Highlights rendering on S

[Jon Warwick]

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As i contemplate buying an S, I was casually looking at some S 006 files, and started to wonder if it renders highlights (specifically) in very bright sunshine in a different way to my M240? I was starting to wonder if the highlights roll in bright sun more gently on the S, and less abruptly. Dare I say it, more film like, with a longer shoulder.

 

Am I imagining it (noting it was not a like-for-like comparison at all), or is this for real (16 bits, higher dynamic range??)

Edited April 30, 2016 by Jon Warwick

[349A]

I can't comment on the M240, certainly compared to my M9, highlight blowout is much less of an occurrence and mostly fixable. The recoverability of the highlights is quite incredible. On my M9, gone is gone. The 006, slide the highlight slider and incredible detail and structure is revealed in the blown out areas. I often find that a well exposed shot needs almost no processing while my M9 shots always need some tweaking, sometimes a lot of tweaking. Just last night, I was fiddling with a 006 file and wound up zeroing every adjustment I tried... It just looked right OOC. In genral, the S handles highlights in a much better way than my M9. Its not even close. The SL does quite well in this regard as well, not at the level of the 006.

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[mgrayson3]

I usually underexpose the S (006) a bit just to preserve even more of the highlights, but it's not mandatory as it was with the M9. But then I also believe that shadows should be dark - a heresy in this age of DR worship.

 

But the glorious OOC look is what attracted me to the S (006) - and the lenses - and the ergonomics.

 

--Matt

[349A]

Agreed, Matt. Shadows are shadows. I rarely use the shadow slider, if I do, its only slightly or in a select part of the image.

[jip]

Facts:

 

Dynamic range of the S006 sensor is smaller than that of the M240 12.2 vs 13.3  stops

Width of the files of the S006 sensor is wider than that of the M240 16 vs 14 bit

 

My opinion:

 

The Leica S highlights blow out faster and the shadows are not as pushable as those of the M240. But:

 

The highlights that are blow look better on the S than they do on the M240 files.

[hoppyman]

Jon, I don't know about measured tests. I can make anecdotal comment based on maybe a hundred frames shot with a loaned (S Typ 006) that I used side by side with my M (typ 240) at an outdoor art nude work shop deliberately run in bright middle of the day sun.
My experience was the the S retained highlight detail better. Also better resolved detail, AWB and more 'natural' colour rendering. If you have the optional microprism/split screen, its like the M rangefinder on steroids ;-)
Since then now have made about 15000 exposures with my S2 and now past 6000 with the (Typ 007) and my M is never used (for my themes).

 

[albertknappmd]

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I second hoppeyman. M rangefinder on steroids is quite apt!

Albert     

[Photoskeptic]

I third hoppyman. I'm normally using EV +.5 outdoors to get ETTR. I think it depends on where you live.