high(er) ISO on MM1

[ymc226]

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Still waiting for my MM1 to return from Leica NJ for sensor change.  I dropped off 5/17 and usually shot it at base ISO of 320 since I shot mostly my children at the beach where available light was at times too much.

 

Now when I get my MM1 back, I plan on using it in circumstances that are more demanding and would like to know the capability of this sensor at higher ISOs.  I've read that the M9 sensor can be used up to 800 with acceptable DR and color preservation.  Given the MM1 has no bayer filter, would an ISO of 1600 be a consistent top limit or could one go higher.

 

I've quickly perused the list of topics in this Monocrom section and there was only one short thread about the MM1 and high ISO so would like more opinions.

[Wonzo]

 

try: https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/262144-monochrome-ccd-question/

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[Wonzo]

or perhaps: https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/266317-monochrom-1-v-monochrom-2/

[Luke_Miller]

My MM1 images are very clean up to ISO 2500.  Above that luminance noise begins to be more visible, but even at 6400 I am getting usable shots without noise reduction.  Even though the removal of the Bayer array color filter adds only about a stop of increased sensitivity, the absence of color noise IMO makes higher ISOs much cleaner than one would expect.

[Jager]

Like Luke says, it's the awful speckled color of digital noise that makes it so quickly ruin images.

 

Black and white is a whole different ballgame.  On my M9 I'd try and keep any color images at 800 or below.  But if it was an image destined for b&w (or a higher iso was the only way to save a picture, such as at night... in which case it had to be b&w), I'd happily go to 1600.  Occasionally even 3200.

 

6400 on the MM is a piece of cake.

Edited February 21, 2018 by Jager

[ymc226]

Thanks for all of your responses.  When I get my MM1 back, I'll try to take some test shots at up to 6400 and see if it works for me.  What is important to me is the final print in sizes up to 16x20 inches.