Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/07/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]August issue of Chasseur d'Images includes a test of the Leica R digital back. This reputed French magazine -almost no advertising inside and very strict tests- is, with DPReview, a good source of unbiased information. Overall the conclusions are fairly good: very good integration with the camera body, easy way of sensor cleaning, preservation of Leica lenses investment, very good sharpness and, as everyone could expect, perfect integration with Leica lenses although they have tested the combo with the excellent 28-90 Vario Elmar instead of the superlative 21-35mm which seems IMHO the *standard* lens for the R8/9+DMR and the second lens is the -too excellent- 90mm Summicron instead of the jewel 100mm f2.8 APO. They have remarked the simplicity of menus -as an advantage and also as a inconvenience- the use of the RAW Adobe DNG which makes possible their use with several applications . Concerning the image quality it is on pair with those from the Nikon D2X what is really very good and, as it is logical, they have less information that Canon 1Ds MkII, but, and this but is important images with Leica DMR and Leica lenses are far better than images from Canon IDs MkII and adapter plus same Leica lenses what again IMHO is due both to the good quality of DMR sensor and to the *cropping* factor 1.3 what makes that DMR is using central part of image coverture lens while 1Ds is using the whole coverture. Main problems of the DMR is the loss of quality when ISO is climbing so that a image at 1600 ISO is not very good while other sensors do better at same ISO or even at 3200, and the poor ability of this combo for sport photography something we all knew. Otherwise R8/9 +DMR are -with the best R lenses- able of excellent pictures and, besides, may be easily updated keeping the R body, just if, in the future these updating do not cost more than competitors state of art complete cameras. Regards Felix