36 Comments

I’ve just discovered you due to the Grey NATO and am excited to learn!

Expand full comment

Thanks so much, Jay. Enjoy!

Expand full comment

Would love to have SL3 but actually I am now looking for the original SL from the used market.

Expand full comment

How does the SL3 compare with Nikon, Sony and Canon? That might be an interesting review. Alan

Expand full comment

I sold my SL2 for a M11-P and realise how much I miss it

Expand full comment

SL2 is still such a beast.

Expand full comment

Again, another great read! Very honest and informative! Thanks

Expand full comment

Thanks for reading ✌🏾

Expand full comment

Really love the time and effort you put into your "newsletters" if you can call it that. I call it an experience because it's insightful reading your reviews and you sharing your knowledge and definitely a benefit to us all.

Expand full comment

Informative review as always Gajan.

My preorder is still awaiting fulfillment. 5 months and counting. I know I’m not alone…

Expand full comment

Thanks! Hoping your pre-order arrives soon.

Expand full comment

I am sure that this is a camera that all the cool shooters want but I will stick with my Leica Q3. Yes it's way more expensive but the full frame sensor and the video and still options are amazing. Thanks for the tour Gajan.

Expand full comment

Thanks for sharing ✌🏾

Expand full comment

Yo, I just purchased that bag youre using in the review. Hoping it will fit the Hasselblad X2D body anf 90mm (or 38mm) lens for walk around shooting.

what do you think, will it fit?

Expand full comment

I haven't used the bag with that kit specifically (and gave the bag to one of team members). From what I recall, it should fit without the hood, or the hood in reverse. Still gonna be a tight fit, let me know.

Expand full comment

Great read with some great points honestly for the price and scarcity, I’d probably pick up a Nikon ZF and their 40 f/2 or pancake 26.

Expand full comment

I'd love to test the Zf further. Even with the recent surge in Nikon love, I think they're still flying under the radar.

Expand full comment

I agree about them flying under the radar. I actually just sold my X100V, X-T4, and GFX 50R and consolidated to a single Z8. I was tired of traveling with so many different cameras, even though they each had a specific use. I figured if I don't like the overall size of the Z8 I can get a Zf and will maintain my investment in quality glass. I think Nikon will start getting more attention when the imaging cloud is pushed out to other bodies beyond the Z6 III.

Expand full comment

Great read, Gajan! Digging your approach and style. Big fan of the M11, on the bucket list at this point. Shooting on the Fujifilm X-T5 with 23 & 33. Creating angles and removing the tactile need for composition is something to study. Thanks for sharing your expertise, you've definitely mastered being the life of the party with your camera in hand.

Expand full comment

Thanks Jack, truly appreciate you sharing that.

Expand full comment

As always very evocative imagery Gajan as you capture that decisive moment. Its great to have wonderful equipment and our manually focussed M’s can really do the business. However we must never forget that its you who creates the wonderful compositions and presses the shutter at the right moment! Warmest tegards from Plymouh. Steve

Expand full comment

Absolutely. Thanks for reading Steve ✌🏾

Expand full comment

My pleasure Gajan. As always your work and content is inspiring me to raise my own standards.

Expand full comment

I wish I had read this article two weeks ago. I was at a family wedding and thought I could get by without a flash. No luck. My Q3 worked great outside but needed a flash indoors. Now I know. Thanks Gajan

Expand full comment

The thing about weddings, there's always another around the corner. Let me know how the next one goes Alan ✌🏾

Expand full comment

Hi Gajan, Thank you. Your article was very helpful. Just so happens I am going to a wedding for my niece this upcoming weekend. I am not the official photographer, but my niece knows I will be shooting my m10 and 35mm f1.4 close focus Summilux at her rehearsal lunch, wedding, and reception. The wedding is at 6pm and outside with the reception under a large tent. The outside light should be softer at this hour, and the tent should provide excellent diffused light. I am an amateur, and doing photography for more than 40 years. I want to provide my niece and her husband some special photos to compliment the professional photographer’s work. I had planned on zone focusing mostly and when I can, shoot at f1.4 of the couple to get them for a few portrait shots. Thank you for mentioning angles to shoot from. I will do that too. Any additional advice? Thank you again.

Expand full comment

Nice! Make sure to have fun. Mingle with everyone you can, play with distance, and if possible, bring a small flash for the dance floor. Good luck!

Expand full comment

Hi Gajan, I just returned from the wedding. Excellent results. Zone focused for everything, except the portraits. Was able to shoot 5.6 and f8 for the zone focusing, since the wedding was outside at a spectacular mountain golf course in Colorado with big red rock outcroppings. For the portraits I shot at f1.4 (35mm close focus Summilux), and used the visoflex with focus peaking to nail the eye focus. Amazing falloff rendering. Love this lenses. Decided to use burst mode and turned out to be an excellent decision. Was a cloudy day with dramatic dark clouds and light clouds at the same time. The results were perfect light with a dramatic sky. I took your advice and mingled allot the first day at the rehearsal luncheon. Great advise. I also played around with different angles. Really made for interesting shot. So many keepers. I love the Black and White photos best, though I will also edit in color(CaptureOne). Gajan, I really appreciate your tips, and the way you communicate. Thought you might want to know how this shoot went. The professional shot with a Canon. She was good, but I found she was copying my shots allot. Made me laugh inside. I think she’ll probably give my niece and her husband mostly color photos, so my Black and Whites shots with the Summilux will really be special for them. I’m also going to make them a good photo book in addition to the best photos.

Thank you Gajan!

Expand full comment

Richard, I love reading stories like this. Thank you so much for sharing! Photography should be the communal experience as much as possible and what you did, I have no doubt made for a great shared moment.

Enjoy the journey ✌🏾

Expand full comment

As someone who’s never shot a Leica, I appreciate you sharing the focusing process in the context of something as fast moving as a wedding!

Expand full comment

Thanks for reading brother.

Expand full comment

Your articles are always very interesting and thought provoking

Expand full comment

Thank you, Tom 🙏🏾

Expand full comment