In a world without limits, creativity probably would not exist . The human being shows off his creativity when he is faced with limitations and must try to overcome them. This is definitely true in photography too. When you have to take a photo, there are many choices to make and the limits that you have in front of you: only a portion of reality can enter the frame and only a moment can be immortalized. The optics we place in front of our camera widen or narrow the field of view, and therefore the portion of impressionable reality on the film (or in a modern key on the sensor), and the time that elapses between opening and closing the shutter length of the instant that will be fixed by the emulsion (or captured by the electronics and written on the memory card in the form of bits).

There are many other limitations encountered in photographing: the exposure latitude, even in the most modern sense of dynamic range, sometimes forces us to burn the highlights or make the details intelligible. in the shadows; the amount of light limits us (whether it is too much or too little) in the possibilities of shooting and in the choice of times. Creativity is born from the comparison with all these limitations and who is the best and most imaginative in finding solutions to overcome them is the one who turns out to be the best photographer.

Sometimes deliberately adding limits to their own photographic possibilities allows you to express yourself better and also to familiarize yourself or focus better on the other limitations. Some time ago I wrote a piece entitled ‘Move your feet, not your hand. The teaching power of fixed lenses’ on how the convenience of zoom lenses sometimes makes your legs and brain lazy.

Leica Q2 Monochrom: black and white only

This long premise to get where? To the new Leica Q2 Monochrom , a camera that combines limits – one of which is its main peculiarity – and great potential (some of which arise from its self-imposed limit). We are facing a camera with a Leica Summilux fixed lens 28 mm f / 1.7 ASPH and monochromatic CMOS sensor , i.e. without the Bayer matrix color filter that allows you to ‘see’ the colors with traditional sensors, from 47 , 3 million pixels . Those who choose Leica Q2 Monochrom therefore decide to impose two big limits: cannot change the lens and can only shoot in black and white .

On the other hand, the removal of the Bayer filter on the sensor allows a higher sensitivity than the color sister, Leica Q2, which adopts a sensor with colored matrix closely related to that of the new model. Leica Q2 Monochrom allows you to shoot up to 68. 000 ISO of maximum sensitivity, compared to 50. 000 of Leica Q2. The basic sensitivity is set at 200 ISO and at that value the camera offers 13 stop of dynamic range , two more than its color sister, by virtue of the fact that each pixel of the sensor collects all the available light, without the colored blocks to filter it (and waste it in absorption) one part. The limit of B&W only opens up new creative possibilities in terms of sensitivity and dynamic range.

Leica Q2 Monochrom (right) and Leica Q2 in comparison: also the color dot red

disappears )

The body is also monochrome, on which the Leica logo with the red dot does not stand out. For the rest, the camera can be superimposed on the excellent Leica Q2, with also the possibility of recording 4K movies 30 p / 24 p – also in format Cinema C4K 4096 x 2160 24 p – and Full HD up to 120 fps. Of course, videos can only be recorded in black and white too.

The Summilux optic 28 mm f / 1.7 ASPH is the same as its color sister and offers the possibility of being used also in macro mode with focus starting from 17 centimeters.

Back to the past in a modern way

Leica Q2 Monochrom wants to be the entry step for those who want to enter the Leica world of pure black and white and not only from an economic point of view. On balance, the purchase price, albeit high and in Leica style (you can find it at the end of the article) is equal to about half the purchase cost of a Leica M Mono chrom with the perspective of similar data of license plate. It is a more accessible camera also for its compactness and lightness (734 grams), but above all for ease of use. Unlike the purely manual focus rangefinder Ms, the Leica Q2 Monochrom offers a modern contrast autofocus system. Compared to the ‘normal’ Q2, it does not provide face detection and Eye-AF, as these two functions also exploit color contrasts and colors to recognize faces and eyes. More in line with modernity is also the electronic viewfinder from 3, 68 millions of points, together with the rear 3 “touch display. In addition, the camera is equipped with stabilized optics with OIS system. Among the special features is also the resistance to atmospheric agents.

The camera can shoot with a mechanical shutter from 60 sa 1 / 2000 s (synchro flash 1 / 500 s) up to 10 fps and go up to 1 / 40. 000 s with silent shooting with electronic shutter. Offers an SD slot for SD / SDHC / SDXC memory cards, given the large amount of data coming from the sensor. 47, 3 megapixel Leica recommends l use of UHS-II cards .The high resolution one of the sensor, combined with the high resolving power of the optics, allows photographers to make a sort of digital zoom available by cropping the frame: a 35 mm you get photos from 30 megapixel and going up to 50 mm you still have available 15 megapixels. For those who want, you can push to crop at the equivalent focal length of 75 mm, but you have to be satisfied with about 7 megapixels.

Black and White does not mean ‘old’: Leica Q2 Monochrom also wants to wink at the new generations and does not lack to offer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for connection to the smartphone for remote control and immediate sharing of shots on social networks, through the Fotos app (only for iOS). Good news for all Leica users, the German brand has decided to eliminate the limitations of the free version of the app and to make the previously ‘premium’ and paid version of the app free.

They are compatible with the new Leica Q2 Monochrom all accessories of the color model, but in combination with the new version the manufacturer from Wetzlar also presents three color filters E 49 in yellow, green and orange, useful for emphasizing the rendering of contrasts in different shooting situations.

As with all the products of the Teutonic manufacturer, the price is also limiting: the new Leica Q2 Monochrom is in fact offered at 5. 685, 00 ?? , approximately 600 euro more than the normal color version Despite the price, as already mentioned, it is the most convenient option for digital black and white purists and represents a decidedly interesting product, which will certainly be able to awaken the interest of a good slice of photographers and, consequently , also to move the second-hand market, which at Leica always represents an important slice and is often the entry step of enthusiasts into the world of red dot cameras.