Leica Q2 – Project Monochrom

Back story

All beautiful stories begin with a back story, and Project Monochrom’s story is one of how I evolved from judging Leica’s Monochrom series as a marketing gimmick to understanding what makes the Monochrom unique and appreciating it after testing both the Q2 Monochrom and M10 Monochrom here and here. (thanks to Leica Asia Pacific, Singapore, and a dear friend)

Project Monochrom is the story of my attempt to use the Leica Q2 in High Contrast Black and White for two weeks to see if it would stand up against the pure monochromatic Q2 Monochrom.

To dispense with the usual spew of “blah blah blah… the Monochrom makes you approach photography differently…”, I will simply say after testing the Monochrom, it is indeed a camera I wish to own one day.

While I would love to add either a Q2 Monochrom or an M10 Monochrom to my repertoire of the M10-R and Leica Q2, a considerable push-back came in that having 3 really costly cameras was not something I can so readily justify, especially when I consider the Leica M10-R as my review workhorse camera for all M-mount and the Leica Q2 as my EDC.

I wasn’t born with a silver (it is flesh, last I checked) spoon in my mouth, and I am not the type who will go happily into debt to purchase another Leica, and thus I decided to adopt two rules for the project:

• Set the Leica Q2 in High Contrast black and white and photograph only for 2 weeks.
• Fix a consistent post-processing setting/look that I like with reference from my experience from the Q2 Monochrom and apply that throughout the project.

And here goes the project results from moments across the two weeks.

Of course photographing in black and white forces one to think differently.

This is especially true because the visualizing and framing are done on a palette of only different tones. Even the way we frame subjects is such that I will always try to find a specific ‘subject’ of contrast or an interplay of lights and shadows in the image where possible.

You might probably want to ask, “Well, what makes the output from the Q2 Monochrom different from the Q2 anyway?”

While it is a very well-known fact the higher ISO performance on the Monochrom is leaps ahead over the color sensor, the differences do not stop there.

On the Monochrom, due to that there is no Bayer interpolation. the monochromatic sensor camera would have approximately 40 % more effective resolution and better tonality. In short, the resolution loss from using a color Bayer sensor is entirely avoided, and one pixel on the sensor ends up as one pixel on the print. Add in even more potential graduations of tonality between black and white. Output from the Monochrom is not only hear-say different, but a real noticeable difference.

While one may argue that one’s eyes may lack the ability to discern the Monochrom’s output from the non-Monochrom cameras, the fact is that other than the availability of color, the quality potential of output from the Monochrom is simply justifiably higher than the non-Monochrom’s. Auto-focus, battery-wise, there are obviously no differences.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, my honest opinion is that while my attempt to use the Leica Q2 as a monochromatic camera with processing as similar as I could have done with reference to the Leica Q2 Monochrom’s came close, there are still differences I do see end of the day, especially in the high ISO performance and tonality.

That is not to say I will purchase a Q2 Monochrom, of course, and let us see where fate leads me next. My Leica Q2 gives me the flexibility of color, and while I yearn for the Leica Q2 Monochrom, I do not feel I am ready to give up the Q2 for the Q2 Monochrom, or add a third Leica body.

Sometimes it is pretty accurate that one can work with ‘just good enough’ instead of ‘only the best possible.’

Thank you for reading.

Disclaimers:

1. All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos.

2. All images were shot with my personal set of the Leica Q2 Seal, and all files were edited in LR CC Classic to my preferences. 

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I do not do affiliate purchase links to keep myself neutral. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

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