Ryan, thank you
Ryan, wow..excellent set of shots!!! I really like the 50 Planar shots Congratulations on the 50 Lux
Wozza, very nice set! Love #2, the portrait with the 90 Elmar
Damnit! Just noticed the horizontal lines in shot #5 on the upper left of the photo. Actually, they are all over but really evident there. Is there a consensus on what this is from or do we just have SD card theories? Ron, I think you said it may have something to do with shooting continuous in 'C' and filling the buffer. I have been trying to avoid shooting in 'C' mode but f/4 with little to no light (and the macro adapter) was proving tough otherwise. This is a Sandisk approved card....I know that means nothing but its on the good list
Very nice macros Ryan, and great shots with the 50 Planar. Congrats on the 50 Lux ASPH! So what does your current lineup look like? 28 Cron ASPH, 35 Lux ASPH, 50 Lux ASPH & 90 Macro Elmar - did I miss some lens?
The 21 SEM sounds like a good choice for the UWA end. The only thing I would perhaps suggest is to try the 90 Cron AA some time in the future. Otherwise it sounds like you've got things covered pretty well.
Personally I'm having trouble on the UWA end. I had thought that I'd get the 21 SEM and sell the ZM 18 and ZM 25. The great thing about that would be to only have one lens that requires an external viewfinder. After the US trip however I'm not sure that I'd like to part with the ZM 18. And if I'm keeping it then I might as well keep the 25. In terms of focal length it's close to the 28 Cron, but they are really different in terms of rendering. The ZM 25 is in terms of raw optical performance the best wide angle lens available while the 28 Cron excels with its color rendering.
So I think I'll keep what I have at least for a while.
denoir wrote:
So what does your current lineup look like? 28 Cron ASPH, 35 Lux ASPH, 50 Lux ASPH & 90 Macro Elmar - did I miss some lens?
Exactly. I tried the ZM 25 Biogon again (first time on M9) and while it is technically excellent, the rendering is very different from the 28 Cron which I much more prefer
The only thing I would perhaps suggest is to try the 90 Cron AA some time in the future.
I would like to, but not sure about the accuracy wide open....which would primarily be the reason for it. My eyes aren't bad where I can't see without glasses, so I don't wear them unless reading. However, not being 20/20 I would assume focusing a 90mm lens at f/2 would be quite difficult for me. I did pretty well with the 90 f/2.8 I had, but it wasn't anywhere near the hit rate of my other lenses. I was just looking over the MTFs of the 90 Cron AA compared to the 50 Lux ASPH and 90 Macro earlier today...the 90 Cron AA puts both of them to shame at f/2.8 on. Neither one catches up in the corners. Does sound tempting.
After the US trip however I'm not sure that I'd like to part with the ZM 18.
Actually, I am thinking about that lens as well. I had it and loved it. No complaints. After selling it I went back through my library and realized the majority of my favorite shots were actually shot with that lens. I sold it to fund the 35 Lux ASPH as I wanted to keep my Leica budget down. Well, I don't have a Nikon system anymore so I want another UWA. The ZM 18 is definitely a hell of a lens. You seemed to have used it a great deal here in the US and at Lofoten and the images are always spectacular....not that any of them aren't
Wozza604 wrote:
Great shots! I can see the horizontal lines in all of them though, but it's hard to tell at that resolution. I had just chalked it up to jpeg compression, are they present in the DNG files as well?
Hmm...I don't see them in the other shots but maybe it is just me I am on a crappy work computer too, though . These are actually all DNG files converted to JPG in LR3. I will have to check when I get home tonight....this really ticks me off regardless. I will say, the majority of the times I have seen this happen is when I underexpose shots . That will teach me
rsolti13 wrote:
Exactly. I tried the ZM 25 Biogon again (first time on M9) and while it is technically excellent, the rendering is very different from the 28 Cron which I much more prefer
Yes, so do I. Now in the US I took no less than seven times as many shots with the 28 Cron compared to the 25 Biogon. Part of the reason of course is the hassle with the external viewfinder.
Still, I'm in awe of its optical performance.
I would like to, but not sure about the accuracy wide open....which would primarily be the reason for it. My eyes aren't bad where I can't see without glasses, so I don't wear them unless reading. However, not being 20/20 I would assume focusing a 90mm lens at f/2 would be quite difficult for me.
I'm using a diopter on both my M6 & M9 and getting accurate focus with the 90 AA is no problem. In fact I don't know when I last missed focus with it. I think the 50 Lux ASPH @ f/1.4 is a bit more difficult as it can happen - not often - on occasion that I miss focus.
I did pretty well with the 90 f/2.8 I had, but it wasn't anywhere near the hit rate of my other lenses. I was just looking over the MTFs of the 90 Cron AA compared to the 50 Lux ASPH and 90 Macro earlier today...the 90 Cron AA puts both of them to shame at f/2.8 on. Neither one catches up in the corners. Does sound tempting.
The 90 AA is in many ways similar to the Zeiss 100 MP, only better. A lot better actually, as impossible as that might sound. (The 100 MP of course having the great advantage of close focus). It's also one of the very few Leica lenses that is free of field curvature, even wide open. So you can shoot 2D subjects at max aperture and get really good quality across the entire frame.
Interesting comment about the 90AA and 100MP. I love my 100MP to death, but I also love my 90AA-M, but cannot compare them due to the lack of an M9. I have thought of looking for a 90AA-R, but would be interested to hear more detailed descriptions from you first.
rsolti13 wrote:
Damnit! Just noticed the horizontal lines in shot #5 on the upper left of the photo. Actually, they are all over but really evident there. Is there a consensus on what this is from or do we just have SD card theories? Ron, I think you said it may have something to do with shooting continuous in 'C' and filling the buffer. I have been trying to avoid shooting in 'C' mode but f/4 with little to no light (and the macro adapter) was proving tough otherwise. This is a Sandisk approved card....I know that means nothing but its on the good list ...Show more →
My informal testing indicated that the probability for banding increases dramatically when the following happens (for me):
- the buffer is completely full and you can't shoot more images and:
- you review images
- you continue to shoot additional images as soon as space in the buffer becomes available.
It certainly becomes more noticeable if recovering an image that was underexposed. I've also noticed it at ISO 160 when using massive fill light. Usually I go no more than 15-30, but above 50 banding in certain scenes can become obvious.
I haven't tested with the advance set to C, but I did have it set to C when I did the game day football photos, and as I mentioned, slight banding is visible in the upper left corner of a couple of the CV15 images. I'm pretty sure I didn't hit the buffer limit when I did those images, and I don't recall reviewing them immediately after capture.
Wozza604 wrote:
or maybe it's my eyes playing tricks on me?
I think it's your eyes because the same thing was happening to me... I would have sworn I saw banding in a couple others, but when I looked carefully, there was none, except in the one image.
Ryan, excellent set with the 90 Macro
I am not noticing the horizontal lines on my monitor. If I look carefully, I can possibly notice them, but very faintly. I think the only way you can tell if you look closely on your monitor at full resolution, eliminating other factors. A possibility, is maybe some dead pixels, that would saturate, and extend as a very fines line across the sensor. Pixels can be easily remapped if this is an issue.
I agree with Luka, that the 90 Cron AA, is a brilliant lens and focusing should not be an issue. I wear multi focals only needing correction for reading. I use +1.0 correction dioptor, overall correction is +0.5, with the standard correction of -0.5. If you test different dioptors, getting the right one will make the focusing very easy even with the 90 Cron or 75 Lux.
Excellent set Wozza! #2 is really nice. M9 for you and a M8 for the lady? Is that a dust bunny or object in the sky on #1?
Ryan, congrats on the 50Lux ASPH! More nice macro shots. The close up focusing is quite impressive huh? I can't see the horizontal banding in your shots, most likely due to my cheap monitor or bad eyesight.
Gregory, nice cowboy shot!
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I went out this morning for a stroll, on the 2nd hottest day on record in Boston I decided to give the M6 TTL some love as I have some expired Legacy Pro 100 film (Acros 100?) in the fridge. Unfortunately I overcooked the film while developing this afternoon and blocked the highlights on my first two rolls. I have 3 more rolls and will try make some adjustments, so I don't think these shots are representative of what this film is capable of.
M6 TTL, Legacy Pro 100 DDX 1+4, either 35Lux or 50Lux
Charles, you must have been really pumped about Joe's shots posting 3x
Edit: you fixed it
Nice shots Joe, we just broke a record with 57 straight days in the 90's. The last two weeks it has rarely been under 100. I try to go out after work, obviously in my work clothes. I come home drenched . People in the South are relatively babies....streets are empty once it reaches 90
Joe, very nice street shots - great sense of movement in them.
Now, for those expecting more national park shots - sorry, I have something completely different first. Before I left on the trip I shot a roll of Tmax 100 on my M6 and I've got it developed now. I'm in love! The tonality of the film is beautiful and it's very fine grained so the resolution is the best I've seen so far from small format film.
Lenses used, no idea - this was shot a month ago. Very likely ZM 35/2 or 35 Lux ASPH, possibly 28 Cron ASPH.
I am on a crappy work computer too, though 
I decided to give the M6 TTL some love as I have some expired Legacy Pro 100 film (Acros 100?) in the fridge. Unfortunately I overcooked the film while developing this afternoon and blocked the highlights on my first two rolls. I have 3 more rolls and will try make some adjustments, so I don't think these shots are representative of what this film is capable of.
