Can you set up "Profile" to quickly go between "Monochrome" and full color?

[38wadcutter]

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How would you set up the "Profiles" to rapidly switch between Monochrome and full color? Is it possible?  Thanks for your help.

[SonomaBear]

How would you set up the "Profiles" to rapidly switch between Monochrome and full color? Is it possible?  Thanks for your help.

 

 

Simple!  Set up your preferences and save them as "User 1" -- select JPEG options and lower the saturation all the way ton zero.  This gives you monochrome.

Save these new preferences as "user 2"

 

Please note that your DNG files will still have color etc. while their viewing layer (jpeg) will be monochrome.  Your true JPEG files will only be monochrome.

 

Have fun!  I love monochrome...

 

BTW: the "M" series Monochrome models have sensors made to only capture gray scale but with amazing fidelity and many more "shades" of gray than possible open other (color) sensors.

[HighlandK]

In fact under JPEG settings - Saturation you actually select "Monochrome". As far as I can see, in addition to Monochrome, you can only select levels of saturation and cannot "lower the saturation all the way to zero"

 

Personally, I find the only advantage of this monochrome setting is that you see a monochrome image in the EVF because I would still use the DNG image and do a more personalised conversion in software where you have far greater control over tonal values to achieve your own visualisation. Remember Ansell Adams did not simply print his out of camera monochrome negative without further work.

Edited March 7, 2018 by HighlandK

[Leica Guy]

In fact under JPEG settings - Saturation you actually select "Monochrome". As far as I can see, in addition to Monochrome, you can only select levels of saturation and cannot "lower the saturation all the way to zero"

 

Personally, I find the only advantage of this monochrome setting is that you see a monochrome image in the EVF because I would still use the DNG image and do a more personalised conversion in software where you have far greater control over tonal values to achieve your own visualisation. Remember Ansell Adams did not simply print his out of camera monochrome negative without further work.

Another advantage is with a monochrome image in the EVF or LCD and you manually focus, the “Focus Peaking” shows up in color. It’s easier to see against the B&W image.

[beez]

If you want to get a truly nice B&W picture, I don't desaturate a color picture with the camera, or use the desaturate commands in post processing - I do it in post processing in Photoshop using the Image > adjustments > Black & White command. If it's a RAW file, use the HSL/Grayscale tool in ACR. This will give you a lot more control over the change to B&W, and give you an RGB "B&W" image. Using the wider gamut of RGB, you can get the saturation and depth that a great B&W should have. From there, depending on what your end use will be, you can leave it in RGB for screen use, change it to grayscale for printing, or change it to CMYK/4-color B&W for a truly rich look for publishing. All desaturate does is strip color out of a picture, and looks anemic to me.