New CL -- Images look awful

[scott kirkpatrick]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I've got an M10, but if you need 5 and you've only found 4, give me a call (or PM).

[Advertisement]

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

[scott kirkpatrick]

me too ..... but there is a FF link c-to-m arriving mid June, might want to wait and see ....

the "missing link"?  I read the LeicaRumors post.  It is unusually vague for that sort of thing.  The lens plan update sounded interesting, but having a CL and an SL, why would I need this link?  I would suspect the vagueness of the rumors means that the intended deliveries might not be until 2019.  Have the people who scan trademark registries found any clues?

Edited May 29, 2018 by scott kirkpatrick

[helged]

~That M10... I've been firmly resisting. Somebody offered me an M10 in sealed box from a bankruptcy for 2750 Euro, but it has to be a group buy for five cameras... I'm sorely tempted...OTOH, when it is too good to be true, it usually is.

Another one in...

[LocalHero1953]

me too ..... but there is a FF link c-to-m arriving mid June, might want to wait and see ....

I hadn't seen that when I posted - yes, might be safer to wait and see.

[Marac]

Horses for courses man. It's always been the way.

 

At least the OP is happy now with his purchase. Enjoy the Q.

[jaapv]

Yep - and he deleted his example images from Flickr.

[Alistairm]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

~That M10... I've been firmly resisting. Somebody offered me an M10 in sealed box from a bankruptcy for 2750 Euro, but it has to be a group buy for five cameras... I'm sorely tempted...OTOH, when it is too good to be true, it usually is.

That is a stonking bargain.

[jay968]

Sorry that I had to delete the images but I really didn't want to keep test images up on my site like that. Very happy with the Q btw.

I've had an M10 since last October. Very happy with it and I would definitely recommend picking one up at 2750 Euro if that's legit.

On the other hand, if what I have read about the possible C-M is true, this will upset the entire cart. It's what Leica needs to do even though it may very well kill the M.

Edited May 29, 2018 by jay968

[bags27]

, if what I have read about the possible C-M is true, this will upset the entire cart. It's what Leica needs to do even though it may very well kill the M.

Been thinking about this today, though at LR what Peter cites is Andreas Kaufmann's interview which doesn't remotely suggest a new camera, just further development of the L lens line (while holding a TL2) and aesthetic modifications of the SL.

 

Anyway, we say that a C-M would kill the M, and that would, indeed, be sad. And yet, Leica continues to produce two film cameras, so maybe Leica will keep the M as a digital rangefinder for at least through the M12 or thereabouts. But, like its film cameras it may become a labor of love. How can one argue with the future: mirrorless, autofocus for an aging population.

Edited May 29, 2018 by bags27

[Lins-Barroso]

~That M10... I've been firmly resisting. Somebody offered me an M10 in sealed box from a bankruptcy for 2750 Euro, but it has to be a group buy for five cameras... I'm sorely tempted...OTOH, when it is too good to be true, it usually is.

 

jaapv, I want one in Chrome Silver too

If possible, I am in...

Edited May 29, 2018 by Lins-Barroso

[jaapv]

I don't know - after I mailed the person in question that I could get five together and proposed an escrow scheme - i.e. I collect the payments and transfer the money in his presence as soon as the cameras are delivered, it went silent on the other side...

[LocalHero1953]

I don't know - after I mailed the person in question that I could get five together and proposed an escrow scheme - i.e. I collect the payments and transfer the money in his presence as soon as the cameras are delivered, it went silent on the other side...

Was she a Nigerian princess as well?

[Marac]

I have been bitten by the 'too good to be true' offers already so I'm always hopeful but sceptical regarding their outcome. 

[lct]

If the princess has one with a fast EVF i'm in too

[jonoslack]

On the other hand, if what I have read about the possible C-M is true, this will upset the entire cart. It's what Leica needs to do even though it may very well kill the M.

It looks like a very dodgy rumour to me - of course it would affect sales of the M, but probably without garnering too many new users . . . Because having a Q sized body taking SL lenses is just silly (they’re so big!) and although it would be lovely to have small, fast, FF, AF lenses we know that this isn’t possible (nobody else can do it either).

 

So why spend a lot of money developing something which would affect the sales of one of the most important cameras . . . Without an obvious increase of revenue?

[scott kirkpatrick]

Here's my wild speculation.  Doesn't deserve to be even called a rumor, but it enhances revenue without putting any crimps into the sales of existing products.  (And it's my wishlist.)

 

A video enhanced SL (or even a video CL, since the Leica codecs use only the super 35 sensor area) with internal 4:2:2 10 bit recording capability, new codecs and perhaps external power and no 29 minute limit on recording (which shouldn't stop a European product).

 

2 new CL/TL lenses and 3 new SL lenses. For the CL, an 18/1.4 high quality and a 14/2.0 with the same standards.

For the SL, certainly the plan should include a date for the 28/2.0 and the "big tuna" 400 prime, but I have no clue what the fifth lens will be.  Maybe a compact midrange zoom, with some unique range, like 35 to 135. 

[Csacwp]

It looks like a very dodgy rumour to me - of course it would affect sales of the M, but probably without garnering too many new users . . . Because having a Q sized body taking SL lenses is just silly (they’re so big!) and although it would be lovely to have small, fast, FF, AF lenses we know that this isn’t possible (nobody else can do it either).

 

So why spend a lot of money developing something which would affect the sales of one of the most important cameras . . . Without an obvious increase of revenue?

 

Having handled the new Summicrons, they aren't too big.  My 75mm Summilux M feels larger.

[jaapv]

The 75 mm Summilux M feels larger than a lot of lenses, and is heavier too. Much as I liked the lens, I sold it for those reasons.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[lct]

Hard to believe that the M 75/1.4 becomes a reference for compactness at Leica.

[Herr Barnack]

I had the exact same moment of panic that you experienced when first previewing images on the rear LCD.

 

There is a known issue with the CL where the preview image that is shown looks pixelated, distorted, and lacks color accuracy. (Especially in heavily shadowed areas, they come out almost looking pure purple on the rear LCD). Even if you're shooting raw the rear LCD still displays a downsized jpg.

 

I quickly dumped the DNGs onto my computer to get a closer look as I couldn't believe my eyes. Thankfully the actual files were perfectly crisp, well contrasted, and maintained a natural color balance. (The whites were not leaning purple as they do on my Canon, nor were they leaning blue as they do on my Sony — they were natural and true.)

 

I have been in contact with Leica USA about the rear LCD issue, here is their latest response —

 

"Some degree of color banding on the LCD screen is known when capturing a DNG file alone.  It seems that presently the resolution of the screen exceeds that of the Jpeg thumbnail that is displayed to represent the Raw capture.  There’s a noticeable improvement if DNG and Jpeg files are captured simultaneously but of course that eats up more card space.  We have not yet been advised of a pending solution for this, such as with a future firmware update."

 

I can upload a raw + edit here below for you as well if helpful.

 

I have learned with my M-P 240 that you cannot put much faith in the image that the rear LCD shows you, particularly when shooting with longer lenses like the 50/1.0 Noctilux and the 90/2 APO.  When I zoom in, precious few of my images made with these two lenses look sharp on the rear LCD. 

 

After panicking over that 3-4 times,  I now know to remind myself that you cannot really evaluate sharpness or focus accurately by using the LCD and reserve judgement until I get home and can look at them on my MacBook.