B&W and EVIL

[Robert Roaldi]

It occurred to me that it could be useful if cameras equipped with eye-level electronic viewfinders had a way of enabling B&W in the viewfinder display while continuing to save a normal RAW file. That way, you could sort of visualize the scene in B&W but still have the ability to tweak the RGB ratios in post-processing. Does anyone know if the Panasonic m4/3s cameras allow that?  (I guess this applies to the LCD in live view for D-SLRS in general. Seems like a natural thing to do, and I think that some high-end camcorders had B&W LCDs in the past.) I own a Sony R1, and if you set it to monotone, the saved RAW is also monotone, I believe, although come to think of it, I've never tested this. I'm at work now, I'll try this tonight. If it does that, you're limited to the camera's built-in B&W conversion.

I have a mental block about shooting B&W in digital. When I had B&W film loaded in a camera, somehow my brain thought in B&W as I took pictures (in my limited way, I haven't done that in 2 decades so maybe I am just remembering it that way). But when using a digicam, I can't mentally switch back and forth between colour and B&W while taking pics. A B&W electronic viewfinder might help with that.

[JohnTodd]

Robert,

A non-4/3rds example is the Canon 5D2 - if you set it to B&W mode, the live-view LCD display is black & white, but the RAW is still the normal data. Thus, you can compose images in B&W in live-view but still have all processing options available.

[Robert Roaldi]

Thanks John,

Well, I tried my Sony R1 and it does the same thing as the 5D2. Both the LCD & EVIL display in B&W before and after taking the shot, but the MAC Finder displays the RAW file in colour and my editor sees it in colour, so it's still a untouched RAW file.

For yucks, I tried an Oly E-520 and it also does the same thing (except no EVIL, just live view LCD of course). In that case however, the MAC Finder displays the pic in B&W so I assume that it has an embedded jpg to display, but that the Sony R1 Raw raw file doesn't.

This makes perfect sense, and I am glad that the camera companies did it this way. I feel kind of stupid not to have tested this before, though. I keep hoping to acquire wisdom as I get older, but it's not happening.

[jasonrandolph]

I have an Olympus PEN EP-2 (m4/3), and it does exactly what you are talking about, although you have to use the Art Filter mode to do it.  As long as you shoot RAW+JPG, you will get both a monochrome image and the color RAW image.  The only downside is that the camera takes over aperture and shutter control.  However, it is fairly easy to switch modes to go back to manual, aperture priority, or shutter priority after viewing the scene in monochrome.

[Jonathan Ratzlaff]

This works in cameras with live view.  My D90 will sdhow a monochrom image (with creative effects) in the live view.  shooting jpeg and raw,  you get the monochrome jpeg with the raw file.

[stamper]

I would have thought that framing/composing a shot would be the same whether it is B&W or colour. The elements in view are the same. Are you saying that if you have a B&W viewing device you would compose the shot differently from colour?

[Robert Roaldi]

I would have thought that framing/composing a shot would be the same whether it is B&W or colour. The elements in view are the same. Are you saying that if you have a B&W viewing device you would compose the shot differently from colour?

No, I just mean that a B&W EVIL/LCD image helps me see whether the scene will look good in B&W, whether it's suitable. The problem is in my head. When I primarily shot B&W 30 years ago, I could think in B&W (though not well), and I seem to have lost that ability.

[stamper]

The problem is if it looks good how do you transfer it to print? Do you try a B&W capture or do you convert from colour to B&W. Either way it will probably look different when seen in print from what you saw?