NEW Leica Q3 ISO-Invariance, Dynamic Range, High ISO & OIS

This video is a deep case study on the new Leica Q3 and its 60MP BSI sensor. Topics covered are dynamic range, pixel binning at M-DNG and S-DNG resolutions, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Mean Square Error (MSE) of difference images of the same scene but shot with high and low ISO values and the Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) of such difference images. The video also contains test shootings with high ISO values (up to ISO 100'000) and shows that such images are still usable for social media. The last topic is hand-held shooting based on Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and how effective the OIS in the Leica Q3 works.

Content:
00:00 Introduction
01:38 Empirically demonstrating ISO-invariance of the Q3 sensor
06:47 Pixel binning for M-DNG (36MP) and S-DNG (18MP) resolutions
07:46 Educational session: image noise and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)
13:47 Non-simplified scientific approaches to SNR are more complex
15:16 SNR techniques applied to Leica Q3 images
17:41 Leica Q3 pixel binning, dynamic range and Signal-to-Noise
21:04 Educational session: Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR)
26:08 Example: difference image and its PSNR of two Leica Q3 images
28:11 PSNR techniques applied to Leica Q3 images
33:11 Educational session: Structural Similarity Index (SSIM)
36:17 SSIM techniques applied to Leica Q3 images
39:43 Conclusions on dynamic range and an important caveat
42:41 Shooting with ISO values of 12’500, 25’000 and 100’000
49:53 Hand-held shooting with the Leica Q based on improved OIS

Related videos on my channel:

NEW Leica Q3 vs Leica Q2: ALL NEW Features:

The NEW Leica Q3 has NO EXPOSURE CONSTRAINTS at HIGHER ISO:

Here is the link to the live streaming from the Leica Store in Nuremberg (German language) on the ISO-invariance of the Leica M11:
Online Talk im Leica Store Nürnberg - ISO Invariante Sensoren:

Music (if applicable):

#Leica #LeicaQ3

[tmartin]

Thanks, a real pleasure to find such an analytical and informative video on YouTube.

[bunnytobin]

WOW. I love this. No bullshit, no speculation, no subjective opinion. Straight up measurement and definitive testing and conclusion. If only Youtube was filled with people dedicated to facts and figures as yourself it would be a much more educational and valuable place. Thank you.

[majedanani]

You are one impressive scientific photographer. Being a RF hardware engineer working at Apple in Cupertino, USA, I perfectly relate to the DB, MSE and SNR, but I also learned something new: Structural Similarity Index !!!. I also Lear Ed that you can write python scripts. Incredible talent!!. So for this Q3 sensor construction, the sweet spot is 36MP, and I assume that for a different density either a different pixel size (like the one in Hasselblad’s X2D) there would be a different pixel binning sweet spot (were it to be offered). Many thanks for the both the educational and entertainment value you provide in your videos.

[Marvilalove]

Now I see where your ”mathphotographer” channel name comes. This was really enjoyable to whatch and informative at the same time, thank you for your effort!

[lesterlefton]

Brilliant exposition. As a researcher who understands optical psychophysics and statistics, i want to say you nailed it.

[spektrograf]

This is the Q3 video I’ve been looking for. Thank you for spending the time to articulate it in depth and so clearly and precisely!

[chiradipmandal]

You are insane. I mean insanely good, hardworking and have depth of knowledge in multiple areas.

[robinbhairam]

You just can’t beat a bit empirical rigour … and this my friend, is empirically rigorous!! Thanks 😊 📷

[charliecampbell]

Excellent detailed video. Thank you for taking the time to put this together and educate us.

[TNrick]

Thanks for this video. The math section is far beyond my meager skill set, but I appreciate the insight provided by your conclusions. Thanks for posting!

[tedgoldman]

Well, that made my brain hurt but well worth it. I wouldn't gave guessed I will likely use the mid resolution when my Q3 finally arrives. Thanks so mush for sharing this work!!

[hlash]

As an engineer (and Q3 owner). i appreciated the methodical quantitative approach. More of these videos please!

[eugeneBai]

Great scientific investigations!!! Thank you for your hard work! Very impressive and interesting to watch!

[octaviomolina]

thank you! best in-depth content! I was able to try out the Q3 last week at Photoville in Brooklyn and was blown away at the quality of the images.

[sanfordlavine]

Clear and concise explanation of an important topic. Regards

[bartpeterleroy]

Another outstanding, beautifully illustrated and expertly explained video. Leica ought to give you a consultancy contract, if only for teaching. I would love to see you analyse the Q2 sensor in the same way, if you would have time. It would enable us to objectively and scientifically understand the differences better. By the way, with an ISO of 3200 in both my Q2 and SL-2 with APO Summicron 75mm 2.0, DxO PureRAW 3.0 allons me to recover all details I need, including the very dark areas, from images taken of ocular gene therapy interventions in the operating room. Thank you for your videos, simply superb, Bart

[ArminHirmer]

Holy cow! How I like when you get nerdy and geeky :D my head exploded, but it was worth it. Many great photographic channels on Youtube, yours is way ahead of them. But what can I say, my Q2M is already at the Leica store and I am waiting for my Q3...

[XboxTheBeatboxer]

Excellent analysis! Thorough and informative.

[NikCan]

Always honest thorough and no bullshit just facts on this youtube channel. always enjoyable

[RS-Amsterdam]

Matt, I just watched the Video from the Leica Store in Nürnberg, very very good and extreme well explained, thanks for that link.
It's more or less what I prayed over the years since I was confronted with this subject in my Fuji days.
I also have to admit that You (your channel) are the only person I can discuss this stuff on this level and I am happy about that.

What we also can learn from this excellent video, straight from the beginning, is that photography with a digital camera is still ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY.
More light equals more output voltage and besides that further down the (electrical) road there is a A/D convertor to prove this point again.

In the video they show an example of a dark area that had more chroma noise in the 200 ISO version ( with added exposure in LR) than the 3200 ISO version (50:50)
Now this is exactly what I wanted to point out when you use LR to enhance exposure with the exposure slider and C1 with the lightness slider.

In the video at 32:15 the left guy makes a very important comment about the sensitivity of different coloured LEDs.
The separation of colours in a sensor is done by the colour filter, RGB, but the fact is that R, G and B have different measures of attenuation of the light.
So further down the (electric) road this has to be compensated (levelled) by increasing the the R, G an B channel separately to make it even again.
Now there are companies that make you BELIEVE that removing the colour filter will make your camera a monochrome version of itself.
This is not completely true, yes the an output is monochrome only by removing the filter, the attenuation per diode is also removed, HOWEVER later on the road the attenuation will still be applied so your output is not levelled.
This can only be done by altering the firmware or any other internal setup to let the light per diode pass through 1 to 1

Then the right guy made another remark in the video I would like seriously debunk but that will "open up a can of worms" would rather save it for another day.

Okay Matt rest me only to give you the link to the Leica Camera USA channel where Leica lens developers talk about quality of Leica lenses and in particular the SL (APO) lenses
It's 2 years old but still very relevant: Search for - Leica Tech Talk: For the Love of Lenses
Hope you enjoy.
Greetings from a sunny Amsterdam, although I have to do some work today, but I don't mind, it's for myself, not for somebody else ;-)