[LRflex] Color differences - Let the Excuses begin!

Aram exclaimed:

>Aram Langhans offered reaction to::
>Subject: [LRflex] Color renditions between M8 and DMR
>
>
> > WOW, David.  That is a huge difference in color rendition.

And then Ted, Sonny and Thomas all chimed in:

So guys, before we all get our toga's tied in knots, these comparison 
shots should not be taken as gospel, for several reasons...

Please allow me to explain.

[1]  The shots were both taken in close time proximity to one 
another... perhaps 2 minutes apart (despite what the EXIF data says), 
I did not change the internal clock on the M8, so I have no idea who 
set it, or how accurately.  Heck, I hadn't checked the time on the 
DMR for months... do they drift?  No matter... don't believe the EXIF 
time stamps!

[2] Both were taken on a tripod which didn't move.  The 10 degree of 
angle difference would be from a couple of things... one would be my 
inaccuracy when moving the QR plate from DMR to M8 and back.  Another 
would be the slight difference in angle of view from the 75mm on the 
M8 and the 90mm on the R8_DMR.  Don't place much store in this!

[3[ irrespective of the time stamps, the photos were shot late 
afternoon.  In the few minutes between shots, the light would be 
getting warmer.  Sorry, cannot remember which one was taken first!

[4] Sonny mentioned that the colour space on both were 
'uncalibrated".   The DMR was set to Adobe... can't remember what the 
M8 was set to. I didn't fiddle with that, when I got the camera.   If 
the DMR had shifted to "uncalibrated" (not an option on the menus) 
either Sonny's software is not reading it right, or it is an early 
indication of the failure described in #6.

[5]  Leica cautioned us about publishing any photos from the M8, as 
the firmware was early... Version 0.23!  Also, I note that the 
firmware on the DMR is shown in the exif data as being 
v1.1.   Curious, as I'd uploaded v1.2 and earlier shots show it as 
v1.2.  Again, could this be an early sign of the impending failure, 
described next?

[6] The M8 shot was remarkably well exposed or so it seemed.  The DMR 
shot *should* have been well exposed, but, in fact, was horribly 
overexposed.  In the last week before I departed for Photokina & the 
LHSA convention, I had a few shots this way.  The problem became 
exacerbated in Europe, until on day, in Germany, the camera failed 
altogether, producing 1/4 second exposures at all ISO's, all f-stops 
and all lighting conditions!  Thus, I had to compensate mightily to 
get an exposure which matched the M8's... at least to my eye 
(calibrated screen).   Although I tried to fiddle with the colour as 
little as possible, some fiddling was necessary.

It's true, I should have mentioned all of this when I posted the 
shots... however, I was in a rush (as is so often the case) and, to 
be honest, I'd forgotten.  I simply grabbed two .jpgs and posted 
them.  It was only after your comments that I went back to the 
original .dng files and looked.  Sorry!

Leica replaced my R8 and most of the DMR (the non-replaced bit still 
has some issues and we are talking about that), so I could shoot new 
comparisons... except that I no longer have the M8!

In my experience, even when things were looking good, the DMR had a 
different colour balance from the M8.  The M8 I used in Wetzlar 
(firmware v1.04) was different again... and, I suspect, more 
accurate.  The released firmware (1.06) should be better still.

Look at the shots for what they are.  But don't take them as 
empirical evidence of anything.  I think the M8 has a slightly warmer 
outlook on the world than the DMR.  But, as Ted pointed out, if they 
are not side by side, both are very acceptable... much like the same 
shot taken with two different films.  And, I think I prefer the look of the M8!

If I have caused anybody any stress over all of this, please accept 
my apologies. It was not intended.

Cheers!

David.
---

David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA

Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt




------
Unsubscribe or change to/from Digest Mode at:
    http://www3.telus.net/~telyt/lrflex.htm
Archives are at:
    http://www.freelists.org/archives/leicareflex/

Other related posts: