Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/27

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] First M8 experience
From: len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier)
Date: Sat Jan 27 19:22:38 2007
References: <1270AE4C-2F0B-4798-ACC7-D813C25D1890@spectare.com> <0AED6ED3-3133-4980-ABF2-A19353B9FCA5@comcast.net> <8F4B9D9A-96A9-4E1F-B3F4-7763C9C714FE@spectare.com>

Hi Jim,

I can't click anything to make the image bigger. At that small size I  
can't see the magenta plants or the fringing. What I did though was  
copy the picture and looked at it in PS2 to see what I could. I  
bumped the image size up a little to get a better look. It appears  
the WB is warmer on the leica shot. I clicked auto color and it then  
looked pretty close to the Canon image. That's as far as I can take  
it. The auto WB isn't the greatest and I've seen consecutive shots of  
the same thing change WB. Pretty strange and not what I get from my  
Nikon or Canon DSLR. I'm generally happy with the camera but hope  
firmware improvements are forthcoming. If you want to send me a test  
file directly via e-mail I'll be happy to look at it. I'm certainly  
not an expert at this, just trying to help out.  My e-mail is  
len-1@comcast.net

Len


On Jan 27, 2007, at 9:38 PM, Jim Laurel wrote:

> So here's a dumb test shot, taken this morning right outside my  
> front door.
>
> Here's the shot from the Canon EOS1DS.  Natural color, as I have  
> come to expect from this camera.  No problems here.
> http://www.twango.com/media/jim.public/jim.12553?sort=5
>
> Here's the shot from the leica.  Wow!  Disneyland!  Notice how many  
> of the plants in the foreground have gone magenta.  And if you  
> click through to the larger image, notice all the color fringing in  
> the high contrast areas:
> http://www.twango.com/media/jim.public/jim.12552?sort=5
>
> Some people are emailing me and saying that they have not had any  
> trouble like this in several weeks of using the camera, even with  
> no IR filters.  Have I got a bad one?  Because it is completely  
> unusable as it is.
>
> --Jim
>
>
>
> On Jan 27, 2007, at 11:43 AM, Leonard Taupier wrote:
>
>> Jim,
>>
>> You need the IR filter, big time. Every condition you mention is  
>> the absolute worst case for IR interference. I don't believe lens  
>> coding corrects anything and will continue to believe so until  
>> someone can prove different. I was lucky. I already had a hot  
>> mirror IR filter and a couple step up rings before I bought my M8.  
>> The without filter results are as you describe. I would suggest  
>> getting one filter from somewhere and redo the test before you  
>> give up the ship. Don't wait for Leica to send you one but buy one  
>> filter (if you can find your size in stock) and run the same test.  
>> If after you do that and you're still not happy then the M8 isn't  
>> for you.  (BTW, none of my posted M8 pictures used a filter).
>>
>> Good luck with whatever you decide.
>> Len
>>
>> On Jan 27, 2007, at 1:43 PM, Jim Laurel wrote:
>>
>>> Well, despite my better judgement and the sage advice of some  
>>> here, B.D. not least, I decided to purchase an M8.
>>>
>>> My experience so far has not been encouraging.  I seem to be  
>>> experiencing every M8 foible in the book in tests with my  
>>> Summicron 28 ASPH mounted.  Shooting last night under tungsten  
>>> light, people with navy blue shirts came out MAGENTA.  Color  
>>> balance is unpredictable, rendering the jpg mode essentially  
>>> useless.  Test shots outdoors in high contrast scenes exhibit the  
>>> most unbelievable chromatic fringing.
>>>
>>> Perhaps I should reserve my opinion until I get my lenses coded  
>>> and the IR filters in place (I don't have either yet), but side  
>>> by side comparisons with my Canon 1Ds are no comparison.  The M8  
>>> photos are indeed show better resolution, but who cares when high  
>>> contrast areas have such overwhelming purple fringing?  The 1Ds  
>>> photos aren't as crisp, but you can sharpen them up and at least  
>>> the colors look natural and your photo doesn't look like someone  
>>> drew all over it with a red marker.
>>>
>>> For those of you who are using the IR filters and have your  
>>> lenses coded, please tell me that this camera is actually usable  
>>> with those things in place.  Otherwise, it looks like eBay time...
>>>
>>> Cheers - Jim Laurel
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from jplaurel at spectare.com (Jim Laurel) ([Leica] First M8 experience)
In reply to: Message from jplaurel at spectare.com (Jim Laurel) ([Leica] First M8 experience)
Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] First M8 experience)
Message from jplaurel at spectare.com (Jim Laurel) ([Leica] First M8 experience)