p.2 #1 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
cyberguru65 wrote:
[Re-post from another thread for visibility here, in case it helps others)
I purchased a couple 8gb w-03 flashair sd cards last year and it did not work on my m-d. I just tried again on my old fuji x20 and it did work but a bit slow in the transfer per file. I usually just use a SD to usbc adapter for my android phone when I want to transfer the entire card to my phone to process using mobile lightroom. Much faster !!
I would try again on my m-d but sadly now my m-d is not working. Locks up when writing to the SD card or does not recognize the SD card. I tried formatting 4 different cards with no luck. I just contacted Leica and will be sending the m-d for service.
I may have a couple new still in the box flashairs. if you want one, pm me your address and i will send it out to you for free....Show more →
That's incredibly generous! Please check your private message.
p.2 #2 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Very nice photographs!
Which body do you recommend now?
About the noise reduction software do you use now ?
Fred Miranda wrote:
My journey into the Leica world started with an M240 Black Paint camera. It was stunning, and after about a year, I "upgraded" to the M10. Then, I tried the M10-P, M10-R, M11, and eventually went back to the M10-R, which is my overall favorite.
I used to recommend the M10 as the first Leica, but it's pricey. Plus, its battery life isn't as good as the M240 series, which lasts more than 2 times longer. With the M-D, battery life is absolutely incredible since there are fewer electronics draining power. I've only charged it once, and after 8 days of continuous shooting and testing, it's still at 50%!
Regarding image quality, I am actually thrilled with it. There is less highlight recovery compared to the M10, but as long as I expose well using the built-in meter, I'm not seeing any loss of highlight data. It's like shooting with slide film where images can't be too overexposed. In high contrast light, I also try underexposing by 1/2 stop just to be on the safe side, but I mostly shoot in lower contrast light, so it's not much of a concern. The colors look great to me, and with the help of the latest noise reduction software, I can easily shoot at ISO 6400 with very low noise and natural results.
I have only taken test shots so far, checking the RF alignment and sensor output. Here are some samples:...Show more →
p.2 #3 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
It's interesting reading about all these experiences with Leica bodies, and your own personal journeys.
I only have the Leica M9, which I find produces very interesting photos but has no live view and I struggle sometimes with focus, and exposure. I desperately want a live view sometimes. 🫠
p.2 #4 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
quasitime wrote:
It's interesting reading about all these experiences with Leica bodies, and your own personal journeys.
I only have the Leica M9, which I find produces very interesting photos but has no live view and I struggle sometimes with focus, and exposure. I desperately want a live view sometimes. 🫠
Once, I took my M9 to a location for landscape photography. For this type of photography, I usually rely on the LCD or EVF for composing shots. I have to admit, focusing all my images using the rangefinder was quite challenging, especially at dusk or during the blue hour. I can imagine it would be even more difficult with the M-D. However, in the end, all my images were well-exposed and correctly focused. This experience made me realize that we might rely too much on technology nowadays. The truth is, we only need a way to set our ISO, shutter speed, and aperture!
p.2 #5 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Once, I took my M9 to a location for landscape photography. For this type of photography, I usually rely on the LCD or EVF for composing shots. I have to admit, focusing all my images using the rangefinder was quite challenging, especially at dusk or during the blue hour. I can imagine it would be even more difficult with the M-D. However, in the end, all my images were well-exposed and correctly focused. This experience made me realize that we might rely too much on technology nowadays. The truth is, we only need a way to set our ISO, shutter speed, and aperture!...Show more →
+1. But I believe it will get worse looking forward. AI has taken quickly a place in PP and publishing like on IG. Just a matter of short time that we will see it in camera processing, too. Sony might be one of the first to embed AI in their camera algorithms. AI might automatically straighten uneven horizons, dust spots on sensors etc etc. It will change photography as we know it drastically - PP using AI has become already so good that it is impossible to distinguish easily from the original. This itself will IMO open more lead way with "go-back-to-the roots" approaches and simplistic cameras focusing on the three basics like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. We are starting to see this diversification with manufacturers developing new film cameras for example and people buying older CCD-based simplistic digital cameras.
Jun 07, 2024 at 09:52 AM
AmbientMike Offline • • • • • • [X]
p.2 #6 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
In my opinion, most photographers who are accustomed to tons of electronic features and haven't shot film might not appreciate these limitations. However, a smaller group will embrace them and may even enhance their photography skills. The fact that this camera was only produced for two years (discontinued in 2018) and likely had around 1500 units sold suggests there's a specific niche market for it.
Not in the same league, price wise but I've actually kind of enjoyed the smaller lcd on the 20D lately. Not sure if enjoyed is the right word helps me imo though
I probably wouldn't give up the screen completely but it does keep me from blasting away to a large degree imo. Definitely tech fatigued
p.2 #7 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
AmbientMike wrote:
Not in the same league, price wise but I've actually kind of enjoyed the smaller lcd on the 20D lately. Not sure if enjoyed is the right word helps me imo though
I probably wouldn't give up the screen completely but it does keep me from blasting away to a large degree imo. Definitely tech fatigued
Photography has been tied to technology ever since digital cameras came onto the scene. These days, it's like smartphones --- we expect new tech improvements every year. But a lot of people are getting tired of this constant race and want to slow down. When you step back from chasing the latest specs, you realize that great photos are more about composition and creativity, which don't need much tech. Sure, some types of photography do benefit from features like advanced autofocu.s and high FPS, but that's not really my thing..
Nov 17, 2024 at 12:08 PM
AmbientMike Offline • • • • • • [X]
p.2 #8 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Photography has been tied to technology ever since digital cameras came onto the scene. These days, it's like smartphones --- we expect new tech improvements every year. But a lot of people are getting tired of this constant race and want to slow down. When you step back from chasing the latest specs, you realize that great photos are more about composition and creativity, which don't need much tech. Sure, some types of photography do benefit from features like advanced autofocu.s and high FPS, but that's not really my thing..
Exactly. More about composition and lighting.
Sure, if I shot NFL or college sports professionally, I probably wouldn't recommend the 20D But I'm not shooting sports lately.
It's not a new thing, I remember talking to a guy years ago(maybe at fotodiox?) and he mentioned people buy D70 over Rebel XT, because the Rebel XT had too much tech, basically!!! Even the 20D has a lot of tech, really. The Nikon Df is much more popular than can be explained based on tech alone.
p.2 #11 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
I have an M-D. It's never leaving me. I recommend reading the m240 forum on l-camera-forum.com where someone has noodled out the production numbers of the M-D. Fantastic fan base over there. (Maybe we can attract them to FM 😊
Maybe if you shoot everything at high ISO you can knock the 1GB card down to 24 images, then you can have the experience of being a broke kid shooting film from the drug store because you didn't know any better.
Not that I have any personal experience in that area.
p.2 #14 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
formula4speed wrote:
Maybe if you shoot everything at high ISO you can knock the 1GB card down to 24 images, then you can have the experience of being a broke kid shooting film from the drug store because you didn't know any better.
Not that I have any personal experience in that area.
Yes, the estimated number of shots varies by ISO and image complexity, but those are the initial estimates provided by the M-D camera.
p.2 #15 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
I hear you about the insanity comment. I never thought I would be shooting film in 2024, but now I'm hooked. I love everything about it, from taking pictures to developing and scanning the film myself. It's just fun for me.
put me in the camp of people who recently (re)discovered film (in my case not having shot film since the early 80's), and becoming hooked. I just got the MP a couple of weeks ago, and I feel guilty not having it be on display at MOMA in NYC
Yes the MD approximates the feeling of using a film camera, but the film images are IMO totally different from digital images. Not that one is better than the other (and indeed I still have and will continue to use the CL and M11M), but the film images arejust different in a way that tugs at my nostalgic cords. I've got a few digital presets that can approximate that look and can add different types/amounts of grain in post. But at the end of the day, my MP film images just makes me smile in a way that I haven't smiled at images in a long time.
p.2 #16 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
I'd love to add an MD to my Leica kit, but the limited production run makes the camera a very expensive purchase. While I don't have an MD, I do have and M9 and find that this camera requires a very slow and disciplined approach. While the LCD can be used to check histograms, it is essentially useless. Furthermore, the dynamic range of the CCD sensor is so limiting that it reminds me of Kodachrome 64. Finally, my framelines are basically approximations and the shutter mechanism is slow... When I feel like shooting with film and want a very deliberate approach to photography, my M9 fits the bill... let's call it a "poor" man's M-D
p.2 #17 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
brick33308 wrote:
put me in the camp of people who recently (re)discovered film (in my case not having shot film since the early 80's), and becoming hooked. I just got the MP a couple of weeks ago, and I feel guilty not having it be on display at MOMA in NYC
Yes the MD approximates the feeling of using a film camera, but the film images are IMO totally different from digital images. Not that one is better than the other (and indeed I still have and will continue to use the CL and M11M), but the film images arejust different in a way that tugs at my nostalgic cords. I've got a few digital presets that can approximate that look and can add different types/amounts of grain in post. But at the end of the day, my MP film images just makes me smile in a way that I haven't smiled at images in a long time....Show more →
Absolutely. Digital and film aesthetics are fundamentally different; it’s pixels versus silver halide. Even with simulations, the look remains distinct --- organic versus digital. What I love about the M-D is that it offers the same simplicity as shooting film. There’s no menu, no EVF, no Wi-Fi, and no screen. You just set the ISO (like choosing a film) and calculate exposure by adjusting the lens aperture and shutter speed. The M-D Typ 262 doesn’t even offer auto-ISO, which really slows me down and enhances the deliberate shooting process.
p.2 #18 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
OwlsEyes wrote:
I'd love to add an MD to my Leica kit, but the limited production run makes the camera a very expensive purchase. While I don't have an MD, I do have and M9 and find that this camera requires a very slow and disciplined approach. While the LCD can be used to check histograms, it is essentially useless. Furthermore, the dynamic range of the CCD sensor is so limiting that it reminds me of Kodachrome 64. Finally, my framelines are basically approximations and the shutter mechanism is slow... When I feel like shooting with film and want a very deliberate approach to photography, my M9 fits the bill... let's call it a "poor" man's M-D ...Show more →
I shot with the M9 for many years and loved both the shutter noise and the CCD sensor's tones and colors because files requires less post-processing.
p.2 #19 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Here are options for a 1.35 GB partition gives about 36 estimated shots…
You can make any SD card behave like a short film roll in the Leica M-D. (No need to buy unreliable and super slow 1GB cards.)
These commands are for macOS. They create one small FAT32 partition for the camera and leave the rest of the card as free space, not a second volume. The M-D only sees the first partition, and the Mac only mounts one disk.
First insert the card and find its disk number. In Terminal run:
diskutil list
Look for the external SD card and note the identifier (disk4, disk5, disk10, etc.). Do not guess. The next command will erase that disk.
Replace disk4 below with your number.
For about 36 shots (1.35 GB), like a roll of film:
Eject the whole card before putting it in the camera:
diskutil eject /dev/disk4
____________________
Optional: If you later want to refresh/format only the camera partition without losing the layout:
Find LEICA M-D. It will look like disk10s1 or disk4s1.
Use that exact identifier.
If it is disk10s1:
sudo diskutil eraseVolume FAT32 "LEICA M-D" /dev/disk10s1
Deleting the files after you copy them to the computer is usually enough.
Run diskutil list again whenever you replug the card, because the disk number can change. The name LEICA M-D is fine on FAT32. 36 is the camera’s estimate, not an exact frame count. If the M-D blinks an SD / Sd warning, it did not accept the card; format it as a single FAT32 volume and try again.
p.2 #20 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Absolutely. Digital and film aesthetics are fundamentally different; it’s pixels versus silver halide. Even with simulations, the look remains distinct --- organic versus digital. What I love about the M-D is that it offers the same simplicity as shooting film. There’s no menu, no EVF, no Wi-Fi, and no screen. You just set the ISO (like choosing a film) and calculate exposure by adjusting the lens aperture and shutter speed. The M-D Typ 262 doesn’t even offer auto-ISO, which really slows me down and enhances the deliberate shooting process.
It really seems that the shooting experience of the MD is virtually identical to the MP. In both you have to manually set everything (after taking into consideration what the light meter says). Only difference (other than film vs digital output) is with MP I have to wait longer to get the images, whereas with the MD you can look at them when you get home. Being new (since the 80's) to using a manual film camera and enjoying it so much - being way more deliberative when setting up a shot, I totally get the appeal of the MD.
But I'm not shooting sports lately.