Have M8, Do Have Some Issues/Questions

[photolandscape]

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I picked up my new M8 from FedEx on the evening of the 29th. Initially, the hardest thing to master was installing the factory-supplied neckstrap, but I conquered it.

 

Yesterday, I hit the streets of Seattle and shot 200 photos. It was a joy to once again work with such a compact, elegant machine. So far, no green blobs, no vertical streaks. The firmware is 1.09 and the instructions included the free IR filter offer pamphlet. Here are my questions/issues:

 

1) I have the new 28mm Elmarit ASPH and shot everything with it. I haven't processed any of the original files--just viewed the results in Photoshop CS. I'm concerned about an overall lack of sharpness--wondering whether the rangefinder is off a bit?

 

2) Upon examining the photos, I was really surprised by the amount of dirt on the sensor--probably 50 spots altogether. I had the camera mount open for maybe 10 seconds, changing from the body cap to the 28mm lens. A bit of a mystery--why would there be so much dirt on the sensor. I have travelled extensively and have changed lenses in some horribly dirty and dusty places, but have not seen this much dirt on a sensor before. I'm wondering why. I have the Arctic Butterfly and will try to clean the sensor today.

 

3) I haven't gotten into Capture LE at all. I am ignorant enough about it that I don't even know what it has to offer that isn't already incorporated in CS2?

 

4) Noticed several times that in taking two virtually identical shots, one appears very yellow, the other more neutral/natural. Not sure what that could be--AWB problem?

 

5) Pardon my ignorance, but when I downloaded the 200 photos all I got were jpegs--could anyone tell me how I can go about also recording RAW files simultaneously? I can't find any information on doing so in the manual or in the camera menus.

 

I consider all of these things significant but probably easy-to-solve issues. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's fun to be back in the rangefinder mode.

 

Thanks, and Happy New Year.

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[bnelson]

Here is a little help with #5...

 

On the back hit the SET button

scroll down to Compression and hit SET button again

scroll to pick DNG or DNG plus JPEG either fine or basic and

finally hit set again to finalize your choice.

 

It will now be shown on this menu again when you hit the SET button.

 

Bill

[wilfredo]

Steve:

 

 

I may be able to help with some of these issues. Regarding the dust. Just follow the instructions for cleaning the sensor on page 128 of your Leica M8 Instructions. I had a similar issue and this fixed it.

 

When you mount the lens make sure it clicks into place. I had a similar focusing issue and discovered I hadn't clicked the lens into place. The M8 lens mount seems to be a bit stiff. Others have had to return their cameras to Leica because of focusing problems.

 

On number #4, this is a problem with the M8, white balance is not always accurate. I'm hoping this will be corrected with the next firmware update. You are not alone.

 

ISO instructions can be found on page 100. Basically turn the camera on and press the Set button then scroll over to ISO and make your selections.

 

I'm new to Capture LE myself so I can't be of much help there. I'm really enjoying the M8.

Good luck and have fun with your new M8.

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo

Benitez-Rivera Photography

[nscali]

Steve,

I too just got my Camera on the 29th and share many of your issues.

Here are my comments. I hope they are helpful.

 

Lack of Sharpness:

I too find the images a little 'soft'. I beleive it is a matter of getting used to, with the rangefinder style of focusing. You have to pick a point in the photo to focus on and the aperture setting will determine depth of field issues etc. I think you will find that if you do some test shots where you focus on a particular object (without too much depth) you will find that always comes out sharp. You can control sharpness better in post production.

 

Capture One - Shooting RAW (DNG):

I would really recommend you get used to shooting in RAW becasue you have the ability

to correct things such as exposure, white balance, and sharpness without any degradation of image quality. This simply isnt possible with jpegs.

You can use capture one or Adobe Camera Raw, which is a plug in on Photoshop CS.

I find Capture One (I have only used it for a few days) a little more accurate and versatile.

It is a bit of a pain having the extra step of processing the RAW (DNG) files but is actually a lot of fun and just enhances the creative process even further.

 

Spots on the Sensor:

I too have found quite a few spots on the sensor. I actually posted a question on this issue yesterday. I think it is a factof life with digital photography. At least they are easier to clean than other DSLrs because of mirrors and spots in the viewfinder.

 

Hope I could be of help.

 

Nicky Scali

Sydney, Australia

[davidmires]

Hi Steve, congratulations on the neckstrap thing ;-)

 

1) The rangefinder could well be off, several have been. Mine was slightly off, but I only noticed it with the 75/1.4. The new 28/2.8 should have enough DOF to cover quite a bit of rangefinder error, unless it is really far out of adjustment :-/

 

2)Mine had a lot of dust too. I think it's just a new camera thang. It isn't bad after one cleaning. As Wilfredo said, it is explained pretty well in the manual

 

3)I've been using Adobe Lightroom, so sorry, I'm not much help there...

 

4)Agree with Wilfredo here also.

 

5)Bill explained this perfectly.

 

Take a picture of a tape measure laid out on a diagonal away from the camera (I hope this makes sense...) to see where the lens is focusing.

 

Cheers, David

 

Edit: I just saw Nicky's post, and I agree about RAW. It seems like a pain at first, but it really is the best way to go most of the time.

[Cindy Flood]

Hi Steve,

Congratulations on the new M8. You are in for a treat.

 

My M8 had a lot of spots right out ot the box. I was able to blow them all off with the rocket blower.

 

Shoot raw. I have been using the CS3 beta with great success. I also use C1 some, but if you aren't familiar with it yet, you will be able to get by with CS2 (or download the beta and try it out.)

 

My M8 is so sharp that I don't always sharpen (at all). If you are not used to a rangefinder, you may just need practice. Shooting a tape target is a good idea. If you find out that the rangefinder is OK, then you can work on your technique. If the problem is the rangefinder, send it in for adjustment.

 

The AWB is a problem that Leica is working on.

 

I'm not sure what camera you are coming from. I also use a 5D and have found that sometimes I forget to press the SET button after changing a setting. It has taken a few mis-steps for me to get used to doing this every time.

Good luck.

[billh]

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1) I have the new 28mm Elmarit ASPH and shot everything with it. I haven't processed any of the original files--just viewed the results in Photoshop CS. I'm concerned about an overall lack of sharpness--wondering whether the rangefinder is off a bit?

 

2) Upon examining the photos, I was really surprised by the amount of dirt on the sensor--probably 50 spots altogether. I had the camera mount open for maybe 10 seconds, changing from the body cap to the 28mm lens. A bit of a mystery--why would there be so much dirt on the sensor. I have travelled extensively and have changed lenses in some horribly dirty and dusty places, but have not seen this much dirt on a sensor before. I'm wondering why. I have the Arctic Butterfly and will try to clean the sensor today.

 

3) I haven't gotten into Capture LE at all. I am ignorant enough about it that I don't even know what it has to offer that isn't already incorporated in CS2?

 

4) Noticed several times that in taking two virtually identical shots, one appears very yellow, the other more neutral/natural. Not sure what that could be--AWB problem?

 

5) could anyone tell me how I can go about also recording RAW files simultaneously? I can't find any information on doing so in the manual or in the camera menus.

 

Mastering the neck strap. I solved this by asking my wife to do it. She is more patient than me.

 

1) I think you should check the focus. My M8 is very sharp with this lens and all the others, and we have all seen countless posts of sharp M8 images here.

 

2) I wonder if this is from a rush to install the new sensor boards and get these things shipped? I had no dust problems.

 

3) I don’t know about C1 light, but I use C1 and find it a lot faster and easier to use than PSCS2 RAW, and as I recall, the converted image quality is better too - but that may simply be because I am used to C1.

 

5) This has been answered for you, but that same thing drove me absolutely crazy.

[pelikan1931]

maybe you have not gotten used to rangefinder focusing, just practise little, the strap installation guide can be found in the user manual, every first time leica user goes through it, the briefest guide is to install the right lug from behind and the left one from front.

[4season]

No mystery about the dust: 2nd-shipment M8s seemed to arrive from Solms with dusty interiors and mine was no exception.

 

For just one or two specks of dust, Speckgrabber works pretty well:

Kinetronics Corporation - Anti-Static Film Cleaning Brushes And Devices

[doug_m]

The M8 is my first digital camera so there is a lot I don't know. However in regard to white balance I have been using an Expodisc Professional Digital White Balance disc. It is fantastic when used with the M8 and manual light balance- and well worth the $110-$120 cost. I bought the 77mm disc because that is all my shop- Glazer's Camera in Seattle- stocked. At first I thought that 77 mm was a bit large but now I'm glad I bought that size as it being a bit large makes it easy to use on the fly. The Expodisc used with manual white balance is so much better than any of the other intrinsic options- AWB, daylight etc.

 

I was a die hard film Leica M shooter before getting the M8. Now I like the M8 so much I'm seriously considering giving up my M7 and buying a second M8 body.

[ho_co]

3) I haven't gotten into Capture LE at all. I am ignorant enough about it that I don't even know what it has to offer that isn't already incorporated in CS2?

Steve--Leica has a tendency to redesign the neckstrap with each new body. I think it's a kind of test to see if you're really worthy of owning the camera.

 

In regard to Capture One, although Leica worked directly with Phase One to design a camera profile specifically for the M8, forum members generally felt that their M8 profile could be better, and Jamie Roberts and others built a number of improved M8 versions. There's a long sticky thread that might give you some pointers at http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/9637-new-m8-profiles-c1-instructions.html. Capture One has a very strong following, particularly in Europe.

 

But whatever else, the 28 should be tack sharp. Do you have another camera you can test it on? I doubt that the M8 rangefinder could possibly be far enough out of alignment to make the images look unsharp. It's likely either you or the lens. You should get with your dealer to check the rangefinder and if necessary the lens.

 

Are you used to rangefinder focusing?

 

Congratulations on the camera and Happy New Year!

 

--HC

[ho_co]

Oh--also check out the thread http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/12670-acr-vs-c1-pro-one-preferred.html.

 

So far it's short, but gives some more specific comparisons of C1 and ACR.

[larrylgreenhill]

Steve:

 

 

I may be able to help with some of these issues. Regarding the dust. Just follow the instructions for cleaning the sensor on page 128 of your Leica M8 Instructions. I had a similar issue and this fixed it.

 

When you mount the lens make sure it clicks into place. I had a similar focusing issue and discovered I hadn't clicked the lens into place. The M8 lens mount seems to be a bit stiff. Others have had to return their cameras to Leica because of focusing problems.

 

On number #4, this is a problem with the M8, white balance is not always accurate. I'm hoping this will be corrected with the next firmware update. You are not alone.

 

ISO instructions can be found on page 100. Basically turn the camera on and press the Set button then scroll over to ISO and make your selections.

 

I'm new to Capture LE myself so I can't be of much help there. I'm really enjoying the M8.

Good luck and have fun with your new M8.

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo

Benitez-Rivera Photography

 

 

I have also noticed that my M8 images aren't as tack sharp with the 75 mm F/1.4 or the 50 mm F/1.4 ASPH. I've been more aware because the M8 has a very powerful magnifying function compared to other cameras, such as the Epson RD-1. I've been able to get more sharpness by setting the lens to infinity, and shutting down the iris diaphragm so the len's hyperfocal area of sharp focus encompasses the object I'm shooting. I then make certain the camera is stable by resting it on a window sill (a tripod would be even better, of course). That means I don't rely on the rangefinder at all for the sharpness test. I've concluded that my camera's sensor is accurately positioned to obtain the sharpest image with the lens, but my M8's rangefinder may require some adjustment.

 

Because I purchased my camera from early shipment stock -- a swap-out at Popflash.COM -- I had already planned to send in the M8 for the upgrade "remedy" offered by Leica AG. I'm going to ask them to calibrate the rangefinder again.

 

Best,

Larry Greenhill

[photolandscape]

Thanks everyone for all of the good advice and perspective. I'm spending today working on the list of issues.

 

Regards,

 

Steve Plattner

[larry]

Steve,

 

I concur with most of the advice given here.

 

The M8's AWB is really very unpredictable, so you'll get better results using the lighting-specific settings or setting a Kelvin temperature. However, setting the WB is really much less of an issue when you shoot RAW.

 

I've had no problems with focus or sensor dust and my camera was one of the "corrected" models. Sometimes what you see on the computer screen or the camera's LCD can be misleading. Try making a print -- that's the true test. That said, telephotos can be more difficult to focus than wide angles, and digital has a way of magnifying focusing problems.

 

Larry

[Machaon]

My wife's Canon 5D was delivered with 5 huge spots on the sensor : "normal" said the dealer, "dust comes from everywhere, inside the camera body or from outside" and furthermore some are also "greasy" !!!

 

Good luck with your M8.

 

Happy New Year.

 

R

[hansg]

I picked up my new M8 from FedEx on the evening of the 29th. Initially, the hardest thing to master was installing the factory-supplied neckstrap, but I conquered it.

 

Yesterday, I hit the streets of Seattle and shot 200 photos. It was a joy to once again work with such a compact, elegant machine. So far, no green blobs, no vertical streaks. The firmware is 1.09 and the instructions included the free IR filter offer pamphlet. Here are my questions/issues:

 

1) I have the new 28mm Elmarit ASPH and shot everything with it. I haven't processed any of the original files--just viewed the results in Photoshop CS. I'm concerned about an overall lack of sharpness--wondering whether the rangefinder is off a bit?

 

2) Upon examining the photos, I was really surprised by the amount of dirt on the sensor--probably 50 spots altogether. I had the camera mount open for maybe 10 seconds, changing from the body cap to the 28mm lens. A bit of a mystery--why would there be so much dirt on the sensor. I have travelled extensively and have changed lenses in some horribly dirty and dusty places, but have not seen this much dirt on a sensor before. I'm wondering why. I have the Arctic Butterfly and will try to clean the sensor today.

 

3) I haven't gotten into Capture LE at all. I am ignorant enough about it that I don't even know what it has to offer that isn't already incorporated in CS2?

 

4) Noticed several times that in taking two virtually identical shots, one appears very yellow, the other more neutral/natural. Not sure what that could be--AWB problem?

 

5) Pardon my ignorance, but when I downloaded the 200 photos all I got were jpegs--could anyone tell me how I can go about also recording RAW files simultaneously? I can't find any information on doing so in the manual or in the camera menus.

 

I consider all of these things significant but probably easy-to-solve issues. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It's fun to be back in the rangefinder mode.

 

Thanks, and Happy New Year.

 

On #1, I shared your experience with my newly acquired M8. Though the camera is great, and so is the output in C1, conversion to any format (jpeg or tiff) for printing or other purposes in CS2 means considerable loss of sharpness and detail. I'm clueless as far as the remedies are concerned, but would love to get some suggestions from more experienced C1 and CS2 users.

Thanks in advance, Hans

[CVR]

Steve and others,

I'm new to the forum and new to the M8. I picked mine up form the shop on the 23rd. One lens (28mm) put on in the shop. I found dust on the sensor right off. I thought this might be a freak camera so the shop replaced it for me. Within 50 shots, I again had sensor dust and not just a small amount. Again back to the shop. Replaced again with a third M8. Within 50 or 60 shots same problem. Now I know sensor dust is a fact of life...but it seems ridiculous to be cleaning the sensor after every 50 or so shots.

 

Note again that I have not changed the lens at all and neither have I been in dusty conditions. I suspect that the sensor (Kodak) is particularly prone to dust.

 

I've had the same problems with white balance. Not too bothered about this as I think a Firmware upgrade will deal to it.

 

I am frustrated about the dust though. When I'm travelling I want something more reliable.

 

Any thoughts anyone?

 

Thanks for your excellent feedback to date.

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[farnz]

I found dust on the sensor right off. I thought this might be a freak camera so the shop replaced it for me. Within 50 shots, I again had sensor dust and not just a small amount. Again back to the shop. Replaced again with a third M8. Within 50 or 60 shots same problem. Now I know sensor dust is a fact of life...but it seems ridiculous to be cleaning the sensor after every 50 or so shots.

 

Chris, Welcome to the forum!

 

Frankly I'm amazed that a shop would replace a camera - and a scarce M8 at that - not once but twice because of dust on the sensor. Regrettably, as we all know, dust is a fact of life in DSLR and DRF photography and even though the lens may not have been off the camera body there will inevitably be dust in the chamber that will find its way onto the sensor, perhaps due to electrostatic charges.

 

Normally dust is easily removed and there are a number of good proprietary systems for removing it. My recommendation would be Visible Dust: http://www.visibledust.com/

 

If you start routinely cleaning your sensor it should take less than 5 minutes.

 

Happy shooting,

Pete.

[ho_co]

Now I know sensor dust is a fact of life...but it seems ridiculous to be cleaning the sensor after every 50 or so shots.

Chris--

I'm still awaiting my M8 so I can't speak from experience. But since you're the only one I've seen complaining about a 50-shot run between cleanings, my guess is that you have so far just been collecting the camera's original shipping dust.

 

My suggestion would be to clean the whole chamber with a blower, and if necessary then clean the sensor with Arctic Butterfly or swabs or whatever. I think once you've done that, the problem will be much less persistent.