I just bought an S2 as my main still camera, mostly to use with my contax lenses.
I thought about the 2:3, went through a body or recent images for the last few years and 67% were shot horizontal, so though I like a 43 format, the facts are the facts, we're now working in a horizontal world, at least I am.
It made me think why even go from 35mm if I was going to shoot 2:3 bud I did it for the look of the file, no other reason. Detail is fine, I'm not a pixel staring, graph making guy, I just look at the image.
But remember if your cropping a 2:3 Leica down to 4:3, you doing the same with a dslr so there is a difference in frame size, but once again, I bought the camera for the look of the file, not microscoptic study.
Now I will follow this answer with a lot of words so if you don't won't to read any further then . . . to cut to the chase, the S2 with my Contax lenses, really is the finest still camera I've used. It has beautiful build quality, very analog in it's methods (which is good and bad) and shoots a beautiful file.
So far, and I've only had it a few days, the focus is as good if not better than the Contax, the lenses to body are completely sharp and the screen is large and detailed enough to manually focus.
It also shoots the some of the prettiest skin tones out of camera I've seen.
I've tested it with my 35mm, 45mm, 55mm 80mm, 120mm, 140mm and 210mm contax zeiss, all fine, sharp and pretty. I've also used the pentax 67x lenses and the beautiful Hasselblad manual focus 110 F2. That lens is beautiful and the S2 is the only ovf camera I can routinely hit focus with shooting on manual focus.
The cameras is substantial but physically not as large as my Canon 1dx, it does feel different.
The only concern I had was the 2:3 format as I like 4:3 for stills, but today we shoot so much horizontal, that's not an issue.
So far in early testing 640 iso is easy, 800 is good I think It can go higher once I work it in post processing.
The Contax lenses are fast and obviously so are the Leica lenses and I'll probably add some Leica lenses to my Contax Zeiss lenses, but so far I'm covered across the range.
The lcd is pretty, not 2 million pixel detailed, but very good very pretty, easy to check focus.
The camera is great to hold and shoot. It's just feels like pure quality and I hope will last, as it seems very robust.
So far I'm a fan, I love that it extended the life of my contax lenses which I think are the best medium format lenses available, to this day. I'm always amazed at how sharp and modern they are after all these years.
The S2 will also bring my contax cameras back into play which are still amazing cameras.
If the camera has any liability it's the fact that it's under advertised and I think the worry about how expensive anything with the word leica is.
It's really a good deal in medium format terms and Leica glass is not that more expensive than most.
In testing it shoots smooth with the same results as the contax in regards to vibration in mirror and shutter, which is a heck of a feat considering how smooth the Contax is, so unless something drastically changes I think the S2 is a heck of a deal.
I haven't tethered it yet, I hear it's a little slow in tethering, but that's not the main goal and instant tethering isn't high on my list for a lot of reasons I don't want to go into here.
I also bought it at this time because I like the CCD look, find it special and I would guess Leica will go to cmos, so I thought i'd buy when the buying time is right.
Actually the only cmos cameras whose file I like is the Olympus omds and the RED cameras. Everything else is just kind of ok, but doesn't look special out of camera, or in heavy post.
I'll probably add another body as I always have two of everything.
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One note, I'd like to see Phase open C-1 to the Leica. Not because I dislike lightroom, I actually like it a lot, but since I will use the Leica in parallel to my contax/phase backs It would be easier to use the same suite for both cameras, but I guess I'll just set presets for my phase backs in lightroom and only use lightroom db for tethering on the contax and set a hold folder from C-1 to lightroom so I can keep everything in the same suite.
I think this is somewhat Ironic that Leica really does have the most open platform, as it accepts with smart lens adapters; Hasselblad H and V, Contax and Mamiya lenses.
It's kind of funny that phase made a stink about Hasselblad locking out their system, but Leica opens it's body up to everyone's lenses with full functionality while phase locked out hasselblad and Leica with C-1.
That's a business strategy that makes no sense given they open their software up to their largest competitors Nikon and Canon (especially the d800) and that's their call, though I doubt seriously if I upgrade c-1 after this as there is no reason for the cameras I now use.
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I bought the S2 it from Steve Hendrix at Capture integration so in the U.S. I have zero worries about repairs as Steve stands behind everything, but I know in visiting the Leica store in London, they will bend over backwards to find ways to accommodate you.
Leica wants very much for this camera to succeed.
If I have any issue with Leica it's the same I have with most companies in that tethering is not high on their list with smaller cameras like the M series. Same with Olympus and Fuji.
(this is a shame because the Leica M ccd cameras work beautifully with studio flash like profoto. The skintones are just killer good and so far the S2 is a very close match.
If the M series would tether, I could go totally Leica for all my still cameras.
I do know that as far as today this is the end of the line for me on Canon and Nikon. I've never liked their cmos look, though learned to work around it, so today I don't have to.
With the Leicas, Olympus, Contax for stills Panasonic and RED for motion, I have no reason to continue with full frame 35mm.
The Contax and S2 will use my Zeiss lenses, the Olympus, Panasonic and RED can use my Leica M lenses and that's a huge savings in weight and usability.
I will keep my PL's for one of my RED's and the micro 43 lenses for the olympus and panasonic for autofocus, (though they're so small they take up no space when traveling.
Though I'm early in the process, I'm guessing the S2 will probably be my main still camera, because it will cover so much territory.
The only downside to the S2 is as I expand my lens range I guess I'll get lured into the Leica buy a lens system, but there are worst things.
IMO
BC