Bicycle and Leica M
Trying to take a selfie with a Leica M for a road bike article.
Introduction.
I have always loved vehicles and I love riding my bike. I wanted to write articles about road biking for this media outlet, but it didn’t happen because I take selfies, so I had to use a tripod and carry a set of SLRs, but I tried using a small tripod and a Leica M, which is smaller than an SLR, and it seemed like a good idea, so I decided to start shooting and loose road I’m hoping to start an article on photography and loose road biking.
This article will be a simple explanation of how to shoot. I hope to write more about the details of the road bike, related goods and places I visited in the near future.
Photography process
I have decided to do all the work for this media as much as possible by myself, so I also set up a tripod and take my own photos. Most of the other articles are shot on rural beaches, so I load my equipment into my car and park it in a car park near the beach. Since I consider my equipment to be transported by car, I use a No. 3 carbon tripod and a Leica SL2-S camera, as explained in other articles, and I use the Leica Photos app to check composition, focus and exposure on my smartphone, then release the shutter and take the selfies. This photographic equipment is very easy to use for taking the photos used in this medium and I am satisfied with the quality of the photos.
The tripod is large because I am thinking of travelling by car and the Leica SL2-S is not that large, but I thought it would be impossible to think of shooting while carrying this equipment on a road bike and I wanted to create an article about road biking but it never happened.
I originally used Leica cameras, both digital and film, and currently own three digital M models: a Leica MD (262), a Leica Monochrom (early model) and a Leica M10R. Of these three, the Leica M10R is compatible with the Leica Photos app used with the Leica SL2-S, so I decided to use the Leica M10R this time and use a small carbon tripod (No. 1) to move my road bike and take some selfies. I wanted to start a little earlier, but the fact that the rangefinder of the Leica M10R was out of order and I had asked for its adjustment, and the Apo-Summicron M35/2 I had asked for came in my hand.
It’s not a very good photo, but I took it anyway.
I have two road bikes: the road bike I use in Tokyo is a Specialized Diverge gravel road bike and the road bike I use in the countryside is a Specialized Tarmac road bike.
The Specialized Diverge is used for longer journeys in Tokyo and I also enjoy riding the Specialized Tarmac in the countryside, but when I have time at night, I put on my binding shoes and cycle clothes and go for longer rides as training. I ride a little longer distances. I chose to ride on the road in the countryside because at night, when the roads are empty and there are few traffic lights, I can ride at my own pace and it is easier to ride like a training rider. When I have time, I ride a distance of around 70 km.
I wanted to shoot Specialized Diverge in a place without any buildings around, such as a park or a beach, but due to the time constraints, the shooting day was a holiday and there were many people around, so I thought of a place where I wouldn’t be bothered by people setting up tripods and taking photos of bicycles. The road is currently under construction and no cars are allowed to enter, so we are shooting in an environment that is similar to a construction site.
We are currently filming on a road that is under construction and is closed to cars, so we are filming in an environment that is similar to a construction site.
The Specialized Tarmac was also taken in the evening when I was able to ride the bike, so I couldn’t go out far, so I took photos at the nearby sea.
The M Leica is manual focus and the focus ring on the lens needs to be moved to show the focus peak on the Leica Photos screen on the smartphone, so to set up the tripod and take a selfie with the bike, I can’t check the focus and I can’t adjust the focus. You need to move to the focus position.
I have a general sense of depth of field, so I take photos thinking that if I stand in this area, it will be OK, but when I get close or, conversely, a little further away, the distance indication on the lens is also rough, so the photo ends up out of focus. We hope to establish a shooting method for this area in the near future.
I would like to introduce the detailed specifications and equipment of each road bike in another article.
The road bike I am riding in Tokyo is a Specialized Diverge EXPERT CARBON gravel road bike with wider tyres (42 mm) and suspension than normal road bikes, with a SRAM single front 12-speed component. It is a road bike with specifications that allow it to be ridden not only on ordinary roads, but also on rough roads. I often go out with my wife on holidays and use it as a slightly longer means of transport, often parked and walking, so I don’t use binding pedals, and when I ride I often have the opportunity to ride in sportswear that is comfortable even if I sweat, rather than a cycle jersey.
The road bike we ride in the countryside is a Specialized Tarmac SL7 EXPERT carbon frame bike, a real road bike with SHIMANO ULTEGRA DI2 electric components and disc brakes. I also have binding pedals, but as I use them during the day for transport, I ride during the day in normal sneakers and sweaty clothes like Patagonia instead of cyclewear, and when I have time at night, I put on my binding shoes and cyclewear and ride longer distances as a training ride.
Conclusion.
This time, for the first time, I tried taking selfies with an M Leica and a tripod, but I haven’t been able to keep up with the pace, and because I do things as soon as I have an idea, and I shoot in my spare time, I haven’t been able to take very good photos, including of the shooting location. I would like to make time in the future to take more proper photos. I love riding my road bike, but I am not a competitive rider, so I enjoy it in a much looser way than most road bike riders. In the future, articles will mainly be about simple equipment, gear and useful items, clothing, and places I’ve visited where I’ve enjoyed the scenery, but I hope you’ll be interested in reading them.
