Barbonbrown

Set the camera to save in large file JPG and RAW.

Set the camera to take in B+W. The viewfinder will show the scene in b+w, allowing you to visualise what the b+w picture will look like. This is much better than viewing in colour and using your mind's eye to convert. You will get better b+w pictures this way.

You will also have a b+w jpg and a colour RAW file. Often working on and converting the RAW file into b+w will give a better final picture, but for the visualising before pressing the shutter, use b+w mode so you see the monochrome image before capture.

michael180 Loc: Boise Idaho

The absolute best method for BW images is getting your hand on a Leica Q2 Monochrom

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Best is relative to one's resources, means, and knowledge... The absolute best for you won't work for everyone.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

As "burkphoto" said, we can only do what our pocketbook allows. B&W is a form of photography and has a learning curve. The camera is only one part of it. B&W is lines and shades not color, we must learn to see it. A great picture is the vision and composition not best camera or lens.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

I think you are totally missing the point of GIRITC.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

I always shoot Color and convert to Black and White . There are times I like to combine the 2 into one image it makes it easier to use selective color in my black and white images . I usually use Silver Efex Pro from the Nik suite for B+W conversion always on a second layer so I can change the opacity of the layers ...to get a desired effect .This is a old Cracker home in the Shiloh area of Florida there are 3 homes there that are just off the highway the land owner has kept them some what in tact . color image was placed on top of the B+W on a separate layer with a lower opacity applied and the rest of the image erased with a large soft eraser .The acid burn border was added in The Nik suites Color efex or or analog efex in the Nik suite .

(Download)

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

When you let the printer do the B&W conversion, it is just a generic desaturation. Converting to B&W first gives you many more options about how the colors translate into grey tones. They may look good when the printer converts them, but maybe they could be even better if you convert in post processing.

Leinik Loc: Rochester NY

As mentioned in many replies, unless you use a strictly monochrome camera/sensor (Leica or Pentax) your camera is equipped with a sensor that has a Bayer array filter (with Red Green and Blue filters on top of its photosites). In other words your sensor is a color one and the information its collects is meant to generate a color image (automatically recorded in RAW format). If you set your camera to generate a JPG version of your raw file in black and white, the camera's processor will convert the raw file into a monochrome file (one channel instead of 3 (R, G and B)) according to its algorithm. Converting the raw image or the color JPG to black and white in an image-processing software will give you more options regarding conversion and results and not the cookie-cutter version of the camera. I would recommend setting your camera to RAW+JPG (jpg in black and white) so that you get and see a BW result on your camera while photographing and still have access to a color version of the image that you can convert (with the raw file). This setting RAW+JPGbw is all the more useful if you use a camera with an electronic viewfinder (or use Live View on the rear screen) as you will see your image in black and white in the viewfinder while composing it and still have access to its color version thanks to the raw file.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY