[KM-25]

I have been working with the M8 for a bit over a week now, mostly on stock, editorial and some ad jobs. I have used Lightroom, ACR-4 and now C1. While the M8 files with aspheric glass look great in mid to low contrast lighting, in higher contrast, I am finding that no matter what I do, unlike my 5D files, the finest details seem to be falling apart with strange patterns and blobbing.

Two clients have told me to not use any sharpening as they are getting images that look to be over sharpened. Funny thing is, I am not using any sharpening at all in ACR or C1 and only a touch of noise reduction at ISO 160.

So in looking at these 100% crops, those great $3,000 Leica lenses that are flawless on film are just not being given just portrayal with the M8 in bright light, it looks as if the detail they put out is too much for the M8 sensor to handle. I have tried all kinds of ways of processing, filters on, filters off, you name it and I still get the same blobbed out details.

For example, if you look at the flower bed behind the park bench, some of the fine details of the wrought iron fencing near the ground in partial shadow is simply amazing, but when you look at the bricks or the floral detail, it breaks up a bit. The water is the worst, here you have literally microscopic sized particles of water rendered sharp, then you look at the transitional details of the larger blobs and it just looks like a point and shoot.

Some of my clients like to go mural sized and have crop options as they are used to doing that with my 5D files, but the M8 files are simply not going to hold up to that with current output.

I do love the M8 though, it is SO much easier to shoot with and I might just have to accept that it will primarily be an editorial camera.

Any ideas here?