Jamie Roberts Posted August 10, 2006 Share #41 Posted August 10, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Andy-- I've been using digital as a working pro for a number of years now, and just bought an R9/DMR. I absolutely love the image quality (color is astounding), love the focus, love the glass, love the handling. For someone with a body and the glass, this is something you will want to do. I've done my share of scanning Kodachrome, too. I don't like doing it, thanks. Also, the absolute learning curve to produce excellent (leica-worthy) shots is the least of any DSLR I've seen to date (and I've used a lot of Canons and Nikons), especially if you shoot RAW and use C1--> BUT (and this is a big but) you must nail the exposure (see below). So with that, here are the only negatives I can think of, and that includes against the Nikon and Canons I've used (and still do): 1) Could you wait for an R10? An R10 with an integrated sensor, full-frame, and faster frame rate camera can't really be that far away. Same mount, and of course same glass--BUT even better handling (smaller with no motor drive) and even better images (I miss my full-frame...) 2) OK, the DMR is relatively (relatively) slow for sports shooting. 2 fps doesn't begin to match 8 fps from a 1d2. On the other hand, the image quality is such that I'll gladly give that up 3) If you want fast workflow, the only (and I mean only) imaging software I've found that gives me acceptibly fast results is Capture One (luckily, C1 also gives spectacular RAW conversions). So you need to factor that into the price. DNGs just don't preview quickly--at least not on Windows. I haven't tried Lightroom yet. 4) I know this will be controversial, but here goes... (Please don't kill me, folks, please....) Even though the learning curve on this thing is not steep at all, there is one lesson to learn coming from film or even other dSLRs. Though easy to use, the DMR is one of the hardest dSLRs to get "OK" results with even remotely sloppy technique. It's not forgiving at all. You must nail the exposure. Ok, so who wants "OK" results? Well, sometimes "OK" is better than no result at all--it depends on what you shoot, right? (of course, you wouldn't have Leica to begin with if all you do is point and shoot, but you see what I mean here...) Note I didn't say "you must use low ISO"--that's not, in my limited experience, absolutely true. But you must nail the exposure. Did I say that often enough? Highlights blow beautifully, but quickly, in my opinion (the beautiful part means that due to added color depth, I don't see *any* of the banding that occurs with my Canons when I really, really push them (+2 EV or so on very bright objects) Instead, the DMR just looks like slide film). That's good, but I bet I have at least a stop more latitude / detail in the Canon highlights with the CMOS sensor. Of course, it doesn't look like the DMR in the midtones... Shadows on the DMR are better than I expected, too, even at higher ISOs, especially in C1 (thanks C1). But even in the shadows, I think some of other mainstream dSLRs have better absolute exposure latitude, especially since they're less noisy in shadows, from an absolute sensor perspective. In other words, when you need a push, it's way easier to push a 1ds2 than the DMR. **BUT that colour. Wow. And detail... also Wow. And the focus screen. Wow, and the glass. So if your photography relies on instant adaptation to horribly adverse situations (where the latitude of film, for example, plays a big part), then I wouldn't recommend the DMR (well, except that you only have to learn to NAIL the exposure as second nature, and the camera part of the DMR helps that a *lot* ). But after all that--there really is no reason not to buy a DMR. It's a wonderful system; I love it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 10, 2006 Posted August 10, 2006 Hi Jamie Roberts, Take a look here Why should I not buy a DMR?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest guy_mancuso Posted August 10, 2006 Share #42 Posted August 10, 2006 Jamie i have not gotten back to your latest e-mail to me , i am on vaction now in San diego and was working in New York last week but in the middle of all that I switched computer platforms from PC to a Mac well it has been 20 years since being on a Mac and needless to say the Mac Probbok hit the spot with the Intel chip and now I can go between PC XP and Mac one one machine with Parallel software. Anyway i am glad the DMR is rocking your household and on the issue of exposure and nailing it. i have a lot of success if i am under exposed than over . i have even brought up files 2 stops with sucess in C1 so there is some elbow room there . Going over maybe the deadly sin on some systems but the DMRcan handle most things well about being dead on don't disagree , just think you are shooting Kodachrome and you can't miss and you don't have to scan. LOL As far as loook of these images from the DMR nothing in my 15 years just shooting digital comes close PERIOD. some folks think I maybe boasting that claim but i have been around many digital systems and i would never make a claim i could not back up like this. it is not for everyone but if you are a dedicated shooter that likes to WORK your system than it work you than nothing comes close. the leica DMR is a throw back to the old days where you do the thinking and the camera takes the orders not like canon or Nikon where it takes over on you. you want something from the DMR than you the user has to set it for that. Plain and simple this is a manual camera in every sense of the word. frankly this is how I started in photography going back to a Minolta SRT 101 , everything you do is up to you not anything else. Old school thoughts for many but honestly the best way to learn photography. I still use the sun rule . LOL Anyway i am glad you got one and hopefully all my advice on it through our converstations is proving it's worth to you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertwang Posted August 10, 2006 Share #43 Posted August 10, 2006 Good job, Guy. Show them that Leica still beats Canon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkCambridgeshire Posted August 10, 2006 Share #44 Posted August 10, 2006 If you are talking about a NEW one when you said, "Not one good reason not to buy one. What's the matter with you?" ... because there is a mint s/h one at a well known dealer £1000 cheaper than new ... Hope this does not break the rules ref 'no selling' ... Dunk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted August 10, 2006 Share #45 Posted August 10, 2006 Albert i get more crap from that than anything . Those Canon loyalist are worse than the leica guys. :D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Roberts Posted August 14, 2006 Share #46 Posted August 14, 2006 Albert i get more crap from that than anything . Those Canon loyalist are worse than the leica guys. :D Yeah--especially when we buy Leicas Guy--thanks for the information. I'm actually not a "Canon" guy--just want to use the right tool for the job. Right now, that's the DMR. Anyway, I agree with everything you've said too, and you've been really, really helpful--I love the look of the DMR files. And yeah--you really have to think Kodachrome when it comes to exposure! (Coincidentally enough, I go back to a manual Minolta too: I still have an XD11 kicking around here somewhere). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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