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DNG M8 files on-line


rpo

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Thanks a lot for these, Roberto ... it's going to be a lot of fun playing with them today however, I just discovered that at the production firmware level 1.06, the DNG files are still 8-bit uncompressed.

 

EDIT: Leica have specifically requested that DNG files and EXIF information from M8 files should NOT be circulated until the cameras are available in the stores to buy. Sorry. AndyB

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Thanks Roberto!

 

Stupid question: did you extract the SD card, carry it to your computer and insert it in a reader to pull these files OR did you wire the camera to your computer and upload?

 

I'm trying to figure out what the difference in transfer times might be?

 

(We haven't had the pleasure of visiting Roma yet, but there's a part of our heart that forever will be in Siena!)

 

Thanks!

 

-g

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I always prefer to extract the SD card and to insert in a card reader, I don't like much to connect any camera to the computer… (I have burnt my Olympus E20 digital camera connected to the computer and I prefer to destroy the card...).

Ciao

Roberto

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EDIT: Leica have specifically requested that DNG files and EXIF information from M8 files should NOT be circulated until the cameras are available in the stores to buy. Sorry. AndyB

 

Fair enough, Andy ... I certainly understand it. :)

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Ok so the only file I've played with so far was the 2500 test shot. When I first cracked it open, I must admit I was a little disapointed. Then I realised my photoshop settings were mainly to blame. I also injected myself with a dose of reality. I tweeked a little, and did to it exactly what i would do if it were my image. I'm still bothered by the patter of digital "grain" but the m8 makes the most filmic i've ever seen. In the end i'm very happy.

 

2500.jpg

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Sorry guys,

 

I just removed the URLs published.

 

Please understand that we can't tolerate RAW files of the M8 until the firmware is final because it's Leicas wish.

 

All testers signed a NDA and I don't want it to be broken here.

 

Ronald and I are talking to Solms and hope to find an agreement but until then please no more files and URLs.

 

Thank you

Andreas (also curious about the files...)

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There's no doubt that the 2500 noise is much less objectionable when the colour is removed, the resulting grain is quite interesting. As regards the continued embargo, you do wonder what they are still doing to it. Yes of course these things go to the wire but there comes a time when they have to press the big green button. Incidentally, I spoke to Leica UK yesterday and their position is "very small numbers of cameras" starting in December and he could offer no assurance that even being No 2 at a dealer will get me a camera before Christmas.

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Ok so the only file I've played with so far was the 2500 test shot. When I first cracked it open, I must admit I was a little disapointed. Then I realised my photoshop settings were mainly to blame. I also injected myself with a dose of reality. I tweeked a little, and did to it exactly what i would do if it were my image. I'm still bothered by the patter of digital "grain" but the m8 makes the most filmic i've ever seen. In the end i'm very happy.

 

Capture One 3.7.5 seems to handle the high ISO noise better than ACR. It's very film like and not at all objectionable for that type of picture. It's a vast improvement from what I can remember of pushed NPZ. for the same ISO.

 

In places the low ISO files have a lot of very fine detail. I've noticed that sharpening of 0.1 pixel radius at 80% is much more visible than with Canon DSLR files where the radius has to be incresed to 0.3 or more. The fine detail is more crisp. :D

 

What I did notice is that at middle ISOs only there's streaking on the wall to the left of the bright overexposed window. A limitation of CCD technology that CMOS is more immune from.

 

Bob.

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Ok so I might have discovered one of the reasons Leica is still working on these things. I'm not going to post detail shots. But can someone else who grabbed DNG's take a look at the railings of the buildings on the far right of the frame in shot 7. In Photoshop I'm getting some strange patterns in the way the railings are getting rendered. i've seen these artifacts before but usually when the raw program hasn't been updated to handle a specific camera.

 

 

p.s. this file in particular just convinced me this is possibly the finest compact digital camera ever.

_mike

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This will be very frustrating for those who didn't get the files, but I can understand the ban if they were made with firmware before the final shipping version.

Mike, would you share the settings you used in Photoshop? - I used C1 Pro (I caved in and bought) and didn't make it look that nice. I also made some tiffs of the two higher ISO shots with C1, with no noise reduction, just so I could see what Noise Ninja could do. I can make the 1250 shot acceptable, but was thinking 2500 only if there's no other way; you are making the 2500 look very good too! If it would be better etiquette, as this is Leica's board, to wait until after the ban is lifted (or if you regard the settings as trade secrets) I'll understand.This is all encouraging.....

 

Chris

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