Leica M11 monochrome files: Capture One vs Lightroom vs Other tools

[wolan]

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Hi,

probably this is an old topic, but has any of you noticed a difference in how Capture One processes the Leica M11 Mono DNG files vs Lightroom?

Are there other tools you'd would recommend to look at to proceed my monochrome files?

I have been happily photographing with the Leica typ 246 monochrome and I used to do little or nono work in post. But with the M11m I find myself to oft work on the files in post, which I hate...

 

Thanks.

 

 

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[MichaelWPlant]

I have been using Photoshops camera Raw with my M11M files and I have tried Irrident Developer 4.5 on the files and they look okay at lower ISO’s but a bit crunchy to me at higher ISO’s I am also looking at CaptureOne Pro and I have tried Pixelmator pro which seems okay. DxOs Photolab does not work on the M11M files or any Leica monochrom files as they can not demosiaic monochrom images. 

I would be curious what you end up choosing?

[Filip Baraka]

Now I'm using Capture One for my SL2. The last Lightroom version that I have used is probably a decade old. With both, you can set a style/preset that you like for basic editing if you don't have the time for processing or don't like it. Capture One last year introduced Match Look that will try to match the source image you provide, so it's like a shortcut towards an image that you want.

I went with the C1 route because it was better for Fuji X-Pro demosaicing, but I have always preferred it over LR.

[Luke_Miller]

I prefer Capture One over Lightroom (current versions) with my MM and M246 files.  I like to add some Clarity and Structure to my images.  C1 has both tools, while Lightroom has only Clarity.  The Lightroom Texture tool is similar to Structure, but a bit coarser and I don't find it useful.  IMO the gold standard is Silver Efex Pro which Leica bundled with the MM.  In addition to Structure and Clarity Silver Efex has a variety of other tools which really bring out the best in a monochrome file.

Edited March 31 by Luke_Miller

[jaapv]

Monochrom files always need processing. Otherwise they will be flat and G&G (*), too often seen in our image threads.
At least a Black Point, often a White Point and tonal adjustment in Levels and Curves. 

For those that do not want to spend too much work the golden standard is Siver Efex Pro

(*) Grey and Grey

 

[espelt]

I use Photoshop. Silver Efex is integrated as a filter. It's relatively fast. And PS also offers batch processing. Fortunately, I enjoy image editing. I think anyone who doesn't enjoy it and perhaps only uses JPGs is wasting a lot of potential and possibilities. In that case, a monochrome camera isn't really the right one...

[DadDadDaddyo]

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Well, I've used Capture One in various iterations, and lately I've found my way into Lightroom, but they've kind of had to drag me in...

Truth be told, I'm kind of a dinosaur. 

Going back to the old Luminous Landscapes days, there was an editing package that had something of a heyday at the time and which, thankfully, is still around. 

It was the product of an outfit called Digital Light and Color, and it was called Picture Window Pro. I've used it from its very early days, through its many and several iterations over the years. 

It almost became abandonware, but has enjoyed something of a rescue, even a Renaissance, in the last few years. 

It's there as a non-trivial alternative, a response to the seeming inevitability of the big packages and their subscription models. It's a remarkably flexible and powerful editing package. And the price is right. 

It was put together by folks who think like photographers, folks who worked in a darkroom a time or two. I've always found it a comfortable place to be...

Just Google it...

[ramarren]

I've never got on with the Capture One workflow, and have used Lightroom (now Lightroom Classic) for many years. It produces results that satisfy me ... If other apps can do better, well, maybe someday I'll try something else and like it more. I test different image processing apps pretty regularly.

Regards the Monochrom's "G and G" output, well, that's why I most often fit a green filter when using it in daylight. The green filter tends to help separate color imaging into B&W with more tones to work with. My filter testing showed this to me in no uncertain terms. With a green filter, 90% of what I shoot (capturing raw files only) comes out at the Lightroom defaults right on the money, in line with my expectations. 

G

Edited April 17 by ramarren

[Jeff S]

On 3/31/2025 at 11:51 AM, jaapv said:

Monochrom files always need processing. Otherwise they will be flat and G&G (*), too often seen in our image threads.
At least a Black Point, often a White Point and tonal adjustment in Levels and Curves. 

For those that do not want to spend too much work the golden standard is Siver Efex Pro

(*) Grey and Grey

 

Sometime back around LR9, I think, Adobe changed the default import tone curve for the M10 Monochrom, introducing an S-curve rather than linear. I think this was in response to complaints from folks about flat files, who didn’t understand PP basics.  A lot of that around here, evidently.

I never owned the M246, or the M11M, so I can’t speak for their LR default import settings as possible explanation for the OP’s experience.  Of course, easy to adjust, regardless.

[mhasman]

I begin using Adobe Lightroom Classic, don't like the interface much... So unfortunate Apple Aperture was discontinued. 

[jps1]

I've been using C1 for years and I've never been able to get used to Lightroom.

The most important treatments are levels, high lights and low lights.

It is important to underexpose a little to the shooting.

[Derbyshire Man]

In reality I mostly use Lightroom and Silver Efex. However I’m trying to swap to Excire, Capture One and Silver Efex as lightroom seems to exacerbate the mesh and fresnel issues with pushed monochrome sensors, C1 does this much less but I am currently not sure if that’s because by default I turn out less punchy pushed images from C1. Investigation and £ loss continues. 

Edited April 20 by Derbyshire Man

[Jeff S]

On 4/20/2025 at 5:56 AM, Derbyshire Man said:

… as lightroom seems to exacerbate the mesh and fresnel issues with pushed monochrome sensors…

Could you elaborate… don’t understand the issue(s) you’re describing, either the effect or the “pushing.”

Edited April 29 by Jeff S

[Derbyshire Man]

When the monochrome sensor at higher ISO's has shadow, increasing levels or internal contrast via sliders like clarity can result in broad fresnel or grid patterns appearing in the image. There was some advice that this is removed by de-selecting lens profile, I've not found that. The combination most likely to cause the issue is a dark image (think fireworks) exposed for highlights with levels brought up slightly for a touch of detail in some of the shadows, shipping an image like that to Silver Efex and increasing internal contrast via structure sliders produces an image where fresnel mesh effect cannot be seen until sent back to Lightroom.

Using C1 as the RAW converter reduces the risk of this but at a cost of less punchy images.

More info here and other places https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/376083-leica-m11-monochrom-pattern-noise/

[Jeff S]

I have the M10M and M9M and have not experienced similar problems using LR Classic, and ImagePrint for my prints.