[Review & Sample Photos] Shooting the City with a Leica SLR: Light and Shadow with the Leica R7 and SUMMILUX-R 50mm f/1.4 E55

When people hear "Leica," many may picture the M-series rangefinders typified by the M3 and M6, but the R series of SLRs also carries Leica's distinctive optical technology and commitment to camera making.

This time we review the combination of the "Leica R7," an electronically controlled SLR with a classic form, and the "SUMMILUX-R 50mm f/1.4 E55 (model no. 11777)," a large-aperture standard lens. Using real-world sample photos capturing the light and shadow of the city, we unpack its rendering and its appeal as a tool.

A Refined Classic SLR: The Reliability of the Leica R7

The Leica R7, which debuted in 1992, is an SLR in the lineage of the R4, developed through a technical partnership with Minolta, and its successor the R5. Because the next generation, the R8, had a drastically redesigned body, the R7 is positioned as a model with the classic appearance shared with the earlier R series.

This camera uses an electronically controlled shutter and supports program AE, aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority AE, and manual shooting. You can choose the exposure mode to suit the scene or the photo you want to create, enjoying the handling unique to film SLRs.

■ The Leica R7, with its beautiful contrast of silver and black. Characterized by a classic appearance and a metal body.

Capturing the Light You Aim For: Snapshots Using Two Metering Modes

In urban street snapshots, it is not unusual for the deep shadows cast by skyscrapers and strong sunlight to coexist in a single frame. The Leica R7 offers two metering modes for adjusting exposure in such high-contrast scenes.

You can switch between "full-area metering," which measures the brightness of the whole frame with a center-weighted emphasis, and "selective metering," which measures a limited area in the center of the viewfinder. In situations such as backlighting where you want to prioritize the brightness of the subject, you can meter the light on the subject with selective metering, store the exposure value with aperture-priority AE, and then recompose.

Even on street corners where light and shadow intermingle, you can read the light and enjoy shooting with an exposure matched to your intent.

A Large-Aperture Lens Bearing the Summilux Name: SUMMILUX-R 50mm f/1.4 E55 (11777)

The lens we paired with it is a 50mm bearing the "Summilux" name that Leica gives to its large-aperture lenses. The "11777" used here is a later-specification R-mount lens that accepts 55mm filters and has a built-in pull-out lens hood. Its construction is 7 elements in 6 groups, with a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m and a bright maximum aperture of F1.4.

Focusing is manual. You operate the focus ring while confirming focus in the viewfinder. It also has an aperture ring, so you can enjoy making photographs while adjusting the settings yourself.

■ SUMMILUX-R 50mm f/1.4 E55 (model no. 11777). A standard lens for the R mount with a built-in pull-out lens hood.

Three-Dimensionality and Bokeh Emphasized by Shallow Depth of Field

At wide-open apertures around F1.4 to F2, you can contrast the in-focus subject with the blurred background. Because the depth of field (the range of depth that appears in focus) becomes shallow, you can draw the eye to a specific subject even amid the hustle and bustle of the city.

The size and appearance of the bokeh also change with the distance to the background and the shooting distance to the subject. By adjusting where you focus and the aperture, you can give ordinary everyday scenes a variety of expressions. Being able to make use of the shallow depth of field unique to a large-aperture lens is one of this lens's characteristics.

Capturing Strong Sunlight and Deep Shadows: The Tonal Range Unique to Film

In the sample photos taken through the SUMMILUX-R 50mm f/1.4 E55 this time, we focused on the changes in light and shadow that arise in the urban streetscape. Even the same subject shows a different expression in a place hit by direct sunlight versus a dark place created by a building.

There are all kinds of subjects in the city: the texture of asphalt and cardboard, the weave of clothing, light reflecting off tiled walls. By being mindful of how the light falls and of the exposure, you can bring the texture and shading of each subject into your photos.

Color and tonal rendering also vary with the type of film, the exposure, and the development. Enjoying how the result turns out depending on the combination of film and lens is part of the real pleasure of film photography.

■ The contrast of strong sunlight and shadow. A shot focusing on the texture of concrete and the shading of clothing.

■ The distinctive colors and gradations of light cast by the tiles of an underpass. A sample capturing the expanse of space continuing into the distance.

Adjusting the Aperture to Depict Urban Architecture and Detail

The characteristics of a large-aperture lens are not limited to strongly blurring the background near wide open. Stopping down to around F5.6 to F8 generally deepens the depth of field, making it easier to shoot with a wide range in focus from front to back.

Urban landscapes contain many straight lines and geometric patterns, such as skyscraper windows, building walls, and crossing railway tracks. When shooting such subjects, not only the aperture and focus position but also composition and camera orientation become important.

By using the standard 50mm angle of view to cut out a part of the streetscape, you can capture in your photos the shapes of buildings, overlapping lines, and expressions that change with the light.

■ A shot from above of the tracks, passing trains, and a cluster of buildings. The geometric composition formed by the buildings and tracks is striking.

■ A logo on a building wall and the greenery of a terrace seating area. A shot contrasting linear architecture with the shapes of plants.

■ A tower crane and skyscrapers reaching toward the blue sky. A sample capturing the shapes of the structures and the expanse of the sky.

Framing the World Through the Viewfinder: The Joy of SLR Snapshots

The viewfinder mechanisms differ between the rangefinder Leica M type and the SLR R type. On the M type you check the subject through an optical system separate from the taking lens, whereas on the R type you can see the image through the taking lens in the viewfinder.

For that reason, with the R7 you can shoot while checking composition and focus through the lens. By using the depth-of-field preview lever, you can also check in the viewfinder the range that appears in focus at the aperture you have set.

The 50mm used here is a standard lens with a diagonal angle of view of about 45 degrees on 35mm film. As you walk around town, you can capture scenes that catch your eye and unexpected moments of daily life from your own point of view.

■ A snapshot capturing a gaze directed from behind a pillar. A shot made with the standard 50mm angle of view while being conscious of the distance to the subject.

The Leica R7, with its classic metal body and multiple exposure modes, paired with the SUMMILUX-R 50mm f/1.4 E55, with its large F1.4 aperture and standard 50mm angle of view. With this combination, you can savor both the joy of operating an SLR and the expressive range of a large-aperture lens.

Look through the viewfinder, focus, and press the shutter while thinking about the exposure. Being able to face each photograph through that sequence of actions is also a charm unique to film cameras. This is a combination we hope those who want to take photos while carefully observing the light and shadow of the city will try.

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