Leica R9 User Manual

INTERNATIONAL FOTOGRAFIE LEICA

LFISPECIAL

LEICA FOTOGRAFIE INTERNATIONAL

R-MODUL-DIGITAL SPECIAL:

D 19088 F

4 194043 108000 09

D EUR 8,00 NL EUR 9,30 B 9,30 L EUR 9,30

DIGITAL MODUL R

EDITORIAL

DEAR READERS

In this special edition on the Digital-Modul-R we present to you, in addition to an abundance of information on Leica’s professional digital system, the related digital work of several prominent photographers. In asking them what their impression was of the Digital-Modul-R the answers we received were at times quite astonishing. Our thinking was that most would be drawing upon digital photography for sideline projects, never actually believing that it could facilitate expression just as effectively as with the time-honoured medium of film.

It turns out that the majority have become completely engrossed in digital photography. Occasionally, it sounded as though they were beginning to remember film as an old friend to whom they had only little contact. French photographer Bernard Richebé, for instance, whose black and white work is featured starting page 36, experienced digital technology as a liberating kick, providing his creativity with new impulses. German photographer Uwe Dürigen, who at first had to be talked into giving the Digital- Modul-R a try, is now so convinced by its quality that he goes as far as to travel with a battery charging emergency generator.

Now and again a sceptic will express how digital pictures lack soul. But hand to heart: both film and sensor are technical procedures for image making, and technology itself does not have a soul. Should one ascribe this quality to film, then perhaps it refers to the aura that arises due to the fact that our collective memory was largely moulded by film. In the end, however, it’s really up to the photographer, whose skill ultimately defines the character of a picture. In this sense, enjoy the read! THE EDITORS

Cover photo: Joerg Schwalfenberg, Hair/Makeup:

Martin Schmid/Optics, Model: Flavia Lang/ Modelwerk; special thanks to Briese Studios, Hamburg

CONTENT

The Digital-Modul-R turns the R9 into a professional digital camera with brilliant photo quality

DIETER BLUM

Flying legs, flowing fabrics and the Digital-Modul-R – photographer Dieter Blum stages movement in aesthetic imagery

R SYSTEM DIGITAL

The Digital-Modul-R turns Leica’s R system into a flexible solution for those wanting to photograph both traditionally and digitally

UWE DÜRIGEN

The photojournalist shows inspiring pictures from a trip to India and explains what he loves about the digital R

R LENSES

The lenses are at the heart of the Leica R system, regardless of whether one uses them with film or the Digital-Modul-R

GARY FAYE

Immediate results and more time for experimentation: the American landscape photographer is thrilled by the Digital-Modul-R

THE RAW WORKFLOW	28
After exposure, the sensor data has to be formed into a
presentable picture. We explain how it is done
BERNARD RICHEBÉ	36

The face of the suburbs – the Parisian photographer interprets it
in black and white and demonstrates his approach
IN THE STUDIO	42

The cover shot was of course taken with the Digital-Modul-R.
We show in great detail how the picture was prepared for print
TANGIBLE PICTURES	48

With a bit of preparatory work, photo printers and exposure
services can deliver high quality pictures on paper
JAMES VAN LEUVEN	52

Of large landscapes and small animals – the Dutch photographer
captures the wonders of nature in fascinating images
IMPRINT	58

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TECHNOLOGY R SYSTEM

THE DIGITAL-MODUL-R

With the Digital-Modul-R, Leica now enables owners of an R8 or R9 the unique possibility to convert their 35-mm camera into a high-performance digital solution. Here an in-depth appraisal.

BY HOLGER SPARR

Leica’s entry into the market of professional digital cameras may have taken longer than hoped for, but the reason for this was quite simply that the Solms-based company felt that an active involvement in this market segment would only make sense once analogue and digital were capable of generating the same, super-quality results. Leica customers expect the R system to deliver nothing else than supreme photo quality whether with film or chip.

In the area of 35 millimetre, Leica has in fact accomplished a singular solution: the Leica R9, which normally operates with film, and its R8 predecessor, which has an almost identical body, can now be equipped with a digital back, transforming the analogue into a digital

camera by means of a simple manoeuvre. The only difference between this digital camera and its analogue counterpart is that it registers the exposures via a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, storing them on an SD memory card instead of on film. In terms of size and weight, the digital R9 is no different from the analogue version mounted with an optional Motor-Drive-R for automatic film transport.

In order for the Digital-Modul-R to be completed, Leica teamed up with two distinguished partners: Kodak is considered one of the most experienced developers of first-class image sensors, equipping the vast majority of digital backs for medium format cameras. One of the most famous developers of such back units, in turn, is Imacon

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TECHNOLOGY R SYSTEM

from Denmark. They now belong to Hasselblad and were originally in charge of the conceptualisation of the module. Together, the three companies planned and developed the Digital- Modul-R, taking on the by no means trivial task of converting the R9 into a fully-fledged expert digital camera, without depriving the camera of its ability to work with film. It is this choice between film and chip that makes the R9 with the Digital-Modul-R such a unique concept. Depending on application and need, the owner of this double-action system can always choose whether to insert a 35-mm round or a memory chip. That the digital picture quality will

satisfy the demands of the professional world is guaranteed thanks to a 10megapixel resolution, a high input dynamic range and an accurate colour recognition; and that the concept is beginning to bear fruit becomes evident when we study the respective field reports or what Leica considers the favourable increase in demand.

R-SYSTEM BASE

From a formal point of view, the Digital- Modul-R is an accessory item for Leica’s R8 and R9 and thus an element of the wide-ranging R system. Leica’s single lens reflex system can look back upon a long tradition, scoring high marks in all areas of photo technology with highest precision and quality, unrivalled longevity and simple and intuitive handling. An excellent example for these virtues is the core piece of the system, the R9. In spite of its comprehensive features and options, the camera prides itself on its minimum number of control elements. The photographer is thus

never faced with mysteries. Behind the unassuming details, however, one will discover great finesse and technology. Take the camera’s viewfinder, for instance, which is known to be one of the brightest in 35-mm photography: it enables eyeglass wearers to see effortlessly into its corners, featuring dioptre correction and a curtain shutter against stray light; and the matt screens are also interchangeable.

Countless other details – such as a mirror pre-release against shake, the classic synchronised flash socket for studio light systems, the multiple metering system, which can be influenced in steps of tenths, and much more – are the result of the fact that the R9 was constructed in consideration of people who would be working with the camera on a daily basis. As part of the comprehensive accessory programme we find the Motor-Winder-R and the slightly larger Motor-Drive-R, facilitating up to 4.5 exposures per

second.	The slightly unusual form
of the	camera is very ergonomic;

The R9 is built from high-tech material such as magnesium for the body. Most of the assembly process is done by hand, which, through constant control over the working steps, secures higher quality

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+ 9 hidden pages