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B&W jpegs from X vario


Musotographer

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I've always been fairly happy with my DNG conversions to B&W from my M9 - but since getting my X Vario and seeing what the camera produces on its own I've realised how much better they could be. Has anyone managed to reproduce the 'recipe' for the look the X Vario produces, in either/or/both Lightroom/Silver Efex Pro?

 

My XV jpeg settings are: Film mode - B&W High Contrast; Sharpness - Medium High; Contrast - Standard. EV usually -0.3 or -0.7.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've always been fairly happy with my DNG conversions to B&W from my M9 - but since getting my X Vario and seeing what the camera produces on its own I've realised how much better they could be. Has anyone managed to reproduce the 'recipe' for the look the X Vario produces, in either/or/both Lightroom/Silver Efex Pro?

 

My XV jpeg settings are: Film mode - B&W High Contrast; Sharpness - Medium High; Contrast - Standard. EV usually -0.3 or -0.7.

I can't speak for the X Vario but the X 113 which is really close in this regard.  I was just messing around with my settings for B&W Jpeg mode and doing a comparison to the XE-2 with Kit lens at 23mm and f3.2   I ended up with similar settings to what you have here.  However, when all was said and done, I used the DNG to come up with what worked better for me in getting shadow detail and still enough kick for my subject. It's a work in progress but I will likely go back to the Standard B&W and possibly boost contrast.  Although Jpeg engine is really good on the X 113, I will usually opt for DNG.

 

David

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I can't speak for the X Vario but the X 113 which is really close in this regard.  I was just messing around with my settings for B&W Jpeg mode and doing a comparison to the XE-2 with Kit lens at 23mm and f3.2   I ended up with similar settings to what you have here.  However, when all was said and done, I used the DNG to come up with what worked better for me in getting shadow detail and still enough kick for my subject. It's a work in progress but I will likely go back to the Standard B&W and possibly boost contrast.  Although Jpeg engine is really good on the X 113, I will usually opt for DNG.

 

David

I have tried with the RAW files, but for many applications the out of Camera Jpegs are very good indeed. I use the jeg sharpening setting in the camera and that seems to create files that I really like the look of. 

 

Once such example here.

 

the-city-l1003222.jpg

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For sure Mike, and your image here looks great! 

 

The Jpegs can work well but for me when the light is more challenging I tend to opt for the DNG. I also think that the in-camera sharpening works well compared to my XE 2 where you begin to see the artifacts of sharpening. Just a thought here but maybe having the "weak" AA filter on the Leica X cameras tames the edgy look I sometimes see in XE2 images when sharpening in Jpeg is employed. That look is probably also attributable to X-Trans because the Leica M cameras without AA filter seem to handle some sharpening.

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For sure Mike, and your image here looks great! 

 

The Jpegs can work well but for me when the light is more challenging I tend to opt for the DNG. I also think that the in-camera sharpening works well compared to my XE 2 where you begin to see the artifacts of sharpening. Just a thought here but maybe having the "weak" AA filter on the Leica X cameras tames the edgy look I sometimes see in XE2 images when sharpening in Jpeg is employed. That look is probably also attributable to X-Trans because the Leica M cameras without AA filter seem to handle some sharpening.

It's interesting that often when I use a RAW fIle as the basis for a BW I often find the OOC jpeg is better than I can make in PP. As a result I have the camera set to produce BW jpegs and RAW color which lets me have the best of both worlds. I am amazed at the tonal range from this little baby. The picture I posted is a 3/4 crop, making the detail all the more lovely. 

With architecture in particular, this camera provides "that Leica look"

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