M9-P compared to Kodak Film Portra 160 & 800

[okproace]

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Few weeks ago, I use my M9-P compared to Kodak 35mm film (Portra 160 & 800).

Honestly, I don't think how good is M9 series image performance, but the CCD do makes M9 series become the unique one in Leica digital camera.

M9-P w/Summicron 35mm f2 11673 (f/2.0, Auto WB, ISO 800) 👇

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Kodak Portra 800 w/Summilux 35mm f1.4 11663 (f/2.0) 👇

[okproace]

M9-P w/Summicron 35mm f2 11673 (f/2.0, Auto WB, ISO 800) 👇

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Kodak Portra 800 w/Summilux 35mm f1.4 11663 (f/2.0) 👇

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[okproace]

M9-P w/Summicron 35mm f2 11673 (Auto WB, ISO 160) 👇

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Kodak Portra 160 w/Summilux 35mm f1.4 11663 👇

 

[okproace]

M9-P w/Summicron 35mm f2 11673 (Auto WB, ISO 160) 👇

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Kodak Portra 160 w/Summilux 35mm f1.4 11663 👇

[frame-it]

AWB on all the m9 shots...???

[okproace]

1 hour ago, frame-it said:

AWB on all the m9 shots...???

Yup, because I found this M9-P AWB more near what color I see. But all of compared I use same shutter speed and aperture.

This is a another compared, M9-P (maybe CCD) seems more sensitive to highlight object.
 

M9-P w/Summicron 35mm f2 11673 (f/2.0, Auto WB, ISO 800) 👇

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Kodak Portra 800 w/Summilux 35mm f1.4 11663 (f/2.0) 👇

Edited April 20, 2022 by okproace

[Pintpot]

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Interesting comparison, but it's worth noting that most colour film is rated for mean noon daylight (5500 kelvin I think) whereas AWB will alter this to suit conditions. Saying that I think the film held up quite well - thanks! 

[Ray Vonn]

Are those raw or jpeg files? I recently mistakenly set my M9 to jpeg only which on the one hand annoyed me but on the other hand left me amazed at how even more film like the rendered images were.

[okproace]

10 hours ago, Ray Vonn said:

Are those raw or jpeg files? I recently mistakenly set my M9 to jpeg only which on the one hand annoyed me but on the other hand left me amazed at how even more film like the rendered images were.

all of these are .jpg files

[Jean-Michel]

Unless you have full control on the processing of the film and printing, any comparison is meaningless. Using film means using the correct emulsion, possibly cc filters, and knowing how to print or having a competent lab process and print. I am glad that I no longer have to go through those steps now that we have the luxury of digital capture. 

[ianman]

I honestly don’t see the point of this comparison. Yes the CCD of the M8 and M9 can create a distinctive look and IMO it’s very nice. But if I want a Portra look, I’ll use Portra, if I want an M9 look, I’ll use the M9. Obviously not everyone has access to film and digital so the choice is easier

That being said, the way I use my M9 and coupled with the Summaron 28mm in particular I find the M9 rendering can approach that of Portra 400. I’ve never used 160 or 800.

[pippy]

Much as Ian has said I'm not quite sure which point you are trying to make either. Having the M9 set to AWB and JPEG limits your result-possibilities; much better to shoot RAW  / DNG and process-out the images as you would ideally like them to look.

As has been mentioned the Porta will, by its nature, always be 'set' at one colout remperature and the examples posted above highlight this drawback very clearly as the different light-sources completely mess-up the colours realised. Hence in the bowl of fruit shot the result is a 'cross-curves' situation arising where any attempt to correct for the over-riding green cast introduces a red cast in the neutral-coloured areas of the image.

Shooting RAW files would, to a certain extent, allow you to correct for any colour cast before processing-out the image. You could also adjust for shadow/highlight recovery more successfully than were you to attempt the same thing in Post-Prod.

Just for fits'n'giggles I've played about with some of the images for a minute or so in Ps. It can be seen that a few of the inherent colour-cast issues are more obvious than others such as the green/red mix in the fruit-bowl shot on film and the way that some of the different colours of chairs within the same image reproduce very differently from one image to the next even although all have been subjected to the same colout adjustment. In the 'Hat' shot differences are more subtle simply due to the nature of the image;

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Philip.