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Dedicated Monochrome Cameras

scho

Well-known member
Carl, I am quite unsure about using colored filters, especially orange/red ones with modern lenses. As is, they seem a bit too contrasty to me. If I put the supplied (usually oversized) hood on the lens, that itself seems to be enough?

I am trying with older lenses though, especially the ones with built in filters.

Keep them coming. All very useful information. :)

Generally true, but I find that the converted monochrome needs some additional contrast help in landscapes to bring out sky detail, lighten/darken foliage, etc. Particularly since we no longer have bayer tonal control in post with rgb channel mixing.
 

2WK

Member
I like the visible sun-screen shots. That would be a cool series. Get some closer portraits too maybe. :thumbs:
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Not a fancy lens. In fact, a pretty unknown triplet enlarger lens, a Steinheil Cassar 50mm /3.5. Credit to the fabulous monochrome A7rII(m).

Untitled by Vivek Iyer, on Flickr

Sony A7rII(m), Cassar 50mm f/3.5, The Hague
 

scho

Well-known member
Looking south from Steamboat Landing on Cayuga Inlet toward Lookout Point. a7R(m) Zeiss Batis 85/1.8.

 
I like the work shown here, but have a question: is it really worth it? For me, the problem with a monochrome camera is that you sacrifice the option of using the color sliders in BW conversion to alter tones within the image. I shoot mostly landscapes and really appreciate the opportunity to use what amount to a full range of filters Y, G, R, etc. – when postprocessing.

I experimented pretty carefully when I had the original Leica Monochrom and a Sony A7r2, and found that in 17x22" prints, there was no discernable difference in image quality – experienced photographers couldn't tell one from another. The main difference was that I could lighten/darken the leaves and grasses with the Sony files by using LR/PS yellow slider, and/or darken the skies with blue slider.

Since then I've used A7r2 with Kolari sensor mod and TAP adapter. I can use all my Leica lenses in focal lengths from 35 Cron V4 and above, this way; also, for 16-35mm wide angles, the MATE and WATE; and classic Zeiss C/Y lenses via C/Y to M adapter mounted in TAP. I shoot with the VF in BW mode. I can't imagine a more flexible system, allowing options of color images and BW with conversions using color sliders.

Not trolling – just want to suggest another quite viable option for fine BW image quality.

Kirk
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Awesome! :thumbs:

I would love to see how the A7RII mono converted compares to the MM. I have the M246 and love it and have shot with the Phase One IQ3 Achromatic+ which whilst was great, it wasn't $45k+ great enough.

I wonder if monochromeimaging could convert a Fuji GFX to mono? (I've been seriously considering picking one up for dedicated mono / IR and either going full spectrum or bayer array stripped.) I assume that monochromeimaging do a chemical etch on the sensor?
Hey Graham,
After Vivek turned me on to Dante's, erm I mean Daniel's, services at monochromeimaging, I did reach out to him about converting a GFX. He said technically it's possible but will depend on the sensor assembly, and wouldn't know if it's actually possible until he got one on his bench and disassembled it. I think he quoted $100 or $150 for the inspection/disassembly, which would be deducted from the conversion cost if conversion was possible.

If you explore it further definitely let us know! I'd love a dedicated monochrom/IR MF camera and don't think I'll ever be able to justify IQ3 Achro prices, even if I could afford it. Was planning on exploring the possibility of GFX conversion myself down the line in a couple years after the GFX-100 comes out when I could pick up a cheap second hand one. In the meantime, I may get an A7R and send it over for conversion sometime soonish if I can find the funds.
-Todd
 
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Vivek

Guest
Kirk, i hope you read what you typed in. Compared an MM output to A7rII and that convinced you that a color camera is better? :confused:

A7rII(m) does better than Rx1RII (same pixel count) for me. Besides, i already mentioned what other advantages are there for me.

Your Techpro adapter is a no go on a converted camera. However, a converted camera auto focuses with native lenses and is blazingly fast compared to a Leica MM.;)
 
Yup, I had my brain turned on while writing, and said what I meant. When comparing prints on 17x22 paper, BW conversions from A7r2's larger sensor and MM's lack of Bayer array cancelled out, and my peer/critique group (one of whom is a professional color management consultant) couldn't consistently distinguish the two in terms of image quality. Have you made the same comparison, asked some peers for evaluations, and come up with different results?

Kirk
 
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Vivek

Guest
How you can make an arguement for a bayer sensor based on how well a lower pixel count monochrome camera performed against it is beyond me. :confused:

Have you considered how well a 42MP debayered monochrome would do against an 18mp monochrome camera?
 
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Vivek

Guest
The flight of Icarus.

Untitled by Vivek Iyer, on Flickr

Sony A7rII(m), Cosina 12/5.6, STC Clip on UV-IR cut filter​

A respected member asked me if the monochrome (debayered) camera came to me "clean" from monochrome imaging. It was clean down to every pixel, enabling me to stop any lens way down without seeing any debris anywhere. Here the Cosina was stopped down to f/16.
 
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Vivek

Guest
Radioactive lenses with thorium in one or many elements, especially the ones with a slight yellow tint are just superb. I think I might have found my "perfect" 50 for monochrome in a Canon FD 50/1.8 (48mm filter). Bokeh could be bit odd.





Sony A7rII(m), Canon FD 50/1.8, The Hague

A radioactive Nikkor 35/1.4 also does well but the new ZM Distagon 35/1.4 is way better. So, until a replacement could be found, it is going to the FD 50. :)
 

scho

Well-known member
The end is nigh for this overgrown barn. a7R(m) + Astronomik clip-on hot mirror with Contax G 45/2 Planar. Click image for full size and lots of detail.

 

vonalpen

Active member
Interesting thread!
Just another thumbs up for Daniel's service at Monochrome Imaging, my converted Sony A6000 has arrived:
Great service, perfect shipping and professional communication.
My first impressions are very positive, including testing various filters for black & white and infrared, my expectations have already been exceeded.
Processing with Monochrome2DNG is easy, too.
I will now take my time to do further evaluation, including autofocus performance with different lenses.
One of the lenses mentioned already by Vivek, the Zeiss 1,4/35mm really shines, with manual focus only, of course.
Still getting used to having to put filters on the lenses again.
As there's no demosaicing involved, files are certainly very clean and show much higher resolution than the ones from the original sensor with the RGB stack.

Have fun!

Jost
 

KenLee

Active member
The end is nigh for this overgrown barn. a7R(m) + Astronomik clip-on hot mirror with Contax G 45/2 Planar. Click image for full size and lots of detail.
This is the first compelling sample image I've seen: excellent. Has it been sharpened or is it right out of the camera please ?
 

scho

Well-known member
This is the first compelling sample image I've seen: excellent. Has it been sharpened or is it right out of the camera please ?
Thanks Ken. Image was handheld shot in raw mode and the ARW file was run through Monochrome2DNG. Light capture sharpening (60, 0.7, 50, 20) applied in Lightroom before exporting as a jpeg to Flickr.
 

KenLee

Active member
Thanks Ken. Image was handheld shot in raw mode and the ARW file was run through Monochrome2DNG. Light capture sharpening (60, 0.7, 50, 20) applied in Lightroom before exporting as a jpeg to Flickr.
Lovely ! Apparently its already so &^$! sharp that heavy sharpening would only degrade it.
 

scho

Well-known member
Trunk of an old sugar maple. a7R(m) Astronomik sensor clip-on hot mirror Pentax Super-Takumar 35/2. Click to see texture of the tree bark.

 
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