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Questions & Answers

Shopper : My investigation leads me to believe that there is no tethered Live View capability on this camera. Is this correct?CHADWICK M : Yes
SILVER D : What I've read leads me to believe that the maximum Bulb exposure is 60 sec. Is this correct?JULIET M : Unfortunately I don't know the answer to this question. Sorry!JOHN H : I have the first generation Leica MM - have not verified this, but the following is out of the owners manual: B SETTING / T FUNCTION In the B setting, the shutter remains open for as long as the shutter release button is held down (up to a maximum of 240s). In conjunction with the self-timer, a T function is also available: If you select the B setting and also activate the self-timer by tapping the shutter release button (see p. 180 for details), the shutter opens automatically after the selected delay time. It then remains open until you press the shutter release button a second time – you do not need to hold the button down. This enables you to largely prevent any blurring, even with long exposures, by pressing the shutter release button. In both cases, the exposure meter is disabled; after the shutter is released however the digital display in the viewfinder counts the elapsed exposure time in seconds, for guidance.MARK N : The manual says 240 seconds. B setti ng / T functi on In the B setting, the shutter remains open for as long as the shutter release button is held down (up to a maximum of 240s). In conjunction with the self-timer, a T function is also available: If you select the B setting and also activate the self-timer by tapping the shutter release button (see p. 180 for details), the shutter opens automatically after the selected delay time. It then remains open until you press the shutter release button a second time – you do not need to hold the button down. This enables you to largely prevent any blurring, even with long exposures, by pressing the shutter release button. In both cases, the exposure meter is disabled; after the shutter is released however the digital display in the viewfinder counts the elapsed exposure time in seconds, for guidance.
Shopper : Camera has IR filter can it be turned off, is does camera have IR capability?JYOTI G : The camera DOES have an IR filter and it CANNOT be " turned off"RENE S : No and no. The IR filter is there, just like in the M9, so no IR filter is needed on the lens. The camera sensor, however, is not an IR sensor.FRANK H : IR property is not strong. It cannot be turned off. You can use filter though. If you really like IR photography then M8 is a better camera for that.JOHN H : I was not aware that the camera has an IR filter, did not see that mentioned in the owner's manual or other documents that I reviewed prior to purchase. If it indeed does have a filter, I can state that there is no menu option for disabling it.

Reviews about this item

Review Summary

2012-12-17T19:00:00

Rated 4 out of 5

Expensive but awesome

I love this camera but it's a lot of money. This is the first time since I stopped shooting film that I feel like I'm not compromising the image for the freedom of shooting digital. I hate when you're charged more to get a version of a product that has less then the standard but this camera is brilliant. If you were a black and white Leica shooter and have been jumping through hoops to recreate that look then this is the camera for you.

RAFIEL G.

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Leica Leica M Monochrom Specifications

  • Camera Type

    Compact digital rangefinder system camera with a dedicated black-and-white image sensor

  • Lens mount

    Leica M bayonet with additional sensor for 6-bit coding

  • Lens System

    Leica M lenses from 16 to 135 mm

  • Image sensor

    Active area approx. 23.9 x 35.8 mm, 5212 x 3468 pixels (18 megapixels). Infrared blocking filter for invisible light with wavelengths longer than 700 nm, no low-pass filter

  • Resolution

    Optional resolution, DNG: 5212 x 3468 (18 megapixels), JPEG: 5216 x 3472 (18 megapixels), 3840 x 2592 (10 megapixels), 2592 x 1728 (4.5 megapixels), 1728 x 1152 (2 megapixels), 1280 x 864 (1 megapixel)

  • Image File Formats

    DNG (RAW), uncompressed, JPEG with quality-preserving compression

  • File Sizes

    DNG: 18 MB (compressed), 36 MB (uncompressed),
    JPEG: approx. 2-10 MB

  • Color Spaces

    sRGB hardwired

  • Storage media

    SD-cards from 2 GB, SDHC-cards up to 32 GB

  • Menu languages

    German, English, French, Spanish, Italian Japanese, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Russian

  • Exposure Metering

    Exposure metering through the lens (TTL), center-weighted at working aperture Center-weighted TTL-metering for flash with system-compatible SCA-3000/2 standard flash units

  • Metering range

    at f/1.0 / ISO 320/26° EV 1 to 21.
    The left triangular LED in the viewfinder blinks when light levels are outside the lower metering range

  • ISO Sensitivity Range

    ISO 320/26° to ISO 10000/41°, selectable in 1/3-ISO increments with aperture priority metering (A) and manual exposure settings, choice of automatic control or manual setting. ISO 160 also available as a pull-function

  • Exposure Modes

    Aperture priority (A) / Manual(M)

  • Flash Connection

    Hot shoe with center and control contacts.

  • Flash Sync

    Optional, on first or second curtain

  • Flash synchronization speed

    Metering range

  • Flash Metering

    Control by center-weighted, TTL pre-flash metering (with SCA-3501/3502 adapters or SCA-3000 standard flash units e.g. Leica SF 24D/Leica SF 58)

  • Flash metering cell

    2 silicon photodiodes with condenser lens in camera base

  • Flash exposure correction

    +/-3 1/3 EV in 1/3 EV increments, adjustable on SCA 3501/3502 adapter

    Settings in computer mode for LEICA SF 24D, +/-3 EV in 1/3 EV increments, or from 0 to -3 EV in 1 EV increments / adjustable in all modes for LEICA SF 58, +/-3 EV in 1/3 EV increments

  • Displays in flash mode

    Flash ready: constant illumination of flash symbol LED in the viewfinder, flash confirmation: Constant illumination or rapid flashing of the LED after exposure, underexposure indicated by temporarily extinguished LED

  • Viewfinder principle

    Large size, bright, combined bright-line viewfinder / rangefinder with automatic parallax compensation

  • Eyepiece

    Adjusted to -0.5 diopters Correction lenses for -3 to +3 dptr. available

  • Image field framing

    By projection of two bright-line frames with each lens attached: for 35 and 135 mm, or for 28 and 90 mm, or 50 and 75 mm. Automatically displayed when lens mount locks. Any of the pairs of bright-line frames can be displayed by moving the frame selection lever

  • Viewfinder to image correspondence

    At a focusing distance of 1 meter, the bright-line frame size corresponds precisely to that of a sensor size of 23.9 x 35.8 mm.

    At ifinity, and depending on the focal length of the lens in use, more of the sensor is covered than the bright-line frame actually shows, the opposite is the case for focusing distances of less than 1 meter, i.e. somewhat less

  • Magnification

    0.68-fold (for all lenses)

  • Long-base rangefinder

    Bright rectangular spot (RF spot) with coincident and superimposed fields in the center of the viewfinder image

  • Effective rangefinder base

    47.1 mm (mechanical rangefinder base 69.25 mm x viewfinder magnification 0.68x)

  • Viewfinder displays

    LED-Symbol for flash status (on lower edge)
    Four-digit, seven-segment digital LED display.
    Display brightness adapts to ambient light, for: exposure compensation activation warning, display of automatically determined shutter speeds in aperture priority mode, reminder of activated exposure value lock.
    LED light balance with two triangular outer and one round central
    LED for manual exposure setting

  • Displays on the back

    2.5" monitor (color TFT-LCD) with 230,000 pixels

  • Shutter

    Microprocessor-controlled, particularly low-noise, metal-leaf, vertical focal-plane shutter

  • Shutter speeds

    In aperture priority mode (A) continuous from 32 s to 1/4000 s. In manual setting mode, 8 s to 1/4000 s in half-speed increments, B for time exposures up to max. 240 s, shortest shutter speed for flash sync, 1/180 s

  • Continuous shooting

    Approx. 2 fps, 8 frames in sequence

  • Shutter release

    Three steps: Activation of metering - store metering values (in aperture priority mode) - shutter release. Standard internal threading for remote release

  • Self-timer

    Countdown 2 s (in aperture priority mode and manual exposure mode) or 12 s, menu setting option, countdown is indicated by a flashing LED on the front of the camera and a corresponding display on the monitor

  • Camera power on / power off

    Main switch located on the top deck, optional sleep mode for camera electronics after 2 / 5 / 10 minutes, reactivation by slight pressure to shutter release button

  • Power supply

    1 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, nominal voltage 3.7V, capacity 1900 mAh. Charge level displayed on monitor screen, when shutter locked in open position (for sensor cleaning), additional acoustic warning signal for insufficient battery charge

  • Battery charger

    Inputs: 100-240 V AC , 50/60 Hz, automatic adaptation, or 12/24 V DC; output: 4.2 V DC, 800 mA

  • Material

    Full-metal body in die cast magnesium alloy with synthetic leather trim. Top deck and baseplate in brass with black chrome finish, sapphire glass LCD cover for the monitor screen

  • Tripod thread

    A 1/4 (1/4") DIN, stainless steel, integrated in base plate

  • Operating conditions

    32 to 104°F / 0 to +40°C

  • Interface

    5-pin Mini-USB 2.0 high-speed socket for fast data transfer

  • Compatibility

    Windows 7 SP1, Windows Vista SP2, Windows XP SP2, Mac OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or higher

  • Dimensions LxDxH

    5.47 x 1.46 x 31.5" / 139 x 37 x 80mm

  • Weight

    21.16 oz / 600g with battery

  • UPC Code

    4022243107601

3 Accessories for Leica M Monochrom Digital Rangefinder Camera Body, 18mp, Black & White Image Sensor - Black

  • All Accessories (3)
  • Lenses (2)Required Item
  • Cleaning Accessories (1)

About Leica Leica M Monochrom

The Leica M Monochrom features a new 18MP, 35mm-sized CCD sensor that only captures black-and-white, but because there is no color Leica claims it will produce spectacular image quality at up to ISO 10,000; images are said to be 100 percent sharper than an image produced by an equivalent color sensor. This specialized camera is being marketed to street photographers and photojournalists who work exclusively in black-and-white. The advantage of a dedicated black-and-white camera is that real brightness values are available for each individual pixel, resulting in sharp, accurate black and white images without the need for post-processing.

The camera is packaged with a full versionof Silver Efex Pro 2 to let users recreate the looks of their favorite black-and-white films, and registered owners can take advantage of Whitewall, the Leica Monochrom print service that uses a traditional wet chemistry silver process.

The Key Features in Detail
Newly developed monochrome CCD sensor with a native resolution of 18 Million Pixel.
With its full, native resolution of 18 megapixels, the Leica M Monochrom delivers 100 % sharper images than with color sensors. The fact that its sensor does not "see" color means real brightness values are available for each individual pixel. That is to say, the sensor of the M Monochrom produces a "genuine" black-and-white image directly. In combination with the brilliant imaging performance of Leica lenses and the perfect matching of the sensor to the M system, this creates pictures of outstanding sharpness and natural brilliance, with no need to sharpen the image in post-processing. The result is incomparable picture quality, such as would normally only be expected of a medium-format camera. The impressively low noise level of the monochrome CCD sensor delivers an extremely fine-grained image, which is not perceived as disturbing even at the highest ISO settings.

Raw data histogram and parameter clipping warning
The Leica M Monochrom impresses discerning users and fine-art photographers with a raw data histogram for exact control of tonal values. In contrast to standard histograms, it depicts the actual raw data, unprocessed and uncorrupted. Especially in combination with the parameter clipping view, this enables exposures to be optimized with great precision in order to fully exploit the available dynamic range.

Tones
Whether sepia, cool or selenium with the M Monochrom images can be adjusted to the characteristic tones of analog black-and-white photography at the press of a button.

Design
The classic, iconic Leica M camera design is embodied in the Leica M Monochrom. The mat black chrome-finish top cover imbues the camera with the look of a discrete, unassuming instrument.

Only an engraving on the black accessory shoe reveals the product's name. The camera features an extremely soft, tactile leatherette body covering which is perfectly in keeping with the discrete overall look.

The camera comes with a real-leather carrying strap made of high-grade cowhide. Additionally there is a new handgrip available, featured with the same black chrome finish and the same leather trim as the camera.

Silver Efex Pro included
A full version of the world's leading black-and-white image processing software, Silver Efex Pro 2, is supplied. Silver Efex Pro 2 incorporates a unique and powerful set of darkroom-inspired tools to produce top-quality black-and-white pictures. Silver Efex Pro 2 emulates over 20 different black and white film types to recreate the classic monochrome look of film. The emulation is based on detailed analysis of multiple rolls of each film type. This results in accurate reproductions of popular film from ISO 32 to ISO 3200.

Leica Monochrom prints
For passionate black-and-white photographers looking to retain the accustomed brilliance and quality of their images in print, Leica offers a unique service. In cooperation with the photo processing lab Whitewall, the Leica Monochrom Print Service enables M Monochrom customers to obtain superb black-and-white prints of their work. This involves developing the digital images from the Leica M Monochrom on genuine fiber barite photographic paper. Thanks to use of the classic wet-chemistry silver process, the developed prints are indistinguishable from hand-made prints of analog images. Customers looking to utilize this exclusive service can order prints directly from Whitewall after registering their M Monochrom. This service is initially only available to Leica M Monochrom customers.

Leica Leica M Monochrom Features

  • Newly developed monochrome CCD sensor with a native resolution of 18 million pixels
  • 100% sharper imaging thanks to direct processing of raw data with no interpolation
  • Extremely low, fine-grain image noise up to ISO 10,000
  • Raw data histogram and parameter clipping warning
  • Various tones programmable
  • Top cover and bottom plate in black chrome finish
  • New leatherette body covering
  • All-cowhide carrying strap
  • Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 software supplied in addition to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
  • Exclusive access to the Leica Monochrom Print Service in cooperation with Whitewall
  • Original fiber barite print of a Magnum photo from the Leica M Monochrom campaign by J.A. Sobol supplied

Key Features

  • Newly developed monochrome CCD sensor
  • 100% sharper imaging thanks to direct processing of raw data
  • Extremely low, fine-grain image noise up to ISO 10,000
  • Raw data histogram and parameter clipping warning
  • Various tones programmable
  • Top cover and bottom plate in black chrome finish

What's in the box:

  • Camera
  • Battery Charger 100-240V
  • 2x Power Cords (USA/ EU)
  • Car Charging Cable
  • Lithium-ion Battery
  • USB Cable
  • Real Leather Carrying Strap
  • Original Leica Monochrom Print of Campaign Photo
  • Instruction Manual
  • Information Leaflets on Registration and Software Downloads