Leica M Monochrom

Need help with a process of wetshaving? Wanna see pics or videos? Here is your Mecca!
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

Monochrom, Summilux 35 FLE, yellow filter:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
CMur12
Posts: 7457
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by CMur12 »

This round of portraits has a really nice look to it, really better than the results from film. Of course, it's hard to isolate all of the variables and to say from what is seen on a monitor what will make the best print. (Anyway, that's what I hope because I have a closet full of film cameras!)

Either way, that Monochrom appears to be quite the camera.

- Murray
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

Murray,
It's the resolution that does that. The sensor has no Bayer filter since it doesn't need to synthesize colour, and each pixel is exactly as the light fell on it. (Those who don't know about the way Bayer filters work can visit Wikiipedia—it's not complicated.) Resolution is intoxicating but rather makes you focus (pun intended) on detail recorded over whether the picture's any good or not. Photo forums are full of people who microscopically examine pictures and exclaim at the detail, the dynamic range, the tonality etc etc. They are referred to as pixel peepers. The guys who obsessively examine the LCD screen on the back of their Canon (it's always a Canon, and usually a 5D). Chimping. Resolution is good when you need it, but has nothing to do with a good picture, and I'm happy if I get one or two a month that are worth keeping. What it does let me do is to be careless with composition. If I don't frame a picture carefully I have sufficient resolution that I can crop the original and it still looks good. You just can't do that with 35mm film. I make no claims for the photo of Amanda above—it's a throwaway shot—but she illustrates a point. That is about 1/4 of the original shot, taken with a 35mm lens from about 16 feet away, but what's left and blown up is good enough. That lets me not worry much about changing lenses if I can crop a wide angle photo rather than asking her to hold still while I affix a 90mm. This is not good practice to old school picture makers, and I admit it is corrupting me. I can't do it with 35mm film though, and you have to use the right lens there and frame the composition just so. Medium format is a bit more forgiving than 35mm, but you still can't play fast and loose as it doesn't begin to give the resolution of the monochrom. MF's advantage is in the fact that a negative three times the size of a 35mm neg has grain that is relatively tiny compared to the details of the image. It looks smooth, but of course the resolution of the film, and the size of the grain particles are just the same as in 35mm—it's just that the photo sitting on that film is much larger.
I expect you know all this already, but we might inspire someone who doesn't to get bitten by the bug. I'm still waiting for my Rolleiflex from KEH.

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
CMur12
Posts: 7457
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by CMur12 »

I don't have any experience with digital, and I read different opinions about relative resolution between film and digital. It's good to get your experience and explanations, too. Thanks, Chris.

So, you have ordered a Rolleiflex? Is it a Planar or Xenotar model?
That will be a lovely machine.

- Murray
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

It's the 2.8GX with the Zeiss Planar, which was made in the late 80's, so almost new!

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
CMur12
Posts: 7457
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by CMur12 »

Beautiful!

- Murray
User avatar
jww
Woolly Bully
Posts: 10960
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:49 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by jww »

As always Chris -- great work.
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

I'm excited about a new arrival today:

Image


This feels like a real camera! I hope to find a Duracell 28L and have some film developed this weekend.

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
CMur12
Posts: 7457
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by CMur12 »

Wow, that is a beauty! Congratulation!

- Murray
User avatar
jww
Woolly Bully
Posts: 10960
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:49 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by jww »

Oh so gorgeous ...... TLR cameras are just wonderful. Never used one, but a very good friend of mine from years ago, who was a photographer by trade (a very poor one at that, but very good at what he did) had a Yashica that he cherished, although it wasn't his go-to camera. Looking forward to seeing your results.

Some day I would love to get my hands on a Mamiya 645 --- I remember first holding one in a high-end photography shop on the second floor of a walk-up in Helsinki Finland in March of 1980 and oh how I wanted one with the 80mm and 135mm lenses. Looking on eBay, it's incredible how inexpensive these cameras have become now that digital has been accepted as a mainstream medium.
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

Monochrom and Summarit 75mm. This lens is so easy to focus and I'm finding I like using it more than the Summilux 75, which is heavy and so slow to focus.

ImageJanet by chrism229, on Flickr

Chris
The Rolleiflex pictures are cooking, just be patient.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
CMur12
Posts: 7457
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by CMur12 »

That's a great image, and the quality is amazing. The Monochrom makes digital much more attractive.

I'm not of the Leica cognoscenti, so I don't know all their lens types. While I have some concept of Summicron and Summilux, where does the Summarit fit into these?

- Murray
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

Modern Summarits are relatively cheap lenses with f2.5 apertures. They were introduced to attract customers to the M8 (and stop them buying Cosina Voigtlander lenses). There's an excellent 35, a 50 I don't have, the 75 above and a 90 that I have had and sold on (not sharp enough).

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
User avatar
ThePossum
Posts: 1802
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:20 am
Location: Halfway between Possum Neck and Possum Holler, Pa

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by ThePossum »

Great image Chris. Just one question. Is the subject laughing or cursing behind that cup? Besides the image being great technically you have also got views to think a bit about what the subject is thinking>
Bryce

My Shave Stuff
The Original Safety Too - An SE Razor Forum
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

Monochrom, Summarit 35 or 75:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
User avatar
ThePossum
Posts: 1802
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:20 am
Location: Halfway between Possum Neck and Possum Holler, Pa

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by ThePossum »

Chris,

Love the images. Especially the first one. How many of us have been at a street corner waiting for the light to turn so we could walk across the street safely and actually looked up to see what was directly above us. You did and by doing so showed us what it is that we don't see because we don't look.

The construction image is a great one in contrasts. The old bldgs towered over by the new one under construction. And in the foreground the Jersey barriers and chain link fence to cordon off the construction site. Now how would they have done that when the older bldgs were built. Great food for thought.

Then the doggie in the window. You capture some humor with that one. Yet it shows that the man who shops there just might have a regal dog for whom he might buy a tie. :D

The last two do nothing for me but that is okay, I do not even like all of the images taken by Ansel Adams for that matter.

Finally, your images, including the portraits in previous post are so great from a technical stand point. While it has been quite a few years since I took any pictures in a serious way (using film) I still appreciate the time and the knowledge of both the camera and its attachments as well as processing and printing the final image. When last I took serious pix I did process my own film and then assisted a pro photographer friend with the actual printing using is darkroom equipment. What fun that was, almost a much as actually searching for, composing and taking the image.

Thanks again, Chris for your talent and for sharing it with us all at SMF.
Bryce

My Shave Stuff
The Original Safety Too - An SE Razor Forum
User avatar
jww
Woolly Bully
Posts: 10960
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:49 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by jww »

+1 all around great shots. Interesting how The Big Smoke has changed and yet continues to remain the same. I hope that Union Station never gets mowed under ---- it's a great building.
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10728
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by drmoss_ca »

I've been playing with too many 6x6 cameras; I felt compelled to crop this square!

Image

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
CMur12
Posts: 7457
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by CMur12 »

Like Bryce, I'm especially impressed with the first shot, of the light pole. It shows the ability to recognize and isolate an effective composition with great graphics from the surrounding context and myriad details that conspire to hide it. Not sure I stated that well. I'm impressed because it is exactly what I aspire to accomplish as I get back into photography. I admire the vision that created this image, especially, as well as those that follow it.

The portrait of your wife Pippa has a warmth that the viewer can't help feeling and I really like what composition in the square does for it.

- Murray
User avatar
jww
Woolly Bully
Posts: 10960
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:49 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: Leica M Monochrom

Post by jww »

It's the eyes that pull you in. Love 6X6 format. Nice pick, great crop.
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
Post Reply