Leica's new Q2 Monochrom is a 46.7 megapixel beast of a camera. It costs $6,000, has a fixed lens and only shoots black and white. Is anyone seriously going to buy this camera?

The Monochrom is a variant of the regular Q2. It’s pretty much the exact same camera, just $1,000 more expensive and without color. But if you’re mostly a black and white photographer, chances are you can already figure out how to afford this one. And compared to other Monochrom Leicas, it’s cheap.

"It's really a matter of 'the right tool for the job,'" black-and-white photographer Gregory Simpson told Lifewire via email. "If your 'job' is to shoot black-and-white, then you're better off with a black-and-white camera. I realize that's not true for everyone. If you're just experimenting with black-and-white, or using it as an 'effect' to salvage a photo that doesn't 'work' in color, then a monochromatic sensor doesn't make much sense."

The Q2 Monochrom has a full-frame (the size of a frame of 35mm film) sensor, a fixed 28mm ƒ1.7 lens, and an ultra-minimal set of controls. Its viewfinder has an OLED display inside, and the rear 3-inch monitor is touch-sensitive. It can also record 4K video, but of course it will be in black and white.