Leica M (Type 240) Short Review

The new Leica M (Type 240)

It has been 3 weeks since the arrival of my Leica M (Type 240) which was ordered in late March this year and I have decided it is time to write up something on this. Over the past two weeks, I had opportunity to test the new M at night with a Noctilux 50mm f/1.0, Summilux 35mm ASPH (FLE) and Summilux 50mm ASPH.

Improvements over M9 / M9P, Ergonomics and Feel (9/10)

Although I have not had an opportunity to own one of the previous generation of Leica Ms, my friends (one with a M9 and the other with M9P) had kindly let me played around with their beloved Ms while I was still using Nikon D700 and a M6, waiting for the arrival of my new M.

The camera use and layout seemed more intuitive than those of M9s, especially the new thumb scroll wheel.

The shutter unit has been changed and improved over M9. It is now capable of faster continuous exposure, if one needs it, and much quieter shutter noise - although it is still no where as close to those of M3s, M6s and MPs.

Inclusions of Live View function had led to rearrangement of the buttons on the back panel of the Leica M and the first button on top left is now Live View instead of play. This will probably cause owners of M9s and M8s to hit Live View instinctively when reviewing their shots on the rear LCD. This should not pose a problem for users who do not frequently review their images on the LCD.

The new rear LCD is now a 3-inch T FT monitor (921,600 pixels) with scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® glass, offering higher resolution screen (compared to the M9). This allowed for more critical focus evaluation of images in the field. The screen also seemed more responsive, probably due to the new image processor used for the new M.

The rear selection thumb wheel has been redesigned and now similarly styled like most DSLRs with a slight bump allowing some form of support for your right thumb. This support unfortunately seemed to be insufficient for my case and I ended up purchasing Match Technical EP-10S for Leica M (http://www.matchtechnical.com/Pages/ThumbsUpEP10S.aspx). The additional support provided by the thumbs up was enough for me to justify the additional costs.

Powering the M is now a 7.4v 1800mAh battery upped from the previous 3.7v Li-ion battery. This is essentially two M9 batteries packed into one unit. The higher capacity and voltage coupled with the new CMOS sensor would theoretically give a higher image count per battery charge especially since the use of a CMOS sensor in place of a power hungry CCD sensor. Although there were claims of approximately 1000+ images per charge, with low usage of the rear monitor and live view function, I was only  able to take below 600 pictures before the battery ran out of juice but that was probably attributed to the fact that I left my camera around on the single charge over two weeks to accumulate 500 pictures.

Image Quality (10/10)

The image sensor used in the M is a new CMOS sensor developed by CMOSIS with microlenses specially designed for rangefinder lenses since they focus closer to the sensor compared with SLR lenses. CMOS sensors have several advantage over CCD sensors - power consumption, dynamic range and noise are some of these.

The new sensor seemed more tolerable to wrong exposure settings as it seemed to have an additional stop or two. It fairs well in low light with up to ISO3200 usable (easily). With such high ISO usable, one may not get Leica Noctiluxes for their low light shooting capability but more for its artistic values. With this in mind, I am considering Leica Super-Elmar 21mm f/3.4 M lens over the Summilux model since wide angle lenses generally give good depth of field unless the focus extremely near.

Below are some examples of images taken in low light condition with high ISO settings -

Noctilux 50mm, f/1, 1/250, ISO1600, Larry

Summilux 35mm ASPH FLE, f/1.4, 1/350, ISO800

Summilux 50mm ASPH, f/1.4, 1/500, ISO800

Summilux 35 ASPH FLE, f/1.4, 1/45, ISO1000

Summilux 35 ASPH FLE, f/1.4, 1/90, ISO1000

Summilux 35 ASPH FLE, f/1.4, 1/125, ISO1000

Summilux 35 ASPH FLE, f/1.4, 1/45, ISO1250

Summicron 50 APO ASPH, f/2, 1/350, ISO3200

 

The 50mm Summicron APO ASPH was technically flawless. But some people may actually like the flaws and character of lenses like the Noctilux f/1.0. I would think that having an album with all technically flawless image may be a little boring although I am in no position to say it would be! - since I could not afford a small f/2.0 prime lens that cost twice my 35mm FLE!

Built quality (10/10)

Unfortunately all this comes at SGD$10,800.00 (Body Only) in Singapore and had a relatively long waiting time (at the time of writing this, I waited for my unit for more than 5 months!). Compared to other similar systems (are there?) There seemed to be a lot of comparisons to Sony RX1 or other similar compacts which are actually not true rangefinders! Fujifilm X-Pro 1 or any of their X-series (at the moment of writing) are NOT rangefinder cameras - they do not focus by triangulation so there is no point in comparing against these.

Leica is currently the only manufacturer who does digital rangefinder systems so to be fair, I would give 10/10 considering the built quality and the new inclusive weather sealing but Leica did had some manufacturing issues during initial production and some cameras were recalled due to loosening lugs (BUT! Leica was willing to repair any damage that was caused from the lug failure - such as camera fall damage due to lug failure!).

Costs (4/10)

The only negative was the asking price of 10.8k. This was because the built quality and the rangefinder mechanism allows it to! The cost is a deterring factor to the mainstream users.

I believe most of us would like to see if Voigtlander (Bessa), Zeiss (Ikon) – actually both were manufactured by Cosina, or any other manufacturer introduce similar M-mount digital rangefinders in the future. Until then, Leica ask for such price because it can.

Conclusion

Overall, shooting experience with the new Leica M is best described by one word: addictive.

9.5 / 10

Something to come: Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH initial impression

Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH

Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH in Silber Chrom

(micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8, multi off-camera flash flanking from both left and right with yellow filter attached on SB800 and SB700)

Yes! Silber Chrom! That was not some spelling error, it means Silver Chrome in Deutsch. I had this lens for more than 1.5 years now and had no opportunity to have a proper first impression due to the fact that I had no digital camera that is capable of accepting M mount lenses. This will change by the end of next week!

The chrome version of this lens, shown here, weighs a hefty 460gm. That is pretty heavy for a little guy of this size!

Nokton 50mm F1.5 VM ASPH Review

Today we will have a short , real-world review of the new Nokton 50mm F1.5 VM ASPH pictured below. The lens is vintage, classic looking packed with the latest technology from Voigtlander/Cosina. We are going to see if it can perform in the night, where the bigger aperture should come in useful.

Ergonomics and Feel (9/10):
The feel of the Nokton is extremely solid. The focusing ring turns very smoothly throughout the entire focusing range, although a bit too tight. There are no areas where the focus becomes tighter or more loose. It can feel a little too hard on the fingers. Half-apertures are avaialble throughout the entire aperture ring, clicks very nicely, not audible, but enough to feel. Again, very solid. However, without any tab, users like me who have started off with a Leica 35mm may find it very hard to adapt to pre-focusing this lens. While it is widely accepted that F1.4s users do not pre-focus most of the time due to the small and narrow depth of field, I would have liked to have the flexibility. Some notch on one of the focusing etches would have saved my day multiple times. The size of the lens is extremely compact, just a little longer than the Leica 50mm f1.4 with the hood on(and very similar dimensions without the hood). In this aspect, the Nokton gets a straight 9 out of 10.

Sharpness (7.5/10):

Nokton: 1/250s at f2.4, ISO 320

Coming from a Leica 35mm F2 ASPH where sharpness is one of the outstanding points of the lens, I did not expect the Nokton to be any sharper. And that is exactly what I got. The lens is reasonably sharp at f1.5, and stepped to F2 or F2.8, it does get a little bit sharper. People who wish to get this lens will do well to note that you will not get fantastically sharp images compared to the Leica counterpart (50mm f1.4), but you will get reasonable amounts. At 1/4 the price, it does perform to expectations, and gives a nice feel to the overall picture. It is not necessarily a bad point - it is simply the limitation of optics packed into such a small lens.

Bokeh (8/10):

Nokton: 1/45s at f2.0, ISO 400

Bokeh is really a matter of personal preference. The above shot was taken at low light condition and somehow Leica records the aperture at f2. I thought I had it at f1.5. We can still see pretty bokeh here.  General you get a swirl-shaped bokeh around the centre. It does add to it some kind of charm, but it reminds me of my older nikon lens which gave similar bokeh. Not my favorite, but good enough.

Conclusion:
The wider aperture does come in useful at night. I was able to take certain shots that I was not able to as easily with less blur. However, since I am came from a 35mm family, where the focusing distance is not as picky and narrow, I actually found it very difficult to get used to the 50mm. (This will apply to all 50mms, not just the Nokton. ) Walking on the streets at night, often exciting and interesting shots will come out of the blue where you least expect it. Having some sense of pre-focus would have enhanced the experience and enable you to get somewhat good shots, but do not expect yourself to have well-focused, non-blurry shots all the time. Nonetheless, this is more of a experienced and skill-related evaluation, which is inherently not related to the lens.
Now, for the most part, the utility of the lens remains the same. At 1/4 of the price of a Leica 50mm, it does perform to standards that are extremely close. The built of the lens IS perfect, and I can find nothing wrong with it. For that, I would give it a big...

9 / 10

New Lens - New Beginnings

A sneak peak of what's to come :)


 Half-assed review will be coming up soon! Stay tuned.

Leica 6 bit coding for lens

Abstract
Leica earn alot of money by just replacing flange with new 6 bit flange. 6 bit coding for Leica M lens could be DIY easily and neatly, most importantly - cheaply.

Intorduction
Leica has introduced the 6 bit coding system for lens identification with digital M bodies. Since its introduction, Leica has offered to code compatible non-coded lens for a (small) fee. Sending lens to Leica to be coded meant it would be "out of commission" for at least 2-3 months. There are a lot of alternative methods to get the lens coded; Sending to a camera technician (a reputable one), using markers or pencils to "paint" the 6 bit code or buy a flange that has the 6 bit code region recessed and paint it yourself!

Painting on a proper flange would mean a lifetime 6-bit code, unlike temporary solutions with marker or pencils - these would wear off with repeated lens change.

Methods
6 bit flange for 35mm lens was purchased from eBay (please find one that will fit your lens; depending on when your lens is produced, it may have different screw positions.) Black and white automotive paint from Art Friend was used to paint the 6 bit code. A 26G needle and 1 mL syringe for painting. Ethanol was used to clean the flange before painting of 6 bit code.

Results
With the 6 bit code deciphered and available on the internet, it was easy to know what code is used for the lens (in this case, a Summicron 35mm ASPH). 6 bit code from the summicron shown was from http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-news/leica-lens-codes/

 

 

With the code determined, proceed clean the flange with Ethanol. This would remove any oil based residue that was present on the flange, it helps the paint to stick better.


Do take note on the type of flange you are ordering (some have different screw positions), check that the screw positions are correct for your lens before purchasing! It is important to note as well that the flange type (35mm in this case), will be taken into consideration by the camera as well as the code you are going to paint it on. It won't work if you paint a 50mm noctilux f1 code onto a 35mm flange!

 

 

 

After cleaning the flange, prepare the paint brush by filling up the syringe! - this is the trick to get it done neatly and leave no mess to clean up! Don't be bothered to get a fine paint brush for this purpose, nothing works better than a fine gauge needle!

 

 

Proceed and drip a little paint at a time, wait for the paint to dry a little before applying more! The surface tension will allow the paint to fill in nicely in those little recessed holes!!

 

 

Once you are done with black, proceed with white paint - this is just purely cosmetic, the camera really doesn't read the whites.

 

Done! Leave dry and don't touch! Until approximately 24 hours later. Replace your old flange with this and congratulation, you now have a 6 bit Summicron (or what ever...)

 

Discussion

The flange obtained was of good quality. There was no free-play, just like the original non-coded flange. Given the simplicity and cost of DIY, there was never a need for discussion!

Import Nights 2012

I was importing and organizing my collection (previously digitalized but not catalogued) to Lightroom and found quite a bit of pictures I took on Kodak TMax (100). It was a great film with fairly good contrast and tonal range. Well, I guess other than Monochrome, it seems quite impossible for me to get impressed by digitally converted B&W photos – they just looked different.

Backtrack to 2012, import nights:

The photos were taken with M6 on Kodak TMax100 using Summilux 50mm ASPH. well, given that most of it are in low light indoor condition and me being stuck with ISO100 of TMax, most of it were taken wide open on the Summilux.

On the way to Singapore Expo. anyone can guess what car am I hitching a ride in? :)

 

A Maserati! well, its engine compartment.. I would rather own one of these rather than a bull or Ferrari, simply feels more mature.. ;)

Whats this? Hmm.. I think this is an Australian made bike. 150cc, if I remembered correctly.

Even though I had a height advantage, it was a pity she wasn't looking at me. (background was a BMW M3)

This is a Cam-Am Spyder. I like it and would have bought one if not for the price tag (SGD 40,000) and requirement of a Class 2 license (1L engine). I think I should have brought along a wide angle lens to take this instead. This is far too unsuitable for a 50mm focal length!

 

Now... there are a bunch of crazy dude with really HUGE lense (on the table, a Nikkor 200mm AFS VR f/2). Well I suppose my camera was really small compared to theirs.

 

Handphones (in this case, a Samsung Note 2) proved to be more advantageous when in a crowded area (unless you want to take photos of numerous heads blocking?)

There seemed to be plenty of DLSR users among the crowd.

The Fogg Lyre

At one point in time, we will all want a camera bag that we will keep for years - something that will last us for a long time, something that will keep us away from wanting for more. The Fogg line of specialist bags is one of them.

Today I purchased a Fogg Lyre and the quality of the bag is just fantastic. I used to carry a Wotancraft around with me all the time. The Wotancraft is almost 3x-4x cheaper, but when you hold a Fogg in your hand, the difference in quality is just there.

I will never look back again.

Fogg Lyre, with a Leica M9P, 35mm Summicron ASPH

Apologies for a lousy image. It was taken from my Note 2 camera. :)