Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The new one seems to produce a look that is a bit more bland than the old one. I would be keeping the old one as a collector's item anyway.  I am still thinking about the new one. As for filters on the lens, I can only ask, why? With digital, filters are completely unnecessary and when used they can produce flare and other light effects. Even with film nowadays, unless one is using a completely 'native darkroom' with no digital post processing, a filter will not have any great effect on the final output. I have not used a filter on a Leica lens since the M8.

 

William

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

The new one seems to produce a look that is a bit more bland than the old one. I would be keeping the old one as a collector's item anyway.  I am still thinking about the new one. As for filters on the lens, I can only ask, why? With digital, filters are completely unnecessary and when used they can produce flare and other light effects. Even with film nowadays, unless one is using a completely 'native darkroom' with no digital post processing, a filter will not have any great effect on the final output. I have not used a filter on a Leica lens since the M8.

 

William

 

Sorry to go back to Sean Reid again, but his colours taken in strong light are pretty punchy and saturated.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The new one seems to produce a look that is a bit more bland than the old one. I would be keeping the old one as a collector's item anyway.  I am still thinking about the new one. As for filters on the lens, I can only ask, why? With digital, filters are completely unnecessary and when used they can produce flare and other light effects. Even with film nowadays, unless one is using a completely 'native darkroom' with no digital post processing, a filter will not have any great effect on the final output. I have not used a filter on a Leica lens since the M8.

 

William

Don't forget that there is film and digital B&W and contrast filters come handy.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry to go back to Sean Reid again, but his colours taken in strong light are pretty punchy and saturated.

 

Agreed. I was referring to the examples posted here and I used the word 'seems'.  There very few old ones and people looking for the lens will probably end up with the new one which should have superior coating etc and thus produce 'punchier' images. I am very happy with my old version of the lens.

 

 

Don't forget that there is film and digital B&W and contrast filters come handy.

 

I did mention people using purely film with no digital post processing as an exception to what I was saying. As for shooting in black and white, the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 has the ability to provide different coloured filter effects to boost contrast for black and white images in camera and, of course, any good post processing software should also have this possibility. I don't know if the Leica Monochrom has this but, if it does not, I am sure that the next iteration of the camera will.

 

William

Link to post
Share on other sites

As for shooting in black and white, the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 has the ability to provide different coloured filter effects to boost contrast for black and white images in camera and, of course, any good post processing software should also have this possibility. I don't know if the Leica Monochrom has this but, if it does not, I am sure that the next iteration of the camera will.

 

 

No, and no the next iteration of the camera won't either.

 

Unlike other cameras, the Monochrom doesn't capture the different colour channels - it has no colour filter array, so you can't apply colour filters in post processing.  You can boost contrast, structure highlights, shadows etc, but you cannot change the relative intensity of different colour channels, and never will be able to as the Monochrom has a monochromatic sensor.  You have to use actual colour filters, screwed to the front of your lens to do this, in the old fashioned way!

 

Cheers

John

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry to go back to Sean Reid again, but his colours taken in strong light are pretty punchy and saturated.

 

What I find a bit troubling why Seans photos is the amount distortion. There is much more than I was expecting. In the photos that Robert has posted however I think the colours and the vignetting look really good.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

No, and no the next iteration of the camera won't either.

 

Unlike other cameras, the Monochrom doesn't capture the different colour channels - it has no colour filter array, so you can't apply colour filters in post processing.  You can boost contrast, structure highlights, shadows etc, but you cannot change the relative intensity of different colour channels, and never will be able to as the Monochrom has a monochromatic sensor.  You have to use actual colour filters, screwed to the front of your lens to do this, in the old fashioned way!

 

Cheers

John

 

Thanks John. I understand what you are saying. I had been thinking about getting a Monocrom, but I don't like putting glass filters in front of lenses. The system on the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 works really well, but what you get is a Jpeg rather than a RAW image.

 

My 2.8cm f5.6 Summaron will continue to be used without a filter.

 

William

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks John. I understand what you are saying. I had been thinking about getting a Monocrom, but I don't like putting glass filters in front of lenses. The system on the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 works really well, but what you get is a Jpeg rather than a RAW image.

 

My 2.8cm f5.6 Summaron will continue to be used without a filter.

 

William

 

The Monochrom is so much more than just a B&W camera.  Of course, it is about B&W, but the resolution is some much finer than the "normal" M camera.

 

Like you, I tend not to use filters either - the exceptions being polarisers, ND & graduated ND, yellow, orange and red (as the need arises).  The requirement for filters is only to bring the contrast within the dynamic range of the sensor ...

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

It's a nice lens. Looks great. Only if you compare the lens with hood to a 35mm sum micron plus hood, you will not gain much in smallness with the summaron.

 

The way of focussing is somewhat getting used to, after focussing with " modern " lenses, but the learning curve is not so steep I think. 

 

Leica bei Meister will sell them in store, so you don't have to pre order without seeing /feeling one. If I was not saving money for the new M this year, I would buy it this year. It looks great on my MP.

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 Paulus
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

That's interesting as the hood for the original version is more than half the cost of the lens - some kind of collector's item.  

In any case, the hood virtually kills the pancake zen nature of the lens.  So I would try not to use it.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Plus that might help re-introduce any missing flare.   :)

 

Jeff

 

Exactly, with this lens you really want to embrace the flare.

Here is some more junky flare with the original lens on film

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!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  • Like 16
Link to post
Share on other sites

How come the old one...looks better than the new one..? At least on the web...

 

 

Very good question.  My lens (original ver.) produces images much like A Miller has posted here if, you shoot into the sun and take advantage of the soft contrast and flare.  

 

The photos of the new lens seem to show more contrast, sharper corners and mid-frame sharpness,  and much greater contrast.  Flare control is much better.

 

So, if you like that sort of improvement, the new lens is better for you.  If, on the other hand, you want to work with the character of the old lens then, it might be a better choice.

 

RickSummaron

Link to post
Share on other sites

How come the old one...looks better than the new one..? At least on the web...

 

 

Difficult to tell IMO, there haven't been many photographs posted with the new lens. I haven't seen Sean Reid's photographs, only those posted on the Leica website and a few in this thread such as the ones Robert has posted. The Leica ones are interesting to me in that they indicate how the lens might handle strong oncoming light (and are closer in that sense to Adam's examples with the old lens) but I'm not sure Robert's show much other than that the lens works and has noticeable vignetting. The only way to have a proper idea about this lens, I think, is to try the lens for yourself and that is what I intend to do during the next week or so. In my case, I want to try it with film and get a sense of how strong the vignetting is and the type of flare that can be induced or not (contrary to what I think Adam and Rick like, I don't want big gobs of flare, haloes and the like, but would rather it was controlled like in the Leica example below and unlike the blobs of flare I'd typically get from my 28 Summicron). In truth, I should be running a mile from this lens – it is expensive, very slow (which will mean having to carry another lens if I expect to be using my camera in anything other than daylight), doesn't focus closer than 1m (which is a disadvantage with a 28mm IMO) and vignettes noticeably – but I like the idea of a tiny lens like this enough that I have to at least try it out for myself.  :)

 

 

Daniel-Flaschar-7_teaser-1200x800.jpg

Edited by wattsy
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

If you want to 'embrace the flare' and use it as a feature then don't use the hood. The lens will shoot perfectly good photos without the hood most of the time. I bought the SOOBK hood solely as a collector's item. It is much more rare than the lens and that explains the high price sought. Try a search for the hood online and you will see what I mean. When I got the hood I tried it and was quite happy with it. I have shot both with and without the hood.

 

It is just like the filter issue. Some do and some don't. At least on the hood front you will get the hood with the lens and can try it both with and without the hood. 

 

William

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...