Leica X1 Photos

[h00ligan]

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[soulcies]

 

 

 

[soulcies]

 

 

 

[ezc203]

These are some amazing pictures soulcies. I would really encourage you to share them in the Photo Forum for more individual comments. In general though, they are excellent. The last two in particular are my favorites.

[phancj]

+1

 

And soulcie please do take photos over the festive season. The 2nd X1 photo challenge is soon to be announced...

 

CJ

[timetraveller]

f2.8, iso1600, 1/60

 

Edited November 28, 2010 by timetraveller

[Guest MartinMann]

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1st Advent with cookies (nut wedges) and coffee

 

 

f8 - ISO 100 - 1/2 sec

Edited November 29, 2010 by MartinMann

[DwF]

I am just realizing that this gallery exists on the forum...it was staring at me but with the "moved" sign, it looked like a ghost.

 

Here is a recent picture from a visit to NYC, taken early 1AM on Monday morning before Thanksgiving. It was a tougher subject than I expected when I jumped out of my car and parked illegally on Sutton Place before getting on the bridge.

 

David

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[phancj]

A mundane night shot (midnight). Went to the resort for supper and just snapped a quick one. It was actually much darker, so did some PP for brightness and exposure. Shot at f/2.8 iso 800 1/60.

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[davidhunternyc]

^^^ The above shot is interesting to me on many levels. I could see that many photographers might find this shot (no offense) rather banal and routine but I would disagree here. What I find interesting about this photograph is the information that the photo and author provided (really, f/2.8 iso 800 1/60???). Before I read that this photograph was post-processed rather heavily, I looked at it and immediately thought that it was very natural with very little (perhaps no) post-processing done. Wow, kudos for being able to pull off this photograph out of a less-than-diserable RAW image. That is no small feat. So what; it is just a photo of a water fountain? Ahh, no. The original RAW photo was for all intense and purposes, unusable, and look how great and natural everything looks on the other end. Congrats to the X1 but most importantly, to the author of this fine photograph. Lesson learned.

Edited December 4, 2010 by davidhunternyc

[phancj]

^^^ The above shot is interesting to me on many levels. I could see that many photographers might find this shot (no offense) rather banal and routine but I would disagree here. What I find interesting about this photograph is the information that the photo and author provided (really, f/2.8 iso 800 1/60???). Before I read that this photograph was post-processed rather heavily, I looked at it and immediately thought that it was very natural with very little (perhaps no) post-processing done. Wow, kudos for being able to pull off this photograph out of a less-than-diserable RAW image. That is no small feat. So what; it is just a photo of a water fountain? Ahh, no. The original RAW photo was for all intense and purposes, unusable, and look how great and natural everything looks on the other end. Congrats to the X1 but most importantly, to the author of this fine photograph. Lesson learned.

 

haha David you are most kind...it is banal on many levels mainly the subject and composition. Even I would concede totally it is mundane.

 

What I like about it is yes you nailed it 100%, the lighting was atrocious and really dark, and all I did was less than 5 minutes of pushing slider haha so I can say I am happy with the outcome.

 

The X1 is one fine machine in the dark. Normally I underexpose pretty heavily so I can prevent blown highlights and just drag shadow regions and exposure/brightness and everything becomes good!

 

Off to India soon and will snap many night shots

 

CJ

[ezc203]

The inner workings...

...

[DwF]

A mundane night shot (midnight). Went to the resort for supper and just snapped a quick one. It was actually much darker, so did some PP for brightness and exposure. Shot at f/2.8 iso 800 1/60.

 

Phancj - I won't get into whether or not your photo here is banal......earlier in the thread that took up more space than photos but your water reflections are better managed than mine on the East River there.

[davidhunternyc]

Phancj - I won't get into whether or not your photo here is banal......earlier in the thread that took up more space than photos but your water reflections are better managed than mine on the East River there.

 

^^^ Actually, I think your water reflections look beautfiul in your photo of the East River. Since both of these shots are night shots and of water, they do invite comparisons. How I feel about these two photos, I have experienced myself. Please, though, correct me if I am wrong. The photo of the fountain was shot at ISO 800 and the photo of the bridge, I'm guessing, was shot at ISO 1600 or higher. My theory is that, even though everyone knows this, shooting at ISO 800 will create far less noise than at ISO 1600. It has been my experiece that with these outdoor shots, using the X1, shot at ISO 1600 is not desirable. Halve the IS0 to 800, double the exposure time, use a tripod, and voila, you have a smooth outdoor lowlight exposure, without noticable grain. I have yet to conclude what the X1 can do with indoor low lighting situations but anything outdoors above ISO 800, I am going to have to find a work-a-round. The X1's low light capabilities are very good but they are not as prodigious as I had hoped.

[DwF]

Thanks for your comment and interest David. I admit I went back to the file to check the info and be sure, but was not surprised to find I set the iso at 800. I rarely would go to 1600. I am firm believer in making longer shutter speeds work rather than cranking the "sensitivity". I always shot Neopan at 800

 

I think the movement (breeze on the water) and clear night simply contributed to the conditions. I guess I am also too close to the image and maybe the reflection on the water is okay as it is. Nonetheless I will try this one again when I am back there. And it is fun shooting at wee hours around your city!

[phancj]

Phancj - I won't get into whether or not your photo here is banal......earlier in the thread that took up more space than photos but your water reflections are better managed than mine on the East River there.

 

Still, better to admit it being banal before some uninvited guests pounce on it...and spoil this low light discussion.. The reflections are okay in your shot, I tend to see it as some difference when sizing down for posting.

 

 

^^^ Actually, I think your water reflections look beautfiul in your photo of the East River. Since both of these shots are night shots and of water, they do invite comparisons. How I feel about these two photos, I have experienced myself. Please, though, correct me if I am wrong. The photo of the fountain was shot at ISO 800 and the photo of the bridge, I'm guessing, was shot at ISO 1600 or higher. My theory is that, even though everyone knows this, shooting at ISO 800 will create far less noise than at ISO 1600. It has been my experiece that with these outdoor shots, using the X1, shot at ISO 1600 is not desirable. Halve the IS0 to 800, double the exposure time, use a tripod, and voila, you have a smooth outdoor lowlight exposure, without noticable grain. I have yet to conclude what the X1 can do with indoor low lighting situations but anything outdoors above ISO 800, I am going to have to find a work-a-round. The X1's low light capabilities are very good but they are not as prodigious as I had hoped.

 

YEs, I agree completely, iso 800 seems to be the max for the X1, same for the D300. But I tend NOT to use a tripod with the X1, since any size/portability advantage will have been negated. One thing I notice (in my subjective opinion) is that the X1 fares a whole lot better than my D300 in the shadow department, and hence the files are much more pliable especially in darker tones. Hence my overall strategy of shooting with the X1 having the camera since feb is to always underexpose significantly when in doubt so much so that the raw files (like in the fountain shot) looks like nothing but some specks of light on the camera LCD. But when you recover the photo in LR, just bum up shadow, exposure, brightness and everything is fine, no additional noise, and highlights like the lighted signs and torch are not blown. For my nikon, I realize that this strategy cannot be applied consistently, often if I underexpose to he same extent as the X1, my D300 shots upon recovery has shadow regions looking murky, noisy and bad. Altho it has been said many times that the X1 &D300 probably has the same sensor, Leica probably got it more right at least as far as low light shots are concerned. And mind you I shoot with top prime lenses and still experience the same, even with f1.4s. Nikon is far less forgiving so you have to make sure that exposure is spot-on to have the same image integrity and quality in dark regions for the X1.

 

With the X1 I hardly use exposure compensation, just 3 adjustments speed, aperture and iso, and often even the jpegs with a little adjustment produces very nice photos. If not, the DNG provides for great photos just pushing a few sliders.

[DwF]

Thanks Phancj

 

I prefer to leave the tripod home myself. If hiking I might carry it or when I have been hired (I mainly do photography for fun).

 

Years back, in Paris I made an exposure at dusk from atop the Arc using the railing to stabilize the camera (Konica Hexar). I was shooting XP2 and not only was this an easy negative to print (some of mine were nightmares) but you can see the irregularities of the pavement in streets below and it was sharp out to the burbs! .....okay, La Defence And the dynamic range of that negative was remarkable.

 

So for me there is a nice feeling about getting a shot with a small camera and working with what you have.

 

I will try underexposing as well...... I am usually thinking shadows, shadows, shadows. So I will bracket and see what I can do with an underexposed neg. In fact, I should have some of those in my files

 

David

[DwF]

Here is an image that I made this afternoon in the park. It was precarious as usual having my dog along off leash so he could get some excersie for my trouble.

 

The exposure is hand-held f8 at 1/8th second ISO 100 and only some lightening and color temp adjustment...but not much. I may post one of these in the landscape section later.

 

David

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[635djimmy]

^^

 

Very nice indeed

[635djimmy]

Here are a few form me, of the cold weather were having in the UK

 

 

 

 

Different setting..