The Leica "Look" (a LensRental article)

[JDMvW]

The "glow"? Maybe, but a relatively "objective" article

Understanding the ‘Leica Look’

[Niels - NHSN]

I thought I was a Leica guy, but it turns out that I am really a Canon guy, it seems. All the images I preferred turned out to be Canon - I feel so ashamed:(

[Ed_Ingold]

Are we comparing the "look" of Leica v Canon, or the way the cameras process JPEG files?

[q.g._de_bakker]

Are we comparing the "look" of Leica v Canon, or the way the cameras process JPEG files?

The look.

There is an obvious difference in how the raw data are processed. There's also a difference in raw data, which however does not need to remain (you're going to proces those raw data, right?) "Both cameras sit at different starting points, but the finish line is the same."

But there is no evidence of a "Leica look".

[Ed_Ingold]

JPEG images are more then just processed in the camera, they are highly processed and easily customized. It would be more objective to take raw images and compare them using the same processor. I expect to see differences, but as a videographer I see differences between cameras, even the same make and model (many factors affect perceived color, including exposure, lenses, and dominant tones in the subject).

 

Color aside, the "Leica look" is primarily due to optics, and even more, the subject matter traditionally suited to using a discrete rangefinder camera. The Summicron 50 of my era (mid 60's) sacrificed contrast for sharpness, more effective in B&W than in color. That lens has really good bokeh (before there was bokeh), but not all legacy lenses (e.g. Summitar) could claim that. Each version has a "look".

Edited September 24, 2022 by Ed_Ingold

[httpwww.photo.netbarry]

I always thought it was supposed to be about the lens, not the sensor. Where's Erwin Putts when you need him?

[q.g._de_bakker]

JPEG images are more then just processed in the camera, they are highly processed and easily customized. It would be more objective to take raw images and compare them using the same processor. I expect to see differences, but as a videographer I see differences between cameras, even the same make and model (many factors affect perceived color, including exposure, lenses, and dominant tones in the subject).

 

Color aside, the "Leica look" is primarily due to optics, and even more, the subject matter traditionally suited to using a discrete rangefinder camera. The Summicron 50 of my era (mid 60's) sacrificed contrast for sharpness, more effective in B&W than in color. That lens has really good bokeh (before there was bokeh), but not all legacy lenses (e.g. Summitar) could claim that. Each version has a "look".

Yes, it is about the lens. And what you can record of what the lens offers. And LensRentals found no difference as far as that is concerned. No Leica glow or such.

[Ed_Ingold]

What is the standard for "glow"? If you can't define it, you can't measure it. Everyone talks about bokeh, but in subjective terms (e.g., buttery). Musicians aren't measured by the number of notes they get right, nor artists by their brush strokes.

 

You can use Leica and Canon lenses on nearly any mirrorless camera. Let's start by eliminating that variable.

[JDMvW]

How can a lens post not be objective?

[Ed_Ingold]

How can a lens post not be objective?

The article was objective to a limited extent, but if you're comparing lenses and "look" using different sensors and JPEG processing confuses the issue. In this test, I used a Sony A7Rii

Edited September 26, 2022 by Ed_Ingold

[JDMvW]

Aren't almost all lenses objectives?

[clark_roberts]

I only got one right, hey maybe if he used some older Leica lenses that would of change thing's.

[Ed_Ingold]

Aren't almost all lenses objectives?

In that sense, objectivity is the process of selecting a lens.

[Robin Smith]

What is better is to show the pictures you take over a year or so of use in the real world. See if you get better, more interesting pics than with the rival. The point surely is whether you enjoy shooting with a Leica more than with the rival systems. The more pleasure you get out of it the better it is for you. If all you want to do is rather inadequate lens tests, then don’t waste your money. I’m not surprised he can’t tell the difference from the shots he took. They don’t differ in important ways at all.

[JDMvW]

enjoy shooting with a Leica more than with the rival systems

 

 

Many of the cameras I "enjoy" shooting most are film cameras, and the post- shooting experience is no longer so pleasant nor easy.

I do enjoy my digital Canon EOS cameras nowadays.