A few months with a manual rangefinder camera has made the differences between “taking a photograph” and “making a photograph” quite clear. The thought process is more involved, pre-visualization is required, knowledge of photography comes into play and modern DSLR habits come to the front. I have identified something that…
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There’s an interesting idea at the heart of this observation, but it should probably be framed a little differently. To be clear, I don’t think autofocus, autoexposure, subject recognition, and the presence of computational photography have made people less capable of being good photographers. What the modern camera has done…
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One of the reasons the Leica M6 has become almost mythical is that people often describe it as if it has a personality. That may sound strange for a purely mechanical camera, but personality in a camera doesn’t come from electronics—it comes from how it influences your behavior. The M6…
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He meets the camera like a man meets weather—steady, worn, still standing. They sing about It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,where the day lets go easy.But not here. It’s Not Five O’Clock Here ©2026 Eric Wells Hatheway Leica M11-P & Leica Summilux M 50mm f/1.4 Here, the hours stack.His hands carry the…
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Photography invites us to see the world differently, often turning the ordinary into something extraordinary. One of the most enchanting visual effects in photography is bokeh, and few images illustrate it better than those captured in warm, cozy cafes where light glows softly in the background. Welcome to Cafe Bokeh,…
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Leica approached infinity focus on digital M bodies as an optical problem to be solved system-wide, rather than something to be corrected solely in the lens. Because the M system depends on decades of legacy lenses—many designed long before digital sensors existed—Leica’s task was not simply to build a sensor,…
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Driving through rural landscapes, it’s hard to miss the towering silhouettes of electrical transmission towers. These steel behemoths stride across farmland and open fields, their latticework frames reaching skyward like the bones of some mechanical titan. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been captivated by them. As a…
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Dr. Walter Mandler (1922–2005) is best known as the optical mind behind many of Leica’s most revered lenses, especially during the golden era of Leitz Canada (Midland, Ontario). He designed at least 45 lenses and those designs have a very recognizable philosophy and “feel,” both technically and aesthetically. I currently…
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The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim Reissue is a modern revival of one of Leica’s most legendary lenses, first introduced in the 1960s. Known for its distinctive rendering, this lens is celebrated for its compact size, fast aperture, and the unique character it imparts to images. Technical Sweet Spot…
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The Artist