Photography

Echi
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The last from the X..

I finally decided to trade in the Hasselblad X1D2 for a Leica M10-R. In as much as the files rock on the X, I just didn’t bond with the camera.

I see the M10-R as the transitional 5 digit random pre ceramic serial sub and the M11/MEV1 as the ceramic equivalent.

I initially was thinking about the M11 but then I did a comparison between my M10 and M11 files. The former was just more organic in my eyes. The latter was just a tad clinical. While there’s a lot going for the M11 namely, 60mp sensor, better battery life, internal storage, better auto white balance, etc., the pictures never really wowed me like how the M9 or the M10 did.

A lot of the perceived image difference has to do with the BSI (back side illuminated) sensor versus the M10-R’s FSI (front side illuminated sensor). As I understand it, BSI gathers light more efficiently because “the wiring is moved behind the photodiodes”. With FSI where the wiring sits above the photodiodes, that design creates a more complex path for capturing light. As a result, At base ISO, the M11 files can be a bit more clinical, for example, where as some say that with the FSI design, the files are more CCD (Kodak sensor) like as found in the M9.

So why move from FSI to BSI if it affects the alleged “Leica look”?

Apparently there are 4 reasons for the shift:

1- Triple Resolution Technology. This allows the sensor to produce 3 different sized RAW files (60, 36, 18mp)

2- Battery efficiency

3- Better high iso performance

4- Shallow pixel wells allow the M11 to capture steep light rays coming in more efficiently. As a result, it’s supposed to reduce corner smearing and color cast. Not sure I understand this 4th one but OK

As I said, there’s a lot going for the M11 but in real world terms, not something that I would consider a deal breaker given how I shoot.

Battery efficiency an issue? Buy two. Hahaha!

Triple Resolution Technology? I always shoot RAW max res. And storage is cheap nowadays so 40mp files are not an issue compared to those days when I had to carry an Epson P9000 photo viewer that would act as back up storage on the field when my card got full.

Better ISO? They’re always saying that don’t they? But in reality, I don’t really shoot above 3200.

Shallow pixel what? I don’t think I’d even recognize the difference.

So anyway, sayonara X1D2. i will miss those files for sure but that’s ok