Gregory Simpson's M Monochrom review: witty, insightful, fair

[Richard G]

This was linked on photo.net recently. I tried searching here to see if it was already discussed, but searching for 'Simpson' led me to Homer and Jessica......

http://www.ultrasomething.com/photography/2012/12/a-fetishists-guide-to-the-monochrom-part1/

 

[Keith]

Every new camera will titillate some photographers, while disgusting others.

Says it all .....

Great read!

 

[mfunnell]

Thanks. I enjoyed that.

...Mike

 

[MCTuomey]

<< Show me a photographer and I’ll show you a fetishist. >>

Apropos Mike Funnell's sig as well ...

Excellent review, thanks for sharing the link.

 

[tstermitz]

That's probably the most valuable camera review I've ever read.

grEGORY writes well, and explains very well why the MM is a useful innovation. Theoretically the MM was interesting, but now I actually understand what I would get out of it.

 

[asiafish]

Great review of my absolutely favorite toy.

 

[__--]

Says it all .....

Almost all, and I agree with Gregory Simpson's conclusions that this is the best digital camera that I [he] ever used. But I would add one thing ...

While high-ISO on the M-Monochrom is great, by the time that you get to ISO 5,000 and 10,000 the dynamic range becomes narrow — and, when shooting on the street at night, getting the "right exposure" is often a hit or miss affair.

The solution is similar to that for high-ISO photography with the M9 [Shoot at ISO 640 and push in Lightroom 5] — for the M-Monochrom the solution is to Shoot at ISO 1,250 and push in Lightroom 5. (This latter solution was suggested by Jim Kasson, who did extensive testing of the M9 technique, and extrapolated the ISO 1250 technique for the M-Monochrom.)



M-Monochrom | Summilux-50 pre-ASPH | ISO 1250 pushed 3 stops on main subject | f/4.0 / 1/250

Paris




M-Monochrom | Summilux-50 pre-ASPH | ISO 1250 pushed 1.5 stops on main subject | f/2.8 / 1/125

Paris



—Mitch/Chiang Mai
Looking for Baudelaire [WIP]

 

[Keith]

Thanks Mitch ... nice examples and interesting post processing as per your M9 method.

 

[Bingley]

That's probably the most valuable camera review I've ever read.

grEGORY writes well, and explains very well why the MM is a useful innovation. Theoretically the MM was interesting, but now I actually understand what I would get out of it.

This^^^. I enjoyed the review, even though I cannot possibly afford the camera.

 

[noimmunity]

The thing I liked, and admired, most about the review was the fact that the author gave the camera back, in spite of it being his fetishistic dream. Bravo!