(NEW) “Metal Grey” Leica M11-P, Leica Q3 and Leica D-Lux8 cameras – It now looks likely that the rumoured Metal Grey cameras are coming and we might see them being officially announced from June. For M shooters there is also expected to be a matching Metal Grey Leica 50/2 APO lens.
(NEW) Light Lens Lab 50mm f1.9 “Rigid-ZS6” (M) – Following the LLL 50mm f1.5 S21 lens, LLL announces their new 50mm ZS6 lens which utilises the same rigid helicoid housing as their Leica Summicron 50mm f2 Rigid remake. Based on the Dallmeyer Super Six (if you know your vintage lenses) the Rigid ZS6 is offers in both standard and low contrast versions. These are the latest in their Rigid series and I’m looking forward to receiving mine to test.
(NEW) Panasonic LX10camera – No Leica logo but these cameras are the same as the Leica D-Lux range. Only days after I reviewed the older Leica D-Lux8, Panasonic announces their new LX10. For each Panasonic release Leica do their branded version of the same model so this means we should see a Leica D-Lux9 in the pipeline. Great lightweight compact point and shoots if you need something smaller than a Leica Q series camera. (I used to own the Panasonic LX100).
(NEW) DJ Optical 35mm f3.5 pancake (M) – This new lens reminds of the Brightin Star 28mm f2.8 from its pancake design. If I can get a copy to review I’ll be sure to make a YouTube video.
(NEW) Samyang Schneider-Kreuznach 14-24mm f2.8 (L) – If you enjoy L mount cameras whether the Leica SL series, the discontinued Leica CL or Lumix bodies, this lens might be for you. (Fun fact – before I started MrLeica.com in 2013 I used to work with Samyang to help market their first line of lenses for Nikon F mount. Manual focus only back then but the optics far exceeded popular lens brands).
(UPDATE) 7Artisans 35mm f2.8 (M+LTM) – First impressions? Without pixel peeping, on the back of the camera the photos seem decent enough. It’s basically an exact copy of the 28mm and 40mm Voigtlander LTM lenses (externally) so it’s small. The biggest weakness seems to be the flare in certain lighting conditions. Before I make the YouTube video I want to do a shootout test against similar small 35mm lenses including the popular Mandler 35mm f2 lens. Stay tuned!
(UPDATE)Thypoch Eureka 28mm f2.8 pancake (M)Â – You might recognise the naming from their excellent Eureka 50mm f2 lens (the collapsible one). Same name, completely different lens design. First impressions? They went a bit too big on the branding BUT without pixel peeping the image quality seems pretty good. Next is to compare it to other compact 28mm lenses from Brightin Star, Artralab and Voigtlander, plus the street photographers favourite, the Leica Elmarit 28mm f2.8 ASPH. Update – Watch full review on Youtube
Like many, I much prefer the tactile nature of analogue photography versus digital but I use both mediums. For digital I think I now have the solution to make the process more fulfilling. Instant digital photos on a digital screen is all a bit meh but when printed, photos start to feel like proper art. Printed images make great gifts too! If you follow my Instagram stories you might have seen me printing photos to surprise models and friends.
After sharing photos online for over a decade (visit my Flickr) I can’t believe that I didn’t start printing my own images sooner. I’m printing both film scans and digital images alike and I’ll make a video to show my setup. For those looking to support the channel I’m also planning to open a blog print shop.
I’ve just got back from teaching in Texas so that was fun but my body still doesn’t know what time zone I’m in. Coming up I’ll share the latest news + YouTube videos from the last 30 days.
Falling behind
I’ve been struggle to keep up with life recently so sorry for the lack of new posts on the likes of Substack, Flickr, Instagram + no new blog posts. (I have 3 articles 95% written, I just need that final push to get them over the line).
Streamlining the blog
When did you last visit Mrleica.com? I’ve tried to simply the navigation for both desktop and mobile users. More improvements are coming so look out for layout changing over the next few months. (I’m also looking to add a new print shop but more on that next month).
Photobooks and prints
As my zines/ photobooks pretty much sold out when released, I’m planning to offer some prints until the next book launch. (*I have 2 travel books left + 1 set of legacy model books).
If you’re interested in the idea of books or prints please add your email and I’ll give you advance notice/ access ahead of a public announcement.
As with all my on-demand workshops, photographers reach out and ask for a 1:1 private workshop. Most of these are in the UK and students often fly into London to meet me. Occasionally students fly me to them like my trip to Vegas in 2024.
The Texas workshop was a a similar setup to the Vegas trip. My student wanted me to help her so flew me out to Dallas for the week. She put me up in a local Marriott hotel then each day picked me up and we spent the day together.
Workshop topics were super broad, including –
Cataloging and storing a huge pile of camera gear (camera audit)
Refresher course for using a Hasselblad 500cm film camera
Walkthrough on the different B&W film stocks and differences
How to use a Sekonic L-308 lightmeter (on location and studio)
Refresher session for film developing at home (120 and 35mm)
Visiting the camera store to buy the kit – Shoutout to Don’s cameras!
How to setup the studio lights and trigger for different cameras
How to setup/ tear down the different light modifiers
Tethering a camera to a laptop for tabletop photography/ studio
Identify her late father’s Leica cameras (multiple – Ms, Rs, DLux)
Meeting with builders to help plan and spec her new darkroom
Sourcing all the equipment required for a professional darkroom
Setting up her old printer (Epson P800) and replacing the ink set
Visiting a store to compare different papers types + stocking up
Refresher on how to edit and print images easily from Lightroom
In addition to business class long haul flights (a first for me), I also got to do something else I never thought I would – go up in a light aircraft. My student’s friend is a pilot so he offered to take us out for the day. Amazing experience and I felt very fortunate. See my ride below.
My student kindly lent me her Leica D-Lux 8 compact camera so I could make a YouTube review. See the latest video if you missed it. I also developed new LR presets for the Leica D-Lux cameras (+ Panasonic Lumix LX100 cameras – same sensor). The photo above was shot with the D-Lux 8.
The trip was a success so I might be going back in 2026 – I’m told! (If you want me to visit you get in touch and I can see if it’s possible).
Coming into land (Leica D-Lux 8)
Photoshoots
I travelled less in April as I had a few UK photoshoots booked for testing various LED lighting setups I was reviewing for YouTube. I booked a hotel in London and arranged models for both days. The photo of the month (above) was unexpected.. it’s always the usual stuff that seems to do well. Here is another from the same model –
I arranged two outdoor shoots in London too. You might have seen my photos of Ellie on Instagram. I still need to scan the film images from the Hasselblad.
Always wanted to try model photography? Start today with my eBooks!
London workshop
I met up with one of my new students again in May for a London workshop. For our first few sessions we focused on Leica cameras but this time he wanted to learn how to use his Hasselblad 500cm film camera.
I suggested we hire a model so he had someone to photograph so I asked Bella to meet us. Like most of my workshops, the day was probably 50% teaching lighting and 50% cameras/ everything else. (Once you understand lighting and how to work with a model you can use any camera).
You might recognise the photo below from one of my YouTube videos where I was showing the benefits of using high power LED and the impact of different light modifiers. (I was shooting with my Hassy too. I’ve developed the film but still need to scan it).
Workshops
My Dallas student visits me in the UK in May so I have that in London then for June I have both my usual London workshops and a trip to Prague to teach. (UK student meeting me in Prague to see how I work with the Czech models).
Zoom calls let me assist photographers around the world remotely. Whether it’s new cameras/ lenses, portrait lighting techniques or portfolio reviews I can help. Read the Zoom testimonials and check my availability.
Complete the survey to register your interest in a MrLeica workshop near you.
Dubai Workshop, 2022
Future travel plans
Here are my provisional travel plans. Maybe I’m coming to a city near you or somewhere you’d like to visit. Feel free to contact me to organise a workshop.
MAY 2026
France – Cycling holiday with friends
PhotoLondon – Not travel but in the diary to meet Patreon friends
TBC – Nothing else planned unless I get a last minute urge
JUNE 2026
Prague – Private workshop (UK student will meet me there)
Roadtrip – Not booked yet but provision dates with Patreon friends
You’ve probably heard me mention the brand Mandler. This is a new brand for Leica M mount and their first lens has been a bit of a hit. Every time they produce a batch of their Mandler 35mm f2 lens they sell out within the first 24hrs.
They’ve now ramped up production to try to meet the unexpected global demand and their latest drop was 800 lenses (including 200 LTM lenses).
Why so popular?
This lens is winning people’s hearts for 5 simple reasons –
Replica of the famous Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v4 “King of Bokeh”
Only $348 (about ÂŁ258) – Amazing value for that classic “Leica Look”
Lightweight aluminium or premium chrome-plated brass (feels like a Leica)
Free shipping (no import fees), tracking + 12 months warranty
If you’re a regular reader you might remember me starting a colour film project a few months back. My colour developing kit is almost expired but I need to shoot a few more rolls to finish in. I’m already sliding back to my usual black and whites but I enjoyed the experiment and I got a few really nice shots.
After putting B&W on hold (mostly), I did a developing session and last week and caught up from the last 4 months or so (plus some from summer 2025). It looks like I have a light leak in one of my Hasselblad 500 backs so I need to get a new seal kit. (You’ll likely see it on Flickr when I get time to scan the 120 film).
Coming up in May we have our annual Patreon meet-up at the PhotoLondon event. Looking forward to seeing friends who fly in for the weekend (or are UK based). Great event if you need some inspiration to get out and shoot. If you’re there and you see us be sure to come and say hi!
I’ve got a cycling holiday with friends in south France at the start of May (some of the guys I did Coast-to-Coast with last year + Lands End to GOY some years ago.. (we also paddled across the English Channel to France 14yrs years ago in inflatable kayaks). I just say yes and turn up. (I’ve packed a few small cameras so I’ll see what I can get.
The rest of the month I’ve booked no travel so I can catch up on life, arrange a few more UK shoot and work on my next big project (YouTube video to follow!).
March-April was a self inflicted deep dive into LED lighting – all I did and thought about for 6+ weeks.. waking up in the night writing down my ideas.
That’s now complete but the next rabbit hole has already opened up so I’ve already spent 30+ hours on it (including 2-4am research sessions when my brain is too active to sleep). Everything I ordered has now arrived so it’s just a matter of trial and error plus practice and then I’ll make a video.
YouTube video – spotlight
The first video for May will likely be the video on a device that I thought was just perfect for Leica street photographers. You’ll see when I post the video. I’m also waiting on some new lenses to review so hopefully they arrive soon and I can get testing.
(NEW) 7Artisans 35mm f2.8 (M+LTM) – I wasn’t aware this lens was common knowledge yet but as I see it already featured on other sites I feel I can mention it. These are exciting times for Leica screw mount fans, whether Leica iii Barnack cameras or perhaps a Canon rangefinder. 7Artisans follow Mandler in offering their upcoming new lens in both standard Leica M mount AND screw mount. I expect like the Mandler 35mm f2 lens, the 7Artisans offering will be competitively priced so perfect for anyone on a budget. If know your lenses you might also notice that their leaked lens design closely resembles that of the 28mm and 40mm Voigtlander LTM lenses released a few years back (and were later discontinued for screw mount).
(NEW) Voigtlander APO-Skopar 75mm f2.8 VM (M) – It’s been a while since we’ve had any news from Voigtlander so I was excited to hear this update. Currently, the Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 VM is still one of my all time favourites on film for portraits (it replaced my Leica APO-Summicron 75mm f2 lens). Their new 75mm APO-Skopar will be a sibling lens to the already excellent Voigtlander APO-Skopar 90mm f2.8 lens(that I enjoy in both M mount and Nikon F mount). If you love the 75mm focal length we also have the Light Lens Lab 75mm f2 SPII in the pipeline. Good times!
(MORE) Misc Leica products – After testing a range of new products recently (some newer than others) I put a video together to feature the stand out winners.
Ignore the trash talk on Leica forums
It was brought to my attention that an individual tried to stir up some trouble by posting false rumours on the Reddit Leica feed about numerous Chinese lens manufacturers. As someone that regularly speaks to some of these brands I recommend that you ignore these false claims and trash talk. I’m not one to normally get involved in politics but on this occasion I felt I needed to speak up to correct the narrative.
Need your input
Finally on a happier note, you may know that I’ve been sharing photos online (such as Flickr) for over a decade. If you follow my work were there any stand out favourites that you could see hanging as A3 darkroom-style prints on your wall?
I’m working on an exciting project behind the scenes, and I’d really love your input. (I’ll share more info soon but if you have a favourite please get in touch via email or Instagram message with a screenshot or link to an image and I’ll add it to the shortlist for you). Thanks!
March saw me in Lanzarote and Tenerife. One trip was a dream trip, the other a nightmare. We’ll get to that. All the latest coming up together with YouTube videos and blogs posts from the last 30 days.
After an enjoyable photoshoot trip to Lanzarote at the end of 2025 I arranged with the models to visit again in 2026. Goal was simple. Fly to find winter sunshine (and warmth) and meet 3 model friends, all that I’ve work with multiple times before. What could possibly go wrong.
I had high hopes and even packed my Hasselblad 501c (paired with my Leica MP) to capitalise on the situation. A long 4.5hr flight awaited (2hrs is OK but 4hr+ just feels like forever). I try to write blog posts or Substacks to kill time but it’s always the worst part of these trips). At least it would be worth the effort.
Weeks of planning, packing and repacking camera gear it was go time. I took off from the UK in rare winter sunshine..and landed in.. cold rain and wind. Great start!
I realised the apartment I’d booked was not as I remembered so that threw me off with my creative visions for the photoshoot. No balcony, no big window illumination the bed. I’ll still make it work.. I said to myself. I open the door to what seemed to be a converted garage or storage unit. It was like a nicely decorated cave with almost zero light inside. I had to keep the door open for light it was that bad. How did I screw up so badly? Perhaps booking when overtired but this must be a PW (personal worst).
It’ll be fine, I’ll shoot the 3 models outside. I have my storm drain location I like to shoot in. Oh wait, because of the heavy rain it’s now full of water so that’s a no go. OK let’s do a morning run recce and find some alternatives.
That was a complete waste of time.
Day 1 – model 1 cancelled on day one and postponed to day 2. Model 2 had real work issues (roof was leaking from the rain so had to fix that emergency). She cancelled.
Day 2 – model 1 cancelled again and model 3 also cancelled and postponed to the afternoon. That then was cancelled after I waited around in my cave for 5 hours. Perhaps day 3 (my last day)?
Day 3 – ghosted. (For older readers this means the model stops replying to messages).
After all the planning, travel and efforts I just sat in my cave writing more blog posts for most of the visit. I made myself do a few photowalks, I did a few runs and I did jump in the sea, but overall a complete waste of time.
One model I saw had real issues to attend to with the rain damage but the other two there was no excuse. I think Lanzarote just got crossed off my destination list for the coming years. The highs and lows of model photography. Normally I’m good at expecting cancellations but these guys really caught me off guard.
Here is a photo from a previous Lanzarote trip where a UK model flew with me and we did a multi-day photoshoot. I don’t think I appreciated Sophie so much until I had 3 days of cancellations. (I wrote to here and told her so).
Always wanted to try model photography? Start today with my eBooks!
Tenerife Client Job
I’ll likely do a full Substack write-up for this one but in brief, a model friend in Tenerife set up her own business and wanted me to do photos for her. She offered me her nice apartment for a few days as payment.
I’d stayed there before a few times in the past so I knew what to expect. I thought why not share the fun and invite a friend but they need to be able to do the “job” as well as be cool to hang out with. I invited Tobi.
In the mornings we ran and explored. Tobi did the driving, I did the cooking. When not shooting for the client job I made content for YouTube (see the Contax-Leica video + more clips to follow).
After stormy “UK-like” weather in Lanzarote (I forgot to mention that) Tenerife was also being battered by the elements. Severe weather warnings were so bad ahead of the trip I asked Tobi if we should cancel.
Finally I got lucky. While the south of Tenerife was being drowned and blown away (signage down, beached eroded, lots of damage) we were staying in the north which saw mostly sun. Teide even had snow on the top.
I took this photo one morning just messing around and it’s become my most liked Flickr photo of 2026 (and perhaps even 2025 too).
The trip was amazing but it didn’t quite go to plan. We expected to shoot some of the models from the client job out on location but it turned out they were all too busy to get time off. As such Tobi was my model for this shot (see the setup in last night’s YouTube video).
The next photo was just a backup shot (on digital) and us goofing around doing a selfie. It came out better than I could have imagined (and just shot with the Mandler 35mm f2 on my SL2-S).
Here is a sample of the work for the client. I’ve had worse jobs!
All this because a model reached out to me 5+ years ago and invited me to the island to take photos for her (paid). She liked the images back then and this lead to now. Life is all about contacts and making lasting connections it seems.
Workshops
With me being away there was no teaching in March but I have a week teaching in Dallas in April which will be exciting + one of my usual London workshops.
Get in touch if you’d like to spend a day together now the weather is starting to improve!
Zoom calls let me assist photographers around the world remotely. Whether it’s new cameras/ lenses, portrait lighting techniques or portfolio reviews I can help!
Complete the survey to register your interest in a MrLeica workshop near you.
Dubai Workshop, 2022
Future travel plans
Here are my provisional travel plans. Maybe I’m coming to a city near you or somewhere you’d like to visit. Feel free to contact me to organise a workshop.
APRIL 2026
Dallas – Private workshop (Student invited me to join her for 7 days)
France – Boys cycling holiday (I’ll be taking my camera of course)
MAY 2026
TBC – I need to book somewhere but not yet finalised
PhotoLondon – Not travel but in the diary to meet Patreon friends
JUNE 2026
Prague – Private workshop (UK student will meet me there)
TBC – I need to book somewhere but not yet finalised
Since joining Substack I’ve felt inspired to give colour film another chance (as a B&W guy). So far the colour film experiment is going mostly well – I’ve now developed 24 rolls (using Cinestill Cs41 Simple Color powder mix).
For Tenerife one of the rolls I shot was Lomography 400 Color’92 and this time it really exceeded my expectations. I think this film enjoys bright conditions (but not too overexposed). You don’t have the latitude of Portra 400.
As I shared on Substack (see more photos there), I love colour film for those better than real colours. I also love film for the surprises it brings. The photo below was shot in 2019 and the film sat undeveloped in my fridge until March 2026 – Niki, Budapest.
Talking of surprises, did a mention that Lanzarote was a complete disaster. It gets worse!
So to make myself feel better in Lanzarote I walked around trying to shoot some film of random nothing-ness in the average weather. I finish the roll of expired Fujicolor C200 only to see that it had already be mostly exposed. I’d somehow missed my notes on the film leader “24 frame shot with Nikon FM, 2021”.
Not only did it rain, and the models all cancelled. I also trashed what could have been great photos shot in happier times! Sybilla, Tenerife. 2021
*More articles are backed up ready to post. I’ve had issues with my blog email being blocked because of spam so I need to fix before sharing (so people receive the articles).
I have the private Leica workshop in Dallas for a week coming up in April. Mostly an unknown but I’m excited. I’ve booked a few UK models (and a hotel) to test some new gear for YouTube. It’ll be nice to carry more lighting gear than my usual Ryanair 1 bag limit! At the end of the month I head to France for a cycling trip.
There might be some new lenses dropping in April so hopefully they arrive in time for me to take away to test. I’ll finish my colour film developer in April and then the plan is to get back to mostly black and white (and focus on creating some decent images for the next photobooks). I also want to shoot more 120 film this summer.. if I can pull myself away from my 35mm Leicas!
YouTube video – spotlightÂ
The first video in April you might have already seen. Leica cameras are nice but it’s light which makes for great photos. This Leica-sized device means we now have no excuses! Watch here.
(NEW) MrDing Contax G28 Biogon 28mm f2.8 (M) – If you’re a Zeiss fan Leica MrDing has completed their conversion kit trio for Contax G lens for Leica M mount – 45mm, 35mm and now 28mm. (I own the 25mm and 21mm ZM Biogon lenses and optically they are both fantastic).
(NEW) Light Lens Lab 75mm f2 SPII(M) – LLL have made a 75mm follow up to their 50mm f2 SPII (See 50mm YouTube review). These “SPII” lenses are different to modern lenses and are designed to mimic the famous “Cook look” which is softer with more glow and vintage character. I’m waiting for a copy of the new 75mm SPII lens to arrive and I’ll make a review for YouTube. (Until then I’ll continue to enjoy their LLL 35mm f1.4 AA – see YouTube).
Shot with the LLL 50mm f2 SPII
(NEW)Thypoch Ksana 35mm f2 (M)Â – I didn’t realise it was common knowledge yet but as I see this lens already shown on other sites I feel I can tell you too. The 35mm lens will be the second lens in the Thypoch Ksana lens line-up, following their Ksana 21mm f3.5 that I’ve reviewed previously.
(UPDATE) Mandler 35mm f2 7-Element (KOB) (M)Â – Following my YouTube videos and Mandler 35mm f2 blog post the lens has sold out on both occasions. Mandler are struggling to keep up with the high demand but hope to list another 400 units on 26th March (20:00 GMT last time). Check the limited stock via the Mandler website and see my review for example photos.
Shot with the Mandler 35mm f2
2026 Leica price hike
In March 2026 Leica US increased prices on new cameras and lenses. Reports suggest that ‘popular models like the Leica Q3 will rise by roughly $600, while M11 cameras see increases between $500 and $900. Most M lenses are rising by $100–$500, though SL3 bodies remain unaffected”.
It’s now rumoured that Europe will see a 3% price increase on new Leica products in April.
What does this mean for used Leica prices?
When Leica increases the price of new products this can also increase the price of used cameras and lenses too. For example, older Leica M cameras (say pre-Leica M11 models) often hold their value well or increase in value year on year with the Leica M9-P being the fastest appreciating model.
If you love photography but are tired of all the spam on Instagram I can highly recommend Substack. I try to post there most days and share photo trip highlights + BTS (similar to what I used to share on the MrLeica.com between 2013-2019).
February was set to be a busy month with 3 trips in 4 weeks! The month started in Fuerteventura where I was teaching a multi-day Leica workshop (1:1).
A few days later I was due to be in Lisbon but the weather forecast was heavy rain every day. I just couldn’t bring myself to pay to walk round in the rain for 4 days so I cancelled the trip. (I don’t like rain and the whole reason for going was in hope of some winter sun for photos).
Having a breather after Fuerteventura was a blessing as it gave me time to develop my colour film. Later in the month I was back in Budapest. Sample photos and more info below, together with the latest YouTube videos, blogs etc.
After joining Substack at the end of 2025 I continue my streak of daily posts. Mostly I share “notes” – a few words accompanied by images, then when I get time I write “articles” which are more in depth and perhaps similar to my older blog posts (when I used to write-up my model photography trips and share photos – scroll down on the model tab to see the articles).
Share your Leica images
Are you a passionate Leica user looking to reach a broader audience with your photos? I invite you to write a guest post for the Leica Club(Super easy – just answer a series of Leica related questions. An easy way to grow your social media following and you can write as much or as little as you wish).
Share your Leica experience: Get in touch and I’ll send you the template.
If you read my “How to travel the world taking photos” article or my Travel Guide eBook you’ll know I love Budapest (and have for many years). It was time to go back and my plan was to meet a few models and shoot colour film.
I’ve got multiple YouTube videos in the pipeline sharing images but here are a few photos from one of the photoshoots – Dori that I know from teaching Leica workshops in Budapest in 2025.
Always wanted to try model photography? Start today with my eBooks!
Fuerteventura workshop
One of my students was staying in Fuerteventura and kindly invited me to join him and his partner for a few days. The goal was for him to see how I work with models and how I would photograph his partner.
Having your own “in-house” model is living the dream and makes things much easier when it comes to working towards improving your model photography!
Here are a few BTS photos from our workshop –
A big thanks to the guys for inviting me and making me feel so welcome. (I lived in with them but it was a huge place so I had my own “wing” of the building).
Note – We already knew each other from previous Netherlands and Spain workshops*
I highly recommend visiting the Canary Isles for out of season photoshoots (for a better chance of some winter sun).. but it’s often easier to take a model with you, especially if you are staying in a more remote area, like this trip. (I’ve done 5-6 such trips over the years – see my old model photography blog posts).
London Leica workshops
My Leica workshops and model photography days are usually held in London and I was teaching more of both in February. Get in touch if you are planning a trip to London and want to get together.
(I also run workshops in Europe and the US on request like the Fuerteventura trip + a student is flying me to Dallas for a week in April).
Zoom calls let me assist photographers around the world remotely. Whether it’s new cameras/ lenses, portrait lighting techniques or portfolio reviews (like I did yesterday for Scott in Canada), I can help!
Complete the survey to register your interest in a MrLeica workshop near you.
Dubai Workshop, 2022
Future travel plans
Here are my provisional travel plans. Maybe I’m coming to a city near you or somewhere you’d like to visit. Feel free to contact me to organise a workshop.
Since joining Substack I’ve been inspired to give colour film another chance (as a B&W guy). So far the colour film experiment is going mostly well – I’ve shot and developed 18 rolls (using Cinestill Cs41 Simple Color powder mix). More to come!
I’ll write a full article + record a YouTube video but here are a few recent film scans.
Apologies to you if you watched my recent Mandler 35mm f2 YouTube video only to find the lens had already sold out. The factory was closed for Chinese New Year but the lens will restock in the coming days all being well.
I will post a new blog post with lots of sample photos (and Instagram post) to update you once back in stock. (I’m in close communication with Mandler so they are going to message me).
Note – if demand is really high the lens may sell out again within 24hrs of restocking but they are working around the clock to replenish their inventory so more are coming*
Follow the blog and/ or follow me on Instagram so not to miss the restock notification as I can’t message you all individually via YouTube comments, thanks.
(Psst – Mandlertells me that they are working on a 50mm lens next. Super excited for that! Good times!!)
March should mean hopefully more daylight, warmer temperatures and ideally less rain. To increase my chances of success I’ll be in Lanzarote and Tenerife for photoshoots so I’m already planning what film camera and film stocks to take.
I’ve got both videos and blog posts I’m holding back including Mandler and the Light Lens Lab 35mm f1.4 AA lens so those will finally come out in March.
YouTube video – spotlight
The first video in March will be a lens that means no more hours of retouching (if you do that – I certainly don’t have time so I try to shoot “clean”). Also coming is the mentioned LLL 35mm AA video and possibly the results from my colour film experiment!
I’m Raf, a Brazilian photographer based in NYC who finds inspiration in the energy of everyday surroundings and cherishes the art of street photography on film. Beyond photography, on my website CameraClara.com, you can expect to find my insights on the intersection of analog and digital processes, philosophical debates about editing or not editing film photos, technical explorations of developing, scanning, conversion, film borders, editing, and how photography helps us define our artistic language, along with some nice photo sharing. Whether I’m wandering the streets of New York or documenting family moments, my goal is always the same: tell a story, meet new people, and have fun along the way.
My journey to Leica?
My first Leica was a Leica Q2. I bought it in 2023 on Craigslist during a business trip to Seattle, WA. The moment I got it, I fell in love with the lack of distortion on the lens and the full frame sensor in a compact body. I love symmetry, and I think I have a good eye for it. When I see straight lines with my eyes, I want them to be straight in my photos, especially near the borders.
My passion for rangefinders started with a Fuji X-Pro3, then a Fuji X100V, but the cropped sensors and lenses of the Fuji X series were somewhat disruptive for the quality I was looking for, especially regarding geometry and distortion. I always liked the idea of rangefinders, but the Fuji models have too much technology in the heads-up display, and the focus mechanism is not analog. That makes a huge difference in latency, because I want the whole focusing system to be at lightspeed, not passing through a wire, processed by a CPU, painted by a focus-assist color of choice, and finally viewed on a mini screen.
The Leica way of doing focus and rangefinder is perfect for me to exercise my distance-measuring brain. It keeps me from relaxing when it comes to composition, focus, and light metering. It helps me become a better photographer. The fact that I don’t see through a mirror or a screen while photographing makes me constantly think about how my photo will render.
From there, I fell in love with film at the beginning of 2025. My first film Leica was a Leica M7, then a Leica Minilux (point and shoot), then another M7, a Leica M10-R, and perhaps a Leica M6 in the near future (which I’m already eyeing on eBay).
I like having multiple film cameras to load them with different ISOs. For the convenience of using the M lenses I own, I got an M10-R, even though I think a Fuji GFX 100rf (medium format) or a Hasselblad X2D2 makes more sense for digital, but the Leica digital is so satisfying to use! When I shoot digital, I usually capture in RAW and use software to perform film simulation in batch, without any sort of exposure correction. I believe that photographing with the correct exposure should be the duty of every photographer, and Leica rangefinders help me a lot with that.
Why Leica?
When I bought my first, I completely fell in love with the full frame in a compact body, and with the brand itself. The community is strong, and you can notice that whenever you go to a Leica store: there are artworks on the walls and books on the shelves. Some even have films and chemicals! As a brand, Leica has a strong foundation in culture, without forgetting about their roots because of technological chips and sensors.
Unlike other brands that are high-end computers in a box with a lens attached, Leica cameras have character. They can spark a conversation with someone in a coffee shop on their own. I’ve lost count of how many times my Leica camera started a conversation with a stranger who later became a friend. It’s no coincidence that the emoji image for a camera resembles a Leica so closely (the silver one, of course!). It’s an icon. The brand is strong and recognizable for its quality, mechanical precision, customer support, culture, and community.
My Leica camera allows me to do candid shots without people noticing, and even when they do, they don’t care, and that’s because the camera is discrete, and not like a big camera used by Paparazzis.
What Do You Photograph and Why?
Among many different topics like cityscapes, shows and concerts, and macro, my passion is traveling and doing street photography on film. By the way, this is exactly what I am doing right now as I write this. The place where I live makes street photography easy (NYC). Some people even joke that it’s like having a cheat code, so friendly are the scenes and personas. I think that always bringing a camera with me to capture street photography is my fuel for my daily 10,000 steps.
One of my greatest joys came when I accidentally photograph a scene that echoes a milestone piece of art. On a cold winter night in Hoboken, I walked past a pizzeria glowing against the darkness and captured a lone customer watching basketball through glass windows. Weeks later, a friend saw the image and said: “Nighthawks by Edward Hopper!” I went home and searched for the painting. I was stunned. I had never studied Hopper when I made that photograph. I responded instinctively to the light, the geometry, the solitude. The connection only emerged because someone else recognized it. That taught me something valuable: certain visual truths transcend individual intention. We tap into shared vocabularies without realizing it.
Thoughts
I really like doing comparisons between film and digital film simulations for my readers at cameraclara.com, or any sort of A/B testing. One day, I went out with a dual-camera plate mount with an M10-R and an M10 Monochrom with the same lens (35mm Summicron). Both cameras have the same sensor, with and without the Bayer filter, and I took the same shots side-by-side (paying attention to parallax). Then I created software to distort one image in relation to the other (so the compositions look alike), and another piece of software to slice half of each image, to compare them side-by-side. I wrote a detailed article comparing these cameras with a unique perspective and technical view, available on CameraClara.
I’ve also done other types of comparisons, such as shooting real Portra versus a film simulation.
These benchmarks are something unique that I enjoy doing, and I see a lot of value in them, because comparing multiple pieces of equipment while isolating variables is something challenging that pushes both my photography and software development skills to the limit, for example, a comparison at ISO 12,500 between an M10-R and a M10-Monochrom.
I met Matt’s work through his YouTube channel, and I really like the assertiveness of his videos. His videos are not the typical YouTube stuff that takes forever to convey a message. Matt goes straight to the point. His introspective style is also something pleasing that, for some reason, calms me down while watching. I like to watch before going to sleep, lol.
Recently, I’ve been following up more closely with Matt because of Substack. I also subscribed to his newsletter and I am interested on doing a workshop with him.
Favorite Leica Camera?
My favorite is the M7 (Silver). I know it’s a film camera with more electronic components than the average film Leica Ms, and for that reason, it’s more at risk of failing on me, but the electronically controlled shutter gives me intermediary shutter speeds that are not on the shutter speed dial, like 1/45 sec (very useful), while still being able to shoot at 1/60 and 1/125 of a second if the battery fails.
Thanks to the precision of this shutter, exposure is usually nailed. The camera also has an on/off button that prevents blank shots from being taken when it’s inside the bag. It has exposure compensation, TTL metering (useful for orange filters and B&W films). The battery also lasts very long, especially with the ability to turn it off, so it doesn’t engage the light meter while in the bag.
Favorite Lens?
Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 v3. I have a black one for my Leica MP and a silver one for my M7. I really enjoy that focal length, and the bokeh on the Summicron is beautiful and creamy. I’m familiar with the focal distance, and it’s perfect for the crowded streets in Manhattan. 28mm is too wide and you might capture too much chaos, 50mm is too close and you may need to get far, resulting on having people in between the camera and the subject. 35mm is the perfect focal distance for photographing what I love.
To me, the Cron hits the perfect balance between excellence and price, it’s not as expensive as the Luxes. With those, I’m afraid to drop on the floor and damage the focus barrel. This is my number one concern when using Leica lenses: the fragile (and consequently precise) inner threads of the focus barrel. I’ve been thinking a lot on the Light Lens Lab too. I also have a Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.5 that is a charm, sometimes I prefer using it because it costs a third of the price of the Summicron, and it’s f/1.5, I like bringing it to places where I could potentially harm my equipment, like protests, bike rides, etc.
Favorite Film?
CineStill 800T no doubts here. I think that if I’m shooting film, I should look for a unique aesthetic that digital struggles to replicate at scale. CineStill does a factory chemical bath on their films that removes the Remjet (or anti-halation) layer, allowing the light to bounce back from the camera back to the emulsion, resulting in red halos around highlights . I’m developing a project collecting photos of the NYC Subway with it.
The name will be “Runner’s Blade – The Way Commuters Cut Through Traffic), and will exhibit subway scenes resembling a post apocalyptic scenario inspired in Blade Runner (film).
In person, you’ll surely find me on the streets of New York, in a nice coffee shop, or organising film photography photowalks around the neighbourhood.
MrLeica comments on this article
Thanks Raf! Raf reached out to me when I first signed up on Substack so I was keen to invite him to share his Leica story. It’s always interesting to read peoples different journeys to Leica and the cameras, lenses and films that stand out to them the most.
I must admit I’ve not shot Cinestill 800T for years but it truly is unmatched for mixed lighting, night photography and that famous halation. I recently treated myself to a roll so I’m excited to feed it to my Leica MP!
(NEW) MrDing Contax Planar 35mm f2 (M) – If you love Zeiss glass on your Leica camera, MrDing has now made their converted Contax G 35mm f2 Planar lens available in black too. (For Leica M mount – now available in silver or black).
(UPDATE) 7Artisans 75mm f1.25 II (M) – I’ve been enjoying my copy of the lens but they’ve asked me to hold fire before making the YouTube video so I’m just waiting for the nod from them.
(UPDATE) Light Lens Lab35mm f1.4 AA(M) – My copy has arrived and I’ve been really impressed.. to the point it’s now glued to my Leica MP! .. Light Lens Lab asked me to release my YouTube video after their Chinese New Year.
LLL 35mm f1.4 AA on Leica MP (Teaching in Fuerteventura) Expired film*
LLL 35mm f1.4 AA on Leica MP
(UPDATE) Mandler 35mm f2 7-Element (KOB) (M) – Following my first YouTube video for this lens a lot has changed. You now have 3 lens variants available AND they now have an international store (with free shipping/ tracking). Visit the new Mandler website for full info and see more sample photos in tonight’s new video. (**Expect low stock until after the Chinese New Year holidays).
Mandler 35mm f2 on Leica M10-P
(UPDATE)Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 (M) – If you love compact wide angle lenses and missed the video, here is the full review.
Looking to share your photography and passion for Leica? Get in touch to have your work featured on the blog! Since the last newsletter I’ve received articles from OndĹ™ej, Thomas and Raf. See all guest posts on LeicaClub.org
If you struggle with photography inspiration (especially during the winter months) I HIGHLY recommend having a browse on Substack. I’m still new to it (joining at the end of 2025) but I’ve managed to post daily ever since. More than I manage on Instagram and Flickr.. and if you wonder why the colours photos shared above.. again, blame Substack –Thanks Substackers! You’ve pushed me back to colour film
“How a blazing Nikon F5 led me to a love for Leica”
Who is Thomas?
I was born one September Saturday night in 1989 in the Netherlands, and my father always says that that day was the first and only time he ever saw me do anything quickly. That might sum up my character actually, as I like to slow things down in general. I suppose that helps explain my passion for film photography, and a love for old cameras that impose challenges which don’t necessarily speed things up when it comes to taking a picture.
My journey to Leica?
My father has been a professional photographer for his entire life. Selling cameras in the 80’s and early 90’s. Later working in laboratories in the hay day of analog photography, printing everything from family photos to commercial billboards and gallery exhibitions. Later when labs were not doing that good anymore, he started photographing commercially himself, weddings, events, and anything similar you could think of. None of this rubbed of on me in my youth.
When I moved out of my parents’ home, for the first time I thought about taking a proper picture of my hometown to hang on my own wall (I moved cities). My father/Santa gave me a Nikon D3200 for Christmas soon after. I did not use it for years… It was not until some health problems at the start of 2020, led me to being bed strained for a number of weeks, when I finally caught up on the online course that came with my previously gifted Nikon DSLR. I learned about photography. I learned ISO, aperture, shutter speed. I learned composition, light, subjects. I finally understood how interesting photography could be, and I wanted to go out and do it!
After recovering during the first few months of the pandemic, the following year or two provided an excellent environmental calm, and time, needed to practice my new hobby. I quickly switched to a Sony A7, as mirrorless seemed to be all the rage, and it meant I could borrow a couple of nice professional lenses from my dad who was using the system as well. As he saw that I was enjoying photography, my dad decided to get back into the hobby. Professional photography for some tends to kill the passion over time, as it appeared. He bought a Leica R6, something he always wanted to try. On this camera, using a 50mm Summicron-R, I actually learned proper exposure and manual photography.
This would help me later to expose for proper negatives, when my dad also taught me about dark room printing! In the meantime, I was told a Minolta XD-7 was similar to Leica SLRs, and I did not think I needed or could afford a premium film camera, so I bought into that system. This was my first film camera, and the relatively cheap lenses helped to kick start my analog camera addiction. Because as you all know one cannot just stop there.
Why Leica?
At this point I was photographing anything and everything really. I was still trying to find my footing and what my preferences were. One day I was finally trying to make those photos from my home town to hang on my wall. I tried using a tripod but the learning curve was steep for something seemingly simple. When returning home late one evening, I encountered a shady looking stranger in some deserted woods between the train station and my apartment. He was working with a tripod, so I thought it would be a great idea to ask this random person to critique my photos and see if he had some tips. Today he is one of my best friends and joined me and Matt on a trip to Budapest last summer. I love how a seemingly solitary hobby like this helps you meet so many new people if you are just open to it! Long story short, my buddy was working with a proper DSLR, a Nikon D610. The heft of this machine impressed me and I decided to leave my lighter weight feeling Sony behind and move on to the Nikon system. I also loved its contrasty and saturated images, something I initially thought would drive me in my personal taste of photography. With my new friend and a Nikon D810 I went out many times to do night photography (by now understanding how to use a tripod of course), and I was doing landscapes during the day too.
The change came when I met a girl who was open to me experimenting with portraiture, and was happy to have me take her photos. I strongly felt I should explore this further, and I started looking for people to photograph. Instagram became a big help, and I met many more like minded people through this platform and had the ability to work with a lot of people on portrait photography. By this point I had actually bought a Leica M3. I honestly don’t remember what drove me to it, but I do have a soft spot for 50’s and 60’s technology. I restored a 1962 Volkswagen Beetle with my dad when I was in my teens, still drive it in summer. I learned about the Leica M3 years before starting photography and thought it would be a cool period correct accessory, little did I know… Also, I read a lot of Ken Rockwell, and by this time I had already found MrLeica, both of which thought the M3 was the best thing since sliced bread. One of the things challenging me on Nikon were the colours out of my D810. They were never really doing it for me in terms of skintones, it would always turn orange after a bit of editing. This coincided with me getting acquainted with Matt, and him putting gentle but continuous pressure on me to buy a Leica SL. And once I gave in, it fixed my colour issues, but I was also forever hooked to the Leica eco system…
What Do You Photograph and Why?
Portraiture is still what I mostly photograph and share online. I love the interaction with people, and I was amazed after my first workshop with Matt how much fun a one or two hour photoshoot with a model could be if you know what you are doing. I providing someone with pictures that they will love. For me the beauty of the model is less important than the fun we have during a shoot, and the enthusiasm they have for the pictures once they receive them. I only dread looking at my pictures after a photoshoot as I’m afraid there won’t be any good ones and would have to disappoint the model, but luckily that never really happened! I think a lot of that, both quality of the photos, and the inspiration that comes through in them, comes from Matt.
Another YouTuber that I have always liked and followed, if only for his sarcasm but definitely also the photographs, is Grainydays (Jason Kummerfeldt). We actually met him with Matt when we were at the Leica campus in Wetzlar a year or so ago. It was pretty cool to have a coffee with two of my biggest inspirations at once. Jason photographs what I guess is called Americana, abandoned and derelict buildings and environments encompassing the American historical spirit. My take on that is a European version, and specifically in Poland. I have photographed the old ports and other derelict places in Gdansk with Matt already several times, as he also likes it. I travel to Poland more frequently to visit friends and family (I’m half Polish), and I always see cool opportunities along the way in the Polish countryside as well. Recently I have been trying to stop and capture those more. Obviously this takes a lot of time, and I have a day job plus other responsibilities, but I can see myself coming back to this kind of photography more often in the near future.
Thoughts
I admire people who can do photography for a living, but also know those whose passion it killed. My goal is to have a creative outlet, in the meantime hopefully taking me away from screens, a major part of my daily life currently. I struggle sometimes with the balance of photographing for myself and sharing it with others. I like to make pictures for people, but I dislike promoting myself on social media. On the other hand it would be a shame if I don’t share good photos with others. Also, social media has led me to meet and stay in touch with so many cool people outside of my own bubble, and I definitely don’t mind meeting even more of you! Lately I have been introduced to Substack and I will try to see if it is for me, Instagram unfortunately is crowded with irrelevant, cheap and time consuming content. Sometimes I flirt with the idea of just shelving my digital cameras and continue only analog. Whoever I happen to cross paths with in life will be invited to view my private physical gallery if interested. But then who knows what more of this great community I would be missing out on?
I think what helped me recently was to let go of the strict regime I put on myself when posting to Instagram for example. I tried on regular schedules with coordinated hash tags and the ideal 4:5 aspect ratio. Now I just do uncropped 2:3 pictures with random hash tags at random times, still care too much what other people will think, but at least have a more natural and fun approach to all of it. Even if I don’t post for a while sometimes, I feel much better when I do. Hopefully for Substack I can write some articles that come from the heart, and not try to cater to a specific audience. Photography should stay fun and not feel forced, and I just do what I want because I want to. This has already brought me so much richness in life, and I’m looking forward to see what else this will bring on my path in the future.
When I was still photographing with the Nikon D810 I bought a couple of classic Af-d lenses, both zooms and primes, as they were relatively affordable. Actually, I quite liked the DSLR experience. In some of my childhood memories I am using one of my dads Nikons, and he is teaching me to use the center focus point and then recompose. After realizing that these Af-d lenses could be used on film Nikon bodies, why let them go to waste?
I found a Nikon F5 in mint condition with two more professional zoom lenses not far from me, which I was going to pick up shortly. Before arranging to pick it up together with my dad, who would probably be better suited to judge its condition, and was excited to buy a camera with me that was out of his price range at the time, I did what any of us would do. I checked the reviews on YouTube. Guess who has an awesome and creative review on the Nikon F5 on the internet, even in his early video days? Yes, this is how I learned about Matt!
Favorite Leica Camera?
I can only mention one camera here, and that would be the Leica M3. I have had four of these over the years to find the nicest sample, I have sold two. My eyesight is not necessarily among the best, so I mostly appreciate the larger viewfinder magnification. Over the years I also learned that the M3 is considered one of the best built of the M film cameras, and in my own opinion it is also the most beautiful. I’m not saying it’s perfect. I started photographing without my glasses on, but my eyesight has deteriorated a bit. Also, I have astigmatism, which makes it hard to use standard diopters. I decided it would just be easier to photograph with glasses on as I also don’t want to take them off every time I’m taking a picture.
This is when I realised that my early double stroke M3 had an extra retaining ring in the eyepiece, which further increases eye relief. I had to buy a single stroke M3, and I still don’t see the entire framelines without moving my eyes. Also I had to add a small plastic snap on ring to the eye piece as the metal from the early Leica’s would scratch my glasses. This means you can’t screw on the 1.25 and 1.4x magnifiers anymore, so the extra magnification becomes even more valuable. I am still surprised when I manage to get in focus pictures wide open on a 90mm Summicron, but apparently this system just works!
On the digital side, I use a Leica SL2s now, and it has brought many improvements over my old Leica SL. With back side illuminated, next-gen sensor technology and in built stabilization you can effectively take pictures in the dark (and easier to focus with the improved EVF). There’s no other camera I can think of that can get you this level of image quality with the same ease, as I have already gotten shots that I otherwise would have missed.
Favorite Lens?
35mm Leica Summicron V1, also called the 8-element. I have the goggled version, to fit on the M3 (and similar to its glasses wearing owner). The only drawback of the goggles is it slightly reduces clarity in the viewfinder, but the image quality is perfect (for me). I bought the lens from the son of its first owner, as well as his M3 (now my main M3) and 90mm Leica Elmarit f2.8 (also fantastic), which probably means this lens has always been with the same camera. It has apparently seen the world already as it was used for professional photojournalism, yet remarkably it’s in mint condition, so I try to keep it that way. My M3 and this lens are standard issue when out and about and I intend to put many more miles on them. It’s a nice everyday focal length for me and combined with a soft rendering wide open it can be used for portraits as well. I also use it on the SL2s, but I admit it looks pretty funky with the goggles!
Late last year I bought a 28mm Leica Elmarit v4 pre-asph after a trip abroad where I realized I missed some shots because of not having something wider. I am not sure it’s the end all of 28’s for me, as there are things that I like and don’t like about it. I have however been using my SL2s a lot more recently out and about so I do enjoy the focal length. Also the 50mm Leica Summilux f1.4 pre-asph is a recent addition after yearning for one for a long time, and I can confidently say it is everything you need for a portrait session. Although I tend not to go out for portaits without my trusty old 90mm Leica Summicron f2 pre-asph as well, I just use it for much tighter head shots now. I think these last two lenses can please both vintage and modern look enthusiasts, and that’s rare in a lens. I have tried both the older and newer versions of both, and they are pretty similar in terms of sharpness and rendering, with slight variations in colour balance due to coating advances. The later lenses are much lighter and more practical in use, but the early ones just look and feel cooler, and they are more repairable.
Favorite Film?
I have shot colour film early on, but found it to become too impractical. Developing chemicals are sometimes difficult to source (although I believe this is improving now), and don’t stay fresh as long which forces you to shoot a lot of color in a short amount of time. Furthermore I enjoy analog photography for the entire process including dark room printing. For colour there are no gallery grade fibre based papers anymore that I could find. And worse (or better, as supposedly their quite toxic), there are no more chemicals produced for printing colour positive film. Finally Fuji Pro 400h used to be my favourite colour film, and that is out of production due to material shortages. If these things change, I would consider going back to colour.
Luckily I enjoy black and white photography and printing more than colour. I used to be an enthusiastic advocate for Ilford Hp5. Super versatile in terms of speed (and I still use it at high ISOs) and a nice combination of grain, sharpness and tonality. Unfortunately the negatives come out very flat, even when developing for ISO 800 (although at 1600 they get quite nice, but you lose some shadow detail). If you scan the negatives this is all fine and dandy, but I found the negatives a real challenge to print in the dark room when you want to get skin tones just right for example.
Perhaps this is why it’s called HP5 professional, and I’m not quite there yet! I tried Kodak Tri-x but it gives me negatives similar to HP5 at 1600, although I have only tried developing it in Hc110 so far. But when speed is not of the utmost importance, I found lately that Ilford FP4 gives me everything I want. Sharp 35mm negatives with the dynamic range or tonality where I personally want it, so no complicated dark room processing. Classic but fine grain is pleasing and I have the option to make slightly larger prints when wanted. And since Leica introduced their film variant in ISO 50 and everybody is raving about it, the 125 of FP4 actually seems to be quite versatile in comparison!
Thanks Thomas! It’s crazy to think that I met Thomas thanks to making my Nikon F5 video. Thomas went from being one of my workshop students (model photography first then later model photography with Leica cameras) to now a great friend.
I feel the Leica M3 is the perfect camera for Thomas. It suits the clothes he wears and the old Mercedes car he drives. His M3 + matching silver chrome lenses look good and deliver the results too.
“Using Leica cameras in the work of a professional documentarist and photojournalist.”
Who is Ondřej?
Ondřej Trojan is a documentary and reportage photographer focused on black-and-white humanist photography. His work has been featured on the official Instagram accounts of Leica and Leica USA, and in 2024 it was exhibited as part of Czech Press Photo at the National Museum in Prague. In the same year, he held his first solo exhibition at the Matějovec Gallery.
Between 2023 and 2026, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions and photographic projects, including Kafka 2024, FOTOSTART, and Traveling with Leica. His photographs were published by Respekt magazine in the book World Intellectuals. He has also collaborated with Czech Television and the organization Paměť národa. Since 2022, he has worked as a staff documentary photographer for the Faculty of Humanities at Charles University.
My journey to Leica?
I see my path to Leica cameras as a very natural evolution. I started with Nikon cameras and later moved to Fuji. From DSLR systems I transitioned to smaller mirrorless cameras, and I was drawn to their compactness. Around eight years ago, I discovered the work of the English photographer Alan Schaller, and I was completely struck by the quality of his photographs. I noticed that he was using Leica cameras, and I immediately knew that I needed to have one.
Around the same time, I began exploring the old French school of photography, including my favorite photographer in the world, Henri Cartier-Bresson, who never let go of his Leica. As a result, I eventually purchased my first Leica, a Leica M240, and began using it for all of my professional work.
Why Leica?
Leica is a camera I know I will never let go of. Over the years of using it, it has grown so close to my heart that I can no longer imagine working without it. It is small, discreet, fast, and above all I love the lenses I can use with it. I fell in love with this small German miracle, which represents the pinnacle of precision and engineering. I can operate it even blindly, and I need nothing more.
What Do You Photograph and Why?
I am a freelance photographer, working both on commissioned assignments and, above all, on personal work. I focus on long-term projects; at the moment, I am working on around five of them. I love to travel and always have a camera with me. I try to capture the essence of each place I visit. People interest me the most—photography without people feels empty to me.
My work is rooted in documentary photography and long-term projects focused on various themes. For several years now, I have been working on a project titled Northern Bohemia, in which I seek to capture the environment in which I grew up—an area that is not widely known. During the Second World War and in the period shortly after, terrible events took place there, and traces of them are still visible in the landscape today.
Thoughts
As you can see, my work is primarily black and white. I made this decision right at the very beginning, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Personally, I think I can’t even shoot in color. Someone once told me it’s just an “artistic” stylization, but I strongly disagree. Black and white is a way of storytelling—it’s not just “decoration.”
For me, it can express more than a colour photograph, because it shows things more directly and doesn’t distract the viewer with a layer of colour. Black-and-white photography still makes sense today; it is relevant and contemporary. It needs to be approached as an independent photographic discipline, not merely as an editing variant.
I discovered the channel a few years ago when I needed to find information about different lenses. I have to say that it has always been extremely helpful in helping me decide which lenses or cameras are the right choice for my specific needs.
Favorite Leica Camera?
For me, it’s the Leica M3 and the Leica M10—I use both for my work, and there isn’t a day when I don’t have one of them (or both) in my hands. But if I had to choose the one I’d take with me to the grave, it would be my M3. For me, it is the absolute best camera.
Favorite Lens?
Personally, I fell in love with the 50mm focal length about two years ago, when I was still shooting primarily with a 28mm. Once I put a 50mm lens on my camera, I almost never took it off. It’s a focal length that truly reflects how I see the world, feels the most comfortable for me to work with, and can do everything I need. At the same time, almost all of my favorite photographers used a 50mm, so through their photographs I also grew to love this perspective.
At the moment, I’m using the 50mm Leica Summarit f2.5 and Leica Summicron 50mm f2v3. The Summarit is perfect—tiny, lightweight, and incredibly sharp. I often use the Summicron for shooting film; I like having the option of f/2.
Favorite Film?
I use Kodak Tri-X 400 film for a simple reason: it’s the best black-and-white negative on the market, with a long-standing tradition—and I simply love the look of classic photographs by the masters from Magnum Photos. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive, but it does everything I need. I love its grain, sharpness, and latitude. I’ve been using it for so long that I can’t imagine shooting on anything else.
Thanks OndĹ™ej, and for sharing what’s important to you as a working photographer. I always admire people that use Leica cameras as work tools rather than fashion accessories. It’s what they were made for!
Ondřej reached out after seeing my Instagram story from Prague and we met for coffee in the Leica Gallery. All very spontaneous. I was with my buddy Tobi and we were both really impressed by what Ondřej has already achieved.
When you meet OndĹ™ej he just comes across as a regular guy and quite humble (but you can tell he’s smart). What he fails to mention in his article is that at the young age of 26 he’s already selling his prints for over a 1000 Euros each! (I hadn’t even discovered photography at age 26!)
I’m not sure how you measure success but in my mind that makes OndĹ™ej in the top 1% of photographers around the world. (If people ever ask to buy my photos I normally say ÂŁ50 each so 1000 Euros is a million miles away from where I’m at).
Thanks OndĹ™ej for being proactive and asking to meet up while I was in town – If you ever see me visiting your town feel free to reach out.
