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"Leica Looks" for All

panos.v
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p.2 #1 · "Leica Looks" for All

Question: if these are supposed to give you a "Leica look", ie something you get out of a Leica camera, does that mean that people using digital Leicas never do any post processing?

I'd say the answer to the above is no so in that case what gives? Or are we talking about a Leica-straight-out-of-camera-JPG-look?

Dec 16, 2025 at 03:24 AM

johnvanr
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p.2 #2 · "Leica Looks" for All

panos.v wrote:
Question: if these are supposed to give you a "Leica look", ie something you get out of a Leica camera, does that mean that people using digital Leicas never do any post processing?

I'd say the answer to the above is no so in that case what gives? Or are we talking about a Leica-straight-out-of-camera-JPG-look?

To me, the question is that if a Leica look can be the result of digital manipulation, then what�s the point of buying Leica lenses and cameras, other than the intuitive experience.

Dec 16, 2025 at 04:07 AM

panos.v
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p.2 #3 · "Leica Looks" for All

Dec 16, 2025 at 04:28 AM

1bwana1
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p.2 #4 · "Leica Looks" for All

I guess I need to learn more about the "Leica Look". I don't seem to be able with confidence which camera or lens it was shot with.

I can say with confidence that I enjoy the images and the workflow I get shooting images with my Leica gear. I guess that is enough for me.

Dec 16, 2025 at 07:50 AM

retrofocus
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p.2 #5 · "Leica Looks" for All

johnvanr wrote:
To me, the question is that if a Leica look can be the result of digital manipulation, then what�s the point of buying Leica lenses and cameras, other than the intuitive experience.

I think it is kind of related to the question "what's the point of taking photos with film if you can emulate film grain and give it a film look with digital". Short answer is that for some it is simply the process and enjoyment of using and working with film. Not better in the end but a different workflow.

Same goes here - you can use PP to achieve a look-alike "Leica look" to images out of any digital camera, but some might still enjoy using the vintage or specific Leica lens better as a "feel". I would second the latter from own experience, too. Both are valid techniques - likely close to indistinguishable in the end, but the process and fun factor is different and subjective.

Dec 16, 2025 at 08:02 AM

Masque
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p.2 #6 · "Leica Looks" for All

Is the "Base Pack" for each camera just a linear profile? Has anyone (or ... would someone please) compare those at https://goodlight.us/linear-profiles.html to the Cobalt Base for their camera?

I'm happy to support Cobalt's work, but if it's just a linear starting point....

Dec 16, 2025 at 08:59 AM

photonc
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p.2 #7 · "Leica Looks" for All

Cobalt has been a game changer for me with Sony - I always struggled with colors on Sony coming from Panasonic and Nikon but the Cobalt profiles provide a great starting point. My favorite is the Canon 5D profile.

Dec 16, 2025 at 09:21 AM

RustyBug
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p.2 #8 · "Leica Looks" for All

+1 wrt differentiating "Leica Looks" (plural manipulations) vs. the "Leica Look".

Imo, the (oooh-boy, opening the box) "Leica Look" is rooted in Leica optics. Everything from the Mandler era glow to the Karbe era razor blades. From choosing the broad utilitarian zonal transitions of a Summicron vs. choosing a more centric / mid dip optical profile of a Summilux, etc.

To me, whatever we attribute to the Leica Look .. is most heavily rooted in the optic. Personally, I didn't switch to Leica for the sensor or color profiles, but rather the way the optic transmits (good color balance, zonal transitions, etc.) to yield the image.

Yes, granted ... the different cameras have different profiles, and some folks prefer different models of sensor era / generation (i.e. my former M240 vs. my current M10-R). So, getting one to look like the other (preference vs. consistency) ... okay, I can see that to a degree.

But, when it comes to the terminology of the (software manipulations) "Leica Looks" ... imo, that isn't the same thing as the "Leica Look". I can see the software matching up calibrations / profiles, but I'm not so keen to think its emulation of the Leica Look is attained by the Leica Looks (or Cobalt's) software, inasmuch as it is from the optic.

That said, I do understand that if a preference to a given camera profile is desired, then having a tool to align consistency has merit. But, to me ... the matter of Leica Looks / Cobalt is more about having more crayons to play with. I'm sure I'm wrong for many reasons ... just that's the way it strikes me. Nothing wrong with more crayons (i.e. Fuji simulations, etc.) that are pre-packaged for us ... just that becomes the "antithesis" of the "Leica Look" for me. The irony being that it is named "Leica Looks" ... seems diverging more away from, rather than converging toward the "Leica Look".

But, I haven't used either "Leica Looks" or Cobalt ... so, I'm only armchair commenting here, as I'm trying to better understand the use case / propositions. I do recall seeing some of Fred's works with the Cobalts early on, and was piqued a bit by them, so I can appreciate them, but the combination of Cobalt / Leica Looks has me a bit befuddled.

In other words ... is this a serious calibration tool (Hassy-esque) , or is it a more crayons tool (Fuji-esque). Or, is it "both"?

Dec 16, 2025 at 09:48 AM

johnvanr
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p.2 #9 · "Leica Looks" for All

1bwana1 wrote:
I guess I need to learn more about the "Leica Look". I don't seem to be able with confidence which camera or lens it was shot with.

I can say with confidence that I enjoy the images and the workflow I get shooting images with my Leica gear. I guess that is enough for me.

It is if it is. I�m still trying to figure it out. Sold my Q2M but kept my M11 for now.

Dec 16, 2025 at 09:58 AM

RustyBug
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p.2 #10 · "Leica Looks" for All

Just an afterthought ... didn't the "Leica Look" moniker develop in the film era? Meaning, since we would load up whatever film profile(s) of choice into the camera, the "Leica Look" that came from shooting Leica (vs. different film stocks from Kodak, AGFA, Fujifilm, etc.), was solely from Leica's optical contribution.

Here, it now seems as though we have "Leica Looks" being a different thing (i.e. film profiles) from the "Leica Look" (optical rendering). Only to be (barely) differentiated by the letter "s". Or, have some folks morphed both the profiles and optics into the "Leica Look" ... which is now a matrix of varied combinations (plural), vs. a (singular) "look", and "Leica Looks" seeks to cover the breadth of that matrix (plural).

Semantics ...

Dec 16, 2025 at 10:10 AM

LBJ2
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p.2 #11 · "Leica Looks" for All

johnvanr wrote:
To me, the question is that if a Leica look can be the result of digital manipulation, then what�s the point of buying Leica lenses and cameras, other than the intuitive experience.

Leica Looks = Leica's in-camera creative styles/profiles that can be applied to jpegs in camera for compatible Leica cameras Q3, SL3 systems or can also be applied to other "unsupported" Leica cameras e.g, the M11, M10, Q2 SL2 series in post processing via the Leica Fotos Apps.

"...Enhance your images with Leica Looks - apply them instantly while shooting, without any need for post-processing. Simply choose from a range of pre-installed Core Looks or explore the creative Essential Looks. Your chosen look becomes instantly visible through the camera�s live view, allowing you to expand your creative boundaries."

As posted by the OP of this thread, Leica Looks include: "Bleach, Blue, Brass, BW HC, BW NAT, Chrome, Classic, Contemporary, Eternal, Greg Williams, Natural, Selenium, Sepia, Teal and Vivid"

https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/leica-looks?srsltid=AfmBOoqJSVPBamQaHDN92gr-I7r4vE0NEyXwBajcvGgykq8uWh5Sd8RN

Edited on Dec 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM · View previous versions

Dec 16, 2025 at 12:02 PM

rscheffler
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p.2 #12 · "Leica Looks" for All

RustyBug wrote:
Just an afterthought ... didn't the "Leica Look" moniker develop in the film era? Meaning, since we would load up whatever film profile(s) of choice into the camera, the "Leica Look" that came from shooting Leica (vs. different film stocks from Kodak, AGFA, Fujifilm, etc.), was solely from Leica's optical contribution.

Here, it now seems as though we have "Leica Looks" being a different thing (i.e. film profiles) from the "Leica Look" (optical rendering). Only to be (barely) differentiated by the letter "s". Or, have some folks morphed both the profiles and optics into the "Leica Look" ... which is now...Show more →

WRT to 'THE Leica look' in general, there are several components. The one most relevant to this thread would be about the camera profile designed by Leica for each camera and their unique color/tonality responses. Some of these have generated strong opinions/nostalgia in the past, such as the M9's 'look.'

Another factor in past discussions about 'Leica look' is how certain Leica lenses render images. This would be beyond the look available from a camera simulation profile because it requires the specific rendering characteristics of a given lens to complete the look, such as the 'Leica glow' of the 35 Lux pre-ASPH at certain aperture settings. Or the bokeh and focus transition characteristics of the 50 Lux ASPH.

I have not used the Cobalt profiles but here's my take: there seem to be two general reasons to use these. The first would be to unify/standardize the color response of images generated from more than one camera brand/model. The second would be to apply creative simulation effects.

The base pack addresses the first point so that you have a consistent starting point with all of your cameras. From the point of view of someone working with multiple camera brands and/or models during various events, each of these have a slightly different color/tonality 'look' when processed with the same settings in Adobe Lightroom. If the desire is to deliver very consistent color/tonality across multiple camera models, and if this works as advertised by Cobalt, it would provide an easy unified starting point for additional edits.

WRT the second point: the additional simulation packs are creative filter presets. It's a way to give your Sony images Canon/Nikon/Leica colors, for example. Or select from various film emulsion simulations. And since the different brands/models of cameras would have had colors/tonality unified via the base pack, the simulation packs would have a consistent 'look' across all of your images.

Dec 16, 2025 at 12:36 PM

RustyBug
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p.2 #13 · "Leica Looks" for All

rscheffler wrote:
WRT to 'THE Leica look' in general, there are several components. The one most relevant to this thread would be about the camera profile designed by Leica for each camera and their unique color/tonality responses. Some of these have generated strong opinions/nostalgia in the past, such as the M9's 'look.'

Another factor in past discussions about 'Leica look' is how certain Leica lenses render images. This would be beyond the look available from a camera simulation profile because it requires the specific rendering characteristics of a given lens to complete the look, such as the 'Leica glow' of the 35 Lux...Show more →

So, if not trying to "equalize" across bodies / profiles ... and not into the creative crayons ... probably not a strong use case (atm).

Although, I could see if you have two different bodies, and prefer ONE or the OTHER as to the profile ... but, have a different use case, that might be something of interest, I suppose. Let's say I like the jpg monochrom output of my Leica Q2 ... and want all my monochrome files ( M246, M10-R, SL2-S ) to emulate that profile, but want to work from raw / dng (vs. jpg), for those times when I don't want to individually process to taste (or use a base starting point).

Hmmm ...

Dec 16, 2025 at 12:57 PM

Ulysseita
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p.2 #14 · "Leica Looks" for All

Thanks to Fred for opening the thread, and thanks to everyone for the thoughtful comments and discussion.

I�d like to clarify one point that may not be immediately obvious from the product description. The Base Profiles are not intended only to make different cameras look consistent with each other. Consistency is more a consequence than the primary goal.

The main purpose of the Base Profiles is to provide a more accurate and realistic starting point for each sensor. Compared to many default �canned� profiles, the focus is on reducing color mixing and compression, improving hue separation, and preserving more natural relationships between colors as they appear in real scenes.

A quick note on the �linear profile� question that came up: the Cobalt Base Profiles are not simple linear profiles. While they aim to remain neutral and predictable, they are built using camera-specific color response characterization and carefully tuned color transforms, rather than a purely linear or generic conversion.

In practice, this often means images feel less blended or homogenized, with better distinction between similar hues, especially in foliage, skin transitions, and complex or mixed lighting. Many users notice this even before applying any creative look.

The Leica Looks (and any other Cobalt emulations) are then built on top of that foundation. They�re meant to be creative tools, but grounded in a base that respects the camera�s native color behavior rather than forcing everything through a one-size-fits-all interpretation.

We genuinely appreciate both the positive feedback and the critical questions here. Discussions like this are exactly why we try to be transparent about how these profiles are built and what problem they�re really meant to address.

Dec 16, 2025 at 01:15 PM

Thom
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p.2 #15 · "Leica Looks" for All

Ok, I get the whole base pack/profile concept needs applying before applying any creative pack on top of it but given the three following cameras, to me, all have the "same" sensor ... will the SL3 base pack work on Q3 and M11-P RAW (or jpgs respectively) files or is there some sort of software limitation that prevents one applying a base pack from one "similar" camera to another?

Dec 16, 2025 at 01:29 PM

Ulysseita
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p.2 #16 · "Leica Looks" for All

Thom wrote:
Ok, I get the whole base pack/profile concept needs applying before applying any creative pack on top of it but given the three following cameras, to me, all have the "same" sensor ... will the SL3 base pack work on Q3 and M11-P RAW (or jpgs respectively) files or is there some sort of software limitation that prevents one applying a base pack from one "similar" camera to another?

That�s a very reasonable question. Part of the answer lies in how Adobe�s profiling system works.

Even if two cameras share what is described as the �same� sensor, that does not mean everything else in the imaging chain is identical from a calibration standpoint. Sensor stack, microlenses, CFA tuning, analog stages, and preprocessing can all differ and affect color response before the RAW is written.
On top of that, Adobe�s profiling protocol itself treats each camera model as a distinct entity. Profiles are explicitly tagged to specific camera IDs, and Adobe will often prevent or discourage cross-application even between very similar models.

A concrete example is Sony A7R IV vs A7R IV A: despite being effectively the same camera in terms of sensor output, Adobe assigns different identifiers, which forces separate profiles. This isn�t a limitation we impose, but one inherent to Adobe�s system.

So the constraint is both technical and structural: the sensor alone is not the full story for accurate calibration, and even when cameras are extremely close, Adobe�s profiling framework still requires model-specific profiles to ensure predictable and reliable results.

Dec 16, 2025 at 01:41 PM

Thom
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p.2 #17 · "Leica Looks" for All

Thanks. Makes perfect sense. I do see enough minor differences camera-to-camera in a base RAW file but I think it's probably more than that. What is under the hood for each camera/sensor combination must factor in as well. I figured maybe close enough to give the Leica pack a shot on each before committing to base pack for each.

Dec 16, 2025 at 03:49 PM

Grenache
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p.2 #18 · "Leica Looks" for All

I have and enjoy Cobalt profiles. The per camera cost is something that they really need to fix in their business model. While I conceptually understand why they have it, they would attract far more customers, if the per camera cost dropped with each camera, perhaps becoming zero after a few.

The cost of each photo treatment pack is already high�I am fine with that, because they are all good quality, but after buying a few of those and several camera profiles, I feel like I should be able to add other cameras at will. THAT would encourage me to continue buying other treatment packs.

More related to these specific Leica emulations, I love the idea for two reasons:

1) Leica Fotos only runs on tablets and phones. I have less than zero interest in editing on one of those devices. Without having the program on a Mac or a way to read Looks into Lightroom, I basically can�t use them

2) I assume that Cobalt versions would have same Strength slider for these, just like their other treatments. That would be great, as I find the Looks versions often to be rather ham handed. Brass and Chrome, in particular are nice for some images but are huge overkill on others. Being able to attenuate the intensity would make them much more relevant.

Jim

Marcus Stein wrote:
I just counted my digital inventory: Leica M11-P, M10-R, SL3-S, Q3/43, Nikon D850, Nikon Zf, Fuji X-T50
One profile for each camera?! Hell no, I would go bankrupt.

Dec 16, 2025 at 04:33 PM

freaklikeme
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p.2 #19 · "Leica Looks" for All

Masque wrote:
Is the "Base Pack" for each camera just a linear profile? Has anyone (or ... would someone please) compare those at https://goodlight.us/linear-profiles.html to the Cobalt Base for their camera?

I'm happy to support Cobalt's work, but if it's just a linear starting point....

There is a part of the base pack that's similar to using a linear profile (either one you created or a downloaded copy) with Cobalt Repro, but the base pack gives you different starting points with Standard, Neutral, and Flat. You also don't get access to their film emulations (or Leica looks) without the base pack, so that's the big selling point.

Dec 16, 2025 at 05:38 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.2 #20 · "Leica Looks" for All

These Cobalt profile packs are expensive but after using many of them over the past few years, I find them a nice tool to have in the bag. One nice thing is that they do update many of the profiles often. For instance, I originally purchased the Leica M v1.1 of this Leica pack about a year ago and the current free update to v3 includes not only color refinements over the original version but also the addition of more Leica profiles.

Now, I'm waiting on Cobalt to release a Hasselblad color profile (and simultaneously prove that yes, it is possible!).

Dec 17, 2025 at 07:45 PM

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