Why Leica Looks?

[Stuart Richardson]

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Here is a spoiler alert from 20+ years of photography and 15 or so as a professional image editor: presets tend to be bad. Generally the stronger the look they try to do, the worse they work. This is because the variables in each photo of contrast, color, dynamic range etc, they are so large that when you try to make a universal adjustment it usually does as much harm as good. The best presets tend to just be profiles...slight adjustments of the colors towards accuracy.

As for the Leica look? It is mostly very good lenses and European taste in color tuning, vs. Japanese or American (Kodak). It is real in that Leica cameras tend to have a somewhat consistent color palette (as do all of the major brands)...certain global preferences. But it does not really have anything to do with these presets, which as others referred to are just marketing fluff around standard camera styles that all the companies offer, but which Leica used to be too proud to offer in anything other than their consumer cameras. They are not really "das Wesentliche". Leica is pretty desperate to get a younger user base though, as their cameras are now so expensive that mostly old men can afford them...even more so than ever before. I think they want to reach out to younger, wealthy people who are maybe not interested in Elliot Erwitt as much as Chris Burkhard. People who were kids when instagram came out, or at least in their early twenties.

Edited December 21, 2023 by Stuart Richardson

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[Indeepthought]

10 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

Here is a spoiler alert from 20+ years of photography and 15 or so as a professional image editor: presets tend to be bad. Generally the stronger the look they try to do, the worse they work. This is because the variables in each photo of contrast, color, dynamic range etc, they are so large that when you try to make a universal adjustment it usually does as much harm as good. The best presets tend to just be profiles...slight adjustments of the colors towards accuracy.

As for the Leica look? It is mostly very good lenses and European taste in color tuning, vs. Japanese or American (Kodak). It is real in that Leica cameras tend to have a somewhat consistent color palette (as do all of the major brands)...certain global preferences. But it does not really have anything to do with these presets, which as others referred to are just marketing fluff around standard camera styles that all the companies offer, but which Leica used to be too proud to offer in anything other than their consumer cameras. They are not really "das Wesentliche". Leica is pretty desperate to get a younger user base though, as their cameras are now so expensive that mostly old men can afford them...even more so than ever before. I think they want to reach out to younger, wealthy people who are maybe not interested in Elliot Erwitt as much as Chris Burkhard. People who were kids when instagram came out, or at least in their early twenties.

A nice thesis, well explained but miles away from offering the secrets of the Leica Look’ - 😎

[Anbaric]

4:02: 'Sure, the camera's expensive, but can you really put a price on the Leica Look?'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqaGFVJPJRg

[Indeepthought]

15 minutes ago, Anbaric said:

4:02: 'Sure, the camera's expensive, but can you really put a price on the Leica Look?'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqaGFVJPJRg

My wifey just went $&:@ when I showed her the invoice for the M11P and a 50mm Noctilux - galloping grasshoppers! 🤪

[My1stLeicaCam]

8 hours ago, jaapv said:

Why spend money on a Leica when an iPhone does a better job for social media etc. anyway??? 

This is the usual thoughts circling camera users and phone users. 
I’ve got friends who gave up photography with a camera and switch to a smart phone.

I’m still on the side that pics looked better from a camera. 

I think generally pics from smart phones looked more flat as compared to camera, especially if the camera has great lenses. I see from social media of friends’ vacation photos and able to distinguish that of a camera. But to differentiate camera from camera, that might involve a trained eye and the photographer.

Though as camera tech on smart phones advances, it could eat away more of the camera market share. 
Furthermor4, if we compare camera to camera, I feel that when there is low lights and good lighting, that’s when a Leica photo will be more outstanding. 


 

Edited December 21, 2023 by My1stLeicaCam

[Indeepthought]

27 minutes ago, My1stLeicaCam said:

This is the usual thoughts circling camera users and phone users. 
I’ve got friends who gave up photography with a camera and switch to a smart phone.

I’m still on the side that pics looked better from a camera. 

I think generally pics from smart phones looked more flat as compared to camera, especially if the camera has great lenses. I see from social media of friends’ vacation photos and able to distinguish that of a camera. But to differentiate camera from camera, that might involve a trained eye and the photographer.

Though as camera tech on smart phones advances, it could eat away more of the camera market share. 
Furthermor4, if we compare camera to camera, I feel that when there is low lights and good lighting, that’s when a Leica photo will be more outstanding. 


 

Social media cellphone photographs are shiny baubles- no depth. If Joe Blo’ is happy with his cellphone pictures that’s fine by me. I prefer a real camera, great images come from knowing your gear, mostly how your lens performs, sweet spots etc.. IMHO, Leica camera/lenses combos offer the photographer the opportunity to produce the images most only dream of producing. 🍷

[Simone_DF]

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So, if I use a Leica lens on another camera, say a 50mm APO SL on a Panasonic S5 body, will I get the Leica look?

And if I use a Panasonic lens on my SL2-S, will I get the Leica look too?

What about Sigma rebranded Leica lenses? Will these rebrands produce the Sigma look or will they produce the Leica look because of the addition of a red dot on the barrel?

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Simone_DF

[My1stLeicaCam]

53 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

So, if I use a Leica lens on another camera, say a 50mm APO SL on a Panasonic S5 body, will I get the Leica look?

And if I use a Panasonic lens on my SL2-S, will I get the Leica look too?

What about Sigma rebranded Leica lenses? Will these rebrands produce the Sigma look or will they produce the Leica look because of the addition of a red dot on the barrel?

 

I feel the lens makes the most difference. 
‘When I was using an emount Sony a6500 with Sony prime len, sigma prime len and Carl zeiss prime len, I see the most pleasant pic from the Carl zeiss. The sharpness, clarity and bokeh. 

[David Wien]

8 hours ago, Indeepthought said:

Of course, if you’re a Leica shooter you don’t need a double blind test, you live it every time you press the shutter button. Non believers remain non believers. Some are non believers due to the fact that they cannot afford Leica gear, a sad fact but true. Jealousy also comes to mind. Bottom line, you do you, I do me.. 🍻

Without any concrete evidence to back up the assertion, this sounds like a subjective opinion to me. Are you referring to the jpeg output or also the raw?

David

[Simone_DF]

9 minutes ago, My1stLeicaCam said:

I feel the lens makes the most difference. 
‘When I was using an emount Sony a6500 with Sony prime len, sigma prime len and Carl zeiss prime len, I see the most pleasant pic from the Carl zeiss. The sharpness, clarity and bokeh. 

But sharpness is not the Leica look. Besides, all lenses are sharp nowadays. 

[Indeepthought]

1 hour ago, Simone_DF said:

So, if I use a Leica lens on another camera, say a 50mm APO SL on a Panasonic S5 body, will I get the Leica look?

And if I use a Panasonic lens on my SL2-S, will I get the Leica look too?

What about Sigma rebranded Leica lenses? Will these rebrands produce the Sigma look or will they produce the Leica look because of the addition of a red dot on the barrel?

 

Try all the combinations and let us know!

[Indeepthought]

2 minutes ago, David Wien said:

Without any concrete evidence to back up the assertion, this sounds like a subjective opinion to me. Are you referring to the jpeg output or also the raw?

David

Oh common, that’s a kindergarten question- what do you think?

[David Wien]

5 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

Here is a spoiler alert from 20+ years of photography and 15 or so as a professional image editor: presets tend to be bad. Generally the stronger the look they try to do, the worse they work. This is because the variables in each photo of contrast, color, dynamic range etc, they are so large that when you try to make a universal adjustment it usually does as much harm as good. The best presets tend to just be profiles...slight adjustments of the colors towards accuracy.

As for the Leica look? It is mostly very good lenses and European taste in color tuning, vs. Japanese or American (Kodak). It is real in that Leica cameras tend to have a somewhat consistent color palette (as do all of the major brands)...certain global preferences. But it does not really have anything to do with these presets, which as others referred to are just marketing fluff around standard camera styles that all the companies offer, but which Leica used to be too proud to offer in anything other than their consumer cameras. They are not really "das Wesentliche". Leica is pretty desperate to get a younger user base though, as their cameras are now so expensive that mostly old men can afford them...even more so than ever before. I think they want to reach out to younger, wealthy people who are maybe not interested in Elliot Erwitt as much as Chris Burkhard. People who were kids when instagram came out, or at least in their early twenties.

If the Leica look has been a constant "throughout the ages", how does this explanation apply to B&W?

David

[David Wien]

6 minutes ago, Indeepthought said:

Oh common, that’s a kindergarten question- what do you think?

I think that is an inappropriate reponse. 😀

David

[Simone_DF]

So basically the Leica look is like Santa Claus. Nobody has ever seen it, but as long as you believe in it, you’re happy. 
And you’ll make the Leica sales rep even more happy. 

[Simone_DF]

10 minutes ago, Indeepthought said:

Try all the combinations and let us know!

I did. No such thing as the “Leica look”. It’s a great marketing spin, but reality is different. Even Leica lenses are very different from each other. My 50 Summilux M and 50 APO SL have totally different look and rendering. 

[Indeepthought]

6 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

So basically the Leica look is like Santa Claus. Nobody has ever seen it, but as long as you believe in it, you’re happy. 
And you’ll make the Leica sales rep even more happy. 

A very logical response. 🍷

[Indeepthought]

4 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

I did. No such thing as the “Leica look”. It’s a great marketing spin, but reality is different. Even Leica lenses are very different from each other. My 50 Summilux M and 50 APO SL have totally different look and rendering. 

Of course different lenses render differently, nothing new here. Why buy Leica lenses if they don’t offer the qualities (Leica Look).. 🍷

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[jaapv]

5 hours ago, Indeepthought said:

My wifey just went $&:@ when I showed her the invoice for the M11P and a 50mm Noctilux - galloping grasshoppers! 🤪

Why on earth did you allow her to lay her eyes on THAT ? It is going to cost you. Double your Christmas budget. 

[Simone_DF]

1 hour ago, Indeepthought said:

Of course different lenses render differently, nothing new here. Why buy Leica lenses if they don’t offer the qualities (Leica Look).. 🍷

What exactly is the Leica look? Can you define it?