[Leica] IMG Yosemite & DLWS Workshop

[grduprey at mchsi.com (grduprey@mchsi.com)]

Bob,

Good info and pics from your workshop.  As for the IR filters, I did not 
wait for the Leica pair, I also have more than 2 lenses,and all but one are 
39mm so I ordered 2 from the local camera shop.  I got the Heliopan filters 
and they work great.  You mentioned the IR filters caused a problem with 
your WA lens, what focal length?  They work great with my 35mm lens, and no 
color problems that I can see.  Is this a problem with the super wides?  If 
so I guess this means only Leica lenses for SWA's on the M8?  Not good for 
the budget. ;-)

Gene
 
-------------- Original message from Robert Rose <robert.rose@mac.com>: 
-------------- 


> 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 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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