Jono Slack: Leica M10 Monochrom Field Report

[Likaleica]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I'm not so much interested in higher resolution.  I think that 24mp is perfect for most things I do.  For me the M10M platform, deeper files, improved ISO performance and user interface are the Siren call.

Edited January 18, 2020 by Likaleica

[Twasi]

What is the effective dynamic range of this sensor? How much information can you recover from shadows that appear black? That would be the real appeal of a monochrome sensor.

[Advertisement]

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

[SrMi]

1 hour ago, Twasi said:

What is the effective dynamic range of this sensor? How much information can you recover from shadows that appear black? That would be the real appeal of a monochrome sensor.

Leica claims 15 stops of dynamic range. But we don’t know how it is measured so we can’t compare it. Hope early adopters will work with Bill Cliff to get a comparable PDR.

[james.liam]

10 hours ago, marcg said:

You really think it's going to be that long before Leica bring out an M11M?  

Great.

An 80 MP sensor (equivalent to a 120MP color sensor) requiring a new $4000 computer so I can crop down to nose hairs. 

Edited January 18, 2020 by james.liam

[dkmoore]

54 minutes ago, james.liam said:

Great.

An 80 MP sensor (equivalent to a 120MP color sensor) requiring a new $4000 computer so I can crop down to nose hairs. 

By then the computers will be run by space chimps that do the editing for us...

But in reality, we need to update our computers at least every 2-3 years if we want to keep up.

[John Black]

Somebody asked about bit depth... EXIFTOOL shows the same as the M10-P --- 16 bits.  Whereas the M-246 shows 12 bits.  So if the M10-P is actually 14 bits, it's reasonable to assume the M10 Monochrom is also 14 bits.  I've download the spec sheet and quick start from Leica US, neither state the bit depth.  

Hopefully Phase One gets Capture One 20 updated within the next... ooooh... 24 months?  It took them forever to add the M-246...  FWIW - Capture One 20 should read the DNG's without issue via their Generic DNG profile.  I haven't tried yet though.

I found some raws here - https://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/leica_m10_monochrom_review/preview_images.  JPEGs first, scroll down for the DNGs.  

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Capture One reads the DNG's using a generic profile.

Also although the pixel data is stored in 16-bit words (hence described as 16-bit data in one piece of metadata), elsewhere in the files it says the black point is 0, and the white limit point is 15000.  That sounds like 14 bits of useful data to me.

Edited January 18, 2020 by scott kirkpatrick

[SrMi]

1 hour ago, John Black said:

Somebody asked about bit depth... EXIFTOOL shows the same as the M10-P --- 16 bits.  Whereas the M-246 shows 12 bits.  So if the M10-P is actually 14 bits, it's reasonable to assume the M10 Monochrom is also 14 bits.  I've download the spec sheet and quick start from Leica US, neither state the bit depth.  

<snip>

 

It seems you downloaded everything but the instruction manual :-).

M10M Instruction manual, page 134:

Color depth
DNG: 14 bit
JPG: 8 bit

[Gobert]

I just had it in my hands at Leica Amsterdam. But, I want a red dot, so I did not buy it.

[frame-it]

it says 16bits per sample

 

EXIFdump.pdf

Edited January 18, 2020 by frame-it

[lamefrog]

Thanks for the report .  I quickly stopped using my 1st generation MM and went back to b&w film because I couldn't adequately control the highlights, especially in contrasty situations.  Did you find that the M10 Monochrom performed differently in this regard? 

 

[mmx_2]

How is the battery life compared to Regular leica M10? I assume that it’s using the very same battery type?

[Joakim]

1 hour ago, mmx_2 said:

How is the battery life compared to Regular leica M10? I assume that it’s using the very same battery type?

I guess it is somewhat worse since the camera is shuffling around more data while the hardware is the same (?)

Edited January 18, 2020 by Joakim

[lik]

vor einer Stunde schrieb mmx_2:

very same battery type

Yes - you can use your M10 batteries. After I sucked out one battery now I'd say I couldn't notice more consumption than the M10. But just a feeling, not a testing. 

[elmars]

Same experience as lik after a good month of working with the M10-M. 

[m9photo]

@jonoslack Pardon the rookie question, so how's the difference of files between converting color from M10 to B&W vs M10 Monochrom? does it take a lot of to achieve same tonality?

Edited January 18, 2020 by m9photo

[UliWer]

What was your experience with the camera's delay from "sleep mode" to active: same or longer than with the M10? 

[elmars]

No difference unfortunately. I hoped for that. 

[howiebrou]

18 hours ago, Arrow said:

SL2 Mono?

SL2-P Mono😂

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Jeff S]

I wonder if the histogram is rendered and displayed as RAW (after a short delay) as in the MM1.  This feature helps control highlight exposure, which matters given the lack of color channel recovery in PP. I don’t know how the M246 operated. 

Jeff