Monochrom regrets?

[MarkP]

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ger1g0, did you ever use or consider the NEC or Eizo monitors that Jaap recommends? I have an MM coming soon and, given Jaap's and now your comments, I wonder if I should really improve my editing platform. It is true that my MM test prints on Canson Baryta Photographique show some nuance that is wider than my consumer Apple LED monitor. I wonder if an Apple MacBook Retina display is adequate, or if an Eizo is required?

 

Peter

 

I hope I don't offend anyone or stir a hornet's nest, but being a long-term Apple user I don't think any Apple screen is good enough for accurate work - they just can't be properIy calibrated when compared with the NECs and Eizo's.

 

I use 2 manually calibrated NEC 24-inch screens which are fantastic.

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[Guest borge]

I hope I don't offend anyone or stir a hornet's nest, but being a long-term Apple user I don't think any Apple screen is good enough for accurate work - they just can't be properIy calibrated when compared with the NECs and Eizo's.

 

I use 2 manually calibrated NEC 24-inch screens which are fantastic.

 

Apple's monitors are great consumer monitors. But they are not intended for the professional market. None of them. They are all 8-bit displays. For professional work you need a 10-bit signal chain. Editing on glossy displays are bad by itself also... Glossy displays are by nature, due to the glass, more contrasty.

 

Any professional photographer that performs final post-processing on a Apple display needs to go back to school, so to speak.

The Retina macbooks are great for quick on-location edits, though. But they should never be used to process final prints

[sm23221]

After this forum convinced me to purchase a Monochrom, I have to admit I've never had this much fun with a camera. No filters used, I feel they are mostly unnecessary. Can't wait to print. Elmar-M 50 f2.8, 1/500@f8, ISO 320. Thanks guys!

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[Nick_S]

After this forum convinced me to purchase a Monochrom, I have to admit I've never had this much fun with a camera.

No regrets then?

 

Nick

[snooper]

Apple's monitors are great consumer monitors. But they are not intended for the professional market. None of them.

 

As some other people in this forum, I try to learn from every post I read. Would you say the same for the "high end consumers" - in terms of expectations - who are enjoying a MM ? I use LR4 with the MM (and the M) and I leave most of the MM shots untouched (just tweaking a bit the exposure sometimes). Is it because my 17" MBP monitor is "very bad"?

[MarkP]

As some other people in this forum, I try to learn from every post I read. Would you say the same for the "high end consumers" - in terms of expectations - who are enjoying a MM ? I use LR4 with the MM (and the M) and I leave most of the MM shots untouched (just tweaking a bit the exposure sometimes). Is it because my 17" MBP monitor is "very bad"?

 

Yes!

 

I'm currently on a previous model high res non-reflective (matte) MBP 15". It's fine for enjoying images on screen or sharing on the internet, but that's all.

 

It's worth investing in good screens especially if you print.

[Guest borge]

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As some other people in this forum, I try to learn from every post I read. Would you say the same for the "high end consumers" - in terms of expectations - who are enjoying a MM ? I use LR4 with the MM (and the M) and I leave most of the MM shots untouched (just tweaking a bit the exposure sometimes). Is it because my 17" MBP monitor is "very bad"?

 

No no no. Don't misunderstand my post. I said professional photographers (as in working photographers that process images for paying clients).

 

I use a 8-bit display myself (Dell U2713HM) . I don't do any paid work what so ever, and I use a Macbook Air 11" to do quick edits on the go without any problems.

 

I never do any serious printing or sell my work though. If I did I would have to things quite differently.

[MarkP]

I'm not a professional photographer, just a serious amateur who wanting the get the best results for my prints.

 

Moving from my MBP to the two NECs and a MacMini made an extraordinary difference in what I could produce. There is no comparison between Mac and NEC/ Eizo screens

 

Also, don't underestimate the benefit of a larger screen area to work with for LR or PS, especially using two screens - whether for LR or PS

 

My study (I mainly PP at night so the light through the windows isn't a problem) . Post #26

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-post-processing-forum/260100-new-27-imac-75-reduced-reflectivity-2.html

[nicks500]

No regrets and I mean it, if I had a choice now in the shop between a M240 and a MM (theoretical shop not a real one because nobody has M240 in stock ...sheesh!) I would still get a MM. its something about using the camera and the photographs I get from it that put a big smile on my face.

[otto.f]

Thanks for staying on topic Nicks500! And I agree

[Paul J]

I seem to remember an Apple Thunderbolt display having something as low as 70 something percent of Adobe98 gamut. The Retina screen, while high res and colour that is accurate with in it's gamut, has an even worse 67 percent of Adobe 98. If you edit the colour there is really no telling what you are getting from it. Useless for photography.

[xplorer2]

I echo the same sentiments as has already mentioned before....I regretted waited this long to get the MM.

 

I admit I was one of the naysayers that pooh pooh the MM in the earlier stages when it first came out. But now that I have finally owned one and shot with it and seen the output of the images - I finally understand what the others have been singing praises of the images that the MM can produce. My M9 has been on an extended vacation ever since the MM came onboard.

[wattsy]

My M9 has been on an extended vacation ever since the MM came onboard.

 

Has it gone anywhere nice?

[michali]

I can only add to everyone's sentiments here and reinforce everything stated so far.

The Monochrom is my favorite camera and is the one camera that's with me all the time.

I love using it with older lenses, there's such a wonderful quality about these images.

 

And finally, the minimal amount of post processing that's required on Monochrom images rounds it all off beautifully.

[erlingmm]

I reversed the sale of my Monochrom tonight, I could not let it go. I had the money from my buyer in my bank account, I was ready to pack and send it, but finally asked him if I could cancel the deal and send the money back. He accepted, with disappointment.

 

Why did I think about selling the MM? I sold my M9-P when the M was announced, probably too early. It took forever before it was my turn with my dealer, I still have not been offered one.

 

In the meantime I got a very good deal on a S2 kit, exchanging some less used M lenses as part of the deal to minimize cash exposure.

 

S2 has given me a lot of joy, but it also takes some energy to get used to, so my MM was used less than anticipated. I also felt that keeping several lenses just for one camera tied up a lot of cash, it would have been different if I had MM+M, two bodies that utilized a set of lenses.

 

Anyway, for me now S2 is for perfection in color, MM is for BW and low light situations where no other system can compare, like in the back streets of Tangier last week.

 

You only live once,

[Luke_Miller]

Reading this and other threads brought me to the decision to order a Monochrom. In fact I am writing this post as I await delivery. But even though I haven't shot with one I can attest to the importance of the proper monitor in processing Monochrom files.

 

I use an NEC 2090UXi for image processing. It and my wife's Samsung monitor are calibrated using an xRite Optix XR colorimeter. When viewing Monochrom images posted on various forums and blogs they are gorgeous on my NEC, but awful on the Samsung. On the Samsung the Monochrom shadows are blocked up and much of the shadow detail is lost. Now color images I processed using the NEC look fine on the Samsung. While I much prefer the NEC I would not hesitate to use the Samsung for processing color images, but find it unsuitable for Monochrom ones.

[Guest borge]

Really - every newspaper picture desk that I have worked on has always used MAC's. Currently use IMACs for all our work!!!

 

Well newspaper print quality isn't really all that great now is it. So it really doesn't matter. The paper quality messes up all the pictures anyway.

I'm not alone on this one. Apple displays are 8-bit. To be able to process files for print properly you need a 10-bit display and edit in AdobeRGB. 8-bit displays are limited to the sRGB color space which is what we use on the net.

 

Ask any professional portrait or wedding photographer and they will tell you the same.

[Guest tanks]

I do like my Mac setup. I do have a lightproof shade that I had made that I pull down when I need to cut out the glare.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[wjkotze]

Calibration software makes a huge difference on Apple displays. Only Coloreyes Display and Basiccolor can do a decent job. I use Coloreyes display with L* gamma on my 27" iMac and it produces an almost perfectly neutral greyscale with deep blacks and open shadows as well as good midtone contrast. The only price that you pay is minor banding on very gradual gradients covering large areas ( only a 10 bit display will eliminate the banding ). I am very happy if not pleasently surprised with the quality of MM files on this display.

[macjonny1]

 

Why did I think about selling the MM? I sold my M9-P when the M was announced, probably too early. It took forever before it was my turn with my dealer, I still have not been offered one.

 

Interestingly the huge price drop has not occured on used M9s/M9Ps and I've seen a recent uptick in price, probably from folks buying back a Leica until their M comes. I recently sold mine and got more than what I could have gotten back in Sept/October of last year!