Black and white photography is something special. A picture of a wooden door can be so much more beautiful if you make it black and white. Had I taken this picture in color, it would have been a really depressing door. In black and white, the door is alive.
I have used many cameras, during the years, and my favourite digital camera for black and white (set on bnw jpg in camera) is the Leica M240. A Leica Monochrome would probably be the best choise – but it is way out of my league. Too expensive.
I often read that it is better to shoot in raw and make the black and white picture in post. Well – it may be better, but I don’t practise it. I try to keep my post processing to a minimum. I love shooting pictures, not the post processing. I think that is why I love the M240:s bnw pictures. I can usually only choose one of my presets in Lightroom, and minor adjustments, to be satisfied.
Still – I must say that traditional film still is the winner for me. I use my great Leica M4 for film, as you may know by now. But that is mainly for the feeling of shooting with an exeptional rangefinder camera. I could just as well use my old Practica from East Germany. Back in the film days the camera was just a box that collected light. It still is. Just slightly more advanced…