S B&W Camera?

[Joe]

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I was wondering if there are any folks who would be interested in a B&W version of the S camera?

 

I may be the only one, but just curious to know the interest level.

 

Thanks for any thoughts you would like to share.

 

Joe

[349A]

I can't even fathom how good it would be. So, yes, it would interest me.

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[albertknappmd]

It would be amazing but a probable financial loss to the company!

Albert     

[Joe]

What a wonderful surprise it would be, if Leica would announce a S Monochrome camera at Photokina this year.

 

I know it is wishful thinking, but for those of us who love B&W photography, what a treat it would be.

 

The M Monochrome appears to be a well received camera line for Leica, so why not an S version. The S is twice the cost of an M, so Leica would need to sell half as many to be a success. The R&D is already done for the M monochrome, take off the color filter, tweak the code ... sweet ... a new S Monochrome.

 

My Leica buddies tell me, "it ain't gonna happen", but maybe they said that about the M Monochrome. 

[albireo_double]

Not interested. I have both the M246 and the S007. The appeal of the M246 for me is in the ability to use old lenses from the 1960s/1970s that have the "classic B&W look" of that era, quite different from the high contrast modern M lenses. And the S files can produce excellent B&W conversions in PS/LR/C1/SFX/Tonality etc.

[Joe]

Thanks albireo_double for your thoughts on a S Monochrome. Sounds like you have the best of both worlds having the 246 and 007. Especially having a compliment of vintage M lenses.

 

I have used the 246, it is sweet camera with luscious B&W files. In fact, the benefits of the 246 are what has stirred my interest in a S007 Monochrome.

 

My situation is a bit different from yours. I purchased the S2 in 2010, using it for nothing but B&W landscape photography since then. I'm familiar with all the B&W conversions apps you mentioned. I currently use Iridient Raw Developer app for raw and B&W conversion. I finish the file in PS for the film look that is so appealing to us. Printing images on a converted Epson 9900, using Piezo Inks (7 shade of black ink, no color ink), so I like the larger file size of the S (need more pixels).

 

I recently traded in my S2 for the 007.  I'm very happy with the S system, having acquired 5 S lenses over the years. So I have no need or desire for another camera system.

 

Some say a S007 Monochrome would be a niche or small market camera. Well now, who knows small market cameras better than Leica? The S, SL, T, Q, X, are all small market cameras. Consider the recent M 262, no LCD, a big market camera? The M is becoming the Swiss Army Knife of the digital camera world, there is a different version for whatever your interest. That's without even thinking about the "M Special Edition" cameras.

 

It is that unreasonable for S enthusiasts to ask for a S007 Monochrome? So you would like to buy a S007, would you like that with a color filter or without? It is really that big a stretch?

 

 

 

 

[Jon Warwick]

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Not interested. I have both the M246 and the S007.

Out of interest, how close do you find the image quality to be between these 2 cameras for large prints?

 

Compared to my M240, I thought the M246 for very large 50" wide inkjets seemed obviously superior (higher resolution, better tonality, very natural and less digitised rendering).

 

By extension, do you think the M246 can pretty much hold its own versus an S (given the resolution / tonality/ etc benefits of a monochrom sensor)?

 

Many thanks!

Edited April 30, 2016 by Jon Warwick

[albireo_double]

Yes, I think the M246 can pretty much hold its own versus an S but is visibly better than M240, for b&w. There is little noise and the files have a very rich spectrum of tones - coming out "flat"from the camera (especially with my favourite old-timer lower contrast lenses) but very easy to work with in post-processing. Having said that, I rarely print beyond size A2, so my comment was about my own preferences/interest and I can imagine that another photographer might well be interested in a larger sensor monochrome camera.

[Manolo Laguillo]

I have both the M246 and the Leica S 006.

 

For me, the B/W from the the Leica S is clearly better in resolution and gradation than the B/W from the M246.

 

B/W from a Leica S Monochrome would obviously be better than B/W from a regular color Leica S.

[Photoskeptic]

I think a bw only S would be super cool, unfortunately the demand would probably be zilch.

[Manolo Laguillo]

Even better than a B/W Leica S: a 30mm shift lens.

[Jeff S]

....and a prime or zoom past 180mm.

 

Jeff

[Printmaker]

I continue to use my old S2 and my original Monochrom to produce B&W images. The larger sensor produces a visibly richer tonality. But, while the S2 conversions are better than capturers from the Monochrom, they are not significantly so that I would lust after a Monochrom S.

 

I'd rather see a 36 MP Monochrom and a 80 - 100 MP S body. This would improve the print quality at sizes of 30x45 and 40x60 inches.

[Stuart Richardson]

I would also prefer a higher resolution S to an S monochrom, but I imagine that they could probably do it fairly easily. The challenge is of course the market...the S is already a much smaller market than the M, and the market for a B&W only S is probably quite small, as the M has the old photojournalist mystique and people that use an M are often drawn to that black and white street photography aesthetic. The S seems to be more used by working professionals in fashion, editorial and wedding and by landscape photographers. Most of those photographers need or want color at times and buying a 15000 euro plus camera solely for b&w seems like a hard sell. 

Personally, I shoot black and white a lot, but I use a Mamiya 7II for that work...I still have not found digital conversions to black and white pleasing, even those from the M monochrom. I recognize their technical brilliance, but they just don't match my aesthetic. 

A 50+ megapixel S would be more useful for me...as printmaker said, the S is still only 127dpi at 40x60 inches (1mx1.5m), and while it looks great, 180dpi is around 75mp. Even 150 would be nice, but 180+ would be fantastic. The native size of the current S is 35x53cm on the 360dpi Epsons...that is really not very large, and it means that if the resolution increases, any print over about 40x60cm would see an improvement. 

Of course, there is more to print quality than resolution, but we have been at 37mp for 8 years! Time for a bump in resolution...especially since even the 35mm competition can sometimes out-resolve the S with their very best lenses. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by Stuart Richardson

[Photoskeptic]

Hey Stuart, yes, I understand your concern about the resolution - my Nikon/Otus will probably out-resolve an S. However, the Sony color from the Nikon is pretty awful and those 6 micron pixels with which Leica seems to have a love affair make the color special. I also think they make better bw conversions. I may be prejudiced since I pick up my (new to me) S006 next week.

[wattsy]

A used S2 and/or discounted new Typ 006 is still one of the best buys in digital photography today. The typ 006 I have used (owned by a customer) can be frustrating but the image quality is significantly superior to the 36MP Nikon that I own. If I had more call to own a top end DSLR, a used S2 would definitely be something on my agenda.

[AB007]

Yes I would love to own a S Monochrom. However, it might be too expensive to buy one. I love the B&W images from S2 (converted on Lightroom) the most as compared to other digital cameras I have been using - M9, M240, D300, D3S, D800E or A7R (A7r has now become a paperweight). 

 

Maybe one day I will own a Monochrom M or S

[Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS]

I'm getting one 12 days time........its called a S007. If its anything like its sibling the 006 it will make amazing B&W files via SEP

[RVB]

Hey Stuart, yes, I understand your concern about the resolution - my Nikon/Otus will probably out-resolve an S. However, the Sony color from the Nikon is pretty awful and those 6 micron pixels with which Leica seems to have a love affair make the color special. I also think they make better bw conversions. I may be prejudiced since I pick up my (new to me) S006 next week.

 

John, do you think you could post some comparison shots between your new 006 and Nikon/Otus?

 

Rob

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Hallo,

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