Getting a bit lost, again, in what is being asked/said. The issue of "conspicuous consumption" is whatever it is. I thought one of the issues being discussed was whether the new Leica S2 system is worth as much as Leica is asking.....the value/performance debate. Sure, anybody with means can always spend a lot and maybe more than the value of what they are really buying. So what. A key component here, and something we do not yet really know, is just how well the S2 does or does not do. Right now we have limited information and marketing. We also have a price tag that suggests the S2 is at or above the highest end in the MF market of Phase, Hasselblad and whatever folks want to think about with respect to lenses and stuff. It may well be that the S2 does hold its own against some of the bigger kits. We just do not have anything to support nor refute that today. What we do know is that the sensor is smaller than other top end MF kits. We do know that the system is not modular. We do not know how upgradable it may or may not be. We do know that it appears to be more like a 35mm DSLR system (nothing inherently good or bad in that alone, just what it is). We do know that there will be a spread of time before the system is really complete, with respect to lenses that some may want or need to use. We have no idea how good or bad the service associated with the S2 will be, but we do have some experiences from other Leica products.....they tend to eventually try to make things right, but it may take a lot longer than some can tolerate for their needs. Again, we just have not seen Leica's new service offering played out. We see the marketing and promises, but no delivery record to speak of on this system.
So, consumption arguments and all that stuff aside, is the Leica S2 good value for the asking price? We just do not yet know. What we do know is that Leica is asking more for their system and components than what is equivalent (at least in specs) in the market at this point. Fine, Leica has always been pricey. Can it and will it deliver at the prices being asked? For some, it does not matter. For others it is a very valid question. Dropping $50-75K for a new, untested system that is not as fully MF capable (meaning modular), nor really the same as 35mm DSLR capabilities (taking the pluses and minuses into account), and not having any other recourse but the S-glass to use, is asking a lot. Leica says in its marketing materials that is primarily targeting a more narrow, but active group of professional photographers (fashion, wedding, studio) that they say want a more 35mm DSLR form factor, more speed than present MF systems offer, only need a few good lenses, and do not care as much about tons of MP, so 37.5 MP may be enough. That is what they appear to have built the S2 to address. They are not saying they are catering to all aspects of MF capability....at least not directly. Yet they are pricing their offering at a level that many, not everyone, think is a bit over the top. That has been the reaction from the moment Leica released the prices.
So, for the folks that have already ponied up the monies for this new, untested system, good luck and let's all hope it fulfills your wants and desires. For the folks still waiting to see what it does or does not do, hang in there, hopefully there will be more news and examples to help you decide. For those that already know it is more than they can or WANT to spend for things, no problem having thoughts and opinions also. Bottom line is that we do not have anything more than what limited and somewhat scattered information has been released on the S2. We have a lot of interest. We have a lot of folks maybe wishing/wanting something like this, but put off by the high prices, especially when compared to other things in the market that are now delivering as much or more than what the S2 promises in most areas for a lot less investment. So be it. My personal thoughts are that I love the concept. I think it may hit a sweet spot for a lot of interested photographers, pro or not. I think it still has a price tag that seems a bit excessive at this point, even for Leica. That remains to be proven, both in its output, and in the marketplace. A lot of folks want to see it succeed, maybe not just as a MF option, but because they do not want to see Leica go belly up before they get what they are seeking....be it the M9 or some new iteration of the R system.
LJ