Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/03/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 3/27/04 12:46 PM, "Adam Bridge" <abridge@mac.com> wrote: > On Saturday, March 27, 2004 B. D. Colen thoughtfully wrote: > >> First off, one of the glories of digital is that every single shot is >> both color and monochrome. ;-) Second off, it should be possible to have >> the monochrome option in the firmware. If they develop the write >> algorithms, having the b&w, bw-green, bw-red, bw-yellow built into the >> camera could be wonderful. Carry around a pile of filters? Why? > > Aaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhh! > > NO, B. D., it's NOT the same. Because IF you're not shooting onto a color > sensor > you can either have MORE sensors for a higher pixel density OR you can larger > sensors for a better signal:noise ratio. Otherwise you're letting the firmware > of the camera play Hobb by attempting to make a monochrome image from various > parts of red and green and blue. > > It's not the same thing at all. Why shoot with black and white film at all > then? > Why not just shoot color? But we DO shoot black and white. But even this isn't > as great a difference as between a digital color and a digital monochrome > sensor. > > When the color sensors are of sufficient density and the SNR is up to par then > I'll relax this. But it's damn clear that Leica ain't likely to have access to > anything that's remotely close. > > So why shouldn't I ask for something that makes a lot of sense? Using an M to > me > means shooting in available light without flash. And all those fabulously > expensive pieces of glass that Leica makes are there to make it even more > possible. > > So why shouldn't Leica make a camera that exploits these features like no > other > camera can - that uses all the system's capabilities so that, by golly, you > can > shoot at ASA 3200 or even higher and have a SNR like that of the best current > cameras at, say 1600 (thinking of 1Ds and its CMOS sensor). > > Leica is a niche market. If they can figure out how to deal with the process > in > order to make it happen then there will be a reason to consider investing in > Leica. > > We're seeing an increase in interest in black and white portraiture. Why not a > camera that does it superbly? > > Adam Bridge > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information When the first D nikon cameras came out they all had monochrome modes. D1X I think. I often wondered about this. Would this make for better monochrome shooting really? Adam seems to be saying so. Shame that option is not there now on the nikons and yes this is a consideration I'd expect Leica to take more seriously. For shooting in Paris and all. Although I've had a long commetm3ent to black and white now find myself shooting more color. I de saturate a lot. Or completely de saturate. Or in effect "filter" not having to have that stuff with me and on my lens. I shoot NPZ 800 a lot and have large scans made from the whole roll and put on a CD. I can then listen to them with headphones so as to not disturb anybody. This weekend I might get an ls-5000 and soon be able to feed a whole uncut roll in turning in effect all my film cameras in to digital ones. Would a specialized monochrome CCD really do monochrome better as seems to be said above? Mark Rabiner Photography Portland Oregon New-improved http://rabinergroup.com/