Lightroom specifics? - New to Leica digital with M-D

[DaveNC]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Happy holidays!

 

I'm Dave from Raleigh, North Carolina and just received my M-D today.  It's been a long time since I shoot with an M6 and scanned my slides.  I'm very excited about the M-D.  It's what I've been wishing for for a long time.  I've used Nikon for the past 30 years and the DF for the past few years.  I'm glad to be getting back into Leica.  It was alway my favorite.

 

Where may I find Lightroom presets, settings, etc. for the Leica?

 

I've always shot raw and converted to DNG on import.  I enjoy both color and B&W.  My intent is to do as little as I can in processing while trying to capture the image as close to my intent as possible.

 

Any direction is greatly appreciated.

 

Also, anyone in NC who would like to link up to shoot and discuss LR, please let me know.

 

Thanks and have a wonderful holiday!

[LocalHero1953]

Lightroom has built in raw conversion profiles for Leica cameras. As long as the profile is set to Adobe Standard (in the LR Develop module, under Camera Calibration), then it should recognise (from EXIF metadata) that the file is from an M-D, and apply the correct profile on import. You could also set the profile to "embedded" and it will take Leica's own profile baked into the DNG, but I prefer Adobe's.

 

AFAIK there are no other Leica-specific presets in LR.

 

Edit: I guess there may be third party presets, but I've never looked for them or felt the need for them.

Edited December 24, 2016 by LocalHero1953

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Stealth3kpl]

Hi Dave.

Welcome to the forum. There is an old thread here which might be worth a read.

One of the forum members, Elmars, has come up with quite a nice preset for Lightroom for the M262 but I sometimes try it for the M240.

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/262436-m-262-colour/?p=3134106

Pete

Edited December 24, 2016 by Stealth3kpl

[ramarren]

I hope you enjoy your M-D as much as I've been enjoying mine! It has become my favorite Leica M. :-)

 

The standard Adobe camera calibration profile for the M-D produces excellent results. There aren't any other specific presets specific to Leica in Lightroom as it comes from Adobe, other than the lens correction presets. To use those, you take an image into the Develop module and use adjustments in the Lens Corrections panels. 

 

There are third-party profiles and presets you can add to Lightroom, but I've never used any of them.

Edited December 24, 2016 by ramarren

[LocalHero1953]

I'd forgotten about the lens correction presets - again, they are normally applied automatically based on EXIF metadata (which is why I'd forgotten), unless you are using an uncommon/unrecognised lens.

Edited December 24, 2016 by LocalHero1953

[Jeff S]

You might not have a need to use all the capabilities of LR, and certainly not on any given pic, but it still pays to understand the tools so you can apply just the right ones in the right circumstances.  If you don't already have a familiarity with LR, there are many good resources available. For books, try Scott Kelby.  For videos, try the free ones from Julieanne Kost at Adobe.

 

Learning the tools is relatively easy.....knowing when and where to apply them, and to what degree, (particularly if you make prints) is the same challenge faced in darkroom days. Finding a 'voice' is key.....and one can always create custom pre-sets for frequent needs.  I rarely make a print without post-processing edits, however judicious, even when I envision that final result when shooting.

 

Doesn't matter if you're using Leica or other gear....it all boils down to a disciplined workflow....from camera to displayed print.

 

Jeff

[jaapv]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Happy holidays!

 

I'm Dave from Raleigh, North Carolina and just received my M-D today.  It's been a long time since I shoot with an M6 and scanned my slides.  I'm very excited about the M-D.  It's what I've been wishing for for a long time.  I've used Nikon for the past 30 years and the DF for the past few years.  I'm glad to be getting back into Leica.  It was alway my favorite.

 

Where may I find Lightroom presets, settings, etc. for the Leica?

 

I've always shot raw and converted to DNG on import.  I enjoy both color and B&W.  My intent is to do as little as I can in processing while trying to capture the image as close to my intent as possible.

 

Any direction is greatly appreciated.

 

Also, anyone in NC who would like to link up to shoot and discuss LR, please let me know.

 

Thanks and have a wonderful holiday!

What Jeff says. Using Lightroom is not camera brand specific. If you like hands-on guidance it might be useful to participate in a few workshops.

[ECohen]

 Lightroom is important knowledge  to have if photography is your passion. As others have said LR is not camera specific.

If you like learn from videos Matt Kloskowski's  Lightroom course is very good one.  https://mattk.com/lightroom/

And you will get a personal line to the author via a Forum to get your specific questions answered.
 

 This course really lays out everything you need to know in simple terms.
 

Everyone have an opinion ...this one mine

Hope it helps

[marchyman]

 

I've always shot raw and converted to DNG on import.

 

 

Since Leica native raw files are in DNG format your import procedure will change a bit.  Lots of ways to do the job.  My preference is to copy from SD card to my media hard disk outside of Lightroom and then use the "Add" import function to add the images that are already on my media drive to my Lightroom catalog.

[DaveNC]

Thanks, fellows.  I'm already a longtime LR user and got all that.  There can be camera-specific possibilities however.  For example, my Fuji X cameras enable Fuji Film-specific Camera Calibration options that are quite nice.  They do a fine job producing film-like images coming out of my Fuji camera DNG files.  These calibrations are available only when editing a Fuji DNG file, and yes, I know how to fake that in the metadata.  I was hoping there would be similar options for my new Leica.  In any case, so far, I'm seeing rather flat images from the Leica DNG files.  Guess I'll create my own LR presets.

 

Thanks again...

[ECohen]

"I'm seeing rather flat images from the Leica DNG files."

 

you mean..... right out of the camera> download to computer>  important into LR and your photos are flat?

 

Out of the cameras DNG files should be pretty great even with no processing.

Edited December 25, 2016 by ECohen

[DaveNC]

Yes, right out of the camera with nothing altered in LR.  This is a mixed light indoor image of a very colorful bedspread.  I included a White Balance card in the image and the camera did a good job on that.  Setting WB in LR from the card made a very small difference.  Using LR to arrive at an image I liked, versus what I'll call flat, required:

 

1. + 1.05 exposure

2. + 6      contrast

3. + 42    whites

4. - 23     blacks

5. I also used the Adobe provided standard camera calibration and lens correction profile for the M-D and 35 2.0 ASPH.

 

Nothing here is very off and I must get used to center weighted exposure after many years of Nikon Matrix.  So I suppose the small exposure difference is understandable.

I am very much enjoying this camera frankly.  Like some, I've always wished for digital capture on a film camera, missing my Nikon F3 and Leica M6 days.

 

Thoughts?

Edited December 25, 2016 by DaveNC

[LocalHero1953]

I agree that SOOC DNG images in LR are flat, and I see that as a positive attribute. It makes it easier to turn them into what I want, rather than what somebody else has decided I want. I have created a number of LR presets over time that suit my needs, depending on subject, lighting conditions etc. For example, I find the standard greens in landscape images to be too yellow/acid, and some people's skin tones benefit by adjusting reds.

[Jeff S]

How little or how much work it takes to process doesn't mean any more to me (or to viewers) than how hard or easy it was to shoot the picture in the first place; either the final result works or not.  And when it does, it's all worth it.  

 

It takes time to get to know a camera or lens, and to develop a suitable workflow.  After that, there shouldn't be much need to dwell on the process; it should be more about the picture and print.....at least that's how it's always been for me, darkroom or lightroom.

 

BTW, cameras with high dynamic range, like the Monochroms, often have flatter results out of camera.  I haven't seen user complaints about that since early reports when the original Monochrom was first introduced; now it's all about the terrific results users are getting.  Funny how people adapt.

 

Jeff

 

[marchyman]

 

 

1. + 1.05 exposure

2. + 6      contrast

3. + 42    whites

4. - 23     blacks

5. I also used the Adobe provided standard camera calibration and lens correction profile for the M-D and 35 2.0 ASPH.

 

 

I do  exposure adjustments that high mostly when I get it wrong in camera.   My typical adjustments are to slightly increase contrast, lower highlights, increase shadows, and set white and black points.  I also play with clarity and sharpening (usually the Masking adjustment).  I do that for images I intend to print or otherwise share.  Some images are also get some kind of graduated filter treatment.

 

I created color profiles for my camera using the X-Rite color checker.