Some clarification:
I AM shooting with the S2 camera, not just talking about it. I just got back from shooting in the bitter cold (again), as well as in lower available interior light.
Creative intent is driving this consideration. Stylistically, I am primarily a people shooter... and of that, primarily a candid shooter. Aesthetically, I like CCD files, and big ones are better than small ones for my post processing approach. I liked the DMR most of any DSLR ever ... but manual focus became increasing difficult for my style of shooting with aging eyes, and the DMR files were smallish.
I like beautiful subtleties in photos, just like I like the same in paintings and drawings. However, content and expressions of an idea, or a revealing moment is what determines what is kept and what is not ... aesthetics are just a bonus if present, and I much prefer it when they are, especially when the look/feel enhances the idea or moment that was captured ... "i.e., light, etc.".
I recognized long ago that I am more intuitive than logical, and often don't even remember capturing a certain image that turns out to be a decisive expression of what was happening in front of me. I get to discover it again when editing ... as if someone else shot the darned thing :ROTFL: It's almost a trance like state of shooting ... spontaneous reaction informed by intuitive anticipation. If I actually thought about it, I doubt I'd have captured many of the shots I like most.
That is the criteria I'm using to evaluate this camera.
Update: used the 35 and 70. S2 focus was fine even though I was shooting wide open most of the time. However, I did note that I tend to fill the AF circle with the subject area I wanted in focus.
Bad news was the shutter button stuck twice when shooting in the cold, which stopped me in my tracks. Don't know why it stuck.
Also tried the SF58 Flash because sometimes I need fill. Set on TTL won't work, but TTL/HSS, A and M do work ... don't know why TTL won't work (yes, I made sure the shutter speed was in sync range and TTL does work on my M9). 9 times out of 10 I am the error not the camera, so further investigation is required.
Thanks again for all the input.
-Marc
Oh, and I think the art aspect of photography is more difficult to talk about than an inanimate object. Perhaps because you inevitably have to talk about yourself, your feelings and thoughts to be specific ... otherwise it can turn into a pontificating art lecture that may be to hard to relate to if too generalized.
I AM shooting with the S2 camera, not just talking about it. I just got back from shooting in the bitter cold (again), as well as in lower available interior light.
Creative intent is driving this consideration. Stylistically, I am primarily a people shooter... and of that, primarily a candid shooter. Aesthetically, I like CCD files, and big ones are better than small ones for my post processing approach. I liked the DMR most of any DSLR ever ... but manual focus became increasing difficult for my style of shooting with aging eyes, and the DMR files were smallish.
I like beautiful subtleties in photos, just like I like the same in paintings and drawings. However, content and expressions of an idea, or a revealing moment is what determines what is kept and what is not ... aesthetics are just a bonus if present, and I much prefer it when they are, especially when the look/feel enhances the idea or moment that was captured ... "i.e., light, etc.".
I recognized long ago that I am more intuitive than logical, and often don't even remember capturing a certain image that turns out to be a decisive expression of what was happening in front of me. I get to discover it again when editing ... as if someone else shot the darned thing :ROTFL: It's almost a trance like state of shooting ... spontaneous reaction informed by intuitive anticipation. If I actually thought about it, I doubt I'd have captured many of the shots I like most.
That is the criteria I'm using to evaluate this camera.
Update: used the 35 and 70. S2 focus was fine even though I was shooting wide open most of the time. However, I did note that I tend to fill the AF circle with the subject area I wanted in focus.
Bad news was the shutter button stuck twice when shooting in the cold, which stopped me in my tracks. Don't know why it stuck.
Also tried the SF58 Flash because sometimes I need fill. Set on TTL won't work, but TTL/HSS, A and M do work ... don't know why TTL won't work (yes, I made sure the shutter speed was in sync range and TTL does work on my M9). 9 times out of 10 I am the error not the camera, so further investigation is required.
Thanks again for all the input.
-Marc
Oh, and I think the art aspect of photography is more difficult to talk about than an inanimate object. Perhaps because you inevitably have to talk about yourself, your feelings and thoughts to be specific ... otherwise it can turn into a pontificating art lecture that may be to hard to relate to if too generalized.
A sort of Pollyanna mindset of trust driven by a company's past rather than their present. The M8 vividly come to mind ... great M6s, M7s and then finally a M8! Oops!
