UNDERSTANDING your CAMERA SENSOR | LEICA M10-R Dynamic Range

Watch in 4K to avoid color banding etc. due to video compression!
The video shows a simple sequence of steps to analyze and understand the dynamic range and noise behavior of your camera sensor.
I explain the procedure by means of the new Leica M10-R.
Post-processing is done in Capture One 20.
See also my other Leica M10-R videos on my channel:
The Leica M10-R can see in the dark:
• The new LEICA M10 R se...
Leica M10-R versus Leica M10-P:
• NEW LEICA M10-R vs M10...
Leica M10-R first hands-on:
• NEW LEICA M10-R - The ...

[@tjmanou6422]

Thank you. I got M10-R and tested myself. Very impressive results as noted.

[@blakeleica]

You talked me into the M10R and I love it! Thanks for all your great videos and I would love to see more of your photography if it is online anywhere!

[@GermanAutoNut]

The background noise made me think that it was thundering outside where I am! 🤣 Great video (again)!

[@mathphotographer]

Thanks :)

[@daveandrews6384]

Fantastic Video. I'd love for you to compare the Leica M10R with the Hassleblad X1D in regards to the sensors dynamic range. Could you do this?

[@fraserhalscheid7777]

Another great video Matt. I think you are doing the best videos on Leica kit on KZbin right now. I don’t think I want his camera as I recently picked up the M10mono and regularly shoot M10P and M9P but learned a ton from your video. Keep up the great work.

[@mathphotographer]

Thank you.

[@thedimtenuk]

Interesting results. Did you switch off the noise reduction of capture one for the test? Thanks!

[@jesperrohde5722]

Hi Mathias, Thanks for your video! I like and prefer your style. Other providers talk a lot and say too little😬 In your video I notised a difference between what you said and what Capture 1 indicates. I’m takling about the Aperture. Seems like there is one stop difference between what you say and what C1 indicates. Wonder what Aperture is the right one? I got the M10-R 2 weeks ago and tried shooting at 25.000 iso while I visited Wetzlar (I got the M10-R from the factory shop). My conclusion based on this experiment is that I will never use ISO 25.000 again. Perhaps I could repeat the experiment later on in case new firmware improves noise level and colour rendering. Let me hear your view on this. Kind regards from Copenhagen Jesper

[@mathphotographer]

Hi Jesper, I think the native range on M cameras you should go for is up to 6'400. Everything beyond 6'400 ISO will have more noise and reduce quality, even if you are an experienced post-processing person. On aperture in meta data for M cameras: there is no electronic contact between M lenses and M bodies, means, the aperture info you will see in metadata is very likely not the truly chosen aperture since the M body can only do an educated guess for the f-value. The only information the camera body receives from the lens (M system) is from a 6 bit optical sensor which you can see on the lens if you take a closer look. But this transports infos like lens type etc. into the camera body (and into metadata) but not the aperture information.

[@martinkoziel9654]

Thank you @mathphotographer - BTW is that a magnifier on the viewfinder you have attached on the M10-R

[@colinosullivan930]

Thanks for the video Matt. Been enjoying your videos recently since finding your channel.

[@mathphotographer]

Thanks!

[@jeffreytotaro7051]

Another great video! I would be curious if you could test the native ISO of the M10Mono. I have read from Sean Reid that he thinks the native ISO of the Mono sensor is not the lowest setting, but more likely 400 or 640. He suggests that the lower ISO values are actually Pulls. I am thinking of adding the M10M to my kit and I would be curious if you could test that. The idea is that you will not be able to recover as much from a missed exposure, or the highlights when you are in the pull range and that the best dynamic range/low noise ISO may be actually higher than the lowest setting.

[@mathphotographer]

Will consider, thanks.

[@CrudeOYL007]

Which sensor cleaning brand for Leica M10?

[@zedovski]

How would this differ with M10/M10P? Would be great to see a comparison

[@filibertkraxner305]

Hi, I'm running into clipping issues with my M262 at 1600 ISO (stage lighting). Noise is still acceptable. Would the M10 or M10R offer a significant improvement, or just a slight improvement? I really could do with two stops more at the same noise levels, ideally with less clipping issues. Would either of the M's deliver?

[@steveambrose1]

Hi Matt loving the channel and I bought an M10R because of this, but can you help me , when i look through the rangefinder viewfinder I can see the lens in the bottom corner , is this normal? I have the summicron 35mm F2.. it seems strange to see this lens blocking some of the frame. Your help is appreciated

[@mathphotographer]

Hi Steve, thanks for the positive feedback. It is normal with all Leica-M rangefinders that depending on the magnification of the optical viewfinder and the size of the lens you can see the lens in the bottom right-hand side corner through the viewfinder. I just tested with my M10-R and the Summicron 35/2 and have the same effect. So this is normal. Leica offers for some M-lenses where the effect is more extreme some additional optical viewfinders. Leica also offers magnifiers which you can screw into your viewfinder (eyepiece), you need to find the right one for your camera if you are interested in such a magnifier, Leica can advise here. But these magnifiers are only good for longer focal length lenses, say, 50mm and higher, because for wide-angle lenses focusing with a magnifier is more difficult and less precise. See here: leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/accessories/viewfinders/viewfinder-magnifier-m-125x . If you want to read more about viewfinder magnification have a look here: www.kenrockwell.com/leica/viewfinder-magnifications.htm I hope this helps but bottom-line is that what you see is normal and I see it as well as everyone else when using the M10-R with the Summicron 35/2.

[@klemensrasel7781]

Excellent work, you‘ve done. Stunning and very interesting results. Thanks for this Video!

[@doctorwhoish8769]

according to my test, the second 'native' ISO on M10R is actually 1600, delivering a clean image with little affect on colors and details

[@georgedemetriou1496]

Excellent presentation as always! Did you do a similar test on the sensor of the Q2 by any chance and, if so, would you say the principles of the M10R sensor test apply to that sensor too?

[@erikleypoldt8275]

Are all lenses manual focus?

[@derrickdu]

Very helpful video Matt. You put out good topics, there should be more subscribers on your channel. Question: Can you comment on Hasselblad X1DII sensor? Thanks

[@mathphotographer]

The sensor of the X1D II is according to DxO the currently best available sensor and I tend to agree with them. I will post a video on the Hasselblad 907X in the next weeks - the 907X has the same sensor as the X1D II, and the image quality is blowing me away, unbelievable!

[@Narsuitus]

Thank you for sharing your understanding of the Leica M10-R sensor up to ISO 6400. However, I was also hoping for 12500, 25000, and 50000.

[@mathphotographer]

You can easily go higher in ISO but will need some post-processing to get the grain away if you don't like grain. Having said that, grain at high ISO on Rangefinders for me looks like the natural grain you get from film roll cameras so adds to the beauty and character of the photo.

[@Narsuitus]

@@mathphotographer Thanks for the reply. Right now, I am not concerned about grain/noise. I am just trying to capture images at higher ISO settings. Right now, if I want an ISO higher than the 6400 on the ISO dial, I have to go into the ISO Set-Up in the menu and select only one ISO number from a long list of numbers and assign it to the "M-ISO" setting on the ISO dial. Is this the only way for me to select an ISO higher than 6400?

[@Peter-df1br]

Terrific video! Any chance for a similar video with the SL2 and using Capture 1 again?

[@mathphotographer]

Will consider, thx for suggesting.

[@petersmythe4080]

Is that a magnifier on the OVF? If so, where from?

[@madtom67]

Tolls Video, wie immer! Danke!

[@w.scholz9705]

Is the dynamic of the M10-R really better than that of the M10?

[@tjmanou6422]

yes, it's a new sensor technology

[@j.p.7708]

I'm about to loose thousands of dollars because of you. Excellent videos.

[@mathphotographer]

Ooops, sorry to hear :) Thanks for the nice comment!

[@Aniki91PL]

Cool! Did you try with another software? :)

[@9Biloela99]

Another great video

[@albertopaz84]

Great video, thank you for sharing this content. Congratulations!

[@heinzschick1480]

Well done!

[@mathphotographer]

Thanks!

[@Bryan-lu4du]

Appears the dynamic range is better than the SL2 which is good for sure. I would have sacrificed 7 megapixels to get the better dynamic range and ISO of the M10R over the SL2 but I realize this is a brand new sensor, if anything that gives me hope that the Q3 and SL3 will be slightly better than the M10R sensor if these trends hold.

[@aepenaloza1678]

First. Yipeee

[@ginaschmitz4755]

Leica isn't and wasn't about highest ISO range of cameras. In fact, they were falling below their optical standards and build quality when it comes to this point. Leica is about their optics and how those work in combination with this camera (workflow of photography). Nobody would ever buy those M cameras for a high ISO range, the asians are much better in this application. And not many pro's would work with an M today anyway. Its a camera for the connaisseur who have much time to focus and shoot, likes still motives and can accept all those shortcomings of an M without have any inconvenience in paying high prices for his gear. Prices are premium with this camera, ISO is not. It may have improved, but still not on the cutting edge where their optics are.

[@arkon6084]

Leica M Range finder manual focusing (accuracy) cannot make use of high resolution sensors. I do not believe that M cameras need more than 20 MP.