PEBBLE PLACE

GEAR TALK - Editorials about Cameras and Lenses

GEAR TALK TABLE OF CONTENTS

Truck Stop in Sierra Blanca, Texas The Leica M11 Monochrom One Year Later
May 12, 2024
Looking back on the past year with the Leica M11 Monochrom and how it morphed into a pseudo technical camera replacement for the Arca Swiss Rm3di and Phase One IQ4-150.  Read more
Old Farm House in Elliot Oklhaoma A Second Look at the Leica M10-M and M11-M
December 10, 2023
After six months with the Leica M11 Monochrom and having mixed feelings about its files and handling, I decided to revisit the Leica M10 Monochrom and re-compare the two cameras.  Read more
City Hall Building in Archer City, Texas Mid Year Update
August 5, 2023
Catching up on the new Leica M11 Monochrom and the Leica 28mm F2.8 PC-Super-Angular R shift lens, and how the results compare to the outgoing Leica M10 Monochrom.  Read more
First Methodist Church of Jermyn January 2023 Wrap Up
February 12, 2023
A quick wrap-up for this past January and a heads-up for some of the upcoming topics later this year.  Read more
Reunion Tower New Years Fireworks 2023 New Years Fireworks
January 8, 2023
To celebrate ringing in the New Year, some firework pictures from Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas with the Leica M11.  Read more
Isaac's Farm, New Harp Texas Eighteen Months of Isaac's Farm
November 27, 2022
A case study of Isaac's Farm in New Harp Texas and how my approach to picture taking has adapted over the years due to the rapidly fleeting North Texas landscape from the early twentieth century.  Read more
Approaching thunderstorm Get It While You Can
November 25, 2022
Looking back over the past 15 years and some of the many vanishing picture taking spots as the North Texas area grows and grows.  Read more
East California Street The Arca Swiss Rm3di
November 16, 2022
Playing around with the Leica 28mm F2.8 PC Super-Angulon R stirred some interest in using the Phase One IQ3-100 Trichromatic with a technical camera, so took a leap faith and sold the Phase One XF kit for an Arca Swiss Rm3di and a couple Rodenstock lenses.  Read more
Music Alley as Blue Hour 7 Annoying Things About the Leica M11
September 4, 2022
It has been 6 months and almost 2000 clicks with the Leica M11 so far, and there are some things that could be better and / or Leica could address with a firmware update, and some others are just how it is.  Read more
Tree at Sunset Phase One XF / IQ3-100 Trichromatic First Impressions
June 17, 2022
For those of you who have followed PebblePlace.com over the years, you have seen my repeated forays into the medium format realm. All I can say is... here we go again with another Phase One kit.  Read more
Church Pew and Stained Glass Leica M11 First Impressions
April 21, 2022
Received my Leica M11 in early March and have spent the last 6 weeks using it at some of my usual places. Under that shiny chrome finish, Leica made some big changes. And I am still deciding how I feel about that.  Read more
Dealey Plaza, Dallas Texas November Wrap Up
December 12, 2021
Took a break from the picture taking and spent several weekends doing some long overdue closet cleaning. Alot of camera stuffs had been purchased while sitting at home during Covid, so there was alot to sell.  Read more
Grain Elevator October Wrap Up
November 2, 2021
Bought a used Leica M10-P last month and spent some time comparing the Leica M10-P and Leica M10-R color rendering. The plan was simple - test, stare and compare, pick a winner and sell the other.  Read more
Fannin County Courthouse Remodel September Wrap Up
October 1, 2021
Instead of rambling about this past month's pictures, decided to look back over the past 17 years and number of edited raws per year, per camera, etc. and to see which cameras / systems were the most productive in terms of net output.  Read more
Ardmore Train Yard August Wrap Up
September 2, 2021
A bit more Leica M10-R bashing - did not intend to keep ranting, but that is just how things worked out. And some updates on the Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO and Leica 50mm F.95 Noctilux-M ASPH.  Read more
Fort Worth Sundance Square July Wrap Up
August 1, 2021
A summary of July's picture taking efforts, alittle Leica M10-R bashing, and a quick catch up of the some of the gear changes during the past month or two.  Read more
Dension Texas Sunset June Wrap Up
July 1, 2021
A summary of the major equipment changes and picture taking outings during the past month.  Read more
A Lone Windmill in Texas A Peak Behind the Curtain
July 31, 2020
Over the 15 years this website has been online, I have presented thousands of pictures. Today's post sheds a little light on how much time goes into those images and where they come from.  Read more
Arca-Swiss Cube GP in Portrait Configuration with the Leica M10-P Safari Gear Heads Galore
May 23, 2020
In the past couple Gear Talk posts about my hope of Leica adding EFCS to the Leica M10 cameras, I mentioned using some rather substantial tripod heads to help ensure stability with large lenses, so today's Gear Talk entry focuses on those tripod heads.  Read more
Leica M10 Monochrom with a Bunch of Red Filters Why the Leica M10 Needs EFCS, Part 2
May 16, 2020
Stacking red filters and polarizers on the Leica M10 Monochrom drive up ISO speeds; adding Electronic First Curtain Shutter and having a vibration free exposure could help bring down those ISO speeds.  Read more
Leica M10 Monochrom Why the Leica M10 Needs EFCS
May 9, 2020
While every other modern digital camera has electronic first curtain shutter (EFCS), the Leica M10's do not. Today is my first installment on why Leica should add ECFS to the Leica M10 firmware.  Read more
Leica M10 Monochrom Leica M10 Monochrom
April 27, 2020
Some thoughts, opinions and random musings on the new (and long long awaited) Leica M10 Monochrom after using the camera for three months.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Mounting the Mamiya 200mm F2.8 APO on a Leica M
August 14, 2018
My latest adventure in adapting the Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO telephoto lens to mount on the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 using Novoflex's MAMRING + A Mount lens adapters, Novoflex's ASTAT Tripod Collar and a 3D printer spacer for the tripod collar.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Catching Up on the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246
May 26, 2018
It has been over a year since the last Gear Talk entry, so today's post is a quick update on the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 and my views on black & white photography after three'ish years with the M-246.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Leica SF-40 and the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246
April 22, 2017
My half-failed attempt to understand the Leica TTL flash system with the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 and Leica SF-40 flash.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Slow and Steady
February 12, 2017
Staying the course with the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 and trying to figure out the color camera options to go with the Monochrom.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Improving Critical Sharpness
July 4, 2016
Digging into why the Leica 28mm F2 Summicron-M ASPH (Version II) and Leica 135mm F3.4 Telyt-M APO are not as sharp as they should be on the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 and Midday Sunlight
June 29, 2016
Reflecting on the user experience and results with the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 during midday sunlight conditions.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 and Color Filters
March 14, 2016
A summary of my first daytime landscape outing using color filters with the Leica Monochrom M Typ 246 to boost contrast and definition.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up Leica M Monochrom Typ 246
February 29, 2016
Some first impressions of the Leica M Monochrom Typ 246 rangefinder camera with its 24 megapixel monochrome CMOS sensor.  Read more
Mamiya 645M 200mm F2.8 APO with Novoflex Adapter Set Up High ISO Transformation
February 14, 2016
How to get better high ISO performance from the Leica M Type 240 (or any other camera) using NIK's Dfine noise reduction plug-in for Photoshop.  Read more