Many people comment that I should have used a smaller lens on the Pentax. The camera is not mine, it's a demo unit and it came with that zoom. I would have wanted a small prime, but Pentax obviously wants highlight that huge zoom. However, it's still a big and heavy camera no matter what lens you put on it, compared to any modern mirrorless camera. Please watch the full video for the rest of my comments about the Pentax.

I was a custom black and white printer for other photographers for 25 years+. I was an editor and major contributor for "The Darkroom Cookbook, 1st Edition" by Steve Anchell. All I can say is this: I have been using the K3 III monochrome since it was first released, and I will never go back to color conversions. Working with its files is like being back in the wet darkroom again, and the results are so much more satisfying. As to the weight-don't use a big assed lens like the 16-50 DA*. Get the 20-40 DA limited 2.8/4.0 lens, or use a DA prime.

You are so right, a mono GR would be a massive hit. May it happen.

If Ricoh-Pentax would make a monchrome GR3 I would jump in completely

I’d love a GR monochrome. I have the original Leica M Mono and it’s a brilliant camera. Much respect for Leica and now Pentax for just going and making a monochromatic digital camera when most think it’s madness still to do so

I'm impressed by the camera but also impressed by the use of "hegemony". 🤣

Thank you Matti Sulanto, I didn't really know how a monochrome camera and sensor worked. I'm so glad that I found your channel a few weeks ago because you explain things so clearly and smoothly!

A decent honest review! I shoot BW in some of my digital boxes. They are small, SMALL, older CCD sensors! Minolta, older Canon, Samsung cameras. All weigh, almost nothing.They dont do high ISO! No. But I never really shot film, faster than 400~800.. I luv my old Pentax bodies and then expose real film, grain and all! Kentmere 100,400 before price became same as HP5+! I'm 80, never liked heavy gear. Travel light on walks, seldom a spare film! Bravo!

I love the idea of a monochrome GR, I would buy one.

Really enjoyed your video, I've been using Pentax vintage lenses recently and been impressed, hope Pentax continues to prosper

I'd love to see a BW version of the GRIII.

Excellent presentation. Comprehensive and at the same time precise. I am 73 years old. And picked up photography almost after 10 years absence. Only for this Pentax Monochrome camera. (Leica is 4 times more expensive in Canada. To me not a dream, rather nightmare when you add up cost of lenses.) Also I believe photography is primarily B&W. Colour is basically for documentation and to record.

I Wish there was more monochrome cameras.

Hi matti, you are right about the great image quality, the pictures you took are of high quality. Loved the Boats and the Flower with the Bug. It's a good idea having a Ricoh GR in Monochrome, hope Pentax is watching this video 😂. Its a shame Pentax didn't move to Mirrorless cameras. The Black and White video you presented looked really nice. Thanks Matti 😊

Hey really enjoyed this video. I primarily shoot black and white but financially wasn't ever in the market for a Leica. I appreciate you going over the differences of the monochrome and color censor and the advantages and disadvantages! Great work!

I love the idea of a monochrome GR III w/40mm equiv. lens.

That was great! You gave me a lot to think about. Thanks so much!

Really great presentation. Loved it and loved your images.

The pictures this sensor is producing, particularly the picture of the ferns, are gorgeous!

I think the reason for choosing B&W would be similar to why you choose 1 prime lens vs a zoom ,it places a restriction on you and that somehow has a paradoxical effect on how you approach your vision and frees you up somehow👍

GR monochrome is a good idea given the variations we have

I’m going to buy the new film camera when I can find one, but I would buy a monochrome GR!

I’ve had this one on my radar

Love the video. I as a Sony user would love a Sony FF affordable monochrome camera, since I already have a lot of sony lenses. You would say a sensor without a bayer filter is cheaper to produce, but it is such a nice that it would cost way more. But let's say an A7 C monochrome would be an instant buy for me!

I wish the small Ricoh GR3 with this Sensor!

The problem is see with comments about this helps see in b&w is that you still see colour through the viewfinder. That is why an electronic viewfinder is required.

An excellent video, thank you Matti! I'm waiting for a Ricoh GR3mono.

Very interesting video - thank you!

Pentax, listen to this man! I am considering getting one, even though I am fully into Nikon (main BW camera is a F6), and if there would be a tiny monochrome Pentax, I'd walk to my local camera shop tomorrow.

👍🏻good comment on the monochromatic camera subject. I wish there would be more alternatives. Please consider Sigma cameras. There FOVEON sensor give you nearly native bw images.

Great and useful explanation, thank you :-)

A FOVEON-sensor gives you full color-data for every pixel AND allows you to chose which of the color channel components you want included in your monochrome conversions in SIGMA PhotoPro. This is effectively the same as having three similar monochrome captures with three different color filters applied, taken at the exact same moment. Nothing else does this.

Very good talking points. I'd also love to see a monochrome GRIII.

The story about green pixels is that green pixel see red and blue part of spectrum but other two are pretty much blind for it.The green pixel light spectrum is used to recreate red and especially blue which is actually more difficult then other two colors.This is also one of the reasons that Xtrans sensor has even more green pixels then bayer sensor

Hi Matti, a very thoughtful video, thank you. I echo the sentiments of others, if the GR3X appeared as a mono camera I would join the queue.

Good video, but in a way you are missing the Pentax point. You’re showing it with the HD Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW lens. It’s a great lens but it is very, very heavy. If you get a chance try a K-3 iii or K-3 iii Monochrome with Pentax’s pancake lenses. They’re an absolute joy to use and can create beautiful images. The smaller camera you compared it to did not look comfortable to me. I’ve had my monochrome for a month and am absolutely loving it. The tonality, sharpness, high ISO capabilities make for a wonderful camera.

Moi Matti, hyää päivää! Nice to see you.... 🇨🇦 melkein 🇫🇮

Wonderful review; thank you. I love watching your videos. I started with Pentax and while I love mirrorless (currently using MFT), I keep looking back at Pentax wondering if I made a mistake to move away. Before watching this mini-review, it had never occurred to me that these monochrome sensors did not actually store color information at all so you could not mix the colors. For me that is probably the dealbreaker that will keep me shooting B&W (for the little that I do) on a color body rather than diving into this. I really wouldn't want to have to add optical filters to my lens to play with the color mix.

Awesome discussion Matti. A 26MP APS-C sensor is more than sufficient for even large prints, providing ample resolution. While I use and love the M11M, a monochrome camera, I find that a color sensor offers greater control over the final image. With a color sensor, you can adjust white balance and individually tweak the brightness of each color, while a monochrome sensor limits you to shades of black. Despite this, shooting in monochrome presents an intriguing and challenging exercise. It requires a lot of pre-planning before pressing the shutter, which, at times, makes it more enjoyable for me. On a side note, Pentax needs to hire new engineers :) no question about that.

I've owned Pentax camera's in the past so when this monochrome version was announced it did pique my interest. I still shoot film regularly, mostly Black & White so a monochrome sensor really could work for me. I still have a few pentax lenses knocking about, if the price came down to under $1500 I'd probably buy one. Even though compared to a monochrome Leica this Pentax is quite a bargain, I still would find it hard to justify its current price. Still, I don't dismiss this camera, as you suggest, for those who love only B&W I think this opens up that opportunity without spending " Leica " money 🙂

Good speaker.

Thanks

Hi Matti, very well explained, what it is and what are the limitiations: no color channels . If you look through a Leica M monochrome, you see colored through the finder. This irritates me. I love b/w and hope for a b/w GR.

I've always wanted a monochrome camera. When I shot film I shot as much B&W as color. A monochrome GR is a good idea.

If Pentax made the GR in B&W it would kill sales of the B&W DSLR model. Those sales are probably already low volume, so it would end production before the DSLR could ROI.

A completely monochrome camera is not relevant. Now the monochrome profiles from Leica are installed even in the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II and the result is more than good.

Good review! The Pentax K3 Mk III monochrome is very "film-like". The issue with blown-highlights is very similar to film, as well. It would be great if you could get K3 monochrome with a couple of the limited lenses, they are very light and high quality. I do find the ergonomics of Pentax cameras outstanding and tend to forget the size and weight (even with serious arthritis and spinal damage).

That camera couldn't be that heavy. Guess people aren't used to normal size and weight cameras anymore. Try loading an F4 with B&W and lugging it around all day. It was quite normal in my day and still doesn't bother me. This Pentax looks fabulous to and old film shooter.

I really love the idea of a monochrome camera. You are correct in your assessment though: too costly and you need to consider filters as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Ricoh release a monochrome edition.

As I said earlier that this camera is not large or heavy compared to Canon 40D I have been using for almost a decade. While I am only 5 feet tall with small hands. Two points: - We are spoiled with mirrorless or p&s type cameras. - There is some thing called proportionality and balance. Using small mirrorless type cameras with standard or telephoto lenses look ridiculous & beyond any rationallty. Unless lenses are also small and pancake type.

I recently got one of these and a few Pentax primes. A very different shooting experience, from being mono only to being a dSLR to considering using color filters on the lenses. SOOC RAW files have a lot of mid-tone values when shooting evenly-lit scenes. The highlights-protect matrix metering is useful but you need to carefully edit in post to recover the underexposed areas. My early take is you need to be more careful with exposure to get the most out of the mono files. Regarding weight, well it is a dSLR after all with its mirror box (no way to get around that if you want to use an optical viewfinder) and the camera is very well built. Try some of Pentax's well-regarded primes, some of which are pancakes, to keep the weight down.

Very enjoyable review, thank you! I often use K-3 MarkIII with the lens DA16-85mmF3.5-5.6ED(488g) attached, which is a good combination for me. PENTAX has other lighter lenses like DA18-135mm or pancake lens(Limited), so it might be good to try other ones, if you are interested in.

Appreciate your personal assessment of the K-3 Mark III Monochrome, Matti, which will introduce more people to this unique Pentax-branded Ricoh offering, and therefore left a like. When you were discussing the weight and form factor, however, I couldn't help thinking, "Okay, he does know that he's talking about a flagship APS-C DSLR that is meant to be built like a tank, and utilizes a massive pentaprism for its extra-bright and -big OVF, which means a certain weight, and he couples it with just about the most uncompromising, most 'pro' standard zoom, the latest DA*, arguably one of the best zoom lenses for APS-C that Ricoh currently makes - and then concludes it's too heavy for him." Now, for your shooting styles and use scenarios that may well be the case; you duly stressed that you were giving your personal preferences. But then again, nobody forces you to put such a honking lens on the body. I own and use the regular colour version of the Mark III, and the HD DA 40 F2.8 Limited on my camera right now adds a mere 89 grams to the whole weight of the combo. My (extended) standard zoom for the camera is the DA 16-85, which is considerably less heavy than the DA*, or I could even opt for the quite compact DA 20-40 Limited (which I don't own). I'm not saying this in some fanboy reflex, but to add a little perspective and to show options for people who might be genuinely curious about Pentax.

This was conceived as a niche product like Leicas and it needs filters. Good filters will make the images more compelling than they already are. Filters are expensive and hard to come by. My choice was always yellow Y2 and I guess I would buy a few to cover my needs. I liked your images they showcased the quality of that lens and you could easily live with a two zoom kit of that quality. Pentax also have tiny primes if you wanted a compact system. The lens choices in m42 and k mount are enormous and most will be compatible. I can see huge possibilities once the workflow in post is worked out. The loss of the BW colour mixer in Lightroom is the greatest hardship but, once you start making deliberate in camera filter choices, the images will be fine.

Thanks Matti, your reviews cover more than camera performance, they’re also a thought chamber for what the ‘tool’ actually brings to the artist. I’m a 75% monochrome shooter but can’t afford a 2nd camera that only shoots monochrome. So I have had my eye on the Pixii camera because of their monochrome de-Bayering algorithm. Not perfect but with the press of a button you can effectively turn off the Bayer filters (algorithm) and capture monochrome images as Raw files. The best of both worlds. I wonder why other manufacturers don’t go down this path with their sensors.

I don't know, b&w images from digital cameras always looks like old video tape output to me. With the right tonal curve added on top I can get closer to the Tri-X look I love, but only, like, 70% there, tbh. In particular, Leica's built-in b&w tonality looks _horrible_ to a film lover like me.

You could try to take photos trough RGB filters and than combine them in PS. :)

If it were a more compact design..sure

Lumix gives you monochrome live view as an option, so I feel like that’s my b&w shooting experience without needing to invest in such a specialized camera. I rarely ever convert my photos to black and white because I put so much time into my film color work flow. This might be a great camera for a friend I have though….

Comparing the two noiselevels is probably unfair: The artifacts in the DNGs show that noisereduction has been done, even if in-camera. So the resulting PNG (or TIFF, or ...) from the Sony might have been better for comparison. But it certainly looks like a nice camera (for non-Leica people, that is).

Leica being 13:08 so highly regarded, what happened that competitors no longer make Leica copies? Perhaps China or Russia will come through with either copies or outside the box innovation.

Hi Matti,, Nice reality check on getting one of these types of monochrome cameras and what they can and can't do. A local rental shop bought a Leica Q monochrome for their rental shop... I put my name in a couple of days after they announced they had it and Sept is the earliest open date..$77/day!!.(A Sony a7rmk IV is $40/day).. wouldn't mind trying the Pentax out with a bag full of vintage Takumar primes!!

Thanks Matti, very interesting. I knew you were going to say they should make a monochrome GR! If they do I'll seriously consider buying one. Do colour filters work well with the Pentax? I tried using the old yellow, orange and red filters I used with film on a Nikon DSLR and the results were very disappointing. I've heard other people say it doesn't work well.

I once wrote to Olympus before they ceased trading and sugested they should bring out a monochrome version of the Pen-F. The Pen-F has a nice mono mode via it's front custom dial which resembles Tri-X but a dedicated mono version I would have bought. Trouble with the Pentax Monochrome is the smaller sensor copared to Leica's full frame equive.

GR Monochrom, would buy for sure. I guess Pentax want to milk as much sales revenue as possible from the DSLR before they go down that path

I shoot black & white film in my Pentax 35mm Spotmatic and seven prime lenses. I would consider a Pentax b&w digital if the price is right and if I can easily mount my M42 lenses.

LOL, I normally carry both a K-1 and a K-1ii when I am shooting events, so it would be nice to be shooting with a nice light camera like a Pentax K-3iii Mono. As an event shooter I think that having one monochrome body might be a nice way of dealing with awful lighting situations in low light or mixed light where a colored light is bleeding onto a subject. I often end up converting some of those images to black and white, and it would be nice to shoot at a higher ISO with less noise.

Oh yes more BW sensors please. On smaller cameras, like the GR. Oh definitely.

Thank you Matti, great video. I apologise but I will never understand monochrome. To me, life is in colour and I feel that I diminish the view of my life if I do not photograph in colour.

Hi Matti am also awaiting Ricoh to make a B&W sensor. I think you could have hilighted the many very small prime lenses in the Pentax lineup that greatly reduces the weight and form factor👍😀

Nice video. I am thinking od renting this camera and a 400mm lens to do wildlife and bird photography ...

Matti, the combination of K3Mk.3 Mono with tiny Ltd. primes is no more heavy and obstructing. E.g. DA21/f3.2. That is fitting fairly small camera bag. Regarding GR and Fuji, I do not believe in Monochrome cameras from those anymore. K3 is wonderful but extremely niche and does not sell well.

Although you complain about the weight of the camera, you have no problem waving it around in one hand for the whole of the video. 😉

If I weren't so invested in the analog process and only or mostly shot digital, I probably would've gotten this camera a while ago. Bur alas, I like darkroom printing of my images too much and only shoot digital in the few instances where I shoot colour (or when I can't shoot film/plates for whatever reason).

It was kind of funny when you compared the GR camera to that Pentax. Haven't you heard that RICOH owns the Pentax brand?

Come on Pentax!! Make a retro style DSLR camera.

You _can_ take color pictures with a monochrome sensor, by using external color filters and merging the resulting 'channels', as in the early days of color photography 😉

Yea they made an APSC monochrome sensor but the sales are doing so well. I think Leica managed to pull it off because of their heritage. Just like how they make film cameras in 2024. The fan base is strong and the amount of lenses that can go on those monochrom is amazing. Stepping back though, i dont really think a lot of us need that monochrome sensor. The added boost in dynamic range and iso sensitivity is only useful for a very small group of shooters who edit heavy. Photographers like Alan Schaller is a classic example where he prefers ultra wide angle lens, stop down f8 for sharpness corner to corner, exposes only for the highlights and rely in post to rescue the shadows out aggressively. If we operate within -/+ 2EV a colour sensor is good enough. And regarding sharper image- We have to remember there are better lenses options from other brands with bigger sensors (FF, MF) - much sharper and able to hold more microcontrast that will level the playing field if the colour raw is changed to monochrome.

Once again a straightforward video. I find it kind of strange; I have rented a Leica M10 mono and this Pentax mono. I found out that a true rangefinder was not my cup of tea. I would take the Pentax over the Leica. But I wish Pentax would make a mirrorless version and a series of compact primes; of course these lenses would have to be top of the line. The best that Pentax could make so that they could squeeze out all the resolution from the sensor. Also strange is Sigma with the Foveon sensor does have rgb data at all pixels. This in some respects makes the Sigma’s ideal. You can shoot color or mono and have the ability to play with the channels. Unfortunately the Foveon sensor has its limitations. What do think?

I have a Fuji x100vi and really can’t tell the difference between 24 and 40mp in fact using a dedicated macro lens for close up my old a99 sometimes looks sharper (of course the x100 were never designed for such things and once I got it outside on the street that thing really comes to life) I’m really interested in this Pentax so thanks for this video…. I wonder how it would work for “scanning” black and white film negatives vs a color sensor.

That camera is an absolute brick for sure! I'm betting Fuji do a monochrome x100 soon enough, maybe theyre waiting for other camera companies to take the risk

I don’t believe so much in the monochrome proposition as in camera filters can replicate different film looks (Fuji style). But it’s an interesting topic, definitely niche.

I'm a Pentax shooter however I don't have a K3III Monochrome, but I believe that people that have it will enjoy pairing it with some of the lovely Pentax DA Limited lenses namely the DA15 and the DA21 Limiteds.

A person can be one of three owners of this camera!

Unfortunately Pentax refuses to make mirroless cameras. This kind of strange because Ricoh, their parent company certainly knows how to make very good mirrorless cameras. Perhaps they feel that the mirrorless market is too crowded already or that the want they want to carve out a Nitch die hard DSRL fans.

Good video I liked it. 👍 However for me 3k camera including a lens, i would rather spend that money in mamiya rb67 + lens + enlarger + some film stock and chemicals plus paper . Yes that is not exactly a street photography kit, but it could make some awesome landscapes, portraits, anything static, both b&w and color ( disclaimer: i am just a hobbyist shooting digital + 35mm film on a camera from 1974, that thing being 1 year older than i am ) 😍 Video idea for the future could be a test one of those 3d printed 4X5 cameras that are currently made new. or pinhole photography as a genre.

An APS-C sensor can't compete with a FF sensor (no matter Leica or other brands) in particular if one uses vintage lenses.

What do you think of hassleblad x2d?

As a M9M owner I was very excited about this launch and almost jumped on an order, but I have to admit after a year the silence of few positive reviews and really not a ton of user sample images, has me wondering.

Put the camera down before you drop it! What a workout! Thanks for the interesting video.

Another great video, Matti. But respectfully, I’ve never seen the appeal of monochrome photography, save for very special circumstances working with light and shadow. Colour information is simply too vital to how we see the world and without it, so much is lost. Consider historical photos, for instance. Black & white images from the World Wars always have always seemed distant to me, impersonal, like they’re not real or didn’t take place in this world. And it’s why I’m so grateful to professional image colorizers and now, AI tools, that can bring monochrome film to life through colour. Peter Jackson’s film “They Shall Not Grow Old” is a marvelous example of this; the moment the film changes from black & white to colour (and sound is added), you feel transported back in time to a real place with real men and real emotions on a real battlefield. And so in summary, I think imposing artificial restrictions can produce wonderful creativity, but a monochrome sensor is simply a bridge too far, especially when modern cameras can capture colour information in such incredible detail.

It’s like if only Pentax would have made the camera a full frame camera. It just made a mini Leica Monochrom camera.

Can you make the color viewfinder black & white?

Although I no longer shoot with a Pentax, many years ago I did. When I was a photojournalist, I was given the Nikon F3HP, their flagship film camera at the time. I hated it. I bought my own Pentax along with some lenses and never looked back. Pentax had great glass, but for some reason they never really promoted their lenses. And I'm tired of hearing people whine about APS-C sensors not being up to snuff. I shot weddings for 25 years and for 20 of those years I used Canon APS-C cameras. (EOS 20D, 30D, 40D and & 7D). I printed photos up to 20x40" with no problem. When I moved to full frame, I bought the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. I think the highest megapixel Canons I used then had from 12 to 18 megapixels. You don't need a ton of megapixels to get a great image if you know what you're doing. When you want an image sharper than the eye can see, then you need to get into another field, not photography. Maybe macular biology. Depending on the price and the price of a few Pentax lenses I will seriously consider this camera. I may get one on loan to try it out. I think the 26 MP sensor is more than enough. Pentax has always made great cameras, and even though I don't use them now, I highly respect the Pentax bodies and glass.

There was a "dedicated monochrome segment?"

I would like OM systems to bring out a monochrome OM-1, would that interest you?

I would buy a gx8 monochrome if panny made one.

What does a 25 MP apsc slr with autofocus have to do with anything Leica?

Good for Pentax - in a world of samo samo - they chose a different path - Nikon ZF has a B+W switch which is handy but the results are terrible - for someone like me who shoots weddings on MF I think this is a quirky little thing which will appeal to many

All dash cams SHOULD be monos