Summilux 24mm f1.4

After a week of difficulty getting inside the hospital, this week I finally was able to do my job there again. After some forms I had to come up with (make) were approved, I had to show my face in the office of the head nurse. She finally gave me permission to do my job, but only under supervision of one of the nurses. She was given the assignment to check every picture I took.

This said, you will probably understand the difficult position I was in. I wanted to obey the rules that were given to me but also give an authentic view of this hospital. Ethics, moral and integrity as a photographer were dancing and pushing around, all of them trying not to fall. So far a short update of the project I’m working on.

The Summilux 24mm f1.4 (lend to me by the importer of Leica in the Netherlands, Transcontinenta BV.) was a great plus photographing in the hospital. As the light was quite low there, the f1.4 and the enormous wide angle helped me out a great deal. The nice thing about the Summilux (or any other Leica lens fort hat matter) is that there is virtually no distortion or vignetting in the picture. No big noses, crooked heads or tilted lines. It needs some getting used to this lens, as your viewfinder doen’t show as much as there will be in the picture. After using it for a while I am getting the hang of it though and now almost exactly what will be in or not.

Like I said in one of the earlier blogs, I can’t put up the pictures of the hospital yet. As I still have to sort them out, convert them in silver efex pro 2, and make a separate selection for an exhibition, I have made some shots in the streets to show you how nice this lens really is. Here, unfortunately, it’s hard to use it at full opening because of the light… but at least you will get the idea. 

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Summilux 24mm 1/350 sec at f2.4, ISO 160

Kids sometimes find the camera scary. Thought once you show them a picture, they tend to get really excited. Specially when you hold the camera and ask them to push the button.


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Summilux 24mm 1/250 sec at f13, ISO 160

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Summilux 24mm 1/2000 sec at 2.0, ISO 160

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Summilux 24mm 1/4000 sec at 2.0, ISO 160


As told before, street photography here is pretty hard. Even though they start to know me in this neighborhood, people get offended if you take their picture, they immediately pose or they run… Also they are extreme aware of the camera so a candid is virtually out of the question. Still some of the shots are taken secretly, and are cropped afterwards. 

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Summilux 24mm 1/2000 sec at 2.0, ISO 160 cropped

These nuns saw me coming and eventhough my camera was hanging around my neck, decided to make a run to the other side of the street. Right they were….

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Summilux 24mm 1/500 sec at 2.0, ISO 160 cropped

Everywhere along the road you’ll see tables with a telephone. these are Malawian phone booths. I haven’t figured out yet how they make a connection, but you can see them everywhere. The red booth in the back is a place where you can buy top up cards for your prepaid mobile. I have never seen it opened though and this lady is selling these top up cards as well…

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Summilux 24mm 1/1000 sec at 1.4, ISO 160 cropped

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Summilux 24mm 1/1000 sec at 4.0, ISO 500

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Summilux 24mm 1/250 sec at 2.4, ISO 400

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  1. amanwithaleica posted this

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