Yesterday saw the launch of the Leica M Monochrom, that is the first digital camera in history with a black and white sensor.
I am sure it will cause the rise of quite a few eye-brows, indeed why produce such a camera? Why not simply convert to B&W when needed and keep color capability ? Without getting into technicalities, a B&W only sensor will produce sharper pictures since it does not have to interpret colors. It will also allow higher ISO performance (up to IS010'000) compared its color sibling (M9). So really, for people that exclusively shoot B&W, like to hang out in dark jazz clubs, and want the ultimate performance, this is the dream camera. Of course if one can afford the hefty $8'000 price tag.
Leica also announced a new lens, that is the 50mm Summicron F2 APO at a price of $7'000. So if you do believe you are the modern reincarnation of Henri Cartier-Bresson, it will take $15'000 of your cash to match his gear with Leica's best in their current product line (M Monochrom + 50mm Cron APO). I guess you now wish you'd reincarnated in Warren Buffet and be a lousy photographer. Otherwise, buy a film Leica and process your B&W's at the local lab. (before it becomes a restaurant … see last picture below)
Inspired by Leica's new product announcement, I set my normal Leica M9 into B&W mode this morning and hit the streets of Rishikesh. The pictures below are all out of camera JPG's which some curves adjustments. In my opinion, the pictures are already plenty sharp, I don’t see any need for more in street photography.
And anyways, color rules, doesn't it ? (click on pictures for high res)
All pictures taken with Leica M9 and 35mm Lux Asph
Do they develop films in Peanut butter ? :)
I get it now, no wonder why the peanut butter had a chemical taste …. ;)
I agree – I can't see the point of the camera. I'll be sticking with my M9 and Summilux and shooting in colour.
There is a point for who can afford it. But if one could use the cash better in some other ways, than it is not a must have product, especially when owning a M9 already.
Looks like a must-have for everyone with heaps of cash, shooting primarly B&W, but thinking their full-frame shots with prime lenses aren't sharp enough. I don't know anyone, but I'm sure there are one or two of them out there. Together, they'll no doubt finance Leica's costs of developing this camera due to its price.
I think that people that will buy the M Monochrom are passionates about Leica or photography that have the cash for it. I think it is great to have a passion and invest in it. Hey, some people pay thousands for a vintage stamp, don't they ? ;)
I'm not ruling it out and I do think its a bold move by Leica. Certainly the sample images I have seen look fantastic. However I personally will wait for the M10 to see what that offers before making any decision. In the meantime I am happy with my M9 and Summilux lenses……I think I have one more digital M purchase in me before common sense has to prevail..
In the meantime I am getting an M3 which I know I will keep forever!!
A M3, I am tempted to get one at some point too. But on a trip such as ours, it makes no sense if one keeps a blog. Digital is the only way to go.
Waiting for what the M10 has to offer is a smart decision.
Has Leica jumped the shark? I love my M6 and M9, I may get an M3 someday and I consider them master tools. But it's very clear that they are pricing themselves so they can create a mirrorless system in between but price it like the M8/M9.
Anyway, great work my friend. In September I will start an adventure like yours, travelling around the world, with my M9. Of course my pictures will be 1/10th as good as yours.:)
Leica is just adapting the price to what the market can give them. It does aleniate a whole class of long term users though. Not sure what is best in the long term.
Enjoy your trip, I am sure that you'll have a lot of opportunity to improve if you are really that bad ;) Do share the link to your website if you plan to document your trip with pictures !
I have been saying this on various forums since the release of this camera, it would be very foolsih indeed to alienate the talented in persuit of the wealthy. This is historically a brand for photographers, there is more to long term succes than profit.
I very much prefer these BW pictures to your regular color ones… And BW films is meant to be developed at home, so who cares about the labstaurants :D
Funny, 90% of the photography books I own B&W ones. But as a shooter, I am more attracted by colors. In the end, it's about personal preferences. But I'll surely never eat in a labstaurant ;)
I miss film grain much more with b&w digital photography.
Yes, grain in the one equation that will never be fully replicated by software. Yet is close enough good enough ? Again if one does not print big, I am not sure.
My preference is for black and white and that's what I mostly do so it's a treat to see some work from you in monochrome The only time I print in colour is for friends or family who cannot understand why you would want to shoot B&W at all.
The new camera is very much a temptation though and will be hard to resist – but I think on balance you are right. Is there really any need to chase more and more resolution when the results we get now are so good? Maybe not – these new releases and latest 'must haves' are in reality a distraction from photography.
Tony, people buy Porsches, giant TV screens or add a swimming pool in their front yard. You like B&W, you want the best and can afford it. No shame about it, I’d definitely go for it.
As for the refreshing change, I’ll try to post more often, thanks ;)
As an afterthought, if you had posted the above pictures and said that they were taken with the M Monochrom who, in all honesty would really know? And I agree with Corvus – your B&W images today are a refreshing change!
I only think that it's stupid to have a b&w sensor on a Leica M camera. So when people wish to shoot in color, they've to get another camera or something???
I think the designers of the MM have come up with something amazing and unprecedented. But cameras are not like film these days…you can easily swap in a role of b&w film without worrying about the camera.
I do believe the Ricoh GXR module is the way to go although it's strange looking at first. If Ricoh comes up with a b&w sensor module, it'd make more sense for users to actually buy the module, not the entire camera set like what Leica is doing,…
A Leica M is still my dream camera…maybe one day when I'm good and rich enough ;P take care!
Alan, for pros, they’ll carry two bodies so I can imagine a M9 and M Monochrom together leaving the ability to switch between color and B&W. Now that pro photographer has to be quite a successful one to afford the system. As for the Ricoh GXR, it is a great camera in terms of ergonomic. Yet for those of us used to rangefinders, this cannot serve as replacement.
The Leica M6 was my favorite camera. I still love it as it sits in my camera bag keeping all those delicious M mount lenses company. I don't ever expect to shoot film again. But when Fujifilm comes out with an M mount adapter I'm going to use the lenses on my X-Pro1. Your criticism of the Monochrom M9 misses the point. Sure other cameras can take competent images that are fine when converted to b/w. But there are effetes who have never heard the story of the emperor's new clothes.
Gene,
I think that not everybody out there wants to replicate the B&W film look. This is not the taste of everybody, nor is grain. Imagine architecture or landscape shooters, the M Monochrom could be a better choice over a film camera.
As for Fujifilm, it is not a rangefinder and for some of us, it is a killer. I won't even consider it since I am so used to using the rangefinder. Addt to that that it is not full frame (I could not get a true 35mm F1.4 look with it) and this issues trump any other considerations such a image quality.
As for the M6, we both agree on that ! ;)
Me encanta la fotografía en B&W en general , diria que es mi favorita, pero por supuesto me encanta el color y las tuyas tienen una luz y unos colores maravillosos , aunque te diré que estas fotos en B&W me encantan !!!!! aunque tengan la misma esencia tienen otra carga dramática que me gusta mucho ,no puedo opinar técnicamente yo solo soy una aficionada con una simple cámara Canon Powershot, que intenta aprender cada día algo nuevo , solo puedo decir si me gustan o no , si me transmiten algo o no ……. Quiero decir que juego en segunda o tercera liga , así que perdón si no soy mas constructiva ;)
Gracias Pilar. Colores y B&W impactan diferentes percepiones nuestras. Algunas fotos functionan mejor en uno que el otro. Por eso nunca diré que el uno es mejor que el otro. Lo importante para mi es mas tener un estilo constante, por eso hago colores todo el tiempo.
Y por fin, Canon Powershot … no es la camera sino el fotografo ;)
Color's good for separation and of cause cheerfulness imo.
Close-ups of people being very beautiful, very ugly or very naked work better in color though.
Hi Simon, I think we all react differently to color and B&W. A beautiful woman in a simple B&W is extremely powerful too. Your message make me reflect on what I internalize when I shoot in colors. It seems that it is just general aesthetics, I don’t use it as a conveyor of feelings or looks. I think… ;) cheers.
Shooting for b&w is a very different mental process that shooting color. You need to put on your b&w glasses, see forms and light and geometry instead of color. If you succeed that extra abstraction from a color reality will give the image power and depth…
Great move from Leica, but the M Monochrom fails to re-introduce the zen of shooting sans LCD and settings and the varying grains and spectral sensitivities of films.
Hi Mikael, I have to challenge you on the “sans” LCD ;) The zen must come from you and you must learn not look at it. If not, just put black gaffer tape over it like I had suggested on an article. As grain and sensitivites, it will simply never be as good and flexible to have done within camera than in a post processing software.
As for shooting color, it is indeed completely different than B&W. That is why switching from one to the other can boost a bit creativity from time to time. Of course, I keep the raw files, just to see how it looks in colors ;)
Cheers, yanick
Dude!!
Where are you getting the money to do all of this travel and hardware?
Did you win the lottery or something?