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S2 in the "Real World"

fotografz

Well-known member
Thanks to Chris Snipes representing Dale Labs, I got my hands on a S2 with 70 and 180 lenses while staying at the Don Cesar Resort in St. Pete's Beach FL.

I was able to shoot about 170 images around the resort in different lighting .... overcast in the AM, interior shots with and without flash (SF58), and in bright sunny beach and pool side conditions.

This is my criteria for considering the S2 ... more out-and-about than sequestered in a studio. I prefer a modular MFD system for the studio. In essence I am looking at it as a possible partial replacement for a 35mm DSLR with MFD like IQ. This is where a good deal of my paying work has migrated to.

The caveats are the usual ... this is a new camera so some things were slow going until I picked up on the controls ... which Chris was so good to help with. I also did not try to "push" the camera being more interested in the basics of operation and handling in conditions I tend to shoot in.

As far as the image IQ, it is exactly as expected from preliminary viewing on a lap top with a few caveats I'll point out later when I get home and process the images on my main computer, and more importantly actually print from the files. Suffice it to say that when the wifey saw the shots I did of her, she gave a thumbs up to move forward getting the S2 ... :ROTFL:

For now I will just stick to operational observations:

This is definitely a MF digital camera in a DSLR body ... with all that implies.

One must remember to watch the shutter speeds just like with any MF camera ... which may seem obvious, but when in hand it is easy to forget it is MFD NOT a 35mm DSLR.

The S2 is quiet ... I think the quietest MFD camera out there. No big mirror slap, fairly quiet AF, shutter and advance. This bodes well for hand holding as long as one remembers it is still a MF camera with a big sensor and high resolution.

I tried ISOs up to and including 1250 ... which I will get into after I process at home. I will say that the short choices of ISOs was surprising and hopefully later firmware will add incremental ISOs for finer control. 160, 320, 640 and 1250 are too big a jump for a camera like this and having 200, 400, 500, 800 and 1000 would benefit it greatly.

The S2 offers 3 modes of metering, but I used averaging for most my shots and can say it metered difficult scenes VERY well,
including beach scenes with white sand and shots directly into a pool ... with no compensation. Compensation can be assigned to one of the rear buttons and appears large on the LCD.

The LCD is very nice, especially for a MFD camera and I could review most shots except in more direct beach sun.

For those used to 35mm DSLRs it should be noted that there is one control wheel not two. Shutter speed is controlled by a traditional wheel on top right of the camera ... and may take some getting used to. I kept searching for the index finger wheel while shooting out of habit.

If I have any concern about the S2 it is the AF performance. It is NOT 35mm DSLR like at all. There is one center sensor so one has to watch focus recompose issues when shooting wide open. That I can handle, but when the AF is assigned to the shutter button it is slow and hunts even in good light. AF was much better assigned to the rear "thumb" button but still not as fast as I had hoped it would be. I could not get the continuous focus to work very well, but will leave that to others to test more completely. Like most Leica lenses, the manual focus and manual focus override was excellent.

Over-all this is a beautiful camera and handles like a dream with the few caveats I've mentioned ... some of which may be overcome with more practice. The AF would be my only concern since I wasn't expecting high ISO performance nor in need of much over 800 ... which is why I wished the camera offered 800.

More to come ...

-Marc
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I like the whole hundred numbers myself as well. Sounds good Marc look forward to hearing more. Obviously Chris Snipes has taken on a different role than the past . Maybe reason Dale and I where confused on other thread.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I thought Chris Snipes was one entity that sells Phase and Dale Labs an entirely different entity, a camera store and processing lab that sells Leica among many others? So how exactly did that situation change -- did they from some sort of partnership???
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Okay, a few shots but not optimal since I'm working remote from my laptop.

Mostly straight from the S2 with minimal post ... but it gives some notion of Bokeh, metering in high contrast conditions, and one quick snap indoors with un-diffused flash.

Color is nice ... pretty neutral going in.

The camera loves "Fat Light" like most MFD systems. The guy with the Canon is my pal Ed Richter who lives in the Tampa area and is also considering the S2.

-Marc
 

David K

Workshop Member
I thought Chris Snipes was one entity that sells Phase and Dale Labs an entirely different entity, a camera store and processing lab that sells Leica among many others? So how exactly did that situation change -- did they from some sort of partnership???
I believe they did Jack. Chris' business card now reads Sales Manager, Professional Market, Dale Photo and Digital with the Hollywood, Fl. address. Chris still works out of the Tampa, St. Pete area though.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Look pretty good, but the clouds look a bit odd in the two beach shots, significantly less bright than the sand on the beach? Was that how they looked in actuality, which I guess is possible, or is it a Grad-ND in the LR processing, or perhaps something else in the native file?
 

Dale Allyn

New member
I have to say that I'm happy to start seeing "non-studio" shots from the S2 (even online jpegs). Thanks, Marc, for posting these. It's good of Chris and Co. to help you get the time with the camera.
 
S

Shelby Lewis

Guest
First... thanks Marc... really appreciate your thoughts.

(before I say what I'm going to say... realize I'm NOT in the market for this camera)

Ok... I really like the shots, but am just not excited by these. I guess it's the web jpegs and the fact that we're now at a point that nothing coming down that pike is going to blow away what's already out. I think they still have a lack of mojo that much of the earlier s2 samples lacked as well. I swear that half of the m9 and a900 stuff i see has more sparkle... but that's probably showing what I find important as far as IQ. I will say that they do have a natural-ness to them that is nice... but like the d3x (IMO) lack the "bite" which does a lot to help add dimension to the images.

I think the one other thing that this cam had possibly going for it... an af that might be deemed "35mm lite"... is turning out to be a bummer. Yet another report that I've seen that comes across with a (again, mo) "bummer about the af" undertone.

Just my opinion... but if you're going to build a "MF camera in a 35mm body", then the AF better work like 35mm. At that price, the Af needs to kick some ***. Otherwise we end up with yet another MF solution (not necessarily a bad thing), but one that also does little improve on what's already available in terms of image quality (my opinion) as well as utility.

If I were considering this camera for anything that had a lifestyle component to it... the AF would be a deal breaker (did I say that the IQ doesn't really excite me either, lol).

ETA: Please don't mistake my criticism as saying that the IQ is Bad... FFFAARRRRRRR from it... it's just not what I had expected (which as before, is an opinion).
 

fotografz

Well-known member
I have to say that I'm happy to start seeing "non-studio" shots from the S2 (even online jpegs). Thanks, Marc, for posting these. It's good of Chris and Co. to help you get the time with the camera.
Absolutely! Chris was very patient and willing to spend the whole day with us if we wanted ... but I'm on vacation and it started to feel a little like work ;)

I like the Bokeh shown in the shot of my pal Ed which was the 180 wide open.
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member
Marc 180 with your wife. Remember by chance F stop
Pool: Exif says 70mm 1/4000 sec. at f/2.5 ISO 320

Canon photographer: Exif says 180mm 1/2000 sec. at f/3.5 ISO 320

Woman with sunglasses: Exif says 180mm 1/125 sec. at f/13 ISO 320

Parasail rentals: Exif says 70mm 1/2000 sec. at f/5.7 ISO 320

Armchair man: Exif says 70mm 1/125 sec. at f/3.4 ISO 640

Little dog: Exif says 180mm 1/250 sec. at f/5.7 ISO 320

Beach runner: Exif says 70mm 1/2000 sec. at f/5.7 ISO 320
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Look pretty good, but the clouds look a bit odd in the two beach shots, significantly less bright than the sand on the beach? Was that how they looked in actuality, which I guess is possible, or is it a Grad-ND in the LR processing, or perhaps something else in the native file?
No fussing in LR jack ... the beach shots are pretty much out of the camera and converted to jpg. The sky was a bit weird as a storm was starting to conjure itself up, and it rained later in the day.

But it's a good observation, and when I get a chance I'll look at the M9 stuff I did a little later in the day.

-Marc
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I believe they did Jack. Chris' business card now reads Sales Manager, Professional Market, Dale Photo and Digital with the Hollywood, Fl. address. Chris still works out of the Tampa, St. Pete area though.
Thanks David,

Obviously I missed that memo ;)
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
No fussing in LR jack ... the beach shots are pretty much out of the camera and converted to jpg. The sky was a bit weird as a storm was starting to conjure itself up, and it rained later in the day.

But it's a good observation, and when I get a chance I'll look at the M9 stuff I did a little later in the day.

-Marc
Thanks Marc!
 

fotografz

Well-known member
ISO 320 ... 180mm @ f/13 according to the exif info. DOF seems shallow for f/13 doesn't it ? ... but the background was quite a bit away.

Not my wife BTW, she is the yoga instructor at the Don Cesar.
 

mtomalty

New member
Roger

What the heck is going on with the background of the third image ?

Is there some sort of software issue causing the weird stuff around the bench and in
some of the out of focus foliage or is that how the M9 renders those situations


Mark

www.marktomalty.com
 
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