The ultimate Leica guide--written by the company's top technical expert--now includes the Leica MP. This classic source contains a goldmine of technical information and insider knowledge, and covers Leica's famed lenses plus every film model from the M1 through the MP--along with schematic diagrams and explanations of metering, focusing, flash systems, film advance, and more.

This survey of Leica lenses includes a brief history from the early Elmars to the recent ASPH and Apo. Technical aspects of lense design are included as well as advice on controlling perspective, taking close-ups, accurate focusing and achieving the correct exposure.

1st August 1937. A parade of red flags marches through Paris. It is the funeral procession for Gerda Taro, the first female photographer to be killed on a battlefield. Robert Capa, who leads the procession, is devastated. They have been happy together: he taught her how to use the Leica before they left together to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Other figures from Gerda's past are in the crowd: Ruth Cerf, her friend from Leipzig, who shared the hardships of their first years in Paris after feeling from Germany; Willy Chardack, who resigned himself to the role of loyal companion after Gerda snubbed him for Georg Kuritzkes, a fighter in the International Brigades. For all of them, Gerda will remain a stronger and more vivid presence than her image of anti-fascist heroine. It is her who binds together a narrative spanning distant times and places, bringing back to life the snapshots of these young people and the challenges they faced in the 1930s, from economic depression to the rise of nazism, to the hostility towards refugees in France. But for those who loved her, those young years would remain a time when, as long as Gerda was alive, everything seemed possible.

What it is and what it isn't. This not a camera manual for the Leica M, nor is it a book that will teach you photography. Nevertheless, in Bertram Solcher's book you will learn a whole lot about your camera and how to use it, and about the art and craft of photography. This book contains a collection of illustrated essays that are meant to reveal the secrets of working with a rangefinder camera. To be more precise, with the best camera ever made. The book's ultimate goal is to ignite your passion for the kind of spontaneous, minimalist, and creative photography we admire in the works of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Joel Meyerowitz, and other great Leica photographers. All Leica M model cameras, both analog and digital, use rangefinder technology. Because of its design, working with a Leica M requires a more methodical style of photography where the photographer must slow down and exercise attention and purpose. Using these cameras is both challenging and rewarding. With a Leica M, you can mingle discretely within your environment to capture candid, exciting, insightful images. Bertram Solcher, a professional Leica M photographer for over 35 years, demonstrates how to use this unique camera in a practical and effective way. Solcher's enthusiasm, substantial experience, and technical expertise will help you learn the skills necessary for creating masterful photographs with any Leica M camera.

Photographer's Guide to the Leica D-Lux 5 is a follow-up to the author's earlier guides to the Leica D-Lux 4, Panasonic Lumix LX3, and Panasonic Lumix LX5 digital cameras. The new book, like the earlier ones, explains all operations, features, menus, and controls of the camera in clear language, providing guidance not only about how to accomplish things with the camera, but when and why to use certain features. The book does not assume any specialized knowledge by the reader, but adopts a patient and helpful tone in explaining topics such as autofocus, manual focus, aperture priority, shutter priority, macro photography, and RAW files. Besides providing guidance about all basic operations of the camera, the book includes introductions to advanced topics including astrophotography, infrared photography, street photography, and creating 3D images. The book is illustrated with more than 150 color photographs and includes a full table of contents and index.

This book is a comprehensive, illustrated guide to the operation, features, menus, and controls of the Leica D-Lux 4 compact camera. It provides clearly written guidance for how to achieve excellent results using the camera's numerous sophisticated options. It also discusses topics such as infrared photography, macro photography, and street photography, and provides information about accessories for the D-Lux 4.