Leica 75mm Summarit-M Review:

Leica makes some of the best lenses in the world but they come with a hefty price.  Even used examples can be expensive with most older glass ending up costing more than when they were new.  I’ve been shooting with Leica for over two decades, so over the years, I was able to slowly collect a system that I was happy with.  But I can definitely sympathize with someone who has decided to enter the Leica world as a newbie.  With the lowest priced digital M body costing $5500, it can definitely get scary when a lens is added to that.  There are excellent alternatives from Zeiss and Voigtlander but Leica is famous for their lenses and the truth is, some may want to use a Leica lens on their Leica camera.  Leica’s answer to this is the Summarit line, a lower cost line of lenses with classical spherical designs.  This line consists of four popular focal lengths: a 35mm, 50mm, 90mm, and the 75mm Summarit-M, which is what I’m reviewing here. [continue reading…]

Note from Admin: Today, we have a fantastic guest post written by Meng Yeap who is a passionate photographer and X Series user!  He writes about using a vintage Helios 44M lens on his Fuji X-E1.  Trust me, this is a very cool post, and Meng’s photos are superb!  Btw, check out his blog when you get a chance: http://www.mengyeap.blogspot.com/.  Enjoy!

A Vintage Alternative With Fuji X-E1:

Aside from all the modern lenses with fast autofocus and so on, there are also such things as Vintage lenses. Photography started long before the age of digital, as we know, and after such a long evolution in photography, the principal of capturing a photo is similar whether it is film or digital. Hence, we can still use the old vintage tools together with the latest modern technology. [continue reading…]

Last Weekend With My Fuji X-E2 and Zeiss Touit 12mm:

Over the weekend, my friend Haru came over from Westchester to help me out.  As some of you know, Bob at Bergen County Camera was nice enough to lend me a Leica 75 Summarit, and I wanted to test it out on a person.  Luckily I have a very patient and understanding friend :).  So far, the lens is fantastic.  Best of all, it’s not much bigger than a 50mm lens.  I’m writing up a review on it using my M 240 but I will also be writing up my experience with it on my X-E2.  The lens actually works superbly on Fuji, and since the lens isn’t that heavy, it still feels very balance on the X-E2. [continue reading…]

Leica Lenses and Cameras in Stock at Bergen County Camera:

Hey everyone.  Bob at Bergen County Camera was nice enough to lend me his 75 Summarit demo, so I’ll be reviewing it on my M 240, and writing up my experience with it on the Fuji system very soon.  So far, it’s been a surprisingly great piece of glass on both systems.  I will definitely miss it when I return it.

Speaking of Leica, if anyone is looking for Leica glass, Bob has one of everything in stock.  He even has a couple of silver M 240’s.  I don’t get anything from Bergen County Camera but I’ve definitely had a lot of great experiences shopping there over the years.

I know, I live in New York City, and can go to any other store here instead of going to NJ but it’s definitely a different experience going to BCC.  There’s no sales pressure, and there’s old school customer service that is hard to find these days.  Bob even takes my Leica stuff to Leica NJ if any of it needs repair.  How many stores will do that nowadays?  My whole family has been shopping there for 30 years!  You’ll never find better service, and if you’re paying Leica prices, you might as well go to the best, and get that personal service.  These guys are experts in anything Leica.

Another thing that is also worth mentioning is that he has some nice used Leica stuff as well.  If any of you are interested, give Bob a call at (201)-664-4113 or find him at bergencountycamera.com.  You can also check out BCC’s Leica Boutique page.  He ships anywhere.