Leica to sell Black and White sensor "M" camera? (rumor)

this could be a disaster (if true)

 

so ... you want a Leica camera that doesn't have an LCD, and takes film ... sorry mate I reckon you're out of luck :sad:

 

Sounds suspiciously like a M1-M7, MP, or CL. Unless, you want it to be digital and also take film, in which case you are SOL.

Cheers,

Antonio

 

1- I doubt the part about it not having an LCD.

2- It would not be so hard to do the camera with a Monochrome sensor. Some slight changes to the firmware, mostly "Skip the Interpolation".

3- The Sensor manufacturer, used to be Kodak, would do a Monochrome version of the sensor. I called them, they told me so. Some of the same engineers where there 20 years ago when I had them do an Infrared version of the KAF-1600. Probably a run of 50 detectors to make it worth the effort at a minimum.

The advantage- much better resolution (as much as 4x) for monochrome, and twice the sensitivity.My Monochrome/Infrared version of the Kodak DCS200 was an extra $4,000 over the regular $8400 price tag. 20 years ago.


Whether the rumor is true- don't know. Would people buy it? Yes, and it would cost a premium. But, Leica sells out of their limited edition cameras and Leica photographers like to work in black and white.

Oh- and Leica did make a camera that was Digital and also took film. Just a Digital back. My DCS200ir takes film and is also Digital. If I want to use it for color, I load it with film.

 

Maybe they could do two versions, like Nikon with the D800/D800E?

 

Kodak used to do this with their DCS line of cameras. The DCS760 and the DCS760m. The IR absorbing filter was also removable.

 

hehehe ... I wonder if we've launched into discussing a camera that doesn't and won't exist?

 

Hard to say. Monochrome Digital backs are offered for medium format cameras.

I could see a monochrome version of the S2 being offered, although a number of people would buy a monochrome M9. It seems that more Leica users do Black and White conversions from their color digital cameras compared with others. Once they see what a real monochrome sensor can do, they will want one.

 

Apparently March 10th may see the announcement of more than just a b&w Leica:

Mirrorless Rumors | Blog | New whole range of Leica products to be announced on May the 10th?

 

B&W sensor ... I have no idea how that works. And why would anyone want a digital B&W only camera?

 

Don't trust me on this, but I think that having a B&W sensor mean you don't need to have a Bayer filter, or any kind of filter at all, meaning you have the maximum possible resolution. A bit like the Foveon sensors with their 3*15MP layers that Sigma claims equals 45MP (but is probably more like 25MP equiv. on a Bayer sensor), except that with a B&W sensor you'd actually HAVE 45MP. Don't know if my explanation make sense, but I'd sum up by saying that a native B&W sensor would probably give Leica the best resolution on a Full Frame camera by a large margin (at the expense of color, obviously).

I would be really surprised if they decided to produce ONLY a B&W camera, but a special edition? Why not.

 

You replace the Mosaic filter (RGB) with plain glass. Sensors are monochrome sensors, sensitive into the near Infrared. Mosaic filters are used for Color and IR absorbing glass is used to get rid of IR. Between these two filters, 3/4 of the light is absorbed before it hits the sensor. So- a visible-only Monochrome sensor has twice the ISo rating of a color sensor, and as much as 4x the resolution- when the object is all red or all blue. My first "store Bought" digital SLR from 1992 is a monochrome IR camera, special ordered from Kodak. Made on request.

The first digital sensors that we made in the early 1980s were two-color, but we used two detectors made from different material. Each of the sensors picked up a different portion of the spectrum, color without a Mosaic Filter.

 

Thanks Julien and Brian. This is way beyond my pay grade for sure!!   I'd be happy if Leica would just make things more affordable. But alas, I suppose it wouldn't be "Leica" then.

 

Leica MX. 22MP. Limited edition of 1500 units in B&W as well as Bayer colour cameras. $8K. ISO 100-6400.

Gordon

 

I wasn't interested in a B&W Leica when I first saw this thread but I think your post just gave me an orgasm. I hate to admit this but I'm getting intrigued.

 

nah, Leica wouldn't sell a camera like that for $2000. A D-Lux 5 was about $1000 when it came out, this rumoured B&W doesn't sound like it's only going to be twice the price/value/quality/category of a D-Lux 5.

 

I would not be surprised to see a GX1-based mirrorless system that can accept Leica lenses.