Leica Summilux -R 1:1.4/50mm available light master prime lens [Archive]

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Sanjin Jukic

02-08-2008, 02:35 PM

Leica Summilux -R 1:1.4/50mm available light master prime lens

I would like to start to show opportunities of some still lenses I am going to use on RED.

The test beginning with Leica Summilux -R 1:1.4/50mm that is available light master prime still lens.

The first tests were documentaary shot handheld on Canon 40D and a test on RED will follow up soon.

Technically I would not talk more about Leica Summilux -R 1:1.4/50mm (http://en.leica-camera.com/photography/r_system/lenses/3801.html) and would leave it to the lens experts like Erwin Puts (http://www.imx.nl/photo/lenstest/summicron-r_11450mm.html).

Then I decided just to show the pictures and a short video.

All the picture were shot on Canon 40D, ISO 320, shutter 1/50 sec, iris/aperture wide open at f 1.4.

It was done like this just try to simulate a basic RED shooting with 320 ISO, shutter speed, etc.

No any additional color correction applied.

The pictures are cropped at 2:1 aspect ratio.

Here we are:

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/starbucks_girl_2-1.jpg
Starbucks Girl snap shot.

Starbucks Girl VIDEO>>> (http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/starbucks_girl_2-1_H264.mov)

Video is done using pictures from a sequence shot with the continuous capture speed at 6.5 fps.

Please do not analyze a video speed, a focus pulling, a girl (she suddenly left and I was not prepared to pull the focus in time), etc.,

try out to analyze for example frame by frame the optical three dimensional feeling

and color rendering of the lens that are both highest in the lens industry and could be compared only with Panavision Primo L lens (anamorphic).

Here there are three extreme low available light situations.

Could be something like a girl in a RED bar.

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/bar_italia1.jpg
Bar Italia (http://www.baritalia.net/) Girl 1.

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/bar_italia2.jpg
Bar Italia (http://www.baritalia.net/) Girls 2.

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/nights_street_girls.jpg
Girls in the street (Mariahilfer Straße (http://www.mariahilferstrasse.at/)) at Vienna's night.

Sanjin Jukic

02-08-2008, 06:19 PM

Highlight of tonight:

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/sass1.jpg
Dancer in the Night Club SASS Vienna (http://www.sassvienna.com/)(manual focused and shot handheld in action!).
Leica Sumillux-R 1:1.4/50mm at wide open 1.4 on Canon 40D, ISO 1000, shutter speed 1/50 sec, manual focus and handheld, flash fired.

What you see is what you've shot.

No additional picture adjustment in PS or RAW developer.

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/sass-dancers.jpg
Dancers in the Night Club SASS Vienna (http://www.sassvienna.com/)
just one second before above shot, somebody from a right was interupting (manual focused and shot handheld in action!).
Leica Sumillux-R 1:1.4/50mm at wide open 1.4 on Canon 40D, ISO 1000, shutter speed 1/50 sec, manual focus and handheld, flash fired.

sander kamp

02-08-2008, 08:56 PM

try out to analyze for example frame by frame the optical three dimensional feeling

Sorry to say but I don't see anything special in these shots. I am sure Leica makes some nice lenses but 'three dimensional feeling'? I don't think so.

Justin McAleece

02-09-2008, 12:02 AM

Thanks for the uploads, that DOF sure is shallow at 1.4.

Sanjin Jukic

02-09-2008, 02:22 AM

Sorry to say but I don't see anything special in these shots. I am sure Leica makes some nice lenses but 'three dimensional feeling'? I don't think so.

http://homepage.mac.com/sanjinjukic/RED/sass_dancer2.jpg
Sass dancer, 100% enlarged and croped detail in 1:1 focus.
Leica Sumillux-R 1:1.4/50mm at wide open 1.4 on Canon 40D, ISO 1000, shutter speed 1/50 sec, manual focus and handheld, flash fired.
No additional picture adjustment in PS or RAW developer.

Maybe some more better examples that are coming up would finally convince you one day.

The point is that you have to deal with a lot of different lens brands, compare it and then you could drive the same conclusion.

It's not only that Leica is making some nice still lenses,

it's about a fact that Leica is making the best still lenses and that is a reason that are the most expensive.

More about a lens design in general and Leica lenses read at the below link:

Lens testing and lens design in the digital age. (http://www.imx.nl/photo/optics_2/22_lens_testing_and_lens_de.html)

fphgrb01

02-09-2008, 06:52 AM

Sanjin Jukic

02-09-2008, 07:14 AM

The lens keeps the girl (in the "movie") under cinematic attention, the DOF creates the world behind her as a living background but still background. I do not think it is just the DOF, though, the focused girl really attracts the spectator and the bokeh of the rest is balanced in such a way that the blur does not destroy the necessary recognizability of the environment. Personally, I like this as a cine technique quite a lot. My only concern with Leica for RED is the standard Still lenses for cinema shots problems. If rehousing is too expensive it seems like Sanjin would have to swallow them for the love of the images.

fphgrb01 thanks for the support.

Personally, I like this as a cine technique quite a lot. My only concern with Leica for RED is the standard Still lenses for cinema shots problems. If rehousing is too expensive it seems like Sanjin would have to swallow them for the love of the images.

We still have to learn a lot to deal with still lenses on RED.

Fortunately my longer experience with the 35mm adapter like a Red Rock would help me.

dlachm1

02-09-2008, 08:38 AM

I wouldn't worry too much about using Leica R lenses on the RED, although the optics are excellent - they aren't anything to write home about in comparison to other SLR style still lenses like Canon, Nikon, Zeiss. Purely speculative, but I'm pretty sure they aren't that common in the industry because they were beat by other manufactures. I've only ever seen them used once on a vista vision camera. If your going for leica your entering the still pictures domain. Nice to see the tests you posted though.

M.Halsell

02-09-2008, 09:00 AM

Sanjin,

As always, your posts are as engaging as they are informative. More readers 'respond' than 'post'. Always good reading. Thanks.

dlachm1

02-09-2008, 09:29 AM

I'm curious as to your wanting to use the Leica lenses. The images look good but I wonder if the sensor can resolve the difference b/w this and other lenses.

Sanjin Jukic

02-09-2008, 11:07 AM

Sanjin,
As always, your posts are as engaging as they are informative. More readers 'respond' than 'post'. Always good reading. Thanks.

Angryseven,

you're welcome.

I'm curious as to your wanting to use the Leica lenses. The images look good but I wonder if the sensor can resolve the difference b/w this and other lenses.

The test(s) are coming up and we will see then.

I will post the snap shots, 720p video and R3D examples.

When?

It's up to RED, Birger (shipping) and also my free time.

Thor Wixom

02-09-2008, 11:43 AM

Sanjin,

I like your process. Everytime you start a thread, I learn.

-Thor

Sanjin Jukic

02-09-2008, 01:19 PM

Sanjin,

I like your process. Everytime you start a thread, I learn.

-Thor

Thor Wixom,

Thanks for your friendly support.

About my approach to all the things I would quote again Gordon Willis, ASC:

"Listen... the trick is to take something that's quite sophisticated and reduce it

to the simplest possible terms, so that it's accessible to everyone.

There is beauty in simplicity."

LINK>>> (http://www.theasc.com/awards/history/pr/9_gordon_willis.htm)
(Sorry that was the same broken link in the original tread about Gordon Willis, ASC.)