Leica M Monochrom real-life review - part two

borge · 10-27-2012

I just finished part two of my write-up / real life review and experiences with the M Monochrom. Check it out: http://bophotography.net/2012/10/27/...view-part-two/

You can read part one here if you haven't read it: http://bophotography.net/2012/10/07/...view-part-one/

wosim · 10-27-2012

Many thanks for your interesting review. The pics have a very nice tonality.

ramosa · 10-27-2012

Cool write up and captures. It's my vicarious journey with this fine camera.

seanbonner · 10-27-2012

Thanks a ton for this! Mine should be delivered this week, can't wait!

gilpen123 · 10-27-2012

Greatt review specially how the files are processed in LR4.2. Would also be nice to see some PP using Alien Skin Exposure. Thanks for posting this.

FrozenInTime · 10-27-2012

Those review shots look really good.

Now if only the MM cost the same as the M-E

Pioneer · 10-27-2012

I do love looking at shots made with the Monochrom. It is a good thing that I can still afford to shoot Tri-X in my M6 because I just cannot bring myself to spend $8,000 on a camera. God bless all of you that can, keep posting.

mfogiel · 10-27-2012

These photos show again more of the same: too much resolution, not enough highlight detail. The night scenes look best, as blown highlights are a normality in this kind of lighting. I think, that for open sun photos, you should dial in -2 stops compensation.

borge · 10-28-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfogiel

These photos show again more of the same: too much resolution, not enough highlight detail. The night scenes look best, as blown highlights are a normality in this kind of lighting. I think, that for open sun photos, you should dial in -2 stops compensation.

Yes, I find that even shooting at night I always use -1 or even up to -2 EV compensation to avoid clipping highlights. My camera is always at -1 EV compensation no matter what. The shadow details are so good anyway, so I find it best to save the highlights and increase the exposure (and lower the highlight) in post.

I only shoot with a 50mm Summilux ASPH but I have also tried a friends latest non-APO 50mm Summicron, and I find that it is easier to not clip the highlights with the Summicron due to it's lower contrast rendering. But I still prefer the way the Lux images look.

Thanks for all your comments.

RFH · 10-30-2012

Nice review, relevant and to the point. Good work. I was totally blown away by the two underexposed image samples. What an incredible amount of shadow detail!

whitecat · 10-31-2012

Excellent write up and top photos. Thanks.

Vince Lupo · 10-31-2012

I find it interesting that many people comment about the flat images that come straight from the camera, yet the 'final' pictures that I've seen online from the Monochrom are usually quite contrasty.

Any explanation for this?

boomguy57 · 10-31-2012

I have to say...I've come around a bit on the Monochrom. If it was half the cost, I'd be tempted.

furcafe · 10-31-2012

The raw files straight from the camera are flat, but people prefer to post more contrasty processed versions?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince Lupo

I find it interesting that many people comment about the flat images that come straight from the camera, yet the 'final' pictures that I've seen online from the Monochrom are usually quite contrasty.

Any explanation for this?

seanbonner · 10-31-2012

Borge - Thanks so much, I keep rereading your review! I just received my MM yesterday and it's not only my first digital Leica, but my first digital camera of any kind. I'm wondering, are there tricks or learning curve details you wished you'd figured out sooner? I too will be doing a lot of low light shooting so I very much appreciate your thoughts on that aspect.

Rangefinderfreak · 10-31-2012

First" review" that I have seen on Monochrom images, that have any kind of validity to me.
For me B&W shooting is about INTERPRETATION . Reality to two dimensional images, with shades of gray , movement, composition etc. The only thing I was missing is the full size digital images. When you click the image, nothing much happens. The moment of truth is the 100% size. All I can say borge has come a long way as a monochrome shooter with his new M Monochrom !

Vince Lupo · 10-31-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by furcafe

The raw files straight from the camera are flat, but people prefer to post more contrasty processed versions?

What I mean to say is that the photos that I've seen online from the Monochrom are really contrasty -- I mean really dark shadows and blown highlights. If you look at the ones on the Leica site by Jacob Aue Sobol, those are a good example of what I'm talking about.

I have myself on a list for the Monochrom, so hopefully it won't be too long of a wait!

furcafe · 10-31-2012

I think that's because photographers who are predominantly B&W shooters tend to lean towards contrasty, perhaps because of the inherently graphic nature of B&W & the long (post 1920s) history of contrasty B&W photography. From what I've seen, the raw files from the camera are actually low-contrast (as they should).

I would order a Monochrom myself except for the fact that I'm not enough of a hardcore B&W shooter to justify the expense (even @ "discount" Euro prices). The price of the upcoming digital M is much more justifiable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince Lupo

What I mean to say is that the photos that I've seen online from the Monochrom are really contrasty -- I mean really dark shadows and blown highlights. If you look at the ones on the Leica site by Jacob Aue Sobol, those are a good example of what I'm talking about.

borge · 10-31-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rangefinderfreak

First" review" that I have seen on Monochrom images, that have any kind of validity to me.
For me B&W shooting is about INTERPRETATION . Reality to two dimensional images, with shades of gray , movement, composition etc. The only thing I was missing is the full size digital images. When you click the image, nothing much happens. The moment of truth is the 100% size. All I can say borge has come a long way as a monochrome shooter with his new M Monochrom !

Thank you.

I will post full res images to my Flickr in a dedicated set tomorrow so that you can look at the larger resolutions.

borge · 10-31-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vince Lupo

What I mean to say is that the photos that I've seen online from the Monochrom are really contrasty -- I mean really dark shadows and blown highlights. If you look at the ones on the Leica site by Jacob Aue Sobol, those are a good example of what I'm talking about.

I have myself on a list for the Monochrom, so hopefully it won't be too long of a wait!

I deliberately posted contrasty images because mostly everyone was complaining that other MM reviews showed too flat / less contrasty images. Oh well, can't make everyone happy :-)

borge · 10-31-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanbonner

Borge - Thanks so much, I keep rereading your review! I just received my MM yesterday and it's not only my first digital Leica, but my first digital camera of any kind. I'm wondering, are there tricks or learning curve details you wished you'd figured out sooner? I too will be doing a lot of low light shooting so I very much appreciate your thoughts on that aspect.

The most important thing is to under expose and never ever trust what the LCD shows you. And then just play with the files. You can push the MM files incredibly far without getting much noise or visible artifacts. I don't think any camera with a color filter array can offer this type of latitude without introducing lots of noise and visible artifacts.

Just perfect files for any type of processing.

borge · 11-01-2012

I have added the images from my part 1 and part 2 reviews to my flickr account now. You should be able to view them at a much larger size now.

Hope this helps.

http://bophotography.net/2012/11/01/...images-are-up/

Rangefinderfreak · 11-01-2012

You know, the first M-Monochrom images on Internet (I guess Steve Huff) with the bicycles, couples hugging etc. were large enough. When captured, they could be tweaked in full resolution. As they were posted, too "lame" to my taste, but a good start to magnificent images- for copyright reason not possible to re-publish the tweaked ones anywhere.

borge · 11-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rangefinderfreak

You know, the first M-Monochrom images on Internet (I guess Steve Huff) with the bicycles, couples hugging etc. were large enough. When captured, they could be tweaked in full resolution. As they were posted, too "lame" to my taste, but a good start to magnificent images- for copyright reason not possible to re-publish the tweaked ones anywhere.

If you want to tweak/PP MM images you either have to buy one yourself or download the few DNG files that are available, I guess.

There are too many "black-market printers" out there, I have seen and experienced it myself - several times, so nobody wants to publish full-size and downloadable files of anything, anywhere, understandably.

Rangefinderfreak · 11-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by borge

I have added the images from my part 1 and part 2 reviews to my flickr account now. You should be able to view them at a much larger size now.

Hope this helps.

Part 1 set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/borgei/...7631902139510/
Part 2 set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/borgei/...7631902199350/

yes ! 2048X1363 ...Now it sarts to tell something about the image.
I very much like the second image, guy going down the hill with his "roller" timing is perfect ( like leicashooters usually have !) also the tones are OK, A little "Drama" with burnt in side edges would have been a plus. Congrats!