That’s kinda cheap
Key Takeaways
Leicasnew Q2 Monochromis a 46.7 Megapixel beast of a camera.
It costs $6,000, has a fixed lens, and it only takes black and white pictures.
Is anyone seriously going to buy this camera?
Leica
The Monochrom is a variant of the regular Q2.
Its pretty much the exact same camera, only $1,000 more and with the color removed.
And compared to other Monochrom Leicas, this one is cheap.
Wikipedia / Cburnett - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
I recognize this isnt going to be the case for everyone.
The viewfinder has an OLED screen inside, and the rear 3-inch monitor is touch sensitive.
It can also shoot 4K video, but that will, of course, be in black and white.
Leica
What, then, is the point of a B&W-only camera?
First, we need to know how a color camera works.
All camera sensors are black and white, while the pixels are sensitive to light of any color.
It looks a bit like this:
This setup has two consequences.
One is that the filters themselves block some light.
The green filter cuts out blue and red, for example.
The other is that these RGB pixels have to be processed to arrive at the final image.
The result is a more sensitive sensor, and a much, much better resolution.
Leicas lenses are deservedly legendary.
This one seems to be no exception,based on early tests.
The only catch is you cant swap the lenses.
The Price
$5,995 is expensive for most of us.
But in the world of Leica B&W cameras, its cheap.
“After all, its less than half the price of an M10M + 28mm Summicron f/2 lens.”
For perspective, the LeicaM10 Monochromcosts $8,295 for the body, whilethe lensis $4,895.
Compared to that, the Q2 seems like a bargain.
You even get autofocus.
But clearly this is only a camera for the most serious B&W photographer.
And even then, theres another option.
Its really a case of ‘the right tool for the job.’
Why Not Film?
Film isseeing a resurgence, and even the M10 Monochrom cant replicate the tonality of Tri-X film.
You may argue that home-developing and scanning your own film photos is a big commitment.
