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luckypl26 · 7 years

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Radioactive lenses -- group shot by s58y Radioactive lenses -- group shot: (a bit drab, not a very colorful group) These lenses exhibit low-level radioactivity, probably caused by Thorium Oxide added to the glass to enhance its optical properties. Top Row (Left to Right): - CANON LENS FL 58mm 1:1.2 - CANON LENS FD 35mm 1:2 (chrome filter ring) - CANON LENS FD 55mm 1:1.2 S.S.C. ASPHERICAL - CANON LENS FD 17mm 1:4 S.S.C. - CANON LENS FL 50mm 1:1.8 Middle Row (Left to Right): - AUTO YASHINON-DX 1:1.4 f=50mm YASHICA - AUTO YASHINON-DS 50mm 1:1.7 YASHICA - ASAHI OPT. Co. JAPAN Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1:2/35 - ASAHI OPT. Co. JAPAN Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1:1.8/50 - ASAHI OPT. Co. JAPAN Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1:1.4/50 Bottom Row (Left to Right): - Ernst Leitz GmbH Wetzlar Summicron f=5cm 1:2 (collapsible, M39) - OLYMPUS OM-SYSTEM G.ZUIKO AUTO-S 1:1.4 f=50mm (early) - FUJINON 1:1.4/50 FUIJI PHOTO FILM CO. (metal focus ring) - UV TOPCOR 1:2 f=50mm TOKYO KOGAKU - RE GN TOPCOR M 1:1.4 f=50mm TOKYO KOGAKU Taken with Canon T2i (550D) with Canon EF 20mm f/2.8 lens. ISO 100, f/8, 0.3 sec During the shot, the level of gamma radiation measured at the camera (about 0.5 meter above the lenses) was about 4-5x normal background, as measured with a Ludlum 44-2 NaI scintillation probe. One meter away, the level dropped to about 2x normal. (Ludlum 2221 settings: HV=775V, threshold(LLD)=10mV, background about 1900 CPM). . . ============================== Measurements (informal, unscientific) ============================== . . -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Surface (near contact) readings with geiger counter . . -------------------------------------------------------------------- These are the typical readings where the Geiger Mueller tube is pressed up as close to the front or rear glass as possible. Ludlum Model 2221 Scaler/ratemeter, with Ludlum 44-9 Pancake GM probe Settings: High Voltage = 900V, Threshold (LLD) = 55mV The 4 readings on each row are "F=r1/r2 R=r3/r4 CPM [x%]" - r1 = close to front - r2 = close to front with plastic cap (little/no alpha, some beta, most gamma) - r3 = close to rear - r4 = close to rear with plastic cap (little/no alpha, some beta, most gamma) - x% = Max(r1,r3)-background / same value for Pentax 50/1.4 S-M-C Takumar Lens caps off, focus at infinity, aperture fully open (may not affect some lenses) Each reading was a 10 minute average. Plastic cap off - background level was about 28CPM (26-30) - from 2x10 min averages. Plastic cap on - background level was about 27CPM (25-29) - from 4x10 min averages. Lens: F=r1/r2 R=r3/r4 CPM Readings ------------------------------------------ Slightly radioactive lenses: (not in group shot -- low radioactivity) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nikon Micro-Nikkor AI-S 200mm f/4: (not in group shot -- too tall, would be fuzzy) F=92/53 R=28/29 CPM [0.2%] Canon FL 28mm f/3.5: F=34/34 R=102/65 CPM [0.3%] Canon EF 135mm f/2 L: F=167/74 R=28/32 CPM [0.5%] Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L: F=170/69 R=27/26 CPM [0.5%] Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L: F=170/72 R=29/27 CPM [0.5%] . Radioactive lenses (presumably with thorium): - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pentax S-M-C Takumar 20mm f/4.5: (not in picture) F=60/59 R=705/456 CPM [3%] Olympus Zuiko MC Macro 20mm f/3.5: (not in group shot -- too small, no lenscap) F=818/342 R=37/33 CPM [3%] Pentax S-M-C Macro Takumar 50mm f/4: (not in picture) F=1034/371 R=1754/667 CPM [6%] Canon FD 35mm f/2 (concave): F=524/473 R=1422/1061 CPM [5%] Topcon UV Topcor 50mm f/2: F=212/190 R=1427/933 CPM [5%] Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm f/1.4: F=54/47 R=2715/1157 CPM [10%] Canon FL 58mm f/1.2: F=481/449 R=3074/2321 CPM [11%] Nikon Nikkor-N 35mm f/1.4: (not in picture) F=1697/1544 R=3051/2395 [11%] Yashica Auto Yashinon-DS 50mm f/1.7: F=525/466 R=3434/2474 CPM [13%] Topcon RE GN Topcor 50mm f/1.4: F=623/591 R=4483/3278 CPM [17%] Steinheil Auto-Quinon 55mm f/1.9 KE mount (chrome, black arm): F=6542/2661 R=184/165 CPM [24%] Canon Lens FD 17mm f/4: F=126/96 R=8957/3635 CPM [33%] Olympus G.Zuiko 50mm f/1.4: F=12238/5397 R=201/191 CPM [46%] Canon FL 50mm f/1.8: F=95/85 R=14116/5346 CPM [53%] {Super Canomatic R 50mm f/1.8 is about the same} Pentax S-M-C Takumar 55mm f/1.8: F=194/169 R=17251/7028 CPM [64%] Leica Collapsible Summicron 50mm f/2 (M39): F=17769/7597 R=863/668 CPM [66%] Pentax S-M-C Takumar 35mm f/2 (49mm filter): F=738/641 R=18663/8336 CPM [70%] CZJ Pancolar 50mm f/1.8 (zebra) F=18670/7996 R=19313/7869 CPM [72%] Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4: F=132/129 R=22937/7565 CPM [85%] AUTO mamiya/sekor 55mm f/1.4 (M42, chrome+black, flat rear glass) F=2500/2008 R=26078/8430 CPM [97%] Pentax S-M-C Takumar 50mm f/1.4: F=858/778 R=26838/12512 CPM [100%] Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C. Aspherical: F=33251/16713 R=6226/4725 CPM [124%] Fujica Fujinon 50mm f/1.4 (old style): F=26115/13222 R=35197/16306 CPM [131%] Konica Hexanon AR EE 57mm f/1.2 (green EE): F=40328/17606 R=28597/10412 CPM [150%] . . . ======================================== . --------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Gamma counts 100mm away from side of lens . --------------------------------------------------------------- These readings should give a better indication of how much exposure you'd get farther away from the lens. Ludlum Model 2221 Scaler/Ratemeter, with Ludlum 44-10 "high energy" gamma scintillation probe (2" x 2" NaI) Settings: High Voltage = 850V (middle of 500v-1200v range), Threshold (discriminator) = 10mV. These settings gave a background reading of about 4400 CPM, which is near the minimum that this probe is supposed to read for the background. I wonder if the NaI crystal is degraded? Method: The probe was placed horizontally on a table, with a small amount of lead shielding near the crystal. This reduced the background reading to about 1500cpm. The lens being measured was placed with the "hotter" end (front or back) downward, at the same level as the bottom of the probe. The lens was wide open (if possible), focused at infinity (if possible), and had both front and rear caps on (correct caps, when available). A 10 minute run with the 2221 scaler was done, and compared to 10 minute runs with no lens (background). In the table, the "xxx CPM", value is xxx = (C-B)/10, where C is the 10-minute count 100mm away from the lens, and B is the 10-minute (shielded) background count. The "[ppp%] is the xxx value for this lens compared to the xxx value for the 50mm f/1.4 S-M-C Takumar, computed as a percent. . Lens: xxx CPM [ppp%] ------------------------------------------------- Olympus Zuiko MC Macro 20mm f/3.5: 132 CPM [0.5%] Yashica Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm f/1.4: 1043 CPM [4%] Pentax S-M-C Macro Takumar 50mm f/4: 1410 CPM [6%] Pentax S-M-C Takumar 20mm f/4.5: 1447 CPM [6%] Canon Super-Canomatic R 50mm f/1.8: 2292 CPM [9%] Canon FL 50mm f/1.8: 2393 CPM [10%] Canon Lens FD 17mm f/4: 3129 CPM [13%] Steinheil Auto-Quinon 55mm f/1.9 KE mount (chrome, black arm): 3774 CPM [15%] Topcon UV Topcor 50mm f/2: 4146 CPM [17%] Pentax S-M-C Takumar 55mm f/1.8: 4790 CPM [20%] Olympus G.Zuiko 50mm f/1.4: 5042 CPM [21%] Auto Rikenon 55mm f/1.4: 5750 CPM [24%] Leica Collapsible Summicron 50mm f/2 (M39): 7576 CPM [31%] Minolta MC W.Rokkor - SI 28mm f/2.5: 11241 CPM [46%] Yashica Auto Yashinon-DS 50mm f/1.7: 12018 CPM [49%] Canon FD 35mm f/2 (concave): 14463 CPM [59%] Topcon RE GN Topcor 50mm f/1.4: 19108 CPM [78%] Canon FL 58mm f/1.2: 19290 CPM [79%] Canon Super-Canomatic R 58mm f/1.2: 19328 CPM [79%] Pentax S-M-C Takumar 35mm f/2 (49mm filter): 20087 CPM [82%] AUTO mamiya/sekor 55mm f/1.4 (M42, chrome+black, flat rear glass) 21251 CPM [87%] CJZ Pancolar 50mm f/1.8 (zebra): 23849 CPM [98%] Pentax S-M-C Takumar 50mm f/1.4: 24350 CPM [100%] Nikon 35mm f/1.4 NIKKOR-N: 30571 [126%] Konica Hexanon AR EE 57mm f/1.2 (green EE): 30656 CPM [126%] Fujica Fujinon 50mm f/1.4 (old style): 36486 CPM [150%] Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C. Aspherical: 46532 CPM [191%] Note: There is no detectable gamma radiation coming out from four of the lenses marked "slightly radioactive" in the first section, so they do not appear in this section. http://flic.kr/p/bn5vbY

#IFTTT #Flickr

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male-emporium · 8 years

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3 Frequently Asked Photography Questions, Answered

Some of the most frequently asked questions we get emailed about are around cameras. As photographers, we shoot every single day, so we’ve acquired quite the amount of gear and learned a lot along the way. Thomas initially picked up photography to help me with the blog back when we started in 2011, but since then, we’ve both fallen in love with it. It was frustrating at first, but with any new skill, it takes a lot of time and practice. Not a day goes by when we don’t shoot something, whether it’s for work or play. Here we’re sharing our three most frequently asked questions that range from what cameras we use to how we edit.

What kind of cameras and lenses do you use? When do you use each?

We have two types of cameras that we use 95% of the time- a Leica MP 240 and a Sony RXRII. The Leica MP 240 is a manual focus rangefinder camera, which is what we use for all of our outfit shots and many of our travel photos. We use these because we believe that the Leica M cameras give our images a special feel. We have two camera bodies and 4 different lenses. Most of our shots are shot on our Leica 35mm f/1.4 lens, which is an incredible lens that is extremely versatile for everything we shoot. Our next most used lens is our new Leica 28mm f/1.4, which is great for landscapes. We have two different 50mm lenses that we use for different purposes. Our Leica 50mm f/2.0 APO we use for closer portraits, product shots, architecture shots and some landscapes. Our Leica 50mm f/0.95 is a specialty lens with a super wide aperture, that means that it’s specially tailored for low light photography and it has an extremely narrow depth of field. We use this lens at night and when we want a very blurry background.

For flatlays, details shots and some travel shots, I shoot on a Sony RXRII, which is a professional level point and shoot. This is a great camera which actually uses the same sensor as the popular Sony a7RII. The 35mm f/2.0 lens is great for all picture types. And having a point and shoot means I can fit it in my purse and it’s much easier to use compared to the Leicas.

I’m also taking more and more photos just on my iPhone, including all of the Daily Look pictures. The quality of the images just keep getting better, there’s no easier camera to use and I always have it on me.

How do you edit your photos for the blog and for Instagram?

I edit all of my blog photos on my computer using Lightroom. I use mostly VSCO pre-sets for Lightroom and I’ve been using Kodak Portra 400 VC- most lately. After adding the film preset, the images don’t need much tweaking because it’s always our goal to capture the best possible image in camera. I’ll make slight adjustments to Exposure, Highlights and Shadows to get the light just right. I’ll up the Black just a bit to give it an extra pop. As far as color, I’ll balance out the Tint more towards the pink, our camera normally has a slight green tint anyways so this counteracts it. White Balance is normally pretty accurate, but I often make a slight adjustment depending on whether I think the photo should be warmer (more orange/yellow) or cooler (more blue). Depending on the scene, I often bump up Vibrance just a bit. If the photo needs it, I’ll rotate it. Sometimes I’ll edit an Instagram photo in Lightroom vs VSCO if I’m pulling the image from my camera rather than my iPhone.

For Instagram, I edit all of my photos using the VSCO app. I use about 3-4 different filters (my favorites include A5, A6, E5 and T3), that all cohesively pair well together, so the photos flow when they’re laying next to each other. I really don’t spend much time editing, sometimes I’ll adjust the exposure, up the contrast, add some saturation or bring the pink hues out in the tint. I love the app Planoly to help layout my feed so I can see what will make the most sense for the next image I’m posting.

What camera would you recommend for under $1000? Under $2000? Over $2000?

The first thing worth mentioning is that buying a new camera or major piece of equipment isn’t always the solution for you to improve your photography. In our opinion, you should look to upgrade camera gear only once you feel like you’ve hit the absolute limits of your equipment. Another note is that you should try renting gear before buying, we’ve made lots of mistakes in the past, so this year we decided to use Parachut, which is a monthly subscription camera rental service which lets us swap gear for a special project or if we are considering purchasing a new lens or body. This is not sponsored at all, Thomas actually found an article about them and was probably one of the first people to sign up for it because he loves testing out new gear before committing.

With that being said, we often tell people to get the newest iPhone if their budget is under $1000. The cameras on these phones just keep getting better and better and you’ll always have your phone on you. The larger iPhone 7+ has two lenses with one being a telephoto that’s great for those things a bit further away. If you are willing to spend over $1500 the Sony a7II and the Fujifilm Xt2 come highly recommended. If you are looking for a professional level camera and have a budget over $2000 we’d be happy to provide further advice, feel free to email us at [email protected].

Outfit Details over here.

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repwinpril9y0a1 · 8 years

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Fujifilm X-Pro2 vs Leica M: Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery?

I am one of the lucky few to have grown up with Leica. It is weird to critically think about the irrational purchase of such an expensive camera as new digital models are released, but if you grew up with a Leica in your life it is very hard to let go of the brand.

For some, Leica is a status symbol like a Ferrari or Rolex, only to be admired from afar, but it is my belief that this is the result of very misguided marketing. The only way a Leica is like a Ferrari is that most owners won’t learn to fully utilize them and the only Leica’s that can claim to be Rolex-like are older Leica’s like the M3 because, beyond the rangefinder and dials, modern M’s are not very mechanical.

So, how does the Fujifilm X-Pro2 fit? If you saw the pictures I published, you can clearly see how similar, almost identical, the cameras are in design. The Fujifilm has a lot more bells and whistles for a fraction of the price, and a photographer can choose to limit their use if they like to have a very Leica M-like shooting experience. They only feel ever so slightly different due to the materials used to build them.

Fujifilm

Beyond 35mm Fujifilm film I never paid much attention to Fujifilm as a company, until the original Fujifilm X-Pro1; which I quickly preordered along with the launch line-up of lenses, because it reminded me of my Leica M. It was an excellent, but flawed, camera at the time and it made me yearn for a better digital M.

Today the M is somewhat unique. Leica never had any competition that succeeded, until the X-Pro1 came along. It was the first great rangefinder-style camera with great glass and a good modern sensor that provided a unique look, which is something people love about Leica.

Many loved the X-Pro1, but abandoned it for Fujifilm’s rapidly developing X camera line-up, which included a lot of great rangefinder-like cameras before the X-Pro2’s release. Yet, along the way, Fujifilm continued to support all of their cameras with firmware updates that drastically improved performance in some cases; even though many X-Pro1 owners never got to see the improvements, which Fujifilm is now notorious for. The X-Pro1 certainly attracted a lot of Leica fans like me, and built a loyal following for Fujifilm, but many lapsed fans wonder how the X-Pro2 compares to the M.

Introducing the Fujifilm X-Pro2

The Fujifilm X-Pro2 launch went much smoother than the X-Pro1 launch. The camera was fast and RAW support was very good on day one, but some experienced a minor reset bug that Fujifilm addressed relatively quickly via a firmware update. The X-Pro2 was many orders of magnitude better than the X-Pro1 it replaced, and additional manual controls were added like the ISO dial that completed the retro Leica-like feel of the camera. Yet, unlike retro cameras, the X-Pro2 does not have any functional limitations. The still unique hybrid viewfinder makes the X-Pro2 a jack of all trades and puts it in a class of its own.

The Viewfinder/Hybrid-Viewfinder

The Leica rangefinder window is widely regarded for its clarity and brightness compared to other optical finders, but the new X-Pro2 viewfinder is equally as good, and even surpasses it, because it allows the photographer to adjust the finder’s magnification. The X-Pro2 can switch between 0.36x/0.6x OVF magnification by holding the viewfinder lever on the front of the camera and Fujifilm can even improve the accuracy of their frame lines with firmware updates, which they have done in the past. When switching to EVF the magnification is fixed at 0.59x with a frame rate of 85fps that does not drop in low light with only 0.012 seconds of lag and 2.36 million dots, but the focal point can be magnified by 6x.

On the other hand, the Leica M240 is limited to 0.68x, which can be improved with a screw on magnifier. I currently use a Leica 1.25x magnifier on mine that improves my magnification to 0.85x. For reference, the gold standard is often considered the Leica M3 which had 0.91x magnification. There are also 0.7x, 1.4x, and 1.5x magnifiers widely available along with some off brand adjustable ones. On the M240 these magnifiers give photographers 0.48x, 0.95x, and 1.02x. I did not purchase the 1.4x or 1.5x magnifiers because I felt they limited the lenses I could attach to my M240 too much. I generally shoot 50mm, but I like shooting 35mm and 28mm, which cannot be done well with strong magnifiers because the frame lines become obscured.

When manually focusing a lens with a focal length of 10-75mm, the Leica viewfinder probably has an edge over other methods, but beyond 75mm, the Fujifilm EVF gains the advantage over the Leica because the EVF can be zoomed 6x. Leica also has an optional EVF that can be purchased and zoomed like live view on the back screen, but most users will never opt for it because of its low resolution and price, but it zooms to 10x.

Thanks to the ability to autofocus, photographer have the ability to have an expanded rangefinder-type experience when setting the X-Pro2’s magnification to 0.36x. This allows them too see more of the world around them, or they can choose to use a more traditional 0.60x magnification with tighter frame lines. It is a very unique rangefinder-style experience that allows photographers to be uniquely creative. Some have even used the OVF with the 100-400mm, even though it is way beyond the limitations of the frame lines that the OVF can produce. They simply point the lens and get center point focus confirmation to shoot.

X-Mount vs M-Mount

X-mount will be 5 years old soon, and Fujifilm has had some luck getting other manufactures to produce lenses for them but, beyond a few Zeiss AF lenses, most are manual focus. There are also a lot of adapters on the market that let photographers use glass from almost any manufacturer, but AF adapters for X-mount have not really materialized yet.

M-mount became a pretty standard mount after screw mount, so a lot of quality glass is available with rangefinder coupling; but prices can be very high. There are even adapters for old screw mount lenses to use on a modern rangefinder cameras, so there is a ton of quality glass for M-mount. Plus, 3rd party lenses can now be adapted for M-mount just like on X-mount, but you have to use the rear screen in live view mode or the optional low resolution EVF to focus and frame.

There is a lot of quality glass for everyone at every price point but, if you can afford a Leica, chances are that money does not matter very much. M glass is highly adaptable so it is a great investment if you are not sure which mirrorless system you are going to stick with going forward.

The Glass

Leica glass is widely regarded as second to none. It is the kind of statement that no one ever challenges because it is just about always true and, even when it is not, the glass is good enough and no one would question the remark without having two completely identical shots with different lenses to compare.

Leica has a few lenses that I consider to be less desirable, but they are still better than 95% of the lenses available, even though they are less desirable to me. They do manage to offer other benefits, like being significantly smaller in design than similar glass, but I generally do not care about lens size unless it is obnoxiously big. So, the 5% of glass that photographers could make a solid argument for being better will almost always weigh significantly more and be significantly bigger. I am not going to name lens names because it will detract from the larger point, but note that I have only kept Leica glass that I consider to be second to none, because photography equipment selling at Leica prices should be second to none.

Leica’s 50mm Summilux f1.4 ASPH is an all-around amazing lens and it has been since its introduction. Basically, if it is 50mm and it is a Leica, photographers are probably not going to be disappointed unless someone sold them a knock off or damaged lens. In my opinion, the Leica Look has always been best represented by the 50mm Summilux, and it is why I spent over a year trying to get a new one when they were hard to find after the M9‘s introduction. It is simply sublime. I also really loved the Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH for a while, along with the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 (V1/2) (I owned both) and Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon T* ZM. There is a lot of superb glass for the M, but I highly recommend that photographers new to Leica limit their selection so they can develop their ability to frame a picture in their head before putting camera to eye. Getting quick with the M is generally closely tied to seeing the world through a fixed focal length.

You can buy a professional Fujifilm setup for the price of one high-end Leica lens. Let that sink in… At this time, I own almost all of Fujifilm’s glass. Even their Japanese toy lenses are a joy to shoot with. I regularly shoot with most of my lenses, but carrying around the big zooms like the Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR can be a bit difficult when most of your camera bags are meant for M cameras. Fujifilm has great glass that has lots of character. They are also introducing a lot of weather resistant lenses and more small primes that are easy to carry around. Many of their lenses are the best or very close to the best at their focal length, and they are cheaper than the competition. Lenses like the Fujinon XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR, XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR, XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS, XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR are all phenomenal. Even the Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 XF R from the launch of the X system has great character, but it really needs to be updated to focus more like the XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR.

Fujifilm has a lot of great glass and all they really need now is long telephoto glass to round out their system, which is not really what the X-Pro2 is for, but it can do it because it is a Jack of all trades. Some of their older glass could also use revision, because AF speed is very much limited by the lens attached to your Fujifilm body and it will only get worse as newer glass is released. Fujifilm aggressively releases firmware updates for their cameras and lenses for speed and accuracy, but now it is time to start updating lenses.

Considering the quality of Leica glass, most would think they should win this section, but since everything that works on an M can be adapted to an X-Pro2, and the X-Pro2 has a lot of its own great glass that cannot be adapted to the M, the X-Pro2 is the better system for glass. There is just so much to choose from at every price point and beyond the few stinkers like the Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R, which some people still like, Fujifilm has a very solid line-up.

The Sensor

This is not a fair comparison because the M240 was introduced at the end of 2012, while the X-Pro2 came out at the beginning of 2016. They both have a base ISO of 200, but the Fujifilm is very usable up to 12,800, while the M240 falls apart around 3200 ISO.

The M240 does MJPEG for video at 1080p24, which is decent quality, and has the Leica look, but the Fujifilm X-Pro2 uses mp4 to capture up to 1080p60 with film simulation applied. The ability to apply film simulation really propels the X-Pro2 out in front because it gives the video a very unique look that would be hard for most users to match in post.

The Leica M240 does retain the Leica look at times, but not as often as the M9 did, which made the M240 a controversial camera. The transition to a CMOS sensor in the M disappointed a lot of M fans, but there is no going back because CCD development has stalled outside of medium format cameras. Many photographers believe they can look at a photo and tell if it was taken with a Leica, or even an M9/M240, but they generally fail when tested. There is a quality to a Leica photo that is hard to describe beyond it being something about the micro contrast that pops out, but images on the M240 are just not like they used to be on film Leicas or M9s, and when images do pop on the M240 it is not as often as it used to be on an M9.

Similarly, the Fujifilm X-Pro2 has Fuji colors through and through, which people seem to love or hate. I like them quite a bit and the x-trans color profile is pleasant to me, especially with the ability to emulate Fujifilm films color profile in Lightroom with RAW files. So, Fujifilm wins the sensor battle easily because it produces a consistent image quality that the photographer is looking for.

File Quality

File quality is not important to everyone, but it is something Leica has always gotten right. DNG is the way to go for RAW files. It ensures that files can be opened easily, and that there is no wait for RAW support. I cannot remember the last time Leica launched a camera without full RAW support from the major editors, which probably is in part because, unlike Fujifilm, they use an easy to work with RAW format.

Fujifilm’s RAF format has never been well supported and it is only recently that they have managed to gain day one support from major RAW editing companies like Adobe. Their format has matured quite a bit, but the algorithm that companies like Adobe use to interpret the X-trans files can be flaky at times, which is why many photographers pick RAW developers like Iridient Developer, which will soon release an app that turns RAF files into more compatible/higher quality DNG files for Lightroom.

Both create compressed RAW files about the same size, 23-30MB, but the M240 can only recover around 2-3 stops at best, while the X-Pro2 can recover 4-5 stops. The amazing ability to push and pull XPro2 files that far comes from the sensor being ISO invariant. There is a lot of discussion about ISO invariant sensors you can read and debate about, but the XPro2 files are a lot more flexible than the M240 files, especially as the ISO goes up and the M240 starts to show banding.

The Body

The Leica M is famous for being made from brass (weighing 680g), but now there are some aluminum variants being released that are trying to reduce its weight a little. Generally speaking, I like that they are putting the M on a diet, but I think they could have picked a better metal for the price, like titanium. Aluminum is cheaper, but stronger than brass, and the M’s made with aluminum are not cheaper.

Starting with the M240, Leica began advertising weather sealing, but it was vague at best, and Leica has not released any weather sealed glass for the M or confirmed that any of their current glass is sealed. The M has never had dual card slots, which is an issue for many. The SD card/battery is not very easy to get to because the bottom needs to be unscrewed to access them, which can be difficult to grasp; but this is not a problem if you trust a large SD card with the battery, which can last all day. This is just part of the Leica charm and your trust that your camera will work, but SD cards can and do fail.

If you have seen pictures of my camera before, I have a lot of accessories on it. I like having a thumbs up on my M to help with stability at low shutter speeds, and I only use the handgrip for GPS because I like geotagging my photos. I really do not like the plastic grip, but the finger loop is nice. I also use a magnifier to get critical focus faster and more accurately at f1.4, f1.2 and f0.95. I like the feel of the M240, but the M9 was superior, and now older film M cameras feel a little too small for me. I have been shooting digital M’s back to back since the M8, so I am done with film. There is no simpler camera and, even though the M240 has added video and more over the M9, it still comes down to aperture/ISO/shutter speed.

The Fujifilm X-Pro2 is a classic looking camera with a modern build. It is made of four pieces of magnesium alloy (weighing 495g) that are sealed at 61 points on each section. This makes it “dust-proof, splash-proof and capable of operating in temperatures as low as -10°C.” Outside of the original marketing material’s, they call it weather resistant, not weather proof, so photographers just have to trust Fujifilm about how reliable their seals are; but I have read stories of people having problems with rain and Fujifilm covering the damage under warranty, so if you purchase an X-Pro2 make sure to purchase a camera with a warranty..

from DIYS http://ift.tt/2kJGJRU

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