When we shot file we were stuck with the characteristic curve of the emulsion. With B&W, as Adams pointed out with the zone system, it was possible to control the characteristic curve through a combination of exposure and development. Along with exposure, development, dodging and burning the print.
All to get the balance between highlight (shoulder) roll off, mid-tone contrast (steepness of curve) and shadow detail (toe).
The Sony A7RII, as pointed out, has a wider dynamic range than earlier cameras. This means more detail captured in highlight and shadow area pixels. Using a linear rather than a tone curve with shoulder and toe roll off, extends the tonal range but makes for a dull image.
Kodak, when creating a market for color prints early one, decided that punchy, saturated colors were what would attract customers. That, through long years of exposure has become an accepted normal image.
As others have pointed out, we have many tools in processing software that are useful for manipulating the tone curve and color.
Generally, there should be something "black" in an image. (0,0,0) and something approaching white (255,255,255). Visually, most people want to see mid-tone contrast as well. (Steeper than linear mid-tone curve.) How one gets there depends on software, taste and experience.
Its possible, by creating a custom profile for the Sony A7RII, to get input images that are even flatter and muddier looking. Its a useful approach when attempting to get maximum dynamic range. Its also possible to combine multiple frames shot at a range of exposures (bracketing) into a 32-bit floating point file that offers even broader dynamic range manipulation. i.e. it doubles the range of all the exposure module sliders in Lightroom and camera raw. Not sure if C1 and other handle those files.
HDR processing is another approach that has found some popularity for processing wide dynamic range files.
This lengthly explanation is intended to suggest that flat, dull, files on import into processing software is good.