Raw Format and B&W - How many bits ?

[Ken Lee]

On my affordable point-and-shoot camera, I can take photos in "black and white". The resulting files are JPG. The "bit-depth" is 8-bit.

On fancy digital cameras that allow you to work in RAW mode, can one capture the image in 16-bit b&w ? (Or 12-bit/14-bit... whatever the camera supports).

...Or have I misunderstood something ?

[Donald Miller]

Ken, On my 5D I shoot raw (16 bit) in Adobe RGB (1998) and convert to bw in PS...this allows a lot more creative input in the conversion process than exposing in bw.

[Jiri Vasina]

Yes, it should be better starting from the RAW file. It depends on the camera, but I'd think it could have at least 10bit of precision.

[Ken Lee]

Ken, On my 5D I shoot raw (16 bit) in Adobe RGB (1998) and convert to bw in PS...this allows a lot more creative input in the conversion process than exposing in bw.

That makes good sense.

At the same time, I find it very interesting to view the camera's screen in b&w, and make my visual choices based on that view.

It's akin to using a good-old b&w "viewing filter" (except that it's really b&w): It helps you before you even take the photo, and as you compose it.

[Daniel_Buck]

for B&W, I think you might as well shoot it in color and convert it to B&W when you convert your RAW file. Why throw out that extra channel information?

[Kirk Gittings]

At the same time, I find it very interesting to view the camera's screen in b&w, and make my visual choices based on that view.

It's akin to using a good-old b&w "viewing filter" (except that it's really b&w): It helps you before you even take the photo, and as you compose it.

I'm surprised that anyone who has been shooting b&w for awhile and with some frequency can't see color as B&W. It quickly becomes second nature IME. I found the viewing filter helpful my first year, but haven't needed it since.

[Ken Lee]

Some of us still just...beginners.

[Scott Knowles]

Ken, On my 5D I shoot raw (16 bit) in Adobe RGB (1998) and convert to bw in PS...this allows a lot more creative input in the conversion process than exposing in bw.

Technically it's 14-bit converted to 16-bit output. I don't know of one DSLR yet with true 16-bit color. And while I keep hearing people go on about shooting raw and converting to b&w in PS, which I can't disagree with doing, they overcriticize shooting b&w in the camera and its 8-bit bit grayscale, but I haven't see more than a few straight up comparisons that shooting b&w in the camera is really that bad. It's just that shooting raw and converting is just more. It's the photographers choice but don't underestimated b&w in the camera, it has a high dynamic range over the whole ISO range, and it sure does simplify the workflow if you don't have or want to spend the time with raw files. And some models (5D) comes with built-in filters. Just my opinion.

[Eric Rose]

And this has to do with LF how??

[Marko]

Ken,

On Canon DSLRs, you can pick the "B&W Mode" and set it to record RAW and JPG simultaneously. This will allow you to view it as B&W on the LCD, record B&W JPG and regular RAW which you can then process in the usual way. I'm sure Nikons have similar feature.

The downside to this approach, I think, is that the live histogram and exposure would be biased toward the B&W, but that would be your camera's interpretation of B&W.

Your interpretation may vary and you will certainly get more definition and more flexibility in tonal conversion if you do it yourself from RAW.

Just my $0.02.

Marko