Bob,
If you consider some photographers to be ranked above others according to status or authority, then you just proved my point. If, as you say, this hierarchy does exist, then many will make decisions based on their placement in this, so called chain of command.
Valentin, I could not find your website either. I'm not questioning Marc's record, I admittedly scan over most other comments to get to his because of this "respect" that we all apparently share. It was because of this thread that I almost postponed an S2 purchase even though the camera did what I needed it to do. Marc wasn't throwing out reams of empirical evidence, he didn't have to, the camera didn't work. I have never questioned the issues experienced by his S2, but this anomaly has a decidedly more emotional interpretation for some of us following here. I have never owned a Leica, so I can be objective in my choice of gear and not a fanatical Leicabot. But I have had 3 Hasselblad "H" models in less than a year. Everything from erratic messages, camera freezes, mirror locked up, secondary shutter getting stuck, viewfinder replacement, pieces of solder actually rolling around in the camera! A few months after my purchase the same "H" model as equipped, was thousands less! I did not switch camera companies because of a lack of trust. The gear was fixed and replacements sent... I love my H4D! I just thought the S2 deserved another shoot because like it or not, this camera fills a void that most MFD cannot touch (sorry Guy).
Marc, thanks for being the sane one. I do not doubt the apprehension you feel, we are all professionals well, some of us anyway, and perhaps i'm guilty too...because I REALLY WANT YOU TO LIKE THIS CAMERA, so I can buy one too.
Heck, I wanted the S2 to work for me more than anyone here. I DO like the camera a LOT. No question about it.
BTW, I honestly do not think there is a ranking of folks here on GetDpi, nor a cliquishness ... way too many independent thinkers for that to ever happen :ROTFL:
There
ARE a lot of photographers with a ton of experience to share ... and perhaps no where is that more important than with the lesser wide-spread arena of MFD as more people consider kicking it up a notch. Frankly, I follow many of their posts as intently as others follow mine. Ya learn something every day here :thumbup:
Personally, this is not "my first trip to the rodeo"... I've owned 16 different configurations of MFD, including 7 iterations of the HD system ... 8 when the H4D/60 arrives. And as much as I obviously like the H kit, I'm not sure I would have been as patient as you regarding 3 "shoot stopping" defects in less than a year from a relatively mature system. All of these companies need their feet held to the fire regarding quality and reliability.
However, Phase One, Leaf, and Hasselblad have pretty long track records of delivering on the firing line. Not a perfect record, but enough to build the trust required to put your A$$ on the line with one. In addition, for many years as an Art Director, my career was linked to Phase One and Hassey equipment by one degree of separation ... it wasn't lost on me that these were the choices the photographer selected when huge production budgets were at risk.
As Guy and others have pointed out, Leica's move into digital has been a fitful one. Frankly, I wouldn't trust my livelihood to my M9s which is why I have two of them and the Sony A900 in the car just in case. Like others, I love the images so much I'm willing to shell out for two cameras ... (some people have 3 to be sure they have 2). Not a pleasant purchase scenario for a $23K+ camera.
In the end, we all have to keep this in perspective regarding MFD ... we are talking about cameras that cost 10 times as much as a Canon 5D-II or Sony A900.
10 times!
Our expectations should be high and uncompromising ... only in that way will the makers of the gear toe the line.
BTW, to their credit, Leica IS replacing the camera regardless of the fact that I will be sending it back.
-Marc
What this comes down to is ... do not buy a "pig in a poke". No matter what anyone says or who says it, good or bad ... try before you buy, and make sure it can be returned if it's a dud. If it is your only MFD kit, then pony up for the Premium warranty ... which should be included with all of these MFD cameras IMHO.