Leica M 9, part 8A (november 24, 2009)
35mm digital versus35mm AgX
Peter Drucker, the guru of management thinkers, noted that management is not a progressive science because the management problems of today are the same as of yesteryear. The same dilemma’s and the same choices keep popping up. This stationary status is being clouded by the enormous amount of management theories and fads and even hypes. In fact the same problems are being addressed by different and often wrong methods and approaches.
Photography is in the same state: here too we find a very stationary situation: most of the major photographic themes were fixed already in the period 1880 to 1900, when landscapes, portraits, reportage, nudes and war pictures were defined as artistic categories. And the big photographic challenges are still the same: correct exposure, interesting angle of view, proper use of light, proper fixture of the moment. This handful of everlasting problems is being covered by an immense amount of cameras, cameratypes, technical expertise and equipment functionalities. Film-loading cameras and AgX technology use basic thinking to get to the bottom of the problem. Digital capture and digital image files have brought new technology and will create unpredictable consequences.
One of the most overrated topics at this moment in the digital arena is the issue of noise. It is easy to see and somewhat less easier to measure in a predictable way, but it is only a problem because digital sensors can be tweaked to very high signal-to-noise ratios. ISO values of 5000 and more may sound impressive and because one camera has it, all want it. But I do not see what of the basic photographic problems is being solved by shooting at ISO 5000. In AgX technology the useful speed was limited to ISO 400 and some used ISO 1200, but that was already an extreme situation. If you limit the ISO values on the digital cameras to 400 or 800 there is no noise to speak of and you can get fine pictures in most situations.
For the comparison between film and sensor with the same size I used the M9 at ISO160 and the M7 with Ilford Delta100 at ISO80 and Spur HRX-3 and also Spur Orthopan UR with Nanospeed UR at ISO20.
The ISO20 may be dismissed as ridiculously slow when compared to the speeds of 12000 and more that are being promoted as must-have functionality, but on a cloudy November day I could take handheld pictures with the M7 and the Summilux-M 1.4/50mm asph. wide open at shutter speeds of 1/125 to 1/500. Good enough for me and delivering very pleasant out-of focus scenes with clearly defined sharpness planes.
For the comparison test I used testcharts and a tripod and as lens I selected the Elmar-M 3.8/24mm asph. When the aperture is set to f/5.6 the resolving power of the lens exceeds the 100 lp/mm boundery with ease and with high contrast. On the MTF equipment the contrast value of 50% was found at 80 lp/mm. The performance of this lens does not limit the capabilities of the cameras. To eliminate focus errors I used the magnifier 1.4 and set the distance at 1.2 meter. At this distance you can visually detect any focus error.
The Leica M9 could resolve with good clarity about 60 lp/mm. This is close to the Nyquist limit of theoretical 73 lp/mm. These values are the same for the M8 as the pixel pitch is identical. The effect of the thicker filter on resolution is hardly detectible. I have remarked in previous reports that effective resolution is about 15% lower than the Nyquist limit. This is borne out in this case with the 60 lp/mm on the image file.
The Ilford Delta 100 is in speed comparable with the basic speed of the M9 and is therefore a good comparison. This film in Spur HRX-3 (very fine grain, good sharpness) delivered a excellent 70 lp/mm and with some reservations a useable 80 lp/mm. For most intents and purposes we can say that the M9 technology in 135 sensor size supports a performance that is now as good as that of one of the best medium speed films with the same size and identical settings (magnification and lens).
The Spur Orthopan UR is derived from the Agfa/Gevaert Copex HDP13 and identical to Adox CMS20. These references indicate outstandingly fine grain, but a restricted tonal range. But the Zone System has 6 stops useful rage and this film is above 5 stops. But is a resolution champion and here we see that digital has some distance to travel. The Orthopan resolved 125 lp/m with excellent definition and clarity and had a useful 140 lp/mm. The limit was found at 160 lp/mm but that value is not reproducible on paper. This film in the M7 then has twice the resolution of the M9. For handheld photography the differences are smaller of course, but when you want or need to exploit the limits of the optical/mechanical equipment the very low speed film is the only choice and there is no fear of noise. Even the S2 will be defeated by this film/lens combo. It is true that the deployment space is limited: tripod, careful technique, good lens, low tolerance equipment, but these are the prime characteristics of the Leica camera.
Digital technology is the first choice when speed, ease of use, and the need for hundreds pictures in one shooting session are in demand. I can see a pairing of digital and analog, especially in the case of the Leica CRF with the M9 as the main camera for large shooting volumes, ease of handling and processing and the M7/MP (or any of the other M cameras from M3 to M6) for careful work where finest details at large print sizes and the look of classical pictures is required. The sometimes harsh sharpness of the digital processing technique can be countered with the subtle and cultivated look of a fine balanced black and white baryta print.
In the B part of this article I will present the results of both technologies when negatives are printed on paper and the image files are printed with the Epson 3800.