Friday 11 May 2012

Leica M-Monochrom Hands-on Preview

DPReview have done a hands on preview which you can now find online. Summarised here:


Our response, when we first heard about the M-Monochrom was not dissimilar to those Leica users who've heard the rumors about the camera - falling somewhere between surprise and incredulity.

However, spend some time with the M-M and, in its own reality-impervious way, it begins to make a strange kind of sense.

The level of detail the camera captures is nothing short of astonishing and, as we found when shooting the M9, there's a real pleasure to be found in having to think harder about the shots you're taking. Getting the best out of the Monochrom takes practise (perhaps a lifetime's worth) and processing, but willfully embracing that challenge seems to be part of what this camera is about.

Is it easier, more flexible and many times less expensive to shoot in color and make black-and-white conversions (albeit at a cost of the pixel-level detail the M-Monochrom offers)? Of course it is. But then there are many cameras that offer greater capability, flexibility and (in most respects), image quality than the M9 (at a fraction of the cost), but that doesn't make the Leica any less desirable.


Price
MSRP$7,950.00 / £6,120 (inc VAT)
Body type
Body typeRangefinder-style mirrorless
Body materialMagnesium alloy with synthetic leather trim. Top deck and baseplate in brass with black chrome finish
Sensor
Max resolution5212 x 3472
Other resolutions3840 x 2592, 2592 x 1728, 1728 x 1152, 1280 x 846
Image ratio w:h3:2
Effective pixels18.0 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors18.5 megapixels
Sensor sizeFull frame (36 x 24 mm)
Sensor typeCCD
Color spacesRGB hardwired
Image
ISOAuto, Pull 160, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600, 2000, 2500, 3200, 4000, 5000, 6400, 8000, 10000
White balance presets0
Custom white balanceNo
Image stabilizationNo
Uncompressed formatRAW
JPEG quality levelsFine, Standard
File format
  • DNG (RAW) 14-bit uncompressed (36 MB)
  • JPEG (Fine / Basic)
  • DNG + JPEG
Image parameters
  • Sharpening (5): Off, Low, Standard, Medium High, High
  • Contrast : Low, Medium Low, Standard, Medium High, High
  • Toning: Hue (Sepia, Cool, Selenium), Strength (Off, Weak Strong)
Optics & Focus
Digital zoomNo
Manual focusYes
Lens mountLeica M mount
Focal length multiplier1×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCDFixed
Screen size2.5"
Screen dots230,000
Touch screenNo
Screen typeTFT color LCD with a sapphire glass LCD cover
Live viewNo
Viewfinder typeOptical (rangefinder)
Viewfinder magnification0.68×
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed32 sec
Maximum shutter speed1/4000 sec
Built-in flashNo
External flashYes (Hot-shoe)
Flash modesFront Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync
Flash X sync speed1/180 sec
Continuous driveYes (2 fps)
Self-timerYes (2 or 12 sec)
Metering modes
  • Center-weighted
Exposure compensation±3 EV (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing±2 (3, 5, 7 frames )
WB BracketingNo
Videography features
MicrophoneNone
SpeakerNone
Storage
Storage typesSD/SDHC card
Storage includedNone
Connectivity
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMINo
WirelessNone
Remote controlNo
Physical
Environmentally sealedNo
BatteryBattery Pack
Battery descriptionLithium-Ion rechargeable battery & charger
Weight (inc. batteries)600 g (1.32 lb / 21.16 oz)
Dimensions139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.47 x 3.15 x 1.46")
Other features
Orientation sensorYes
Timelapse recordingNo
GPSNone





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