Interesting Comments on Apparent New "Leica M 240" photos

[dcsang]

http://leicarumors.com/2013/01/22/f...n-with-the-new-leica-m-available-online.aspx/

Note some of the comments on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....80684602734.94440.75684997734&type=1&theater and on the Leica blog: http://blog.leica-camera.com/photog...zstan-a-photographic-journey-with-jean-gaumy/

These images have been attributed to the Leica M but it appears they were taken back in September 2012 (based on what is stated in the images exif and what the weather would be like in Kyrgyzstan at that time of the year)

I wonder if there's something to this or if Leica's just really really really good at covering their digital tracks. . . .

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Turtle]

I find it hilarious that so many M9 owners are hoping for the M240 to fail, so they feel better about their existing camera and so they wont lose value. As for the notion that M9 prices will go up, have they forgotten about the availability of the ME?

If I showed snaps like these for the 5D III everyone would say the same thing, but until we have real cameras being reviewed and compared, we will not know what the true performance is. Lets not forget, lots of manufacturers' CMOS cameras have been producing stunning images for a long time. Going back to CCD is a dead end and Leica knows it. I cannot fathom how so many Leicaphiles are in denial. CMOS will allow the M240 to be used in a wider variety of light levels by more photographers. Any tiny loss in base ISO 'sharpness' is irrelevant compared to overall utility when it comes to the great images that can be associated with a camera.

I love Leica, but do not understand the unwillingness of some to accept that a) anything can be subjectively better than a Leica or b) that newer Leicaas can be better than old ones, esp in the digital realm. How many people b1tched about the M9 and proclaimed their M8s superior tools? Is this all connected to people still hoping digital Leicas will be an investment?

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

turtle: sounds like a rant. take a deep breath. hope you feel better.

 

[Blaze]

I'm not sure that m9 owners want the M. to fail. What I do know is that the mechanical rangefinders accuracy is at it's limit in the M9. Leica are only too aware hence no 135 6 bit on M9 ( till M announced ) I for one don't want a Leica with lots of attachments to circumvent the problem of moving to higher pixel counts. I would like to bet my socks the next M340 or whatever will have the electronic screen built in replacing the mechanical R.F. & a focus confirmation dot ....erm .. Just like Lumix etc.

 

[kennylovrin]

I don't really see the problem even if the photos were shot in September. I agree it might not be ideal, but just because the shots are from then doesn't mean they aren't a true representation of the quality.

Firmware gets updated of course, but who says the image quality wasn't tweaked to as good as it gets already then. There are a lot of other work that goes into firmwares other than pure image quality, so the camera might have produced expected quality, but it might have been very unstable from a usability perspective etc.

What I have a problem understand with these images is that I find them very uninspiring, for some reason I would just expect something more seeing that they can be considered promotional images. Perhaps they are after the most "out of camera" look they can get, but I think it would be more interesting to see what they'd look like after more (any?) post processing.

I just imagine not too many people nowadays goes straight out of camera directly to publishing? So for me it is more interesting to see how much the file can be worked with, rather than what it looks like straight out of the camera.

Obviously, these are all guesses more or less. 🙂

EDIT: maybe these are OOC jpegs by the way? In that case I guess my comment on post processing isn't really applicable.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I'm beginning to understand the meaning of "distracting" when it comes to images. Those images are so bad (well, banal), they completely distract from the OP topics.

I do find the Euro-Unitedstatian fixation on third-world imagery per se to try to elicit "oooohs" and "aaahs" very gênant.

I think that if they (Leica marketing) spent some time researching photographers online who use (and like) Leica rangefinders, they'd get far better results. But like in most x-cracies, access is king.

 

[Lss]

Isn't this meant merely as proof that they have cameras in the hands of (several) testers? In other words, "we are getting close to bringing the product to a store near you".

 

[splitimageview]

Apparently Leica is good at generating an internet kerfuffle...is there some devious Leica marketing guy fiddling with exif data, grinning at all these comments coming up on his computer screen? 😉

 

[dcsang]

Apparently Leica is good at generating an internet kerfuffle...is there some devious Leica marketing guy fiddling with exif data, grinning at all these comments coming up on his computer screen? 😉

That's what I thought too...

And Gabriel ... I tend to agree with your comments..

Cheers,
Dave

 

[furcafe]

From a comment left by Leica on 1 of the FB comments:

"Leica Camera Hi everyone! Thank you for your comments. We’ve seen a lot of questions regarding the EXIF data. Jean Gaumy went to Kyrgyzstan with a Leica M9 in his package, because the Leica M prototype wasn’t ready at that exact moment. However, he just started this series with a M9. In fact, approx. 90% of all photos were taken with a new Leica M. Purporting that all images are from a Leica M was really not our intention. Sorry!!

The Kyrgyzstan series will be continued and there are more installments to come, so please stay tuned for more genuine Leica M photos. Again, thank you for reaching out!"

So the shots in this installment are from the M9, after all. So much for CCD "magic" v. CMOS "flatness." Sometimes banal shots are banal for reasons unrelated to the gear used. Imagine that.

 

[dcsang]

So the shots in this installment are from M9, after all. So much for CCD "magic" v. CMOS "flatness." Sometimes banal shots are banal for reasons unrelated to the gear used. Imagine that.

*LOL*

Fancy that - so all those who were "*** pooing" the apparent M were, in fact, *** pooing their M9's - I gotta shake my head at both Leica and those who were belittling the apparently new sensor via the whole CCD vs CMOS thing.

Leica should know better since they stated, in that same facebook post:

The blog will follow Jean Gaumy as he revisits Kyrgyzstan on a photographic journey with the new Leica M.

- seems to me pretty clear WHY people would think the images that are shown would be from the new M.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[lam]

They should've really posted that it came from an D-Lux 6.

 

[furcafe]

Yeah, they probably should have clarified the original post rather than simply responding to comments, but that's the nature of modern media. Presumably, as Mr. Gaumy's series continues, there will be more M 240 shots in the mix.

*LOL*

Fancy that - so all those who were "*** pooing" the apparent M were, in fact, *** pooing their M9's - I gotta shake my head at both Leica and those who were belittling the apparently new sensor via the whole CCD vs CMOS thing.

Leica should know better since they stated, in that same facebook post: - seems to me pretty clear WHY people would think the images that are shown would be from the new M.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[lam]

This just reminds me of when autofanatics see a Prototype test mule of a car coming soon and they judge the car based on a test mule.

 

[kennylovrin]

*LOL*
Fancy that - so all those who were "*** pooing" the apparent M were, in fact, *** pooing their M9's - I gotta shake my head at both Leica and those who were belittling the apparently new sensor via the whole CCD vs CMOS thing.

that is in fact priceless 🙂

 

[IEDEI]

*LOL*

Fancy that - so all those who were "*** pooing" the apparent M were, in fact, *** pooing their M9's - I gotta shake my head at both Leica and those who were belittling the apparently new sensor via the whole CCD vs CMOS thing.

Leica should know better since they stated, in that same facebook post: - seems to me pretty clear WHY people would think the images that are shown would be from the new M.

Cheers,
Dave

no. if you read Furcafe's post above....Leica say that 90% of the photos are from the new M.

 

[furcafe]

No, while 90% of the photos in *the series* are from the new M, those in the first installment are not (with the possible exception of the shots in the "contact sheet" w/gray background at the bottom of the Leica blog post).

no. if you read Furcafe's post above....Leica say that 90% of the photos are from the new M.

 

[Harry Lime]

Jean Gaumy is obviously a talented photographer, if you go to the Magnum site and look at his past work.

But looking at this new batch of pictures and the Normandy shots that he made I can't say that I'm impressed.

It appears that Mr. Gaumy is not the technically most proficient shooter out there. The images are nearly all overexposed, as if he had solely relied on the internal meter. All of the shadows are heavily lifted and the highlights are nearly blown, which is typical of a metering system trying to turn whatever it is aimed at in to a middle gray value. None of the images appear to have been post processed. They look like they were dumped from the card in to a RAW converter and that was it. The only conclusion I can draw from these is that despite the poor exposure setting, the sensor has been able to hold on to detail in the skies, which indicates to me that it can captures quite a large exposure range and that is a good thing.

As for the composition; pretty mediocre. Looking at his past work it's obvious that he can do a lot better.

 

[IEDEI]

No, while 90% of the photos in *the series* are from the new M, those in the first installment are not (with the possible exception of the shots in the "contact sheet" w/gray background at the bottom of the Leica blog post).

well... here's the exif distribution:
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica...-new-official-m240-pics-up-6.html#post2294339

 

[upceci]

I do find the Euro-Unitedstatian fixation on third-world imagery per se to try to elicit "oooohs" and "aaahs" very gênant.

I agree. I was more distracted and annoyed by Mr Gaumy's commentary, his still living in the 60s.