[RonHendriks1966]

This is a gigantic task that would be very costly...then to sell that to what? 5% of the market of a colour DSLR? Who knows, but surely a very much smaller market. Those millions of dollars of R&D need to be shared by a few thousands of customers...a much bigger factor than saving a few cents worth of bayer array materials.

In K-mount I don't see many sales. My guess would be that starting with a fullframe sensor probably is the best start, since the target group pretty much has money to spend. Maybe the most expensive part is the firmware and software part, next to having a much more expensive sensor. So what if the extra costs are 1000 euro per camera. Then a k-1m would cost 3200 euro and a KPm would cost 2200 euro. How much advantage could a KPm give over a regular K-1 and postprocessing to black-and-White? Probably not enough to spend so much on the aps-c camera.

[Na Horuk]

So now we went from monochrome to full-spectrum monochrome?? And let's make it square instead of 3:2, while we are fantasizing

[timw4mail]

So now we went from monochrome to full-spectrum monochrome?? And let's make it square instead of 3:2, while we are fantasizing

That seems like a step backwards...

[Na Horuk]

That seems like a step backwards...

Doesn't monochrome seem like going back in time, as well? And adding IR and UV filters to all your lenses just to get normal images even moreso?
I mean, that was the point I was trying to humorously make.

btw, there have been discussions about square sensors in the past. Some people would like it

[elicius]

square sensors

That would definitively bump up the price even more than just a small change in the production line.

If the producer of the chips accepted to produce the same sensor in monochrome, you would not need to do any extra hardware changes to the camera (or almost?). Now if you have to change it to another sensor then you have to start changing things in the hardware with greater costs, the sensor would also have greater cost because you need to open a completely new production line…

Also can someone tell me the advantages of a square sensor?

[RonHendriks1966]

Also can someone tell me the advantages of a square sensor?

A square sensor is better suited for Instagram.

[Bophoto]

A GR-M for the same price as Fuji X100?
That can be nice for street photo and perhaps for architektur photo.
But for architektur, sensor shift are better = K1

[Na Horuk]

Also can someone tell me the advantages of a square sensor?

Fair points. Advantage of square is you can get more out of your lens as it reaches all, you dont need to rotate camera, and its different compositional frame

[elicius]

Fair points. Advantage of square is you can get more out of your lens as it reaches all, you dont need to rotate camera, and its different compositional frame

If I am right you get about 1/6 more coverage in square format out of the lens than in 2/3?

I get that asking for such a niche product as Mono is like asking for the impossible ^^ but I continue dreaming on.

[photoptimist]

If I am right you get about 1/6 more coverage in square format out of the lens than in 2/3?

I get that asking for such a niche product as Mono is like asking for the impossible ^^ but I continue dreaming on.

It's only about 8% more.

A 24 x 26 frame has 864 sq mm of area and an image circle 43.3 mm in diameter.

In theory, lenses with a 43.3 mm diameter image circle could support square sensors up to 30.6 mm x 30.6 mm which would have 936 sq mm of area (8% larger than 24x36).

But a square sensor provides the most pixels only if most or all of the final prints are square format.

If one also has a fair fraction of 4:5, 3:4, 2:3, 9:16 ratio rectangular crops for composition, then you'll get more pixels by using a rectangular sensor.

[Digitalis]

A square sensor is better suited for Instagram.

If that is the most convincing argument you can make for the use of a square sensor, photography is in a bad state.

Red came out with a Monochrome cine camera, it has been quite a hit among that crowd.

[pcrichmond]

If I am right you get about 1/6 more coverage in square format out of the lens than in 2/3?

I get that asking for such a niche product as Mono is like asking for the impossible ^^ but I continue dreaming on.

I'll continue to dream too, even for the square sensor. I must admit one of my most enjoyed features on the K-1 is shooting in 1:1 crop mode again. Probably dates me to my favorite camera, the C330 tlr, which I actually preferred over my 6x7.

Please feel free to correct if I'm wrong (this is a learning experience) but I thought sensors by nature are monochromatic - each pixel measuring & recording intensity of (or lack of) light and then a filtration system, either Bayer or Foveon are used to either transmit or block specific wavelengths achieving perception of color.
I also remember reading that sensors by nature are already full spectrum, so adding a hot mirror inside or externally shouldn't make a difference - especially in monochrome.
If this is so, then the hardware is already there and writing the coding would be the majority of the development.

And the technology is already on the market, (Red, Leica, PhaseOne) plus a few others who manufacture mostly for microscope imaging.
Hopefully, a Ricoh rep looks at your thread.
I'll dream for a FF monochrome k-mount and can make due with the converted K-01 for IR.
But if someone is looking at this I'll dream big - a full frame, full spectrum monochrome with 1:1 crop ratio.

Thanks again for starting this thread, there has been a wonderful amount of knowledge shared as well as dreams.

[timw4mail]

Please feel free to correct if I'm wrong (this is a learning experience) but I thought sensors by nature are monochromatic - each pixel measuring & recording intensity of (or lack of) light and then a filtration system, either Bayer or Foveon are used to either transmit or block specific wavelengths achieving perception of color.
I also remember reading that sensors by nature are already full spectrum, so adding a hot mirror inside or externally shouldn't make a difference - especially in monochrome.
If this is so, then the hardware is already there and writing the coding would be the majority of the development.

Yes, essentially correct. The bigger hardware aspect is economy of scale, more so than the actual technology differences.

[pcrichmond]

Yes, essentially correct. The bigger hardware aspect is economy of scale, more so than the actual technology differences.

Yes, ordering a set number of straight sensors to justify a run.

[lesmore49]

I'm fine with my K-1 and it's choice of different monochrome filters. The pix I convert to monochrome look fine to me...also while I'm at it...same deal with my K10D, Km and K-5.