Dante_Stella
Rex canum cattorumque
One of the things that has been striking about the X-Pro1 is how good the lenses are. Although the X-Trans sensor is great, it strikes me that a lot of these optics could be put to equally - if not better - use with a monochrome sensor behind them.
We know that the M Monochrom exists - but its $8K price (and 6-12 month wait) seem a little excessive considering the dated (slow) electronics, poor battery life, and deliberate choices about what wavelengths would be allowed (no doubt constrained by the fact that you could get focused shift with color filters in an open-loop RF focusing system).
The X-Pro is probably a better platform, and here's why. First, its closed-loop contrast-detect focusing would eliminate the focus shift problem - because it would assess the actual on-sensor focus. Second, the X-Pro has the ability to show the viewfinder picture in monochrome. And finally, it has a far faster and more bulletproof back-end electronics package. At the end of the day, even if a mono sensor added $1K to the price of the camera, it would still come out at less than 1/3 the price of an MM and be more versatile (like being able to do IR or near IR). I also suspect that if contrast-detect AF were working in monochrome, it might actually work better.
Incidentally, I also wonder if - given the large number of green cells and their arrangement, whether the X-Pro could be reprogrammed for better mono operation (i.e., taking all greens at face value and interpolating the other two channels out).
Thoughts?
Dante
We know that the M Monochrom exists - but its $8K price (and 6-12 month wait) seem a little excessive considering the dated (slow) electronics, poor battery life, and deliberate choices about what wavelengths would be allowed (no doubt constrained by the fact that you could get focused shift with color filters in an open-loop RF focusing system).
The X-Pro is probably a better platform, and here's why. First, its closed-loop contrast-detect focusing would eliminate the focus shift problem - because it would assess the actual on-sensor focus. Second, the X-Pro has the ability to show the viewfinder picture in monochrome. And finally, it has a far faster and more bulletproof back-end electronics package. At the end of the day, even if a mono sensor added $1K to the price of the camera, it would still come out at less than 1/3 the price of an MM and be more versatile (like being able to do IR or near IR). I also suspect that if contrast-detect AF were working in monochrome, it might actually work better.
Incidentally, I also wonder if - given the large number of green cells and their arrangement, whether the X-Pro could be reprogrammed for better mono operation (i.e., taking all greens at face value and interpolating the other two channels out).
Thoughts?
Dante
NicoM
Well-known
That would be nice actually. Before the Monochrom came out, I thought that a BW sensor was ridiculous. I'm not starting to think that it'd be a really nice creative tool.
GaryLH
Veteran
Count me in.. I have been playing a lot w/ b&w on the dp Merrill since the new fw update that supports monochrom mode w/ raw only coupled w/ spp sw processing of the raw. Having a monochrom only version of the xp would be great. No color array issues to worry about, maybe Apple Aperture will finally get off their duff and support it. No color array for the Fuji camera to do all that work to demosaic, the camera should be more responsive w/ more CPU horsepower available.
Gary
Gary
noimmunity
scratch my niche
That would be a serious challenge to my recent "I'm done"-illusion 
back alley
IMAGES
i'm not sure if i'd want one...the b&w would have to look very much better/different/impactful than a conversion from a regular xp1...
rhl-oregon
Cameras Guitars Wonders
I'm not competent to discuss technical rationales at Dante's level, but this is simple enough: Why Not?
Surely there have been enough X-adopters who are RFFers or fellow travelers in the Tones Not Chromes camp, who own more than one camera body/system for reasons pertaining to BW/chrome preferences, and who would gladly pay for a dedicated (presumably optimized) monochrome X.
I shoot my XE1 more for monochrome results than not; I do the same with my GRD and GXR; if a monochrome X were available if/when I decide to upgrade, I'd have the pleasure of a rational alternative to the Digital Doitall package.
Surely there have been enough X-adopters who are RFFers or fellow travelers in the Tones Not Chromes camp, who own more than one camera body/system for reasons pertaining to BW/chrome preferences, and who would gladly pay for a dedicated (presumably optimized) monochrome X.
I shoot my XE1 more for monochrome results than not; I do the same with my GRD and GXR; if a monochrome X were available if/when I decide to upgrade, I'd have the pleasure of a rational alternative to the Digital Doitall package.
X-m1....
GaryLH
Veteran
dogberryjr
[Pithy phrase]
I'd be quite interested in a B&W X-Pro.
Dante_Stella
Rex canum cattorumque
aizan
Veteran
not yet. let's wait for a monochrome x-pro2.
cidereye
Film Freak
And that would be some feat in itself.
back alley
IMAGES
And that would be some feat in itself.
that's what I'm sayin'...
GaryLH
Veteran
The removal of the color matrix over-lay should in theory increase sharpness since each pixel is a monochrom value (0-255) instead of just one of the primary colors. Similar effect happended to the Leica monochrom.
Since the CPU path does not have to run thru te xtran color array algo, for the same CPU hp, that xp should be more responsive.
Gary
noimmunity
scratch my niche
Are we taking a poll? I'm in!
I guess the sensor's ISO performance would be doubled, like on the M9/MM sensor.
I guess the sensor's ISO performance would be doubled, like on the M9/MM sensor.
rkm
Well-known
Yes please
c.poulton
Well-known
I'm surprised that other camera manufacturers haven't released monochrome versions of their cameras seeing as the Leica Monochrom does appear to be quite successful in it's own right, even going against all the naysayer comments released on the boards just after it's release....
GaryLH
Veteran
I got creamed about a month ago on a Fuji x forum .. Not in rff about suggesting a monochrom. so there are naysayer everywhere. The bottom line is that if Fuji marketing thinks that there is a big enough business case for it they will do it. But they may get scared off by the naysayers...on the other hand. I suspect that they have enough on their plate right now given the lens roadmap and second gen products they need to release to keep up w/ the new competition.
Gary
so there are naysayer everywhere. The bottom line is that if Fuji marketing thinks that there is a big enough business case for it they will do it. But they may get scared off by the naysayers...on the other hand. I suspect that they have enough on their plate right now given the lens roadmap and second gen products they need to release to keep up w/ the new competition. Gary
noimmunity
scratch my niche
I got creamed about a month ago on a Fuji x forum .. Not in rff about suggesting a monochrom.
Gary
I missed all that naysaying over there.
Sheesh.