Thank you very much for your kind comments burningheart, Zhangyue, Charlie!
Joakim, love the dynamic lines in the Hauptbahnhof shots.
Leonas, nice 3D pop in the boat shot.
Ron, thank you very much for the study of the M9 and M240 different renderings. Very interesting indeed. Can't say which I prefer but the difference is definitely there.
Charlie, great 20 cron shots. My favourite is 1st photo, love the PP and composition.
Gary, fantastic shots of Budapest. Love them all!!!! Great job!
Ryan, what a wonderful set with the MM! My favourites are 1, 4, 7, 12 and 13!
Those of you that said keep it, Got your wish. The snow was all but gone late last night. This morning was a different story I figured I may as well embrace it and prepare for the long winter ahead.
Lux 50
Till I looked out front. Not going to venture much today, my whole neighbourhood is full of poplar trees.
Edward - I sure love the look of that Sonnar. Mind you, I have always liked the general output from Sonnar designs.
Ryan - great to see you posting again! Your B&W images are so smooth and you have captured some great kid moments. Are you enjoying the snow?
Ryan - excellent set! Great to catch up with you through these images.
Robert - that is crazy for this time of year! Looking at our forecast and it's going to cool a bit over the weekend, but nothing like what you've had, thankfully.
Edward - Love the light quality!
adamdewilde wrote:
Also one more question. Why would you think the two points listed by you are software related rather then the relationship between the lens optics and sensor reflectivity?
- mid tone contrast
- mid tone colour saturation
Thanks!
I don't know that with certainty and lens/sensor characteristics certainly have an influence on image quality. I'm guessing the CFA is also quite different between the M9 and M240.
But I think software is a big factor because the truly raw image from a sensor is linear monochrome and very different from what we would think of as a 'normal' image. Through software we end up with a color image - i.e. color interpolation through the de-Bayering process, application of gamma curve, color profile. These are stages that interpret image information and can introduce specific characteristics. And not only is there a baseline color profile that the camera uses, on top of that there are lens specific profiles that further tweak image qualities. From trying the lens coded and uncoded, it's pretty noticeable how much of a difference the profile alone makes to the look of the image. My feeling, as a layperson, is there are many variables at play.
Take a peek at how Fuji does in-camera processing with their X cameras and a given lens, such as the 35/1.4. Then process that same RAW file through software that does not recognize Fuji's 'secret sauce' and the results are quite different. When the X Pro 1 and 35 first were reviewed, I was amazed at how crisp the combo was at near distances and wide open. Especially for a $600 lens, it revealed little evidence of near distance SA. Later I realized it was in-camera local contrast tweaking that enhanced the SOOC look...
I'd love to pick the brain of a Leica engineer about why the M240's color looks different from the M9, what Leica's criteria are for generating a given camera's color profile and how they determine the ideal balance of lens characteristics such as vignetting.
Ron, thanks again for the information and time spent for us. I will get M240 hopefully once it is below $4500 mark. M9 is too cheap to let it go. and I like the raw material it give me
Edward, very nice color and light.
Ryan, another wonderful BW set. I especially enjoy your family pics as a DAD myself
Joakim, very nice composition and awesome color.
Burningheart, here are a few images showing the Yosemite fire. The half covered sky give interesting lighting at left side of frame.
Taylor Sherman wrote:
Great shots Zhangyue! I'm really impressed with the extreme DOF from a 50mm.
There is ample light to make me shoot at f13 handhold, I am sure the view size helped as well. Thanks
edit: the other trick is play with shooting angle and distance so that get more DOF and still trying to make interesting element in the frame.
Ryan - so nice to see you post again! Great work - love all the variety of lenses... you seem to have mastered them all.
Burningheart - wow, snow. It is still over 100 F here. Cannot imagine snow yet.
Zhangyue - gorgeous shots of the Yellowstone fire. Did they have anything shut down? Is it contained yet? I suppose I should come out of my shell and watch the news; but I tend to panic and get paranoid when I watch tv. Reality sucks.
Here's a shot of my neighbor and her best buds from college with the M-E and 50 Lux. It's 40 birthday year for all of us.
Very nice use of light and tonality Katie! A few of my friends have marked 40 this year too... it's just a number.
Michael - I think I remember that area of Yosemite... the rocks look familiar. Too bad about the fire, though it is a part of the natural environment.
Speaking of 50 Lux ASPH... apparently mine is back from Leica and on a UPS truck somewhere in town. Patiently (not) waiting for the delivery. Hate Worldwide Saver shipments... they arrive anytime between 9am and 7pm...
rscheffler wrote:
Too bad about the fire, though it is a part of the natural environment.
With respect, nothing natural about the Yosemite or our Beaver Creek Mega Fire, both nearly unprecedented since the last ice age, neither of which would have occurred without man.
Warmer temps, poor forest health, and no forest managment---we should be lighting fires in spring and fall like crazy to reduce fuel load---, have combined to create conditions never faced by living firefighters before.
These huge crown fires are far more destructive to the forest than real natural fires which were frequent but low intensity before euro arrival in north america. Many set by native americans also, were very good for game etc.
Hi Charlie, thanks for the additional context. Admittedly, I have not been keeping track of this one and therefore not aware of its magnitude, or of other recent fires.
Living next door to a conservation area, I'm happy to report that they perform prescribed springtime burns at certain yearly intervals in order to reintroduce fire as a factor in the forest's ecology.
UPS arrived and have my 50 Lux ASPH back after one month. Happily it seems to be focusing correctly at all distances tested, near and far, which is very comforting. This inspires confidence in me to use it in more challenging, faster paced situations. Hopefully the calibration holds!
While I am critical of Leica for the slow turnaround time compared to my dealings with Canon, at least they delivered by the deadline I gave them. In fact, they're one day early.
leonasj - Das boot, very nice
Ron - cron 28 nice set of church and graveyard. Love the colors. Very nice rainbow.
Gary - lovely b&W conversions - like the colours you got in the 1st image of the building.
uhoh7 - I enjoy the third shot of the sign the most. Lovely bokeh. Nice shots of the fish and game. I was going to ask why the cooler was open or who was into the drinks but I see it is fish.
Ryan - beautiful capture of the little one's expression. Very nice set, I also like the last one with the pathway. Wonder where he is going?
Edward I like how you composed the rainbow of colours with the touches of blue at the outside.
Zhangyue - thanks for the fire shots. Very impressive and nice colorization. I like the rocks in the foreground.
Katie - Party time. Very nice, seems like all the lovelies are having a good time. Nice composition. All under the age of 29 I see.
Ping - nice rainbow and sutler colours.
Nice shot Gary. The graffiti sheep is interesting. Any damage in your neighbourhood? I faired well only two branches down from the poplar out front. There is a 3rd and I contacted the city as a large branch that has separated from the tree is only supported by a 2 inch thick branch and that is all that is holding it up. Seems stable but it is dangerous and will someday fall.
burningheart wrote:
Nice shot Gary. The graffiti sheep is interesting. Any damage in your neighbourhood? I faired well only two branches down from the poplar out front. There is a 3rd and I contacted the city as a large branch that has separated from the tree is only supported by a 2 inch thick branch and that is all that is holding it up. Seems stable but it is dangerous and will someday fall.
Yeah - we have a ton of damage in the neighborhood and quite a few broken branches in our yard. Guess I will be doing a lot of pruning this weekend.
