Yes, the greens are crazy right now. I really like this time of year when the tree canopy isn't fully developed, there's a much wider range of greens and more light filters through to the ground.
Just to catch up on the last couple pages:
Luka, Interesting set from the botanical gardens. That flower must be very old. I like the last two abstract images from that set the best. Great night images as well, especially the first one.
Joe: are you working on a furnace documentary? Nice quality of light and tones!
LL: cool location and great treatment!
Ryan: An interesting contrast in your two sets. I think I'm partial to #1 & 5 in the construction set. All of the photos of your daughter are really great!
Charles: Great B&W conversions! I think it works especially well for the father & son on the beach, which is such a wonderful image. The rocks and surf sets are also very cool - very moody.
Alex: Very nice variety!
Hugo - wow, what a location and great colors!
Malkovic, Nice couple of sets - I really like the first group of three.
Morfeus: Looks like your new toy is working well! - great colors.
KL: Great work with the 135 of kids in motion. The feeling of the day comes through really well!
Not really sure what to suggest with the card problem, assuming it's that. Sounds like there is something fishy going on between the cards, reader and system. I'd probably first replace the cards with something else, as Charles suggests. I think there was a discussion somewhere about cards that work well with the M9. If it persists, then look at other card reader options. From time to time I've had issues with my CF cards not ingesting properly. I use Photo Mechanic for import, and it will throw errors from time to time with my Lexar CF FW800 reader. If that happens, then I use a USB reader and do the transfer manually in the Finder. But with the SDHC cards for the M9, I only use the USB reader and it hasn't been a problem yet. But with your problem, you won't know about it until actually looking at the images after the import... So, maybe try a different memory card, and if the problem persists, then focus on the card reader. In terms of suitable cards - I haven't really experimented much because I started with the Transcend 16GB SDHC Class 10 and they have generally worked very well.
Some more from the woods:
M9 & ZM35C for the first three, then 2x ZM50P and the last is the CV75 f/1.8
Great shots guys Ron, I really like the "green" set
I decided to revisit the 35/2 Biogon today. It was my first M9 lens and according to my lightroom database my least used M mount lens. I was rather disappointed with it early on, especially when came to wide open performance. It was, I concluded, particularly bad for close ups. I was however new to the M9 and was still pretty much still stuck in my 5DII ways. I was however happy with it stopped down as a landscape lens. After I got the 35 Summilux ASPH I had not used it at all.
So I thought it would be interesting to have another go at using it. Here are a couple of shots:
Have I changed my opinion? Well, yes and no. Wide open at MFD it isn't good, especially if you have a busy background. The bokeh can be atrocious. If you move away a bit things improve a lot. It's OK wide open at say 5 meters and beyond. Stopped down it is excellent as far as resolution goes. The global contrast and color saturations are low, but that's easily fixable in post (in principle just an adjustment of black levels).
It produces a really classic Zeiss rendering with high contrast in the fine details and a strong edge contrast as well. It isn't completely aberration free, but the small amounts of CA are not problematic.
Yes. It's the only 35mm that I've used so far that I think is really good as a landscape lens. Wide open or near wide open the 35 Lux ASPH is much better but stopped down the Biogon is better. It doesn't suffer form field curvature, it has very high contrast in the fine detail and it is basically completely distortion free.
I really hate having to bring along two 35mm lenses, but what can I do when they are good at different things?
Have you considered getting/trying out the C-Biogon 35/2.8, denoir? From what I've read about it it seems to address a lot of the bad aspects of the 35/2 Biogon at the expense of a stop of light.
What for? I've got the 35 Summilux ASPH that is excellent at larger apertures and the 35/2 Biogon that is excellent stopped down. The ZM 35/2.8 is not as good as the 35 Lux ASPH wide open (and it's two stops slower) and it's not quite as good as the ZM 35/2 stopped down.
denoir wrote:
What for? I've got the 35 Summilux ASPH that is excellent at larger apertures and the 35/2 Biogon that is excellent stopped down. The ZM 35/2.8 is not as good as the 35 Lux ASPH wide open (and it's two stops slower) and it's not quite as good as the ZM 35/2 stopped down.
From all I've read about it (from reviews to user experiences) the C-Biogon is the better lens stopped down due to its moderate speed. Maybe these people are seeing things but the C-Biogon is always getting praise over the Biogon and the IQ difference stopped down and at f/2.8 seem to be appreciable enough to lose a max stop of light. Plus the bokeh is supposed to be more neutral vs. the crazy overly defined bokeh you've complained about.
Plus being a smaller lens physically, it seems like its better suited to be that "stopped down lens" and the Summilux being the big honker of a lens for speed. But I don't know, I haven't used these lenses first hand, just ain't rich enough
bluetsunami wrote:
From all I've read about it (from reviews to user experiences) the C-Biogon is the better lens stopped down due to its moderate speed. Maybe these people are seeing things but the C-Biogon is always getting praise and the IQ difference stopped down and at f/2.8 is appreciable enough to lose a max stop.
It's definitely not better stopped down according to the MTF charts.
black = 35/2.8, blue = 35/2
Sorry about the quality of the image above but Zeiss provides a very low res MTF chart for the C-Biogon.
The C-Biogon is very good stopped down, but the Biogon is superb stopped down. Apart from some minor imperfections in the MTF curves, we're talking 21 Distagon territory here.
bluetsunami wrote:
Plus the bokeh is supposed to be more neutral vs. the crazy overly defined bokeh you've complained about.
Yeah, but bokeh isn't usually an issue at f/5.6 - f/8
Plus being a smaller lens physically, it seems like its better suited to be that "stopped down lens" and the Summilux being the big honker of a lens for speed.
"Big" is very relative here as we're talking tiny rangefinder lenses. I think I have an image somewhere..ah here it is:
The 35/2 Biogon is the same size as the Lux but somewhat lighter.
I found this old shot as well - size comparison of my 35mm primes + the 135L.
(The 135L is there to simulate the size of the new Zeiss 35/1.4, although the 135L is slightly larger).
So my thinking is that if I'm willing to carry around two 35mm lenses in order to maximize the image quality, then I'm willing to carry a slightly and larger heavier lens as well
Ron, thanks Nice set of the woods
Luka, excellent set with the 35 Biogon Very nice compositions. The warm tones and the deep red richness is amazing. I fully appreciate, your reasoning for keeping both 35's.
I still have the ZM 50 Planar and 25/2.8, but I have not used them. I am keeping them for now as a backup whenever the Leica lenses need to be serviced.
At the moment I have the 50 Lux Asph at the Camera Clinic, to be finely tuned for reccentering, an exercise that Wayne wanted to try, and evaluate how effective the final result would be. Supposedly, this will reduce even the potential for flaring when the lens is wide open. This is done at no charge, so it is an interesting exercise.
Phil, very nice shots with 50 Nocti!! This lens is magic in how it renders
I also have the 50/1.5 Sonnar which is far more difficult to find a future role for. The 50 Lux ASPH is just much better in every respect. The 25/2.8 is a tricky one as well. It's a really good lens but I don't use it much because any type of framing without an external viewfinder is difficult. And I've got the 28 Cron which isn't far off in FL and doesn't require an external viewfinder.
Something that I'll have to sort out in the future is my 90mm. I really like the drawing style of the 90 Cron V3, but at the same time I find its optical performance lacking. There are no problems with the wide aperture stuff but stopped down shots tend to be infested with CA. So I don't really have a longer lens that is good for landscape photography.
Here's an example of the CA problem:
100% crop:
The 90 Cron AA is a distinct possibility (probably the only possibility), but I have not made up my mind yet. I would be unhappy if I get a lens that is similar to the 75 Cron AA. I'd rather take the CA of the V3 Cron then
Luka, very nice shot. I don't think you would be disappointed with the 90 Cron AA, for what you are looking for. It is a very different lens to the 75 Cron AA
Ryan & Ron, thanks for the earlier comment on my furnace
Ryan, the rendering of the 28Cron on the construction set is beautiful. The set with your daughter is also really nice. Hehe.. I recognize the rendering on those 50Cron shots
Charles, beautiful tones on the redo of the 75Lux Bangkok portrait. Also really excellent shots at the beach with the 28Cron. Love all three shots from the second set (Do you always check the weather forecast before heading out there? )
Max, an excellent set with the M8 and the CV lenses. Beautiful composition and tones. #1,2 & 4 are my favorites.
Luka, great shots as always! Such clarity with your pp. The compositions on the last set with the ZM35 is really nice, the rendering is definitely different from the 35Lux ASPH. Very contrasty and I think I prefer the rendering of the 35Lux ASPH. I think to solve you dilemma with having to carry two 35mm lenses, just carry the 35Lux and the 28Cron instead. If you need to stop down, switch to the 28Cron. What do you think?
KL, very nice "snaps" of the school sports day. Love how you captured the mood on #1 Beautiful colors!
Hugo, excellent set with the X1. The first shot is really beautiful!
Malkovic, really nice composition of the roof tiles.
Ron, an excellent "green" series on your long walk . All of them are nice. You have a great eye for colors. Great pp as always.
Heinz, nice flower shot with the 90 Elmar.
Phil, another excellent set. Love the tonality. #2 is really excellent. I am sure this is not the X100 shot
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On my way to NYC earlier this weekend. "Man vs Big Mac". M9 35Lux ASPH
Joe, thank you Yes I do check on the weather, as when there are clouds or rain, as I do look for the interesting lighting, at the expense of getting wet!
Very nice shot. I really like the B&W conversion.
Heinz, nice shot
LL, great portrait and congrats on the 50 Lux
. All of them are nice. You have a great eye for colors. Great pp as always.