[Leica] IMGs: Beauty of M9 colors at night (Bangkok portfolio)

[mitcha at mac.com]

Tina - the “Shoot at ISO 640 and push in LR4/5” technique can also be used with the M-Monochrom, except that it becomes “Shoot at ISO 1250 and push in LR4/5.” While the in-camera high-iSO capability of the M-Monochrom is better than that of the M9 underexposing and then pushing in post has an advantage with the M-Monochrom: while I have no problems shooting at ISO 3200 with the M-Monochrom, by the time you shoot at ISOs as high as 4,000 or 5,000 the dynamics range gets much narrower than at ISO 3200 or 1250 and getting the exposure spot-on becomes important. However, when shooting at night, usually in high-contrast lighting, getting the exposure can be difficult particularly with 21mm and 28mm wide-angle lenses. For this reason, even with the M-Monochrom, I find it better to use the technique under discussion.

I haven’t tried the M240, but you may want to look at Jim Kasson’s blog, to which there is a link in the following long thread:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/292708-m9-colors-night-best-way-shoot.html

I linked this thread in an earlier reply to Richard Man. Jim has done a lot of testing in confirming the validity of the M9 "“Shoot at ISO 640 and push in LR4/5” technique.” Also, at the time of the above thread, Jim acquired an M240 and did the same testing for the “Shoot at ISO 1250 and push in LR4/5” technique for the M240. As i recall, he found some initial problems in the color reaction to this technique, but, as I don’t have an M240, I haven’t followed this issue, so I don’t know whether he found a solution and what it might be.

- - Mitch



> Subject: [Leica] IMGs: Beauty of M9 colors at night (Bangkok portfolio)
> From: tmanley at gmail.com (Tina Manley)
> Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2014 18:31:08 -0400
> References: <54EB6482-CDDC-4F8B-852F-18D151AE3B4E at mac.com>
> Very nice!  I do about the same with the M240. The higher ISOs are better
> but I'd still rather underexpose night shots and use a lower ISO.  Here is
> one from Hanoi:
> 
> http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley/image/156817904
> 
> Tina
> 
> On Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 5:39 PM, <mitcha at mac.com> wrote:
> 
> > I have always liked the colors that one can get with the M9, and the ones
> > at night can be particularly beautiful as long as one processes the files
> > to look like night. One that I like particularly is this Bangkok picture:
> >
> > https://www.flickr.com/photos/malland/9139937872/in/photostream/lightbox/
> >
> > The above pictures was shot at ISO 800 with the Summilux-50 pre-APH lens
> > (f/2.8 at 1/60 sec). If you want to see more you can download the following
> > 8MB PDF file with 16 Bangkok night shots:
> >
> > http://bit.ly/1i93new
> >
> >  Most of these were shot using the technique of ?shooting at ISO 640 and
> > pushing in Lightroom 5;? some have been pushed as much as 4 stops. Shooting
> > in this way actually makes the M9 a good camera for low light night
> > photography, considering the results that are possible even in street
> > photography.
> >
> > Most of these pictures were made on very dark nights, often without any
> > street lights: the light mostly was from fluorescent tubes from shop
> > windows or food carts. Conditioned by the bright, flat light in shopping
> > centers, we tend to think of fluorescent lighting as ugly; actually
> > fluorescent tubes can produce beautiful colors. Indeed, there is a range of
> > fluorescent cine lights called "Kino Flo.?
> >
> > C&C welcomed. Also, please post your color night shots.
> >
> > - - Mitch
> >
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> >