Have you used the S2 on location without flash (or just a touch of fill) handheld? Just wondering how well it handles hand holding with the 70 or 120 at shutter speeds under 1/250th.
I've only tested the S2 in the studio, but it seems like the perfect location camera…also, what's the noise like at ISO 400 & 640? Grain like noise? Or do the colors get funky.
And how do you like the colors at 5500k? In good light my Phase get's really close to Kodak Portra in look, which is like injecting me with a dose of Heroin. It's the one thing next to tethering (although you don't seem to have lost your mind tethering with the S2) that would be really hard o part with. I know you can get there with any camera, but what's the starting point like?
Also, I'd have to fill the gap between the 70 and 120 – can you say anything about using the Contax 80mm or the Hassy 100mm? Have you tried them with the S converters?
Thank
And I can't answer all of your questions until we get into serious post procesisng, but yesterday worked in iso 80 (Pull) to iso 640.
Since I tethered to lightroom, I can't really compare the look to my Contax or C-1, which kind of go hand in hand, though once again in post processing I'll know much more.
In regards to lenses, I don't have hasselblad but have 35, 45, 55, 80, 140, 210 contax lenses and used all but the 35 and 210. I also have the leica 120 I used extensively, though my two favorite lenses on any camera is the contax 55 and 80.
The focus is medium format focus, matches my contax, or a mamiya or a hasselblad H, except I can manually focus it easier than I can a Mamiya.
So far the camera is robust and tethering is slower than my p30+ and c-1 but solid and no issues. You just have to learn the leica shuttle set up (easy) mark a hot folder and then turn on lightroom. I also assume you can do the same with C-1, though I only use c-1 6 for my Contax so I can't really compare.
Of cameras I use, I would think it's kind of a cross between a medium format camera and a 35mm. It's faster in use than most medium format due to it's form factor, since it's 2:3 instead of 4:3 horizontals are easier, for verticals you have to leave some room for page crops.
I don't know, like the camera, it works professionally is sharp, though not quite as sharp as my p30+ though out of camera I've always believed phase does some extra sharpening on their files.
In lightroom I can make a portra look, which to me is slightly flat and less saturated, but that's easy.
In regards to grain, there is no grain, but 640 iso seems tops maybe a push to 800 in software.
Yesterday did a lot of mixed colors and lights and used lightroom to present some effects.
Shot in studio, out, windowlight, flash, hmi, mixed. etc. No issue. One great thing (or not great depending) is if you go beyond 125th of a second the flash won't fire, (with the focal plane shutter). Obviously if you have leaf shutter lenses it will fire at all shutter speeds.
So far great camera, feels kind of like my contax but easier to work. Right now I have my two contax and phase backs for backup, though my case has ballooned to 68 lbs, but I have a lot of double lenses for backup also.
IMO
BC
PS. One interesting thing is yesterday in one session, using window light and continuous HMI fill, I was kind of at the limit. About 125th of a second at F 3.8 to 4 something at I think 360 iso. The shot looked great but the talent was walking so I got some slight movement blur, not from the camera but the talent.
I pulled out an olympus em-1 at 200 iso, 1/400th amd 500th of a second and f2.8 which was about the same dof as the s2. The Olympus at 1/400th of a second and only being 16 mpx, actually had more detail than the S-1 because it was dead sharp throughout the range.
Pretty crazy that all those megapixels go to waste if there is movement, though the olympus is not as robust and obviously doesn't tether so I went back to the Leica, though I find this interesting.
