Latest on the M8 IR/magenta issue

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I will be shooting with an M8 for the first time, in the near future. When the M8 first came out several years ago, I read about the IR issue, the magenta discoloration, and the use of IR filters.</p>

<p>I don't know what the firmware status is of the camera I will be shooting with, but I'd like to know whether using the IR filter resolves the problem, and if so, what setting should I use for the "Lens Detection" setting. Is it "On + UV/IR" (my lens is not 6-bit encoded, if that matters)? Is the CaptureOne software an integral part of the solution as well?</p>

<p>Also, is the white balance best adjusted manually? I will be shooting raw DNG only.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>The magenta issue comes up primarily when fabrics made of synthetic materials is photographed. There are lots of UV/IR filters on the market. Do not worry about six-bit coding or lens detection. I use PHotoshop on my JPEG Fine images and it does an outstanding job. But it is hard to change magenta into black with it or an other app. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>According to several M8 owners, the IR filter is also important for getting good color with foliage. I haven't tried shooting foliage without the filter, so I can't say from personal experience. I can say the foliage is fine with the filter!</p>

If you're shooting color, it's advisable to have a lens that is 6 bit coded for any lens as wide as 35mm. The IR filters that correct the magenta issue

create a cyan cast near the edges of the picture- that is in turn corrected by the 6 bit coding. There's plenty of information on this already on the web. And yes the setting on the camera for lens and IR filter are as you mention.

 

When I had an M8 I did find that Capture One yielded the best results with RAW files, especially with regard to fine tuning contrast.

The magenta issue is quite rare and mainly comes from black man made materials. In general I leave the filter off the lens

as I find the cyan fringing more of an issue. The WB on the M8 is very poor I suggest you use Raw and either set the WB

to daylight or set the temp manually.

<p>Thanks Alex, Rob, Ray and Philip.</p>

<p>I will be using an older version 35mm summicron (Canadian-made). I will do some experimenting with an IR filter before adding 6-bit encoding as per <a href="http://whimster-photography.com/leica_m_lens_codes/index.html">Leica M Lens Codes DIY</a> .</p>

 

<ol>

<li>Does the lens detection setting have any bearing if the lens is not 6-bit encoded? I suspect not since there would be no communication between the lens and camera...</li>

<li>Assuming I do encode my lens properly and use an IR filter, should I set "Lens Detection" to "On + UV/IR"?</li>

<li>Does the setting have any effect with an encoded lens without an IR filter?</li>

</ol>

<p>I really appreciate your help. I will of course be doing some experimentation on my own but not necessarily in the "perfect storm" conditions that would bring out this issue. Looking forward to shooting with Leica again after several years hiatus...</p>

<p>Thank<br>

<br />Asher</p>

<p>Contrary to what others have posted, when I had the M8, the magenta issue was not rare @ all, but then I shoot a lot in IR-heavy environments (e.g., stage lighting) & know a lot of people who wear black ;-). BTW, the M8's IR sensitivity without the UV/IR filter is also noticeable when shooting landscapes & similar subjects, not that I do that very often w/digital. My advice is that while your mileage will vary depending on shooting subject & lighting conditions, if you care about color fidelity, you're going to need UV/IR filters for the M8.</p>

<p><br /> I used the B+W 486 UV/IR filters & they did the job. As far as cyan fringing, I never saw it on any 35mm (ASPH 'cron & 'lux) or 28mm lens (ASPH 'cron) & my only super-wide in Leica mount (CV 15/4.5) doesn't take filters. Just to be on the safe side & to ensure accuracy w/EXIF data, I did hand-code some of my lenses w/Zebra permanent markers.</p>

If you're shooting pictures with people, guarantee you'll get magenta sooner rather than later, because lots of people wear clothing that yields an inaccurate color with the M8 without an IR filter, plain and simple. If you're a whiz with photoshop or shoot exclusively black and white then that's another thing. But why not do it right the first time? Don't take short cuts. The M8 is a great camera; just get it set up right in the first place. I wouldn't recommend DIY coding unless you're flat broke and don't mind the hassle of doing it and re-doing it again when the inked coding wears out.

Invest the money and have no worries. If you don't think you're getting cyan in your pictures do a test shooting a blank wall. On wider angle lenses it will show up, plain as day.

<p>Thanks Ray and Christopher.</p>

<p>Given that I will be using an IR filter on a non-encoded 35mm summicron:</p>

<ol>

<li>Is there any point to setting the "Lens Detection" if my lens is not encoded?</li>

<li>If the answer to 1. is "yes", what setting is most effective?</li>

<li>What benefit does the "Lens Detection" setting confer?</li>

</ol>

<p>Thanks<br>

<br />Asher</p>

<p> </p>

1) No

 

3) It tells the camera to read the coded lens. This gives you EXIF data and corrects

the cyan cast on the edges.

 

You may get away with no significant cyan on a 35 mm non-coded lens. With anything wider

you will begin having problems.

<p>I tend to keep the filter off unless I have heavy made made fibers in the shot. The cyan is really an issue with my wide lenses (CV 12mm M mount and CV 21mm). Erwin puts has a series of tests on filters which may be useful. http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/camera/M8/M8/page27.html<br>

I personally use Leica filters and have no problem with older lenses like the old pre ASPH) 35 Lux - except for the coding wearing off!</p>

<p>I know this is an older post and no-one may read this response, but I typically use the M8 to shoot nature (lots of foliage) and never have an issue. I do have the filters if I need them. Furthermore, when you mount the Leica IR filter on the front, you get a handheld infrared camera with great results in bright light. Even in dimmer light, a tripod works and the internal meter meters pretty well. In that way it's a great dual use camera. If I ever get my M9, I may want to keep the M8 strictly for that purpose.</p>