Original M Monochrom Still a Good Buy?

[Calzone]

You are indeed a Vintage Hipster Calzone. That Checker sounds great. I remember we weren't wearing seat belts driving those. The bench seats allowed me to bounce around and somehow (maybe my youth) my back was fine at the end of a 10-hour shift. I was driving on the Island (Nassau County) most of my time driving taxi and we'd get these rains causing flash floods; the Checker would get through big puddles just fine. If you have a picture of your old Limo you should post it!

P.S. to stay on topic, not sure what the market is doing today but the MM is still a good buy! And yes to the Heliopan Filter.... 🙂

David,

Classic style is always hip. That is why the MM will always have a cult following. Some people don't understand that classic=timeless.

Cal

 

[DwF]

....as will the M9

 

[roboflick]

i recently got one with new sensor and serviced in April Ive been enjoying it
spent around 3000 with case and extra batteries. mates wonderfully with my Canon dream lens

 

[Calzone]

i recently got one with new sensor and serviced in April Ive been enjoying it
spent around 3000 with case and extra batteries. mates wonderfully with my Canon dream lens

R,

What is that Canon dream lens?

Mt favorite lenses for my MM are the 28 Cron and 35/1.8 Nikkor in LTM.

Cal

 

[roboflick]

R,

What is that Canon dream lens?

Mt favorite lenses for my MM are the 28 Cron and 35/1.8 Nikkor in LTM.

Cal

Yes Canon 50 0.95, DAG did a great job converting to M mount focuses very accurately with the rangefinder. I also use a Hexar AF lens converted by MS optical and a 50 'lux. Will need to meet up in city sometime. I live in LI and moving to CT next month
Nik

 

[Calzone]

Yes Canon 50 0.95, DAG did a great job converting to M mount focuses very accurately with the rangefinder. I also use a Hexar AF lens converted by MS optical and a 50 'lux. Will need to meet up in city sometime. I live in LI and moving to CT next month
Nik

Nik,

A group of 5 New Yorkers is meeting up with Ben from Philly Sunday June 4th. We already have reserved seats on the Megabus. Basically it is a day trip to Philly to go shoot.

PM me if you are interested.

I would be interested in trying your Canon 50 0.95 on my SL via the Leica M-mount. I mount my Noct-Nikkor on the SL, but 0.95 is kinda crazy shallow.

Cal

 

[roboflick]

Nik,

A group of 5 New Yorkers is meeting up with Ben from Philly Sunday June 4th. We already have reserved seats on the Megabus. Basically it is a day trip to Philly to go shoot.

PM me if you are interested.

I would be interested in trying your Canon 50 0.95 on my SL via the Leica M-mount. I mount my Noct-Nikkor on the SL, but 0.95 is kinda crazy shallow.

Cal

Thanks Cal,
cant meet 6/4 but would love to meet another time. I will briung the Canon 50/0.95 for you to try I took some pics with it this weekend I will post one

Nik

 

[roboflick]

Nik,

A group of 5 New Yorkers is meeting up with Ben from Philly Sunday June 4th. We already have reserved seats on the Megabus. Basically it is a day trip to Philly to go shoot.

PM me if you are interested.

I would be interested in trying your Canon 50 0.95 on my SL via the Leica M-mount. I mount my Noct-Nikkor on the SL, but 0.95 is kinda crazy shallow.

Cal

Thanks Cal,
cant meet 6/4 but would love to meet another time. I will briung the Canon 50/0.95 for you to try I took some pics with it this weekend I will post one

Nik

 

[Rob-F]

Back to the original Question! Is the M9 Monochrom still a good buy?

Back to the original Question! Is the M9 Monochrom still a good buy?

I'd like to return this thread to its original topic: Is the M9 Monochrom still a good buy? Or: Is it worth considering the original Monochrom just for its imaging character alone? I see that some photographers feel that its CCD sensor produces a result they prefer to the CMOS sensor of the later versions, such as the M246 or M10. I've read that the original Monochrom has better shadow detail and better highlight protection, and from examples posted around the web, it does look that way to me. And for me, at least, 18MP is plenty!

Let's take it for granted that the discussion will be limited to M9 Monochrom that have the sensor replaced with the non-corroding one, so the discussion doesn't get sidetracked with sensor corrosion warnings.

So with all that in mind, let's see some opinions!

 

[Oren Grad]

I've read that the original Monochrom has better shadow detail and better highlight protection...

False:

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Leica%20M%20Monochrom,Leica%20M%20MONOCHROM%20(Typ%20246)

 

[filmtwit]

The cost differences between a M246 and a MM are pretty thin these days. Leica will service your M246 while parts for the MM are an iffy thing these days. Now add that some folks have had problems with the replacement MM sensor and (for me), I'd avold the MM today.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The M246 was limited to 12 bit pixels, I'll never understand why. 12 bits will show more "contouring" as values get lumped into the same intensity level. Noise will cause a chaotic effect, shows up as banding. The original M Monochrom uses 14-bits, and the amount of detail in the shadow detail is incredible. I've written custom software to reset the "anything below this value is to be treated as black" to pull out even more detail. I tend to use slow SD cards in my M Monochrom, 4x cards. Fast cards have produced some banding, slow cards- I've never seen it. I bought my M Monochrom in Dec 2012, new sensor in it a few years ago. I will not sell it.

 

[JohnWolf]

The M9M was my main camera for years, and now it's an M246. Skimming this thread, I'd say about every angle is covered.

My view is that they both produce such amazing BW that rendering shouldn't be the decider. Personally, I prefer the 246 for Its Live View, higher ISO capability, shutter noise, and overall more refined operation.

There's also the fact that the original is hard to come by and the latter is newer, serviceable, and seems to be plentiful.

John

 

[Larry Cloetta]

The M246 was limited to 12 bit pixels, I'll never understand why. 12 bits will show more "contouring" as values get lumped into the same intensity level. Noise will cause a chaotic effect…….

Well that’s interesting, as that had escaped my attention. I have an M246, and 12 Bit depth, that would explain some not great things I have seen during processing, even though I haven’t encountered any banding. For someone doing SOOC, or not wanting to manipulate files as much as I prefer to, I’d think that the difference between 12 and 14 Bit depth wouldn’t matter so much. Now that I know it’s there it will likely bother me🙂 Thanks, I think.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Original image, straight from DNG.

L1005046 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

100% crop of original DNG, original Black levels.

L1005046_100crop by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I wrote my own DNG processor to get rid of the Black value set in the DNG header, add a Gamma curve, and convert to 16-bit pixels.

G5046 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

100% crop of what the CCD actually recorded.

G5046_100crop by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

I run almost all of my files through this Fortran code. At 12-bits, the M246 images do not have the same flexibility.

 

[helen.HH]

I have used both the M9M and the M246
in the end I kept the M246 (still have one, my only camera)

In either case, 12 or 14 bit makes No DIFFERENCE to me ...
for that matter I hardly do much post processing, just a touch of contrast, shadow, hilight...that's it
Lucky me that I don't get caught up in all this headiness, I just shoot, and ‘see’ if a camera works for me
(No disrespect intended, I just do not have that kind of mind to delve, or be concerned about # of bits and other technical matter)


M246 below did wonderful with subway lighting and lots of metal

Just Me and him ....
by Helen Hill, on Flickr


M246 did beautifully in Central Park with varying degrees in tonal range, YUM!


gliding...
by Helen Hill, on Flickr



M246



Grit and Mist
by Helen Hill, on Flickr




A portrait and curve of a bottle...THANK YOU EXPLORE !
by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[helen.HH]

The M9M late one night did wonderful in low light detail



a Dark and Light Equation...

by Helen Hill, on Flickr

 

[robert blu]

M246 below did wonderful with subway lighting and lots of metal

Just Me and him ....
by Helen Hill, on Flickr

M246 did beautifully in Central Park with varying degrees in tonal range, YUM!

gliding...
by Helen Hill, on Flickr

M246

Grit and Mist
by Helen Hill, on Flickr

The M9M late one night did wonderful in low light detail

a Dark and Light Equation...
by Helen Hill, on Flickr

Both cameras are good, but it's the photographer, not the camera! Great photos Helen !

 

[helen.HH]

The cost differences between a M246 and a MM are pretty thin these days. Leica will service your M246 while parts for the MM are an iffy thing these days. Now add that some folks have had problems with the replacement MM sensor and (for me), I'd avold the MM today.

I totally Agree with 'filmtwit'
If I were now to choose between an M9M or an M246, it would be 246.

I understand the strong pull of those that fall into CCD versus CMOS sensor.
In the long view M246 has equally beautiful files. 😉

 

[helen.HH]

Both cameras are good, but it's the photographer, not the camera! Great photos Helen !

awhh, very Kind Robert, Thank You !!
though it is good to be somewhat in Love with the ergonomics and rendering style/sensor of your camera, wink,wink