Can you post some darker iso1250 shots please?

[gIzzE]

I bought a Digilux 3 a couple of weeks ago, and love it for the most part, however the noise at iso 800 and 1600 is just annoying me, I only had a canon 20D before hand and iso1600 on that is like iso400 on the Digilux.

I didn't realise just how important the higher iso's were until I couldn't use them to be honest.
I bought the 25mm f1.4 prime and this has helped alot, but I am starting to think maybe I should sell the Digilux 3 now and get an M8 while the Digilux is still getting good money.

How useable is iso1250 on the M8, would you be kind enough to post some shots, with no noise reduction, at this iso??
If you can do it with a 35mm cron f/2.0 ASPH that would be perfect as this would probably be my starting lens, and would also probably be the only lens I could afford for the first 6 months!!


I keep seeing contradicting reports, some people say noise is an issue and others say it is as good as a Canon 5D at iso1600, so any help and honest opinions would be most grateful as my head is spinning trying to decide what to do.

[stunsworth]

Guy, I think the 5D has the edge on the M8 at higher ISOs, how much of that is due to in camera noise reduction I don't know.

Here's an M8 shot at ISO1250 as requested. No noise reduction and the lens is the old 35mm Pre-ASPH Summilux.

L1010953-1250.jpg

[danyves]

Leica M8 Elmarit 2.8/24mm AWB ISO 1250 Senat Paris

[Albert4321]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

some people say noise is an issue and others say it is as good as a Canon 5D at iso1600,

I use both 5D and M8 for wedding gigs, short answer is NO. Like everything things else, you will see some people show you good result, some people show you poor results. In my experience, generally 5D is much much much better in ISO. With that said, it does not mean M8 is not capable shooting at hi ISO. You just need to work harder to ensure your exposure is good. I had a hard time with skin tone with the M8 hi ISO shots. I have not tried it with the new firmware. But shot a wedding two weeks ago with the M8 new FW at ISO 640. All the images were so clean and the WB is relatively perfect.

I have no reserevation to get the M8 and use it for hi-ISO shots. Like everything else, you just need to work with what it is.

FWIW, I also had 20d before, 5D in ISO 1600 is like 20d in 800, or even 400.

[stunsworth]

One thing that I think is very important with high ISO M8 shots is to ensure the image is not underexposed. That seems to have a very detrimental effect on image quality.

[tashley]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

I bought a Digilux 3 a couple of weeks ago, and love it for the most part, however the noise at iso 800 and 1600 is just annoying me, I only had a canon 20D before hand and iso1600 on that is like iso400 on the Digilux.

I didn't realise just how important the higher iso's were until I couldn't use them to be honest.
I bought the 25mm f1.4 prime and this has helped alot, but I am starting to think maybe I should sell the Digilux 3 now and get an M8 while the Digilux is still getting good money.

How useable is iso1250 on the M8, would you be kind enough to post some shots, with no noise reduction, at this iso??
If you can do it with a 35mm cron f/2.0 ASPH that would be perfect as this would probably be my starting lens, and would also probably be the only lens I could afford for the first 6 months!!


I keep seeing contradicting reports, some people say noise is an issue and others say it is as good as a Canon 5D at iso1600, so any help and honest opinions would be most grateful as my head is spinning trying to decide what to do.

I use the noise: it adds texture to shots in colour if exposed properly, but just looks messy if underexposed. But it is nearly always nice in B&W. Here follow several 1250 examples, the last of which shows how it looks when you don't want texture or grain but do want the shot!

I would also add that particularly at mid-ISO of 320-640 i find it easier to open up shadow areas without revealing a noisy mush on an M8 file than I do on a 5D file.

Tim

1250_examples-1.jpg

1250_examples-2.jpg

1250_examples-3.jpg

1250_examples-4.jpg

1250_examples-5.jpg

[morffin]

I dont even bother using the M8 at higher than 640 asa

The noise is very bad. Purple banding.... it's a mess.

I can shoot at 1000 asa on my 5D and post proc. with the Neat Image PS plug in... output looks like 400 asa.

The thing that saves the M8 in low light shooting is ability to shoot w/ slower shutter speed.

Attached are 2 images... bottom one M8 at 640
top 5D at 1000

both proc in PS using the Neat Image plug in

[gIzzE]

Thanks ever so much guys, I really do appreciate the replies.

Albert, interesting comments on the 5D being a fair bit cleaner than the 20D.

Maybe I should just swap the 25mm lens I have now for a 5D, would cost me around £350 on top, that was I could keep the Digilux 3 for iso400 stuff and have the 5D for iso1600 stuff, still have a 50mm f/1.8 sat there that I could use on the 5D.
Do you think a wise move Albert? If I really felt the need for an M8 I could save a few pennies and swap the Digilux 3 over for one in the summer.

The problem I have is after getting used to the the feel of the Leica I don't want to go go back to a Canon all the time.

[gIzzE]

Tim and Mario, thanks for those shots, I started to reply and then had something to eat before pressing send so didn't see your pics.

I take it the Pianist is the 5D shot Mario??

[morffin]

yes..its a guy at a podium...not a piano :-)

thanks....amazing that the 5d produces better images @ 1000 asa than the M8 does @ 640

other than the crappy high speed noise.and the electric shutter reset ( why not a manual crank, Leica ????!) I love the M8...even starting to take on some wedding gigs because the camera is so much fun to use.

Try the Neat Image plug in for PS...its only around $50 .... works wonders w/ high asa files.

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by morffin

yes..its a guy at a podium...not a piano :-)

haha, oh yeah, obvious now you have pointed it out!!


I guess I really want a 5D and nice L 50mm prime and the M8 with a selection of glass.

Right, time to start the lotto again I think!

[morffin]

Im getting some real nice results with the canon 85 1.8 lens. Been using this lens since way back in the film days of the 1900's.... reliable workhorse of a lens.

Great for portraits.... fast and accurate auto focus in low light... sharp wide open. It's my fav. lens for events... great in low light...and fast too.

very low price at B and H w/ rebate


Canon | 85mm f/1.8 USM Autofocus Lens | 2519A003 | B&H Photo

[morffin]

.also loving the Voightlander 35 1.2

[Olsen]

I might have posted some of these pictures here earlier:

1)
No. it is not from Puerto Nuevo, Palermo. But Nyhavn - which means the same; The New Harbour, Copenhagen. A crop of a picture taken with WATE w/o filter, at ISO1250.

2)
Also from Nyhavn, Copenhagen. WATE w/o filter and ISO1250.

[morffin]

great looking shots... I get no where near those results @ 1200.

Any tips on how you're proc. would be most welcomed.

[stunsworth]

Another 1250 shot, York Minster...

L1011710-bible.jpg

[Olsen]

Yet another M8 - ISO1250 - WATE w/o filter. Helsinki harbour.

[gIzzE]

Now they all look pretty good and more than usable to me.

Anyone got any portrait shots of people under candle light or lamp lighting???

[Jamie Roberts]

Sure--ISO 1250 *is* as good as the 5d at 1600. Really. The difference is that the 5d is actually a little more sensitive than its ISO rating, so shooting at 1600 on the 5d is more like really getting 2500. That's a lot more forgiving in the dark.

To be successful with the M8 and 1250, you need to expose perfectly. Not "kind of ok", but perfectly (push it to the right as much as possible). You have exactly 1 stop of error in the shadows, and then noise

However, if you get it right, it's very good, and I like the tonal structure and sharpness at ISO 1250. I also think the latest round of RAW developers are getting very good at developing these files.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-...tml#post327758

That's not with the latest firmware, and it's also lit by a single bulb at night. More later when I get some time, but I will shoot wedding stuff at ISO 1250.

[psquared]

Agree that if you get the exposure right, ISO 1250 on M8 looks pretty good, especially with a little noise reduction. There was some noise reduction for the background in this picture, where details don't matter too much, but not on the face. No post-hoc adjustments in the exposure or curves.

M8 90AA at f/2 1/45