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Leica Vario-Elmar-R 105-280/4.2 Question


k-hawinkler

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OOC JPG of Sony A7R + Leica Vario-Elmar-R 105-280/4.2, reduced in size, but Adobe RGB (1998) instead of sRGB.

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Same image but developed from .ARW with Geometric Correction and Auto Contrast.

 

As PS CS6 doesn't have a Geometric Correction for the Vario-Elmar-R 105-280/4.2 I chose the one for the APO-R 280/4.

 

Questions:

 

Would it be better not to use that correction?

Also which image looks better to you?

The OOC JPG or the more contrasty one?

 

TIA.

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Nice shot. I like the second because of the color. They are very close. I don't know if the geometric correction in a shot like this is noticeable if you had not mentioned it. This would be a fun shot to put in an online site for us to download and see what folks do with it.

 

By the way, jaapv talked me into this lens after many years of hammering away at how amazing the optics are in such a versatile zoom. In practice it is right up there with my 280/4 APO and 280/.2.8 APO. This lens has great color rendering and really nice bokeh.

 

I believe this lens is known around here as, The Safari Lens. Add beanbag, Land Rover and shoot.

 

Rick

Edited by RickLeica
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P

Nice shot. I like the second because of the color. They are very close. I don't know if the geometric correction in a shot like this is noticeable if you had not mentioned it. This would be a fun shot to put in an online site for us to download and see what folks do with it.

 

By the way, jaapv talked me into this lens after many years of hammering away at how amazing the optics are in such a versatile zoom. In practice it is right up there with my 280/4 APO and 280/.2.8 APO. This lens has great color rendering and really nice bokeh.

 

I believe this lens is known around here as, The Safari Lens. Add beanbag, Land Rover and shoot.

 

Rick

 

 

Many thanks Rick for the feedback.

Here are the links to the .ARW and OOC .JPG files: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/teouu6tm1hxbuab/AADDrnUjMhR1oP6bFbuSy16_a?dl=0

 

I have and will keep both the APO-R 280/4 and Vario-R 105-280/4.2.

The Vario-R 105-280/4.2 I find indeed more versatile than the APO-R 280/4.

The APO-R 280/4 I find just a smidgen better though.

If I have to go longer than I use an APO-Extender-R with the APO-R 280/4.

 

No doubt both these Telyts are stellar achievements and a joy to use.

I have no experience with the APO-R 280/2.8 so cannot comment on it.

Edited by k-hawinkler
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There is a lot in that file. Here is just one way you could go with it. All adjustments are from LR. I knew I liked this file when I saw it above. Nice shot. By the way, this would convert to B&W quite well.

 

Rick

 

 

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Here is a little split tone added to the post processing to gives a completely different look:

 

 

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Ok, here is one that is like shooting Kodak Ektachrome 64T Tungsten Pro film outside and underexposing. Not quite as crazy as the colors you get with that film, but something like it. Anyway, fun file... even though it was shot with the A7r. :rolleyes:

 

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Many thanks Rick.

Interesting and very different choices.

The last one looks a little bit as if you transferred the Northern Lights to New Mexico. :D

 

I like your suggestion. Here is one in B&W, Full Contrast and Structure of Silver Efex Pro 2.

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For this one I applied twice Full Contrast and Structure of Silver Efex Pro 2 and darkened it just a tad.

 

I have to agree with you, quote: "There is a lot in that file." :cool:

Edited by k-hawinkler
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You know I'm always straight with you or why even comment. You are blocking your highlights or posterizing them with too much processing. Look at your clouds. But, I do like the B&W if you cut back on the sliders.

 

Some of this has to do with the fact that the Sony files are compressed and bit limited. Sony does not give a full 14 bit lossless file and this causes the files to be not as pushable in PP. They tend to fall apart and posterize faster than other lossless 14-bit files from other manufacturers. As much as I love my RX1 it does the same thing.

 

Rick

Edited by RickLeica
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You know I'm always straight with you or why even comment. You are blocking your highlights or posterizing them with too much processing. Look at your clouds. But, I do like the B&W if you cut back on the sliders.

 

Some of this has to do with the fact that the Sony files are compressed and bit limited. Sony does not give a full 14 bit lossless file and this causes the files to be not as pushable in PP. They tend to fall apart and posterize faster than other lossless 14-bit files from other manufacturers. As much as I love my RX1 it does the same thing.

 

Rick

 

 

Many thanks Rick. I thrive on honest unvarnished feedback and constructive criticism. Thanks indeed for your feedback.

Actually I have not touched the sliders much and didn't cause the posterizing with too much processing.

You are correct in that Sony does not give a full 14 bit lossless file.

However I find their files are pretty malleable in general.

 

With the above images I simply wanted to try out some things fast and grabbed an 8 bit image and processed that.

Following are properly processed 16 bit images, using Adobe RGB as well.

 

Processed in PS CS6, no Geometric Correction.

_DSC4173_ARW_CS6__________________________________1024x683_Col.jpg

 

Processed with Silver Efex Pro 2, Neutral.

_DSC4173_ARW_CS6_1x000_Neutral____________________1024x683_B%26W.jpg

 

Processed with Silver Efex Pro 2, Neutral and Full Contrast and Structure.

_DSC4173_ARW_CS6_1x024_Full_Contrast_and_Structure_1024x683_B%26W.jpg

 

Processed with Silver Efex Pro 2, Neutral and Full Contrast and Structure and Full Contrast and Structure again.

_DSC4173_ARW_CS6_2x024_Full_Contrast_and_Structure_1024x683_B%26W.jpg

 

The smoke is from a prescribed burn that didn't get out of control!

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You are right. The 8 bit files don't have enough information to hold up in PP. The files you used in the second set look great. But, they are not true 16 bit. They are 11 bit extrapolated to 16 bit in PP. Actually, your Sony 11 bit files have more in common bit-wise to the 8 bit B&W shots you first posted than they do with Leica's 14 bit files.

 

16,384 = Leica 14 bit RAW files

2,048 = Sony cameras 11 bit RAW files

256 = Your first B&W 8 bit JPEG files

 

These values are the distinct tonal levels stored in the file to express every shade from black to white. You can see that it would be quite easy to posterize a file that only has 11bits of information to represent color and tonal range.

 

And, the information isn't equally stored across the tonal range. Some portions of the tonal range are represented by only a few levels.

 

When I first got my A7R and RX1 I liked the files until I started to really work with them in PP. That is when my beloved RX1 fell apart for critical landscape and travel work. I just can not get the kind of look out of the files in post processing like I can with the M240.

 

So, do I hate my RX1? No, I love it. It is amazing. So is the A7 series. But, they can't keep up with the M240 files in PP.

 

Rick

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Thanks Rick. I agree Sony should move to 14 bits as Nikon does with the D800/E and D810 using the Sony sensors. Though the initial images don't have 16 bits or even 14 processing them at 16 bits makes a real difference.

Edited by k-hawinkler
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Thanks Rick. I agree Sony should move to 14 bits as Nikon does with the D800/E and D810 using the Sony sensors. Though the initial images don't have 16 bits or even 14 processing them at 16 bits makes a real difference.

 

Yes, it probably does. I should try and see if there is a difference. I usually just leave my M240 files on import as Convert to DNG which is 14 bit. I guess I'd have to convert them to TIFF files to get 16 bit. But, I like storing them and adjusting them in LR as DNG. Probably will end up to lazy to convert them to 16 bit. Thanks for the tip.

 

Rick

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