rscheffler wrote:
Very nice Dan, Justin and Bruno!
Adam - you have a great looking group of friends!
Agreed about pushing the M9 files in post, but haven't been brave enough to shoot ISO 160 indoors instead of 1250. I'll have to test it sometime. The biggest issue I have with pushing M9 files is I still get random banding in a fair number of images that normally isn't visible in correctly exposed files, but becomes apparent when opening shadows. I don't know if it's related to the cards I use or because my camera is from early in the production run, probably sometime late 2009. ...Show more →
That's an interesting point. I haven't noticed any extra banding, in fact, I thought I was getting more banding by raising the ISO, but I haven't done any stringent testing, so I'm not sure.
Joan, nice capture with the X2
Ron, great sets with the 21 SEM! Favourite is #5 in the first set Love the detail and impact of the last set.
Dan, nice candid captures! I have not tried just using base ISO, and pushing the exposure in LR/CS. Interesting!!
Justin, very nice shot!!
Adam, very natural set of flash exposures! This is no easy task
Ron, in the third photo it looks like you're doing an engagement shoot for the asian couple. Nice shots BTW..
Haha, interesting you picked up on that... I was in fact photographing them... They're friends and recently married and my GF volunteered me to do some 'couple' photos of to send back to their families.
Gary Clennan wrote:
More nice pics Ron. The warm light looks great in these photo's. I will be in Munich in December so I may have to check out that spot...
Definitely check it out Gary - it's only a 10 minute walk from the Leica Store. Be sure to clear some space on your credit card for a lens or two. http://www.leica-store-muenchen.de/en/photography/photography/kategorie/m-objektive.html Seriously though, with the full VAT refund (PM me for details), it will be in the range of 15-20% below USA/Canada pricing.
Great set and especially love the rendering in the first image. Still can't believe you have snow...
Thanks Michael and Charles!
Doug - I can definitely find banding in ISO 160 images, but typically only when lifting the shadows considerably, though I have also had a few images where it didn't take much to reveal the banding. I still believe the incidence of banding is directly related to the number of images in the buffer and how quickly the images were captured, how 'hard' the camera is working to clear the buffer and whether one is reviewing images while the buffer is clearing. I've done a few tests around these suspicions and can always generate banding by filling the buffer and reviewing images on the camera's display at the same time, therefore I avoid reviewing images until the buffer is clear. Yet, that doesn't completely eliminate banding, at least for me.
Again, the Munich skyline from the Monopteros, but a day later than the previous ones. This one was kind of interesting because a bank of fog was moving in from the east towards the sunset.
For those of you who are worried about the IQ loss of using filters, this was shot through 2 layers of glass, a B+W UV filter, and a tainted car window
rscheffler wrote:
Doug - I can definitely find banding in ISO 160 images, but typically only when lifting the shadows considerably, though I have also had a few images where it didn't take much to reveal the banding. I still believe the incidence of banding is directly related to the number of images in the buffer and how quickly the images were captured, how 'hard' the camera is working to clear the buffer and whether one is reviewing images while the buffer is clearing. I've done a few tests around these suspicions and can always generate banding by filling the buffer and reviewing images on the camera's display at the same time, therefore I avoid reviewing images until the buffer is clear. Yet, that doesn't completely eliminate banding, at least for me. ...Show more →
This was my observation as well: filling the buffer then reviewing and/or shooting does it. It gets worse as you increase the ISO...but one thing i noticed is it depends on the card in use. I've mostly used Lexar Gold 400x 16GB in the past and could replicate the banding rather easily...I've stumbled across the Wintec Elite (the silver one) while contemplating on getting an expensive Panasonic Gold SD card.
Bought 2 of the Wintec Elite and used them exclusively for the past month or so...I've gone through hundreds and hundreds of shots with the Wintec and only got TWO images with banding and on high ISO only.
That could be Edward. I tried a Transcend 16GB UHS-1 card and the banding was terrible. The worst I've ever seen on the M9. I've always used the Transcend 16GB Class 10 cards and my unscientific impression was that it could vary from card to card. I have retired one card permanently because the M9 would always lock up with it (red light kept flashing and the last few images in the buffer would be lost)...
Thanks for the corroborating info Dexter. I've read good things about the Panasonic cards in the M9, just haven't gotten around to trying one.
So what is the best card to use, I have sandisk cards one always locks up on me in the M9, so my fiance uses it in the NEX5 without problems. And I do get banding as well if I push the images so many stops!
Well, like Ron, I am using Transcend 16GB SDHC class 10 cards. They are 133X speed, and I have not seen any banding nor lock ups so far. However, two Sandisk cards were corrupted and became unusable. I am so happy with the Transcend that I bought 4 of them.
This said, I do not push my camera like Ron seems to do. I am always on Single shot mode and rarely take more than 2 shots, but mostly just one, which could explain why I have not been in trouble so far
Nice architecture shots by the way. Love no. 2 and 3.
edwardkaraa wrote:
Gary and Ron, nice shots as usual!
From today with M9 + Biogon 35.
For those of you who are worried about the IQ loss of using filters, this was shot through 2 layers of glass, a B+W UV filter, and a tainted car window
Yeah, the whole banding thing seems to be an uncertain combination of SD card type, number of consecutive shots, image review while the image is writing, and firmware being used.
I've been using the latest firmware (which allegedly deals with some of this) and a SanDisk Extreme Pro 16GB, and I've not noticed any low ISO banding that is an issue, but I may try to find some time to test it with my 16GB Transcend Class 10 cards...or I may just start using the Transcends to be safe. I've been using the SanDisk because it writes a little faster.
I also wonder whether using DNG+jpeg and other more processor intensive camera settings might affect it??
I'll have to test it sometime. The biggest issue I have with pushing M9 files is I still get random banding in a fair number of images that normally isn't visible in correctly exposed files, but becomes apparent when opening shadows. I don't know if it's related to the cards I use or because my camera is from early in the production run, probably
