ISO sensitivity
The ISO setting determines the possible shutter speed/aperture combinations for a given illumination level. Higher sensitivities allow faster shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures (for “freezing” fast action or creating a larger depth of field, respectively) at the expense of increasing image noise.
Press the ISO button (1.13), and in the menu appearing on the screen, select either AUTO ISO for automatic setting or one of the six fixed settings.
Within the AUTO ISO option it is possible to limit the range of sensitivities used – e.g. to control the image noise level, and also to determine the longest shutter speed used – e.g. to prevent blurred images of moving subjects.
In the menu, select Auto ISO Settings (3.3), in the first submenu either Slowest Speed or Max ISO, and the respective second level submenus the desired settings.
Note:
The AUTO ISO value (2.1.3) set by the camera can be viewed even if the monitor displays are switched off (see p.115) by pressing the shutter release button (1.8, see p.107) to its first pressure point.
Image properties / contrast, sharpness, color saturation One of the many advantages of digital photography is that it is very easy to change critical properties of an image, i.e. those that determine its character. The Leica X2 allows you to influence three of the most important image proper- ties even before taking the picture:
-The contrast, i.e. the difference between light and dark areas, determines whether a picture appears as more „flat” or „brilliant”. As a consequence, the contrast can be influenced by increasing or reducing this difference, i.e. by making light areas lighter and dark areas darker.
-Sharpness reproduction – at least of the main subject – by using the correct distance setting is a prerequisite for a successful picture. In turn, the impres- sion of sharpness given by a picture is, to a great extent, determined by the contour sharpness, i.e. how small the light/dark transition is on contours in the picture. The sharpness effect can therefore be changed by increasing or reducing these areas.
-The color saturation determines whether the colors in the picture appear as
„pale” and
Besides the Standard, i.e. unchanged rendition, you can - independently - also selected two weakened or strengthened levels for each of the three image properties.
In the menu, select either Sharpening (3.10), Saturation (3.11), or Contrast (3.12), and in the respective submenus the desired settings.
Note:
These settings only come into effect with JPG files, DNG files remain un- changed.