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is this normal M8 banding?


faneuil

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I don't have access to my test shots here at the office. I'll look for the one I'm thinking of tonight. Anyway, it should be easy enough to reproduce - unless it actually has been fixed in one of the FW releases. I know positively I tested for and found it one of the first days I had mine (early March). It then had v1.09 which it cam with from the factory or v1.092 which was released just after I got the camera. Can't remember if I've done regression testing on newer releases for this issue.

 

- C

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Didn't find the test shot from March, but I did a series of new ones. The green streaking is very much there with FW v1.07 and at all ISOs. The thickness of the streak is proportional to the size of the bright light on the edge of the frame. The ones below were shot fairly close to a halogen lamp at ISO160, f6.4 with a 28 'cron. The distance doesn't matter that much, all it takes if a bright source of light at the edge of the frame. Let me add that it is easy to avoid, you have to place it right for the streak to appear. These are just in-camera jpgs resized no other processing what so ever.

 

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To illustrate how hit and miss this is here are two more shots of the same light but a little further away. Notice the difference in size of the light.

 

With a streak:

 

Without:

 

- Carl

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it gets worse -- recheck my link and check the second picture witht he candle:

 

M8 sensor problem

 

This is a major hardware fault. Camera will be in NJ anyday now.

 

Eric

 

Wow, I have seen the second picture problem here before and I got it in my new 3197XXX with latest firmware!

 

I'll make a smaller pic and post it soon.

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Here's my image taken on sunday.

 

RAW, PhaseOne, nothing done, but converting to JPG and resize in Photoshop 7

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And... after a number (5-6) of trials, I finally obtained MY BANDING ! Firmware 1.102 and a Summicron 35 of 1961 (8 elements, Wetzlar). Curious: it's not easily to be related directly to the positioning of the strong light source... another pic with the light just a little more at right had no band...surely an intriguing issue for the poor Leica Software guys... wait and see... for myself, I surely don't want to send my M8 to service for this... I'm still waiting for a real picture of mine that puts in evidence this problem.

 

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Both DNG, 640 ASA, incandescent light, Lightroom, no action made, jpg conversion in LR an PS resizing: no more.

 

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Yes, all M8's have this green band.

 

It's caused by light getting to the edge pixels which the circuitry uses to determine a black value.

 

Leica has said they are working on a fix and hoping to do it in firmware; Mark Norton even figured out and submitted to them a flowchart as to how the problem might could be avoided by modifying the camera's software.

 

Don't worry about it. It's just another of the camera's endearing traits. ;)

 

It will be there until such time as Leica informs us that it has been eliminated.

 

--HC

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BTW,

 

Talking about the banding and picture noise. Exposure is really key here. At low ISO you can adjust the pic while still RAW pretty good in PhaseOne for example.

 

Here's a quick test, with exposure.

 

First underexposure ISO 2500 but boosted exposure in PhaseOne

Second exposure is pretty good ISO 2500.

 

Extreme difference! Sorry that the focus is at different points.

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Yes, all M8's have this green band.

 

It's caused by light getting to the edge pixels which the circuitry uses to determine a black value.

 

Howard,

 

I've been trying to reproduce the green line... well, I can't. I tried with v.1.107 and with v.1.102, getting closer to the bulb, getting further, changing ISO... nothing to do! Well, I suppose I'm lucky or maybe I don't do it properly.

 

Cheers.

.

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I cannot produce it on both my bodies - I feel left out :(:D

 

Try and try again Jaap... and you too shall enjoy YOUR OWN BAND :p before to have mine, I tried with no success with 2 other home lamps, finally found the right one, but, as you can see from my 2 pics, I had to move slightly, shot by shot, and finally... I'm proud to join the band ! And the fact that my band crosses a Bruegel book had to be encouraging for you...

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Gee, guys! Don't you have anything better to do? :D

 

I haven't tried to get the banding on my camera either, but I'm sure it's there. It is a hardware behavior, not firmware related, so it doesn't make any difference which system software you use.

 

(Now isn't that like me? I'm speaking from others' experience only, and acting as if I know! :( )

 

The problem occurs when a grossly overexposed bright spot is just outside the picture area. You can start by pointing the camera toward a lamp with the lamp very near the edge of the frame. And then rotate the camera just a little bit, moving the overexposed source toward the edge of the frame. Keep repeating until the source is outside the frame.

 

Depending on how large the source is and how much overexposed it is, you're likely to get the friendly green mark of the Leica M8 when the source is right at the edge of the image, either in the picture area or just outside.

 

Luigi, maybe you should advertise the model number of the lamp with which you found the effect, so we can all try with a known standard! ;)

 

Probably the best thing is, don't bother with the test. You may never see the effect if you don't search for it. I hope your camera doesn't show it.--But don't count on it. And when one day you're surprised by the appearance of the great green band, you'll know what it is and shrug it off. :rolleyes:

 

--HC

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Just an update- Leica NJ received my camera last week and is doing a complete sensor replacement for the problem shown in the link below.

 

Eric

 

 

Worst case scenario: ISO 2500, Noctilux wide open.

I pumped up the exposure to show 'stuck' pixels and banding:

 

M8 sensor issues

 

Is this normal from an 'upgraded' M8?

 

Eric

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Just an update- Leica NJ received my camera last week and is doing a complete sensor replacement for the problem shown in the link below.

 

Eric

 

That's great news, I guess. Personally I think the pics do have some "dead" pixels, but the overall poor quality is due to underexposure, high ISO andpoor lightning.

 

I wouldn't want to be without my toy for a long time:D

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