Leica M Monochrom: Is there are Market for Black and White Only Cameras?

Photography enthusiasts demand a lot from their cameras: while about fifteen or twenty years ago it was quite rare to see an SLR camera in a household due to their high cost and rather complicated use, nowadays everything has become quite simplified and DSLRs are rather easy to operate. This is why for many, a simple point-and-shoot digital camera isn’t considered enough anymore as people want to get as professional a result as possible. One of the things that amateur photographers look for in an expensive DSLR camera is the number of features it contains. While an automatic setting might be oftentimes used instead of using manual settings; amateurs like the on-board editing tools that come as part and package of a higher-end camera. What most camera consumers want is a wide variety of options; the higher the price, the more there should be.

However, this is not the case with Leica, who has recently unveiled their Leica M Monochrom, which is a black-and-white only camera; some photography enthusiasts are calling the camera manufacturer “nuts” for putting what they think is a limited camera on the market for a hefty $8,000. Interestingly enough, Leica manufactured this camera without a target customer base in mind; the only objective was to release a high quality B&W digital SLR camera that would produce top-of-the-line images. According to reviewers, although the price tag is indeed hefty, this is the camera that photojournalists and street photographers should absolutely splurge on; it is simply the best DSLR on the market, period.
Features

•18 MP 23.9 X 35.8 mm, 18 MP Dedicated Black-and-White Sensor
•ISO range 320-10,000, “pulled” to ISO 1600
•Center-weighted TTL metering
•Manual Exposure and Aperture-priority
•Hot shoe
•Viewfinder Magnification 0.68
•DNG RAW, JPEG File Formats
•Shutter Speeds B, 8-1/4000 sec
•2.5 inch LCD Monitor with 230,000 Pixel Resolution
•Noise Reduction available

As far as looks go, the Leica M Monochrom is discreet, subtle, and Spartan. It is designed for serious experienced photographers, so while it might not be the appropriate camera for a person who needs to have the latest “It” gadget no matter the cost, this will be an excellent camera for those who have used Leica cameras before or want to take their black and white photography to the next level. There is no autofocus on the Leica M Monochrom; however the rangefinder is very easy to use; overlapping images will merge in a rectangle. The only feature that leaves something to be desired is the LCD screen; the resolution isn’t high enough and previews can look a little dark. The battery can drain quite quickly, considering that there is no energy draining autofocus or image stabilization; only about 4 hours of heavy shooting can be done before the battery runs out. It is therefore recommended that a second battery be purchased for long shooting days.

The image quality the camera produces is the best on the market – by far. Comparable cameras in the same price range that have B&W as an option will produce photos with much more noise and fewer subtleties in light. The camera also has a great recovery time, making it the camera of choice for those working in the field of photojournalism. In all, the price of the Leica M Monochrom may be high, but it will probably be very enthusiastically received by savvy photographers and will become another one of Leica’s iconic products.