raid
Dad Photographer
Are you collectively concluding that the APO lens is mainly meant to produce optimal results with B&W only? Is this view being supported elsewhere? How does the $8750 Leica APO lens do in compare with color images?
zleica
Established
Fully agree with you regarding the color of M9. I am also going to get this lens for my M Monochrom.
Remembering my Physics Teacher "It is intuitively obvious to the most casual of observers"...
It's probably not meant that way- it is a by-product of the design.
I like the results with the M9. When the weather cooperates, I'll take the APO-Lanthar and Nokton v2 out with both cameras. I just shoveled the driveway again.
james.liam
Well-known
Splendid with colors.
Also, its ability to render fore and background OOF with markedly decreased contrast further isolates the subject, that at the plane of focus is rendered at the very highest micro-contrast and resolution, even @ f/2. The bokeh is very neutral insofar as neither adding nor distracting from the subject. Used in the proper setting, it looks like a 'slice of life', frozen forever.
BTW, it's $8750 if you're crazy enough to buy it new, and at MSRP. The non-Leica Store retailers (but not B&H) have more leeway if you ask politely.
Tim Gray
Well-known
I'm not, though I will be using mine in B&W mostly because that's my only digital M
I acknowledge the impact of different sensor design, bayer array filter choices, etc., but lighting and post processing both play a HUGE role in color in images posted online. Ignoring the nice compositions, Ccoppola82's pictures of the dog and kid are great examples - wonderful lighting, particularly on the kid.
To my eye, the color photos have been perfectly fine, especially considering the time of year in the US (winter), the weather (snowy), etc. I saw nothing in your photos or Brian's that made me think of anything other than 'winter light'. Kind of cold, kind of drab, but hey, all the plants are dead and everything does look blue and brown when I look outside
Actually, here it's all just white right now.
raid
Dad Photographer
I will try using this lens with the M9.
raid
Dad Photographer
We have winter weather with boring colors.
james.liam
Well-known
Doubt it will matter. The images seem to be at or about dusk, when blue light takes center stage. This might be the reason.
raid
Dad Photographer
Yes, this is/was the main reason. The images were taken about an hour before sunset, without a red or orange sunset in sight. Colors are dreary. I have a feeling that the CV APO lens is fine overall for colors.
james.liam
Well-known
It shows the colors for what they truly are at the moment, and at that moment they were dreary.
raid
Dad Photographer
The lens is still new on the market, and we may have to wait until we see many color images that were made with it. In most cases the posted images have no information on PS done to each image. The good thing about living in Florida is that we have many days with sunshine.
And probably only one person gives the FORTRAN source code used to process their images.
None of my images are run through Photoshop...
raid
Dad Photographer
There is nothing wrong with PS if done carefully and not excessively.
xmas_one
Established
Amazing results on the M9M. These are straight OOC jpegs. The truck pics I believe were at f11, all the others were f5.6. No coding set for the lens.
raid
Dad Photographer
Did the M9M ever have sensor issues ? Just checking.
The M Monochrom used the same S8612 cover glass as the M9.
Leica replaced my sensor under warranty. Best to check for a camera with the new Sensor in it.
Leica replaced my sensor under warranty. Best to check for a camera with the new Sensor in it.
