Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/09/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]B.D. Colen wrote: >Any camera's BW mode is and has to be jpg-only, Chris - unless someone has >a tiff bw mode I don't know about. The Nikon D200 will do BW mode with RAW. The BW becomes a direction for how the NEF (Nikon's RAW format) file is processed by the Nikon editor, and the embedded .jpg preview is black and white. Unfortunately other RAW converters do not honor the BW information in the NEF file, so this scheme only works with the Nikon software, and not with Adobe Bridge. Mark Davison >From: "B. D. Colen" <bd@bdcolenphoto.com> >Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> >To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> >Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica M8 hands on >Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2006 21:42:18 -0400 > >RAW gives you what the sensor captures, no >more, no less - jpg gives you a combination of more and less, because it >gives you added sharpness, color adjustments, etc., but you lose some >dynamic range. As good as some built in bw modes are - and the one Olympus >has in the E330 and E500 is terrific, and I have no reason to assume it >isn't just as good in the M - you're still much better off shooting raw and >converting yourself. A tad slower in the end, but much more satisfying. > >B.D. > > >On 9/14/06 9:05 PM, "Christopher Williams" <leicachris@worldnet.att.net> >wrote: > > > Thanks for the review Tom. Is the BW mode for Jpeg only? I'm a RAW >shooter > > after getting my batch processing down. > > > > Chris > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <TTAbrahams@aol.com> > > To: <lug@leica-users.org> > > Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 6:36 PM > > Subject: Re: [Leica] Leica M8 hands on > > > > > > > > > > Yes, > > Leica kindly lent me an M8 to try out. I suspect that they thought "If >he > > likes it, we are on the right track"! > > Well, I am happy to say that they are on the right track. The M8 does > > behave > > like an M-camera should. It puts minimal "digital" between you and your > > picture, but if you are so inclined you can add all the bells and >whistles > > to > > what you are doing. When I got it (no manual for it) I managed to turn >it > > in to > > a M2/M6 with little fuss. Put it on mono-chrome, put the ISO to 320 and > > stick > > a lens on it. I don¹t shoot color and to me the black/white image >quality > > was what counted. The first couple of 100 shots were done with >everything > > in > > "Standard" setting and the prints that my local lab pulled were a bit >flat > > (to > > be expected as you can manipulate the image in the computer after >wards). > > The > > next batch was shot with higher contrast settings and came out fine. >The > > higher ISO settings have a bit of digital "noise" (1250/2500) but so >would > > film > > if you either used a T-Speed or Delta 3200 so no big deal. > > It does feel like a slightly obese M6. The additional thickness coupled > > with > > the rather slippery covering had my right hand cramping up after a >while. I > > did get used to it, except when I switched between a M2 and M8. My hand > > wanted to "crush" the M8 to M2 thickness! The lack of a film-advance >arm is > > somewhat disconcerting as it does feel like an M and you are forever >trying > > to pull > > out a lever to hook your thumb behind - although this is something you >get > > used to. I love the base-plate with its folding "Leica" key lock. >Battery > > and > > SD card are accessed by removing it and I still have that fleeting >thought > > ³ > > Damn, did I rewind the film" before pulling the base plate off! The >design > > is > > that close to an M! > > The noise is modest; a soft click and a slight "whirr" sound is not > > disturbing at all. My biggest problem with the M8 is that I am a left >eye > > focuser and > > my nose is squished against the screen. During flu-season that could be >an > > ugly sight! Some kind of cover would be useful - particularly as I use >it > > as I > > would a regular M, shoot away happily and after 40-50 shots I looked >for a > > shady spot (outdoor patio of cafe works well) and chimped through what >I > > shot > > and deleted the misses or boring stuff. Like any digital screen, >however > > pleasantly sized it is - I cant see it bright light and as I have to >take > > off my > > glasses to see it in subdued light - i might just as well be >comfortable, > > sipping coffee and admire my handiwork. > > I went through my lenses and anything that could be made to fit was put >on > > it. from 12/5,6 to 135/4 in M-mount and even some Nikkor RF lenses with >the > > Orion-copy adapter as well as my Viso III. I need to make a mask (i.e. >draw > > the > > reduced frame size with marker on the Viso screen). It also works well >with > > Bellows II (and a 61/2" Kodak Anastigmat from an old folding Kodak). > > Lenses like the 75/2 and the 50/1,4 Asph. works very well, but I found >that > > I was suing my 40/1,4 Nokton and the 28/25 focal length for most of the > > "keepers". > > The technical stuff I leave to those of us who like that kind of stuff >but > > the long and short of it is that A/I have ordered one and B/ Leica > > succeeded > > where nobody else did. They made me a believer in Digital. The M8 will >be a > > complement to my M2's and M6's. It will not relegate film obsolete in my > > "book" but it will be additional tool in the arsenal. > > Now, all we need is a printer that is dedicated to black and white. >Four > > shades - glossy black, matte black, mid-grey and light grey and while I >am > > dreaming - a spot-varnish feature. Oh, the inks should also be >reasonably > > priced! > > For storing the digital images I would like to see a digital to film > > transfer > > that was easy to use and cheap at that. Film is still the cheapest and > > safest long term storage available! Well, if Leica can build a Digital >M > > successfully why cant other manufacturers do what some of the >customers > > want to have! > > The demand for a dedicated b/w printer would be huge - think of all >those > > neg- files sitting around. I have in excess of 350 000 negatives on >file- > > most > > are not worth the backing they are on, but some I would like to do quick > > prints from. The good prints I would still do in a wet darkroom as I >enjoy > > that > > process - staring at a screen does not come close to the pleasure of > > watching > > a white sheet of paper > > turn into an image. > > Best for now, > > Tom A > > ----- > > Tom Abrahamsson > > Vancouver, BC > > Canada > > rapidwinder.com > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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