Micro 4/3 Panasonic's in-camera Monochrome filter/s

Location
Talent, Oregon (far from the madding crowd)
Name
Miguel Tejada-Flores
I am currently using a slightly out-of-date Panasonic Lumix GX8 camera - but like quite a few Lumixes I've used in the past, it features some nifty in-camera monochrome 'styles'. Which, to be honest, most of the time I never use - I've always tended to do monochrome conversions from RAW files, in Lightroom, with occasional dedicated monochrome plug-ins like Nik's Silver Efex, just for fun. And, unlike the newer Lumixes - including the GX9 and the G9 - as well as the all-in-one FZ1000ii - which all feature the even niftier (apparently) l. monochrome d. filter - with my older GX8, the most interesting (to me) available one... was the 'Dynamic Monochrome' setting.

So I put the camera in Dynamic Monochrome mode (a dial selection) and went for a walk up the rural lane which runs from my house up into the foothills of some southern Oregon mountains. It was a cloudy day---

GX8_Jan18_21_clouds_over_Siskiyous.jpg
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One of the first things you learn in a dedicated Picture Mode - is that once you've selected it, the camera automates the process - i.e. it chooses what it feels is an appropriate shutter speed and aperture as well. I'm not a fan of this kind of automation but I didn't have much choice.

To my surprise, the tonal qualities turn out to be... interesting. And the GX8's EVF is a decent tool for 'seeing' what one is framing in monochrome - although for many reasons what you 'see' is always different than the look of the digital negative the camera produces.

GX8_Jan18_21_leaves.jpg
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The lens I'm using for these is the (in my opinion) excellent (and underrated) 12-35mm Lumix G zoom, with a fixed f/2.8 aperture and rather good image quality for a zoom.

GX8_Jan18_21_leaves+branch.jpg
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It's actually rather fun, for a change, to have the camera create usable and interesting monochrome photos by itself, instead of having to labor away in after-the-fact post processing.

GX8_Jan18_21_white_tree.jpg
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I think my favorite images, though, are the wider landscapes - keeping the zoom lens at its wider end.
This photo - of a local irrigation ditch - has tonal qualities which I find really pleasing.

GX8_Jan18_21_irrigation_ditch.jpg
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The last image, at the end of the walk, is of a four-legged neighbor, having a quiet afternoon. I had the GX8 set to RAW + jpeg - but the color RAW image felt busy and wrong... whereas the monochrome comes closer to what I had in the back of my mind, before pressing the shutter.

GX8_Jan18_21_horse+trees.jpg
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Bottom line: I think I'm going to keep using this Picture Mode for awhile.... just to see what it can produce.
If other Lumixians care to contribute their own Monochromes to this thread, dive in! I'd be especially interested to see samples of "l monochrome d" which so many users rave about --- does it live up to its billing?
 
Those look good, really good. I did use dynamic monochrome a little in older Lumixes, but not enough. Here's some examples of the L Monochrome, came before the "D" variant and debuted in the GX85 I think. It's a more muted style, especially with the green filter which I think I chose for most of these, but the subtle separation of tones is really nice.

2021-01-18_10-36-49.jpg
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2021-01-18_10-36-16.jpg
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2021-01-18_10-35-55.jpg
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2021-01-18_10-35-41~2.jpg
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I am currently using a slightly out-of-date Panasonic Lumix GX8 camera - but like quite a few Lumixes I've used in the past, it features some nifty in-camera monochrome 'styles'. Which, to be honest, most of the time I never use - I've always tended to do monochrome conversions from RAW files, in Lightroom, with occasional dedicated monochrome plug-ins like Nik's Silver Efex, just for fun. And, unlike the newer Lumixes - including the GX9 and the G9 - as well as the all-in-one FZ1000ii - which all feature the even niftier (apparently) l. monochrome d. filter - with my older GX8, the most interesting (to me) available one... was the 'Dynamic Monochrome' setting.

So I put the camera in Dynamic Monochrome mode (a dial selection) and went for a walk up the rural lane which runs from my house up into the foothills of some southern Oregon mountains. It was a cloudy day---

View attachment 246437

One of the first things you learn in a dedicated Picture Mode - is that once you've selected it, the camera automates the process - i.e. it chooses what it feels is an appropriate shutter speed and aperture as well. I'm not a fan of this kind of automation but I didn't have much choice.

To my surprise, the tonal qualities turn out to be... interesting. And the GX8's EVF is a decent tool for 'seeing' what one is framing in monochrome - although for many reasons what you 'see' is always different than the look of the digital negative the camera produces.

View attachment 246440

The lens I'm using for these is the (in my opinion) excellent (and underrated) 12-35mm Lumix G zoom, with a fixed f/2.8 aperture and rather good image quality for a zoom.

View attachment 246439

It's actually rather fun, for a change, to have the camera create usable and interesting monochrome photos by itself, instead of having to labor away in after-the-fact post processing.

View attachment 246441

I think my favorite images, though, are the wider landscapes - keeping the zoom lens at its wider end.
This photo - of a local irrigation ditch - has tonal qualities which I find really pleasing.

View attachment 246438

The last image, at the end of the walk, is of a four-legged neighbor, having a quiet afternoon. I had the GX8 set to RAW + jpeg - but the color RAW image felt busy and wrong... whereas the monochrome comes closer to what I had in the back of my mind, before pressing the shutter.

View attachment 246442

Bottom line: I think I'm going to keep using this Picture Mode for awhile.... just to see what it can produce.
If other Lumixians care to contribute their own Monochromes to this thread, dive in! I'd be especially interested to see samples of "l monochrome d" which so many users rave about --- does it live up to its billing?
Not quite the same but nevertheless similar to the GR/GRII mono modes, I love the first one due to the minimalism.
 
Those look good, really good. I did use dynamic monochrome a little in older Lumixes, but not enough. Here's some examples of the L Monochrome, came before the "D" variant and debuted in the GX85 I think. It's a more muted style, especially with the green filter which I think I chose for most of these, but the subtle separation of tones is really nice.

View attachment 246449

View attachment 246451

View attachment 246452

View attachment 246453

Very cool, Andrew.
I think you really articulated it beautifully, as well - "the subtle separation of tones"
 
I won't lie, half the reason I tried out an LX100II was for L Mono D, if the results had been the same as the GX9 with the 20mm 1.7 or 30mm 1.4, I'd have had a difficult monetary justification to try and make! Unfortunately the sensor/lens combo just don't have the same secret sauce as the GX9 (and I'm sure subsequent models with it: G95, G9, G100... now that last one may become a very interesting value proposition in a couple years).

You guys may remember my April Single In was all L Monochrome D on the GX9, here are a few examples, a couple of which are on my wall now.

P1000464.JPG
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P1000514 (2).JPG
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P1000778.JPG
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P1000615 (2).JPG
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P1000222 (2).JPG
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P1000270.JPG
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I won't lie, half the reason I tried out an LX100II was for L Mono D, if the results had been the same as the GX9 with the 20mm 1.7 or 30mm 1.4, I'd have had a difficult monetary justification to try and make! Unfortunately the sensor/lens combo just don't have the same secret sauce as the GX9 (and I'm sure subsequent models with it: G95, G9, G100... now that last one may become a very interesting value proposition in a couple years).

You guys may remember my April Single In was all L Monochrome D on the GX9, here are a few examples, a couple of which are on my wall now.

View attachment 246524

View attachment 246525

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View attachment 246527

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I do remember these, Andrew. What a lovely series.
I'm sorry the LX100ii doesn't have the same secret 'l monochrome d' sauce as your GX9 did.
I remember some years ago Kirk Tuck posted a series of l monochrome d photos he had taken with a recently acquired FZ1000ii which had similarly gorgeous (and subtle) tones as yours do.
 
A few more taken with the 'Dynamic Monochrome' jpeg effect in my GX8.
First, a wide view of the local RR Xing where the train tracks come through town--

GX8_Jan19_21_RR_Xing_#2.jpg
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Then, another angle from slightly closer--

GX8_Jan19_21_RR_Xing_#1.jpg
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Then a vertical angle--

GX8_Jan19_21_RR_Xing_#3.jpg
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A nearby street sign whose name intrigued me--

GX8_Jan19_21_New_St.jpg
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And finally, the mural which adorns a small local shop--

GX8_Jan19_21_Talent_Oregon.jpg
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It's clear that the monochrome modes in Panasonic cameras were styled to replicate B&W film with a color filter. I've wondered before what it would be like shooting digital with a color filter in place... I might give it a try with the GF7, currently the only Panasonic left in the house, in a couple days.
 
Conducting ongoing in-camera monochrome experiments with my new (to me) GX9, which has replaced by GX8 (that, with some regrets, has gone to a new life with another photographer). These were all taken with the l monochrome d setting, and lightly tweaked to adjust some bits of light, shadow or contrast to my liking.

Train cars sitting at a local railroad --

GX9_Jan28_21_Southern_Pacific.jpg
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The tools of a boot repair person who also repairs saddles --

GX9_Jan28_21_Saddlemaker_tools.jpg
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A toadstool that has sprung up after the recent rains here in Oregon---

GX9_Jan30_21_Toadstool.jpg
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One of its neighboring fungi---

GX9_Jan31_21_Mushroom_top(mono).jpg
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And finally a side profile view of the same shroom---

GX9_Jan31_21_Mushroom_side(mono).jpg
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It's a different and in some ways slightly more subtle (or possible less harsh) look - but I can see exploring it further.
 
I’ve only just found out that on the GX9 you can apply colour filters to the L Monochrome D setting (in fact all the mono settings). It has to be done from the main menu as far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any way of doing so from the quick menu. Nevertheless I’ll do some experimenting with that. I’m currently getting to grips with the seemingly thousands of options in the E-M1 menus so I may be a while!
 
I’ve only just found out that on the GX9 you can apply colour filters to the L Monochrome D setting (in fact all the mono settings). It has to be done from the main menu as far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any way of doing so from the quick menu. Nevertheless I’ll do some experimenting with that. I’m currently getting to grips with the seemingly thousands of options in the E-M1 menus so I may be a while!
You can also apply those to RAW files when developing a JPEG in camera. That is what I usually did.
 
I’ve only just found out that on the GX9 you can apply colour filters to the L Monochrome D setting (in fact all the mono settings). It has to be done from the main menu as far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any way of doing so from the quick menu. Nevertheless I’ll do some experimenting with that. I’m currently getting to grips with the seemingly thousands of options in the E-M1 menus so I may be a while!
I have the Picture Styles set to the Fn1 button. That way I can just press that button with my thumb while looking through the viewfinder and use my index finger to roll the ring around the shutter button to change the Picture Style. As you get to each Picture Style the settings are there for a quick change if required. I also have the Aspect Ratio set to the Fn2 button so I can quickly change from 3:2 to 16:9 or 1:1 as I want.
 
A few more shots, all taken with the l monochrome d setting on my GX9.
All taken in the area of the small Oregon town where I live which, months ago, was devastated by what began as an out-of-control wildfire - but spread into the town itself.

GX9_Feb10_21_burned_doorway.jpg
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And---

GX9_Feb10_21_burned_window+hydrant.jpg
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And one more to finish this short series---

GX9_Feb10_21_burned_car.jpg
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