Compared to the Leica M9, the Sony RX1R…

Inspiration, Q&A, Sony RX1R, Teaching point

…feels like a toy.

…is not an extension of my hands and eyes.

…is slower.

…is equipped with a Zeiss lens-CMOS sensor combination that produces files that are not as sharp (or microcontrast-y) as the M9 with top Leica glass  (the dpreview tests I posted last week were correct).

…is equipped with a Zeiss lens that cannot handle back-lighting as well as modern Leica lenses.

On the positive side, the RX1R:

…is lighter and smaller.

…produces nicer B&W conversions.

…has more dynamic range.

…is equipped with a Zeiss lens that produces smoother bokeh vs. the Leica 35mm Summicron (or Summilux FLE).

…is equipped with a Zeiss lens that focuses closer than the Leica lens equivalents.

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These are my initial thoughts.

—Peter.

Leica M9 sharpness vs. Sony RX1R, Nikon D800E, Fuji X100s.

Inspiration, Q&A, Teaching point

The website Dpreview, the “original” internet hangout for camera geeks and enthusiasts, has a useful studio scene comparison tool that allows one to pit camera against camera.   I was using it today to compare Sony‘s new RX1R (the new AA filter-less version of the RX1) vs. the old trusty Leica M9.  For fun, I also included two current cameras that have generated much enthusiast interest: the Fuji X100s and the Nikon D800E (admittedly, the Fuji X100s is the only camera of the bunch that doesn’t use a full frame sensor, so it’s sort of the oddball in this sensor grouping but, to me, it’s relevant as a portable and formidable photographic tool).

Here is the overall studio scene, as seen on Dpreview:

Prosophos - dpreview overview

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And here are the (left) side 100% crops of the above scene, from each camera, focusing on the label of the Martini bottle (see the red arrow above):

(please click on this image to view at MAXIMUM size and sharpness)

Prosophos - dpreview M9 againts latest cameras

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(Note: the crops above vary in size, depending on the megapixel count of each sensor.)

See anything, possibly unexpected here, regarding sharpness?

Finally, here are the centre 100% crops , focusing on the Queen of Hearts card in the original scene:

(please click on this image to view at MAXIMUM size and sharpness)

Prosophos - dpreview central 100%

Using the Dpreview comparison tool, one can obviously pick and choose other portions of the scene to make comparisons about sharpness, texture rendering, etc.  I’ve chosen two areas that I believe are representative of lens sharpness performance (corner vs. central) with respect to these cameras (the feathers in the far right of the scene are also worth checking out).

—Peter.

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If you haven’t already done so, please consider signing my open letter to Leica.

Prosophos Open Letter to Leica

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