Tom A
RFF Sponsor
I had a chance to use a M9 Monochrome for 72 hours this week. Interesting experience for a confirmed black and white shooter.
I simply set the camera to 320 iso first, stuck my M-Nokton 50 mm f1.5 on it (and a Summilux 50f1.4 Asph in the pocket for comparison shots) The MM's menu is blessedly simple - just dial in the iso and go forth shooting.
Not being a digital user, I never bothered looking at the screen and I found out that I instinctively stopped after about 36-38 shots! Fifty years of film shooting shows!
What was amazing was the quality of the files from the MM. Very good quality - even without any post processing. The "dynamic" range is amazing - at least on the computer screen.
As usual no camera is perfect though: battery life is limited - even fully charged, it was down to less than 50% after one of my "rolls" of 36-38 frames. Could be a dud battery - but it made me a bit nervous using it without a back up. The "buffer" kicks in quickly and suddenly you are standing thee waiting for the camera up load the files.
It is quiet, a slight "burp" when you fire it - finder is bright and clear - particularly after the front glass was cleaned! The screen on the back picks up finger prints and nose prints quickly - but as I never "chimped" it made no difference. Like the M8/M9 the body feels a bit odd in the hand - but 50+ years of using regular M's has probably shaped my hand to fit.
I did one set with the M-Nokton and Summilux Asph at 320 - switched to a Heliar 50 mm f3.5 and jacked up the speed to 1250 iso and finished off with an older vII Summilux 50f1.4 at 2500 iso. Further testing got side tracked by a rather vicious gall stone attack yesterday - I was all set to to do the Nokton 50mm f1.1 and 5000/6400 iso!
I admit, that if I did not have 10-12000 ft of film in stock and my own darkroom I would be very tempted by it. Maybe one day in the future - but not now. I still like the physical sense of cutting and editing film - and the process of developing it.
I still haven't figured out how to upload more than 1 shot at the time here - so bear with me on that.
Link to all pictures is at
www.flickr.com/photos/rapidwinder/tags/trialswithdigitalblw/
I simply set the camera to 320 iso first, stuck my M-Nokton 50 mm f1.5 on it (and a Summilux 50f1.4 Asph in the pocket for comparison shots) The MM's menu is blessedly simple - just dial in the iso and go forth shooting.
Not being a digital user, I never bothered looking at the screen and I found out that I instinctively stopped after about 36-38 shots! Fifty years of film shooting shows!
What was amazing was the quality of the files from the MM. Very good quality - even without any post processing. The "dynamic" range is amazing - at least on the computer screen.
As usual no camera is perfect though: battery life is limited - even fully charged, it was down to less than 50% after one of my "rolls" of 36-38 frames. Could be a dud battery - but it made me a bit nervous using it without a back up. The "buffer" kicks in quickly and suddenly you are standing thee waiting for the camera up load the files.
It is quiet, a slight "burp" when you fire it - finder is bright and clear - particularly after the front glass was cleaned! The screen on the back picks up finger prints and nose prints quickly - but as I never "chimped" it made no difference. Like the M8/M9 the body feels a bit odd in the hand - but 50+ years of using regular M's has probably shaped my hand to fit.
I did one set with the M-Nokton and Summilux Asph at 320 - switched to a Heliar 50 mm f3.5 and jacked up the speed to 1250 iso and finished off with an older vII Summilux 50f1.4 at 2500 iso. Further testing got side tracked by a rather vicious gall stone attack yesterday - I was all set to to do the Nokton 50mm f1.1 and 5000/6400 iso!
I admit, that if I did not have 10-12000 ft of film in stock and my own darkroom I would be very tempted by it. Maybe one day in the future - but not now. I still like the physical sense of cutting and editing film - and the process of developing it.
I still haven't figured out how to upload more than 1 shot at the time here - so bear with me on that.
Link to all pictures is at
www.flickr.com/photos/rapidwinder/tags/trialswithdigitalblw/
Last edited:
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Leica Monochrome @ 320 iso. Voigtlander M-Nokton 50mm f1.5 at either f1.5 or f2.0.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
How were you exposing Tom ... AE or doing it manually as you probably have for the last half century? 
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Leica Monochrome @ 1250 iso, Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f3.5 Nickel version
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Leica Monochrome @ 2500 iso, Leica Summilux 50mm f1.4 vII (# 2569598)
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
How were you exposing Tom ... AE or doing it manually as you probably have for the last half century?
I did leave it on AE - just to see how well it worked. With the 50mm lenses is also less chance of picking up stray light that will confuse the meter. Worked well in most cases.
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
History in the Making:
The Nokton 'M' version finally Arrives to the World
Erwin Puts goes Back to Film and Tom A Goes Digital ...,
The Nokton 'M' version finally Arrives to the World
Erwin Puts goes Back to Film and Tom A Goes Digital ...
,
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
Leica Monochrome @ 320. This is either a shot with the M-Nokton 50 mm f1.5 OR with the Summilux 50 mm f1.4 Asph. I forgot to "tag" the shots here and I cant tell which is taken with what. Remember that it was around f2-2.5 and 1/4000s anyway. This is my "test root" at Jericho beach. Every lens, camera, film and developer is used on it. I think there are about 180 shots on our Flickr site under the tag "Test Root" by now.
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
History in the Making:
The Nokton 'M' version finally Arrives to the World
Erwin Puts goes Back to Film and Tom A Goes Digital ...
Helen, short history - the camera is back with the dealer now.
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Et tu Tom? I have resisted the MM so far but looks like it is futile!
Mpmckenzie
Member
hi tom, hope your feeling better, could sell a couple black paint m2 bodies enough money for your own Monochrome lol
ChrisN
Striving
These look great Tom - thanks for sharing the experience with us. Am I right to think that these are JPG files straight from the camera?
sebastel
coarse art umbrascriptor
;-)
5678910
5678910
dave lackey
Veteran
Nice! Thank you for posting these images Tom...now to start yet another slush fund to get an MM.
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
They are straight Jpeg fine files. The one at 320 has not contrast correction as the files refused to load on to L/R. The 1250/2500 iso files has some moderate contrast enhancement - once I figured out how to get them to L/R.
back alley
IMAGES
damn!
now i want one of these!!!
now i want one of these!!!
Tom and MM
Tom and MM
what a disappointment.
I thought this was a thread about Tom and Marilyn ...
Stephen
Tom and MM
what a disappointment.
I thought this was a thread about Tom and Marilyn ...
Stephen
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Marilyn Manson?
tjh
Well-known
Last year, I enrolled in one of the Leica workshops that included the use of a Monochrom for the day. I was truly impressed by the quality of the files I got. I'm not in a position to buy one now but I've been really tempted, much more so than for the new M. I'm happy with my M9 but the Monochrom really "knocked my socks off", to use a dated expression.
Tom
Tom
icebear
Veteran
Hi Tom,
just to confirm, the battery life is much better, if they are taken care of properly. With a loaner camera the battery most likely gets recharged after every return and not used until it's actually empty. Definitely a dud battery.
I get 1 SD card 16gb (around 400+ shots or a "dozen rolls"
) out of one charge with my M9 and MM.