New Leica release

POAH said:
well lets see

its manual focus only
only a 2.5 inch 230k dot screen
maximum shutter of only of 1/4000
fps 2
no built in flash
very very very slow write speed to card
CCD sensor not as good as CMOS at higher ISO's
insane way of removing the SD card and battery
poor lens range
overall slow to switch on and power up after sleep
battery life not great
zooming into an image is slow


so as a camera (not looking at price) compared to the rest its of pretty poor specification.

The lack of AA filter will make for greater resolution but that is unlikely to show up when you have a print on the wall and are not looking at a 100% crop on the screen.

are leica lenses good - yes, you have no argument from me
are they worth the premium - no
Click to expand...

A classic example of how looking at a list of specifications means very little in the real world. Completely missed the point, I would say.
 
POAH said:
well lets see

its manual focus only
only a 2.5 inch 230k dot screen
maximum shutter of only of 1/4000
fps 2
no built in flash
very very very slow write speed to card
CCD sensor not as good as CMOS at higher ISO's
insane way of removing the SD card and battery
poor lens range
overall slow to switch on and power up after sleep
battery life not great
zooming into an image is slow


so as a camera (not looking at price) compared to the rest its of pretty poor specification.

The lack of AA filter will make for greater resolution but that is unlikely to show up when you have a print on the wall and are not looking at a 100% crop on the screen.

are leica lenses good - yes, you have no argument from me
are they worth the premium - no
Click to expand...

its manual focus only
only a 2.5 inch 230k dot screen
maximum shutter of only of 1/4000
fps 2
no built in flash
very very very slow write speed to card
CCD sensor not as good as CMOS at higher ISO's
insane way of removing the SD card and battery
poor lens range
overall slow to switch on and power up after sleep
battery life not great
zooming into an image is slow

Cancels out the idea that the camera is to fault. Always get the Focus you want.
When( If not doing sport/action) would you need a speed that high, Use ND Filters for shooting wide open during the day.
FPS, is the same as above
Look at leica len's- all fast? No need for flash
From what i've read online, writing to Card really isn't that slow....
Keeps with Leica other cameras, Since when was the Canikon way the right way?
Seeing as you can mount any Leica Len's, from what the 40s? Pretty good len's choice there..
Battery life, again is rarely scrutinised
Zooming into an Image is slow on most cameras....

not really a awful camera is it?
 
HoppyUK said:
I didn't mean to imply that Leica doesn't make any of the best lenses. They do, as you point out, and I acknowledge and respect that. But for every 50mm f/2 there are half a dozen examples in the Canikon ranges that are supreme examples of the lens maker's art that Leica couldn't touch even if they wanted to, like fast zooms and super-telephotos with amazing AF and IS.

On the other hand, if Canikon chose to throw everything they've got at a 50mm f/2, I would be amazed if it didn't beat the Leica in both performance and features, at a fraction of the cost. If you turn the clock back to pre computer-aided design, that would certainly not have been the case. That's really what I'm saying - Leica's performance today is a myth based on 50 year-old fact.

The advantage of the S-system is more in the size of the format than just the lenses.
Click to expand...

I don't doubt for a moment that if Canon or Nikon went all out on a 50mm they could match the Leicas. We have plenty of evidence (superteles, 24/1.4, the old Nocts) that they can do it, though I don't think the cost would be far off the Summicron. But they don't do it. It's for good reason - the market for a supercorrected but not superfast lens is tiny compared to the 'superfast but good enough' market (which is niche enough already), and Canon and Nikon are not built to cater to that kind of (lack of) volume.

Leica's market positioning, for better or worse, allows it to indulge itself and make things like the f/2 and the Monochrom. I see that as a good thing, even if I wouldn't spend my own cash on the things at the moment.
 
POAH said:
well lets see

its manual focus only
only a 2.5 inch 230k dot screen
maximum shutter of only of 1/4000
fps 2
no built in flash
very very very slow write speed to card
CCD sensor not as good as CMOS at higher ISO's
insane way of removing the SD card and battery
poor lens range
overall slow to switch on and power up after sleep
battery life not great
zooming into an image is slow


so as a camera (not looking at price) compared to the rest its of pretty poor specification.

The lack of AA filter will make for greater resolution but that is unlikely to show up when you have a print on the wall and are not looking at a 100% crop on the screen.

are leica lenses good - yes, you have no argument from me
are they worth the premium - no
Click to expand...

You should probably try using one.
 
I like debate as much as the next guy, but maybe it's time to take a hour off the internet....

Newsflash: Leica rangefinders are manual focus only. In other news, chalk is not an edible dairy product and tastes terrible on crackers.
 
ped said:
A classic example of how looking at a list of specifications means very little in the real world. Completely missed the point, I would say.
Click to expand...

looking at the specs is the primary point of choice when buying a purchase unless you are a fan boy.
 
POAH said:
looking at the specs is the primary point of choice when buying a purchase unless you are a fan boy.
Click to expand...

I always prioritize handling qualities and how the image quality compares over the numbers.

Numbers are very important, but it certainly isn't fanboyism to claim there is more to a camera than can be quantified in the specs.
 
POAH said:
no wish to use a manual focus camera
Click to expand...

And I use manual focus lenses for about 85% of my photographs these days and I'm quite happy.

I treat AF as a convenience when it's available. Half the time it's almost an inconvenience because I end up spending so much time getting the right AF point selected that I might as well have focused it myself (except that on most modern cameras you can't so well because they haven't been designed for it). I know where it would be useful, but it's not the kind of photography that I do most of the time.

e2a: Eye control AF on my EOS 3 almost gets it right, though I have been tempted to get an EF-M just to get a proper focusing screen on an EOS body.
 
Last edited:
Ksanti said:
Oh no, it's not worth it at all. I really don't see much worth in the M-system to begin with, but western photography enthusiasts aren't the target really, it's China nowadays.

The image will be substantially different but in a bad way. Without the colour data you can't process your images into black and white with anywhere near the degree of control you could before.
Click to expand...

For those of us brought up in the days of black and white, there was no need to process for black and white nor will there be with this camera.
All the controlls you need, will be accommodated using traditional colour filters.

If you need to think about the cost it is not for you, but I suspect other makers will offer similar bodies. at more affordable prices.
 
FruitFlakes said:
I can imagine Ricoh doing a B/W version of their M-mount module for the GXR, they're just as ballsy as Leica when it comes to bringing niche products to market.
Click to expand...

Now Ricoh have drooped their name in favour of "Pentax" I suspect their path will tend to the pentax route as well.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
For those of us brought up in the days of black and white, there was no need to process for black and white nor will there be with this camera.
All the controlls you need, will be accommodated using traditional colour filters.

If you need to think about the cost it is not for you, but I suspect other makers will offer similar bodies. at more affordable prices.
Click to expand...

I very much dout,other maker will make similar bodies,this is just going to be an Leica thing.

The market going to be very small :)
 
Some DNG files are available:
http://www.slack.co.uk/slack/Download.html

http://www.photographyblog.com/previews/leica_m_monochrom_photos/

Also, M9 vs MM:

rffvU.jpg
 
Looks like the way to go, for a serious B/W worker. Luscious tones and all the detail you could want. In the basket above their is great separation of tones both in the darks and in the lights which gives a convincing roundness and depth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top