S Is For Show Us Your S2 Shots

[Paratom]

Glückwunsch Tom :thumbup:. The second shot is very nice. Is that full frame or did you crop?

I called Herr K. but unfortunately he only got one 120 . Let's hope that a second one arrives soon.

Meanwhile it looks like the weather will be nice over the weekend so that I can finally put my S2 to good use.

Georg

Hi Georg,
I think this one is full frame.
We have very nice weather here as well right now.
First impression of the 120 indicates that the S2 AF is up to the task of such shallow DOF, but lets see.
The motor for the AF of the 120 has to really do a job when focusing from close to infinity. And you can hear that which scared me a bit in the beginning. I am looking forward to shoot some portraits with it soon.

 

[fotografz]

Did my Pregnancy studio shoot last night with the S2. About 2 hours of steady shooting tethered to LR3.3 (I tested the new Leica shuttle and IMO the preview window is too small with the preview itself to low quality when at its largest size). Probably okay if shooting to a 13" or 15" laptop but I'm shooting to dual 30 monitors with the library browser on one screen and the full screen preview of the last shot taken on the second monitor. I prefer LR for checking details at 100% or 200% anyway, and can show clients some quick adjustments if necessary. The capture speed wasn't an issue at all ... I'd shoot an uninterrupted series, and for basic stuff the LCD shows you on set, then check it out on the big screens to see what else I might want to do.

The S2 performed flawlessly, and was very agile in use. I had pre-planned about 6 or 7 idea scenarios and had the lighting staged and ready, so we could go from one idea to the next by eliminating lighting components (I posted the pre-production of the lighting in the GetDpi Lighting forum a couple of days ago).

Here's the first one that I'm working on ... this client was lots of fun, and up for doing anything with-in tasteful boundaries.

Presenting Mrs. H. Dumpty:

View attachment 41103

She was shot with the S-35mm, and then further distorted in PS ... then added to other layered shots to complete the image. I had planned on shooting her sitting on a table, but thought better of it ... no accidents with a pregnant woman please. So I had to shoot from floor level which wasn't optimal. What was nice about having such a high resolution and extraordinarily sharp image is the ability to manipulate the file with less apparent destruction. When complete I'm proposing that this image be printed 30" tall and framed for the Baby's room.

More to come

-Marc

 

[woodyspedden]

Woody,
The 350 SA would still be less than a 350 f3.5 Leica lens in any case. The 350 SA is a stellar lens, I only wish that I could actually get to use one. THe value of it will still be there years down the line as it is a pretty rare lens out there. Enjoy it! That is the beauty of the S2 and adaptors is the freedom to add other lenses to the mix.

Regards,
Al

Al

I just received the lens about 5 minutes ago from the UPS man. I will be shooting all weekend to determine if this focal length makes enough sense to spend this kind of money. I have no doubt this lens is spectacular (The lens originally belonged to David K and he and David Farkas did lots of shooting with it on the S2 as part of the development of the Hassy to S2 adapter) My only issue is whether for my type of shooting I will get enough use from it. However if you remember the line from the movie "Field of Dreams" it went "If you build it, they will come." So we'll see. Anyway, we all need to get back together for an alumni shoot, so if I keep the lens you can take images from both your 350 and the 350 SA and see the differences.

My 120 should be at David Farkas any day now and that is one lens on my "must" list. If it is all I hope it will be, maybe I will sell my Zeiss 110 F2.0. I said "maybe."

Anyway, all in all I am getting better results from the S2 than any camera I have owned. Pry it from my cold dead hands.

Best

Woody

 

[Paratom]

playing around with the 120 at f2.5 - I have to admit that focusing handhold kids at f2.5-4.0 isnt really easy and I got many images which were slightly off- some were focused fine.

 

[David K]

Very cool shot Marc... would love to see a larger version of this one.

Woody, I too am getting some of my best shots ever with the S2... and with a lot less hassle.

Nice to hear that some of you are already taking delivery of the 120mm. I only view them with one eye open as I'm afraid I will like what I see.

 

[David K]

playing around with the 120 at f2.5 - I have to admit that focusing handhold kids at f2.5-4.0 isnt really easy and I got many images which were slightly off- some were focused fine.

Wow...

 

[Mark Gowin]

Tom, your daughter is a cutie and very photogenic. I was hoping to see some shots of her with the 120mm and these are great.

 

[fotografz]

Very cool shot Marc... would love to see a larger version of this one.

Woody, I too am getting some of my best shots ever with the S2... and with a lot less hassle.

Nice to hear that some of you are already taking delivery of the 120mm. I only view them with one eye open as I'm afraid I will like what I see.

Thanks David, It really is pretty cool when viewed large. I'm letting it sit for a day or two before finishing it. Most of the other shots from this session were no where as whimsical ... but I used all three lenses, and I'm very pleased with the whole session ... sure wish I had the 120. Probably get it middle of next week. Exciting camera to use, I must say. Love the feel and responsiveness.

-Marc

 

[woodyspedden]

Very cool shot Marc... would love to see a larger version of this one.

Woody, I too am getting some of my best shots ever with the S2... and with a lot less hassle.

Nice to hear that some of you are already taking delivery of the 120mm. I only view them with one eye open as I'm afraid I will like what I see.

David

I sold all of my gear, including the M9 and all the lenses, to get my S2 system. (Hell I am already almost 74 so one kidney is good enough LOL). The 120mm was in the mix from the very start. This is not a new OMG I really want/need this lens. If there were not a macro lens at this focal length I don't know that I would have gone the S2 route. (Although now that I have the system if I knew then what I know now, I would have bought it anyhow!

I am just starting to use the 350SA as it arrived UPS today. I was disappointed that the tripod mount for the SA is a Hasselblad one and all my tripod heads are fitted for Arca Swiss. I shot just a few test shots mounting the lens and camera directly to the tripod using the LBracket on the camera. But I won't do this much as this puts a lot of stress on the bayonet mount which I really don't want to destroy anytime soon. So if you or others know of a quick fix way to go from the Hassy mount to the Arca Swiss mount, please let me know.

Woody

 

[KurtKamka]

I borrowed the 120 from a friend for a week ... my mistake. Now I know that I need one. Actually, of all of the current S lenses, it's probably the one I'd use the most. Or maybe that's what the lustful side of brain tells me. The trouble is that I have the other three. At least there are only four lenses (steps) in the current Leica S addiction program. The 120 is a stellar lens ... but so are the others. I'm secretly happy that the roll-out of the S-system lens line-up has been slow ... I'm not certain I could afford anything quicker.

 

[ptomsu]

David

I sold all of my gear, including the M9 and all the lenses, to get my S2 system. (Hell I am already almost 74 so one kidney is good enough LOL). The 120mm was in the mix from the very start. This is not a new OMG I really want/need this lens. If there were not a macro lens at this focal length I don't know that I would have gone the S2 route. (Although now that I have the system if I knew then what I know now, I would have bought it anyhow!

I am just starting to use the 350SA as it arrived UPS today. I was disappointed that the tripod mount for the SA is a Hasselblad one and all my tripod heads are fitted for Arca Swiss. I shot just a few test shots mounting the lens and camera directly to the tripod using the LBracket on the camera. But I won't do this much as this puts a lot of stress on the bayonet mount which I really don't want to destroy anytime soon. So if you or others know of a quick fix way to go from the Hassy mount to the Arca Swiss mount, please let me know.

Woody

Woody,

I am actually interested how you feel the S2 compares to the H4D60. I read all your posts about the H4D60 with great interest and I kind of was worried that during that time you did almost no posts about the S2

Why I am interested is because I am in a similar position - I have still my H3D39 and an Flextight X5 (which I BTW do not use any longer) and would sell all of that, maybe also including some of my M glass, to buy into the S system. But I still cannot make up my mind.

So your thoughts owning both Hasselblad and S2 would be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

 

[Paratom]

Tom, your daughter is a cutie and very photogenic. I was hoping to see some shots of her with the 120mm and these are great.

Thanks Mark,
normally I wouldnt bother to post so many images from my kids, but I thought (from the other thread) that some might be interested to see some images from the 120.

So far I am really happy with my decision for that lens - I have to say however that I find the 70 to also work very well for close distance portraits. I find the 70 to have a very nice cminimum close focusing distance, and a very very nice Bokeh for a "normal" lens, plus being slightly longer than many normal lenses it does a great job as well + being the most compact (if one call it compact) of the S2 lenses.

 

[Paratom]

Presenting Mrs. H. Dumpty:

View attachment 41103

Normally I am not that much a fan of "manipulated" images but this one I really like a lot.

 

[Paratom]

I wrote before about focusing the 120 with its shallow DOF a bit difficult for moving subjects.
I just did some focus test shooting a spider lens cal at small to medium distance and accurancy is very good. This is great. I might repeat myself but I really did not expect the AF to work that precise.

Now we just need true focus in a firmware update (just kidding)

 

[fotografz]

Woody,

I am actually interested how you feel the S2 compares to the H4D60. I read all your posts about the H4D60 with great interest and I kind of was worried that during that time you did almost no posts about the S2

Why I am interested is because I am in a similar position - I have still my H3D39 and an Flextight X5 (which I BTW do not use any longer) and would sell all of that, maybe also including some of my M glass, to buy into the S system. But I still cannot make up my mind.

So your thoughts owning both Hasselblad and S2 would be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

Hi Peter, I will be taking a H4D/60 for a test drive this coming week. I will be comparing files from it against my S2 and H2F/39 Multi-Shot in a controlled studio environment. This will strictly be a "best case" scenario file comparison of resolution and lenses for practical applications often faced in the studio with very consistent Profoto lighting ... not a handling, ergonomics, etc. which is a whole other testing scenario.

I do not consider the S2 a replacement for my far more versatile Hasselblad system. However, the opposite is also true ... the Leica is more compact, weather resistant, and promotes "take with" over any other MFD system, while beating out any 35mm DSLR in resolution, file size, and optics.

The objective of this test-drive is to determine whether to replace the 39 Multi-Shot with the H4D/60 ... in particular how the Dalsa sensor performs in single shot verses the 39 back shot in Multi-Shot mode ... (I'll compare in single shot also, but I already know the answer to that question ). I also already know that the CF/39 Multi-Shot out performs the S2 ... but only when shot MS, not single shot ... MS being limited to static compositions while tethered to a computer.

If there is anything I can try for you, let me know and if I have time I'll try to accomplish it. PM your e-mail address and I'll try to send a few RAW files for you to review.

-Marc

 

[fotografz]

Normally I am not that much a fan of "manipulated" images but this one I really like a lot.

Thanks TOM! It means a lot coming from you guys.

I'm not a huge fan of manipulated images either, but I just couldn't help myself when this "egg" idea popped into my noggin. I had to try it.

The only thing I manipulated on the rest of the shoot was the lighting.

-Marc

 

[fotografz]

I wrote before about focusing the 120 with its shallow DOF a bit difficult for moving subjects.
I just did some focus test shooting a spider lens cal at small to medium distance and accuracy is very good. This is great. I might repeat myself but I really did not expect the AF to work that precise.

Now we just need true focus in a firmware update (just kidding)

Can't wait to get my mitts on this lens. However, one thing I already know will be a short coming is the f/22 max aperture for a macro. f/22 with a MFD lenses is tough as it is ... I ran up against that during my most recent studio shoot where the strobes forced stopping down, and I had to use a ND filter to make it work at the lowest ISO. In this case it had to be a polarizer, since I didn't have a 82mm ND for the 70mm. But a MFD Macro used as a macro with a f/22 max aperture is going to be really tough to use if you want DOF. My HC120 Macro goes to f/45, and refraction aside, sometimes you just need it.

-Marc

 

[KurtKamka]

Although I haven't commented, please continue posting as many images as you'd like to post, Tom, Marc, CEH, Woody, Mark, David and whomever else I'm missing. It's great to see how many different ways that the S2 is being used. You guys are putting together a nice string of excellent shots. The S2 certainly seems to be used more as an all-around system (with some caveats) than I think most people would have imagined when it was first announced.

Kurt

 

[PeterA]

David

.......

I am just starting to use the 350SA as it arrived UPS today. I was disappointed that the tripod mount for the SA is a Hasselblad one and all my tripod heads are fitted for Arca Swiss. I shot just a few test shots mounting the lens and camera directly to the tripod using the LBracket on the camera. But I won't do this much as this puts a lot of stress on the bayonet mount which I really don't want to destroy anytime soon. So if you or others know of a quick fix way to go from the Hassy mount to the Arca Swiss mount, please let me know.

Woody

Woody I just screw in an arca style plate to the bottom of a Hasselblad tripod mount..I took a quick snap of the set up I have for the Hasselblad mount I use on a 200 series blad with Kirk style plate screwed into the bottom..similar RRS plate would have same facility.

 

[woodyspedden]

Woody I just screw in an arca style plate to the bottom of a Hasselblad tripod mount..I took a quick snap of the set up I have for the Hasselblad mount I use on a 200 series blad with Kirk style plate screwed into the bottom..similar RRS plate would have same facility.

Peter

No doubt this will work so thanks.

Only problem is that this makes for a much less stable tripod mount given that you need to use the already not so stable Hassy clamp. I have one of these from my 501 days so I will just need to get the correct RRS mount to begin to use it and see how stable it really is.

Again thanks for the solution.

Woody