The Leica M-Monochrom and More

Last Tuesday (May 10th), Leica announced a couple of new Leica goodies to the world. Of the items, the Leica X2 was the least shocking (IMO). The other two items, a monochrome version of the M9-P (Leica M-Monochrom) and a new 50mm Summicron-M f/2, were quite the news. The Leica M9-P Hermès Special Editions were just overpriced versions of the current M9-P for the filthy rich (@ $50,000 USD).

The new Leica made the news mainly because the camera records images in BLACK AND WHITE. They removed the Bayer filter thingy part from the actual sensor, so it basically records only in black and white. According to the tech-talk and the sample images it records those black and white photos in an unseen quality (compared to current full-frame camera's).
Apart from the black and white recording, the ISO is also bumped to a whopping 10.000. And at this ISO setting, the images [2] are still very usable. Compare this to the current (other) M9 camera's that basically fail at ISO 800 (shooting in color).

As we all know, Leica gear doesn't come cheap, and neither does this piece of equipment. Retail price just below €6,795 EUR. That's more expensive than the current Leica M9-P.

So no M10 camera was announced, but I'm sure tht they are working on that. Why? Because their other announcement was a new APO-Summicron-M 1:2.0/50 ASPH.

Releasing a new lens is no big deal in general. Especially since this lens has an aperture of 'only' f/2, but when you compare this to the (already legendary) 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 Asph, you would guess that the price should be near (but at least below) the price of the f/1.4 version (which retails @ €3,295 EUR). But with a retail price of almost two 50mm 1.4 Summilux-M lenses (€5,995 EUR), this new lens should be awesome, or made of solid gold (Note that the 'old' 50mm Summicron retails around €1,750 EUR).
The optical qualities are said to be extremely high. This can only mean that there will be a camera that could actually benefit of a piece of glass this good (expensive). Hence the new M10 will be in a league on it's own (compared to the current M9 series) in regards to resolution etc.

So now the question; 'Do I want the new M-monochrom camera?'. Sure, but can I afford one? NO. Or do I need one? NO.
From a print 'point-of-view' I could do with a Monochrome camera, since over 90 percent of my photos seem to end up in black and white. The problem is that I like / need the processing from color to get to the black and white photos. I can't be bothered with shooting with filters in front of the lens. I like to adjust saturation and luminance of colors during the black and white transformation fase. Something that's more difficult in black and white, since you don't have reds, and blues, but only shades of gray.

The lens is a different question. I really can't answer that one at this time. It all depends on the M10, and it's (theoretical) need for super glass in front of its sensor. So that question will come up on the day I buy an M10, (or an M11).

Finally, a small video of the creation of the Hermès Edition of the M9-P