Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The New Lecia S2 DSLR digtal camera system with 9 lenses designed from scratch to work together! This is something to desire! If it delivers as expected, this defines a new class of Pro camera more suited to the digital Age!
With handling of a 35mm DSLR and a ~MF size sensor, 30mmx45mm, the new Leica S2 camera shown at Photokina 2008 is a surprise to everyone and a new camera class! Rumors has circulated that Nikon would do this and leapfrog over Canon's penchant for bettering them whenever they have a new flagship! Leica, having made some money and friends supplying lenses for Panasonic's cameras and possessing amongst the worlds finest tens engineers did what other's talked about. I wouldn't be surprised is Canon would do likewise with the next 18 months if Leica's sales take off.
There's a line of 9 lenses to start off and then specialized lenses such as super-wide angle and tilt-shift are promised.
Dr Andreus Kaufman claims a new era is dawning with a quantum leap: the focus, the perfect picture. The S2 is developed from scratch, designed and manufactured in Germany. There is likely simply nothing better than a Leica lens in this format. Leica with its venerable tradition in camera building and mastery of optical design and manufacture aims to produce the perfect tool.
The camera appears in black seeming slightly larger than a Canon 5D. It has an auxiliary holder allowing vertical shooting and more power. The camera is made with an extra large bayonet throat so that new advances in lens design are possible. The sensitivity of the camera is from ISO 80 to 1600 and shutter speeds of 1/4000 are obtainable. With flash, synchronization to high speeds is possible due to central lens shutters in the S lenses! This is a great advantage for fashion, glamour, product and portrait especially. A first for a pro Leica camera is the autofocus that is claimed to be highly accurate. MF is also possible but it's not yet clear if one can do full time MF when AF is set.
Of course the camera is dustproof and weather proof, another move up the ladder for Leica's offerings for the active pro. Can it be run under the shower, like the Olympus? I am not going to be able to try it just yet! That is not a jest! After use in sandy or salty environments, weather-sealed Olympus DSLR's can be washed down!
The camera appears to be ergonomically designed with indents for the thumb posteriorly and the fingers in front.
So what do we think of this new system? Of course, we can only do on Leica's reputation and the feeling that with Phase One's long-term strategic alliance, the software will, no doubt, be pretty mature out of the box. It's going to depend on the quality of Leica lenses, and there's little doubt that Leica can deliver there and the lessons learned in the rolling out of the M8 where reviewers failed to notice, pick up or admit obvious flaws. We'd expect them to have gotten it right this time. Of course, we don't know where the price points will fall, but it's not likely to be cheap! Would you buy this instead of a Leaf, Sinar or Hasselblad? If you want fast lenses and Leica glass, the answer might be yes!
Once great reports on focusing and the quality of the images come out, I can see the rich dentists, lawyers and physicians buy this camera because they know the Leica quality. After all, why not go first class? It's charged as an expense, no doubt. Professional photographers will now not be held back by the lack of AF. The more user-friendly 35mm DSLR-like form may appeal to those who want the quality, wide apertures but not the extra weight of the Canon 1D Mark III system yet high Synch speeds of the Hasselblad H3 lenses with built in shutters which the Leica S-lenses can match!
So Leica has my vote. My money? That's another thing. Where’s the pictures?
Asher
With handling of a 35mm DSLR and a ~MF size sensor, 30mmx45mm, the new Leica S2 camera shown at Photokina 2008 is a surprise to everyone and a new camera class! Rumors has circulated that Nikon would do this and leapfrog over Canon's penchant for bettering them whenever they have a new flagship! Leica, having made some money and friends supplying lenses for Panasonic's cameras and possessing amongst the worlds finest tens engineers did what other's talked about. I wouldn't be surprised is Canon would do likewise with the next 18 months if Leica's sales take off.
There's a line of 9 lenses to start off and then specialized lenses such as super-wide angle and tilt-shift are promised.
Dr Andreus Kaufman claims a new era is dawning with a quantum leap: the focus, the perfect picture. The S2 is developed from scratch, designed and manufactured in Germany. There is likely simply nothing better than a Leica lens in this format. Leica with its venerable tradition in camera building and mastery of optical design and manufacture aims to produce the perfect tool.
The camera appears in black seeming slightly larger than a Canon 5D. It has an auxiliary holder allowing vertical shooting and more power. The camera is made with an extra large bayonet throat so that new advances in lens design are possible. The sensitivity of the camera is from ISO 80 to 1600 and shutter speeds of 1/4000 are obtainable. With flash, synchronization to high speeds is possible due to central lens shutters in the S lenses! This is a great advantage for fashion, glamour, product and portrait especially. A first for a pro Leica camera is the autofocus that is claimed to be highly accurate. MF is also possible but it's not yet clear if one can do full time MF when AF is set.
Of course the camera is dustproof and weather proof, another move up the ladder for Leica's offerings for the active pro. Can it be run under the shower, like the Olympus? I am not going to be able to try it just yet! That is not a jest! After use in sandy or salty environments, weather-sealed Olympus DSLR's can be washed down!
The camera appears to be ergonomically designed with indents for the thumb posteriorly and the fingers in front.
So what do we think of this new system? Of course, we can only do on Leica's reputation and the feeling that with Phase One's long-term strategic alliance, the software will, no doubt, be pretty mature out of the box. It's going to depend on the quality of Leica lenses, and there's little doubt that Leica can deliver there and the lessons learned in the rolling out of the M8 where reviewers failed to notice, pick up or admit obvious flaws. We'd expect them to have gotten it right this time. Of course, we don't know where the price points will fall, but it's not likely to be cheap! Would you buy this instead of a Leaf, Sinar or Hasselblad? If you want fast lenses and Leica glass, the answer might be yes!
Once great reports on focusing and the quality of the images come out, I can see the rich dentists, lawyers and physicians buy this camera because they know the Leica quality. After all, why not go first class? It's charged as an expense, no doubt. Professional photographers will now not be held back by the lack of AF. The more user-friendly 35mm DSLR-like form may appeal to those who want the quality, wide apertures but not the extra weight of the Canon 1D Mark III system yet high Synch speeds of the Hasselblad H3 lenses with built in shutters which the Leica S-lenses can match!
So Leica has my vote. My money? That's another thing. Where’s the pictures?
Asher
