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Highest iso you regularly use with M8?


LeicaTobin

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Sorry guys, something blocked my brain. I think it was the enthusiasm for the M8. In this way I have to confirm, that I work well up to iso 640, in depending of the light up to 1200 and 2500. I will keep trying to find the best way for me.

 

iso 2500 no NR

7120691855_2523385ff4_c.jpg

L1090561 von thfzait auf Flickr

 

iso 2500 Dfine NR

6974610482_1405bb7f17_c.jpg

L1090561 von thfzait auf Flickr

 

iso 2500 bw no NR

6974610908_16ca770839_c.jpg

L1090561 von thfzait auf Flickr

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I am very reluctant, to go beyond ISO 640 with the M8 sensor.

I handpicked my M8.2 back, when I bought it, to have a sample with minimum exposure difference between both sensor halves and zero dead pixels or worse, the notorious dead pixel lines.

This way, I can theoretically push the files a bit further, if really needed.

When I use ISO 1250 or even 2500, than I usually don't pull files back, but have actually to push the files further, as I run out of light.

 

For this very reason, I still shoot pushed TriX @ ISO 3200 in available light and have bought a M9 a year ago, which is about in-between the M8 and pushed TriX, when it comes to low light performance (I shot almost exclusively B&W, so color doesn't matter to me).

 

I process all photographs with Adobe Lightroom and use absolute minimal noise reduction from ISO640 on, if at all necessary. I prefer grain and detail over artificially clean photographs, especially, when shooting in B&W.

 

ISO 2500 ƒ1 1/60 - Noctilux ƒ1

4855248259_49a1dc993f_z.jpg

man loves dog loves man by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

ISO 1250 ƒ1 1/45 - Noctilux ƒ1

5723369564_7fe805f778_z.jpg

chair mechanic by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

ISO 2500 ƒ1.4 1/60 − 50 Summilux ASPH

5389297103_935a0402b1_z.jpg

the welder by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

 

ISO 1250 ƒ1 1/45 - Noctilux ƒ1

5723351054_c7fdf57e78_z.jpg

Jackie - specialty beer by teknopunk.com, on Flickr

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man loves dog loves man | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

that is a good picture, regardless of ISO or lens or whatever.

 

Thanks - it was one of the hottest nights in Shanghai, I ever experienced. So many people were out on the streets, as inside the buildings, the heat was unbearable.

 

The man was caressing his little dog, as the dog had it's difficulties as well in this weather.

It was darker, than the image suggests - the beauty of high ISO and the Noctilux.

I wish for an improvement here from Leica, as the only serious manufacturer, to make such fine, super fast glass, has no serious digital low light body on offer :-(

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Did some street today with my new 35 Cron.

 

I used LR 3 to remove some of the noise from 640. What are people using as their highest iso setting that they go up to with the M8?

 

 

Tobin

 

I use 320 as a max these days.

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I have been trying out LR4 on my old M8 files and I would say that 1250 is quite clean in print and I would no hesitate to use a well-exposed 2500 and expect quite acceptable results. Of course it always depends on exposure - 1250 one stop under equals 2500 and 2500 two stops under equals ISO 10.000!:eek:

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Hey There tvleeskr!

unless I'm badly mistaken, wouldn't your lovely image of the young girl output as a gorgeous PRINT at say 8x10 inches? Even 5x7 inches? There is a time and a place for images expressive with the utter peaks of image resolutions, microcontrasts, and all the other 'Dark Arts' of Photographic Sorcery, but that doesn't mean 'all the time' nor in 'all places' and quite frankly this image's intrinisic magic needs no 'Dark Arts' to achieve it's Magic. Just competent wielding of one's 'wand' ie:the camera. :-)

Great Image!

R. in MI.

Que??:confused:

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  • 2 weeks later...
I have been trying out LR4 on my old M8 files and I would say that 1250 is quite clean in print and I would no hesitate to use a well-exposed 2500 and expect quite acceptable results. Of course it always depends on exposure - 1250 one stop under equals 2500 and 2500 two stops under equals ISO 10.000!:eek:

 

for what size prints?

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ISO1250.

 

The M8 is said to be awful, but I like how the files look. A newer compact like my NEX-5N at 3200 is quite comparable to M8 at 1250 (or 1600). In most cases that difference is far from crucial to me, and the Leica handles much better.

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Here's a self-portrait from the M8 at ISO 640, f4 and 1/4 sec shot in DNG. I then converted it in Silver Efex for an antique plate look, hence the grain. Very usable.

 

Do any of you have suggestions of the best way to remove reflections in glasses in Photoshop CS3, (apart from not wearing them of course)? :D

 

Always a problem.

 

Position the main light higher & reflections go smaller or move away.

 

Fill light should be high or use a reflector.

 

Finally Patch tool to put detail from surrounding area into the specular reflection.

 

CS5 has content aware fill which may help, but frankly the old patch works fine.

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  • 3 weeks later...

M8 at ISO 640, 35mm Summicron ASPH @f2

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited by Mstephens
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  • 3 weeks later...
I think the secret is to expose correctly and avoid trying to retrieve detail in the shadows. That is where noise begins to be noticeable.

 

Yes, this is where the M8 sensor shows its age. I found 1250 acceptable for bw only. OTOH, I've got an NEX-7 which brings out astonishing detail in the shadows but still is noisy (though easily fixable) at relatively low ISOs. But I missed the M8 so much I have an M8.2 on the way.

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And moreover a CMOS sensor contrary to common belief actually is noisier than a CCD. There is lot of information being discarded in the current (in fact all) CMOSs, see here for instance CCD vs. CMOS.

 

Some like the CMOS look others don't, I am in the second group.

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Perhaps, but you're not comparing like for like. The M8 has a CCD sensor and the NEX-7 has a CMOS sensor.

Pete.

 

Yes, I'm well aware of the facts. And I wasn't comparing them, merely pointing out that the demand for CMOS and hence "Live View" has trumped everything at the moment. The bottom line is the M8 is still a photographer's tool and that is why I'm acquiring another.

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