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AIMEDlandscape and architecture at studio, fashion,

photographers among others, the pair only differ by the

low-pass filter cancellation effect in the EOS 5DS R,

allowing the professional user

THE LONG VIE

CANON EOS 5

For the past decade, Canon’s

EOS 5D series of cameras

has provided professional

photographers with a

lightweight yet highly

capable alternative to the

company’s EOS 1D selection.

The line took a diversion

earlier in the year with the

arrival of two new cameras,

the EOS 5DS and 5DS R,

each sporting a 50.6MP

full-frame sensor and

nestling between the Canon

EOS 5D Mark III and

EOS 1D X models in Canon’s

line-up, rather than serving

as a replacement for either.

I’ve found that using the Canon

EOS 5DS R has changed my

shooting behaviour.

Three pros give their real verdict on the latest a

EOS 5D series, having had some time to use it

106 _ PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY _ NOVEMBER 2015

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Find out which bits of photographic equipment are really worth

investing in with our comprehensive photography news and expert

reviews, including our unique long-term professional field tests

WHENwant that new camera, lens, flash or we invest in new kit, it’s natural to

accessory to cover a wide range of applications. This way we feel it’s easier to justify the outlay, and we can see how we’ll

gradually make the money back over the cou r se of a nu mber of jobs. Most moder n

equ ipment is desig ned w it h t hat process i n mind – most cameras are suitable for a broad range of work, and have features

that make them appeal to photographers in general. Leica’s Monochrom camera goes against this idea by being a camera

t hat shoots on ly i n black a nd wh ite. Of course, black and white works with

portraiture as well as with landscapes, and

pretty much every genre in between, but most professionals don’t shoot exclusively in black and white, so inevitably most

want a camera that can cover both bases.shoot in black and white, then why not L eica’s proposal is t hat i f you’re goi ng to

make it good as it can be? Instead of using a colour camera that’s also quite good at black and white, we should use a camera

dedicated to that way of working.

FEATURESThe Monochrom (Type 246) isn’t Leica’s first mono-only camera, but it’s taken

some serious steps forward.Leica Monochrom (Type 246) is The most significant feature in the

undoubtedly the new sensor. Whether you rega rd t he sw itch f rom CCD to CMOS as

a good thing is a matter only you can decide, but there’s no denying the

flexibility the CMOS sensor injects into this machine. CCD sensors may provide the ultimate quality in bright light, but the

new CMOS chip in this model makes Live View and video a possibility, as well as

introducing more pixels to the system. The new sensor has 24 million pixels, and produces compressed DNG raw files

measuring 5,976 x 3,992 pixels, weighing 20-30Mb, and JPEGs measuring 5,952 x 3,968 pixels, weighing 34.5Mb. The pixels

have no coloured Bayer-pattern filters, , so each reports its own findings to the

processor without interpolating with the surrounding pixels, which means the

resolution will be much higher than from a normal

the photo receptors than with a filtered 24Mp colour sensor. More light reaches

sensor, so the base ISO is 320. The range extends to 25,000, and is supported by

shutter speeds of 60 secs to 1/4000 sec.sensor means that this camera can shoot The streaming nature of the CMOS

black-and-white video in Full HD resolution at 24/25fps, and that the rear screen can be used to see through the lens

in Live View mode. A critical improvement for this model is the back

screen. Gone is the low-res screen of the original Leica M-Monochrom, replaced by a bright, 921,600-dot three-inch panel.

BUILD AND HANDLINGThe main physical aspects of the new

Monochrom are unchanged from the previous model. The body is solid metal,

mostly comfortable to hold, and that gives the impression that it will last for ever. You

may have noticed that the camera costs quite a lot of money, but it will probably keep going for as long as there are batteries

available, long beyond the moment the sensor feels out of date. If you use it all the

time for ten years it might feel like a good investment, but not for occasional use.I f you’re used to ra ngefi nder -focusi ng

systems, you’ll find that this one is about as good as t hey get, w it h a good br ig ht focusing area and clear guide frames that

can be seen easily. Using the framing preview lever, you can see that lenses are

pai red so t hat t wo sets of g u ides appea r i n the viewfinder at any one time. Markings for 35mm/135mm, 28mm/90mm and

50mm/75mm focal lengths are displayed simultaneously, but of course, all the coverage of wider and longer optics can be

seen with 100 per cent framing accuracy via the Live View system. Live View makes even the M macro bellows easy to use.

still a little underwhelming in many The viewfinder information panel is

respects, with no exposure scale and no aperture readout – even though aperture is recorded i n t he E X I F data when

chipped lenses are used. The shutter speed is displayed when aperture-priority mode is selected, but in manual mode you

get no information other than the over/under exposure symbols. Leica really

cou ld make li fe easier i n t h is a rea.the processor in the camera, and given it a Thankfully, the company has upgraded

larger buffer memory. This means that there’s less waiting around for images to clear to the memory card while the best

opportunities of the day transpire before your eyes. The new camera is a lot more

responsive, and quite streamlined for those who shoot raw-only. Adding the si mu lta neous J PEG opt ion ca n clog t h i ng s

up, but frankly there isn’t too much reason in normal situations for shooting JPEGs.

PERFORMANCEThe most important aspect of the camera – its output – makes it a unique product

that competes with nothing else on the ma rket. No mat ter how good you r SL R

files are when converted to black and white, they won’t be nearly as good as these. The tonality is exceptional, and the

detail is really surprising, as is the lack of digital texture and artefacts. You get smooth transitions through the tonal

range, and clean, noiseless images right up to ISO800. Noise is noticeable at 1600 and above, but it looks like a nice film grain,

and never threatens the image quality.The biggest issue is the more limited

dynamic range combined with the meter’s tendency to over-expose. I found myself setting the exposure compensation to -1 as

standard to preserve the highlights, but in low contrast, low-light situations, the sensor is almost unflappable. The DNG

files come out looking very flat, so you can mould them the way you want, and they

withstand a huge amount of manipulation.VERDICT

If you only shoot in black and white, and you want the best possible image quality from a handheld camera, you should get

together with the Leica M Monochrom (Type 246). For portraiture, weddings, street photography, documentary and

events, it’s a fabulous performer. My only reservations are the burnt-out

highlights in contrasty conditions, and the 320 base ISO that precludes wide apertures in bright conditions. However,

the filterless sensor drinks light, and comes into its own in low-light conditions.Yes, it’s expensive, as are the lenses that

you’ll need to buy with it, but the Leica M Monochrom (Type 246) is a camera that

will give you something you can’t get elsewhere – and that something is definitely worth having. It might be

a shallow thing to say, but using a prestigious, well-known brand of camera might just encourage your clients to dig

a little deeper into their pockets too. Damien Demolder

LEICA M MONOCHROM (TYPE 246)

Most professionals look for the most flexible equipment that can solve multiple problems, but sometimes a specialist camera can make you stand out from the crowd

Full-frame 24Mp mono rangefinder / £5,750 / $7,450 (body only) / http://www.leica-camera.com

It isn’t Leica’s first mono-only camera, but it’s taken some

serious steps forward.

A natural extension of the Live View^4

capability is that the Monochrom (type 246) can record

1080p black and white movies at 24 or 25fps

The top section and base plate are^1

machined from solid brass while the rest of body is constructed

from magnesium alloy, giving a solid build

Information is sparse in the viewfinder. In^5

manual exposure mode you only know if you are under or

over exposing, but not by how much

The rangefinder focusing has a^2

mechanical base length of 47.1mm, which with 0.68x viewfinder

magnification is effectively 69.25mm

The 3-inch 921,600-dot rear screen has^6

a scratch-resistant sapphire glass cover and can show a Live

View feed complete with focus peaking

With Leica’s most affordable M-mount^3

lens, the Summarit-M 50mm f/2.5, costing £1,250 / $1,640, not

many users will build up a large system

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100 _ PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY _ NOVEMBER 2015 NOVEMBER 2015 _ PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY _ 101

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