[Leica] Re: B&W only version of M8 - anyone else hear this?

[davison_m at msn.com (MARK DAVISON)]

B. D. Colen has mentioned:

And the
idea, as I recall it, was that true RAW data is, in fact, gray scale data,
and that, as I believe Adam just noted, the sensor applies color to the RAW
data to get the color RAW image.

As it stands this is a bit misleading.  In a color sensor, each pixel has a 
different color filter over it (from the Bayer array), so physically the RAW 
data in each pixel is from some particular color channel. It's like taking 
color separation shots simultaneously.

A pure black and white camera sensor would have no Bayer array of color 
filters over the pixels, so each pixel would indeed record a truly B&W 
image.

Mark Davison