Fun video! A few years ago I'd have thought you were insane... but then I moved to NYC and started shooting street. It really is so much better than AF could ever hope to be.. *for certain situations*. IMHO you hit the nail on the head by comparing weddings to street. Either it's a lull moment where manual focus isn't a liability, or it's a scene full of faces/people where autofocus may be a liability. I've watched a thousand videos and this is the first which really nailed that dynamic properly. Nice work!
I have to say man that I really like the photos you for the wedding. You do it with a real and raw look to the photos. They look professional but they don’t have that overprocessed airbrushed look to them. They really capture the feeling of the moment, which to me is absolutely paramount and would matter most to me more than anything. And amazingly you do all of this on simple equipment. No crazy multi thousand lighting setup, etc…just simple and what works! Hats off to you and awesome video. Can I ask you about banding? I’ve heard it’s an issue on the m240/262 series cameras
So awesome to see this video! I too shoot weddings entirely on one M-P 240 with 50 and 35 Summicrons. They're absolutely capable and hardly have any limitations in any circumstances, if you know what you're doing.
Simple is best. mastering the three item combination makes you a true pro. I have the M240 and the ZM 50/1.5 - and the ZM 28/2.8. If you want to change something, opt for the SL instead of the M240. Easier still to to get in-focus shots.
Great video! Fantastic Images! I went from a state of the art Nikon Z9 and Fuji XT5 / selling all my "modern" gear to getting two M240's. After testing a bunch of lenses including Leica's own Summilux, Zeiss and Voigtländer lenses I settled on Voigtländer Nokton 28 f1.5, Nokton 50 f1.2 and Leica's 90mm F2 APO. I found the 28mm was a little more versatile than the 35 for me. I'm a 50 guy and love the Nokton 50 1.2 - it's just incredible for the money. Wide open it's sharp but still has some great character and stopped down to F2 it's almost as sharp as the APO Lanthers I had been using. About that, I also tried the Voigtländer 35 F2 LANTHAR APO and 50 Lanthar APO which have to be two of the sharpest lenses, most CA free lenses I have used at any price. Just Amazing. That said I'm selling those two as I prefer a little more speed over absolute sharpness. Love my M240s and I think the look I get out of these is way more inline with the feeling of romantic nostalgia that I like to see on the images I shoot. + Liked and Subbed!
back in the day before digital cameras, wedding photographers used zone focusing and zone flash throughout the day. They/I would set focus and flash to say 8 ft and keep that distance.
There's no problem to shoot weddings with M240s. If you know your gear, you can shoot almost every situation you designed your equipment for. I've three Leica M lenses: 24 mm, 50 mm and 90 mm, plus can make use of some R-lenses too. Beside of my M240 and M-P240 (best of all digital M-cameras) I've a Q, two Digilux 2 and a D-Lux, some are more for fun than for job. Stick to the M240 range, and you don't need other cameras at all. Keep on rolling!
The question rather i think is: are you capable of shooting a wedding with a Leica :) A Leica rep told my wife and I something that I’ll never forget. “The camera just a tool. Leica M is just a tool that puts the photographer first.”
If you need lowlight performance, the M10 without a doubt. The ISO performance is drastically better. If you need fancier UI for some reason, it has that. Otherwise, the M10 offers almost nothing over the M240.
I always find it difficult to comprehend the mind set of a person asking a question such as , is this camera any good in 2023? My answer has always been, if it were good in the first place, it still is. Leica M cameras, either film or digital, are neither good nor bad, because they are almost unique in being a rangefinder, and perform that function extremley well within their design category. What is beyond doubt is that the Leica lenses are unsurpassable in quality and performance, but you do pay for them. The M240 may not have the latest technical specs of teh newer offerings, but within the same range of parameters it is still highly competative. Very nice photograhy, BTW.
It wasn't uncommon to shoot f/5.6 and use flash in darker environments to get the shot. Most photographers never really shot faster than f/4. It was unheard of back in the 70's and 80's
If you are shooting with Leica m cameras then covering a wedding with one should be no cause for concern ! Rangefinders take a little getting used to given but enough time and willingness to learn you will produce fantastic results
Any decent camera from the past ten years is more than capable for most assignments. You could probably shoot almost everything on even something as old as the original Canon 5D. I am curious, maybe you can respond, Tim. The M240 is the only M that shoots video. Do you ever make use of that? How does that footage hold up?
Yes, why not!. As far as the photographer know how to use the camera & with right equipment, problem solve. If the photographer not very familiar with his camera & equipment, no matter how fancy or expensive his camera is no point.
Came for the video not he M240 and immediately bailed due to the music. I know it's super common to have a music bed, but I don't see what the viewer gains from bad music playing for 10+ minutes. When you see a video that doesn't have music, the viewer never things, "I wish there was some generic music playing right now." But best of luck with the channel and future videos whatever form those may take.
You can shoot a wedding with a potato - fortunately great wedding photography has nothing to do with the camera - that said I have used MF for the last twenty years - switching to digital in the last ten and now use a Hass X system - the 907x is a gem - but then my clients often want wall sized enlargements - so you have to go with what works for you and your client base - always know your audience and never make the mistake of thinking a camera takes a picture
Can you shoot a wedding with an M240? Really? Of course you can shoot a wedding with any camera, it is the photographer that matters. You could even do it with a Holga or a Lubitel, even an Instamatic. It just a matter of what the customer will accept. Now is the M240 the best camera to shoot weddings today, of course not. It is just an option with technical limitations. The obvious reasons are: problem with noise over 800 ISO, small buffer (which means one cannot shoot too many photos in a row without the camera freezing for a while while it save the files), not so convenient with flash, no AF. These can be problems with some, in other words only shoot weddings with a Leica M240 if you are already experienced with the camera and weddings (so if you already know the answer to the question and its potential limitations), otherwise stay away for the wedding's sake! Now wedding in natural light only, that somewhat restricts the amount of wedding one can photograph. And let us face it an M240 is probably not the most efficient camera with a flash. Adding a 75 or 90 mm for portraits may not be a bad idea either. Why does a wedding photographer have to think as a street photographer and not a wedding photographer? Have you ever heard a street photographer wanting to think as a wedding photographer? PS: as for street photography, news-flash, a lot a street photographers today use cameras that have AF capabilities, it is not the camera that makes street photography but first the street and then the photographer ;o) My simple question is why such videos?? Maybe simply to justify oneself and to reassure oneself and us: a wedding can be photographed with a Leica? Who knew?
The answer is yes. I’ve done hundreds ;)
yes, yup, correct, a 100% Thanks Benj!!!
Tim, I’m so impressed with your demeanor, experience, style and channel. You made me a believer. Think a 240 or M10 is in my future.
Fun video! A few years ago I'd have thought you were insane... but then I moved to NYC and started shooting street. It really is so much better than AF could ever hope to be.. *for certain situations*. IMHO you hit the nail on the head by comparing weddings to street. Either it's a lull moment where manual focus isn't a liability, or it's a scene full of faces/people where autofocus may be a liability.
I've watched a thousand videos and this is the first which really nailed that dynamic properly. Nice work!
I have to say man that I really like the photos you for the wedding. You do it with a real and raw look to the photos. They look professional but they don’t have that overprocessed airbrushed look to them. They really capture the feeling of the moment, which to me is absolutely paramount and would matter most to me more than anything. And amazingly you do all of this on simple equipment. No crazy multi thousand lighting setup, etc…just simple and what works! Hats off to you and awesome video. Can I ask you about banding? I’ve heard it’s an issue on the m240/262 series cameras
Great video - really inspiring to get away to the spray and pray approach.
Tim mate, brilliant vid as per usual! Very insightful.
For sure I’ve shot quite a few on just the M240. Great video + images!
So awesome to see this video! I too shoot weddings entirely on one M-P 240 with 50 and 35 Summicrons. They're absolutely capable and hardly have any limitations in any circumstances, if you know what you're doing.
"hardly have any limitations in any circumstances"? An M240?? Really? Where do I start the list?
Thank you. That was very informative.
Simple is best. mastering the three item combination makes you a true pro. I have the M240 and the ZM 50/1.5 - and the ZM 28/2.8. If you want to change something, opt for the SL instead of the M240. Easier still to to get in-focus shots.
Hi. Love the video. Where would I get the presets you talk about? Thanks
Great video! Fantastic Images! I went from a state of the art Nikon Z9 and Fuji XT5 / selling all my "modern" gear to getting two M240's. After testing a bunch of lenses including Leica's own Summilux, Zeiss and Voigtländer lenses I settled on Voigtländer Nokton 28 f1.5, Nokton 50 f1.2 and Leica's 90mm F2 APO.
I found the 28mm was a little more versatile than the 35 for me. I'm a 50 guy and love the Nokton 50 1.2 - it's just incredible for the money. Wide open it's sharp but still has some great character and stopped down to F2 it's almost as sharp as the APO Lanthers I had been using. About that, I also tried the Voigtländer 35 F2 LANTHAR APO and 50 Lanthar APO which have to be two of the sharpest lenses, most CA free lenses I have used at any price. Just Amazing. That said I'm selling those two as I prefer a little more speed over absolute sharpness.
Love my M240s and I think the look I get out of these is way more inline with the feeling of romantic nostalgia that I like to see on the images I shoot.
+ Liked and Subbed!
back in the day before digital cameras, wedding photographers used zone focusing and zone flash throughout the day. They/I would set focus and flash to say 8 ft and keep that distance.
Hi Tim, could you leave the LinkedIn of the mentioned lenses and Led light used, thank you very much, excellent tips, I enjoyed it very much.
Wonderful Tim Thank you
Thanks for the watch and kind comment! 💪🏾
There's no problem to shoot weddings with M240s. If you know your gear, you can shoot almost every situation you designed your equipment for. I've three Leica M lenses: 24 mm, 50 mm and 90 mm, plus can make use of some R-lenses too. Beside of my M240 and M-P240 (best of all digital M-cameras) I've a Q, two Digilux 2 and a D-Lux, some are more for fun than for job. Stick to the M240 range, and you don't need other cameras at all. Keep on rolling!
The question rather i think is: are you capable of shooting a wedding with a Leica :)
A Leica rep told my wife and I something that I’ll never forget. “The camera just a tool. Leica M is just a tool that puts the photographer first.”
leica m10 or m240 i’m looking to purchase but not sure which one to go with.
If you need lowlight performance, the M10 without a doubt. The ISO performance is drastically better. If you need fancier UI for some reason, it has that.
Otherwise, the M10 offers almost nothing over the M240.
I always find it difficult to comprehend the mind set of a person asking a question such as , is this camera any good in 2023? My answer has always been, if it were good in the first place, it still is. Leica M cameras, either film or digital, are neither good nor bad, because they are almost unique in being a rangefinder, and perform that function extremley well within their design category. What is beyond doubt is that the Leica lenses are unsurpassable in quality and performance, but you do pay for them. The M240 may not have the latest technical specs of teh newer offerings, but within the same range of parameters it is still highly competative. Very nice photograhy, BTW.
It wasn't uncommon to shoot f/5.6 and use flash in darker environments to get the shot. Most photographers never really shot faster than f/4. It was unheard of back in the 70's and 80's
If you are shooting with Leica m cameras then covering a wedding with one should be no cause for concern ! Rangefinders take a little getting used to given but enough time and willingness to learn you will produce fantastic results
Any decent camera from the past ten years is more than capable for most assignments. You could probably shoot almost everything on even something as old as the original Canon 5D.
I am curious, maybe you can respond, Tim. The M240 is the only M that shoots video. Do you ever make use of that? How does that footage hold up?
The M240 can shoot video but it is an after-thought and may not be the best camera to shoot wedding videos (by far).
50+28 works too maybe? And where can i get that preset?
yes, i def think the 28 would work great. here is the link to presets I was talking about in the video: benjhaisch.com/cascade-presets/
Yes, why not!. As far as the photographer know how to use the camera & with right equipment, problem solve.
If the photographer not very familiar with his camera & equipment, no matter how fancy or expensive his camera is no point.
Came for the video not he M240 and immediately bailed due to the music. I know it's super common to have a music bed, but I don't see what the viewer gains from bad music playing for 10+ minutes. When you see a video that doesn't have music, the viewer never things, "I wish there was some generic music playing right now." But best of luck with the channel and future videos whatever form those may take.
You can shoot a wedding with a potato - fortunately great wedding photography has nothing to do with the camera - that said I have used MF for the last twenty years - switching to digital in the last ten and now use a Hass X system - the 907x is a gem - but then my clients often want wall sized enlargements - so you have to go with what works for you and your client base - always know your audience and never make the mistake of thinking a camera takes a picture
Can you shoot a wedding with an M240? Really? Of course you can shoot a wedding with any camera, it is the photographer that matters. You could even do it with a Holga or a Lubitel, even an Instamatic. It just a matter of what the customer will accept.
Now is the M240 the best camera to shoot weddings today, of course not. It is just an option with technical limitations. The obvious reasons are: problem with noise over 800 ISO, small buffer (which means one cannot shoot too many photos in a row without the camera freezing for a while while it save the files), not so convenient with flash, no AF. These can be problems with some, in other words only shoot weddings with a Leica M240 if you are already experienced with the camera and weddings (so if you already know the answer to the question and its potential limitations), otherwise stay away for the wedding's sake!
Now wedding in natural light only, that somewhat restricts the amount of wedding one can photograph. And let us face it an M240 is probably not the most efficient camera with a flash. Adding a 75 or 90 mm for portraits may not be a bad idea either.
Why does a wedding photographer have to think as a street photographer and not a wedding photographer? Have you ever heard a street photographer wanting to think as a wedding photographer?
PS: as for street photography, news-flash, a lot a street photographers today use cameras that have AF capabilities, it is not the camera that makes street photography but first the street and then the photographer ;o)
My simple question is why such videos?? Maybe simply to justify oneself and to reassure oneself and us: a wedding can be photographed with a Leica? Who knew?