WHAT’S NEW
PHOTOGRAPHY
EXHIBITIONS
& EVENTSCurrent to 21 January 2020:
Exhibition. Turning Points –
Contemporary Photography
From China. Photographs
from the turning point of the
20th and 21st centuries which
examine identity, traditional
culture, and the rapidly
changing face of Chinese
cities. At Level 1, NGV
International, 180 St Kilda
Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.Gallery hours are 10.00am to
5.00pm daily. Admission is free.
For more information telephone
(03) 8620 2222 or visit
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au13 September – 2 February
2020: Exhibition. Civilization –
The Way We Live Now. Works
from, over 100 contemporary
photographers from Africa,
the Americas, Asia, Australia
and Europe, documenting
the impacts and influences of
globilisation. At Ground Level,
NGV International, 180 St Kilda
Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.
Gallery hours are 10.00am to
5.00pm daily. Ticketed entry.
For more information telephone
(03) 8620 2222 or visit
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au27 September – 29 March
2020: Exhibition. Petrina
Hicks – Bleached Gothic. Thefirst major survey exhibition
for the photographer, featuring
her large-scale, hyperreal
photographs that subvert
and disrupt the photographic
language of advertising and
portraiture. At Level 3, NGV
International, 180 St Kilda
Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.
Gallery hours are 10.00am to
5.00pm daily. Admission is
free. For more information
telephone (03) 8620 2222 or
visit http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au27 – 30 May 2020: Photokina- The world’s largest
exhibition of new imaging
products switches to a yearly
cycle with new dates in May.
Rescheduled following the
cancellation of the 2019
event. At the Köln Messe,
Cologne, Germany. Visit
http://www.photokina-cologne.com
for more information.
PSST! WANNA
CHEAP DIGITAL
LEICA M?
OK, WELL STILL not especially cheap, but a
whole lot more affordable than previously. Leica’s
new M-E digital rangefinder camera is a repack-
aging of the Typ 240 M model and replaces the
older-generation Typ 220 M-E. Consequently, the
new M-E has a full-35mm format CMOS sensor
with an effective resolution of 24 megapixels
and a sensitivity range equivalent to ISO 200 to
6400 (extendable down to ISO 100). It has a 2.
GB buffer memory with a maximum continuous
shooting speed of 3.0 fps.
You still get the classic Made-In-Germany
Leica M build-quality with magnesium alloy
bodyshell that’s sealed against the intrusion
of dust and moisture. The top deck and the
baseplate are made from brass and finished in an
anthracite-gray lacquer that Leica says was spe-
cially developed for the new M-E. The body-wrap
inserts are real leather too. You also have the
traditional optical viewfinder with a magnification
of 0.68x, automatic brightline frame selection
and automatic parallax correction.
Unlike some of Leica’s digital M models, the
new M-E can record video, but only in the Full
HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and at 30, 25
or 24 fps. The built-in microphone is mono, but
there’s a standard 3.5 mm stereo audio input.
The monitor screen is a 7.62 cm LCD panel with
a resolution of 921,600 dots with a toughened
‘Gorilla Glass’ faceplate. Focusing is, of course,
manual and the exposure control options are
either manual or aperture-priority automatic. The
shutter speed range is 60-1/4000 second with
flash sync up to 1/180 second. Other features
include up to +/-3.0 EV compensation, a dual-
delay self-timer and manual colour temperature
setting for white balance control (plus auto
correction and seven lighting presets).
However, the big news is that the M-E
(Typ 240) is priced at $6500 for the body only
compared to $10,300 for the M10 or $8300 for
the Typ 262 model M. This makes it the cheapest
digital M to date and provides some food for
thought if for, example, you were considering
the Leica Q2 at $7700. Of course, the Q
has a fixed 28mm f1.7 lens and a 47.3 MP
effective resolution (plus it can record 4K video),
but still, if you started off with one of the very
capable Cosina-made Voigtländer M mount
lenses (shhh, don’t tell anybody), the M-E 240
body gains you comparatively affordable entry
to a legendary rangefinder camera system
that delivers a unique photography experience.
Worth considering.
Leica products are distributed locally by
Leica Camera Australia and for more information
visit https://au.leica-camera.com