S3 monocolor (?)

[John Smith]

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43 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

I traded in my S006 when I got the S3, so I have not been able to compare the exact same scenes and lighting. So far, I would say that I prefer the pictures from the S006, but I am trying to sort out my issues. I seem to be largely alone in my feelings, but my manner of working does not seem to mesh well with the new sensor. If I cannot resolve the issue, then I will either return it or resell it with an extremely heavy heart.

I downloaded Matt Granger's S3 files and opened them in Capture One. They look fantastic. You might try things out in C1 since they upgraded their DNG file processing.

[John McMaster]

I did not know that C1 now opens S files?

john

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[helged]

1 hour ago, ZHNL said:

Hi, Helged, Stuart, 

Since both of you have both 006 and S3, do you have any comment about color and tone difference between the two? 

I am very curious to hear your opinions. 

Thanks. 

I sold my S006 prior to getting the S3, so no direct comparison(s) made. I want also like to say that I have only had the camera for about two weeks. That being said, I am very pleased with the S3. I find the colours pleasing, tonality is gentle/smooth, I can use the system handheld with quite high ISO (=3200) without too much concern, highlights are very well preserved, sharpness is super, etc. (And no - I am neither paid nor supported by Leica 😉...). 

Also note that I am an (enthusiast) amateur; whereas @Stuart Richardson is professional.

[Stuart Richardson]

Thanks John. I just bought Capture One after seeing that Capture One seems to do better with the S3 files for me than Adobe, but I still need to do some experiments. As I said, I have been told that I am literally the only person in the world with the camera who has reported issues. My hope is that my camera is an anomaly. It will be returning to Leica soon either way. I should say as well that I am not always kind to my files...I do a lot of work at night and in unfavorable conditions, and I push my cameras and files significantly harder than might be expected in studio environment. It is still in process, so I will just leave it at that for now. I have every reason to expect that the vast majority of users will be very happy with the S3. It does have great color and sharp results and the ISO performance is very impressive when properly exposed. Of course, it is impossible to beat the viewfinder and ergonomics.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Stuart Richardson

[John Smith]

49 minutes ago, John McMaster said:

I did not know that C1 now opens S files?

john

Yes. The S files are DNGs and C1 opens DNGs. You don’t have the lens profiles but I’m not sure how much that matters with the S lenses. Some time ago C1 boasted that it materially improved its DNG processing, especially in terms of noise. LR is too harsh and artificial for my taste, at least when I used it last.