[Leica] IMG Yosemite & DLWS Workshop

[robert.rose at mac.com (Robert Rose)]

I just came back from Yosemite and Moose Peterson's DLWS workshop, and I
uploaded a few of the images I made with the M8:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/rjrose/yose/

Included are several made with the 135, and one IR image.  I hope you like
them.  I was there 5 days, and I shot the M8 on one day, and a D2X the rest
of the time.  It got down to 18 degrees one day, but rained on us several
other days.

Some working impressions.  Your results may vary:

1.  The M8 performed in rain and 18 degree weather without a hitch.  The
battery life was not a problem.  We shot from 6-9 am and 3-6 pm. I ran out a
2GB card in each session, and the battery was still alive through the
session.  I used a fully charged battery for each session. I had the review
on, and monitor brightness turned up.

2.  Dust is more of a problem than on the D2x.  Maybe that is because there
is a mirror to deflect dust on the DSLR.  The brush from Active Dust worked
to clean up the sensors each night.

5.  The IR shot was manual color balanced using the ExpoDisk. The ExpoDisk
(a white diffusion disk) works really well to get manual color balance, but
works even better to spot dust problems after changing lenses.  I shot an
f/16 image with an ExpoDisk, and then it was easy to see whether there were
any big goobers.  The light changes constantly, so manual color balance is
not useful for the color shots.

6.  Precise framing is impossible.  So, for landscape work the camera is a
challenge.  You have to look on the monitor and retake the shot.

7.  I have not printed anything yet on my 3800, but on the monitor the
technical quality of the M8 beats or exceeds the D2x (no surprise).  The M8
has 10Mb compared to 12Mb, but with slightly larger pixels.

8.  I am not sure if the larger pixel size helped with dynamic range, but I
seemed to have less highlight blowout with the M8 compared to the D2x.

9.  MY KINGDOM FOR AN IR CUTOFF FILTER.  My images which have people in them
all show magenta caps, backpacks, etc.  LEICA WHERE ARE YOU?  You promised
them February 7.

10. AN IR CUTOFF FILTER ruined my D2X wide shots.  In a burst of evil
genius, I found an IR cut-off that was 77mm, and put it on my 17-55.  All of
the shots at 17mm show magenta vignetting!  While researching this problem
at the B&W web page, I found out that you can't use the filter on wide
angles lenses.  Go know.  So, that is why the Leica lenses must be coded,
and the new firmware installed to overcome this problem.

11.  ND Grad filters are a challenge to use.  You have to reshoot using the
monitor.

11.  The Leica M8, a Tri-Elmar, a 135, and maybe a 90 are all the lenses you
need for landscape shots.  It replaces a TON of DSLR grear if precise
framing is not needed, or you are not using ND grad filters.

That's all for now!

Bob Rose