Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/04/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Doug, You are a master of your medium and chosen subjects. It shows very much in your work. You seem to have mastered the R8/DMR combination and I truely admire your work. I also wish I had a DMR to put on my R8 and be able to use it digitally. It will have to wait unfortunately, but then I do have a M8 to work with. The DMR would complete my Leica digital kit. The D200 I have just does not give me the satisfaction I get when using my R8 and other Leica SLRs. Keep up the work, you are a great inspiration to the rest of us who aspire to nature/bird photography. Gene -------------- Original message from Doug Herr <telyt@earthlink.net>: -------------- > It's been one year more or less since good fortune graced me with a > DMR. Its features that have made the biggest differences in my photos > are common to most DSLR cameras: the extremely low cost per exposure, > the superior high-ISO image quality, and the near-instant feedback. > The DMR's excellent dynamic range and color rendition have also been > a huge benefit. I will always be thankful for the benefactor who > offered the DMR to me on very favorable terms and for those whose > generosity permitted me to keep the DMR during my family's crisis > earlier this year. > > My favorite pictures so far made with the DMR, with photographic > notes where appropriate, all at ISO 400 with -1 stop compensation > (prevents highlight clipping) except where noted. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/cago01.html > > Canada Geese - R8/DMR, 280 f/4 APO + 1.4x APO-Extender-R > One of my earliest DMR photos, and the one where I learned to > "chimp". I had been working close to the ground with the camera on a > tripod collapsed as low as it would go. I heard the geese coming and > saw that their probable flight path would give some good backgrounds. > No time to switch to shoulder stock or monopod so I picked the whole > rig up tripod and all to pan along with the birds. Exposures made and > geese gone, a silly grin came over my face as I reviewed the new > photos. I had learned to "chimp". > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/tyrannidae/atfl00.html > > Ash-throated Flycatcher - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 > With this photo I learned to take advantage of the DMR's high-ISO > capabilities and excellent shadow detail retention. The ISO setting > on the camera was 400, but I had set exposure compensation to -3 > stops to keep shutter speeds workable (~ 1/125 sec), bringing up the > image tones during development and further refined with Photoshop. > This is cropped with no noise reduction. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha05.html > > Cooper's Hawk - R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R > In this pair of photos (second is below) I realized how much better > the DMR's color quality is than professional ISO 400 slide film. Both > photos are uncropped from the same location; the only difference is > the camera body. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/accipitridae/coha06.html > > Cooper's Hawk - Leicaflex SL2/Provia 400F, 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R > It also dawned on me that to get the same image size with the film > camera I could use the 1.4x extender, and that with the extender's > loss of light I'd have to use a faster film to use the same shutter > speed as I did with the DMR and no extender. Thus a valid comparison > for my purposes is DMR @ ISO 400 vs. ISO 800 color film. In technical > quality it's no contest, the DMR wins. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/mammals/artiodactyls/dash01.html > > Dall's Sheep - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt > ALASKA! I spent six summers in Alaska in my younger days and now on > the 30th anniversary of my first summer I brought the DMR. Chimping > and the histogram display made this photo possible. In my first few > exposures of this ram the brightest whites had lost detail due to > clipping; histogram review and subsequent exposure adjustments > brought back the detail in the brightest white areas (clearly visible > in the print) > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/grja00.html > > Gray Jay - R8/DMR, 280mm f/4 APO > I was beginning to notice some aliasing and color moire in the fine > feather detail, particularly when using the 280 APO which can resolve > more than just about anything else. A photoshop plug-in from > fredmiranda.com tamed the beast, and only where it reared its head. > The DMR's battery life was a problem occasionally, fortunately I was > car-camping and had 12-volt power available overnight. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/stja02.html > > Steller's Jay - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 with 1.4x APO-Extender-R > I'm not a big fan of the cropped viewfinder OTOH it allows the SLR > user to see the action outside the frame lines and anticipate when > the action will be in the picture area. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/anatidae/come10.html > > Common Merganser - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt > I've gradually realized that the DMR's high-ISO image quality as made > the 560mm Telyt much more usable than with film; I can use higher > shutter speeds in weaker light and still get image quality equivalent > to E100G, my current favorite slide film. All the E100G photos made > of this bird were tossed due to subject motion. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/ybma01.html > > Yellow-billed Magpie - R8/DMR, Novoflex 400mm f/5.6 > Birds with large areas of black and white plumage were always a > problem with film because I could get detail in the white areas or > detail in the black plumage or neither. The DMR's dynamic range plus > judicious histogram chimping helps keep the detail in these black-and- > white birds. > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/rallidae/clra02.html > > Clapper Rail - R8/DMR, 560mm f/6.8 Telyt > DMR's dynamic range to the rescue again. With film I'd have lost > shadow detail or white detail or both. > > I'm showing these photos just 'cuz I like 'em. All: R8/DMR: > > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/falconidae/amke01.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/turdidae/webl06.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/recurvirostridae/amav01.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/leow01.html > http://wildlightphoto.com/birds/strigidae/nsow00.html > > Problems: the battery life can be a problem especially with heavy > chimping, the R8+DMR is a hefty package, and I'd really like an SL > viewfinder in the R8. All things considered though I'm looking > forward to another year with the DMR. > > Doug Herr > Birdman of Sacramento > http://www.wildlightphoto.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information