Interesting comparison to my own experiences. I shoot in crowds of people all the time ... events, weddings and corporate work places ... and walk-abouts in major cities. I've only had a few incidences where someone asked me about my camera ... usually other photographers.Thanks for posting Jono.
I am indeed having some similar discussion with myself - not about entering MF but to either add a Pentax 645D or not to and either to keep the Hy6 or not.
I shot some images with my Hy6 which I like a lot, (this includes how the sensor draws but probably also how the Rollei lenses draw.)
However I dont use it as much as I had planned. Why? its big and heavy, and its slow to photograph with, it is much more room for falure (slightly wrong focus, exp metering off, image review in camera doesnt tell that much etc., not much room for available light photography caused by shallower DOF in combination with limited high ISO, AF not capable for anythingmoving fast)
The workflow takes much more time.
One other thing is that for some reason I still feel somewhat uncompfortable in some case when I bring such equipment, because it jsut draws more attention and questions "how much does that camera cost"/ is it so much better than other cameras etc. I dont like such discussions.
I think it also has to do with time - I am not pro and I do run a business + have a jung growing family + some other hobbies as well like paragliding for example. So time is clearly a limited ressource, as is room and weight when I am ouside with kids.
I still think a S2 or a 645d would work somewhat better than my Hy6 for those times, but still not really small and why I would gain some IQ from the sensor I would loose some abilities regarding AF (shooting moving kid/ sports etc.) and low light.
Comparing the size weight of an S2 or 645d to a DSLR isnt really fair - because you have to see the whole packageincluding lens, now compare a 50/1.4 or 105/2.0 Nikon/Zeiss lens with a Leica 75/2.5 or 180mm S2 lens.
(The Pentax seems more compact in this area)
If I was only shooting landscape finarts I would not question MF for my purpose.
And one can allways own 2 o3 even 3 systems for different application. But then which one do you bring - I often dont go out to just and only shoot landscape, I want to do various things and be flexible.
What I dont get is why we do not see MF-like sensors in DSLRs. The DMR showed what is possible. I am still hoping for something like that. Would be perfect for my taste. A S2-petit like camera with 24x35 sensor which takes Leica R-AF lenses (just take the same optics from old R lenses and add AF).
But then you sometimes look at those MF images and are just blown away...
One girl on roller skates in NYC did a 180 to ask me about the Hassey XPan I was shooting with, she was a photo student (I didn't mind as she was cute ). One person in NYC asked if my brand new Leica MP3 LHSA with new retro looking 50/1.4 ASPH was an antique camera :ROTFL: And one person in Santa Monica asked about the 503CW with CFV Back because they were unaware that those cameras were digital.
At weddings, any curiosity was almost always generated by Canon shooting Uncle Bobs who asked how many megs my Canon DSLR was (penis envy at work ) ... no one has ever asked about the H camera, not even once. I think it signals that you are a professional and don't need to be interrupted any more than one would interrupt a construction worker to ask an opinion of his hammer :ROTFL:
Weight size comparisons have to take into account bulk and configurations. One of the attractions of the S2 for me was that the 35mm DSLR like configuration of the body fits smaller bags than my H camera requires. Also, the S lenses, while not necessarily less weight, are currently all a similiar diameter. So, while my HC28 or HC35 are quite fat at the end (95mm filter size, plus the hood in reverse adds more) and do not fit the pockets of my Think-Tank Lens changing bag, the Leica S35mm does fit. Basically, I can grab the camera with the 70, and have the 35 and 180 in my lens bag for fast mobile shooting.
Also, the S2 is much more quiet compared to MFDs ... quieter than my Contax 645 with it's gliding mirror, and a nicer sound than any DSLR I've used to date.
All this doesn't mean it's right for someone else. I'm just sharing comparative experiences as a shooter and user of most formats in a lot of shooting conditions.
-Marc