Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 560mm, F4, 1/4000s, ISO 2500
Sigma presents a gallery of images by photographer Kellon Spencer. This gallery is comprised of photos shot with the 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports lens, released in 2025 for full-frame format mirrorless cameras.
Using the Sigma 300-600mm on a Sony a1 camera body.
Working with the Sigma 300-600mm F4 lens reignited my passion for visual storytelling. During a recent expedition to the Arctic, I had the privilege of capturing everything from sweeping polar landscapes to intimate moments with polar bears, walruses, and a wide array of bird species.
Wildlife photography often demands precision, patience, and above all, the right equipment. The ability to shoot at 600mm with a constant F4 aperture proved to be a game changer. It allowed me to maintain fast shutter speeds even in low light, making it possible to freeze the motion of fast-moving subjects without compromising image quality.
This lens isn’t just a new addition to my gear list — it’s now an essential part of my wildlife documentary toolkit.
Kellon Spencer, Photographer & Media Producer
Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 479mm, F4, 1/3200s, ISO 6400Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 512mm, F4, 1/320s, ISO 500Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 465mm, F4, 1/320s, ISO 250Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 300mm, F4, 1/2000s, ISO 100Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 600mm, F4, 1/5000s, ISO 160Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 591mm, F9, 1/800s, ISO 125Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 597mm, F4, 1/800s, ISO 125
Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 300mm, F4, 1/5000s, ISO 160Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 591mm, F8, 1/800s, ISO 320
Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 600mm, F8, 1/800s, ISO 320Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 300mm, F4, 1/8000s, ISO 1600Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 600mm, F4, 1/5000s, ISO 800Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 472mm, F4, 1/5000s, ISO 800Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 600mm, F4, 1/1000s, ISO 100
Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 567mm, F4, 1/4000s, ISO 2000Sigma 300-600mm F4 DG OS | Sports Sony Alpha a1 567mm, F4, 1/4000s, ISO 2000
Explore the 300-600mm now:
About
I originally pursued media as a means of documenting nature and the adventures I live for. My perspective is that existence on our planet is far more fascinating than anything found in a work of fiction. In addition to media production I also have a background in biology with an emphasis on the ocean. While I don’t work in research, I apply my education as a Naturalist Guide.
Equipment used
EXPLORE MORE
Sigma presents a gallery of images by professional photographer Darren White. This gallery is comprised entirely of photos shot with the 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art lens, released in 2019 for full-frame format mirrorless cameras.
Sigma presents a gallery of images from the side streets of Tokyo by photographer and video producer Nagamitsu Endo. This gallery is comprised entirely of images shot with the Sigma BF camera, along with its natural street photography companion, the 35mm F2 DG | Contemporary lens.
This week we have been talking about black and white photography but since the early days, there have been many articles shared about black and white photography, by almost all writers here at Light Stalking. At some point, we all get into this genre and sometimes struggle to get the best out of a scene or situation, or get stuck during the post-processing part.
Today we thought that we will put together some very useful tutorials on black and white photography, so you can refer to the ones that are really important or useful for you.
Many photographers may have a questions as to why one should shoot black and white, when there is colour photography. There are a dozen reasons why one might honour black and white photography and four of those are discussed in this article.
Photo by Reuben Mcfeeters
Black and white photos look surreal, they are emotive and they evoke a lot of emotions that sometimes a colour photo cannot. Shooting black and white photos can be quite tricky and the photographer needs to know when shooting the image, if a scene, subject or scenario will work well as a black and white photo. So, here are some ways to tell if a scene will make a great black and white photo.
Photo by Alex
Black and white photographs are beautiful and it makes many of us wonder how someone could have captured and post-processed such a stunning but simple photograph in black and white. This article discusses a few tips on how to capture and edit stunning fine art black and white photographs.
Photo by Etienne Delorieux
Some photographers convert an image to black and white, in order to hide the imperfections in their colour version. It may be fine to do this occasionally, but making it a habit is not the way to creating black and white images because creating great black and white photographs is an art. So, here are some things to think about when getting into black and white photography.
Before capturing a shot, or after you have captured one, have you ever been caught up in a dilemma if the shot should be in colour or black and white? In the early days, photographers made the choice to shot either in colour or black and white film, but in the days of digital photography, we have the luxury to capture raw files and work on them the way we wish to later. So read to find out how you can make this decision between colour and black and white for a particular shot.
Photographers think that it is easier to shoot images for black and white but the problem arises when we try to convert an image to black and white. Most photographers think that removing the colours by bringing the saturation slider to the negative, or clicking on the black and white setting or applying a preset when post processing will help. The truth is, you need to capture images using a black and white film mindset.
Photo by Archie Binamira
We all would have seen the famous landscape photographs of Ansel Adams that are shot in black and white. Although we can see in colour and in these days photograph in colour too, we still feel the emotions better sometimes in a black and white photograph, especially landscapes that are vast and colourful. So, if you want to shoot black and white landscapes, here are five keys to improve your shots.
Photo by tombabich24
If you are someone who is interested in shooting dark scenes, then film noir photography is a genre that you can explore. These types of photos can be used to portray dramatic, mysterious scenes and it suits only particular types of situations, light and stories. Here are some tips and techniques to capture interesting film noir photographs.
Photo by Andrew Amistad
Not only do street photos or landscapes work well for black and white photography, even portraits become more beautiful when converted to black and white. It lets you focus on the subject and their characteristics, without any distraction. So here are some tips to convert a portrait onto black and white.
Once you capture the images for black and white conversion, you need to make some important adjustments when post processing your image for black and white. This article discusses the best monochrome practices for photographers in both Lightroom and Photoshop.
Photo by Jason Row
If you just shoot in black and white or convert an image to black and white by the click of a button or by desaturating it, you will nowhere be near to those images of olden days that were shot in film. The images will mostly look flat with not much contrast or tonality. Black and white film photographers used colour filters to give a punch to certain elements in their shots and these days, it can be achieved in Photoshop using the channel mixer tool. Read to find how to use it.
Photo by Jason Row
A lot of street photographers shoot in black and white and it is a very common thing for decades now. Most photographers really do not shoot in black and white, but instead shoot in colour and then convert their images to black and white and they think street photographs should be in black and white. Read to find why photographers make this decision.
Photo by Federico Alegría
And of course, street photographs also need some amount of post production, because we always advise to shoot in raw in order to get the best results in the final photo. A lot of street photographers also believe that the colours in the streets may not be always visually appealing to have the street photograph in colour. Here are some tips to convert a street photograph to black and white.
Image by Federico Alegría
If you would like some inspiration to shoot black and white photographs, here are links to dozens of quotes and images that you can refer to:
Black and white photography is timelessly beautiful. It lets the viewer focus on the story without getting distracted by any colours that may be too dominant and shadow the subject or the story.
Shooting in black and white is not so easy as it seems – it is not just about removing the colours from the image, but about having a range of tones that will make the subject stand out and make the image very compelling or effective.
“With black and white, what you have to say counts more than the way you say it.” – Gian Marco Marano
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge
When shooting black and white images, it is always good to shoot in colour and then convert the image to black and white, but for that, one should learn to see in black and white. In order to create a great black and white image, there need to be contrasts between the lights and darks and the photographer needs to have a good understanding of tonality.
Note that distinct colours do not always convert to distinct tones when converted to black and white, but tweaking the luminance values may help.
An example is in the illustrations below, which are discussed in articles in the “Further Reading” section below.
Basic conversion in Lightroom. Tweaking the luminance may help. Illustration by Dahlia
A slight variation of the above colors gives some tonal range. Illustration by Dahlia
Here are 25 black and white images that seem surreal and emotive and these images will inspire you to shoot black and white if you do not do that already.
If you have shot black and white photos before or converted your colour images to black and white, but were disappointed with the results, we would recommend you to check out this useful eBook, “Better Black And White” by Photzy. It is a complete step-by-step guide to convert your images to beautiful black and whites.
Photo by felipepelaquim
Photo by Esteban Amaro
Photo by David Werbrouck
Photo by Ehud Neuhaus
Photo by Damien Schnorhk
Photo by Asher Ward
Photo by Tai’s Captures
Photo by Mukul Kumar
Experienced photographers will look at a photo or a scene and will know if it will work well in black and white. Learning to see a scene in black and white is important in order to capture the right images and get stunning results. If you want to quickly dive into black and white photography, this simple easy-to-follow eBook, “Better Black And White” by Photzy covers everything you need to know about producing your own powerful share-worthy black and white images.
Photo by Vincent NICOLAS
Photo by Dave Hoefler
Photo by andreas kretschmer
Photo by Guillaume Issaly
Photo by Sergi Ferrete
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge
Photo by Ales Krivec
Photo by Metin Ozer
Black and white photography is an art, but some photographers often think that converting an image to black and white often happens at the click of a button or by just bringing the saturation slider to the lowest value. That is not true and some tweaking is required to get the best results. Whether you are using Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements or any other software, this eBook “Better Black And White” by Photzy has enough information to help you achieve the great results with the software you already have.
Fujifilm announced the launch of its new rangefinder style mirrorless camera in the X-E series, the Fujifilm-X-E5, that has a classic look and comes with an updated elegant design. One of the most interesting design features is the customizable “Film Simulation” (FS) dial that features an indicator window.
Image via Fujifilm
The Fujifilm-X-E5 allows you to navigate between Fujifilm’s own presets via the FS dial and also allows the user to save their own three customizable film simulation settings. Fujifilm has used the term “recipes” for the film simulation settings, much like the presets that users develop and save in some mobile photo apps as recipes.
The X-E5 has a compact design and comes with a 40.2MP APS-C sensor. It features a five-axis in-body image stabilization, AI powered autofocus and many other interesting features for aadvanced image capture.
Here are some of the most important features of the Fujifilm X-E5:
40.2MP APS-C, X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor
X-Processor 5 imaging engine
Five-axis sensor-shift IBIS
3″ touchscreen LCD with three-axis tilting
Single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot
Captures videos up to 6.2K
Lower base ISO of 125, improving low light performance
Latest AF Algorithm, subject detection AF
Teleconverter with digital zoom settings of 1.4 and 2.0x
Continuous shooting for uncompressed Raw images – up to 20 fps
Long exposure up to 1 hour in bulb mode
20 unique Film Simulation modes
Maximum frame rate of 29.97 fps in 6.2K, 59.94 fps in 4K, and 240 fps in Full HD
Weight approximately 445 g
Built-in Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2
USB-C power input for charging
More details about the Fujifilm X-E5 can be found here. Along with the announcement of the X-E5, Fujifilm has also announced the FUJIFILM XF 23mm f/2.8 R WR Lens that comes with a 11 blades round aperture, manual focus ring, autofocus motor and is a great lens for low light shooting. Both these products are available to pre-order and are estimated to ship by end of August, 2025.
We have more news for you to read if you are interested at this link here.
Do you, like me, find black and white images incredibly evocative? They seem to draw us in more than colour, have more sense of life and of story. There are a few genres of photography that are not suited to monochrome, but one that most definitely is, is the urban landscape.
There is so much in urban areas that lends itself to black and white. Amble areas of light and shade, textures, form and most importantly geometry and symmetry.
Today we are going to explore how to elevate your urban images into artistic black and whites.
The simple fact is, that not every urban shot you take will be suited to black and white. To shoot great black and white shots you need to see in black and white. Now, that might seem quite an odd statement, especially given the billions of colours our eyes are capable of recording, but hear me out.
Identifying a black and white urban image is not literally about seeing in black and white. It’s about identifying the elements that go into making a great black and white photo.
Some of the most important are the interplay of light and shade and the use of lines of contrast. Light and shade are, perhaps, more important in black and white than in colour. The depth of the blacks define how we react to an image emotionally, the harder the black the more gritty and harsh the image can feel.
Lines of contrast lead our eye around the image. This contrast need not be pure black or white, but well defined graduations of tone that give depth to an image.
One tip, if you struggle with “seeing” black and white in your urban landscapes is to shoot in a black and white mode. On many cameras, this will turn the viewfinder/LCD monochrome as well, making it easier for you to see if the shot works. Make sure you are shooting RAW and JPEG though as the RAW file will give us so much more latitude when editing.
Briefly, it is important to know that colour is vital to our black and white shots. Assuming we have shot RAW (see above), we can increase or decrease the luminance of any of the primary colours. For example when editing a blue sky, we can decrease the blue luminance to make that sky much darker.
The urban environment is full of colour, from the faded to the bold. When we are shooting we can identify those blocks of colours that we either wish to enhance or reduce in significance.
For example a bright yellow sign with bold lettering might make an interesting subject to our urban shot. By decreasing the luminance of the blue channel (opposite to yellow) we can brighten up that sign and separate it from the rest of the image. The same can be true of faded colours, we can enhance or reduce their intensity according to how relevant we wish them to be in the image.
Once you have found the ability to “see” in black and white, you will see monochrome opportunities around every corner. There are several elements in the urban environment that we can identify for black and white shots. The first are the shapes, forms and textures of the manmade. Another is the human element, the stories of the people in that built environment – these also cross genres with street photography. Another important black and white element can be the way nature interacts with the urban.
In man made we are looking for the way the light interacts with structures. How light casts shadows and creates depth and form to our shots. We are looking for symmetry and geometry. A symmetrical image of a building can look great but add in a person to one side and you add tension to the shot. In black and white, this can look amazing.
Textures are everywhere in urban areas, from the rust of the manmade to the bark of a tree. Low directional light makes these textures pop whilst shallow depth of field hints at the location. Graffiti and urban decay are also fantastic black and white subjects in cities and towns
The way the natural works with the manmade is another great area to focus on with your black and white urban images. The lone tree in front of a modern structure. A line of park benches in an urban park. There is so much to look for and shoot.
Taking a good black and white is half the job. Editing it is the other half. These days it’s not difficult to edit great black and white urban shots. Tools like Lightroom Classic have a plethora of functions to help us get good black and white images.
There are some things that you can do to add punch though. Convert the image using a colour profile, this will give you a good starting point. Use the black and white sliders to adjust the amount of overall contrast you are looking for. Pushing to the ends of the histogram (or even beyond) will give maximum contrast whilst pulling the blacks and whites inside the histogram will reduce the contrast.
The clarity and texture sliders are great tools for managing mid tone contrasts, and are especially useful in punching out textures. Use masking tools to isolate areas of textures and enhance them.
As mentioned earlier the use of RGB sliders can allow us to manipulate individual colour channels within our black and white urban images giving us huge control over the way they look.
Editing the urban environment in black and white is an immensely satisfying thing to do, be it a few hours or few years after you took the original image.
As we mentioned at the top, the urban environment is, perhaps, the best place you will find to elevate your black and white photos to more artistic images.
It’s hard not to find great black and white shots in towns and cities but it will take some practice to both start seeing in black and white and finding compositions to enhance your monochrome shots. But, as they say, practice makes perfect, and with the cameras and editing tools we have to hand today, practice is also immensely satisfying
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 14mm, F2.8, 13s, ISO 6400
Sigma presents a gallery of images by professional photographer Darren White. This gallery is comprised entirely of photos shot with the 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art lens, released in 2019 for full-frame format mirrorless cameras.
The Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art lens mounted on a full-frame mirrorless Sony camera body.
With the Sigma 14-24mm Art lens, you get edge-to-edge sharpness, minimal distortion (even at 14mm), and color rendering that will make your edits feel almost unnecessary. I own and use both the Sony E-mount and older Nikon F versions, and love them equally the same!
Weather sealed, rock solid build and surprisingly compact for what it offers, it’s the lens that says, “Go ahead, dust, rain & cold. Bring it on!” As a professional landscape photographer I shoot in all extreme conditions, and this lens will hold up in any of them.
Darren White, Professional Photographer
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 14mm, F2.8, 10s, ISO 3200Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 14mm, F5, ISO 64Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 16mm, F18, 1/6s, ISO 50Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 23mm, F16, 1/10s, ISO 50Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 15mm, F6.3, 30s, ISO 1600Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 14mm, F10, 1/30s, ISO 64
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sigma fp L 14mm, F13, 1/125s, ISO 100Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Nikon Z8 14mm, F4, 30s, ISO 400
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7C II 24mm, F10, 1/100s, ISO 64
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 14mm, F7.1, 1/50s, ISO 100Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 14mm, F2.8, 15s, ISO 10000
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sigma fp L 14mm, F7.1, 125s, ISO 32Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 17mm, F16, 1/400s, ISO 64Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 16mm, F11, 1/6s, ISO 64Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN | Art Sony A7R IV 16mm, F9, 1/160s, ISO 100
Get your lens direct from Sigma:
About
Born and raised on the Oregon Coast where his love for beautiful landscapes began. In 1999 Darren moved to Portland Oregon and soon fell in love with the mountains and Columbia River Gorge areas. In July of 2013 Darren made a huge move to Littleton, Colorado where he has quickly fell in love with the majestic mountains Colorado has to offer and the outdoor life Colorado is known for.
Darren has been published in various magazines like Popular Photography, Columbia Gorge Magazine and had a mention in National Geographic Traveler. His prints have been sold worldwide and used for all kinds of media from Websites to Trade Show Backdrops.
Darren enjoys a variety of outdoors activities which include but are not limited to, hiking, biking, running, night photography, trail running, climbing steep hills and simply just being amazed at what nature can produce!
Equipment used
EXPLORE MORE
Photographer Etsuko Aimu captures images of her children with the Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art lens mounted on a Canon EOS R7 mirrorless camera. This APS-C format combination produces beautiful photos for memories that last a lifetime, and beyond.
With the Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC | Art lens at his side, photographer and cinematographer Naoki Miyashita visits a Kyoto pottery workshop to find out just how well this modern evolution of a beloved APS-C zoom lens performs.
We all may have seen a rainbow at some point and it may have been in strange places even like a waterfall, due to sea spray or even when watering plants in the garden. The most common occurrence of rainbows is when sunlight hits raindrops or water particles when the air is moist after a rain, but even moonlight can cause rainbows.
A rainbow is actually an optical illusion and seeing a rainbow depends on where you are standing with respect to the sun and at what angle the sunlight is falling on the waterdrops. The same applies for any form of rainbow seen elsewhere.
Now capturing just rainbows can seem quite boring, for example, just a colourful arc in the sky. It is always important to compose the shots to make the final photo look interesting and meaningful. Here are 29 striking rainbow photos that have been shot well.
If you would like to master composition in any genre of photography and create brilliant photographs, then you should check out this eBook “Understanding Composition” by Photzy. This guide is packed with illustrations for visual learning, case studies, and assignments that will help to verify your knowledge.
Photo by Zoltan Tasi
Photo by Austin Schmid
Photo by NOAA
Photo by Karson
Photo by Chris Barbalis
Photo by greg_nunes
Photo by Cosmic Timetraveler
Photo by David Brooke Martin
Photo by Todd Cravens
Photo by Jared Erondu
We all know that composition is the secret to incredible photography and if you want to learn how to determine the flow of a scene so that setting up a perfect shot is effortless, then you should check out “Understanding Composition” by Photzy. This complete hands-on guide with easy to understand case studies covering the “What” and “Why” of photography composition, can make learning a breeze.
Photo by Sorasak
Photo by Dario Mueller
Photo by Zdeněk Macháček
Photo by Lucie Dawson
Photo by Jorge Fernández Salas
Photo by DIEU
Photo by Jesse Gardner
Photo by Dylan Gialanella
Photo by Marcus Woodbridge
Photo by Zoltan Tasi
If you want to learn to spot great composition in a scene quickly, so you don’t miss out on those brilliant shots again, then you should check out “Understanding Composition” by Photzy. You will no longer feel overwhelmed by not being able to get the shots you really want. The 120 pages eBook comes with step-by-step information that contains 25 key lessons, 77 example images, 23 assignments and 1 printable composition checklist, all helpful to get a perfect shot.
Welcome to another weekly wrap-up of all of the happenings on the Light Stalking forums and community.
This week has been another wonderful week in the world of creating beautiful photographs. Our community is all about positivity, encouraging people of all levels to reach the next step in their photographic journey. It’s a great bunch of people, and collegiality is basically how the whole group comes together. If you’re not already part of it, consider joining today.
Don’t forget to join in our current weekly challenge on the forums. This week, the theme is shadows of simplicity.
Some of the amazing shots from the community this week:
Photo by Wendy P
Photo by Rob Eyers
Photo by Robert Apple
Photo by Pat Garrett
Photo by Patrick
Photo by Frog Daily
Also don’t forget to join in our monthly challenge for the chance to win $100 prize. This month, the theme is “minimalism and simplicity.” You can enter it here.
Trees – we find them almost everywhere around us, even in the most urban spaces where they are grown to add some life to the lifeless concrete jungles. While trees may be a common subject found easily, and one that is used to frame other subjects or as a supporting element in photography, it is quite difficult to effectively photograph them on their own, especially their grandeur or their importance in a particular space.
Photo by Mel
When photographing trees, importance needs to be given to the gear, especially lenses used, location, angles and perspective, composition, weather, atmospheric conditions and the right light. Although trees are difficult to photograph, the process of slowing down, waiting for the right light and capturing a compelling shot can be very rewarding. Try using interesting compositions like framing, juxtaposition, reflections, centered composition, patterns, etc.
Here are 21 photographs of trees that make use of interesting compositions.
If you are already familiar with basic compositional guidelines like the rule of thirds or the leading lines and wish to take your compositional skills to the next level, we recommend you to check out this eBook “Advanced Composition” by Photzy, that will help you turn your photographs into works of art.
Photo by Henrik Hansen
Photo by iuliu illes
Photo by Adrián Valverde
Photo by Jessica Furtney
Photo by Oli Gibbs
Photo by Ian Wagg
Photo by Jeremy Bishop
If you wish to move beyond the rule of thirds and other simple compositional guidelines to advanced techniques that use curves, repetitions, light and shadows, focal points, etc., then we recommend you to check out this eBook “Advanced Composition” by Photzy which is a 239 pages practical guide, that is packed with training, assignments, lessons and plenty of quizzes to test your knowledge.
Photo by Chad Stembridge
Photo by Intricate Explorer
Photo by Redd Francisco
Photo by Maksim Shutov
Photo by Meg MacDonald
Photo by Mahrshi Bisani
Photo by Daniel Peters
Using basic compositional guidelines all the time can make your photographs look similar and sometimes boring. There are plenty of ways to compose an image other than the basic ways and this eBook “Advanced Composition” by Photzy will show you 47+ ways you can move beyond the basic rule of thirds.
Analog photography is something that has been appreciated more in the recent years with many photographers looking to shoot film. Not many companies manufacture film cameras but there are a lot of trusted sites that sell used cameras. One of the companies that still sells analog cameras is Leica and they are launching their own black and white film, the Leica MONOPAN 50.
Image via Leica
Leica mentions,
With its distinctive look, our Leica MONOPAN 50 black-and-white film recalls the early days of 35 mm photography. It takes us back to 1925, when we presented the revolutionary Leica I to the world.
The Leica MONOPAN 50 film allows 36 high resolution shots, since it has ultra fine grain and super panchromatic sensitivity. The resulting images are amazingly sharp with great tonal range. The film can be processed in all developers available to develop black and white film.
As the name suggests, the iso sensitivity for the Monopan 50 film is at 50 which means it can be used to capture images in bright light conditions using a wide aperture value. It can be a perfect film to use with the fast M-lenses of Leica’s analog cameras.
Here is a summary of the film specifications:
Type of film – Black and White
Number of frames – 36
Iso sensitivity – 50
Resolution – 280 line pairs/mm
Sensitivity – super panchromatic 780nm
Price is about $12
Can be developed in all developers for black and white film
The specifications for the Monopan 50, match the ones for Adox HR-50. Leica has also mentioned that the enhanced spectral sensitivity of the Leica MONOPAN 50 film makes it a great choice for infra-red photography. The film can also be used along with Leica’s yellow, orange and green color filters, to capture high depth, contrast, tonal values and character in black and white images.
More details about the Leica Monopan 50 film can be found here and the film will be available from August 21, 2025.
We have more news for you to read if you are interested at this link here.
