For this lens and camera review B&H photo was so kind to loan the Lumix G9II and this lens Leica lens to me.
I showed up to my friend’s farm with just the Panasonic Lumix G9II with the Leica 25mm DG Summilux F/1.4 mounted. I went into the autofocus menu and set it to animal, with targeting on the eye.
Photographing Warmblood horses is not easy, especially when they’re over 17 hands tall. You have to pay attention so that you don’t get stepped on, avoid pulling anything out of your bag that could “spook” them, and refrain from annoying them by using strobes or flashes. One of the things that immediately distinguishes a professional horse portrait from an amateur one is the ears; they need to be in the forward position. While my friend was holding the horse, we played audio recordings of horses neighing from an app!
It’s always highly advisable to “put the money in the jukebox,” a term I coined with horses, meaning to give them treats before riding or asking them to work. Cici has some carrots and an apple. I was shooting at large apertures to achieve the Leica look, especially on a 4/3 camera where you’ll want to use larger apertures to achieve pronounced bokeh. I can tell you the 25mm Leica DG Summilux lens does give you the signature Leica look for hardly any money.
I photographed in RAW for optimal quality. Each photo will link to the 43 Addict Flickr page, where you can view them in full size. I plan to make an acrylic print of whichever photo my friend chooses. I’m actually impressed with the files from the 4/3 sensor.
I also have to give credit to the brightness of the LCD screen on the Lumix G9II. I realized as I walked back to the barn that I never even used the viewfinder. I think the LCD screen allowed me to manage many things at once: maintaining communication while working with our subject, having a higher level of situational awareness, and achieving superb compositions. After the shoot, Cici was rewarded with another apple, plus it was dinner time.
This setup past the test, but I’m not through yet…….. Follow the blog for more!
Links to B&H for the gear I used:
