Insect with Tamron 90mm f2.5 , OM-D

All shot with OM-D and adaptall Tamron 90mm f2.5. Manual focus only, All handheld.

Malay Heritage Tour (Digilux 3)

Join a group outing organised by the Community Centre. This is a heritage tour to understand Singapore Muslim and Malay culture. The tour start with a briefing about Muslim and the history of the Sultan Mosque. We also went to the Malay Heritage centre next to the Mosque to understand the history of Malays in Singapore. The tour lasted 3 hours. The best thing is that it cost only $2 per person. The tour ended with a snack and tea at one of the old restaurants located along Arab streets. Photos here are taken by a 6 years old Leica Digilux with 14-50mm or 25mm. Still able to capture great leica like colours and handle well in low light. ISO keep between 100-800.

Digilux 3 Leica

This camera was the first and last model from Leica. It was in 2006 that it partner Pansonic and Olympus for a 4/3 mount system. This is called Leica D system. Basically it is a 4/3 mount DSLR.

It design is the same as the Panasonic L1. The big superb lens that come with it, is the 14-50mm f2.8-3.5 lens.
This camera design is to some a classic but to some they find it ugly.

Looking at recent launch of Fuji X pro1 and XE-1 model, reminded me of this model. Since Olympus came out the PEN digital system in 2009, many brands started to go retro. This Digilux 3 was trying to be like a film like DSLR  but as that time, they were fighting with Nikon and Canon full frame camera DSLR, this  Leica system failed. They then start to focus on their niche that is the M system which until today still a brand name.

Nevertheless, this camera along with Panasonic L1 and also the LC1/Digilux 2 remained a "cult" camaera with some fan based around the world.

This Digilux Jpeg output is very nice and I love it when it is paired up with a pancake lens. The 2 way flash is a great innovation too. Where on earth have you see a DSLR with bounced flash built-in. You need bounced flash for natural looking flash photography , go and buy their external flash.

 Knowing it's limits as compared to my latest OM-d this camera is really a dinosaur . ISO is very good at 100 till 400. Push till 800 is the max. ISO 1600 can still be done in RAW with post production later. Noise level for such cameras in the 2006s are very bad. OM-D now can do ISO 6400 with no banding. WOW. But this camera is still a GEM with great image output real life and colours on are Leica settings.

Rangefinder VS Digilux 3

Great Look with a Pancake lens

Every control can be access externally

The brilliant built-in bounce  flash

Direct flash

Looking like Fuji Xpro 1?

To me, it's a beautiful and still relavant camera. The Jpeg output it render is something my OM-D can't do,

M39 Industar 55mm f2.8 new life with m4/3

As per the previous post of buying a Russian Rangefinder FED5B at a Junk shop, I search the internet for more info and realised this camera's lens is actually interchangeable. They are using the old M39 screw mount lens, same as  the old Leica mount (before the famous M mount).

After "unscrewing" the lens from the rangerfinder, I thought that it will be a good idea to be able to mount onto the new bodies like the m4/3. As these new breed of cameras do not have a mirror, the flange-distance is shorter thus with a adapter, we can acutally mount virtually all lens available on earth.

Found from Ebay a m39 to m4/3 adapter costing only $8. I mount it to OM-D and the GF-1.

GF-1 Still a looker and control are design for photographer to operate with one hand  after 4 years. Her worthy successor is GX1 not Gf2 or GF3.

This GF-1 is a re-purchase as I still like it controls and design. It was my first M4/3 camera in 2008. That time I got the silver verison. Now GF-1 is selling as cheap as $200 (second hand). A worthwhile buy as a backup camera.

Shot by GF-1 and Industar 55mm f2.8

Classic lens Tamron90mm F2.5 Tele Macro 52B Adaptall

Here are some shots using this 1977 lens. Full manual focus. Sharpness is very good. Colour is natural. Need a little boost from software. Other than that the bokeh and overall handing is great when use with Olympus OM-D with grip attached. It's a cheap lens and cost around US$99.

Lomography- 1st fim since 2005

My last film photography was done in 2005 with my last SLR EOS100. I was into 100% digital and currently still is.
Last week bought a cheap rangefinder FED5B as in my previous BLOG and shot my first roll. The results are not bad. Just love the outcome. Some shots were exposed to light as I accidently open the camera as I was figuring how to unload my first film. Never the less, I am glas that this camera found from an junk store still able to produce some nice artistic photo my digital camera can't.

Tamron 90mm f2.5 Manual Adaptall on OM-D

This lens is a manual focus macro lens. Model 52B. With macro ratio of 1:2. Not a true 1:1 lens but can be made to 1:1 with 2x coverter or add-on close-up filter.  It's built is all metal and it's kind of heavy. When it is mount on the Olympus OM-D, it looks cool. A real retro lens on a retro design modern mirror less camera. To mount it, a adaptall mount to m4/3 adapter is required. I got it both from B and H online store.

The quality of the built is good. The focus ring is very smooth and the clicking sound of the aperture ring is affirming. I will be using it mainly for macro shots and occasionally as a tele lens.

For Marco uses, as it is a manual focus lens, I will have to use the "move in /out" technique.

Recently, there was a tip-off in the net that OM-D has acutally the "peak focusing" function. I personally has tried it and it works well. It's simply using the Art filter 11 and the point of focus is when the portion is highlighted in darkness. It's a great news for adapt lens users. I dedicate this funtion on fn1 buttun. So I will activate it when needed.

As mounted on a m4/3 camera, the 90mm focal length will become a 180mm equivalent lens. As OM-D has a new firmware where during focusing on the EVF, the image will be stabilised. This is an added advantage when using old manual lens as it allow the photographer to see the image via EVF without much shake (that may cause  giddiness).

A test shot at f2.5 indoor.