what if...

back alley

back alley

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...someone wanted to shoot digital, black and white and could not afford (or maybe doesn't want) a leica monochrom...
would it be 'better' to shoot raw and convert to black & white or shoot jpeg and in mono in the first place?
would there be a difference in the end result (image)...

and please don't assume that a 'film like' result is desired.
 
Since every shot starts with raw, it's just a matter if the user prefers the in-camera jpeg B&W conversion or if they prefer to convert in post.
 
RAW because it will retain more exposure latitude than a JPG.
There would be a difference if you are prepared to do some post-processing and understand the software you're using.
 
Yes, but one can't print from a RAW image. :) They all have to be converted into other formats at some point...it's just a matter of whether the camera does it, or the user.
 
Regardless of whether you work with JPEG or RAW, you should set up your digital camera to display only B&W on the LCD, so your shooting mind-set isn't jolted out of B&W mode every time you review an image.
 
digitalintrigue said:
Yes, but one can't print from a RAW image. :) They all have to be converted into other formats at some point...it's just a matter of whether the camera does it, or the user.
Click to expand...

When you are printing from the print module in lightroom, you aren't converting the RAW to print right? or is it doing it behind the scenes in the print module?
 
I shoot in color, even though I "see" in B&W.

I can always convert to B&W later, but I can't go back and get color.

Rick - Missing the smell of hypo in the morning. ;o)
 
digitalintrigue said:
Yes, but one can't print from a RAW image. :) They all have to be converted into other formats at some point...it's just a matter of whether the camera does it, or the user.
Click to expand...

This is true but the question is whether you want the camera computer to use a default setting or whether you want to choose how the image is handled. You also have the diference in 8 bit vs 14 bit. RAW definitely gives more latitude in PP.

Personally, I leave everything RAW until I want to output to web or print, then convert to jpeg. Lightroom makes this incredibly easy.
 
I'd love to have an M Monochrom in addition to the M9 or new M. But there's a limit to my budget, which at present doesn't cover that addition. Maybe someday.

What I do: Capture raw, use Lightroom to render as color or monochrome depending. Output the final work as desired to TIFF archives and JPEG deliverables.

If you happen to like a particular camera's B&W rendering settings, by all mean use them. I don't bother setting anything beyond the image processing defaults on my cameras as in my image processing, I always use just the raw files anyway.

(I've been shooting B&W film while viewing the scene in color for over 40 years, see no reason to change what the camera LCD or EVF displays to my eyes. ... :)

G
 
back alley said:
...someone wanted to shoot digital, black and white and could not afford (or maybe doesn't want) a leica monochrom...
would it be 'better' to shoot raw and convert to black & white or shoot jpeg and in mono in the first place?
would there be a difference in the end result (image)...

and please don't assume that a 'film like' result is desired.
Click to expand...

Joe - it would be incorrect to assume that shooting RAW with any camera then converting to B&W would be "the same" as shooting with a Monochrom.

With no anti-alias filter, the level of detail and the resolution that you get with a Monochrom are, IMHO, game-changers. If you have the money and want to shoot digi B&W, IMHO, a Monochrom is the best option.

However, given the cost constraint, the next best thing would be to shoot RAW then convert to a lossless format (TIF/DNG) for storage, then to JPEG for printing.
 
Ed Weatherly said:
This is true but the question is whether you want the camera computer to use a default setting or whether you want to choose how the image is handled. You also have the diference in 8 bit vs 14 bit. RAW definitely gives more latitude in PP.

Personally, I leave everything RAW until I want to output to web or print, then convert to jpeg. Lightroom makes this incredibly easy.
Click to expand...



That's true, that's what I said in the second post. Shoot jpeg+raw to cover all bases.
 
unixrevolution said:
Ok, I'm curious. Why can't you print from RAW?
Click to expand...

Assuming there was a way to do this, a RAW image has not had anything applied to it; to name one, how about the white balance.

It's just a bunch of data, it's not an image until it has been processed. There isn't even a standard raw file format...every manufacturer has a different way of encoding the data.
 
as so often... it depends. on you and your camera.

a raw is not a ready picture just the base for it. so the question is, if you are able and willing to make a better picture then the automatism of your camera.

this depends on your skills and your time you want to spend in pp.

also on the capabilities of your camera. e.g. i think the ricoh grds have a great out of the cam bw output.
other cameras make just terrible ooc bw pics.
 
Converting from RAW gives you more control over how tones are rendered - like colour filters for film B&W but with way more flexibility. Want a red filter effect for dark skies? Pull back the blue slider to taste. Maybe push the yellow up a bit for more contrast. On the Monochrom you are back to traditional colour filters because the sensor doesn't distinguish between colours.

Also, on some cameras, the onboard JPEG engine tends to destroy small details that you could salvage from RAW in LR/Aperture. My little GRD definitely does this, especially at anything higher than base ISO. The Fujis are supposed to have very good in-camera JPEGs, though.

For Monochrom-like pixel-level sharpness, the Foveon sensors in the Sigma DP-series compacts are worth a look. Some very impressive samples can be found on the web.
 
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