By David Farkas, LeicaStore Miami
When it comes to cameras,
I’m a big believer in the right tool for the job approach. Until recently,
models in the Leica roster seemed purpose-built for different types of
photography. An M for street and reportage. An S for landscape and studio. But,
with advancing technology, the lines have started to blur. An M10 can readily
be used for landscape with outstanding resolution, dynamic range and optics to
match. An S007 is better equipped for that task, of course, but the M10 would
still yield excellent results. What about the other way around?
While the original LeicaS2 DSLR-sized medium format digital could be a useful walk-around camera in
good light, it fell short when the sun set. This was always my cue to pull out
the M with a fast 35mm f/1.4 Summilux mounted on the front. For many
photographers, this perception that medium format digital cameras aren’t cut
out for low light shooting persists.
Thankfully, with advances
in sensor technology, we’ve come a long way from CCD chips incapable of
delivering clean results past a meager ISO 800. Indeed, the 37.5 MP CMOS sensor
at the heart of the S (Typ 007) is a far cry from its CCD predecessor. But,
even with a better sensor, could the S be useful for hand-held nighttime
shooting and pull double-duty?
The sensor is only part of
the equation. M lenses, especially Summiluxes and Noctiluxes, are designed to
soak up every last drop of light. S lenses, while fast for medium format, still
only clock in at f/2.5 or f/2.8, two full stops slower. That constraint forces
you to use slower shutter speeds and/or higher ISO settings to compensate. If I
was to try using an S like an M, would slower lenses be the limiting factor?
Or, would the added potential for more mirror and shutter vibration with a 60%
larger-than-full-frame sensor area be its downfall? At least on paper, the deck
seemed stacked against the S for sure.
Putting the Camera to the
Test
I decided to put the
camera to the test, taking the S007 out for a night on the town in South Beach.
But, before hitting the road for actual shooting, I wanted to get a feel for
what kind of experience I was likely in for. So, I shot some simple test shots.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/30th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400,
handheld
Alright, this wasn’t
exactly the result I was expecting from my very first test shot. At the time,
my dog was yanking on his leash, which I had looped around my right arm – the
one trying to steady the camera for a slow shutter speed of just 1/30th of a
second. I used rear button AF to lock onto the sign, then squeezed off a frame
wide-open on the Elmarit-S 45mm f/2.8 ASPH. And…. Wow. I was blown away. Here’s
a 100% crop from the above shot. Yes, there is some noise, but it’s almost all
luminance noise, resulting in a not-so-offensive film-like look.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/30th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400,
handheld
100% crop
What about pushing past
ISO 6400 and seeing what ISO 12,500 could do for me? I adjusted the ISO and
snapped off another. Again, way better than I was expecting. The ability to
retain color information and keep noise to a minimum was astonishing.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/30th @ f/2.8, ISO
12,500, handheld
And another. This one back
to ISO 6400, seeing what kind of detail I could get at infinity wide-open. The
answer: all of if. Even at slow shutter speeds.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/30th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400,
handheld
After the success of three
handheld 1/30th of second shots in a row, I figured I’d push the limit and see
if I could get away with 1/15th. Nailed it.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/15th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400,
handheld
And a 100% crop of that
shot. Again, some noise, but still plenty of detail and surprisingly sharp for
1/15th of a second handheld medium format with no image stabilization or mirror
lock-up. This was a straight-up handheld grab shot and a testament to the well
damped mirror and shutter mechanism of the S007.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/15th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400,
handheld
100% crop
After taking a look over
the backyard tests, and discovering a new level of confidence in the S007 for
night photography, I grabbed the S camera, 45mm f/2.8 Elmarit-S ASPH, 70mm
f/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH and 120mm f/2.5 APO-Macro-Summarit, and headed for the
neon lights of South Beach.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/90th @ f/4, ISO 3200,
handheld
Challenges for Night
Photography
The classic challenge of
night photography is performing a balancing act on three fronts:
- Keeping ISO low in order to minimize noise and maximize image quality
- Keeping shutter speeds high to avoid camera shake, freeze action and produce sharp images
- Stopping down when needed to achieve usable depth of field
Of course, if you
prioritize any one of these, the others directly suffer as a result. Lower your
ISO and you’ll end up with a slow shutter speed or an aperture without enough
depth of field. So, you might have a very clean, yet out-of-focus and blurry
image. Conversely, focus on a fast shutter speed and you’ll need a higher ISO.
Sharp, but noisy. It’s a zero sum game.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/1500th @ f/2.8, ISO
1600, handheld
Which is why we,
photographers, cheat. Throw the camera on a tripod and, suddenly, all the
restrictions go out the window. Low ISO, slow shutter speed, stopped down. Bam!
Maximum image quality in low light. Alternatively, some photographers use
additional lighting, or move subjects into areas with better lighting.
For nighttime street
photography, generally speaking, these cheats don’t work. While a tripod can
work for a cityscape, it doesn’t do much for moving subjects. And using flash
in a situation like that not only ruins the mood of the shot, but draws
unnecessary attention and can even be considered downright rude. As mentioned
previously, the last workaround is to use a super-fast lens, but that
sacrifices number 3. Shallow DOF can work great for night photos with lovely,
colorful bokeh, but sometimes you want something different, with a full scene
in focus.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/60th @ f/2.8, ISO 1600,
handheld
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/90th @ f/4, ISO 3200,
handheld
Therefore, we welcome the
march of digital progress and increasingly more capable sensors. Here, the CMOS
chip in the S007 is able to provide sufficient sensitivity and low enough noise
in order to allow shutter speed and aperture combinations that get the job
done.
Even more remarkable to me
is that I am consistently able to use shutter speeds that conventional wisdom
would say are too slow for medium format digital. This is one area where the
S007 shines.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
70mm Summarit-S
1/90th @ f/2.5, ISO 6400,
handheld
I’ll freely admit that the
Leica M10 with a 35 Lux would be far better suited for night photography. But,
man, did the S007 put up a nice showing. While I tried to use all three lenses
during my test, the 45 became the clear favorite. A 35 equivalent on the S, the
focal length just feels right for walk-around photography. As such, the 45 has
become my most used lens in the S System, taking the place the 70 held for a
number of years, before the 45 was an option.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/750th @ f/2.8, ISO 1600,
handheld
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/350th @ f/2.8, ISO 3200,
handheld
And because I could get
some decent shutter speeds, I even found opportunities to break out the 120
Macro, one of my favorites for shooting details and short telephoto. Of course,
the idea of using a telephoto lens on a medium format camera, at night,
handheld, still took some getting used to. Longer focal lengths are even more
challenging to hold steady, so are not usually the first lens you go for with
this type of shooting.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
120mm APO-Macro-Summarit-S
1/500th @ f/2.5, ISO 6400,
handheld
Leica S (Typ 007) with
120mm APO-Macro-Summarit-S
1/125th @ f/3.4, ISO 1600,
handheld
ISO Performance
For most of my field trip
to SoBe, I found that ISO 1600 and 3200 offered up sufficient speed given the
plentiful neon lighting in most scenarios. As is usually the case, by staying
at a lower ISO, the files retain more dynamic range and malleability in post.
That being said, I was quite satisfied with ISO 6400. Even with some crazy
lighting like this wash of blue and purple, and a bright orange car, the image
was easily workable in Lightroom.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
45mm Elmarit-S
1/60th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400,
handheld
In fact, I’d say that the
S007 outperforms the M (Typ 240) by about a stop in this regard, at least with
regards to straight ISO performance. As I mentioned above, a super-fast M lens
changes the calculus. But, apples-to-apples, the sensor in the S delivers
better low light results than the M240. Frankly, this isn’t surprising. The
37.5 MP sensor inside the S (Typ 007) is a refined and improved version of the
24 MP MAX CMOS sensor first used in the M (Typ 240).
Both the M10 and SL have
gone even further with sensor technology. The M10 at ISO 10,000, or even ISO
12,500, looks a lot like the S007 at ISO 6400. The share a similar fingerprint,
with excellent color representation even in challenging, artificial and
limited-spectrum light.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
120mm APO-Macro-Summarit-S
1/250th @ f/3.4, ISO 3200,
handheld
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’d call this
little experiment a success. The S007 was up to a task it wasn’t really
designed for, acting more like an M than an S. I was pleased with the results
and had a good time playing around. I shot some images in challenging light and
at night in NYC when I first tested the S007, giving me a basic idea of the
camera’s capabilities. Specifically revisiting nighttime photography proved to
be even more eye-opening than my first go-around. This is especially true given
the sheer number of images I’ve logged on the S007 following that test. For
just about every landscape outing since, the S has been my baby. It simply
performs under all conditions and delivers maximum image quality in the great
outdoors.
So, will I grab the S the
next time I’m out wandering at night? Probably not. The M10 or SL or Q are a
better fit for this kind of photography. Smaller, lighter, less conspicuous.
But, what if I am already on assignment shooting with the S, and the chance for
some night photography comes up? In the past, I would have just dismissed the
idea and not even tried. Now, after seeing what the camera is capable of, I
wouldn’t hesitate to jump right in and start shooting with the S. This test
forced me to reconsider pigeonholing camera systems and appreciate just how
flexible each one really is, often beyond its intended use. And that’s the case
with the S007.
Leica S (Typ 007) with
70mm Summarit-S
1/180th @ f/2.8 ISO 1600,
handheld
For other articles on this blog scroll down in the column to the right to BLOG ARCHIVE
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