Please go check out our Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 Review by clicking this link. You’ll learn a lot more. If you’ve got questions, let us know in the comments.

We’re rounding up the Fujifilm products we think are the best of the past decade.

Fujifilm has been a major digital camera player for almost a decade now. When the X100 first was announced, it turned so many heads. Its good looks and features were a slap in the face of the boring camera market. And we’ve got them to thank for the whole ergonomics revolution. Indeed, they’ve been an incredibly important company this past decade. So we’re rounding up some of the best cameras they’ve made.

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored blog post from KEH! Be sure to check out all their Fujifilm gear currently available at great prices.

Fujifilm GFX 50R: The First Useable Medium Format Digital Rangefinder Style Camera

What Made it Special: The Fujifilm GFX 50R is what so many photographers wanted from Fujifilm in the first place. It’s a rangefinder style camera body. But in addition to that, it’s pretty small. Paired with some of their primes, it’s a fantastic camera body. And, of course, who can forget that it’s got a medium format sensor at the heart.

Fujifilm 56mm f1.2 R: The Smallest Autofocus f1.2 Lens Made

What Made it Special: This lens made lots of photographers go absolutely crazy when it launched. There’s the f1.2 aperture to start. But then there’s just how beautiful the image quality is too. And of course, getting this aperture in such a small body is very rare.

Fujifilm XH1: For the Shaky Hands

What Made it Special: The Fujifilm XH1 is great for those who can’t handhold a camera and prevent blur. It was the first to do so with Fujifilm’s signature film simulations.

Fujifilm 23mm f2 R WR: A Small, Rugged 35mm

What Made it Special: The 23mm f2 is a 35mm lens equivalent. But it’s incredibly small, weather-sealed, and has great image quality. For many Fujifilm shooters, this has become their standard lens.

Fujifilm 16-80mm f4 R WR: The Only Zoom You Need

What Made it Special: The thing that Fuji was missing for a long time was a useable f4 zoom lens. But this lens does just that. You can use it to document an event with ease. It’s small, fast, lightweight, and weather sealed. Combine it with the Acros mode!

Fujifilm GFX100: Medium Format Stabilized

What Made it Special: The first image stabilized medium format camera on the market. What’s there to not like? There’s lots of grip space, tons of battery, loads of image quality, and a decent lens selection. Plus, it’s weather resistant.

Fujifilm X Pro 3: The Photographer’s Camera

What Made it Special: The X Pro 3 is a personal favorite. And it’s also perhaps the most polarizing camera on this list. Some folks think it’s useless. Some of us positively adore its limitations. This camera was designed for photographers first and foremost. And it can create positively beautiful images. Its hidden LCD panel helps keep you focused on actually shooting.

Buy Now at KEH

All images by Mariana Cheoo. Used with permission.

“…I promise you, it’s a wonderful journey with yourself!” Those are the beautiful words of Mariana Cheoo. Still very fresh to photography, she’s working hard to find her voice while developing and exploring herself. Like many, the process of creation is allowing Cheoo to heal, fight depression, and cultivate self-love. In a very thoughtful and heartwarming interview, we look at a series of self-portraits that will encourage you to look closer at yourself.

Phoblographer: Let’s begin in the deep end. I read you got into photography to overcome internal issues. Can you tell us more about that and how you feel photography helped you during the process?

Mariana Cheoo: I started photography as a way of expressing my internal issues: Depression and anxiety, a statement as public as exposing myself completely naked, began to be softened – and it was initially scary. Depression has always been a big part of my life, and at the moment, anxiety is still part of my present.

At the age of 30, I came across a peculiar situation: I was in a long, loving relationship, I had a stable job, a house, I’d achieved things, but I felt a huge emptiness. I was dissatisfied with everything and felt a great need to throw everything out. Photography was my lifeline, almost like therapy for me. Devoid of prejudice, I felt free undressed when taking photos of myself, vulnerable to reality. I ended up getting to know a lot about myself.

Phoblographer: What is your opinion of yourself as a photographer?

Mariana Cheoo: The only people who should give an opinion in relation to my photography are those who appreciate my art – like you! Each opinion is different but everything you see is full of emotion. It’s pure. Photography allows me to tell stories, which may or may not be totally related to my life, but there’s always some piece of me in them.

Phoblographer: And what’s your opinion of yourself as a model?

Mariana Cheoo: I have had some people telling me that I should focus on just one of the roles, be either a photographer or model. But since I started photography, trying to find new ways to express myself, I used my body a lot, my image to do it. You are my diary, and often a photographer also needs to express himself/herself.

“If you go back to the days of analog, Henri Cartier-Bresson or Saul Leiter did not edit the photos. They just photographed, and that was how they delivered the works: as they captured them—the authentic moment.”

Phoblographer: You’re a woman of several cultures: please talk to us about who you are and how you feel your identity helps shape your voice.

Mariana Cheoo: I am a woman of the world and I am grateful for that. Perhaps that is why I try to understand people better by their different cultures and perspectives. With photography, I learned to slow down and reflect on the problems of who I photograph. My work is like photo therapy.

Phoblographer: Your edits seem wonderfully minimal. Why is it important to you to deliver an authentic image without much work done in post-production?

Mariana Cheoo: As you can see in most of the work of other people, they use a lot of presets. This is not authentic and is losing a lot of their identity. I like to deliver work that’s more like real life. My goal is to do as little work as possible in post-production and try to control the settings of the camera itself. If you go back to the days of analog, Henri Cartier-Bresson or Saul Leiter did not edit the photos. They just photographed, and that was how they delivered the works: as they captured them—the authentic moment.

Phoblographer: Where do you feel most at home and why: in front of the camera or behind it?

Mariana Cheoo: Both. Although photographing is easier for me. I don’t have to control my poses and angles, and it’s usually more difficult to trust a photographer who has the same vision as me.

Phoblographer: Self-portraits push the individual to focus on their body. Can you describe i...

If Nikon brings out their Z9 with a brand new sensor, they could win a lot of hearts.

The much speculated on Nikon Z9 continues to capture the internet’s imagination. This camera is Nikon’s chance to deliver big innovation. If they get it right, it could signal a bright future for the Z-mount system. So far, we have very little confirmation from Nikon. The photo in the press release shows an integrated vertical grip body which usually indicates the brand’s flagship camera. Nikon will likely throw everything they have at it. However, they have only announced that the Z9 will employ a new stacked sensor, 8k video capability, and a new processor. That’s about it regarding official specifications. There is a bit of knowledge we can infer from that, however. Read on after the break for some exciting possibilities.

Will the Nikon Z9 Feature a Tower Semiconductors Sensor?

Internet sleuths have put together an interesting theory. Nikon could be working with Tower Semiconductor (formerly TowerJazz) to produce a new sensor for the Z9. In the past, Tower mentioned that they had been working with a leading DSLR manufacturer. People have also been wondering if the Z50/D7500/D500 sensors are made by Tower. It is an exciting prospect. Nikon Rumors has put together some enticing sources that do make the speculation appear plausible. I think it would be awesome for Nikon to use a completely different sensor from everyone else. That’s one thing to applaud Canon for; they also make their own sensors. We really need something besides just a specs race to separate cameras. Nikon and Tower making a different and new sensor together would be refreshing.

Nikon Should Leave Behind Sony Sensors

How great would it be if Sony, Nikon, and Canon all had different sensors? This could potentially be a legitimate reason to choose one over the other. Specs on flagships are getting closer all the time. As a result, seeing an arms race between the big three on sensors could get awesome. As sensors and processors get better, we profit. If these three begin challenging each other, it may speed that up a bit. There’s currently very little competition for Sony. I’d be very interested to see what other manufacturers could do to compare. Canon recently stepped up a lot with the R6 and R5 sensors. We all know Sony does awesome things with theirs. I’d love to see what Nikon could do if they took ownership of their sensors.

What Can We Expect From the Nikon Z9?

With Nikon saying their new Z9 will be 8k compatible, we do know one thing: this sensor will likely be in the 45MP range. Seeing what Canon was able to achieve with the R5 has got to motivate them. Hopefully, we’ll see readout speeds that surprise us. As a result, we’d be able to use the electronic shutter with fewer worries of rolling shutter. That would also help out for the new video modes. It’s probably safe to guess that the Z9 will be a speed demon too. The likelihood of Nikon meeting or exceeding what the R5 can do is high. I’d expect at least 20fps in the electronic shutter mode. It would get great to see around 15fps in mechanical.

Hopefully, between the new processor engine and sensor, Nikon can really wow us. If the dynamic range from the Z9 can beat the R5, that’d be a great start. Hopefully, the noise/high ISO performance of this camera will be impressive as well. The Nikon Z50 really impressed us in that regard. If it’s true that the Z50 has a Tower sensor, that could be a good omen. That camera performed great, and it’s APS-C. What could a Full-Frame version of that sensor do? Hopefully, Nikon continues with great colors as well. It would also be nice to see them give us some more JPEG settings. Before you rip me apart for mentioning JPEG on a high-end camera, hear me out. There are many journalists and sports shooters who need JPEGs to publish as fast as possible. This camera is aimed towards that market. Giving us some more customization can’t hurt.

Conclusion

The Nikon Z9 is Nikon’s chance to ...

Can Nikon make the Z system fast enough for sports with just a firmware update?

The original Nikon Z series failed to live up to the autofocus performance of the company’s DSLRs. But is autofocus performance an issue that can be fixed with a simple firmware update? You might be surprised. Last week, Nikon released a list of firmware updates for every single Z series camera. Chief among the list of improvements? A boost to the autofocus. As one of what feels like the last millennial with a DSLR, I hopefully grabbed my review sample Z6 II and downloaded firmware version 1.20. After photographing a soccer game and the dark corner of a closet, I was pleasantly surprised.

I’ve been a Nikon photographer for more than a decade. While I loved the images and ergonomics of the original Z series cameras, the autofocus performance didn’t deliver. As a wedding photographer, I needed a camera that could keep up on a dark dance floor, so I bought the Nikon D850 instead. The second-generation improved a little but still fell behind autofocus systems from Canon and Sony.

So what’s changing with the new firmware, and can a simple download really help the Z system compete?

Features

Here’s what Nikon says changes with the new firmware for the Z 6 II. The list for the Z7 II looks similar, while first-generation Z bodies see a shorter list of updates, like saving the focus position.

Nikon says the firmware update improves the focus point display performance when using face or eye detection and subject tracking in Live View.

Face and eye detection also improve when using flash.

Low light autofocus improves, but only when using Single AF mode.

Nikon also corrected “unreliable” focus accuracy.

Nikon fixed other bugs that would sometimes cause AF-C to slow the shutter response and inconsistent results when using custom picture controls with video.

What Improved?

To test the new firmware, I mounted the 70-200mm f2.8 Z lens onto the Z 6 II. It’s a lens with gorgeous color and bokeh, but the autofocus was so poor with the original firmware that I had to check and ensure that I was actually on continuous autofocus.

Shooting a kids’ soccer game, I was surprised that most shots were sharp. Only around twenty percent were soft. I conducted a second test of a person running towards me, a movement that’s harder to focus on than moving across the frame. Only two shots out of a burst of 15 were soft (until the runner became too close for the lens). In my original test without the firmware, I threw out half of these shots at a running pace.

Tickled, I took the Z6 II, the D850, and the Canon EOS R6 into a dark closet. The Z6 II actually focused faster than the D850 without a flash. Performance between the two was similar with a flash mounted on the D850 since the flash has an AF assist beam built into the mirrorless body. The Canon, however, felt like it locked focus the fastest out of the three.

Did Nikon just save the Z series with firmware?

The latest firmware update for the Nikon Z 6 II is stellar — if you own the camera, or the Z 7 II, you should download it. Seriously. Stop reading and go download the firmware.

But, the bigger question is, does firmware make the Z 6 II a good option for photographers looking to buy a new mirrorless body? The latest firmware makes the Z6 II competitive. But, it’s still not quite fast as Canon and Sony’s AF systems. Where the original Z6 was limping at the starting line, the Z 6 II is now just a few paces behind. It gives me hope for the future of the Z line, and that promised Z9.

While the details have changed, I stand my original recommendation for the Z6 II. It’s a good camera for portraits and landscapes, made better by the excellent quality from the Z lenses. It’s still not the best option for a sports photographer or a concert photographer regularly working in low light. But, with the new firmware, the Z6 II is a bit more flexible.

Nikon has given me a little spark of hope for the company’s future with just a firmware ...

There isn’t much out there as unique as the experience that a Leica can give you.

The tactile experience that a Leica M camera and lens give you is unmatched. The feel of sliding a focusing tab into just the right spot is divine. Couple that with the resulting pride from getting the photo yourself and not from autofocus. You’ll end up falling in love pretty quickly with the special package in your hand. So we worked with KEH to curate a few special options, like a Red Leica M9.

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored blog post from KEH. There’s never been a better time to get into the Leica M system. Like many things in life, you can’t summarize it in a specs table; you need to realize it in person. So why not check out the great selection over at KEH?

Cameras

KEH has a number of different Leica cameras available. The cool thing is that some of them aren’t the newest. There’s lots of proof that those cameras last a very long time. The Leica M9 is still in demand for its CCD sensor and the unique look it offers. But there’s a bunch of other options available too!

D-Lux 7: $912.74

M10: $4,913.37

Leica M: $3,273.27

Leica R8: $583.31

Leica M9 with a Red Finish: $4,271.78

Leica M6: $2,969.27

Leica M9P in Red: $4,780.48

Leica M10 Monochrom: $7,633.98

M-Mount Lenses

The Leica M mount is incredibly versatile. You can buy the lenses and use them on your Leica camera. But what’s also really fun is adapting them to other cameras. You can put Leica M mount lenses on your Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, and other cameras. The mount is seriously just that versatile. So check these out!

7Artisans Lenses for Leica M Mount are super cheap!

Voigtlander 35mm f1.2: $677.44

Leica 35mm f2 Summicron Aspherical: $2,753.58

Leica 50mm f2: $2,116.42

Leica 50mm f0.95: $7,149.42

Leica 50mm f1.4 Summilux: $2,249.59

Leica 24mm f1.4: $4,101.72

Leica 75mm f2: $3,098.04

Voigtlander 21mm f4: $419

Leica 50mm f1: $6,243.64

Also be sure to check out the L mount stuff.

We go into the archives and share photography projects that still hold value today.

Everything moves at a fast pace in the digital era. What’s relevant today is forgotten tomorrow. Photography is no different. With so many photographers around, publications are constantly delivering new and exciting work to their audience. But as new work emerges, previous work doesn’t need to lose its value. So to keep the fire alive, we share photography projects from the past which still remain strong today!

Photography Projects

Before we get into the work, be aware that all the photography projects you see below have been previously featured on The Phoblographer. We’ve had countless submission over the past 11 years, so picking this list wasn’t easy. But we’re happy with the fantastic work we’re about to share with you. And we know you’ll be happy too!

1. Sarolta Ban’s Photography Project Raised Awareness for Animal Shelters

We published the work of Sarolta Ban way back in 2014. Based in Budapest, Ban created dreamlike images that offered the cuteness of animals and the important message of the cause. Ban sold her work in print, and $50 of every order she received went to an animal shelter. Great work for a wonderful cause – we were proud to be a part of it.

2. Luc Kordas Documents Hasidic Jews with His Photography Project

Luc Kordas‘ wonderful black and white street photography project caught our attention back in 2015. His work began three years before that. In 2012 he began focusing more on the Hasidic community. He told us, “…one day I arrived in Williamsburg and instead of turning left for the hipster part, I turned right to the Hasidic part because that seemed more interesting.” We love how real his work is. There’s no agenda, just pure documentation. Fantastic.

3. Argus Estabrook’s Photography Project Focuses on Hope

Looking at photographs made by Estabrook was like looking at poetry on a page. Sure, he tackles the struggles of life. But he portrays them with so much creativity that the viewer will become gripped by his message. Working out of South Korea, Estsabrook became close and intimate with the nation’s people. Often seen at protests and rallies, his images act as a voice for the millions who want to be heard.

4. Jorge Serra Experiments in a Unqiue Way

It was only a couple of years ago that we first published this work. But coming across it again made it feel it was worth another feature. Serra offers images that take light painting to a new level. They don’t feel cliche, but instead, they’re fresh and unique. He told us, “It started as a hobby that soon developed into a conceptualised way of approaching new things.” That hobby led to great things. The work shown above was part of an album cover for City Number Nine.

5. Maryline Rivard and Her Conceptual Portraits

Rivard creates majestic self-portraits. On her main motivation for the work, she told us, “I think it is important to show a certain vulnerability in a world where we constantly struggle to show that we are perfect, strong and powerful.” Her camera is certainly a mirror for the range of feelings and thoughts humans have about themselves. We really enjoyed spending time with Rivard’s work.

6. Nick Seyler Is Dedicated to Concert Photography

Seyler was only 21 years old when we featured him. Although so young, he offered a body of work that suggested he was a photographer well into his later years. A budding music and concert photographer, Seyler nails the art of documenting the excitement and chaos of the music scene. He told us his main motivation for his work isn’t money, “…I could probably count on my hands and feet the amount of times bands actually paid…” he says. Instead, he does it for his love of music and the community vibe that comes with it.

7. Daniel Schaefer Has Worked on Several Photography Projects

Schaefer was still in the early phases of developing his trade back in 2015. But even still, we became instantly attached to his style of portraiture. His...

We’re told that the Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL will even say “Made in Japan.”

I guess it was inevitable that Leica would use Sigma lenses to boost their lens lineup. And that’s sort of what’s happening with the Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL. This lens is for the Leica L mount. It uses Sigma optics and rehouses them in a more rugged metal body. Sigma tends to use something they call carbon-composite. It makes their lenses lighter, even though their Art lineup is still pretty heavy. With this Leica, we’re told it’s still under 2lbs. That’s a bit reassuring, considering that many of Leica’s L mount lenses require you to lift weights. But, when you realize the image quality, internal construction, and build quality, it becomes a bit more understandable.

Be sure to also check out our L Mount lens guide. We’ve reviewed most lenses for the format.

Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL Tech Specs

Essentially the Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL is the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art internally. You can read our review of the Sigma here. Externally, the Leica uses a metal body with rubberized rings.

19 elements in 15 groups

There is a single lens element that moves to get focus.

3 aspherical elements

11 aperture blades

Metal body with weather sealing. This is probably the biggest thing. Leica has IP-rated their cameras, and if Leica rehoused this lens, we’re confident that the build quality will be that much higher.

82mm filter thread

123mm long vs. the Sigma at 122.9mm

88mm in diameter, where the Sigma is 87.8mm in diameter

906 grams vs. the Sigma at 835 grams. The Leica is just under 2lbs.

$2,795 compared to Sigma, which is $1,099. And the Sigma is going for an even lower price right now.

Why Get the Sigma?

I’d expect many people to go for the Sigma lens. I own it for L mount. With firmware 2.0 on the Leica SL2s, it performs admirably. The Sigma is also lighter and more affordable. If you use it on Sony E mount, you may run into bigger issues. Sigma’s autofocus isn’t historically the best. You may be better off reaching for Sony or Tamron instead if you’re using E mount. But we’re talking about L mount here. The Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL is the third 24-70mm f2.8 lens for the system.

By all means, the Sigma is a solid lens for L mount now. In fact, that’s where it’s going to shine the most. I haven’t tested it against the Leica yet, but I just tested it against the Panasonic. The Panasonic is noticeably faster. This was shocking; I thought I’d seen the true potential of L mount, but I haven’t.

Conclusion so far: It’s affordable, but we have to put all the lenses side by side.

Why Get the Leica?

The Leica is the most expensive. It’s roughly the same size as the Sigma, and it’s a bit heavier. From what I can see so far, you’re paying for the durability. But Leica might have done more to the lens. It’s using Sigma’s optics, but it could potentially focus faster on Leica cameras than Sigma lenses do. Durability and longevity are a huge concern for us millennials and zennials buying cameras. We can’t just go by a rep’s word that a lens or camera will be fine in the rain when a warranty won’t cover it.

Sure, you’re paying twice the Sigma price, but when you look at the Panasonic lens, it starts to make more sense. The Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL, in some ways, seems to be the middle ground.

Conclusion so far: The build quality, but we have to put all the lenses side by side.

Why Get the Panasonic?

The Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 Lumix Pro is $2,197.99. This is also a lens that we reviewed, and it has improved with autofocus updates to L mount cameras. And as we stated earlier, it’s also noticeably faster than the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art. As of writing this, we haven’t tested it against the Leica 24-70mm f2.8 ASPH SL. Sigma seems like a very affordable budget option so far. Panasonic’s lens weighs 2.06 lbs, so Leica and Sigma are both lighter. The Panasonic is 90.9mm in diameter and 140mm long – longer and wider than the Sigma and the Leica. Panasonic also IP ...