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John Brockliss brings us a well reasoned essay on monochrome photography with the M cameras that are made specifically for this pursuit: The Leica M Monochrom family. The Q2 Monochrom is not mentioned, but it should be looked at closely by those who want to commit to black and white photography by digital means. The Q2 is a powerful tool, whether you choose the color or Monochrom variant. I got my M10 Monochrom in July of 2020 out of a desire to do more in black and white photography, and because I saw the M10 Mono as a breed apart, a special camera. Spring is the time for color shooting, with flowering trees in full bloom so I have been shooting color of late. Even with my desire to do more exploration of the digital black and white realm, I have been reluctant to commit to the Monochrom and black and white imaging exclusively. As I read, re-read and reflect on this essay, I'm thinking my reluctance to making that commitment may eventually weaken.

Hi, Apologies if this is a dumb/naive/inappropriate request, but I am wondering whether any of you know of decent (preferably free) monochrome presets for Lightroom that can be used with SL2 files. I used to use Silver Efex Pro 2 as part of the Nik Collection, but I can't use that now on my iMac. Thanks in advance.

SL2+Leica Vario Elmarit 24-90 SL ASPH

Endlich hatte ich mal wieder Zeit für Fotos an der Zeche Zollverein und der Kokerei. Und die Sonne hatte ein Einsehen und kam zwischendurch mal raus. Mit freundlichen Grüßen aus Essen Kind Regards from Essen Torsten

Mancher hat keine, mancher ist happy wie es ist, andere sind unzufrieden mit der Gehäusefarbe. Einfach mal die Spraydose rüber halten:rolleyes: Bin heute drauf gestoßen, vielleicht ist es Euch bekannt - wenn nicht viel Spas dabei:D

hi, i hope Im in the right place for this question. say i have a Leica M Monochrom DNG raw file, then i convert it to a TIF file using photoshop. will there be any difference between the original DNG and the converted TIF (besides file size) ?? since there is no demosaicing, i cant see any difference. is that true ? thanks in advance, koferk.

I took delivery of a Monochrom today, and shot a number of images, went to import them into Lightroom 4 and the DNG files do not have a preview. I re formated the memory card and tried a few cards, with the same result. Also tried LR4 on another laptop, same thing. There is also no preview when just opening the cards on the the desk top. I'm using a MacBook Pro and all software is up to date. Once the files are imported into LR, the image can be seen. I have an M9 and have no problem, also no problem when I had an M8. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks

Some stolen moments from fellow New Yorkers. All taken with my MM and 75mm summilux wide open, except the last, which was taken with a 28mm summaron (screw mount) Thanks for looking and any and all comments and criticisms are most welcome!

The cloud is clearing, the sun breaking through, the mist rising in the distance - but the sheep carry on regardless (oblivious?)... M9, Elmarit-M 90mm f2.8.

Thank you to everyone who took part in last month's 130th Barnack's Monthly theme, which was filled with more than 1,850 pictures, excellent ideas and interpretations of the theme. Also, thank you to everyone who helped to make it another successful month by generously posting their pictures and in particular to those people who posted for the first time - I hope you found it an interesting and rewarding experience and I hope it encourages you to share more of your pictures with us! The Barnack's Monthly theme for August 2019 is: "Shades of Grey". This month's theme is any picture in duotone where there are only shades of grey in the picture - black and white are regarded as shades of grey in this thread and monochrome conversions of colour pictures are also welcomed. It could be a group of nuns in a bar, an elephant in the fog, a piano keyboard, ostriches waltzing, bears singing, washed sheets drying on a line, the sky at night, a grey dog in a fog, a goose in a wheelchair, an anteater eating an antenna, army tents at dawn, a llama in the Bahamas, a felon in Berlin, a bellowing fellow down below, a man in a grey suit, a man in a grey suite, a duck on a buckboard, chalk on a blackboard, feathers in heather, a houndstooth jacket, a hound's tooth, teeth, teethpaste, ashes in a hearth, a sweetheart, lead flashing, a flashing lead, a wandering lead, grey thread, grey hair, threadbare grey hair, slates on a roof, the root of the coolabah tree, the root of all evil, Evel Knievel, a medieval manuscript, smoke curling from a lit cigarette, curling stones on an ice rink, a greycard, a grey card, "the great grey greasy banks of the Limpopo river", Earl Grey tea, Earl Grey himself, a portrait of Lady Jane Grey, Lady Grey photographic film, a sloth in a bath on a hearthrug, a heartthrob, a grey tom, a popadom, pom-poms twirling - it's entirely your choice so let your imagination run free but please keep to the topic! It would be a help if you give your picture a title so to help us understand your point of view. Members have asked if we'd very kindly name the camera and lens used - if you can remember - because it's interesting to know but, again, it's just helpful. The rules are deliberately loose so go out and shoot with this month's theme in mind or start searching back through those pictures you took oh-so long ago that you'd forgotten about and start posting! It doesn't have to be your best ever shot and it's not a competition so you might surprise the rest of us and yourself - it's just about sharing some pictures, seeing others' take on the topic, and enjoying it! Everybody's welcome to contribute, any interpretation, any number of posts, pictures that have been posted on the forum before, any equipment as long as it and the photo complies with the forum's rules of either camera or lens or both made by Leica. Please post freely - especially newcomers and please remember there's no judging or criticism (good or bad) in this thread. So, if you'd like to show your acknowledgement or appreciation that someone has posted their picture then instead of posting a comment please use the "Thanks" button that you can find at the bottom right of every post. Please post away and I look forward to seeing your interesting interpretations of this month's theme. Note: Moderator Pop has very kindly assembled links to all of the past Barnack's Monthly threads as a single archive that can be found here: Barnack's Monthly Index. Thank you, Pop! Pete.

I was just leaving the waterside park area when I spotted this guy. I was already driving so I drove back around the park and parked up so that I could catch him. It had just been pouring with rain so I think he stopped under the tree to take shelter, but he then sat on the wet grass. Leica M240 + 35mm Summarit f2.5. Shot as .dng and converted to black and white in Lightroom Classic. Hope you like it Gerry

From a film returned from the lab today. Leica M4-P + 35mm Summarit f2.5. Kodak T-Max 400. Gerry

My dream camera would be a Monochrome within an M-D style body. Given the increased technology the in the M10-D, even if Leica chose to launch a Monochrome version, it would not be for me. Does anyone have any thoughts on the practicality of putting the 246 sensor in an M-D body?

Children look at each other out in the city with their parents. Leica M240 with Zeiss 50mm Sonnar f1.5. 1/180 f8 at 320iso. Gerry

We never grow up, we just get older. People with balloons. Southampton, England. Leica M240 with Zeiss 50mm Sonnar f1.5. 1/180 f8 @ 320iso. Gerry

Taken with a Leica d-lux 3 for a personal project to take at least one image a day and to post in a blog. An Image a Day......

M7, 50mm C-Sonnar f1.5, Acros 100.

M9, 28mm Elmarit Asph.

Taken earlier this month in the village of Crissay-sur-Manse in the Indre-et-Loire department of France. M9, Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2, SilverEfex Pro 2. C+C welcomed.

HI Everyone! I just posted my first impression of the Leica M Monochrome (Pre-prod model) in my blog with images. Please visit: Leica Liker I would love any feedback!!

Hi Everyone! I just posted my first impressions of the Leica M Monochrome (pre-production model) on my blog. Please visit http://www.leicaliker.com Would love any feedback!!

Nun freue ich mich schon sehr auf meine neue M Monochrome, die da in Kürze kommen wird. Jedoch welche Filter soll ich bestellen? Früher habe ich bei der analogen s/w Fotografie Gelb- und Orangefilter benutzt, um Blautönen eine Zeichnung zu geben bzw. Landschaftsbildern mehr Dramatik zu verleihen. Und das war ein Negativverfahren. Wie sieht das bei der M Monochrom aus? Bedanke mich schon jetzt für aussagekräftige Antworten und sende freundlichen Grüßen aus dem Burgenland

Hi Banks here.... Tortured in high school I sought refuge and a work exchange program which allowed me to work with the photographer name of Jon. He raised me on the zone system and insisted I shoot only in manual mode it was the '70's and Nikon was the Camera to have! My first camera was the Nikon FM, I eventually graduated up the chain to F2AS's etc. My Nikon FM believe or not was made out of brass was very small in hand and once all the basics of photography were learned to work a manual camera it was simple and very rewarding as you all know to get a shoot focusing ring, aperture ring, and shutter on the top help you make selections out of the box that will get you a well exposed frame but also the effect you want. I love this little FM. I owed many Nikon's and their lenses. All of which Iam happy to say I sold for more than I paid many years down the line. Due to the kindness of my Mentor I had the pleasure of working with all of his Nikon equipment , Hassalblads CM bodies and it's glass and one special day I was allowed go out with his prize Leica which had I believe had 35mm Leica lens on it!!! Rangefinders were new to me yet the love affair was on! Life went on I adopted four boys, open 24 stores and by the time I turned around the digital revolution was here, coming from the background that a camera was an investment and if purchased correctly one would never lose that much on resale much less that it would be worthless in a matter of months! So I embraced this new technology I purchased my first digital, it was a Sony something and cost $1600 for a all plastic one megapixel camera! The rational that I could launch my eBay career LOL! Being a computer illiterate at the time I couldn't even upload those fabulous one megapixel photos onifto my eBay pages nonetheless I did very well in on eBay which ironically is where I sold the Sony for $50.... I was ready to try again. One day in my plastic surgeons office as I glanced through the pages a magazine I saw the Leica Digilux 2!!! It look like a RF yet it functioned quite a bit like an automatic SLR, with the ability to be used in manual to boot it had a nice Leica zoom! The exciting news was all of its bits and pieces were exposed IE aperture ring, focus ring, shutter speed with a built-in flash all very expensive for what it was but I was in love. Panasonic' counterpart DMC LC1 came in all black which was half the price and came with more but purchased the Leica I did. boy was I lucky i purchased the floor model saved there it had the actual Leica impossible to find Leica filter,a extra battery and was eligible for a Leica free hot shoe flash to promote the camera! So I hade done quite well and just loved that camera! Due to the Sony debacle and the entry of the Nikon D 200 a SLR that in my opinion now is like all DSLR's today they are disfunctional albatross, which in the fact play hide and seek with all the controls for no apparent reason other than to make taking a manual photograph an exercise in The occult and are very heavy, but due to the wealth of my Nikon lenses I parted with my film bodies sold my Leica at a profit and purchased the D 200 with a digital zoom because it was to be the second coming of Jesus!!! It was not to say the least I'd trade it in a second today for the 5 megapixcel Leica! I still have the D 200 and even though we are up to the D 800 the 200 takes great pictures the zoom is adequate to good but I've never been comfortable with the screen menu and controls which are not where they should be . So here I am waiting for the last several years to finally buy the M I have always wanted!!! I don't need to have the latest and greatest but after a couple digital experiences I do know what I had to have.... which would be a full frame great sensor a body that caters to manual photography and a great lens! I knew the M-8 was a no go and I waited patiently for the M-9 to become of age and was quite surprised this year when the M-10 came out with a M-9 in monochrome! I believe this leads me to the body choice of either the Leica M9 monochrome or the M-10 (I am a B&W guy but the idea of not being able to take color picture leaves me a bit uneasy ) and unfortunately for me the lens I like and will serve me best is likely the 50mm F 0.95 coming in a grand total of $18,000!!! The only way to cut this in now would be to purchase the Magic SLR copy which is $5000 which is not exactly cheap but would save about $6000 and probably be a year wait.... So this is my story of woo if anybody can identify and has any input that might save me from all these decisions and/or encouraged me to do just exactly what I described please feel free! If this diatribe is to confusing or you're not old enough to understand please forgive me and go to the next tread. FYI I am not a professional photographer but thoroughly enjoyed it as a hobby. I have two lamps from the 50s which for some reason were $50 and will now sell for approximately $15,000! So money really is the issue where I could use an information is in the sheer volume of Leica Lenses I'm a one maybe two lens guy, I enjoy portraits and street photography, I travel quite a bit, I never use the flash... so if you have some insight as to an alternative lens be it one or two that are less desirable yet taken in enough light are a sharp enough that have that magic Leica Boeken I'm all ears. Thank you.

A late (and cold) January afternoon enjoying the atmosphere at the place where it all began... M9, ZM Biogon 35mm f2.

Verity is a steam-engine used by Carter's Circus in the UK. M7, ZM35, Kentmere 100 and given a selenium tone in LR3. C+C welcomed.