In print, they look quite good to me through ISO 1250 (1600 actual).
Cheers,
Sean
Have you figured out a way to share the RAW dng files with us? I don't think C1 is doing a very good job on the higher ISO. It looks like the red channel is wrong.
I have been playing around with LightRoom and it seems to do a decent job even with 1600iso DMR files. It would be interesting to run your file through it.
Another practical test would be to shoot a more one dimension object to keep focus and depth of field errors out of the test. When I take the high ISO M8 shots and process them through Noise Ninja, they get nearer to the Canon 5D, but also get a touch softer like the 5D files. I am wondering if the biggest difference in noise is just that Canon does some in camera noise reduction and Leica lets you use your own preferred nosie reduction, rather than treat it in camera.
Edited by robsteve on Oct 22, 2006 at 06:09 PM GMT
Hi Sean,
I just finished reading your excellent review. Now, I am more comitted to the M8 than ever (as if I wasn't before ). If one realizes the shortcoming of a certain camera system, be it a RF or SLR, and just concentrates on and utilizes the strength of whatever system, one can get the most of that system. Thank you for the great review and I am looking forward to more in the not-too-distant future.
The difference beteween the 5D at high ISOs is quite impressive, though honestly it is more due to the astounding clean look of the 5D at 4000 ISO effective than to the M8 "fault" at those ISOs.
I appreciate though the crisp look of the M8 at any ISO, there's no trace of softening, only good old grain, which sometime even adds to the look of the image, as you wisely pointed out.
And the crops up to 640 ISOs (my most used settings) seems better to me than the 5D, more "depth" and crisper.
Btw Sean, at Photokina I forgot to test an important feature: does the M8 always recock the shutter right after the exposure or does it wait after you release the shutter button ?
Marco wrote:
Btw Sean, at Photokina I forgot to test an important feature: does the M8 always recock the shutter right after the exposure or does it wait after you release the shutter button ?
While you at it, does the shutterspeed dial appear more plasticy than, let's say, that of M6 ?
So does it shoot 1 fps or 2 fps? Is there a difference in C vs S? Can you tell when it's ready from the sound? If you hold down the release before it's ready, will it shoot when ready? On S, do you have to let the release up all the way before depressing again? (That's one of the very few annoyances I've found with the DMR.) Does the shutter release have an exposure lock?
One thing I really really like (and missed for the rd1) is that the vignetting correction is allready done in the raw file.
I think this is also "clever" from Leica to do so, because they kind of protect their wide angles against lenses without this information. Not a big deal to correct afterwards but still more compfortable if it is allready done in the raw file.
Now I wish Canon would offer something like this for the 5D + 24-105mm combo, which could really use some vignetting correction at 24mm.
Can I ask for some thoughts from you all regarding 3 lenses,
My dilemma is the choice between the 75Lux, 75Cron APO ASPH and to a lesser degree the 90Cron APO ASPH. My favourite focal lenght has been without a doubt the 85L on the Canon 1.25 crop which I tend to shoot between f2.2 f/4. I just love the feel this lens imparts to the images. My choices for the M8 should I go down that road seem to be heading in the direction of the 2 75's given the 1.33 crop of the M8, but as to which to choose, that's the question.
What difference apart from aperture 1.4 v 2.0 does the APO ASPH impart to the image, is it more contrast, better colour, less flare, more sharpness?. I have read / searched and there seems to be two schools of thought, three in fact if you count the 90Cron. I read they all draw differently but which would you choose and why?.
ClubShooter wrote:
So does it shoot 1 fps or 2 fps? Is there a difference in C vs S? Can you tell when it's ready from the sound? If you hold down the release before it's ready, will it shoot when ready? On S, do you have to let the release up all the way before depressing again? (That's one of the very few annoyances I've found with the DMR.) Does the shutter release have an exposure lock?
From memory of using the camera at Photokina, if you have a short shutter speed selected, it will shoot at about 2fps, but will obviously slow down as the exposure time increases. In continuous mode, it will take pictures for as long as your finger is on the release or until the buffer fills up. In single shot you have to let the release up but cannot remember how far. There are four positions - "nothing", "meter on", "exposure locked", "release".
Marco wrote:
Jan,
from what I understand the macro adapter is designed to work with the current 90/4 only.
You can mount any other 90mm but it might have a different behaviour (effective focal lenght at close distance) so the system wouldn't be accurate.
The answer is that you can mount the lens, but you won't get the results you are looking for.
The macro adapter is effectively an extension tube with goggles and there's a a small cam roller to transmit the focussing ring position through to the camera via a slider.
The key thing is that the lens is mounted upside down in the Macro Adapter which presents you with a different distance scale and depth of field markings engraved on the conventional "underside" of the lens. Most important of all is that it also presents a different profile cam for the camera to follow in macro mode. Look at the cam and you see two distinct profiles, one for use by the camera when the lens is being used normally, the second for use by the macro adapter when in macro mode.
Eoin wrote:
Can I ask for some thoughts from you all regarding 3 lenses,
My dilemma is the choice between the 75Lux, 75Cron APO ASPH and to a lesser degree the 90Cron APO ASPH. My favourite focal lenght has been without a doubt the 85L on the Canon 1.25 crop which I tend to shoot between f2.2 f/4. I just love the feel this lens imparts to the images. My choices for the M8 should I go down that road seem to be heading in the direction of the 2 75's given the 1.33 crop of the M8, but as to which to choose, that's the question.
What difference apart from aperture 1.4 v 2.0 does the APO ASPH impart to the image, is it more contrast, better colour, less flare, more sharpness?. I have read / searched and there seems to be two schools of thought, three in fact if you count the 90Cron. I read they all draw differently but which would you choose and why?.
This is an eternal Leica question. You must understand that these two lenses are very different in character and that the stop difference in maximum speed is not all that important. Basically the answer is that the Summicron apo draws with a finer brush and thus paints a little more harshly. Steeper defined bokeh and more clear outlines in the unsharp zone. The Summilux is a bit more "impressionistic", gives a more smooth OOF and is conceived for low light shooting, thus rendering spotlights etc. wide open absolutely coma- and flare-free. From 4.0 upwards there is very little to choose between the two. So the choice is up to you: for romantic portraits, theatre and general work one could prefer the Summilux, for powerful contrasty shots the Summicron. Personally I prefer the Summilux. The 90 Summicron apo is very close to the 75 Summicron apo in performance.
). If one realizes the shortcoming of a certain camera system, be it a RF or SLR, and just concentrates on and utilizes the strength of whatever system, one can get the most of that system. Thank you for the great review and I am looking forward to more in the not-too-distant future. 
