Leica M10 with Zeiss Distagon 4/18 ZM and Infrared

Yesterday, I picked up a second-hand Zeiss Distagon 4/18mm ZM for some landscape and general wide-angle photos. Since the Zeiss 18mm has a 58mm filter size, and my Lee filter kit contained a 58mm adapter, I wanted to see if that would work.

While browsing my filter set I found found my IR filter, and decided to give that a try. It turns out that the M10 sensor is able to record infrared, but you need relative long exposures (just like my Fuji X-T1), since it's not specially prepared/adapted for IR.

While doing some test shot (out of hand) outside in the full sun I noticed that the Zeiss Distagon has some internal reflection issues while shooting infrared. Can you spot those issues?

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Answer: It's bokeh-balls where you don't expect them.

Off-topic: Did Zeiss stop producing the Distagon 4/18mm ZM? It's no longer listed on their website.

The Distagon 4/18mm is missing from their ZM lens line-up

Leica Released The Leica M10

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Leica M10

I got the Leica M9 a couple of years ago, and in the meantime they released several Leica M Type 24x and 26x versions with, and without video etc. I still like the M9, eventhough it lacks video, high ISO, etc.. I like it because it digital photography without any overhead. No fancy auto-focus, 4k video with 10-axis stabilization. It's digital photography in its purest form.

Today, they released the Leica M10. A new M camera which (thankfully) doesn't shoot video and has no Electronic View-Finder (EVF). No gimmicks. Nothing (well it does have Live View, and you can buy an overprices EVF for it.....)
It is thinner, has better ISO performance, it's faster, it's... well... it's like an M9 on steroids, and it's on my wish-list, because I want it. Is that wrong?

Leica Documentary: Past to (near) Present

I found this nice documentary about the origin and development of the Leica cameras, and the people behind it on YouTube yesterday. It is completely in German, but well worth it.

Leica - a term that conjures up many a covetous gleam in the eye. After all, it is not just any camera, but the miniature camera, which in the Twenties revolutionized the world of photography. The history of the company that brought the Leitz camera on the market began in 1869 in Wetzlar: Ernst Leitz took over there at that time the senior small optical workshop of Carl Kellner, were built in the microscope.

The documentary even shows the, weird looking, Leica Rifle in action.