Leica S2

[ErikKaffehr]

Michael,

Thanks for your hands on preview of the S2. Sounds to me like the real thing that makes Leica survive, so they can still make the M9. The review is great. I have my fingers crossed for Leica, we had to many great companies passing away.

One thing I'm missing from the review is your impression of the autofocus, I guess this is an important aspect in modern photography.

Great review Michael and a lot of respect to Leica for their openness and forthcoming atitude!

Best regards
Erik

[michael]

AF seemed comparable to other MF cameras, but one day isn't enough to really get the measure of it. More in a few weeks when I can do side by side comparisons.

[Josh-H]

One thing I'm missing from the review is your impression of the autofocus, I guess this is an important aspect in modern photography.

You must have only glossed over this bit...

Both auto exposure and autofocus appeared to work very well. Neither stood out as being either problematic or exceptional. Compared to either an H series Hasselblad or Phase 645 camera (or at least my memory of each of them at the time) I wasn't aware of much difference in speed or accuracy. I will have to place several cameras side by side to really take the measure of them when it comes to these two capabilities. Stay tuned.

Great article Michael - I really enjoyed reading about this new Leica system. Looking forward to the videos.

[ErikKaffehr]

Ouch!

Thanks for pointing this out!

Best regards
Erik

You must have only glossed over this bit...



Great article Michael - I really enjoyed reading about this new Leica system. Looking forward to the videos.

[mtomalty]

Sounds to me like the real thing that makes Leica survive, so they can still make the M9.

To me, the opposite seems more likely.

The M9 will infuse more cash into Leica in the next month than the S2 would likely bring in for the next year.

I also fear that the S2, regardless of it being a quality product, will not attain the commercial success it will need to survive long term.

Apart from a handful of ardent, and vocal,  supporters there has been no significant positive groundswell of support from the assorted
internet communities dealing in medium format products.

I don't see many pros moving out of Phase, Hasselblad, or Leaf systems to embrace the S2.
This, in my opinion, leaves the financially secure amateur crowd to carry the S2 flag and I feel that a lot of those individuals who might have
gone the S2 route might now be re-assessing their purchasing decisions now that Leica has 'surprised' the camera world with the M9 which
wasn't on anyones radar outside of a small group of beta testers

Mark

www.marktomalty.com

[ndevlin]

I would add a slight possible dissent to Michael's preview. Although my time with the S2 was much shorter, and limited to a darkly lit hotel meeting room, I found the S2's AF to work surprisingly well in these adverse conditions. Having worked with both Mamiya and Hassy cameras in the recent past, I wouldn't expect either to be quite as proficient.

In all other respects, I couldn't agree with Michael more. This is a gorgeously executed camera, light years ahead of its competitors in handling ergonomics.

- N.

[Quentin]

In all other respects, I couldn't agree with Michael more. This is a gorgeously executed camera, light years ahead of its competitors in handling ergonomics.

- N.

Great ergonomics is not enough.  No one could seriously say that the Mamiya RZ had great ergonomics, but it was a workhorse at a great price point that got the job done.  Pros will go after the product that gets the job done, in my view.   The S2 is a wonderful dream and I hope it succeeds but I think the M9 is the breadwinner for Leica.

Quentin

[ndevlin]

Well you're right in the sense that the M9 will win a lot of bread for Leica in the short-term, and probably cost an awful lot less to develop. The S2 is pretty competitive price-wise to where MF was a couple of years ago.  Their problem now is that that you can buy a used P45+ setup for not a lot more than $10K US. At the same time, the economy has turned to shit for many photographer.

On the new side, though, they're not far off. This camera is the real deal, whereas the other MF systems are kit-bashed 90s designs that are trying to masquerade as 21st C instruments.  Of course, Phase's next body might well make the playing field more level in that regard.  

If I made my living as a photographer, and could recover and deduct the costs of my kit,  I would seriously consider the S2.  It has as many MP as most will ever need, and the quality is at a stunning level.

- N.

[Tyler Mallory]

In my figuring there is room in the market for something positioned between the Canon/Nikon high-end DSLRs and the Phase/Hassy/Mamiya systems, both in terms of price and mobility. Seems like Leica is working hard to carve out a category all for themselves with the S2.

[SCQ]

I don't think Leica will fade into obscurity. Worst comes to worst and the company folds, I'm sure plenty of photographic/optical companies would leap at the chance to buy out Leica - if only for the name. Of course, the Leica as we know it may go away - but from what I understand, a lot of people feel that the allure of Leica and its quality has gone down since the M3/4 days. I'm fairly new to this world, but that's just the way I see it.

People keep complaining about the cost of the S2, and while it does seem expensive relatively, it never seemed too much for me compared to what other digital MF manufacturers are making. I suppose once you hit $20k, it just seems ridiculous anyways.

Objectively, Leica may seem like a terrible choice. Most people would say why not just buy a 5DmkII and a set of L lenses instead of an M9. The likelihood is that those people have never shot an M before and instead of shooting actual pictures, spend most of their time checking barrel distortion on brick walls and noise levels on wine bottle labels. I've never used an S2 before and my time with an H3D has been all but 2 minutes at a store when someone was nice enough to indulge my curiosity. But before criticizing, perhaps it better you just try it out before passing judgment. I believe that photography isn't just about bit-depth and noiseless 6400 ISO files - it's about experience. Maybe the S2 offers a user experience that's different enough to justify its premium. The M8 certainly did for me - and I sold a 5D and 3 L lenses for just the body.