goldchen96 Posted July 16, 2013 Share #1 Posted July 16, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Dear All, After 18 years of using Leica M film cameras, I took the plunge and bought a nice M8 user, serviced in Solms, Firmware 2.014. I shoot mostly b/w on uncoded cv 4/25 (no funny coloured corners up to now), cv 1,2/35, summilux 1,4/35 pre asph, summicron 2/50, noctilux 1/50 and use IR/UV cut filters on all lenses. All images are processed in Lightroom 4. Since digital workflow is relatively new to me, could any of you experienced users give me some basic insight or tell me a few things to be aware of concerning M8 file-handling for maximum output quality (web use, photobooks but also fine-art prints on Epson inks)? Maybe I overlooked a nice thread, maybe you have one or two links to websites who dealt with this issues.... thank you very much in advance, happy shooting 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/208952-going-digital-m8-workflow/?do=findComment&comment=2375571'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 16, 2013 Posted July 16, 2013 Hi goldchen96, Take a look here Going Digital: M8 Workflow???. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Erik Gunst Lund Posted July 16, 2013 Share #2 Posted July 16, 2013 Congratulations with the M8! There is a forum here for Post Processing so the moderators might move your thread...Also you can pick up info there. First, there is almost no difference in files from M8 and M9 since you use UV/IR filters, so any hints can be applied from both forums. I would recommend to code the lenses, the internal adjustment that the M8 does to the files before saving the RAW file is dramatic/very good for wide angle lenses especially... I use many different raw converters preferred for speed is Adobe Camera Raw, Photoshop. Turn off sharpening in the ACR converter it's really bad. I remove some cast if needed like magenta, give them a little Clarity and adjust contrast, normally I leave Black and Shadow as is to avoid noise but if they are converted to B&W then you are free to enjoy the very nice look and feel from the M8 highly recommended! A tad of sharpening in Photoshop to finish off 80 1.2 5 as base, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 16, 2013 Share #3 Posted July 16, 2013 If you are more or less new to digital postprocessing it is wise - nearly essential and certainly timesaving and nerve protecting to read a basic book. I recommend one by Scott Kelby written for the processing software of your choice. It is a kind of cookbook with recipes for every step (and unfortunately some "humorous" quips ) http://kelbytraining.com/store/books Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 16, 2013 Share #4 Posted July 16, 2013 Agree with Jaap on Kelby book. Since you already use Lightroom, get Kelby's book on it. These free Adobe videos by Julieanne Kost are useful to bring life to many of topics covered by Kelby. There are plenty of other books and tutorials; each have their own followers, with some people preferring videos to books, or vice versa. I find that the Kelby book is a good basic primer that can be used as a reference from time to time. Martin Evening's books are also good IMO. If you use an Epson printer, there are a variety of sources providing information on workflow and settings. Eric Chan provides some good basic tips, as in this older FAQ regarding the 3800, but still useful as a general guide. Besides these, it's helpful to understand the basics of color management in the digital workflow, if you don't already have a good grounding. This site provides some basics, while Bruce Fraser's classic book will get you deep into the subject. Best approach...make lots of prints, but keep variables (software, papers, etc) constant for a while until you develop a disciplined workflow. Only then begin introducing new variables. Every step in the chain from camera to software to printer to display is important for reliable and predictable results. Your pics, your vision and style, and your visual judgment, however, remain key. Congrats on the M8. Don't get caught up in lots of gear talk. Your camera is a very capable tool to start the workflow. I transitioned 4 years ago from all film, including several decades with with film M's, to the M8.2 and haven't looked back. Enjoy. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptZoom Posted July 16, 2013 Share #5 Posted July 16, 2013 First thing first, congratulations:) As Jeff S. already mentioned, color management is vitally important in the digital workflow and for some reason it's unduly ignored by many. In addition to the resources mentioned already, Luminous Landscape has some good articles on this. I use LR4. Some basic info about LR: -The directory structure in the Library mode is live. Do your file organization within LR and the changes will be reflected on you HD. However if you make changes outside of LR, you'll have to go into LR and manually tell it where each file is located. This can get frustrating quickly, and is entirely unnecessary. -The modules are set up to be used left to right, top to bottom. You don't have you follow this order, but it's actually pretty nicely laid out. Note that the order you do thing in LR is inconsequential to the final look of your image. LR will process the images in the correct order. This is NOT the case in Photoshop, where the order is vitally important. Post processing is a skill that require a deliberate effort and practice to develop. You'll notice vast improvements over time. And for this reason alone, you should (if you aren't already) shoot in DNG instead of (or in addition to) JPEGs. Experiment and enjoy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted July 17, 2013 Share #6 Posted July 17, 2013 When shooting lights at night or shooting into/close to the sun remove the UV/IR filter to avoid reflections, the sensor is shiny and reflects the light back into the lens and can give some nasty ghost images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldchen96 Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted July 19, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thank you all for your kind suggestions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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