Request for digital files

[Eric Rose]

I am doing a study on digital files converted to B&W. What I need are files from Leica Monochrom, Sigma DP, Fuji X series, Sony NEX7 or above, and Olympus OMD series.

I need a well exposed colour image (obviously Leica Monochrom can't do this) and then the same image taken on the camera's monochrome setting. I want the images as they come out of the camera. NO PHOTOSHOPPING PLEASE. If your cameras shoots RAW I would like the images in RAW please.

If I use your image in a blog posting I will give you credit. Once the blog is posted all images will be destroyed - deleted - sent to the bit bucket .....

Thanks for your help.

Please, no discussions about which sensor is best blah blah blah on this thread.

Eric

send images to: eric at ericrose dot com

ps. Yes I will be posting this on APUG as well.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I think I have some;let me check, because I did a similar study.Asfar as I remember ,the D800 monochrome files,using digital filters were surprisingly goodand as good as using monochrome files with physical filters, but none were better than a PS conversion.I'l take a look

 

[Eric Rose]

Thanks Ralph. I have Nikon files so anything you have in addition would be great.

Eric

 

[RalphLambrecht]

check with Mahler Oneon APUG he has a Leica Mnochromeand can give you what you want.

 

[Eric Rose]

I asked the same question on APUG and got some snotty replies. I guess I should have expected it. I got some Monochom files elsewhere. Interesting aside, I asked Leica directly for some files and they said they would send them along. That was well over a month ago and still nothing. Thanks for your help. I got some files from a Sigma but I guess my version of ACR won't open them. I thought my ACR was the latest and greatest with the most recent update but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Eric ,I took a couple images yesterday and will send them to you,but I like to know what you are evaluating and be on the mailing list for a final report, because it seems that we are doing a very similar investigation at the moment. My quest was to find the best capture method and conversion technique to make good B&W images. so far it looks like color capture and PS conversions win, followed by Nikon's in-camera conversions, which turned out surprisingly good if electronic filters where used.

 

[Pioneer]

I asked the same question on APUG and got some snotty replies. I guess I should have expected it. I got some Monochom files elsewhere. Interesting aside, I asked Leica directly for some files and they said they would send them along. That was well over a month ago and still nothing. Thanks for your help. I got some files from a Sigma but I guess my version of ACR won't open them. I thought my ACR was the latest and greatest with the most recent update but maybe I'm wrong.

I have to use Sigma Photo to open the raw files from my DP2M to Tiff. Adobe doesn't convert at this point.

 

[Eric Rose]

Ralph I think you and I are on the same path in some respects. I would like to find out if shooting B&W in camera will work to my standards and which cameras does the best job. So far the only camera I can find that shoots RAW B&W is the Leica Monochrom. The rest produce a colour RAW file and a B&W jpeg image. Besides the size are D800 B&W images any different than D700 files?`

 

[RalphLambrecht]

unfortunately,I never created in-camera B&W files with my D700but,I was impressed by the quality of in-camera B&W filestaken with the D800,esspecially when its electronic filters are used.I'm still too weak on the inkjet printing front to comment but, I'm convinced that high-quality B&W is possible by digital meansbut not without a bit of PS magic somewhere in the process.I really don'yt know why I resisted the digital route for so long;it seems silly to have done that now;I could be 20 years furher on the PS learning curve.I guess, we all prefer what we know and are afraid to leave the comfort zone.

 

[Eric Rose]

My poor film cameras have been very lonely for the last 5 or so years. I switched over to digital totally for colour work with a D70s and still hung in there with film for B&W. But with the purchase of the D700 I sold my beloved Blad, lenses etc. and went totally digital. I use an Epson 4880 for out put and find the results as good if not better than anything I have ever done in the darkroom. With over 40 years of professional darkroom work I was no slouch pumping out gallery quality B&W prints.

It was hard parting with film but in the end it was about the image and the finished product not a religious attachment.

I will shoot some B&W files with the D700 and send them to you. Really busy right now so it might take a bit. So far I have been really impressed with the B&W output from my Panasonic GX1. Great little camera.