Leica Review

[John Camp]

That's one of the prettiest cameras I've ever seen.
I have no doubt that the image quality is about as good as it gets, but then, so is the quality on the new Sony, at what, one-fifth the cost, not even counting the lenses? I really think that purchasers of the Leica could only be doing it so they could use currently owned lenses, or for prestige purposes -- there seems to be few "tool" reasons for doing so.
I note that the viewfinder is great, but I think electronic viewfinders are getting closer to great, and in a couple more generations, will have capabilities beyond what we see in optical viewfinders (and which they already have, in some areas.) A good electronic viewfinder would be particularly useful in a camera like the Leica, where it would really help to reduce size and weight.

On a slightly different topic, there was always a reason for using Tri-X beyond its speed -- it had a particular "look" that spoke of "news" or "action." I think that variety of look is becoming naturally available in camera sensors now, and I generally prefer the somewhat pebbled (or noisy) look of smaller sensor cameras as opposed to the creamy smoothness of medium format -- but that's just my taste, and certainly doesn't suit everyone, or maybe even most people. But the choice is there, sort of like having a fuzz pedal for your guitar.

[Kolor-Pikker]

Is it a typo or did Leica really change the price to $16,900? Very cool if so, but also expected, way back before the S 007 was even announced I thought it would have been 20k or less and given the competition and now it has to be.

On a side note, if Sony and Pentax keep it up with lenses that are as good as the ones they've made as of late, it won't even have to be "about the glass" anymore, and Pentax can even go up in sensor size as an option.

[michael]

Is it a typo or did Leica really change the price to $16,900? Very cool if so, but also expected, way back before the S 007 was even announced I thought it would have been 20k or less and given the competition and now it has to be.

On a side note, if Sony and Pentax keep it up with lenses that are as good as the ones they've made as of late, it won't even have to be "about the glass" anymore, and Pentax can even go up in sensor size as an option.

It's not a typo. Prior to today's announcement B&H listed the S(007) for $25,400. As of this afternoon it has dropped to the new price.

Michael

[Telecaster]

I also like texture—that is, grain or luminance noise—in my photos. (And in my music too, whether played or listened to. A bit of reed squawk, single-coil pickup hum or tape hiss never hurt anyone.) Leica's own M8(.2) is a pretty good b&w texture camera when used at ISOs 640 or 1250. (And at ISO 2500 if you back-door the camera into saving 14-bit RAWs and then go through the rigmarole of converting 'em to a format readable by RAW processors.) 

Gotta agree with Keith re. image quality. It's a given with current gear, provided you know what you're doing (and what you want to do.)

-Dave-

[telyt]

Never having used or even set eyes on a Leica S of any vintage, I can only take Michael's (or anyone else's) review of the camera at face value.  OTOH there's always room for personal preference and typing only for myself I prefer the minimalist approach to the user interface, by a wide margin.

25 buttons on the Pentax 645z?!?  I'll reserve my unfiltered comments for private communications.  I'd much rather be able to just put my oversized paws on the camera and not have to waste time figuring out "what &%!# button that I hardly ever use got pushed and how do I fix it?"  My a7II has more buttons and switches and cr@p than I care for or will use.  Leica's minimalist approach is very refreshing.

[Kolor-Pikker]

25 buttons on the Pentax 645z?!?  I'll reserve my unfiltered comments for private communications.  I'd much rather be able to just put my oversized paws on the camera and not have to waste time figuring out "what &%!# button that I hardly ever use got pushed and how do I fix it?"  My a7II has more buttons and switches and cr@p than I care for or will use.  Leica's minimalist approach is very refreshing.

The Pentax 645Z has:
- 21 soft buttons including the directional pad and shutter
- 6 physical selectors including on/off and the mode wheel
- 2 rotary dials
Of these controls, 7~8 buttons and 3 selectors I consider non-essential for regular use.

The thing is that you don't have to use any of the extra buttons, or maybe reassign them to another function, but if a moment pops up where you need to bracket with MUP and a 2-sec delay between shots, the Z can do it in a few clicks whereas with other cameras you have to do programming in the menus while the light changes.

I only wish the Z had a joystick instead of the d-pad, it would make things like selecting focus, LV and image navigation easier.

[Manoli]

I prefer the minimalist approach to the user interface, by a wide margin... Leica's minimalist approach is very refreshing.

I'll second that!

[telyt]

if a moment pops up where you need to bracket with MUP and a 2-sec delay between shots, the Z can do it in a few clicks whereas with other cameras you have to do programming in the menus while the light changes.

Somehow I don't envision this scenario happening often enough for it to be of value to me.

[Manoli]

I have no doubt that the image quality is about as good as it gets, but then, so is the quality on the new Sony, at what, one-fifth the cost, not even counting the lenses? I really think that purchasers of the Leica could only be doing it so they could use currently owned lenses,

I think that's true, but it goes as much for the Sony as the S. The ability to use legacy, non-native lenses is, IMO, one of the driving forces behind the latest pickup in the A7 series.  On the S you retain AF capability via an adapter, it's starting on the Sony and I don't see it stopping. And for those of us who still manual focus, the choice between the two is a moot point.

One thing Michael didn't comment on was the quality/accuracy of focus peaking on the Leica. Michael ?

[Kolor-Pikker]

Somehow I don't envision this scenario happening often enough for it to be of value to me.

Happened with me a couple of times, even though bracketing is normally something that's almost pointless with this camera. 'Twas just an example anyway, the point is that besides generating visual clutter, I've never felt like an over-abundance of buttons was detrimental to the experience, like I if were going to press something by accident.
It'd have been a negative if crucial functions were spread over all those buttons, but it's really just like most cameras with a few extras.
Incidentally I like keyboards that feature ten-keys and a full row of function keys.

[amolitor]

Complaints about menu layout are pretty much bread and butter in today's world of camera reviews, and it is frankly laughable.

Cameras aren't designed for the first time user, nor should they be. Remember the good old days when 100% of the camera's controls were left completely unexplained, except in the manual? That crazy "stop down preview" lever beside the lens on the Nikon cameras? The average modern camera reviewer would tie himself in knots over that "WHAT DOES IT DO? THERE IS NO MOUSEOVER LIVE HELP TEXT FOR THIS BUTTON! HELP HELP ALSO IT SHOULD BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROGRAM IT TO MAKE ME TOAST THIS CAMERA SUCKS"

[JV]

Some images and a little video shot with the new S:
http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/max-montgomery-storytelling-with-the-leica-s/

[michael]

Complaints about menu layout are pretty much bread and butter in today's world of camera reviews, and it is frankly laughable.

Cameras aren't designed for the first time user, nor should they be. Remember the good old days when 100% of the camera's controls were left completely unexplained, except in the manual? That crazy "stop down preview" lever beside the lens on the Nikon cameras? The average modern camera reviewer would tie himself in knots over that "WHAT DOES IT DO? THERE IS NO MOUSEOVER LIVE HELP TEXT FOR THIS BUTTON! HELP HELP ALSO IT SHOULD BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROGRAM IT TO MAKE ME TOAST THIS CAMERA SUCKS"

Are you being deliberately rude and insulting toward me, or are you just off your meds at the moment?

If you feel the need to be an obnoxious ass, please do it somewhere else.

Michael

[amolitor]

Well, Michael, I carefully searched your review first and found no complaints at all about menus in it, and so felt that my general remarks about camera reviews would be correctly interpreted as general, rather than specific.

My apologies.

To clarify, my remarks regarding camera reviews here are general remarks, not specific ones aimed at you.

[mjrichardson]

Morning

I'm an S user so will naturally be slightly biased towards the camera, having used the 006 commercially for the last year I absolutely love the camera and have invested heavily with now 5 lenses. If the 007 delivers the same image quality but extends the shooting window with decent higher ISO performance then I will be buying. I have shot everything from bands to architecture to personal landscape projects and the only area it falls down is ISO over 400 for images I am happy to deliver to clients.

As with all cameras, familiarity can only come from experience, I like Michaels review, very informative although I think if he had spent time shooting with the 006 he would have felt more comfortable with the new camera with regards to usability, I find that with the camera I only need access to a couple of things, exposure comp I have on top right button so I can use it without removing camera from my eye, ISO is top left but I have it almost always on base and very rarely change, focus on bottom right although I have it almost always on manual with auto set to the rear joystick and bottom left for shooting delay, I flick between single shot or 2 second delay. Apart from formatting cards, they are the only functions I have ever used in the last year, I have never gone in to the menus for anything else. Obviously that is only my way of working but I have never used a camera that is so easy to control, I'm hoping the 007 retains the same characteristics.

Viewfinder is totally amazing on the 006, you can easily manual focus, until you spend time with it you don't realise that things like focus peaking in the viewfinder just aren't necessary, you can see easily what is in focus, I hope personally that this never changes.

As with all cameras, there is no one size fits all, people will love it, people will hate it, it's a business expense to me and one that is easily justified with usability and file output, it's just the perfect camera for me, not that it doesn't have its issues, I had a sensor failure but received a replacement camera from my dealer within 24hrs whilst mine was fixed, I've had a couple of lens issues too, all replaced immediately so whilst you hope they would not ever have a problem at this price, things do go wrong sometimes and I'm interested in how the company respond when it does go wrong. It's heavy for sure, I just returned from 2 months shooting UN troops in Mali, the body and 3 lenses was at times awkward but that pain disappears immediately when you see the files and the invoice is paid!

I'm on the list for a demo camera, hopefully soon and will be buying if it allows me to work better, won't if it doesn't, it's just a tool and I would not own it just because it was a Leica, I have no interest beyond how it works for me.

Anyway, exciting times with so many cameras, I hope others find a solution to their problems that works as well as the S does for mine!

Mat

[dreed]

I read the review and the question that remains in my mind is "Why would I buy it?"

Whilst the review is good, nothing in it screamed out as being "Buy me because ..." - except (maybe) for the lenses.

Why would someone entering into digital photography want to buy it? Just for the name on the camera and lenses?

[M.C.roche]

[Are you being deliberately rude and insulting toward me, or are you just off your meds at the moment?

If you feel the need to be an obnoxious ass, please do it somewhere else.]

Michael maybe you should follow your own advice.

[Alan Goldhammer]

While this is undoubtedly a very nice camera, the only possible users are those with large amounts of disposable income or professionals who can take a tax write off as a business expense.  For the rest of us, $16K is way to much for a camera when we can put together a very nice full system for 1/3 to 1/2 that amount.  Advances in mirrorless cameras over the last five years are to me the real game changer for those of us who still shoot with DSLRs but are tiring of lugging around a heavy backpack full of gear in the field.  To me the dilemma of switching over to a Sony system is a far more interesting issue than this Leica which has an unjustifiable price "for" me.

[dreed]

I doubt the camera is aimed at someone entering into digital photography but if you really are interested in finding out you could do worse than doing a search here for 'Cooter's and other photographer's many posts on why they use Leica S cameras. Failing that, perhaps a demo or loaner could give you an inkling?

Let me rephase it.

Given $100,000 to spend on any photographic equipment I liked, why would I buy this?

* It's hard to use (4 "buttons" around a screen?)
* Not a leader in any of the IQ metrics
* Not a leader in video capability
* Limited selection of lenses (longest is 180mm, widest is 24mm)

I just don't get this camera - especially at its price point.

The only thing you seem to get for your money is a camera with the word "Leica" on it.

[telyt]

Let me rephase it.

Given $100,000 to spend on any photographic equipment I liked, why would I buy this?

* It's hard to use (4 "buttons" around a screen?)
* Not a leader in any of the IQ metrics
* Not a leader in video capability
* Limited selection of lenses (longest is 180mm, widest is 24mm)

I just don't get this camera - especially at its price point.

The only thing you seem to get for your money is a camera with the word "Leica" on it.

This reminds me of reviewing a camera you've never used.