Blowing Smoke
Blowing Smoke BW
When I was in Vietnam, I was carrying the Phase One IQ4 150 mp and the IQ3 100 mp achromatic backs. I really like to shoot in black and white, especially on the street. What I found is that the capture from the IQ4 converted to black and white is just as good as the captures from the IQ3 achromatic! I wouldn’t say that it is better, but I would say that it is equal to. Above is a conversion to black and white from the IQ4 and below is a capture from the IQ3 achromatic.
The capture above was taken from about 250 yards away and I was standing on a bridge with the IQ3 100 mp achromatic on a tripod. This was a planned and scouted shot. I knew that I wanted to capture it in black and white. For street shooting, it is a really nice option to be able to convert a color image to black and white, especially when the backgrounds are distracting from the image, without having to commit to either one. You are never sure what you will be shooting as a street photographer. It tends to be opportunistic. In the captures below, you can see the light and the contrast much better in black and white than in the color version. For me, going achromatic puts the emphasis back on the subject. What do you think?
The IQ4 150 mp is a very versatile system. I am hoping to capture some images using in IQ4 150 mp achromatic this July in New Zealand. I am imagining some big landscapes with lots of contrast. Stay tuned for the comparison images!