Originally posted by Smolk this is a beginner's question (I'm new to digital, shooting 6x6 and other ratios on film until, well, 10 days ago apart from a brief flirtation with Sigma Foveon): how did you convert a colour image to B&W? Is there a procedure in camera, or do you use software?
I actually shoot RAW only most of the time with the GR III, and convert files to JPEG in-camera. You just select RAW processing from the playback menu, pick the file, and there is a wide variety of settings available: overall exposure +/-, shadow recovery, WB, JPEG style... and then within the JPEG style you have a further set of parameters like contrast, saturation, hi/low key, highlight contrast, shadow contrast, tint, grain (on some styles), B&W color filter effect (not available on Hard B&W but can be applied to regular, soft and hi-contrast styles. You even have custom control over the R,G and B sliders to tune your own color filter effect.
The GR III is pretty powerful with its JPEG engine, it has pushed me hard in the direction of processing most of my shots in-camera, unless hefty editing needs to be done to a very difficult file.