M240 vs M8

[analog-digital]

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And now? What is the point in your story?

[Chris W]

There were multiple points. Not sure what you  mean.

Airing my dilemma about owning three Leica cameras, two of which are digital M. Discussing it with other members here helped me reach a decision.

Also, posting examples from both M8 and M240 and stating I didn't think they were radically different. Although most people accurately spotted the M240 files from the M8.

I'm always reading how the colour is 'obviously nicer' from the Kodak sensor, and how the M8/9 are much more filmic than recent digital M's, but I couldn't see it.

It wasn't obvious anyway. I posted examples in case someone else could see the better colour and filmic quality that I didn't see. But no one has mentioned it yet.

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[jaapv]

You really don't see the difference in colour between the shots? For instance the strong yellow cast in the second shot of the first and fourth post and the blue/cyan hue of the second shot of the fig tree? I that case I would suggest having a close look at your screen calibration and the quality of your screen. 

If you really want to do a test like this use a Greta-Macbeth colour chart like the X-Rite Passport, balance on the grey patch and measure the RGB values of the colour patches.

[Chris W]

I think you misunderstood me. I clearly said multiple times I saw a massive difference between the colour cast from both bodies, with the M8 being cool (blueish) and the M240 being warm (orangey). The M8 also seemed to boost greens, aside from everything else.

What I then said was I didn't see 'clearly better' colour from the M8, or a clear 'filmic quality' from the M8, which is what a lot of people say around the web.

I spent some time trying to better match the colour balance between the two bodies (M8 and M240), but the whole point of the thread was to honestly compare the results without spending a lot of time adjusting values in Capture One. So I selected the ICC profile for each camera, I adjusted slightly the levels and  adjusted slightly the white balance.

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Chris W

[Chris W]

21 hours ago, jaapv said:

 

If you really want to do a test like this use a Greta-Macbeth colour chart like the X-Rite Passport, balance on the grey patch and measure the RGB values of the colour patches.

That wasn't the point. The point was to see if the fabled 'better colour' and 'film like quality' of the M8 (CCD sensor) was obvious enough to trump the more modern M240 with 24 megapixel sensor. No one mentioned better colour or filmic look and I didn't think it was obvious either. The different colour cast or AWB was very obvious. 

[tom.w.bn]

vor 6 Stunden schrieb Chris W:

That wasn't the point. The point was to see if the fabled 'better colour' and 'film like quality' of the M8 (CCD sensor) was obvious enough to trump the more modern M240 with 24 megapixel sensor. No one mentioned better colour or filmic look and I didn't think it was obvious either. The different colour cast or AWB was very obvious. 

CCD vs. CMOS colour is an almost religious / esoteric discussion. You believe it or not. If you don't see a CCD colour advantage, get rid of the M8 and keep the M240.

[Ko.Fe.]

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Oh, my... Do you really need any digital M for any of those... None of them has nothing from film.

[Ernstk]

34 minutes ago, Ko.Fe. said:

Oh, my... Do you really need any digital M for any of those... None of them has nothing from film.

Really? Prove it...

Ernst

[Chris W]

On 8/30/2021 at 3:01 PM, tom.w.bn said:

 If you don't see a CCD colour advantage, get rid of the M8 and keep the M240.

I didn't, so I sold the M8 yesterday.

The images (Raw) out of the M8 are more instantly appealing to me, and the M240 takes a bit more work. 

[Ernstk]

6 hours ago, Chris W said:

I didn't, so I sold the M8 yesterday.

The images (Raw) out of the M8 are more instantly appealing to me, and the M240 takes a bit more work. 

I don't understand? If the M8 images are more instantly appealing to you, then why sell it?

Ernst

[Chris W]

Because good photography is not about 'instantly appealing'.

I always work on my raw images in Capture One.

I didn't want to keep both M8 and M240, so I decided that because I could see no magic mojo in the M8, different to the M240, it was better to sell the M8 than the M240. As I said, the crop factor and the IR cut filter were all factors in my decision.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Chris W

[markc2]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:41 AM, Chris W said:

Because good photography is not about 'instantly appealing'.

I always work on my raw images in Capture One.

I didn't want to keep both M8 and M240, so I decided that because I could see no magic mojo in the M8, different to the M240, it was better to sell the M8 than the M240. As I said, the crop factor and the IR cut filter were all factors in my decision.

So, two or more years into this how are you doing with the M240?

 

Thanks

 

Mark

 

[Chris W]

I replaced it with a Hasselblad X1D2, which I'm very happy with.

The only issue I had with the M240 was the orangey tinge to the raw files, which I found fiddly to remove. The Hasselblad raw files look perfect out of camera.

[Herman Zhang]

On 8/27/2021 at 12:44 AM, a.noctilux said:

first M8,

second M240 ?

The first should be M240 because you can see slightly more detail in the shadows

[fabianoliver]

As an M8 user, and recently an MP240 one ( i keep the M8) i see differences in the highlights.

The M8 keeps more control.

In the other hand, the 2 stops more that i've with the 240 helps me a lot at the end of the day, and the EVF allows me to use r lenses, and i like it.

I've not make AB test on black and white yet, but i like a lot the M8 B&W from dng.

Anyway, i've made some good b&W from the 240 too.