Being the owner of a Leica Q2 Ghost edition, I felt it needed some form of protection against bumps and scrapes. The problem with this is that a case covers the very part I was so enamoured with - the finish. Looking around the internet, there was very little out there that complimented the grey finish. And those that did had a very unattractive handgrip built into them. So I parked the idea and took the camera out naked for the first few months, thinking I would eventually get used to the idea of it picking up a mark or two during use. The idea never sat well with me though, so on return from a recent holiday on which the Q2 accompanied me (and which the camera returned unscathed from), I took a deeper dive into the world of cases.
Last week we carried out an update to PhotoArk to take advantage of additional security and bug fixes. We also used this an an opportunity to refresh some areas of the site, notably the Home Page to include a few recent images. As the template we use is 100% home written, there was a period of extensive testing carried out after we went live, due to several areas requiring additional coding and manual enhancements. We think we have addressed all problematic areas. However if you do spot something that does not look quite right, please use the contact form to get in touch and let us know https://www.photoark.co.uk/index.php/contact-us-feedback
We recently took the opportunity to purchase a new old stock Leica TL camera body. It appears an odd choice for a new purchase, after all it was superseded with the TL2 several years ago and since then, the whole Leica APSC system has been discontinued.
As purchasers of the Leica Q2 Ghost edition by Hondinkee, we missed out on the very collectible set that included a matching silver thumb grip as one of the extras. Our search for one turned up nothing more than a standard black version which I was not interested in. My enquiries to both Leica and Hodinkee could not help as it was not available as a spare part. I could not even locate a third party option.
The desire for a new piece of gear reaches into the very soul of most of us from time to time. Wherever our interests take us, the cloven hoof of temptation is never far away. How well we each resist this is highly personal and I like to think that I am a fairly resilient person where this is concerned. But every now and again I fall head over heels for something that trundles onto decisions’ battlefield, where it jousts between head and heart for several days. Occasionally I become overwhelmed with a strong impulse to scratch an itch that, if looked at rationally, did not exist in the first place.
I originally purchased this lens shortly after it was introduced several years ago and enjoyed using it so much I decided, bizarrely, to sell it. Other than to help finance a new SL 75mm APO lens, I had no other reason to part with it and suffered seller’s remorse as soon as it had left the house. It is the only Leica lens I have ever sold on and I view this moment of madness as a lesson in needlessly purging equipment in an effort to keep further outlay minimised.
My interest in Leica Zoom lenses has taken me on an interesting journey over the last few years. The first ones I acquired were for the TL system, notably the 11-23 and 55-135 objectives. Now discontinued these lenses are superb, albeit a little slow. Both remain in my collection and continue to be used, particularly when travelling. As I slowly moved into the SL system I read countless reviews as to how good all of the dedicated zooms are, so I thought I should try a couple out for myself. I have never really cared for standard zooms, preferring fast primes when working with my favourite focal lengths - between 35mm and 100mm.