Leica M10 Monochrom

The M10 Monochrom (2020) takes the same approach as the M Monochrom (2012) and M246 Monochrom before it: remove the Bayer colour filter array from the sensor, dedicate every pixel to luminance, and get dramatically more detail and less noise than any colour sensor of equivalent megapixel count. At 41 megapixels on a full-frame sensor with no demosaicing, it delivers B&W files that genuinely rival medium-format film for resolution.

For newcomers: colour sensors work by putting red, green, and blue filters over alternating pixels — then guessing ("interpolating") what colour each pixel actually sees. A monochrome sensor skips all that: every pixel sees the full spectrum as brightness. The result is more resolution, better high-ISO performance, and tonal gradations in shadow and sky that colour-converted files simply cannot match.