Shoot in b&w or convert - advantages?

[lespaul]

I've always wondered if there is any benefit to setting my camera to shoot in black & white as opposed to simply shooting in color and converting to b&w.

Do you get better dynamic range, resolution, etc by programming the camera to shoot in b&w?

I always shot in color, that way if I want b&w I simply convert - this way I have the option, as opposed to shooting in b&w and having none.

Any input would be great.

 

[table1349]

There is no such thing as shooting in black and white with digital cameras. Sensors capture the entire color range. The choice you have to make is whether you want the camera to convert the image to B&W or would you rather have control of the process?

 

[480sparky]

Always convert in post. If you shoot in b&w in-camera, there's only one possible outcome....... the way some nameless software engineer, who has no idea what you want your pictures to look like, thinks it should look like.

 

[invisible]

Always convert in post. If you shoot in b&w in-camera, there's only one possible outcome....... the way some nameless software engineer, who has no idea what you want your pictures to look like, thinks it should look like.

^^^This. The B&W file, as converted by the camera, will have a fraction of the information that was originally recorded by the sensor. The colour file will have all the information you need to convert to B&W, and then some. With the colour file, you have total control over the final product; with the B&W file, you barely have any control.

 

[lespaul]

Great, thanks guys. Thats what I thought.

Guess setting up your camera to shoot in b&w simply saves one small step during post.....but then again severely limits you.

Thanks again!

 

[480sparky]

Great, thanks guys. Thats what I thought.

Guess setting up your camera to shoot in b&w simply saves one small step during post.....but then again severely limits you.

Thanks again!

Shoot in raw as well...... Raw always saves ALL the color data possible.

 

[Patriot]

There is no such thing as shooting in black and white with digital cameras. Sensors capture the entire color range. The choice you have to make is whether you want the camera to convert the image to B&W or would you rather have control of the process?

The leica monochrom is a digital camera that only shoots B/W.

 

[techniker]

There is no such thing as shooting in black and white with digital cameras. Sensors capture the entire color range. The choice you have to make is whether you want the camera to convert the image to B&W or would you rather have control of the process?

The leica monochrom is a digital camera that only shoots B/W.

Nit picking a little, huh?

 

[BrianV]

It's interesting to see that a number of manufacturers have started producing sensors in Monochrome again. There is a new 4/3 format sensor available in monochrome, and CMOSIS has a 35mm format sensor available in color and monochrome, and NOT the one in the Leica M type 240. There are advantages to a dedicated monochrome camera. It will be interesting to see if others come onto the market.

 

[BrianV]

There is no such thing as shooting in black and white with digital cameras. Sensors capture the entire color range. The choice you have to make is whether you want the camera to convert the image to B&W or would you rather have control of the process?

The leica monochrom is a digital camera that only shoots B/W.

When I get a nice, spring day without a lot of wind: I intend to set it up on a tripod and get out the color separation filters. Somewhere in the basement, I have a color wheel for just such an emergency.

 

[Patriot]

There is no such thing as shooting in black and white with digital cameras. Sensors capture the entire color range. The choice you have to make is whether you want the camera to convert the image to B&W or would you rather have control of the process?

The leica monochrom is a digital camera that only shoots B/W.

Nit picking a little, huh?

How was that nit picking? I just corrected a false statement. Isn't that what the forums ae for? To share knowledge.

It's interesting to see that a number of manufacturers have started producing sensors in Monochrome again. There is a new 4/3 format sensor available in monochrome, and CMOSIS has a 35mm format sensor available in color and monochrome, and NOT the one in the Leica M type 240. There are advantages to a dedicated monochrome camera. It will be interesting to see if others come onto the market.

I'm guessing it's cheaper to make a sensors that can't absorb colors? I read that the dynamic range will the higher than colors. Once more people start demanding it I'm sure they will start producing it. I don't see Nikon, Canon, or Sony making a camera like that for some time, but I could be wrong.

 

[greybeard]

I think the B&W setting is for people who don't post process. I see absolutely no advantage over shooting in color and then converting in post process.

 

[KmH]

Sensors capture the entire color range. ?

The analog image sensors in digital cameras cannot record color. The analog image sensors in digital cameras are only capable of recording luminosity.

Color has to be interpolated using software algorithms after the analog pixel information (voltage) the image sensor records is converted to digital numbers. The analog to digital converter (A/D converter) outputs 12-bit or 14-bit numbers, depending on the camera model or camera image quality settings.
The process is known as demosaicing - Demosaicing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In camera processing generally produces a monochrome image that has little contrast, in large part because the photographer has limited and only crude control over the in camera monochrome process.

If you have your camera set to record Raw files, the Raw file is always in color. With the camera set to monochrome it makes the monochrome as a separate image (usually a JPEG) from the Raw file.

Convert to B&W from the color image if you want the most control over the final B&W image.

 

[480sparky]

I think the B&W setting is for people who don't post process. I see absolutely no advantage over shooting in color and then converting in post process.

Did you ever shoot B&W film with filters?

 

[weepete]

With some cameras it doesn't matter. I can set a black and white style on mine, and if I shoot in raw format, though the camera lcd shows the image in B&W the raw file is the same as shooting in colour.