LEICA M11 Monochrom REVIEW - What You Need To Know

[@GastonShutters]

Do we really need a black and white sensor? What's your take on this matter. Would love to hear your opinion👇

[@rolandrickphotography]

Thanks for the amazing review. Q: may we have a link to download the image you’re editing at 8:30 to follow along? Don’t have one yet myself. I’m doing a lot of film on my M6 NonTTL from 1986. Hint, use a red, orange or yellow filter for more sky contrast sooc. Red most, orange medium, yellow subtle effect. I am super tempted to do my edit of that image and generously use the clarity slider and a few masks more 😅

[@thatRyzzle]

This is a very helpful video! The key phrase, to me, is, “It's for B&W lovers who LOVE the editing process,” which isn't me at all. I love B&W, but I hate editing with a passion. This video has actually helped me with my gear acquisition syndrome with regards to the M11-M. I've been day-dreaming about this camera a lot lately. But having heard that key phrase, the camera has become a lot less interesting to me. So, thank you very much!

[@GastonShutters]

The JPGs though don’t require much editing especially the High contrast Monochrom

[@cyrilcornetphoto]

Great video which greatly helps me in my future decision to acquire an M11M ! I have been the happy owner of the M11 since its release and which I use professionally with my SL2S as a complement. My style of photography is architecture, construction site monitoring, events, and sometimes portraits. My favorite: black and white since I was a teenager. And I regularly process my images in black and white whether for my pleasure, sometimes exhibitions, or for clients. I had the chance to test the M11M for 15 days last summer. It was a new world opening up to me. A new way of working and capturing a monochrome world from start to finish. In short... since then I have only thought about that! But my reason tells me "your M11 can continue to process in black and white"... My heart and part of my reason tells me "But the M11M will offer you the world in monochrome instantly with all the advantages that the we know Monochrome from Leica"... My question is this : is it interesting, useful, differentiating, to work with an M11 and an M11M to optimize your workflow and allow you to have an optimum rendering of your images with each of them...

[@GastonShutters]

I love my Monochrom. The re seeing is completely different than a color sensor. Also Monochrome sensors have a different look. Once of three things you notice is the sharpness, high iso performance and endless dynamic range.

[@DamienOnTheGo]

I'm just curious. It's been 10 mos since your comment. How are you liking the M11M? I have the Q3 for color and will be adding the M11M next month.

[@vampolascott36]

I've learned that the best b&w images go through the range from inky black shadow to white. Pulling out shadows is fine unless it makes the entire image gray. An all-gray image looks like poop. When I got my M10M, I was excited about its performance. Now, I just use the M10M like any other camera, but I pay more attention to light and exposure. I use live view sometimes to get a better idea what it will look like. I also shoot more in manual mode instead of aperture priority. This helps me get the right exposure directly from the camera, so I don't need extreme Lightroom manipulation to save the shot.

[@GastonShutters]

Thank you for the input. Exposing right from the get go is always the best way to get a great image.

[@stewartlogie]

I making enjoy black and white images, but being able to balance the color channels is a big part of the editing choice for me. Having a monochrome camera is having spectral response baked into the $9500 device. That's a huge $ commitment compared, for example, to choosing a particular roll of black and white film. I have used a Leica Q2M for a few days' project and it was enormous fun, but I also noticed that some of my software wouldn't handle the monochrome DNG files. DXO Photolab doesn't support it and Lightroom's Enhance doesn't as yet do raw details or denoise on the files. Maybe you could argue that it's not necessary.

[@GastonShutters]

Thank you for your comment. Good points. This camera is tons of fun to shoot with and the fact that you are limited to black and white it makes you think different regarding your approach because of what you said: No color channels to tweak or HSL. Expensive nonetheless.

[@dandipalma8687]

Enlightening presentation. I have been shooting with negative 2/3 exposure compensation, center weighted to protect highlights. Do I need to continue this exposure compensation if I set "Highlight Weighted" Please, more about M-11 mono. Love mine. Thank you. Dan

[@GastonShutters]

It’s a beautiful and powerful camera. Check out my latest video where I share a lot of images taking with the Summilux 50 f1.2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/in2vZJ-XrrGtnZY

[@robertjureit2574]

I have the M10M and M10R, I use the Mono much more than the M10R. I am 69 years old and started with B and W. had a Hasselblad. 500cm, shot only B and W. back in the 1970s an 80s.they was just something about, shooting, developing and printing all on your own, back then. now we just use a computer instead, and a Great printer also helps. also, most people don't understand, shooting B and W, and the use of filters and there effects. making those changes in POST,does NOT have the same effect. my 2 cents.

[@GastonShutters]

Thanks for your epic feedback man. And welcome to the channel

[@ABarrera]

The M11 Mono is incredible! Great video 👏🏼

[@GastonShutters]

Yeah I enjoy it a lot and carry it very often. Thanks for watching Alex.

[@antonedvinsson2500]

I’d love to see more monochrome dng-editing like this. Use Q2M myself and havent, yet, found a good editing consistency.

[@GastonShutters]

We’ll be making more videos. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss them. Thank you for watching

[@MB-or8js]

Still using M 240 and MM 246 cameras successfully. I normally don't need high ISO in my photography. I am using my MM 246 to complement my Leica film camera especially since film prices started skyrocketing. Still shooting B&W film but more selectively now. For me a monochrome camera is simply an efficient tool to visualize in B&W similar to B&W film.

[@GastonShutters]

Thanks for sharing your feedback with us

[@RobertLeeAtYT]

I don't think a monochrome sensor is worthwhile. Yes, all you've said about increased sensitivity and resolution is true. However, having three color channels available means much more freedom for color filtration in post. A large part of B&W photography is about tonality control, for being able to map the scene tones to where you want them to be on the print. With a monochrome sensor, either you give that up or you make that decision earlier than necessary by using filters on the optics. With a color sensor, essentially you've three images captured with R, G and B filters applied concurrently. This lets you mix and match filtration to match your vision on even the same image, e.g., red filter to darken the sky, blue filter on the old woman in scene to emphasize wrinkles. Yes, the Bayer interpolation decreases spatial resolution somewhat. However, you've more than enough to go around with 61MP on that camera. Keep in mind that film capture for an equivalent M6 would only give you at most ~18MP.

[@GastonShutters]

Thank you for your input

[@tylor7978]

Greeting sir, do you encounter any orange light issues or froze during a shoot?

[@GastonShutters]

Not with latest firmware.

[@garymc8956]

Just got my M11M to accompany my M11 and can support all the points here. But I’m learning the real difference in shooting and processing mono. There are differences that must be utilized in order to justify this move.

[@GastonShutters]

First of, welcome to the channel and thank you for your input. I have to admit that the M11M made me discover new ways to compose and edit. What I mean is that with color we take some times a lot of the important factors in a composition whereas with BW it takes additional creativity to get an interesting image. When it comes to editing I've learned new tricks since we don't have color channels and to be honest with you, I've never relied on them but the fact that you get so much DR with a monochrome sensor is good enough reason for me to own this camera as I cannot pull off the same dramatic effect (for example in clouds) that I can with my M11 Color or any of my other cameras. Night photography with a monochrome sensor is also unreal, something that a color sensor wouldn't be able to resolve in certain drastic situations. Ensure to sub as I have more M11M content scheduled.

[@illicit008]

You can't ever justify this move Gary, you just can't. Don't even try.

[@papalovesguitars3337]

Great video

[@GastonShutters]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@caffeinatedcameras]

Finally got to try my first M. Was the monochrome. I really like the idea of it, however, not a fan of that shutter.

[@GastonShutters]

Welcome to the channel. What's the part of the shutter that you don't like? The lack of snappy sound?

[@Leicashootr]

I noticed that the color conversion into black and white photographers who doesn’t use a dedicated Black&White sensor camera, do not know exactly where they talking about because they never had used an achromatic sensor camera before .

[@GastonShutters]

The richness and DR or a Monochrom sensor is hard to replicate. I find it super easy to get an image looking great

[@michelecintramika8482]

Black and white sensor is for a small group with each other. Because in real life, most post cell phone photos, apply filters and post on Instagram and other social networks. No one is imposed if the sensor is monochrome. Using a Leica M Monochrom or Pentax K3 Monochrom is only a personal satisfaction for the owner than an advantage in practice. Because nowadays modern camera sensors already deliver incredible qualities in high ISOs; Dynamic range, etc. The only advantage of a monochrome sensor is for star photographs. Every sensor is originally black and white. So, just buy a Sony A7RV, take it to specialized assistance and remove the color matrix. And it will have a monochrome sensor. And for those who don't have money, just buy a cheap camera and remove the color matrix.

[@GastonShutters]

A monochrome camera is not needed for black and white. You do have more control of your values with color channel info. It’s just a secondary camera to spice things up. And be constrain purposely to get more creative I guess

[@michelecintramika8482]

@@GastonShutters Your point is impeccable. I agree with you.

[@GastonShutters]

😍

[@Phantom_gtx]

great

[@GastonShutters]

Glad you enjoyed it