• Members 8 posts
    March 31, 2023, 12:10 p.m.

    This will be my first post here with my first question. I am wanting to start doing black and white photography again and I am using Fujifilm cameras for my general photography. My question is will using a Leica Q2 monochrome and b&w filters (since I have some from when I used to shot b&w fill which I can adapt) be a better option than using Fuji film simulations. I know that there is not a yes or no answer and I am just looking for some input.
    Now to drive across the sate of Wyoming in a spring snow storm.

    Thanks in advance

    Rich

  • Members 304 posts
    March 31, 2023, 1:18 p.m.

    I went from using a Fuji Pro2 followed by Pro3 to use a Q2M. Since I picked up the Q2M about a year or so ago, my Fuji's have gotten little use. My normal workflow with the fuji was shooting raw and using Silver Efex. I also shoot raw on the Q2M. However, both produce nice jpegs. The Q2M is 47 MP and the Fuji is 26. On top of that the Q2M does not have a CFA so the effective resolution is the native resolution of 47. With a CFA camera one loses about half the resolution through the interpolation process to produce a true color image. On top of that sensitivity wise the monochrome sensor is about 1 stop better in DR because each pixel gets all the light. Those two differences show up with the Q2M images having smoother tonal gradations and about a stop more dynamic range. I find objectively the Q2M images are just richer. I think it is worth it. I still use my Pro3 but not much. If the 28 mm lens on the Q2M is too wide one has no options. So if I need a longer lens, I will us my Pro3. However, for anything up to about an equivalent of a 60 mm or so (FF equivalent) I just crop the Q2M. If I use my Pro3 - it is either with my 50 f2 or 90 f2 attached.

    As far as glass filters, my experience has been as follows. Film was always a little over sensitive to the blue end of the spectrum. So in outdoor scenes some filtration will needed just to balance the light. The yellow filter or deep yellow (Ansel Adams called it "minus blue" ) was routinely used. What I have found with the Q2M is the spectral response of the sensor is much flatter than film - that is one can take a picture with blue sky without a filter it looks normal and natural. However, I have three different glass filters, yellow, light orange or deep yellow and light red. Over time I have found that the light orange lives on my camera. This filter provides nice skies along with pleasant skin tone rendering. I don't change the filter very often.

  • Members 245 posts
    March 31, 2023, 1:30 p.m.

    Do you have any experience of what the effect would be of using the orange filter over the lens of a colour camera when the image is then converted to monochrome?

  • Members 304 posts
    March 31, 2023, 9:45 p.m.

    There was no reason since in applications like Silver Efex - there are filter simulations. However, long time ago, I tried it on a different camera. All it did was screwed up the white balance. If I using my Fuji for B&W and in reality 99.99% of what I do ends up in B&W, I simply shoot normal color, then bring the raw into the C1 and balance the exposure and do some minor edits and then send it over to Silver Efex.

    With film I mostly used a deep yellow or light orange - so its not much difference with the Q2M.

  • Members 8 posts
    March 31, 2023, 10:17 p.m.

    Thank for responding to my question. I am leaning toward a Q2m since I used to drop my b&w film off at the photo shop then I would go in on the weekends with my Kodak book and enlarge the photos. During my last few trips I have used an x100 series camera so I think the Q2m would be a good combination the xpro2 and other Fuji cameras have stayed home. The only change was on my last trip were I took the xh1 and a couple of lenses as I was hoping to see wolves on isle royal np. No wolves just the northern lights.