Leica Monochrome—Typ 246

The Leica Monochrome was/is a landmark in photography. An expensive one but a landmark. It represents the recognition that some users only need and think in black and white.

Leica Monochrome

Now Leica has produced another Leica Monochrome—Typ 246—a revision, upgrade, or a new beast of photographic camera. Your definition might be different but the fact is that the camera also reveals another thing: There exists a market for a BW camera, even if it is a niche camera. As I wrote in the past, I imagine that other manufacturers could take Leica in this game. In the past all manufacturers removed the anti-alias filter from the camera sensors. Now maybe it is the time to remove the Bayer filter and get excellent Black and White photographs. I see this as a potential great marketing advantage for some brands like Fuji (Maybe a X100BW?) or even a Ricoh (GR-bw?). A great BW camera in the range €500–€1000 would be killer, and prompt a lot of orders.

Until then, the Leica Monochrome is the only landmark in the Black and White camera world (if you don’t take into consideration astronomy bw cameras). One can hope . . .

New Pentax K-01 is ugly – some notes

Pentax K-01 - Ricoh

  • Ricoh and Pentax are now one and this is the first iteration of the joint company into the mirrorless cameras. The camera is ugly but not everything is bad.
  • It’s a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor. 16 Mp seems to be the latest sweat spot for APS-C cameras these days.
  • The camera is a Pentax K mount meaning that it will be compatible all those great K mount lenses available
  • The pancake lens that is going to be sold with the camera (a 40mm F2.8 – 60mm equivalent in full-frame) is one of the smallest in the world although I’d rather something wider (a 28mm f2 would be great).
  • All this comes to an end on image quality. If this sensor can make pictures at the same level as the latest cameras like the X100, M43, and Sony NEXes… it will be probably a very fun camera.