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Phalaris grass by a window.

MMonochrom/APO 50

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Wardour Street London: Chinese New Year 2017. Summicron-M 35 (version IV). ISO 1000. 1/350 @ f 8

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With the launch of the new M10, I've been wondering two things mainly - 1) Will the M10 produce superior files to those of my M Monochrom mk1 (with the advantage of also being able to shoot beautiful colour images)?, and - 2) What magic will any future M Monochrom mk3 be able to weave?

 

I really like my M Monochrom mk1. I use it alongside my M2 and M5. I tend to shoot black and white film in good light, and keep the M Monochrom for use in poor light. This keeps all my images looking roughly similar. I find that at low ISO settings, the M Monochrom is a little too sterile, a little too clean, and it's quite easy to blow the highlights, especially in skies. But in more muted light and after dark, this camera really comes into its own. Gobs of malleable character in those files, with real grit and grain. I love it.

 

My first digital M was the M9. I was converting most shots to mono anyway, so when the M Monochrom mk1 came out, I traded in the M9. I've never really looked back. But at the weekend, I chanced upon some of those mono conversions of M9 files. I attach one here. Shot on my old M9, with the 35mm Summilux FLE, early in 2012. This image is heavily cropped - it was originally shot landscape, but I lopped a good chunk off either side to leave this upright strip, which looks like it might have been shot on a 50mm or 75mm lens. I'd say this is about a third of the original image size. I ran it through Photoshop and added some grain, and a frame, in Silver Effex 2. 

 

Anyway, this heavily cropped and altered picture was shot five years ago on a camera considered by some to be ancient in today's terms. I just wonder how good digital camera sensors need to become? I don't always want absolutely crisp and detailed images, but with the current, or recent, technology I feel we can have the best of both worlds.

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Colin,

 

I think you raise a great question with "How good do digital sensors need to become?"  The "market" along with a collective conversation on the various photo forums seems to dictate.  I know this thread is a is repository for images , and not a place to philosophize, but I am struck that many of the points made about the virtues of say 246 vs MM CCD or even Sony or Fuji vs Leica, centers around what extreme ISO is achievable.  I understand that increasing the ISO has been the desire of camera designers, but for my money, the M8 makes beautiful music if used correctly. And photographers did just fine pushing Neopan 1600 for a lot of years.  and I could wax on but nice "older image you shared.   ....would love to see it without added grain! :)

 

David

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Colin,

 

I think you raise a great question with "How good do digital sensors need to become?"  The "market" along with a collective conversation on the various photo forums seems to dictate.  I know this thread is a is repository for images , and not a place to philosophize, but I am struck that many of the points made about the virtues of say 246 vs MM CCD or even Sony or Fuji vs Leica, centers around what extreme ISO is achievable.  I understand that increasing the ISO has been the desire of camera designers, but for my money, the M8 makes beautiful music if used correctly. And photographers did just fine pushing Neopan 1600 for a lot of years.  and I could wax on but nice "older image you shared.   ....would love to see it without added grain! :)

 

David

 

Hi David,

Agreed. The ISO capability just goes up and up with each new camera. Personally, I rarely need anything above 3200. It would be great if a future M Monochrom could come closer to the warm and gentle tones of film, where it's harder to blow highlights. But then, digital has the advantage of being able to lift shadow detail in a way that film simply can't. Apples and oranges, etc.

 

Anyway, here is the straight black and white conversion of the above shot, before I added all that clumsy grain. Again, it was originally shot on an M9, and this is roughly a third of the original image, a chunk being cropped from either side, to leave this upright strip. I looked, but don't seem to have the original uncropped, colour, file.

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

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Getting ready... ( Typ 246 + APO-Summicron-M 90 f2.0 ASPH )

 

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Edited by skater75
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Shinjuku, Tokyo

Leica Monochrome MM1

50mm Summicron

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Yokohama

MM1

50mm Summicron

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Yokohama

MM1

50mm Summicron

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Edited by mlcoxy
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Underground

MM1

50mm

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Telephone

MM1

50mm

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Shinjuku, Tokyo

MM1

50mm Summicron

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Platform

MM1

50mm Summicron

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Sumida

MM1

50mm

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Edited by mlcoxy
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