Ashwin Rao's Blog - A life at shutter speed

Steve Huff's Los Angeles Workshop- The Magical SLR - Magic 50 mm f/0.95 lens in Action!

2012-01-28T01:16:00.000-08:00

Winter Storm in Seattle!

2012-01-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

Discovery Park in Seattle, as seen through the Zeiss ZM 85 mm f/2 Sonnar Lens

2012-01-08T19:21:00.001-08:00

Today, my friend Evelyn coaxed me out for a hike through Discovery Park, with our mutual friend Joe and his partner. It was a great time. We scaled one of the parks bluffs (going back up was pretty intense) and crawled along the edge of the beach, dogding waves, as it was high tide....my poor shoes got destroyed in the process, but I got some nice shots. I am enjoying the look of the ZM 85 mm f/2 sonnar. It has a tempered, yet modern look, and has nice OOF transitions...purple fringing may be a bit of an issue for some, but it's pretty easy to correct and adjust in post-processing.

An Evening with Melissa and Clara

2012-01-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful evening spending good quality time with one of my dear friends from college, Melissa, and her delightful daughter, Clara, who apparently really enjoys water (be it taking a bath in the sink or getting sprayed by a water bottle). Great times!

Noctilux Full In Effect

2012-01-02T18:58:00.001-08:00

An evening with Tania, Michael and Rowen!

2012-01-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

A winter's night...Christmas in Seattle

2011-12-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

U:Don - Check in Out: Best Japanese Noodles in Seattle

2011-12-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Guys, check out U:Don, a fantastic new addition to Seattle's foodie community: http://freshudon.com/

Check out U:Don, people. Lovely restaurant, serving up home made Japanese noodles in a cost effective, delicious array of options. A must try! I did, and I love!

Chicago

2011-12-18T22:26:00.001-08:00

Good win for the home team in faraway lands...I had a chance to stroll about a bit...

Apple Cup

2011-11-27T21:25:00.001-08:00

UW Wins!!!

MOG- Streaming Music Revelation

2011-11-25T10:23:00.001-08:00

For any of my blog readers out there, I wanted to share a fun little revelation that I have had with the MOG, a streaming music service that I recently happened upon. While others (Spotify, Rhapsody) get a lot of press, MOG is "the connoiseur's choice" in my mind. File qualities are better, stream at a higher bit rate, thus supporting louder, distortion free play and better compatibility with higher end headphones and home stereo/home theatre systems. Coupling that with a fun user interface, Pandora-like radio function, and over 11 million songs, color me impressed enough to write about it....Okay, I'm done procrastinating. Time to get to my medical talks.....

A Verry Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T10:17:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. It was a fun day of reunion, renewal, friendship, and fellowship. Khanh and Tran visited, while Casey and Percy were welcomed back for the long haul. Zubin and Megan introduced Quinn, while Tania, Tania, and Michael played host to the rest of us. I did my best to see it all through the lens of my trusty M9.....

Fall colors....

2011-11-20T19:04:00.001-08:00

All of these colors have been in a reflective mood....hopefully the image helps reflect....

Portland - Fall & Wine Country

2011-11-20T18:59:00.001-08:00

I hope that everyone is well....The holiday season grows ever so near, and winter fast on its heals. Here are a few M9 captures from Oregon Wine Country this week-end....The Pacific Northwest's fall has been glorious, for once, but the Autumn leaves will so soon blow away, to be replaced by the darkest of nights and the greyest of greys....spring seems so long off, as winters chill nips at the bones....

Photos from my first exhibit at Glazers Camera in Seattle

2011-11-02T00:14:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,It's been a while since I updated my blog. Life's been busy, mainly work-related, and I have been shooting a ton with the M9 and GXR-M mount in the time being. However, for this post, I wanted to present, finally, a compilation of images that I displayed at my first official exhibit of photos on July 9th at Glazers Camera. The show was actually up from June 23-August 18th. It was a great success, and a HUGE thanks to Brad Weeks & Leica Camera for supporting the event, along with the gang at Glazers (Mark, Norah, Dante, and the gang). I hope to write an article soon on the process of putting together, marketing, and presenting a photo exhibit on Steve Huff's site, so look out for that soon! Also, look out for me to finally complete my "Pimp Your Leica" articles in the coming weeks, as the holidays arrive!Until then, here are the images from the exhibit. I hope that you enjoy them!

Farewell, Steve Jobs....

2011-10-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Denver patterns....

2011-08-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Leica Users Group - Open for Business in Sedro Wolley, WA

2011-08-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

Some of my personal favs from the Huff Workshop

2011-07-25T20:32:00.001-07:00

Steve Huff's Workshop in Seattle! A huge success!

2011-07-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the people of the Huff 2011 Seattle workshop. We had a blast. Next post with some of my favorite pics and assignments!

The Theyyams of Kerala – A Photo Essay

2011-06-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hi, my friends. It’s Ashwin, here with another article with a bit of a different spin. This is a preview of an article that I wrote for another site, but here's a preview

Many of my articles have centered on travel, and painted pictures of countries in broad sweeps. In the recent months, we have all seen what Steve’s been able to observe and capture at Seal’s wonderful concerts along the European and South American legs of his tour, and what’s he’s captured are stories of each concert, told intimately through the images captured behind the scenes, during the show, featuring the musician himself and the crowd reacting to Seal’s art. In essence, Steve’s been able to tell stories of each of these concerts, and now tell short vignettes of each of the cities he’s seeing along the way…little vignettes, told through images, so to speak. In his most recent tour stop, Steve decided to tell his story through a series of black and white images, and the result is a cohesive, unique, compelling take on concert. All of this got me to thinking about telling stories, and how I might be able to tell one, and in effect, how you all may be able to tell your own stories

There are so many ways to imagine and capture a story. In my frequent re-visits to photos captured on my trip to India, one particular early morning adventure kept calling to me to tell it’s story. The events that I aim to discuss took place in mid January, shortly after my travels took me to the coastal southwest of India, to the state of Kerala. Kerala is well known for it’s beautiful people, placid beaches, and strong religious presence. Here in Kerala, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism co-exist in thrive. If you ever get a chance to go to India, please put Kerala high on the list of “must-sees”…it’s far away from the hustle and bustle of the large northern cities. It’s a quieter, peaceful place of tranquil beauty.

One of the most famous ceremonies that is unique to Kerala is the Theyyam, essentially a Hindu “possession” ceremony. In this performance/ritual, an individual becomes possessed and assumes the personality of a revered deity. Some Theyyams are large gatherings featuring “major deities”, full of lavishly dressed figures performing elaborate dances. Other Theyyams are far more intimate affairs, occurring in roadside churches, which only are meant to be seen by local townspeople. In both cases, these ceremonies allow its attendees to have a closer bond to the gods that they worship, to seek advice, have questions answered, and dilemmas solved. The Theyyam tradition dates back several thousand years, and to this day, many Hindus seek blessings from these ceremonies.

The actual performance of the Theyyam is very much similar to an elaborate dance. The anointed figures are painted elaborately, often for hours prior to the ceremony’s formal beginning. There is typically no stage, nor curtain to separate the audience from the performance. In essence, the Theyyam takes place in the open space of the temple. Performances, once begun, may take several hours to carry through completion. Drumming and music often accompanies the dance and ritual songs, and many myths and legends are told as part of the performance. Throughout Kerala, there are approximately 400 different types of Theyyam, in essence 400 different ceremonies. While I travelled to the region, I had the privilege of seeing one such ceremony, which I share with you through these images and words.

Our group left our home-stay around 4 AM to attend the ceremony. Theyyam preparation is often elaborate, and worth watching. Thus, bleary eyed and all, I hauled out my Leica M9, 35 mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH FLE and 50 Summilux Asph, both must-haves for early morning, low light shooting. I dialed up my ISO to 800, and in some cases, 1250, in order to capture images in the low light fluorescent-lit temples and early dawn light….

They Theyyam that I attended was a smaller, more intimate affair. Other than I am my group of 5, there were approximately 10-15 local attendees who attended the ceremony, in addition to 5 or so attendants who actively participated in the ceremony.

As for telling the rest of the story, I employed a strategy of processing my images consistently to attempt to achieve consistent tonality to my images. I also only employed 2 lenses to capture all of the action. Both the 35 mm and 50 mm aspherical Summilux lenses possess that critically sharp, nearly 3D Leica “aspherical” look….let’s call it the “Peter Karbe” look in honor of Leica’s genius lens designer….Images were all uploaded to Lightroom 3, processed using Kodachrome pre-sets, with adjustments made to insure a consistent look of slight underexposure. I did this to achieve the darkened mood and look of actually attending the ceremony.

The images walk you through the early, middle and later portions of the ceremony. In the first images, the deities of this ceremony are prepared and begin their transformation through painted form and color. Slowly, but surely, through a series of actions, they assume the identities, becoming possessed. Here, we witness the motions and gyrations that take these individuals from human to god-form, through their possession. Finally, once fully assuming the role and completing the ceremony, each deity is freed to answer the questions of the townspeople, who line up, in time honored fashion, and ask many questions…

I will let the images tell the rest of the story. Hopefully, the images transport you to a place, standing next to me, where you feel that you are a small part of the action. I hope that this story, told through history, images, and recollections, inspires you to seek your own stories, in lands close to home and far away.

Thanks, as usual for reading, and I hope to see you down the road!

Best,
Ashwin

The Fremont Solstice Festival 2011....

2011-06-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

Leica, in words and interpretations...courtesy of Wordle

2011-06-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

So...which one do you like best?

BTW...so easy to do. I took an article that I wrote for Steve Huff, and copied into wordle, and it does the rest... try it out....

Rao & Tanabe - Photography Exhibit in Seattle - July 9th @ 6 pm

2011-05-22T20:25:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,
Well, it's time for my first photography show at the exhibit hall at Glazers Camera. Details below, but the show will run from June 23-August 18th, and the opening will take place on July 9th, with a party sponsored by Leica itself! Super cool! I'll be showing my works alongside Al Tanabe, a very talented Leica shooter, and both of us will be exhibiting our work taken by Leica cameras during our travels around the globe. Here's the brochure! If you are in Seattle on Saturday, July 9th, from 6-8 pm, please come!!!

Antelope Island

2011-05-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

Utah Skyscapes - The Black and White of it all...

2011-05-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

Waterfalls and Zion National Park

2011-05-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Bryce Canyon National Park - Hoodoos

2011-05-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

Rainier vista

2011-04-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

Week-end social life....

2011-04-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

Fun Filled Sunday with the Chuns

2011-04-03T22:26:00.001-07:00

Drats, I am sick and it's starting to look like spring...

2011-03-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

It'd be nice to have my voice back, Mr. Cold Virus! Hahah..well, all good things come to those who wait. Until then, took these flower shots in my garden today...spring is coming....

Guitar Man...

2011-03-31T21:52:00.001-07:00

Many faces of Bella!

2011-03-31T21:48:00.001-07:00

The final days of the India trip...

2011-03-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

People, Places & Faces of India

2011-02-19T01:03:00.000-08:00

Recently, someone commented that I didn't have any people as the primary subject of my photos. That statement took my by surprise. I took a look back and realize that I am drawn to scenes with a lot of context. If you know me, you'd know that I ain't the shy type, but photography can be challenging in far away lands, were customs surrounding image taking and making can be different than at home. In some places, it may even be illegal. India was a very unique place to see, one which I enjoyed, and I am enjoying again through the photos. Here are a mix of photos of my observations of some people and photographs, in some cases in which I have interacted with the scene. They make for different feels. Some images are pulled back, others closer in...the bottom line is that I hope that you enjoy them. Comments and criticism are welcomed as always.

What else...India images (getting towards the end)

2011-02-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

More from India - Agra and Varanasi

2011-02-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Taj Mahal and Jantar Mantar

2011-02-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Some more, cleaned up for presentation - Delhi, India

2011-02-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Back home, now some more photos- Delhi

2011-01-31T20:56:00.000-08:00

Home, at last. What a past 3 week's it's been, braving India, it's beauty, its challenges and eccentricities. Here are a few images from my first few days in Delhi, visiting the sites around town, many enormously beautiful and often hidden in plain sight. Much more to share in the weeks to come!

Some more from India...

2011-01-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a whirlwind tour through India. Here are some more images that I captured along the way! I hope everyone's well!

Varanasi, part 1

2011-01-18T03:56:00.001-08:00

India, part one- Family

2011-01-18T03:48:00.000-08:00

A Year In Review- Thank you for being such great friends

2010-12-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year to take pause, reflect, and remember what a wonderful year it has been. I feel SO privileged to share my journey in life with all of you, my dear friends and family, and at moments when I feel lonely, I look at these images and realize how much love I am surrounded by. It is truly an honor to share in your lives, and I look forward to many more shared memories, both with new friends and old. I promise to bring my camera, to document our lives together, and to share again in the days, months and years to come. Looking back, in some ways, is bitter sweet. I realize how amazing, you my friends, all are, but I also realize how time slips by, nearly unoticed, untill I look to you and all of the new additions that they year has brought. The youngsters will surely enrich your lives, and I look forward to holding up my end as "Uncle Ash". Okay, I'm rambling, so I'll let the images speak for themselves. Sorry to any of you whom I left out. It's getting late, the year is about to turn its page, and I'll surely see you soon, arms open, ready to greet you with a hug!

Living life at shutter speed....

Your friend,
Ashwin

Dante, Bella, Edge and Epic visit!

2010-12-21T00:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays to Husky Athletics Staff!

2010-12-18T22:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, Huskies...Great working with all of you, who know how to have a good time....on Chris' Deck!

The Wong family grows one stronger!

2010-12-18T22:16:00.000-08:00

Congrats, Brandon and Crystal, and welcome to Micah!

This week-end....

2010-12-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

Just a few visits with friends, to start the holiday season. My friends Todd, Tina, and Evelyn, seen through the M9 & Noctilux...

All good things...

2010-12-12T23:28:00.001-08:00

...must come to an end, but with ends come new beginnings.

A fond fairwell to "Coach"....I'll certainly miss you, as will UW soccer. All of the best as you move forward, and I hope that we meet someday soon in the playoffs ; )

It was a pleasure and an honor to work alongside you.

A visit to Portland

2010-12-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

What a roller coaster few weeks it has been for me. As I roll into the holidays, I am filled with hope, fear, anticipating, and nostalgia. What will the next year bring, and how will I be able to continue to grow in my career and in life. Through it all, it's my friends who ground me, and seeing their kids bring joy to the lives of everyone around them is truly magic. Good thing I had a camera in front of me some of the time, to capture a few moments...here are a few of Mike, So Yun, Isabella, Tania, Michael, and Rowen....looking at these pics, I already miss you guys...

Lennon - RIP 30 years ago....

2010-12-08T21:56:00.000-08:00

A beautiful life that he lived, not perfect, but a vision, a message, so eloquently stated in one ... simple ... word...

Taken in 2009...Remembered again in 2010...Imagine...

Back to Venice Once Again (Metaphorically Speaking)

2010-12-08T20:45:00.001-08:00

As the new year approaches, I am taken back to nearly 1 year ago, where I travelled the flooded alleys of beautiful Venice. So fast does time fly by, and here we are again, at the holidays. It's a bit bittersweet, how fast time flies, but these images remind me that my memories are not that far away, ready to bring me back in their warm embrace...

A warm welcome to Ashlyn (congrats, Jordan and Christina)

2010-12-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2010- Leica Summilux 35 mm f/1.4 Mk II

2010-11-28T19:34:00.001-08:00

What a week-end. 3 THanksgiving meals (one at my friends Karen and Steve's place, one yesterday with my friends Akiko and Christopher, and one making my own turkey for leftover meals :)...Cap it off with a Sunday full of medical sports coverage (Seattle Marathon, Seattle Seahawks) made it an eventful Thanksiving. Now, it's a long nearly 1 month for the next vakay!

Snowstorm in Seattle- The aftermath (M9 and 35 summilux asph II)

2010-11-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

A few pics for a friend who's paying attention ; )

2010-11-20T22:55:00.001-08:00

Monica, my friend, noted that I hadn't posted recently, so here ya go. Pics from NYC and Phili, as I am going through my archives

Leica MATE review....check out Steve Huff's site!

2010-11-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

Steve Huff should be posting my review of the Leica MATE Tri-Elmar 28-35-50 mm f/4 in the very near future. The article's written, and I figured I'd mirror it here until Steve gets it up....

The Leica Tri Elmar 28-35-50 f/4 Aspherical (MATE) Lens Review

Hello, everyone. It’s Ashwin, here with a review for you all of one of the true engineering gems in Leica’s lens lineup, the Leica Tri-Elmar 28-35-50 mm f/4 aspherical lens, affectionately known as the MATE. In case you are wondering, “MATE” stands for “Medium Angle Tri Elmar”, in comparison to Leica’s 16-18-21 Wide Angle Tri Elmar, which is known as the WATE.

History of the MATE

The MATE was produced for just 9 years, from 1998 through 2007, which is quite a short period as far as M-lenses are concerned. It was produced in 3 versions. The first version of the MATE utilized a E55 filter thread, while the later 2 versions were produced with a E49 filter thread. Over the course of its lifetime and through its 3 iterations, the optical formula of the lens remained unchanged, but cosmetics, lens barrel coatings, and functionality were improved. Some have suggested that there were other changes made to reduce the amount that this lens tended to flare at its 50 mm focal length setting, which is an issue frequently encountered in the first version (E55) of this lens.

During its production run, the MATE was considered a “statement” of Leica’s engineering prowess. A simple look at the cross section of this lens suggests its complexity of design and manufacture. Combined with the expensive cost of some of its optical elements, its complicated design and manufacturing time likely lead to its halted production.

There are a lot of anecdotal reports and quotes from Leica representatives and the forums as to why this very useful lens ended its run rather suddenly. The general consensus is that the front element, which was manufactured by Hoya, became either too rare or prohibitively expensive to justify continued production of this lens, and at last inquiry, Leica has no plans to commence production of this lens in the future.

Thus, the Leica MATE remains a heritage lens, but one with its inherent benefits, if you can get a hold of one.

My attention was drawn to the MATE about a year ago, when the Leica M9 was released. In the film days, where everything was “full frame” (i.e. 35 mm film), the MATE was seen as a great performer with a useful focal length range of 28-50 mm, making it Leica’s version of a normal zoom lens. However, with the introduction of the M8 and its 1.3x crop sensor, the MATE’s focal length range became a bit funky (36-65 mm) , and it seemed to fall out of favor with many photographers. With the return of full frame in the Leica M9, the MATE regained its native focal lengths, and in essence, its intended use.

The Technical Details

The Leica MATE is an elegant design that includes 2 aspherical elements and 2 lens groups which move in position with respect to one another to permit its 3 focal length settings. Many have questions as to whether the MATE’s design is a true continuous zoom. Erwin Puts has stated that the MATE is in fact a true optical zoom lens. However, there are some complications in defining this lens as a zoom lens in the traditional sense. First, The lens moves in focal length from 28 mm to 50 mm, and then to 35 mm focal lengths. One can imagine that such as design would make it hard to predict what focal length the lens is actually zoomed to when between these stepped detents. Further, given that Leica only has optical frame lines for 28, 35, and 50 mm settings, the focal lengths between these settings are not easily interpretable. Thus, while the MATE may mechanically represent a zoom lens, in function, it is only useful to think of this lens as a step zoom design. To boil it down simply, it really only can be used at 3 focal lengths, 28 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm.

The MATE is composed of 8 elements, organized into 6 groups. It can focus down to 1 meter at each of its focal lengths. Maximal aperture is f/4, while the lens can be stopped down to f/22. It’s f/4 maximum aperture lens the MATE to primarily daytime use, given current limitations in ISO reach for both film and digital cameras (M9’s max ISO is 2,500, and B&W film typically tops out at ISO 3200). At 340 g (12 oz) and 67.8 mm length, it is realitively long for a Leica design, but relatively light for its size. Once you factor in that this really is 3 focal lengths in one design, it becomes far more attractive as a travel lens option. It was made available, especially in later iterations, in both black and chrome versions, though Black versions were produced in larger numbers.

For those of you tech spec nuts out here, here are some technical details for this lens (available on the Leica Wiki site)

• Leica Order No. - 11 890 (1st) - 11 625 (2nd + 3rd) - 11 894-chrom / LLC - 132
• Production era 1998-2007
• Variants - E55 1st version; Body change 2nd version E49-A53, "Improved Mount Redesign" E49-A53 3rd version after Serial No. 3507451 - Black and Chrome versions (black lens shown on left is the E49-A53 version)
• Lens mount - Leica M-bayonet
• Number of lenses/groups - 8 /6
• Focusing range - 1 m / 3.3 ft < ∞
• Aperture range - f/4-f/22
• Smallest object field - 28 mm focal length: 750 x 1130 mm, 35 mm focal length: 620 x 930 mm, 50 mm focal length: 430 x 650 mm
• Reproduction ratio - 28: 1:31 - 35: 1:26 - 50: 1:18
• Angle of view (diagonal/horizontal/vertical) - 28 mm: 75° / 65° / 46° - 35 mm: 63° / 54° / 38° - 50 mm: 47° / 40° / 27°
• Position of entrance pupil -
• Scales - Combined meter/feet graduation
• Filter mount - E55 (1st) - E49-A53 (2nd)
• Accessories - Hood: 1st 12458 2nd or (Redesign - 3rd) version 12450
• Viewfinder - 12011
• Materials - Anodized aluminum and optical glass
• Length to bayonet flange 67.8 mm / 2.7 in
• Largest diameter 55 mm / 2.2 in
• Weight - 340 g / 12 oz

My thoughts and “review’
The Leica 28-35-50 mm f/4 asph is a brilliant lens. Other than its wide angle cousin, the WATE, there are no other lenses manufactured by Leica that function as step zooms. One might wonder whether the MATE can hold its own, in terms of optical performance, against Leica’s wonderful prime lenses. If one is coming from the world of SLR’s, he or she would know that Canon and Nikon prime lenses optically outshine their zoom counterparts quite dramatically (well, that’s my opinion at least), so what about the MATE? Well, I am here to say that the Tri-Elmar really competes optically with its Leica prime lens counterparts. It presents a sharply rendered image, with pleasing out-of focus elements, when shot wide open. It stops down well and seems to hit its stride optically at f/5.6 to f/8 during my time with it.

In terms of “look”, I’d place this lens as a “bridging” lens, with a “look” that possesses elements of both Leica’ Mandler-era design and some of its modern aspherical optics. There is a certain smoothness, demonstrated by many classic lenses, that can be seen in images captured with MATE, but microcontrast is maintained. In fact, I have been very impressed by how much detail the MATE captures. Fine details are resolved, but the lens continues to paint with a broader brush. Contrast is medium to high, consistent with its utilization of aspherical optical elements. Color reproduction is quite accurate, though not to the level of Leica’s APO lens designs. Overall, I very much enjoy the look of the MATE, and hope that the images that I share with you are representative of this lens’ output.

In practice, I have come across a couple of issues with the MATE that are worth mentioning. Due to its complicated design, switching focal lengths involves a complex set of movements of the lens elements within the lens. In practice, I have noted that switching between focal lengths occasionally causes errors in frame-line placement. With a bit of gentle fiddling of the focus length barrel, frame lines do snap into place, but in the interest of full disclosure, this behavior appears to one of the MATE’s eccentricities. Second, in conditions where a bright light source is positioned at the edge of the image, the lens can flare. This behavior only seems to be demonstrated, on occasion, at the 50 mm focal length. I have heard that this tendency to flare was corrected in later versions of the lens (I have the first version), via using flare-reducing paints within the lens’ internal barrel.

In use, the MATE is both limiting and liberating. For those of you who are in love with shooting “wide open” and getting dramatic foreground/background separation, the MATE simply is not the tool for the trade, as it is limited by its maximal f/4 aperture. For those of you used to getting close to your subjects with lenses such as the 50 mm f/1.4 Summilux or 35 mm f/2 Summicron (with minimal focus distances of 0.7 meters), the MATE gets you as close as 1 meter from your subject, so your framing of subjects can’t be quite as tight as with many of Leica’s prime lens offerings. The lens is somewhat large for a Leica lens, which might make some purists, who value small lens-size, squirm in discomfort.

Conversely, the MATE can be quite a liberating lens to use. The first, and obvious benefit, is having one lens with 3 utilizable focal lengths. In practice, not having to constantly switch lenses to utilize a particular focal length can be a blessing. This is why Canon and Nikon have been so successful in marketing and selling their zoom lenses, despite reduction in optical performance in those zoom options. Particularly, when traveling, having a one lens, 3-focal-length option, particularly with a focal length range as useful as 28-50 mm, can be a true blessing. Second, when traveling in dusty places and crowded space, keeping the lens attached to the camera will be enough to save your sensor from substantial dust contamination. Third, while some may find the f/4 aperture as a limitation, others might feel that limiting your aperture options to f/4 can promote creativity and increase thehit rate for in-focus captures. The MATE can become more of a “storytelling lens” by producing less background blur, forcing the photographer to consider background elements in his or her compositions. Many photographers suggest that the true test of a skilled photographer is to candidly and successfully frame the photographed subject in its background; in essence, to tell a story in this manner. I’ll leave further debates on this topic to you, but the fact of the matter is that the MATE’s f/4 aperture is absolute.

In my mind, the most important convenience of the MATE comes during travel. In today’s era of minimizing space and traveling compactly, optimizing your equipment choices becomes very important. I have commented before that I believe that the Leica M9 is an outstanding camera to travel with, and part of this is its compact size and form factor. Pairing the MATE with your Leica M proves quite a versatile travel option. One can conceivably use the MATE as a 1 lens-travel solution. Many photographers favor its 3 focal lengths (28, 35, and 50 mm) for 90% of their photographs, and thus the MATE covers the range well. Personally, I’d pair the MATE with a wider aperture prime lnes for low light shooting and a longer lens (such as the wonderful 90 mm elmarit, reviewed by Steve here) for telephoto work. But that’s me.

The Leica Tri-Elmar 28-35-50 mm f/4 stands as a pinnacle of Leica lens engineering and design. It is both optically and mechanically remarkable. It has its limitations, but if you are willing to work within its limitations, it may provide you with a wonderful and versatile option for daytime photography while on the run, or when size and capacity matters. It’s a one-lens option for both travel or circumstances where minimizing kit-size matters.

One final counter point: availability. Given its 9-year product cycle, not many MATE lenses were manufactured. It utilized lens elements that were relatively hard to manufacture, and its mechanical design made it challenging to manufacture. As a result, these lenses were quite costly to manufacture during their product run, and they remain quite expensive even now in the used market. People who buy these lenses tend to hang onto them, and thus, MATE lenses are often hard to come by on the used market. As of this writing, used Tri-Elmars range in price from $2,500-$4000, depending on version, optical condition, and cosmetics.

The Future?
Leica appears to have abandoned its MATE enterprise for the time being. The Wide-Angle Tri-Elmar 16-18-21 mm f/4 Aspherical lens (WATE) remains the sole step zoom lens in Leica’s lens lineup. Leica appears to recognize that lower cost lens options are quite popular, as its Summarit line has been quite successful. With many newbies entering the fray of rangefinder photography, controlling lens costs will remain important. This hasn’t stopped Leica, however, from manufacturing lenses like the Noctilux 50 mm f/0.95 asph and 35 Summilux aspherical, so in my mind, there is a place for pricier and niche lenses in the Leica lens line up. I wouldn’t be surprised if Leica were to decide to manufacture a new MATE someday, but I don’t think that day is coming soon. For the time being, should you have interest in this lens after reading this article, keep your eyes open for a used copy. IF you happen to get one, you’ll be duly rewarded with a lovely lens that’s a powerful photo-making tool!

Summary
Pros:
1. Versatility: 28 mm, 35 mm, and 50 mm, all in one lens housing
2. Image quality: Up to par with Leica’s prime offerings
3. Rich and complex lens rendering, a combo of modern and classic looks.
4. Travel lens extraordinaire
5. Build quality: Up to Leica’s usual excellence

Cons
1. Size. It’s big, but not huge
2. f/4 maximal aperture. Limiting in some ways, liberating in others
3. Mechanical complexity. If you break it, good luck getting it repaired.
4. Occasional flare at the 50 mm setting

Credit
Images of lens were used from Leica’s MATE brochure (PDF), and technical specs were found on the Leica Wiki site.

Catching up...some others from around town this fall

2010-11-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

Seattle - Pike's Place, This Evening....

2010-11-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

Who says it's always rainy in Seattle?!? Heck it's November, and a beautiful fall day. Yes yes, it was horribly rainy yesterday, but here's some proof that Seattle can be quite beautiful on a late fall day. Sunset at Pike's Place....

Great new site - LeicaImages.com!!!

2010-10-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi y'all, if you haven't already, please check out the new LeicaImages.com website. It's a great way to share and have images critiqued. I signed up a few days ago and am really enjoying the site's purpose, layout, and intent...another great resource.

UW - Nebraska, 2010

2010-09-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Jenn and Matt - Engagement

2010-09-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Jenn and Matt. Images shot with the Leica M9, and a collection of Noctilux f/0.95, summilux 50 asph, and summicron 90-asph captures

Zubin and Megan - Wedding!

2010-09-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

Phili!

2010-09-10T07:24:00.001-07:00

New York City!

2010-09-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

San Francisco with Ana - Good Times!

2010-08-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

I had a great time hanging out with my friend Ana this past week-end in San Fran. As you might imagine, we made the most of our 2 days in San Fran. The Claremont Resort, The W Hotel, the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park, the City, and the FOOD! Good times. Thanks, Ana!

I'm featured on the Leica Camera Blog!

2010-08-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Very neat. Gotta say, I love shooting Leicas, and this link will tell you why. The best cameras in the world, and for good reason.

Leica Blog

Some Old Lenses on the M9 - Rigid Cron and Red Scale Elmar

2010-08-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

Faces at the Museum - Leica X1

2010-08-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

Seattle Art Museum, visiting the Kurt exhibit, came accross some other good stuff. What an exhibit. Congrats to Charles Peterson on a beautiful series of work, harsh, timeless, earnest, and passionate...those memories will be preserved in my head, rather than via printed image

Faces, Summer 2010

2010-08-04T23:12:00.001-07:00

Boston, June 2010

2010-08-04T23:05:00.001-07:00

Orcas Island, Mount Constitution viewpoint

2010-08-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

Aboard the San Juan Ferry, Seattle, WA

2010-08-04T23:00:00.001-07:00

Torchlight Parade- Seafair - Seattle, 2010

2010-08-03T23:48:00.001-07:00