Leica M11 Monochrom

Richard G said:
Marty, your Number 3 above is superb.
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Thank you, it’s Steve Kilbey from the Australian band The Church. M10M, 50/1.4 asph, basically no processing. In my first photos of him he was in his 30s, and he’s now pushing 70. The M10M makes this sort of thing dead easy, and I can leave the show knowing I got the shot. Back in the film days it was dicey and nerve wracking - at first I used Kodak Recording Film 2475 at EI 1000, then TMZ at a range of EIs depending in what I could get away with. I used to go straight from the shows to the darkroom to get photos to the street press. Now I shoot, head to the back of the venue, load the photos on my iPhone or iPad mini, edit if needed, and send them off. The outlets have the photos before the show is over.

The photo below is from 1998 at the Hotel Great Northern, Byron Bay. TMZ, EI 6400, developed in some home brew I figured out - I think I used to dilute TMax RS developer with the replenisher added to 1+7 with Xtol 1+3. Something like that. I have notes somewhere.

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I agree with Keith when he says the #3 shot you did with stage lighting is superb. I know how hard it is to get detail in highlights and shadows with that dramatic lighting and nail an exposure when the light schemes are often switched mid-show.
 
Whenever a new Leica Monochrome camera comes out, people start gushing about how many stops of darkness you can recover, etc.

Please, people- let's leave darkness where it belongs: in the dark.

Leica: give me a Monochrome camera that which can recover 4 stops of overexposure in bright sunlight....
 
horosu said:
Whenever a new Leica Monochrome camera comes out, people start gushing about how many stops of darkness you can recover, etc.

Please, people- let's leave darkness where it belongs: in the dark.

Leica: give me a Monochrome camera that which can recover 4 stops of overexposure in bright sunlight....
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That’s not how digital sensors work. Expose for the highlights to avoid blowing them out.

I’ve always thought that a monochrome sensor with an array of neutral density filters would be useful for maintaining highlight detail. We’re lucky to have any monochrome digital cameras, so wishing for a specialist one is wishful thinking.

I am personally incredibly grateful for the Monochroms - I might otherwise have quit photography as a hobby.
 
I think the M9M was the best of the lot with it's CCD sensor, much more film like than the following cameras. After that I got a M246 Monochrom and was disappointed, it was bland and to be honest converting a colour image to B&W and then using the colour sliders to adjust tones and contrast gave much more satisfying results. I wouldn't buy another Leica Monochrom based on how I prefer to work, or even if I had the money, but the wake up call is the Pentax Monochrome where for half the money you could buy a camera system.
 
Freakscene said:
That’s not how digital sensors work. Expose for the highlights to avoid blowing them out.
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Thank you, I know that.

My point was that it makes much more sense for me to have a monochrome camera that makes a ruined picture taken in daylight usable than one that makes a ruined/impossible to take/near total darkness picture usable.
 
horosu said:
Thank you, I know that.

My point was that it makes much more sense for me to have a monochrome camera that makes a ruined picture taken in daylight usable than one that makes a ruined/impossible to take/near total darkness picture usable.
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What I’m saying is it isn’t that hard to learn not to ruin anything.

Lower contrast lenses help. MM, 50/2 Hexanon, yellow filter. About 1pm in Rome in midsummer.
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cboy said:
IMO the price to IQ ratio is now even more too drastic for a niche camera, were the difference compared to colour sensor conversation is minimal except for high iso.
Other forums disregard the fact there's a focus shift for red filter with monochrome cameras.

I'll wait for a GR monochrome for any mono conveniences...
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That depends on the particular lens. Most lenses have focus shift due to chromatic aberration.





Color shift has been discussed on all the forums that I have been on. There might be a correlation. The Pentax UAT has no focus shift using color filters when used on the M Monochrom. The Pentax 50/1.4 SMC does. I measured both using my M Monochrom.

Most people understand that a lens must be optimized for a particular Aperture for use on a Rangefinder camera. Few bother to optimize a lens for the Color Filter in use for B&W film or Monochrome Digital cameras.

Optimizing for use with an Orange filter is best for the M Monochrom. Many lenses with large CA become much sharper in use. I was surprised by how sharp the 1934 5cm F2 Sonnar was on the M Monochrom at first, "made me check my notes" for which lens was used for the image.

I have a full set of lenses optimized for the M Monochrom, including the TTArtisans 50/0.95 and 7Artisans 50/1.1. The others- I did myself, setting the shim to account for the shift.

With exposure on the Leica M Monochrom: the Photocell used for the exposure has ~5% IR leakage and is more sensitive to red light, resulting in under-exposure when a deep orange or red filter is used.

I have the newer KAF-18500 using the BG55 cover glass in my M Monochrom and M9, the M Monochrom developed problems within the warranty period, the M9- was under $1K for the replacement and CLA. These are the last generation CCD cameras that will ever be made. I'll run both until they can no longer be repaired.
 
From:

Sorted on metrics showing non-uniformity. The first time I looked at Pixel values in HEX from my m Monochrom, thought- this is the best uniformity that I've seen in a commercial sensor. Years later, found this chart.

I will be interested in where the M11 Monochrom fits in.

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It won't be long before Leica-M prices simply follow the type number multiplied by 1000.
At least as a simple calculation in dollars and euros.
 
Theres a good American Cinematographer article discussing why they chose to not use a digital sensor -- after professional experimentation -- for the movie The Lighthouse, instead opting for Kodak Super-X and some custom filters (would love to try one of those)


and here's the same magazine a bit later on how the DP of Mank says you can get the film look. Of course this is for David Fincher, so time in post is no object, really.

 
Thanks Marty for posting the Byron Bay shot from years ago. I often wondered how the hell those shots ever got seen with the standard ISOs as a starting point. Never really experimented enough myself back then. Best I've done is Delta 3200 shot conservatively at 1600 or more likely Tri-X pushed to 800. Never knew you could do so much better, but I didn't develop my own film. Much prefer that back of house workflow you have now. Very impressive.
 
I have the MM246, and have really enjoyed it. You can view some of my photos in the MM section.
I still shoot film and most of my work is B&W.
I use the EVF on the MM246, and use a lot of vintage lenses which give me different looks.
I'll probably get the M11 at some point, but I'm not in a hurry.
 
The only way I could afford the M10M was to promise myself I would use it for 15 years, working out to $500/yr. It’s a great camera and likely the last Leica digital I’ll ever buy unless it breaks.
 
I have shot with the Monchrome many times and can honestly say I don't know what the hype is all about , I rather shoot in color and convert to B&W. This way you have the color version if needed. I
 
MP Guy said:
I have shot with the Monchrome many times and can honestly say I don't know what the hype is all about , I rather shoot in color and convert to B&W. This way you have the color version if needed. I
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After I got the M Monochrom (first one), it was a revelation for me. Just like infinite b&w film. At least this camera needs minimal post processing (if any) and gives me ease of use and amazing results. As thus, enjoyment I haven't felt in a long time. And the camera wasn't even that expensive (in leica terms). Of course I can edit pics to look like these from modern sensor camera, but it's more work in front of the computer and less time used living my life 😅
 
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