A spring whiteout in Jackson, Wyoming led me to ask the question... if I just take out the Leica Q2M and my Leica M11 in black-and-white JPG, how different will the images be? Let's find out.

But before we do, let’s establish a few things.

Yes, the monochrom sensor has its strength in low-light. You can clearly see that in this comparison.
Yes, the monochrom sensor can take color filters. I personally leave an orange filter on my Q2M at all times…except in this video.
Yes, the monochrom sensor is sharper. Honestly, it’s significantly sharper.
Yes, it’s hella-fun shooting monochrom.

All of that said, if you’re just grabbing a camera to go out and take photos and you want those photos to be black and white, is a monochrom sensor what you need, or will any camera shooting in black-and-white JPG able to get the job done for you? Alright… not let’s find out. These photos are straight out of the camera.

Alright, here’s where you’re going to see quite a difference. In the hotel, both cameras were set to ISO3200.

I’m personally finding 3-4 stops of difference in the low-light ability of the Q2M over the M11. This is a major difference, and kudos to a monochrom sensor if you like to shoot indoors or in low light often. The Q2M blows any color-sensor out of the water in this regard.

Ok let’s go back outside.

Here are my conclusions.

First, the Q2M files, being RAW, had a ton of dynamic range compared to the JPG images out of my M11. That said, I don’t really edit the RAW files much, other than exposure and maybe some contrast. Yes, sometimes I’ll dodge and burn, but I do that in black and white conversions as well.

Second, let’s say if there are 1000 points on the grayscale for the Q2M, there are maybe 500 on the M11 (or any color sensor). The gradient and falloff between the spectrum of gray is much greater on the Q2M, resulting in what appears to be a flatter image, but it’s actually much clearer and more robust.

Last, the low-light is a game changer for any photographer who wants clean low-light images. If I did concert photography, for example, and I liked black and white images, I’d be using a monochrom camera all day long. It’s really unreal how much better it is.

If you’re a casual photographer who just wants to shoot black and white images in everyday life, just shoot a regular camera in black and white JPG or flip it in post. If you want to use filters, have greater dynamic range, or shoot in low-light, then a monochrom sensor is for you. It’s also just really fun. Check out this video for more images and examples, and how this test came to be.

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The Leica Q2M Against an In-Camera JPG

Here are my conclusions.

iPhone Photography Tips

Morro Bay & the Leica Q2M