Pentax K3 III monochrome can be an excellent choice. No bayer filter so excellent tonal scale, sharpness. Very economical with ability to accept all Pentax K lenses and M42 with inexpensive adapter.
B&W can be very special. My gateway into B&W was the Fuji film simulations, with which I could generate Acros images along with color such as Classic Chrome. Then I saw Paul's channel and it was only a matter of time before I had my own Q2M. It is true that you can get very good B&W images while shooting color if you can see that shot in your image. But under certain conditions the Q2M spins out an image that has some sort of smoothness of gradation to the shades that live between black and white and you have something very special. Finally, the trap of this channel is that Paul is such a gifted photographer that it is easy to fool yourself into thinking that the B&W is the thing, rather than his artistry.
My best was with a Pentax Spotmatic w/28mm Vivitar TRI X 35mm rated at ASA 1000 souped in Acufine and printed on Cykora #3. It’s 50 years ago and thousands of photographs but it’s still the best.😎
Nice analysis and conclusion. Still use my film cameras for B&W photography with traditional darkroom development and printing because I love the whole process and the look I'm able to get. Watching the image slowly appear in the developer tray is still magical for me, even after several decades. I use digital for color and yes, digital can make beautiful B&W images too.
Just as b&w film did, a monochrome sensor makes you slow down and pre compose your image. That means not only protecting your highlights but also using color filters for the effect you want in the scene that you would get by adjusting color channels on a color sensor in the b&w conversion. There is a learning curve to good pure monochrome photography that takes practice to master.
My mamiya rb67 produces a negative FIVE times the size of 35 mm and gives actual film grain and I can chose grain and contrast by selecting different film stocks. For ease of use, my nikon f6, a film camera sold til october 2020 has accurate matrix metering and aperture priority, auto focus with back button focusing, 5 fps film advance, and 1/8000 sec shutter speed. It does ttl with my sb900 speed light. It's a digital camera with film transport and is the same layout as my d850. My b&w shots are the real deal, not some faked look. I finished a roll kodak tmax 400 on my mamiya 645 and am loading it into the tank for developing. I love the smell of fixer in the morning. It smells like... photography.
When I was photographing weddings one of the things that I did was to select a handful of photos and along with a color file make a B&W file. The first three weddings i photographed were for people that I worked with before I photographed my first wedding, i photographed the Memorial day event at the Correctional facility I worked at, i did that for three years before the first wedding, it gave me a chance to work in a fast paced environment where I had to position myself to get the shot without being a distraction, shooting a formal event is not easy but being able to do an event that lasts a few hours while working with a two camera setup gave me more of the skills I needed for my first wedding, it also helped that I worked with this group of people for years before I shot the first event. On the flip side it put extra pressure on me to get it right. One of my first B&W conversion is my favorite. The first wedding the bride came to the venue in a very old Buick sedan, the gentleman driving the car was also dressed for the part wearing a vest with a flat top hat as if out a 50'S Hollywood movie. The bride exited the car in an old school wedding dress wearing a pair of big sunglasses, i was standing just outside the venue entrance door that had a large awning that extended several feet from the building with a runner carpet the length of the awning/ canopy. This was my first wedding but one that many of the others could not match, the funny part was the very last wedding i photographed also was very memorable in so many ways. My last memorable event was a photo shoot for a local motorcycle group that also included a Halloween theme, renewal of wedding vows.
I still shoot weddings! I stopped doing them at one point for a couple of years and then realised I was actually missing out. I’ve taken some great portraits at weddings. You have a captive audience of so many subjects. That’s the case at most events.
Your description and analysts of these cameras is spot on. I have gone from mainly colour, to using digital cameras setup to shoot JPG ( B&W ) + RAW for each rendering. The ability to view as a monochrome and a color image I find to be a win-win, when looking at a color and asking one's self, is the color adding to the shot taken or is it distracting from the story or general quality, at which time I choose the monochrome. There is no way to predict, in most cases, what will be presented to you on the street, and I would hate to pass-up a shot which is all about the colours, and/or can be sorted out in my mind later on as to which means the most. I am shooting for subject matter first, and secondary the art within a second or two, and thus would rather have the ability to then process fully what happened once home. Street portraits, and the art of light and shadow -- building structures, is a different matter. There is the time to setup, and it is a fine-tuned art photo, almost at origin. This may favor the monochrome camera or film. In the end, however, it is all about the photography as the ultimate defining difference. I really enjoyed your video, Thank you, Loren Schwiderski - street photography
Thanks so much for watching! The monochrome only sensor camera gave me a direction when my brain was all over the place. People get such a shock when I shoot colour these days and actually sometimes I do love colour photography. I’m a big fan of Kodak Portrait 160 film and I just can’t seem to emulate the colours using digital. I guess every camera sensor has its look. We have a lot of great choices these days!
Of course on a colour sensor camera that allows you to shoot jpeg and raw, set the jpeg to B&W (B&W then shown in viewfinder and screen) you then learn to see b&w and have the option of pre-made B&W jpeg or colour RAW! Win win!😀 Great video by the way! Love your work!
When I started photographing seriously, I was a 95% color shooter. Using a DSLR, it was always easy to check if the black-and-white image was better, but black-and-white was often not on purpose when I took the picture. This changed a lot when I was a bit tired of digital photography and did a lot of my images on film. I shoot many black-and-white films because the development is much easier at home. That ignited my deep love for black-and-white photography. Black-and-white was no longer just an option in Photoshop. That forced me to think much more before the shoot and in black-and-white images. That helped me develop as a photographer. Sometimes, limited options are the way to happiness. Technically, you can do great black-and-white photography with almost every digital camera nowadays. But I see myself searching for a used Leica M10 Monochrome all the time 😂
P, you are one of the best on you tube, required viewing for all like minded photo buffs. I enjoy all your content…. Keep moving forward and upward please…. I love the channel. 📷🖤📷
My gateway to Monochrome was Tri-X and Ilford HP5 in an Olympus 35 RC. Recently my Q2M has become my favorite camera. And of course there is alway the iPhone for color ...
To be honest, in my opinion, and everybody has probably a different one, the look of film is hard to beat, especially in black and white photography. I love the look of the pictures.
Slowing down is actually a very good thing. Nowadays I shoot mainly with classic manual focus lenses on a Nikon D750, predominantly monochrome (portrait/ street/artnudes). It is not only about slowing down but also about the character of these lenses.
A very important experience for me when I shoot my monochrome Leica M is the ability to use color filters just like in my film days. Getting BW images right out of this camera which need almost no photoshop work provides a pure experience. Additionally I think the Leica Mono cameras get more nuance in gradients and steps in value, that takes much work to achieve in photoshop in RGB.
I shoot DNG/jpeg in tandem. I love monochrome first but I started to appreciate colour after getting to know Alex Webb’s work. His book The Suffering of Light is one I keep going back to. I find the mono jpegs from the M10R are excellent - better than those from the Q3. But sometimes the colour is so overwhelming I keep it. Loved the video and especially the images with the diving helmet. Superb.
I agree, get out and shoot, no matter what camera you have, and do lots of B&W if you like it. But... Color sensors do a fine job converting to monochrome, but the differences and nuances are quite apparent when compared to a monochrome sensor. The color-original images have some excess, or "fat" to them, while the monochrome sensors look cleaner. Probably the by-product of the monochrome sensor being inherently cleaner and more noise-free. I've had three cameras converted to monochrome, a Ricoh and two Sonys. I also used the M11 Monochrome for a while, but I found I missed AF. But the converted cameras are every bit as good as the M11M, the main difference lies in the Leica lenses. For anyone who's VERY serious about monochrome shooting, I highly recommend you consider a monochrome conversion. Google will provide many answers and examples.
Back in the early 1980's I bought a pack of black and white print paper from color negatives. I don't remember the name but may still have some. It worked.
Excelente señor Paul.Ví que la película no tiene comparación muy a pesar que las imágenes digitales son perfectas.Yo preferiría la película.Creo por mucho!¡saludos!
I enjoyed this. You are skilled as i have said before but you are also lucky enough to have a young lady that actually enjoys being photographed. To all the newbies to photography there is really no point in trying to work with someone who's only contribution to the process is saying...hurry up and take it... that really is soul destroying . Best wishes Jake Everyman.
Yes that shows in the photos. It is a joy to see people who actually enjoy the process. My warning is for the less lucky. Don't expect everyone else to share or even understand the art of photography. For many it is lost on them. Unfortunately. Regards Jake.
There may be a pretend shutter noise you can choose on the Q2M but I’ve never looked in the menu for it. Knowing my luck I’d forget to turn it off and get rumbled on the tube
I just find when I look at the vast majority of B&W photos I ask myself 'would that look better in colour?' and 99% of the time my answer is no... as the quote by Ted Grant goes "When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”.
@@paulreidphotography Paul, to be honest, I absolutely love grainy film (HP5+ @800 ASA in Rodinal or HC-110). I'm just a bit annoyed by the retouching, even if only in Photoshop. 😀 Have a nice day!
Very interesting ! Use my iPhone to generate some nice mono images - love film as well - Portra is my favourite ! Digital mono can be wonderful but doesn't look as nice as film - that's just me of course ! Nice images.
What I’ve noticed about film is that even when the highlights are blown they look creamy and nice! At least they do on TriX! It’s like the light is still there rather than nothing!
Enjoyed your video Paul. Monochrome only cameras are very appealing. Hope to have one in the future. Black and white photos tell stories. I do enjoy editing photos in BandW shot with my m10. I like the way Leica glass renders. My Fuji shot pics are excellent too. Thank you for the video.
I've been taking monochrome images primarily since the height of the pandemic just to show we can make it through this, now to me it shows we are adjusting to an alter life
Awesome vid Paul lovely example images as always. Personally ive been and will continue to be a life long lover of black and white. I shoot film and digital. I agonised for ages when buying my first leica i decided to go with the Q2 as opposed to the Q2m. Two years on i haven't regretted it at all the colour from the Q2 is mind blowing the mono conversations are stunning saying that my old Xpro2 knocked out some unbelievable black and white images that was until i had it modified to shoot IR now that is amazing loads of examples on my chan. Film wise HP5 FP4 and Tmax 400 are my usual faves.
That’s the beauty of film too! Every film is like a different camera is being used. Then you can develop or print in your own way and really get your own unique look.
The camera you have. It’s the photographer that takes great pictures. The camera is the tool. My Sony A77 takes great pictures whether color or B&W. But I cam from the Neolithic Film Era. And my preference is B&W film. It was the majority of film I shot working as an Army photographer. I like to think that I mastered B&W, but I’m sure that there’s more for me to learn. The camera I use the most is my Nikon FM. With Ilford FP4 or Kodak TMAX 100. I love the dynamic range of film and it doesn’t blow out the highlights like digital does. I plan to get a good rangefinder camera and see how it goes. I disagree about controlling color with monochrome film. You use color filters to work the colors with B&W film. If I want contrast of the clouds and sky. I use a red filter. If I have red and green in the picture and they are the same value. Then I can use either a red or green filter to get contrast between them. One will be light the other dark.
Paul Reid, that photograph from the lady with the scarf and headphones on, has great (out of focus) rendering. What lens Is this made with and was this an older lens?
I once saw a very detailed and objective comparison of Leica M9 Monochrome, Leica M Typ 246 Monochrome and its colour counterpart the Leica M Typ 240, using identical photo subjects under controlled lighting. To keep it simple, until the point that the iso was pushed beyond iso 1600 there was no discernible difference between the three. At higher isos iso5000 and above the 246 and the 240 were reasonably close with the M9 clearly suffering from noise effects. The 240 dles not go beyond 6400 and here the 246 was clearly pulling ahead. I myself am heavily into B&W film photography, so my IIIc, M2, M3 and even the Typ 240 do cover me well and I can not justify spending a huge amount of money on a Leica Monochrome. Others will have to decide for themselves.
I’ve done some real world testing and certainly the Q2 Monochrom is visibly cleaner even at iso 800 than anything I’ve used with a colour sensor including a Q3. The shadow detail is also wayyyyyyyyy better than anything from a colour sensor. Of course that’s not everything and I wouldn’t be shooting film if I thought it was.
That is an excellent video about black and white photography. Thank you for that. Have you considered using the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome camera? As a Pentax user my current camera is their K-5II. It's an older camera with a color sensor. I have been using it for my B&W photos lately and I really enjoy it. But now I am considering getting their monochrome camera for greater contrast and deeper blacks in my photos. It is not as expensive as A Leica, and as a retiree, that is important to me.
Here's a weird one for you: the Sigma sd Quattro (and the Sigma dp0 thru 3 point and shoots) with the Foveon 3 sensor. Sure, those sensors were famous for colour rendition, but because of the non-bayer way they have of capturing images, you lose zero micro-contrast and detail when converting to mono. Are the Foveons a royal pain in the arse? Yup. The autofocus is barely usable. Also, you're pretty much restricted to ISO 100 if you want the highest quality shots (anything over 400 is rubbish). And the Sigma Pro Photo software (used to unpack the .x3f files to convert to 16 bit TIFF before you can even import to LR or PS) is old and runs slow even on my Mac Studio M2 Ultra. So, you're getting the picture here (pardon that) - this is a slow down and get-it-right-in-camera sort of process; still subjects or macro-type work. But the images are spectacular when you do get it right. Put up against my Fuji GFX100s, you can zoom in farther with the Foveon shots before the image breaks down - like in the +500% range (and the Fuji is an amazing camera for deep detail). So, if your shooting and workflow allow, ponder these older, discontinued little gems. I liked it so much, I bought a few. Sadly, I can't say I've compared it side by side with a Leica Monochrom, but given that there is no de-mosaic bayer process (similar to the Monochrom), and you still get to play with the colour saturation sliders in LR (unlike the Monochrom), I put this forward as a very strange (but quite limiting) alternative to the myriad choices you'd see on today's camera shelves. There's usually one or two on eBay for a reasonable price. Just a thought, mate. Cheers! 🍻
@@paulreidphotography They're an acquired taste with all their restrictions, but if you work slow, for a couple hundred quid they can get you detail beyond what the GFX 100s delivers. (sure, a Phase One would blow the doors off it, but if you can afford a Phase One, you can afford new doors 😉)
Biggest issue these days is that the newer the color sensor, the worse and more plastic looking the black and white becomes. It is soo easy getting a good black and white conversion from an older sensor (say the old Canon eos 350D or the Nikon D60) and it takes ALOT more work with a modern sensor to get the raw file looking "organic". I dont know why that is though... Of course some people will say "the modern sensors are amazing for black and white!" but thats the people that like the "plastic" look or just do not question why their images look like crap.
Here are the cameras that deliver the best black & white images for me: 4x5 inch large format film camera with 65/90/135mm lenses 6x6cm medium film cameras with fixed 90mm lens 6x7cm medium format film SLR with 50/90/180mm lenses 6x7cm medium format film rangefinder with fixed 90mm lens 6x9cm medium film cameras with fixed 65mm lens 35mm small format film SLRs with 24/50/105mm lenses 35mm small format film rangefinders with 21/35/90mm lenses APS-C digital mirrorless cameras with 16/23/56mm lenses Micro 4/3 digital mirrorless cameras with 14/20/45mm lenses
Nice to have a Muse , to photograph. As an Older Single man ... I will never know that. Pity. Film has a look , 120 is better that 35 , I have color and IR sensors. Might get a monochrome , will see. Q-2 in nice package , still I love the mechanics and feel of my Film cameras. If only a Muse .... well a free man cannot have " everything " .
I’m very lucky to have a muse. Although that’s a very recent thing over the last few years. I’m also very lucky to have a number of people that just drop everything if I say I have an idea for a shoot and they are happy to pose.
What is 'Best B&W Photography' anyway? :) What is the relationship between image characteristics and how B&W Photography is perceived? For me personally, it doesn't really matter at all. An imperfect camera could create a captivating image with a story, while some esthete's monochrome rangefinder forces you to take perfect images which are crisp, in focus, and unexciting.
If I could afford a camera with a dedicated black and white sensor I'd get one but I'd miss the ability to selectively expose different colours when editing.
What camera takes the best B/W? Easy any quality film camera. Loaded with black and white film. Any film made by Kodak or Illford preferreble. You can't match it.
I cannot afford any Leica Digital Monochrom or Color version! My M3(new in 1967) amd M6TTL (2000) is my total. Sure Film costs each frame! A pittance compared to New Leica Gear ! They keep making new models, every few years! I prefer to bleed slowly! The older CCD sensor does great BW! I have a Minolta, Canon and Olympus! Simply no high ISO! 400! I never needed super ISO! I use HP5 because it dries totally flat than that crap Tri-X.Nice video..
I’ve not had a problem with Tri X curling personally. I just hang it with a weight on the end and it’s never been a problem. I do like HP5 too and preferred it for some time over Tri X until I started developing Trix the way I do and now I love Tri X more. I guess this is the beauty of film. It’s a personal journey and different looks can happen just by the way each person develops.
Interesting video. Of all my camera's I really like the flip into Black & White of my Leica Q-P, the detail is just so much better compared to my various Fuji cameras and my Lumix GX80 which I rate for it's black & white and colour above some of their later camera's. The Leica is also just such a simple camera to use.
@@cameraprepper7938 that is true!! I’ve seen plenty of terrible images from the greatest cameras. Not a fan of the monochrome sensor approach I can see.
My Nikon FM and a roll of Tri-X. Life is good.
Yeah I’d agree!! I use an FM2 and Trix
Pentax K3 III monochrome can be an excellent choice. No bayer filter so excellent tonal scale, sharpness. Very economical with ability to accept all Pentax K lenses and M42 with inexpensive adapter.
B&W can be very special. My gateway into B&W was the Fuji film simulations, with which I could generate Acros images along with color such as Classic Chrome. Then I saw Paul's channel and it was only a matter of time before I had my own Q2M. It is true that you can get very good B&W images while shooting color if you can see that shot in your image. But under certain conditions the Q2M spins out an image that has some sort of smoothness of gradation to the shades that live between black and white and you have something very special. Finally, the trap of this channel is that Paul is such a gifted photographer that it is easy to fool yourself into thinking that the B&W is the thing, rather than his artistry.
Thanks so much for watching the videos!! I really appreciate it. I think I will always want a monochrome sensor of some sort.
My best was with a Pentax Spotmatic w/28mm Vivitar TRI X 35mm rated at ASA 1000 souped in Acufine and printed on Cykora #3. It’s 50 years ago and thousands of photographs but it’s still the best.😎
Nice analysis and conclusion. Still use my film cameras for B&W photography with traditional darkroom development and printing because I love the whole process and the look I'm able to get. Watching the image slowly appear in the developer tray is still magical for me, even after several decades. I use digital for color and yes, digital can make beautiful B&W images too.
Bravo! Scanned negatives are no longer film but Digital imaging!
Just as b&w film did, a monochrome sensor makes you slow down and pre compose your image. That means not only protecting your highlights but also using color filters for the effect you want in the scene that you would get by adjusting color channels on a color sensor in the b&w conversion.
There is a learning curve to good pure monochrome photography that takes practice to master.
Of course you're 100 percent correct.
Personally, I can't "slow down". My best photos are those taken instinctively. Horses for courses.
It certainly worked for me!!!
My mamiya rb67 produces a negative FIVE times the size of 35 mm and gives actual film grain and I can chose grain and contrast by selecting different film stocks. For ease of use, my nikon f6, a film camera sold til october 2020 has accurate matrix metering and aperture priority, auto focus with back button focusing, 5 fps film advance, and 1/8000 sec shutter speed. It does ttl with my sb900 speed light. It's a digital camera with film transport and is the same layout as my d850. My b&w shots are the real deal, not some faked look. I finished a roll kodak tmax 400 on my mamiya 645 and am loading it into the tank for developing. I love the smell of fixer in the morning. It smells like... photography.
Yeah I have to say I enjoy film photography more these days!! I had an RB67 back in the day and I want one back!!
I had one never again... I will stick with GFX
The on-line course is excellent - highly recommended.
Thanks so much! So glad you are enjoying it!!!
When I was photographing weddings one of the things that I did was to select a handful of photos and along with a color file make a B&W file. The first three weddings i photographed were for people that I worked with before I photographed my first wedding, i photographed the Memorial day event at the Correctional facility I worked at, i did that for three years before the first wedding, it gave me a chance to work in a fast paced environment where I had to position myself to get the shot without being a distraction, shooting a formal event is not easy but being able to do an event that lasts a few hours while working with a two camera setup gave me more of the skills I needed for my first wedding, it also helped that I worked with this group of people for years before I shot the first event. On the flip side it put extra pressure on me to get it right. One of my first B&W conversion is my favorite. The first wedding the bride came to the venue in a very old Buick sedan, the gentleman driving the car was also dressed for the part wearing a vest with a flat top hat as if out a 50'S Hollywood movie. The bride exited the car in an old school wedding dress wearing a pair of big sunglasses, i was standing just outside the venue entrance door that had a large awning that extended several feet from the building with a runner carpet the length of the awning/ canopy. This was my first wedding but one that many of the others could not match, the funny part was the very last wedding i photographed also was very memorable in so many ways. My last memorable event was a photo shoot for a local motorcycle group that also included a Halloween theme, renewal of wedding vows.
I still shoot weddings! I stopped doing them at one point for a couple of years and then realised I was actually missing out. I’ve taken some great portraits at weddings. You have a captive audience of so many subjects. That’s the case at most events.
Any old CCD sensor camera, I'm using an old Sony A 390 at high ISA with great success!
Your description and analysts of these cameras is spot on. I have gone from mainly colour, to using digital cameras setup to shoot JPG ( B&W ) + RAW for each rendering. The ability to view as a monochrome and a color image I find to be a win-win, when looking at a color and asking one's self, is the color adding to the shot taken or is it distracting from the story or general quality, at which time I choose the monochrome. There is no way to predict, in most cases, what will be presented to you on the street, and I would hate to pass-up a shot which is all about the colours, and/or can be sorted out in my mind later on as to which means the most. I am shooting for subject matter first, and secondary the art within a second or two, and thus would rather have the ability to then process fully what happened once home. Street portraits, and the art of light and shadow -- building structures, is a different matter. There is the time to setup, and it is a fine-tuned art photo, almost at origin. This may favor the monochrome camera or film. In the end, however, it is all about the photography as the ultimate defining difference. I really enjoyed your video, Thank you, Loren Schwiderski - street photography
Thanks so much for watching! The monochrome only sensor camera gave me a direction when my brain was all over the place. People get such a shock when I shoot colour these days and actually sometimes I do love colour photography. I’m a big fan of Kodak Portrait 160 film and I just can’t seem to emulate the colours using digital. I guess every camera sensor has its look. We have a lot of great choices these days!
Of course on a colour sensor camera that allows you to shoot jpeg and raw, set the jpeg to B&W (B&W then shown in viewfinder and screen) you then learn to see b&w and have the option of pre-made B&W jpeg or colour RAW! Win win!😀 Great video by the way! Love your work!
When I started photographing seriously, I was a 95% color shooter. Using a DSLR, it was always easy to check if the black-and-white image was better, but black-and-white was often not on purpose when I took the picture. This changed a lot when I was a bit tired of digital photography and did a lot of my images on film. I shoot many black-and-white films because the development is much easier at home. That ignited my deep love for black-and-white photography. Black-and-white was no longer just an option in Photoshop. That forced me to think much more before the shoot and in black-and-white images. That helped me develop as a photographer. Sometimes, limited options are the way to happiness. Technically, you can do great black-and-white photography with almost every digital camera nowadays. But I see myself searching for a used Leica M10 Monochrome all the time 😂
I really wish I had the m10 monochrom!!
P, you are one of the best on you tube, required viewing for all like minded photo buffs. I enjoy all your content…. Keep moving forward and upward please…. I love the channel. 📷🖤📷
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your support!
Foveon camera set to B/W @ 1600 is wonderful ... I as well have a Q2M myself.
Fantastic!!
I had a smile on my face with many of your photos- a joy to watch them and listen to your insights, thanks!
Thanks so much
My gateway to Monochrome was Tri-X and Ilford HP5 in an Olympus 35 RC. Recently my Q2M has become my favorite camera. And of course there is alway the iPhone for color ...
To be honest, in my opinion, and everybody has probably a different one, the look of film is hard to beat, especially in black and white photography. I love the look of the pictures.
Yeah it’s very special and it can’t be emulated!
So essentially a monochrome sensor camera gives you the look and range you can also get in the Lightness channel of the Lab colour space?
Slowing down is actually a very good thing.
Nowadays I shoot mainly with classic manual focus lenses on a Nikon D750, predominantly monochrome (portrait/ street/artnudes). It is not only about slowing down but also about the character of these lenses.
Wonderful down to earth explanation Paul. Especially when you describe the thought process and emotional aspects of taking photographs 🙏
@@warrensnook thanks so much! And thanks for watching the videos
A very important experience for me when I shoot my monochrome Leica M is the ability to use color filters just like in my film days. Getting BW images right out of this camera which need almost no photoshop work provides a pure experience. Additionally I think the Leica Mono cameras get more nuance in gradients and steps in value, that takes much work to achieve in photoshop in RGB.
I shoot DNG/jpeg in tandem. I love monochrome first but I started to appreciate colour after getting to know Alex Webb’s work. His book The Suffering of Light is one I keep going back to. I find the mono jpegs from the M10R are excellent - better than those from the Q3. But sometimes the colour is so overwhelming I keep it. Loved the video and especially the images with the diving helmet. Superb.
Thanks so much!!! I’m glad you’ve found what works for you! It’s all about sticking with something and getting to know it!
I agree, get out and shoot, no matter what camera you have, and do lots of B&W if you like it. But...
Color sensors do a fine job converting to monochrome, but the differences and nuances are quite apparent when compared to a monochrome sensor. The color-original images have some excess, or "fat" to them, while the monochrome sensors look cleaner. Probably the by-product of the monochrome sensor being inherently cleaner and more noise-free.
I've had three cameras converted to monochrome, a Ricoh and two Sonys. I also used the M11 Monochrome for a while, but I found I missed AF. But the converted cameras are every bit as good as the M11M, the main difference lies in the Leica lenses.
For anyone who's VERY serious about monochrome shooting, I highly recommend you consider a monochrome conversion. Google will provide many answers and examples.
The Ricoh GRiii would be a good conversion if that’s possible
Back in the early 1980's I bought a pack of black and white print paper from color negatives. I don't remember the name but may still have some. It worked.
Excelente señor Paul.Ví que la película no tiene comparación muy a pesar que las imágenes digitales son perfectas.Yo preferiría la película.Creo por mucho!¡saludos!
Any camera that takes TMax
Tmax is the worst film ever! Looks exactly like most camera makers in built standard bw white profile, plastic and unnatural.
I enjoyed this. You are skilled as i have said before but you are also lucky enough to have a young lady that actually enjoys being photographed. To all the newbies to photography there is really no point in trying to work with someone who's only contribution to the process is saying...hurry up and take it... that really is soul destroying . Best wishes Jake Everyman.
I’ve been very lucky to surround myself with people who enjoy everything that goes into that final image
Yes that shows in the photos. It is a joy to see people who actually enjoy the process. My warning is for the less lucky. Don't expect everyone else to share or even understand the art of photography. For many it is lost on them. Unfortunately. Regards Jake.
Olympus D om M4T cameras has a choice of shutters including silent. Without preview to screen you dont know it's fired!
There may be a pretend shutter noise you can choose on the Q2M but I’ve never looked in the menu for it. Knowing my luck I’d forget to turn it off and get rumbled on the tube
Great video Paul, very well explained with wonderful shots. I love the emotion on the ladies face with the bride.
Thanks so much!!! I really appreciate it
I just find when I look at the vast majority of B&W photos I ask myself 'would that look better in colour?' and 99% of the time my answer is no... as the quote by Ted Grant goes "When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”.
There’s not many times I really want or need colour!!
Beautiful shots! No matter which medium...
Thanks so much!! I appreciate it!
@@paulreidphotography Paul, to be honest, I absolutely love grainy film (HP5+ @800 ASA in Rodinal or HC-110). I'm just a bit annoyed by the retouching, even if only in Photoshop. 😀 Have a nice day!
@@jerrylee7737 I love Grain too!!
What a great video. Excellent advice, well delivered.
Thanks so much!! I really appreciate it!
Very interesting ! Use my iPhone to generate some nice mono images - love film as well - Portra is my favourite !
Digital mono can be wonderful but doesn't look as nice as film - that's just me of course !
Nice images.
What I’ve noticed about film is that even when the highlights are blown they look creamy and nice! At least they do on TriX! It’s like the light is still there rather than nothing!
Enjoyed your video Paul. Monochrome only cameras are very appealing. Hope to have one in the future. Black and white photos tell stories. I do enjoy editing photos in BandW shot with my m10. I like the way Leica glass renders. My Fuji shot pics are excellent too. Thank you for the video.
Thanks for watching. My Fuji images are great. I don’t really enjoy using the cameras half as much as the Leicas
Me too. And I prefer the Leica glass.
love the Lost disk set in the background
I just got that recently. Always gives me a good feeling Lost!
@@paulreidphotography need to get this set myself. Were huge fans with my dad back in the day.
Wonderful presentation and great shots.
The camera in the hand of a real photographer 😎
Fujifilm Camera's with their built in Film Recipes, Acros, Classic Chrome and others you can get from Fuji X Weekly work great.
What kinda music was that when you showed the color sensor BW pics?
Not sure now. It’s been a while since I made this one
I've been taking monochrome images primarily since the height of the pandemic just to show we can make it through this, now to me it shows we are adjusting to an alter life
So glad you love monochrome!! Thanks for watching the videos
Awesome vid Paul lovely example images as always. Personally ive been and will continue to be a life long lover of black and white. I shoot film and digital. I agonised for ages when buying my first leica i decided to go with the Q2 as opposed to the Q2m. Two years on i haven't regretted it at all the colour from the Q2 is mind blowing the mono conversations are stunning saying that my old Xpro2 knocked out some unbelievable black and white images that was until i had it modified to shoot IR now that is amazing loads of examples on my chan. Film wise HP5 FP4 and Tmax 400 are my usual faves.
That’s the beauty of film too! Every film is like a different camera is being used. Then you can develop or print in your own way and really get your own unique look.
@@paulreidphotography absolutely right mate one.of my fave combos is a 50s bessa 2 with a roll of HP5
Great insights, thanks Paul
Thanks for watching the video! Glad you’ve enjoyed it
The camera you have. It’s the photographer that takes great pictures. The camera is the tool.
My Sony A77 takes great pictures whether color or B&W. But I cam from the Neolithic Film Era. And my preference is B&W film. It was the majority of film I shot working as an Army photographer. I like to think that I mastered B&W, but I’m sure that there’s more for me to learn. The camera I use the most is my Nikon FM. With Ilford FP4 or Kodak TMAX 100. I love the dynamic range of film and it doesn’t blow out the highlights like digital does. I plan to get a good rangefinder camera and see how it goes.
I disagree about controlling color with monochrome film. You use color filters to work the colors with B&W film. If I want contrast of the clouds and sky. I use a red filter. If I have red and green in the picture and they are the same value. Then I can use either a red or green filter to get contrast between them. One will be light the other dark.
And the digital B&W sensor camera works the same way with the same color filters as B&W film
It is about the photographer and his skills. Sensors do not have colors. They have electric charges.
Paul Reid, that photograph from the lady with the scarf and headphones on, has great (out of focus) rendering.
What lens Is this made with and was this an older lens?
I once saw a very detailed and objective comparison of Leica M9 Monochrome, Leica M Typ 246 Monochrome and its colour counterpart the Leica M Typ 240, using identical photo subjects under controlled lighting. To keep it simple, until the point that the iso was pushed beyond iso 1600 there was no discernible difference between the three. At higher isos iso5000 and above the 246 and the 240 were reasonably close with the M9 clearly suffering from noise effects. The 240 dles not go beyond 6400 and here the 246 was clearly pulling ahead. I myself am heavily into B&W film photography, so my IIIc, M2, M3 and even the Typ 240 do cover me well and I can not justify spending a huge amount of money on a Leica Monochrome. Others will have to decide for themselves.
I’ve done some real world testing and certainly the Q2 Monochrom is visibly cleaner even at iso 800 than anything I’ve used with a colour sensor including a Q3. The shadow detail is also wayyyyyyyyy better than anything from a colour sensor. Of course that’s not everything and I wouldn’t be shooting film if I thought it was.
Thanks for another thought provoking video :) :) :)
Thanks so much for watching!!
Great video Paul.
Thanks so much!!
That is an excellent video about black and white photography. Thank you for that. Have you considered using the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome camera? As a Pentax user my current camera is their K-5II. It's an older camera with a color sensor. I have been using it for my B&W photos lately and I really enjoy it. But now I am considering getting their monochrome camera for greater contrast and deeper blacks in my photos. It is not as expensive as A Leica, and as a retiree, that is important to me.
I would love a go with the Pentax to see how it feels and how the images look
There's also medium/large format film if 35mm isn't big enough.
I always try to make my digital photos looking like film camera photos
Perhaps not B and W,however the Pen F takes the best in camera monochrome images.
It does indeed!
Here's a weird one for you: the Sigma sd Quattro (and the Sigma dp0 thru 3 point and shoots) with the Foveon 3 sensor. Sure, those sensors were famous for colour rendition, but because of the non-bayer way they have of capturing images, you lose zero micro-contrast and detail when converting to mono.
Are the Foveons a royal pain in the arse? Yup. The autofocus is barely usable. Also, you're pretty much restricted to ISO 100 if you want the highest quality shots (anything over 400 is rubbish). And the Sigma Pro Photo software (used to unpack the .x3f files to convert to 16 bit TIFF before you can even import to LR or PS) is old and runs slow even on my Mac Studio M2 Ultra. So, you're getting the picture here (pardon that) - this is a slow down and get-it-right-in-camera sort of process; still subjects or macro-type work.
But the images are spectacular when you do get it right. Put up against my Fuji GFX100s, you can zoom in farther with the Foveon shots before the image breaks down - like in the +500% range (and the Fuji is an amazing camera for deep detail).
So, if your shooting and workflow allow, ponder these older, discontinued little gems. I liked it so much, I bought a few. Sadly, I can't say I've compared it side by side with a Leica Monochrom, but given that there is no de-mosaic bayer process (similar to the Monochrom), and you still get to play with the colour saturation sliders in LR (unlike the Monochrom), I put this forward as a very strange (but quite limiting) alternative to the myriad choices you'd see on today's camera shelves. There's usually one or two on eBay for a reasonable price.
Just a thought, mate. Cheers! 🍻
That is really interesting! Makes me want a go with one!
@@paulreidphotography They're an acquired taste with all their restrictions, but if you work slow, for a couple hundred quid they can get you detail beyond what the GFX 100s delivers. (sure, a Phase One would blow the doors off it, but if you can afford a Phase One, you can afford new doors 😉)
Biggest issue these days is that the newer the color sensor, the worse and more plastic looking the black and white becomes. It is soo easy getting a good black and white conversion from an older sensor (say the old Canon eos 350D or the Nikon D60) and it takes ALOT more work with a modern sensor to get the raw file looking "organic". I dont know why that is though... Of course some people will say "the modern sensors are amazing for black and white!" but thats the people that like the "plastic" look or just do not question why their images look like crap.
Yeah that’s true!!! We have been wrapped up in the no noise rule for a long time until most of us realised it didn’t matter
Here are the cameras that deliver the best black & white images for me:
4x5 inch large format film camera with 65/90/135mm lenses
6x6cm medium film cameras with fixed 90mm lens
6x7cm medium format film SLR with 50/90/180mm lenses
6x7cm medium format film rangefinder with fixed 90mm lens
6x9cm medium film cameras with fixed 65mm lens
35mm small format film SLRs with 24/50/105mm lenses
35mm small format film rangefinders with 21/35/90mm lenses
APS-C digital mirrorless cameras with 16/23/56mm lenses
Micro 4/3 digital mirrorless cameras with 14/20/45mm lenses
That’s a lot of choice!! I still haven’t tried large format!!! I would love to!!
That would be any camera I can shoot a roll of HP5
Nice to have a Muse , to photograph. As an Older Single man ... I will never know that. Pity. Film has a look , 120 is better that 35 , I have color and IR sensors. Might get a monochrome , will see. Q-2 in nice package , still I love the mechanics and feel of my Film cameras. If only a Muse .... well a free man cannot have " everything " .
You can always work with models
I’m very lucky to have a muse. Although that’s a very recent thing over the last few years. I’m also very lucky to have a number of people that just drop everything if I say I have an idea for a shoot and they are happy to pose.
What is 'Best B&W Photography' anyway? :) What is the relationship between image characteristics and how B&W Photography is perceived? For me personally, it doesn't really matter at all. An imperfect camera could create a captivating image with a story, while some esthete's monochrome rangefinder forces you to take perfect images which are crisp, in focus, and unexciting.
That's why I left my local camera club. Nothing but "perfect" images as you describe.
Yeah technically perfect rarely hits the heart!
Brilliant as always, great presentation Paul📷📷📷
Thanks so much for watching the videos
If I could afford a camera with a dedicated black and white sensor I'd get one but I'd miss the ability to selectively expose different colours when editing.
What camera takes the best B/W? Easy any quality film camera. Loaded with black and white film. Any film made by Kodak or Illford preferreble. You can't match it.
I cannot afford any Leica Digital Monochrom or Color version! My M3(new in 1967) amd M6TTL (2000) is my total. Sure Film costs each frame! A pittance compared to New Leica Gear ! They keep making new models, every few years! I prefer to bleed slowly! The older CCD sensor does great BW! I have a Minolta, Canon and Olympus! Simply no high ISO! 400! I never needed super ISO! I use HP5 because it dries totally flat than that crap Tri-X.Nice video..
I’ve not had a problem with Tri X curling personally. I just hang it with a weight on the end and it’s never been a problem. I do like HP5 too and preferred it for some time over Tri X until I started developing Trix the way I do and now I love Tri X more. I guess this is the beauty of film. It’s a personal journey and different looks can happen just by the way each person develops.
A Nikon F100
Always a pleasure to hear you talking about photography !
Thanks so much for watching the videos. I appreciate the support.
I never use a digital camera for my b&w photos. To me, digital cameras sterilize the picture. I'm a fan of grain in my photos.
Me too! As in I love shooting film more than digital
Your film shots blow your others away. It’s not even close.
Tri-x ;)
Yeah!! That’s my favourite!!!
...your eye i suppose
Interesting video. Of all my camera's I really like the flip into Black & White of my Leica Q-P, the detail is just so much better compared to my various Fuji cameras and my Lumix GX80 which I rate for it's black & white and colour above some of their later camera's. The Leica is also just such a simple camera to use.
Fantastic
The camera with the experienced photographer behind the camera !!! Monochrome sensor cameras are stupid !
@@cameraprepper7938 that is true!! I’ve seen plenty of terrible images from the greatest cameras. Not a fan of the monochrome sensor approach I can see.
We all know that these Leica cameras disappoint when it comes to image quality.
Except me!
Lol😂😂
Stopped watching this video when the Leica Q2 Monochrome was produced in the first minutes. Way out of reach for ordinary mortals like me.
@@emeraldisland2023 should have carried on. There’s also a Canon 5D Mkii
The Leica is way out of my reach as is the the blonde lady who lives next door.
They do make regular appearances in my dreams though.