007 - first thoughts

[Deliberate1]

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Friends, as my beloved 006 is winging its way to Wetzlar for possible sensor replacement, I have been spending some time with an 007 that I bought a month ago. To be sure, I am smitten by the files from the 006, just as I was with the ones from my M9 that it supersedes. Both, I believe, are the perfect camera for perfect conditions - ample light with a tight tonal spectrum. Under those conditions, the files make splendid prints.

But who among us shoots in perfect conditions all the time. The camera must adjust to the environment, not vice versa. I shoot horses - with a camera, of course. And that work often takes me into barns with shadows infused with dirt and dung and all the other floating particulates that circulate in that space. I find no better canvas for a light painting than the hide of a horse in indirect, filtered light, and especially after a pulling event that glazes the hide with sweat and pronounced musculature. I have made lovely images with the CCD sensor. But I have had to toss many images because of the sensor's limitations which force the use of higher ISO or slower shutter speeds than the subject and circumstances demand. Horses tend to move faster than the camera can manage.

So I bought an 007 with the hope that it would extend the shooting envelope with higher functional ISO combined with greater DR, and less shutter vibration for those hand-held shots. I have not had the opportunity to shoot in a barn yet. But I have shot in low light situations that reveal the camera's expanded shooting envelope. My mind is still in 006 mode, so I have not yet fully explored the live view focus method. But I did discover an interesting feature. I use the Contax 120mm with adapter. It is manual focus. And I found that if you half press the shutter button while manually focusing, the camera will beep when it detects the image is in focus. 

I have noticed that the shutter button is different on the 007. It feels stiffer and requires more pressure. My 006 was instantaneous. Sometimes I need to press it twice, the second time with greater force to trigger. Have others found this to be the case as well? If it is a phenomenon of this camera, is there any work around, like a soft focus button?

The jury is out on the color palate. My eye is CCD-tuned. The 007 colors are different. More clinical, perhaps even more "accurate." I suspect it will just take some time to adjust to this and to create an appropriate work flow. Ultimately, I suspect I will shoot certain subjects with the 006 - those perfect ones in perfect conditions - and leave the 007 for more challenging circumstances.

Best,

David

[helged]

Being a novice in MF land, I know for sure that the 006 will stay with me for quite some time... The spes and tests and cost will decide on whether S3 or one of the Fuji-incarnations will acompany the 006, or 'only' one/two of the up coming SL FF bodies (presumeably Leia SL2 and Sigma Foveon, time will tell...). 

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[leicapages]

13 hours ago, Deliberate1 said:

Friends, as my beloved 006 is winging its way to Wetzlar for possible sensor replacement, I have been spending some time with an 007 that I bought a month ago. To be sure, I am smitten by the files from the 006, just as I was with the ones from my M9 that it supersedes. Both, I believe, are the perfect camera for perfect conditions - ample light with a tight tonal spectrum. Under those conditions, the files make splendid prints.

But who among us shoots in perfect conditions all the time. The camera must adjust to the environment, not vice versa. I shoot horses - with a camera, of course. And that work often takes me into barns with shadows infused with dirt and dung and all the other floating particulates that circulate in that space. I find no better canvas for a light painting than the hide of a horse in indirect, filtered light, and especially after a pulling event that glazes the hide with sweat and pronounced musculature. I have made lovely images with the CCD sensor. But I have had to toss many images because of the sensor's limitations which force the use of higher ISO or slower shutter speeds than the subject and circumstances demand. Horses tend to move faster than the camera can manage.

So I bought an 007 with the hope that it would extend the shooting envelope with higher functional ISO combined with greater DR, and less shutter vibration for those hand-held shots. I have not had the opportunity to shoot in a barn yet. But I have shot in low light situations that reveal the camera's expanded shooting envelope. My mind is still in 006 mode, so I have not yet fully explored the live view focus method. But I did discover an interesting feature. I use the Contax 120mm with adapter. It is manual focus. And I found that if you half press the shutter button while manually focusing, the camera will beep when it detects the image is in focus. 

I have noticed that the shutter button is different on the 007. It feels stiffer and requires more pressure. My 006 was instantaneous. Sometimes I need to press it twice, the second time with greater force to trigger. Have others found this to be the case as well? If it is a phenomenon of this camera, is there any work around, like a soft focus button?

The jury is out on the color palate. My eye is CCD-tuned. The 007 colors are different. More clinical, perhaps even more "accurate." I suspect it will just take some time to adjust to this and to create an appropriate work flow. Ultimately, I suspect I will shoot certain subjects with the 006 - those perfect ones in perfect conditions - and leave the 007 for more challenging circumstances.

Best,

David

 

I agree with you that upgrading to the 007 vastly expands the shooting enveloppe. I have used the 006 but was given a 007 loaner by Leica during 006 maintenance in Wetzlar. A poisoned gift it would seem  First thing I did afterwards was to buy a 007. Personally, I find the colors produced by the 007 more to my likening (without any further processing). The camera acts faster, and is more refined, than the 006 in most respects. The major bonus is the higher ISO, which allows using the camera under conditions that would not have been possible with an 006 - as you have discovered yourself. The 006 is IMHO more of a studio camera, when conditions are set up and controlled. The 007 can face most, if not any, type of photography. As such, it is more mainstream in actual practice.

I have not, however, experienced the shutter button issue that you describe. Perhaps it is a sample variation. If it disturbs, you should get it checked and addressed.

 

[SaW]

I too think that the iso capacity of the S007 shouldn't be underestimated.

Using high shutter speed is often needed to get the sharpest results and combined with f.i. f8 to get a bit of depth of field makes the excellent high iso (and auto iso settings) very helpful.

Otherwise a tripod is needed and even then the former S models were not always accurate to focus as we had to rely on the OVF only (good sometimes and in good light but tricky at other time on certain subjects or in low light).

Here the 2nd big advantage of the S007 comes into play: using liveview + an hoodman loop (the LCD screen is also better on the S007) when on tripod gives super accurate shots 100% of the time.

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by SaW

[Deliberate1]

4 hours ago, SaW said:

 

Here the 2nd big advantage of the S007 comes into play: using liveview + an hoodman loop (the LCD screen is also better on the S007) when on tripod gives super accurate shots 100% of the time.

 

Very interesting technique. I do have a loop that I use with my 4x5 rig, but it never occurred to me to use it with the Leica. I will try that. As I am new to the lv features, is there one which allows you to zoom with the focus assistant engaged, thereby achieving the same result as using the loop?

David

[albertknappmd]

The increase in effective ISO for the 007 was a major game changer for me.

Could really get the shot outdoors in challenging lighting conditions....

Albert 😏😩😪

[peterv]

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On 10/18/2018 at 4:25 PM, albertknappmd said:

The increase in effective ISO for the 007 was a major game changer for me.

So Albert and others, for the 007, what do you deem useable ISO for an A3 print? 1600 stil feasible?

[John McMaster]

Depends on subject, I find it far better at high ISO than my M(240), but would be happy with a higher ISO than 1600 most of the time...

john