The Leica M Monochrom is a dedicated 35mm black-and-white digital camera and predecessor to the Typ 246. Key features include:

True RAW Black-and-White Images. The Monochrom could be considered the anti-digital camera, as it foregoes advances in digital technology to provide true RAW black-and-white images. It features a specially designed 18MP monochrome CCD sensor that, instead of recording color values at each pixel site, only sees luminous values. This provides images with extremely low noise at even the highest sensitivities, with per-pixel sharpness that can’t be duplicated with standard color sensors.

Exceptional Design and Build. The design and build quality are very similar to the Leica M9. It shares that camera’s 2.5-inch rear LCD and dials, making it easy for M9 users to jump right in. It follows the same theme of traditional Leica M cameras, with a matte black finish, leatherette grip, and etched Leica logo on the hot shoe mount.

Versatility. The Monochrom records images in either Adobe DNG RAW or JPEG format, giving you the flexibility to use nearly any editing software. You have in-camera image-editing options for JPEG images, allowing you to convert images in classic sepia, cool, and selenium toning effects. Its maximum ISO level of 10,000 provides low-light shooting capabilities that were previously not possible with Leica M cameras.

Additional Features. This camera has Leica’s standard rangefinder-coupled viewfinder, and accepts nearly all M-mount manual-focus lenses. It’s powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and records images to SDHC memory cards.