Just got my first M8; getting back into rangefinders...need guidance with post processing.

[rpavich]

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Hi, 
I haven't shot a rangefinder in YEARS...I had a darkroom, an M6 and LOVED it....but I moved several years ago and had no room for any of that so I sold it all...but got the itch to take pics and got some "zone focus" cameras...first film ones (Oly Trip 35 which I loved) and then a digital "disposable" camera which I also love but of course it's rinky-dink plastic and not satisfying to shoot....I got the Leica bug again...and chose an M8 and a Voightlander 21mm f/4 Color Skopar for my first lens. 

I'm really a casual vacation shooter with occasional bouts of street fun, and other stuff...

My question: I DO NOT want to spend my life in Lightroom post processing...it seems to defeat the purpose of owning this camera...the files are so great that I'd love to keep them as close to "out of the camera" as possible..I'm not into massaging every photo to perfection...I like little imperfections....they remind me of my childhood photos....shoeboxes full of "less than tack-sharp perfect" images.

What would you suggest I do In LR as a basic and a follow on question...I'm HOPING that the free "Lightroom on the web" will do it for me. I'm not looking for more subscriptions.
Also, my MacBook "photos" software seems to be adequate for what I'm doing...just crop...slightly adjust exposure...and little else...I'm sort of wanting to recreate the darkroom experience...which really amounted to cropping,  a slight bit of doding or burning and exposure control...(for b&w anyway) but also for color now. it would seem to defeat the purpose to get a preset to "make your photo amazing!" then I could use any old camera and that's not the fun I'm looking for.

Any advice from experienced folks?

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[fenykepesz]

vor 28 Minuten schrieb rpavich:

What would you suggest I do In LR as a basic and a follow on question...I'm HOPING that the free "Lightroom on the web" will do it for me. I'm not looking for more subscriptions.
Also, my MacBook "photos" software seems to be adequate for what I'm doing...just crop...slightly adjust exposure...and little else...I'm sort of wanting to recreate the darkroom experience...which really amounted to cropping,  a slight bit of doding or burning and exposure control...(for b&w anyway) but also for color now. it would seem to defeat the purpose to get a preset to "make your photo amazing!" then I could use any old camera and that's not the fun I'm looking for.

 

in terms of a 'free LR on the web' i use for decades another free platform that works on all major OS such as windoze, Macs and linux, called GIMP.  it perfectly suits my very modest needs (cropping, contrast adjustments).  for converting color to gray i make use of its built-in module called 'c2g', which is essentially a GEGL tool.  i convert all my originally color photos to b&w with that GIMP/GEGL/C2G tool.  it may have its pros and cons though i am happily applying its algorithm as it generates automagically its own particular global and focal gray scale contrast pattern from RGB colors which reminds me of my old film and darkroom days.

[jaapv]

Just buy ON1 - Photo RAW

[Olaf_ZG]

I use LR (12€/monthly). Created my own preset for the m8 files, which I run while importing the files. A bit crop, exposure adjustments, dodging/burning and I am done.

as i use LR with other cameras a bit more, to me the cost is worth it.

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