Hyde Park, Sydney

Fig trees in the park, looking towards Archibald Fountain.

Leica Repair: Sending a Lens for Cleaning (CLA)

Recently, to my dismay, I found out that my hazy Leica 50mm Summicron Dual-Range F/2.0 has already started to spread oil in the inner elements and the aperture blades while temporarily stored. Since I don't have any expertise in taking apart lenses, and putting it back together in good working condition, I decided on sending it to someone instead of making it worse by a DIY repair. After thinking on who to send it to, I tried to contact Sherry Krauter (Golden Touch), a well known Leica repair specialist, to handle the lens cleaning.

Inner element contamination.

She was very quick to respond to my email and after finding that the rates and turn-around time for a clean, lube, and adjust (CLA) is very reasonable, I immediately packed the lens to be sent out for cleaning. 

Under the Sydney Tower

Sydney Tower, also known as Centrepoint Tower, is Sydney's tallest structure.

1.25x Viewfinder Magnifier for Leica M Review

I recently obtained a 90mm and a 135mm lens for my Leica M6 body (0.85 magnification). I have no trouble focusing using my 50mm lenses, but I want to have more accurate focusing using the telephoto lenses that I have.

A viewfinder magnifier will help me deal with this issue since it magnifies the rangefinder image to help in focusing. After deciding that an original Leica 1.25x viewfinder magnifier is too expensive, and getting a cheap used one from eBay is difficult, I had to made do with an aftermarket 1.25x viewfinder magnifier which retails for around US$65.00 from HKSupplies with free shipping. It is a cheap alternative and after receiving the item, I am not dissapointed.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Keyboard Shortcuts

If you want to increase efficiency and productivity in using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 for your workflow, learning the keyboard shortcuts really helps.

Here is a printable PDF in a cheat sheet format and an HTML version for quick reference.

It is also good to have a book handy for reference and I recommend Nathaniel Coalson's Lightroom 3: Streamlining Your Digital Photography Process. I have the Lightroom 2 version of this book and it is a good resource for beginners.

An Afternoon at Observatory Hill

Another study on light and shadows on Sydney Observatory.
A scenic spot which is a favorite location of local photographers.
There are lots of big old trees, and has a nice view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A Seagull in Light and Shadows

Studying with light and shadows on this shot of a lone seagull at Darling Harbour.