p.1 #1 · Lens recommendations for monochrome (L-mount): Panasonic black and white JPEG shooting
Are there any L-mount lenses that seem to work especially well for black and white?
I know some will say this is the wrong question: Good glass is good glass. I understand this conclusion and will gladly end the discussion, but still want to see any ideas that might arise here.
I'm taking a harder look at L-mount gear because Lumix bodies stand out for their monochrome JPEG profiles. The black and white JPEG samples I have enjoyed the most on the internet usually came from Olympus and Panasonic. I was also pleased with a demo at WPPI in Vegas shot with S1RII and some sort of a fast lens at 85mm (though I didn't take note of which lens). If I go this route, I might start with a used, original S1 body, depending on how much monochrome goodness Panasonic bestowed upon those old bodies.
p.1 #2 · Lens recommendations for monochrome (L-mount): Panasonic black and white JPEG shooting
If I were to purely speculate I'd say maybe adapted lenses with lower contrast. Pretty much all the L mount stuff is modern and optimised.
That said, I've very much liked the mono conversion from the S1R with lenses like the 24-90, but I attribute that to the camera+sensor more than the glass. You might be happy with the way things turn out regardless of the lens itself.
p.1 #3 · Lens recommendations for monochrome (L-mount): Panasonic black and white JPEG shooting
While I have not used the S1R for monochrome JPG images, I can for certain second the Leica 24-90. It produces wonderful monochrome images straight from the Leica SL2 using an in-camera monochrome profile.