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LEICA S2 mini review - afterall, their price point is getting sweet :)

proenca

Member
Well, here it goes.

I bought a Leica S2 at a gorgeous price - as pretty much a large number of folks, I lusted after MF for ages and MFD since the dawn of time.

I lurked on this forum for centuries ( give or take :) ) and recently I was in the position to buy a MFD kit - as some folks are (getting a few emails and pm's about my Leica S2 recent experience) since MFD is "almost" getting into affordable territory.

Almost is the operating keyword in that sentence but for quite some time MFD has been in such a higher echelon of price that was... well.. still is .. unobtainable. As an amateur, I couldnt figure out a way to justify it or even raise the funds needed for it.

These days, a P40+ or P45+ ( Phase One backs ) can be had for 6.000 euros and sometimes less and that makes a very attractive proposition. I originally lusted for it and was trying to make a good deal on it ( plus a Phase or Contax kit ) but the fragility of it ( non weathersealed, etc ) was worrying me to death - perhaps unjustified but it was there. Plus the fact that I was dropping a large few thousand euros on discontinued stuff that if goes south I'm on my own (or facing a very nasty repair bill) wasnt exactly very reassuring as well.

Hasselblad's are great but H3D are very old tech and H4D still a bit expensive for my taste - and the whole outfit is a bit clunky and boxy.

Pentax 645D are great value for money these days and have the correct bells and whistles but I couldnt get over the fact that it feels a big plastic SLR with a MF sensor on it and with silly menus and gizmos ; also the fact that it seems/feels iminent the replacement for a 645DII and the lack of a more dedicated lens lineup doesnt help as well.

So here comes the Leica S2 : never really thought of much of it, since I have to sell both lungs, kidneys and heart to get it ( and I kinda need them ) but these days they are moving into affordable territory. Plus, with the arrival of the new Leica S2, few demo units with warranty are showing up with very low "miles" on it - my case. After grabbing one for a stupid low price, I'm into the MFD game.

So whats new ? a lot - and this is the reason for this little review, since a few people are sending me emails about it - I reckon that they are like me, want to move to MFD but never used MF before and want to know that if I regret the move or not.

First things first, Im a long long time Leica rangefinder user. SLR's I used them the last of them being a Canon 1Ds II. L glass and all that jazz, got too heavy for casual use, start leaving it at home, yadada.

Got a M8 at launch , M9 at launch ( pays to be friend with your local dealer ) and got a lovely collection of M lens, Noctilux 1.0, 0.95, etc.

Never used a MF camera before for more than a day so I was bit worried with this and everytime I had to pick up one ( Nikon D2x for web work ) I moaned. It just feels alien. Buttons galore, simple actions seem dauting complicated.

So I pick up the S2 and the viewfinder... oh boy... holy mary jesus... its HUGE. Payed for the thing and took it home.

After a month using it now and after holidays, I can report the following :


[] rethink your shutter speeds : specially if you come from a rangefinder, this is a whole new game. 1/180 is dead sharp and unless I'm taking pictures of a playgirl AND being watched by my wife at the same time, everything is pin sharp. 1/125 as well if I pay attention. 1/90 a slight change to miss a couple of shots, 1/60 is a bit hit or miss, 1/45 is well… 60% miss or more… lower than that, you have to get lucky. I got pin sharp photos at 1/30 and 1/24 but I had to take quite a few and lean against something.

[] ISO is not that bad : up to 320 is clean. 640 is perfectably usable if needed. 1250 for emergencies and its nice for printing, if the printing isnt huge AND if you overexpose by a half or full stop. reminds me my old Canon 1Ds I : this camera really BITES you in the shadow noise. Overexpose a bit and you are fine, although at 1250 even if its pin sharp, you are loosing detail.

[] viewfinder : its huge. theres no other word for it. you can manual ( I can ) focus with easy and very accurate

[] AF : I've read everywhere that is slow but precise. Happy to report that is exactly like that : not the fastest kid on the block - a decent modern day SLR will kill the S2 in AF performance, but its very very precise

[] weight : "ohhh so featherweight" I read everywhere. Well a Shark is a featherweight if compared with a Blue Whale. Still I dont want to carry a shark on my back for a day. Its the size and the weight of a pro SLR ( D3, D2, 1Ds ) perhaps a bit lower on the height but with one BIG difference : balance. The Leica with a 70mm attached is balanced. Attach a 14-24 on a D3 and that thing is front heavy. The whole package ( Leica S2 ) is well though and gravity wise is perfect. Not featherweight, I'm carrying it for 6-8 hours per day on my neck and wouldnt mind if it was lighter.

[] stealth : forget about it. again, I'm a rangefinder man. so I'm used to go to silly places with a camera and nobody notices me. bit different with the Leica S2 : people know that I'm carrying a camera from 500mts away. Do "normal" people know its a 20,000 usd camera ? nope, they think its a Nikon / Canon / whatever SLR. Nikon & Canon users are confused to see a SLR Leica. Leica users just drool and point. Do I like it ? nope. But I learned to live with it.

[] Battery life : its good. its very good. I'm in Budapest ( tomorrow Prague ) and its 0 or -2 c. I take around 300-350 shots per day. Minimal chimping. I get back home with 70% battery charged. I'm impressed

[] solidity : this thing is built like a brick. no other way around it

[] weather sealing : it is. having been caught in the middle of nowehere and got drenched like a … well, got really drenched, the S2 is without a hiccup. I was a bit nervous, but it works

[] Buttons : they are spaced out nicely. Such a nice thing. Again, I'm in Hungary. Freezing cold. Its snowing. I'm taking picures. Blimey, I dont want to take my gloves to change settings. No problem with the Leica

[] Menu system : love. I'm in love. So simple. So direct. So custom ( you can pretty much configure all buttons to your liking ). Why, oh why, dont every camera manufacture do like this ? I holded a D800 the other day.. Lord… 239482903 buttons. I love S2 simplicity.

[] Long Exposures : really nice. I've done 12 seconds exposures so far and they are clean. super clean. no worries here. Didnt get into longer yet but not afraid to do so

[] does it handles like a SLR ? : got a lot o people asking me this. to be honest, no. it does better. menu system is so much nicer. viewfinder is so much better. for me, its heaps better than a SLR. its a MF without the minus of the MF. is that good

[] lenses : boy they are something. it seems that they "beg" to be used wide open. they are PIN sharp wide open. tack sharp. you really dont have to "stop a bit" to get it to its full potential. You have the impression that their full potential its at 2.5. they are that good.

[] Mirror slap, how is it ? : not that bad, to be honest. shot with a few MF cameras and was worried about the vibration and also about the noise from it. while its nothing stealth, Leica took time to damp both noise and vibration really well.

[] MF 3D look, is it real ? : well either you see it or you dont. dont take my word for it. I see it and its there - the clarity, the sharpness, the "flexibility" of the files are just great. works for me.

[] black and white ? : S2 files do great processed in BW. dont take my word for it - check Kurts work, he inspired me to get one S2 :)

[] regrets ? : none. zero. nada. I still kept my M9 but having a hard time justifying keeping it. its becoming a very expensive point and shoot. I'm now confortably using the S2 in the holidays and getting used to the "ohh a big camera" looks. If you dont need 800 plus iso and/or super AF speeds, both of things that a normal SLR will surpass the Leica S2 by a mile, its a great camera. It showed me as well that I really dont want more than 37 mp. Its fine. When I do panoramas ( +10 images ) it really makes my Macintosh sweat. I mean REALLY sweat : I did a 42 picture panorama ( just for fun ) and it took 4 hours in Photoshop to merge them. And I got a nice MacbookPRO i7 3.2ghz with 8gb ram. 37gb is enough, I can crop sometimes quite.. well. vigorously *lol* and still have lot of MP to do a lovely print. And when I use all of those 37mp, boy… it does show

[] do this camera makes you go all zen like MF ?: it does. few things it taught me : I need a tripd. I'm lusting for a tripod. Using a Leica M for years and running away from one like the plague, I want one so badly now. Need to upgrade mine asap. People told me that so many times but I though ( meh, I can handhold that thing nicely ). And truth to be told, I can. But boy, when you do put on the effort of a tripod, it shows. You can see details in all their glory. Its impressive. Its really darn impressive. Techinque wise its a challenging system - its a cruel mistress. If you get your techique right it pays back. Big time. But you really have to slow down. Rethink your shot. Your composition. Your light. Your tripod. Its not as fast paced a rangefinder, neither a modern day SLR with its infite buffers, af systems and high ISO's.

[] and the million usd / euro / chf / yen / whatever floats your bank question : is it miles better than a D800 ? no. It is not. I can cleary see the differences but they are not huge. Actually, if we are talking about quantum leaps, its actually the D800 that is heaps better : AF in the Nikon is world class, high ISO is in a league that the Leica can only dream about. But Leica wins for me, in small details that overwall makes a big difference : its more solid, it has a viewfinder thats much bigger than the Nikon, the menu system is heaps better for me, the buttons are only a few and simple, the lens system is world class ( there is not a single bad Leica S lens ), the sharpness, bokeh, clarity of the files are beautifull... all small details that add up. I dont make money out of photography - that said, I dont have to make rational, logical choices. If I did, as an amateur, it would be hard to choose the Leica S2 and justifiying the price increase over the D800. But I take pictures for my own pleasure. And my pleasure with photography starts BEFORE I press that shutter button. The Leica is a tactile experience. And that counts - for me. Look at this way - two cars, a "regular" Ford family car and a Bentley, in a normal country road, traveling at the same speed, taking exactly the same time to get from point A to B. Of course, its logical to get the Ford - it does the same thing as the Bentley for much less. But its its heaps more fun, confortable and enjoyable in the Bentley. If you can do it, get it.

Budapest's Hero Square, weather sucks these last few days ( f4.8, ISO160 )


Wife. ISO160, 1/90 , f2.5 :


Budapest bridge to Gersham Palace, F22, ISO160, 8.0 sec


Last but not least, the one I'm really proud : Budapest Buda Castle, ISO 160, F16, 4,0 sec

[/COLOR]


ps: no tripod used. camera placed in very strategic places ( mooring pontoons, benches, etc ) for the long exposures. my wife now founds funny to look at something that can be used as a tripod AND I can keep the desired composition. yesterday she yelled "found a nice tripod here !!!" pointing to a flat fire extinguisher while a couple of japanese tourists were looking at her confused and looking for tripods

pss : I do not have a Bentley
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Well, I am really glad you finally found a MF camera that you enjoy. The S2 is a really great machine. I hope you have lots of fun with it.

(I wonder if we can ever have a review about one camera without slamming another, especially when it is not true.)
 

Geoff

Well-known member
Thanks for the excellent post and review. Very much on target. Consider a monopod - when used (on Hy6) with MLU, 1/40 shutter works fine, and sometimes even to 1/20. And easy to haul around.
 

malmac

Member
Glad you are so happy with your new camera.

It would be lovely to just have access to what ever camera gear seemed interesting, for long enough to just organically find the system that you kept picking up. Unfortunately for most of us, one has to have small test rides and listen to the advice of others. For example I dismissed the S2 without even holding one in my hand (maybe my loss).

And after you purchase the dream camera system, how do you know you have the right camera?

Well is it something like having the right motorcycle - you go for a ride with friends who have all sorts of bikes, and you are the only one that does not want to get a test ride on someone else's bike.

Really happy with my bike - well my cameras, maybe not quite yet!!!

Mal
 

KurtKamka

Subscriber Member
Proenca, thanks for the mention! :)

The camera continues to impress me every time I use it. I've recently started messing around with some Monochrom files. They're excellent. However, while everyone raves about the resulting detail, the best kept secret about the S2 is how the files can be abused and shaped in a wide variety of ways to match a photographer's black and white vision.
 

D&A

Well-known member
Very nice write-up and thank you for sharing your thoughts! No doubt both the D800 and 30-40 MP MFD cameras are superb but generally it's not a question as to which is better, but which is the better tool for the task or endeavor at hand. Of course in cases where both would work well, it also comes down to which provides the most pleasure in actual use. We're extremely lucky to have so many wonderful choices to choose from.

Dave (D&A)
 
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proenca

Member
many thanks!

If I Could...
your welcome, glad you liked it.

Well, I am really glad you finally found a MF camera that you enjoy. The S2 is a really great machine. I hope you have lots of fun with it.

(I wonder if we can ever have a review about one camera without slamming another, especially when it is not true.)
Shashin, indeed its a great camera ; however, few notes about "slamming" other cameras: its always necessary but I'm by no means, however the owner of the truth. Its necessary for something to be #1, to have a #2 :) However, its my opinion. I know you are a 645D user ( and I was tempeted by you and almost joined the 645D gang :) ) but I prefer the S2 to it. Something just didnt click with the Pentax. But this is my opinion - and not the universal thruth ; for you, the 645D maybe the best thing around - for you - and the S2 just doesnt work as well - and still a valid opinion.

Thanks for the excellent post and review. Very much on target. Consider a monopod - when used (on Hy6) with MLU, 1/40 shutter works fine, and sometimes even to 1/20. And easy to haul around.
Geoff, thanks for the nice words ; however I always found awkard using a monopod; also I'm rather in love with night / long exposure ( ish ) photos, 4 to 12 secs.. hard to do a with a monopod. thanks for the tip though.

Glad you are so happy with your new camera.

It would be lovely to just have access to what ever camera gear seemed interesting, for long enough to just organically find the system that you kept picking up. Unfortunately for most of us, one has to have small test rides and listen to the advice of others. For example I dismissed the S2 without even holding one in my hand (maybe my loss).

And after you purchase the dream camera system, how do you know you have the right camera?

Well is it something like having the right motorcycle - you go for a ride with friends who have all sorts of bikes, and you are the only one that does not want to get a test ride on someone else's bike.

Really happy with my bike - well my cameras, maybe not quite yet!!!

Mal
Mal, thanks for the writing. had a good laugh - and I'm the other way around. Have a garage full of bikes that I rarely use and a closet full of cameras that all of them have some use - even if sometimes a bit seldom. Leica S2 would be perfect if it would do ISO 5000 and clean. But it doesnt. Still happy and over the moon, its actually fun to overcome its .. hum.. flaw ---- ups --- personality :)

Proenca, thanks for the mention! :)

The camera continues to impress me every time I use it. I've recently started messing around with some Monochrom files. They're excellent. However, while everyone raves about the resulting detail, the best kept secret about the S2 is how the files can be abused and shaped in a wide variety of ways to match a photographer's black and white vision.
No need to thank Kurt, your work with the S2 is awe inspiring - Leica should pay you on a comission basis, I'm sure you "helped" quite a few to jump on it - you did with me :)

I've played with MM files before - but then the S2 files can be abused in imaginable ways and have HEAPS of size to crop and stretch and this and that. Not that I crop a lot, in over 400 frames I heavily cropped one single frame.

One thing I found it interesting and I was worried, to be honest - I took my time until I got at ease with the M8 files and the BW conversions to be coherent ( the styling and my personal taste / touch ) . Along came the M9 and I took my time again, albeit faster. Found the S2 "nice point" with the BW quite fast, or at least I'm outputing BW files to my taste and liking - I think it has to do with the immense "playground" that these immense and elastic files give us to work with - simply, there is heaps of information in every file that makes everything easier.

Veyr nice write-up and thank you for sharing your thoughts! No doubt both the D800 and 30-40 MP MFD cameras are superb but generally it's not a question as to which is better, but which is the better tool for the task or endeavor at hand. Of course in cases where both would work well, it also comes down to which provides the most pleasure in actual use. We're extremely lucky to have so many wonderful choices to choose from.

Dave (D&A)
It all boils down to that Dave. There isnt today a bad camera and its nice to have options.

Photography is all about enjoyment - and as I usually say, it starts before pressing the button. If I can have a S2 for that, be it. Doesnt make me a better photographer - just a happier one :)
 

jonoslack

Active member
Thank you Proenca - great review - you have got me closer than anyone else to buying an S2 . . .. and the photograph of your wife (especially) is lovely. . . . . . . . but I don't want to suddenly want a tripod (Oh No).
So I'll pass this time and save my pennies for an M(240)

all the best
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Shashin, indeed its a great camera ; however, few notes about "slamming" other cameras: its always necessary but I'm by no means, however the owner of the truth. Its necessary for something to be #1, to have a #2 :) However, its my opinion. I know you are a 645D user ( and I was tempeted by you and almost joined the 645D gang :) ) but I prefer the S2 to it. Something just didnt click with the Pentax. But this is my opinion - and not the universal thruth ; for you, the 645D maybe the best thing around - for you - and the S2 just doesnt work as well - and still a valid opinion.
I have no problem about you liking the S2 over the 645D. But I don't understand how a camera with a die-cast alloy body and glass over the screen and LCD is like a plastic SLR? What silly menus and gizmos are you referring to? Mirror Lock Up? You do not have to like the 645D, many don't, but to try to equate it to a cheap plastic consumer camera is a bit of a stretch.

Sorry, maybe I am a bit touchy. Apparently I did the craziest thing in the world--I bought an RX1. This somehow has reduced me to a trendy rich Instagramer looking for a Christmas present to impress god knows who. Or at least that is what the noise on the internet would have you believe. I am tired of the bashing, especially since the folks that are doing the bashing have no interest in the camera and will not affect their life.

I am really happy that you were able to get the camera of your dreams. I wish you all the best with it.
 

proenca

Member
Thank you Proenca - great review - you have got me closer than anyone else to buying an S2 . . .. and the photograph of your wife (especially) is lovely. . . . . . . . but I don't want to suddenly want a tripod (Oh No).
So I'll pass this time and save my pennies for an M(240)

all the best
since the Fuji S2 you are one step ahead of me from other forums, I had to had the "lead" one day :)

dont get me wrong : tripod is not mandatory, that is what attract me with the S2 - specially with the long exposures. however, when you use it, specially at lowish to low speeds ( and by low I mean 1/60 on the S2 ) the results are tremendous - monopod can be of the same use I guess - I just dont like them.

the M(240) will be a great machine, no doubt... but it doesnt "add" anything that I want - the higher ISO is welcoming but I do mainly BW and for that, I would rather upgrade my trusty and old M9 to a MM.

Live view and video do nothing to me, so the appeal of the M(240) is rather limited to me - hence the move to MFD - the M9 is just that good as it is today.

I didnt switch from a M9 to a S2, I use both - albeit with the S2 being the "new camera on the block" its gets all the attention at the moment :)
 

proenca

Member
I have no problem about you liking the S2 over the 645D. But I don't understand how a camera with a die-cast alloy body and glass over the screen and LCD is like a plastic SLR? What silly menus and gizmos are you referring to? Mirror Lock Up? You do not have to like the 645D, many don't, but to try to equate it to a cheap plastic consumer camera is a bit of a stretch.

Sorry, maybe I am a bit touchy. Apparently I did the craziest thing in the world--I bought an RX1. This somehow has reduced me to a trendy rich Instagramer looking for a Christmas present to impress god knows who. Or at least that is what the noise on the internet would have you believe. I am tired of the bashing, especially since the folks that are doing the bashing have no interest in the camera and will not affect their life.

I am really happy that you were able to get the camera of your dreams. I wish you all the best with it.
You are touchy mate :)

I holded a 645D and I didnt like the solid feel about it - to my point of view - and this is very personal, the 645D still costs much more than a PRO DSLR - and I really cant see any improvement over one.

The S2 shines here - its solid as a brick of aluminium can be. it feels that way. It makes a proDSL ( D3, 1Ds ) almost feel "cheap". I was expecting the 645D to feel this way - to trumph the proDSLR

Then there is the factor/form size. I'm not a big fan of Hasselblad series. But I really dont like the 645 ( even from film days ) form size, its awkard and bulky. The fact that is has buttons all over the place like a slr also doesnt add up to me - its feels like a dslr;

My way to put it this way : the S2 feels a MF camera that was put into a SLR diet. But still retains a MF camera at heart. The 645D feels like a SLR camera that was put a MF sensor on it.

Heck your RX1 maybe a better camera than my S2 : the best camera for you is the camera that you are confortable to use, carry, joyfull and you take pictures with it. If it stays at home, its not a good camera at all :)
 
Wow,
Not such a bad review of the S2. Been seeing lots of your posts lately, glad to see that you are very happy with your purchase. You should also keep in mind that many choose other medium format systems, such as the hasselblad and phase one due to flash sync speeds. The flash sync speed of the leica is much slower than P1.

I will soon be posting some work we did with Phase One, just to show some stuff that Leica can only dream of ;)

Keep Shooting! Enjoyed seeing your photos taken with the S2.
 

RVB

Member
Leica Flash sync speed is 1/1000 sec with CS .. I think PO is 1/1600 with Schneider CS..
 

fotografz

Well-known member
since the Fuji S2 you are one step ahead of me from other forums, I had to had the "lead" one day :)

dont get me wrong : tripod is not mandatory, that is what attract me with the S2 - specially with the long exposures. however, when you use it, specially at lowish to low speeds ( and by low I mean 1/60 on the S2 ) the results are tremendous - monopod can be of the same use I guess - I just dont like them.

the M(240) will be a great machine, no doubt... but it doesnt "add" anything that I want - the higher ISO is welcoming but I do mainly BW and for that, I would rather upgrade my trusty and old M9 to a MM.

Live view and video do nothing to me, so the appeal of the M(240) is rather limited to me - hence the move to MFD - the M9 is just that good as it is today.

I didnt switch from a M9 to a S2, I use both - albeit with the S2 being the "new camera on the block" its gets all the attention at the moment :)
Yeah, the S2 sucks you in and the tendency to grab it over other cameras grows by the day. I haven't seen that tendency to change with time after almost two years now. I also like how synergistically similar the M9P and S2 files look. The MM does all the high ISO stuff for me since I mostly do B&W above ISO 1,000. The new M has my attention, but not my money until I am sure the aesthetic qualities are as good or better than the M9P.

I do use a monopod with a RRS Monopod head when shooting with the S180mm, and some 120mm ... otherwise mostly hand-held. However, my S2 is outfitted with a Camadapter hand-strap with a dual lug Arca type quick release so I can also have the shoulder strap attached. The hand strap makes quite a bit of difference.

Best of luck with your S2.

-Marc
 

doug

Well-known member
Damn... you got me thinking of long H lenses I can put on the S2. I've had a serious lust problem for this camera since it was first announced, and now with a terminally ill DMR I'm reconsidering my options.
 

RVB

Member
I beg to differ sir:

The sync speed of 1/500 was the earliest info on CS. this has since been revised.. below is copy and pasted from leica website..

"Proven advantages of the S-System

The Leica S possesses all the proven quality characteristics of the S-System. These include the large, 30 x 45 mm, Leica Pro Format sensor and its microlens layer that guarantees consistently uniform brightness from corner to corner. The camera is extremely ruggedly built and sealed against environmental influences such as dust and rain, as with all S-Lenses. The system's unique dual shutter concept offers photographers the choice of using the camera's fast focal plane shutter or the central shutter of CS-version lenses, which allows flash sync at shutter speeds up to 1/1000th of a second. "

The new LEICA S: improved image quality, handling and speed set new standards in digital medium format photography
 

RVB

Member
I will be collecting a 70mm CS lense next in a week or so and can test it for certainty..
 
It seems that you are speaking of the Leica S... Not exactly the same camera or price point... When I was looking to change over to medium format, The Leica caught my eye since I know someone that can get pretty good deals on Leica gear, however the 1/125 second sync speed or 1/500 sync speed with CS lenses instantly turned me off in comparison to the Phase gear. Not as if its that big of a difference anymore since I use 1/500 with my rodi lenses. But for a lot of people who shoot with natural light and strobes the 1/1600 sync speed of phase one is a huge advantage.
 
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