Menu
What's new
The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Leica Monochrom Field Test

StephenPatterson

StephenPatterson

New member
It's a really fun video that clearly points out the differences of the M Monochrom. I especially like that you discuss the need to use colored lens filters, as this is going to be very different from the way people have been converting M9 DNG files in Silver Efex Pro 2. I might have wished to see more on the unique M Monochrom features (clip highlights warning on histogram) and less on items identical to the M9 (shutter discrete mode) but it's a great video for the person looking at purchasing their first digital Leica.

Well done!!!
 
F

fotografz

Well-known member
TCSJordan said:
Here's a video showing street photography at night with the Leica Monochrom. I shot and edited the video and would love your feedback and questions!

Leica Monochrom Hands-On Field Test - YouTube
Click to expand...
Thank you for posting this.

It was great to see young, enthusiastic street shooters who actually get what rangefinder photography is all about, :thumbup: ... instead of competitive/comparative whining about boutique positioning and missing electronic toys and such.

If my upcoming eye surgery to remove advanced cataracts, and the use of replacement lenses to correct my astigmatism is successful, my eyes will be more like theirs again, and I can get back to M photography like I did once before ... when the only camera I owned was a M, and the only film I ever used in it was B&W.

Maybe with a Monochrome ... I even have a complete collection of Leica colored filters that I never sold :)

Thanks so much for the link! Exciting and inspiring!

-Marc
 
D

D&A

Well-known member
Thank you for posting the link, It's a nicely done video and general introduction to what appears to be an exciting addition to digital and especially M rangefinder photography. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the talented work of those here on Getdpi and of many others using this camera, especially in output to print. B&W and street photography of course go hand in hand and it's great to see a younger generation carry on the tradition, but the one area I would love to see expanded on is a more affordable model of a similar camera, so that those students and individuals with more modest means, could embrace this newer approach to imaginative B&W work.

As was expressed/implied towards the end of the video, this camera brings back "age old nostalgic photography" and if it's to accomplish that goal, it would be nice to include budding young talented photographers who desire to shoot with a rangefinder, a tool that they could realistically save up for and afford. I'm definitely excited by this new offering.

Dave (D&A)
 
Last edited:
M

m_driscoll

New member
Jordan: I watched it again a couple of times last night on the big screen. It was an exceptional video. I enjoyed it, and, the obvious enthusiasm everybody had for the camera.

BTW, great blog and set of lenses for the FS700.

Cheers, Matt

Zenfolio | Matt Driscoll
 
kuau

kuau

Workshop Member
Now if only Sony, Olympus or Pentax would release a Monochrome camera that would be awsome for the rest of us how can't afford the real deal Leica....
Excellent video BTW... To bad I didn't win the recent 330 million dollar loto :)
 
A

algrove

Well-known member
D&A said:
Thank you for posting the link, It's a nicely done video and general introduction to what appears to be an exciting addition to digital and especially M rangefinder photography. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the talented work of those here on Getdpi and of many others using this camera, especially in output to print. B&W and street photography of course go hand in hand and it's great to see a younger generation carry on the tradition, but the one area I would love to see expanded on is a more affordable model of a similar camera, so that those students and individuals with more modest means, could embrace this newer approach to imaginative B&W work.

As was expressed/implied towards the end of the video, this camera brings back "age old nostalgic photography" and if it's to accomplish that goal, it would be nice to include budding young talented photographers who desire to shoot with a rangefinder, a tool that they could realistically save up for and afford. I'm definitely excited by this new offering.

Dave (D&A)
Click to expand...
Dave-Perhaps the easiest way for young students and anyone else for that matter to experience the M Monochrom would be to go the a Leica Akademie B&W workshop where a full assortment of lens and bodies will await you.
 
D

D&A

Well-known member
algrove said:
Dave-Perhaps the easiest way for young students and anyone else for that matter to experience the M Monochrom would be to go the a Leica Akademie B&W workshop where a full assortment of lens and bodies will await you.
Click to expand...
Agreed...but if a monochrom digital camera is going to be the future new norm (in some respects) for the burgenoing student of B&W photography, a model has to be offered thats within the relm of their financial means to obtain one. Like SLR film photography, there is/was dozens of entry level film camera to choice from for their introductory photography clases. Thats how many eventually became Leica rangefinder users. It might be that this sort of introductory monochrom camera might have to come in the form of a lower end DLSR, who's sensor has the bayer filter removed and firmware wrttten to take advantage of this B&W only designed digital SLR. I believe if the appropriate price point could be reached, it might pave the way for a whole new generation of young B&W photographers.

Sure they could use a regular digitial camera and convert the color files, but besides B&W only designed camera will be most analogous to the era of having ones camera only loaded with B& film and a closer approximation to emulating some chosen image characteristics. USe of color filters for such a camea, brings such an ideal closer for them.

Dave (D&A)
 
D

D&A

Well-known member
kuau said:
Now if only Sony, Olympus or Pentax would release a Monochrome camera that would be awsome for the rest of us how can't afford the real deal Leica....
Excellent video BTW... To bad I didn't win the recent 330 million dollar loto :)
Click to expand...
Steven,

If you seach and read some of my past posts regarding certain desirable equipment I'd love to have, you'd see that I already requested the winning ticket ot one of the upcoming multi-million dollar lotteries. So unfortunately you'll have to be 2nd in line behind me!....LOL!

*** See my comments in my post diretly "above" regarding a more afordable digital B&W only monochrom camera.

Dave (D&A)
 
dude163

dude163

Active member
Thats a cool video . But no matter how enthusiastic you can be its hard to be young and drop 7 grand on a MM, and then another 5000 on 2 lenses.

Im not a young dude anymore, but Im just sayin'
 
ustein

ustein

Contributing Editor
> a model has to be offered thats within the relm of their financial means to obtain one.

Maybe a lower priced Fuji X-Pro1 model with B&W only could be the ticket. But it is not stricktly rangefinder.
 
T

TCSJordan

New member
If anyone is going to do a more affordable B&W camera, I'd expect Fuji to do it. They've been successfully banking on nostalgia with the X series, and their 'film emulation' modes would make perfect sense on such a camera. I'd be very tempted...
 
dude163

dude163

Active member
I do find that taking B+W on my lowly M8 does have good results, but Im using old lenses , heck my cron 50 is older than me at 48 yrs old , my new one is a 73 135mm! ( Leitz Canada :p)

I think a copy of silver efex pro may be a wise investment for me until 2022 when I can afford a MM
 
Godfrey

Godfrey

Well-known member
Like the video a lot. Even getting interested in an MM.

In the meantime, what I discovered experimenting with the X2 yesterday is that if I want a classic handling B&W only camera ...

- switch it to one of the two BW modes
- set it to manual focus and pick a nice zone at f/5.6 or so
- turn off raw, turn off the LCD, fit optical finder
- set Auto ISO to run to 1/15 s and ISO 6400, or set exposure manually

Voila! Mini-MM one lens camera... very very appealing.
 
A

algrove

Well-known member
Near me all our Photo Centre entry level classes for early photographers THE prerequisite is that you agree to shoot film only. All my film cameras were picked up by students (actually purchased for them by their parents) for that sole purpose.

What I find most interesting is that the photo shops and printing/development shops tell me that for them film is on the rise.

Many professors here say that around 25% of students opt to continue to shoot film photography instead of switching over to digital once their first year film requirement is fulfilled.

Now in the summer camps here for kids, I noticed ALL had some form of DSLR, P&S or whatever. Each and every 2 week photo camp was sold out here all summer long. Now that is good news to have that many kids exposed to the more creative and serious side of photography all while having fun. I saw the 30 minute graduation slide show for 2 classes of students and I must say we are in good stead-they were brilliant!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top