Best Monochrome Options 2025 - Leica? Converted Files? Converted Cameras?

[Disappointed_Horse]

Thanks, neither of these access the file luminance without demosaicing. I have Lightroom on my phone and iPad but would really like a luminance only raw converter.

You're welcome. What you're looking for is a bit over my head, but I'll be interested to learn if you find something.

 

[Freakscene]

And I'm guessing quite a few shekels too. What did they charge you?

B2 (;->

Enough that I’ve blotted it from my memory. $AU4-500 or so I seem to recall. And an unreasonably long wait.

 

[BillBingham2]

Enough that I’ve blotted it from my memory. $AU4-500 or so I seem to recall. And an unreasonably long wait.

The price doesn't seem bad for Leica. My guess is that they didn't find anything else that needed replacing or fixing. That was probably about 1/2 of your cost. I've heard the wait is killer. Those two issues have scared me away from getting a digital CL.

Thanks for the data points.

B2 (;->

 

[Freakscene]

The price doesn't seem bad for Leica. My guess is that they didn't find anything else that needed replacing or fixing. That was probably about 1/2 of your cost. I've heard the wait is killer. Those two issues have scared me away from getting a digital CL.

Thanks for the data points.

B2 (;->

The CL is fantastic, and doesn't have this problem because you can clean the sensor yourself. The feature set and interface are tremendous - it is a camera that, like the Leica M digitals, really makes you really understand that most digital camera interfaces and software (especially those in cameras made by companies that are primarily electronics manufacturers and don't have a long history as camera makers) are really unnecessarily complicated.

 

[Shadams]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but I've on occasion set the camera up to shoot RAW+JPG. Set the jpg colour scheme to B+W. That's what I'll see on the LCD. And in the finder on the mirrorless bodies. You'll still have the RAW if you bail out later and want to stick the colour back in.
All the comments about filtration, etc., probably apply... Grab an old D70 and convert that? D7100 has no anti-aliasing filter.....

 

[Godfrey]

The CL is fantastic, and doesn't have this problem because you can clean the sensor yourself. The feature set and interface are tremendous - it is a camera that, like the Leica M digitals, really makes you really understand that most digital camera interfaces and software (especially those in cameras made by companies that are primarily electronics manufacturers and don't have a long history as camera makers) are really unnecessarily complicated.

I agree about the CL ... an excellent camera, beautifully designed and simple in operation. I used one for many thousands of photos over about a three year period. I only sold mine to help finance buying the M10-R, after I bought the M10 Monochrom and just liked it too much to not have a color version of the same thing. Probably foolish, but eh?

Nice thing about the CL is that you can use a lot of third party batteries with it, at $20 a pop or less. Only negative, and it's a minor one, is that it's an APS-C format sensor which limits DoF control to a degree. Other than that, it's just a brilliant camera.

G