Thursday, July 30, 2020

CAN A LEICA SURVIVE BEING DROPPED?





By heinz Richter

The short answer to the above question is “yes!”

During a recent trip to Germany, we also visited the Kehlstein mountain by Berchtesgaden.  There is short walkway which leads to the very top.  To make things easier, it has many steps.

I have no idea how this happened, but on one of the first steps I slipped and fell.  I was carrying my Leica M240 in my hand. Instinctively trying to brace my fall with both hand results in the camera flying…

As is often the case in such situations, the entire scenario appeared to be happening in slow motion.  I clearly recall my camera gracefully flying through the air, landing with a very ugly sounding thud.

I immediately picked it up to observe any damage that might have occurred.  Initially it appeared as pristine as it was when I purchased it.  To my surprise it seemed to operate without a flaw.

The viewfinder worked as did the rangefinder.  Shutter speeds and the rear display seemed in equally good condition.  Other than some dust, the lens had survived equally well.


I decided to keep on shooting and I am happy to report that there were no ill side effects. As a matter of fact, the photograph below the title of this article was taken shortly after the camera had been dropped.  Only a while later did I notice a slight scratch/dent at the corner above the main viewfinder window.

That seems quite surprising because the camera fell from a height of about 4 feet.  I have no idea what g-forces that created, but judging by the ugly thud I heard when it hit the ground, that was not insignificant.

Taken several days after the mishap
Image cropped to 1/2 of total image area

Cropped section the above image
Not only does this show that the camera survived without any visible shortcomings,
it also shows the incredible lens performance

Thanks Leica for not only making your cameras and lenses incredibly well working instruments, but also making them tough enough to survive even the most rough treatment with no more than a tiny scratch.


For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right

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Tuesday, July 28, 2020

THOUGHTS ON THE NEW LEICA M10-R



 


By Heinz Richter

A few years ago camera manufacturers created the impression that a higher resolution (more pixels) sensors would automatically result in better photographs.  That, however, ignored other important aspects of a high quality digital file, like noise, ISO range, dynamic range, exposure latitude, color accuracy and more.

It became obvious that a higher pixel count would inevitably need to be paid for with a whole lot of shortcomings and the pixel race definitely slowed down.  Most manufacturers settled on a full frame resolution of about 25 megapixels.

But a few camera manufacturers have introduced cameras with a higher pixel count, the latest example being the Leica M10-R with its 40 megapixel sensor.  Obviously it cannot be argued that a higher resolution sensor will result in sharper images, as long as there are no other, image degrading side effects and as long as the lens on the camera is capable of dealing with that high a resolution.  With other words, if a lens is only sharp enough to adequately deal with 25 megapixels, then all else is a waste.

But what is possibly gained by a higher resolution sensor?  The main advantage lies in the fact that it allows for bigger enlargements or more severe cropping, both without loss of detail in the resulting image.  It allows to take full advantage of the capabilities of our Leica lenses.

 
Full frame

 
Cropped section of the above image
Leica M8 (10.3 megapixel), 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

Special applications notwithstanding, how big an enlargement or how much cropping capabilities do we really need?  This is a question everyone has to answer for him/herself.

So what are different camera sensors actually have to offer in this respect?  Just some simple math offers some insight here.

It is generally accepted that with perfect vision, the human eye can resolve 10 lpm (lines per millimeter).  However, that is under ideal conditions and a figure of 7 lpm is the generally accepted more realistic figure.

The sensor in the Leica M10 has a resolution of 5952 x 3992 pixels while the Leica M10-R resolution is 7864x5200.  That means, without any other resolution deteriorating factors, the M10 can render enlargements of 85 x 57 cm (33.5 x 22.5 inch) based in the more realistic resolution of 7 lpm for the human eye.  With the M10-R that increases to 112 x 74 cm (44 x 29 inch).  Those are impressive figures and they bring up the question of how much do we need.

 
Full frame

 
Cropped section of the above image
Leica M8, 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

 
Full frame

 
Cropped section of the above image
Even a relatively low resolution of 5 megapixel can render quite acceptable results
Leica Digilux 2

The biggest enlargement I have hanging in my house is 28 x 22 inch.  That is quite an exception.  The limiting factor for me is available wall space.  After all, why make an enlargement if it is not displayed?  The capabilities of the Leica M10 would have been capable of making that enlargement, as a matter of fact, another aspect of this discussion must be viewing distance.

The more realistic figure of 7 lpm is based on a viewing distance of approximately 12 inches.  While that is realistic for small prints, like the common 8 x10 inch enlargement, that is unrealistic for much larger prints.  There we usually view a picture from a greater distance which further reduces the resolution requirements.  With other words, an even bigger enlargement would look perfectly sharp, even is the resolution was less than 7 lpm.

Of course cropping requires greater care if the resulting enlargements are of a more reasonable size.  These are viewed at a closer viewing distance and thus would reveal any shortcomings in resolution a lot sooner.

Full frame of raw image file

 
Cropped section of the above image
Leica M240, 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

I rarely use image files straight from the camera.  I have found that most images can be considerably improved by post processing.  Subsequently another limiting factor might be the capabilities of our computer systems.  If it becomes difficult for a computer to handle the much larger files of a higher resolution camera, and if the higher resolution is rarely, if ever fully taken advantage of, it becomes further questionable if it is worth to consider such a camera.

Full frame

 
Cropped section of the above image
Leica M240, 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit

 
Full Frame

Cropped section of the above image
Leica M240, 50mm f/2 Summicron

 
Full frame

 
Cropped section of the above image
Leica M240, 28mm f/2 Elmarit

Full frame

 
Cropped section of the above image
Leica M240, 50mm f/2 Summicron

Of course, other individuals’ mileage might vary in this respect, but for me, the 24 megapixel resolution of my camera has served me quite well and I see little reason to change.  On the other hand, M10-R has definite advantages in terms of cropping.  Being that the Leica M rangefinder cameras don't offer zoom lenses, cropping to the field of view of longer lenses instead of changing to a different lens, can be done to quite an extend without sacrificing overall quality of the results.  This has allowed me to substantially limit the need to change lenses while shooting.  It also allows to overcome the relatively limited close up capabilities of the Leica M cameras to some degree.

But is that enough to warrant the purchase of the M10-R?   If it was just the higher resolution, that is not enough for my needs.  However, the M10-R has proven to offer some other advantages.   Due to a new, exclusive sensor architecture, per-pixel light sensitivity has been enhanced, resulting in an improvement to dynamic range and high ISO performance of around one full stop versus the M10 and M10-P. 


Original shot, underexposed to retain highlight detail in the bright sky.
Photograph by David Farkas, Leica Store Miami

Same file as the first, after processing in Adobe Lightroom. The highlights have been pulled down to enhance 
cloud detail  while the dark foreground has been lightened to open up all the shadow information. 
Photograph by David Farkas, Leica Store Miami

The Leica M10-R is undergoing considerable testing at the moment and we will soon learn what other advantages there are.  If that is enough to warrant switching to the M10-R is a decision that everyone has to make him or herself.




For other articles on this blog please click on Blog Archive in the column to the right

To comment or to read comments please scroll past the ads below.

All ads present items of interest to Leica owners.

_______________________________________________________________________


Woman wears brown elk-leather camera strap around her shoulders.
      www.eddycam.com        

      


Buy vintage Leica cameras from 
America's premier Leica specialist 
www.tamarkin.com

                          
           http://www.tamarkinauctions.com/               http://www.tamarkin.com/leicagallery/upcoming-show

Click on image to enlarge

Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

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Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography

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Please make payment via PayPal to GMP Photography



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