S Is For Show Us Your S2 Shots

[menos]

The option is to go for the 70 and the new luscious 100 (with only a 2K difference). Any thoughts?

I would always go for the primes, but then I always feel the needed light and minimum shutter speeds of medium format gear rather limiting and would take any bit of aperture I can get …

Hi Dirk

That doesn't sound right to me, your camera is acting in a different way to mine or maybe I have mine set up in another way.

I have mine set to manual focus with the rear joystick enabling auto focus, I can then use my thumb to tap the rear joystick, activate auto focus, once it has locked I can release my thumb and the camera doesn't then change that focus point, it is instantly back to manual focus and I can recompose as I like. Focussing with your thumb doesn't activate continuous focussing on my camera.

Does that make sense?

Mat

Mat, that is exactly what I would like the AF to behave, but it does not "lock" and stay there but instead is constantly focussing, as in continuous AF until I take my thumb off the button (Please see I have a Leica S2 body, this might behave differently from the later S with the thumb joystick ?).
If this behavior is as designed with the S2, I will have to work on my timing or revert to use AF with the shutter release …

I don't see any setting to change the AF behavior when setting up the camera to use the thumb button for AF - do I over look something?

When using the AF bound to the shutter release button and using single AF, it locks on wonderfully and every shot is perfectly in focus.
I have completely stopped using continuous focus with the S2 - it is simply to slow to follow subject (or camera) motion sufficiently.

 

[mjr]

I have the 006 Dirk so it may be different but have you got the camera set to manual focussing? When it's on manual, the rear button will only activate autofocus when you have it pressed, as soon as you release it returns to manual focus and doesn't continue focussing. Entirely possible this is only on the 006 but I would be surprised?

Mat

 

[menos]

I have the 006 Dirk so it may be different but have you got the camera set to manual focussing? When it's on manual, the rear button will only activate autofocus when you have it pressed, as soon as you release it returns to manual focus and doesn't continue focussing. Entirely possible this is only on the 006 but I would be surprised?

Mat

Yes Mat, of course.
Camera set to manual focus,
rear thumb button actuates AF
(and stops to actuate AF once not pressed any longer),
shutter release is set to only lock AE, half pressed and will not engage AF.

The bit that throws me off is that it will not act as in single drive mode (focus and LOCK), instead is focussing continuously as in CF drive mode.

 

[fotografz]

I don't think it's the lenses - it is likely user error on my part. The S lenses are probably among the best of the best around.


Marc, my issue is that more often than I am used to (from 35mm systems) I miss focus just enough to be bothersome when shooting close up wide open.
Say, the eye further away is in focus rather than the closer eye, or I get the beginning of the hairline in focus, rather than the eye, …

I find that when using the camera with the shutter release to focus in single drive mode, I very, very rarely miss focus in such situations.
The issue with the S2 is that if you setup the thumb button to auto focus (my preferred way) focussing will be at all times continuous focus.

As focussing is a lot slower than 35mm, I suspect that I just don't have the timing right between when to stop auto focus to when to start moving to recompose and have the AF starting to hunt the moment I recompose, resulting in missing focus …*if that makes any sense.

In short: you may very well be right that taking the S2 out more often and practicing to get more used to this.

On my recent trip I simply counteracted by stopping the lens down to f4 when normally I would shoot a portrait with a wider aperture.

AH! We may have the problem identified.

You want AFs not AFc when using the rear thumb button.

It sounds like you have the wrong AF mode setting assigned to the rear AE/AF button.

When you set the S2 or S(006) to Manual Focus, you also have to select AFs in the Set-up Menu ... NOT Continuous AFc.

Enter Set-Up Menu. (botton right button next to the LCD)

Scroll to ... AE/AF LOCK (your camera will probably read AE/AF LOCK ... AFc on)

Enter that sub menu and select For MF Mode

Enter that sub-menu and select AFs on.

Frankly, I'm amazed you got anything in focus wide open and up close using AFc.

Hope this works so you can get back to using such a great camera more frequently.

- Marc

 

[fotografz]

I would always go for the primes, but then I always feel the needed light and minimum shutter speeds of medium format gear rather limiting and would take any bit of aperture I can get …



Mat, that is exactly what I would like the AF to behave, but it does not "lock" and stay there but instead is constantly focussing, as in continuous AF until I take my thumb off the button (Please see I have a Leica S2 body, this might behave differently from the later S with the thumb joystick ?).
If this behavior is as designed with the S2, I will have to work on my timing or revert to use AF with the shutter release …

I don't see any setting to change the AF behavior when setting up the camera to use the thumb button for AF - do I over look something?

When using the AF bound to the shutter release button and using single AF, it locks on wonderfully and every shot is perfectly in focus.
I have completely stopped using continuous focus with the S2 - it is simply to slow to follow subject (or camera) motion sufficiently.

See my recent post above.

You have your camera set incorrectly.

I tell you how to set it in the above post.

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/631714-post26.html


- Marc

 

[mjr]

Nice one Marc, I thought it would be a simple setting, I would have been surprised if the S2 was different to the 006.

Good luck Dirk!

Mat

 

[fotografz]

I have the 006 Dirk so it may be different but have you got the camera set to manual focussing? When it's on manual, the rear button will only activate autofocus when you have it pressed, as soon as you release it returns to manual focus and doesn't continue focussing. Entirely possible this is only on the 006 but I would be surprised?

Mat

This is not correct.

It works as you have described only IF you assign AFs to the AE/AF button when in Manual Mode ... you can also assign AFc to the AE/AF rear button when in Manual Mode.

See my post above outlining the steps to select AFs:

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/631714-post26.html

BTW, it is the same on the S2 and S(006) ... I work with both cameras.

- Marcv

 

[menos]

Hey Marc, thanks a thousand time!

This is great info and I feel quite embarrassed how I could not have figured this one out ;-)

To be honest, I have set my 4 rear buttons (long press) as this:

top left: "exposure compensation",
bottom left: "ISO"
top right: "drive mode"
bottom right: "metering"

I always changed drive mode through this rear button and never even had the idea that changing the focussing mode from within the menu when using manual focus would allow a proper focus lock.

I always assumed the S2 would be limited to to continuous focus when using the rear thumb button to activate focus !!! Two years of using the camera in this crooked way [double face palm] :banghead::banghead::banghead:

You saved me there, thanks Marc for the lesson and Mat for digging into this, help me stopping this nonsense :clap::clap::clap:

Once I am out of the office, I will give it a try!

 

[fotografz]

Hey Marc, thanks a thousand time!

This is great info and I feel quite embarrassed how I could not have figured this one out ;-)

To be honest, I have set my 4 rear buttons (long press) as this:

top left: "exposure compensation",
bottom left: "ISO"
top right: "drive mode"
bottom right: "metering"

I always changed drive mode through this rear button and never even had the idea that changing the focussing mode from within the menu when using manual focus would allow a proper focus lock.

I always assumed the S2 would be limited to to continuous focus when using the rear thumb button to activate focus !!! Two years of using the camera in this crooked way [double face palm] :banghead::banghead::banghead:

You saved me there, thanks Marc for the lesson and Mat for digging into this, help me stopping this nonsense :clap::clap::clap:

Once I am out of the office, I will give it a try!

You are welcome ... this is what makes GetDpi such a great forum! We help each other out.

Heck, it'll be like getting a new camera!:ROTFL:

BTW, once you set this up, you really do not need to use the long push "Drive Mode" assigned to the top right button. The camera is in full time MF Mode unless you press the rear AE/AF button.

My 4 Long Push Custom Functions are:

Upper Left: ISO

Lower Left: White Balance: I have WB as a long push custom button choice because I sometimes set Manual WB ...

Upper Right: Exposure Compensation (upper right so I can press it with my thumb without taking the camera from my eye (the +/- gauge shows in the viewfinder)

Lower Right: Exposure Metering (for swift selection of Spot, Center weighted or Multi-field)

I've set the Stop Down button to show the Level for when working on a tripod.

Good luck,

- Marc

 

[Stuart Richardson]

Good idea for the stop down button to show the level! I never use stop down...
I keep drive mode though, so I can choose the 2s self-timer for use on a tripod. Clearly this is the difference between people who photograph stationary things, versus people photographers!
Mine are upper left: ISO, lower left: white balance, upper right: exposure compensation and lower right: drive mode.
The rear thumb button is for AFs on, and I also use MF only. Stop down is still stop down, as I do not really need much else.

By the way, however, I am trying to get someone to make an S to Leica M or Sony E mount adapter so that I can use the S lenses on my A7s for video. I discovered that it is possible to keep the lenses stopped down if you hold down the stop-down lever and remove the lens. The aperture stays at whatever aperture you have set, so as long as you have an S body with you, you could set whatever aperture you want. Of course, it is not that quick or efficient, but it should work well for static scenes, which is mostly what I am interested in.

So much talk! Here is a picture or two. Lot of white around here still...

 

[fotografz]

Beautiful Stuart.

- Marc

 

[aDam007]

Marc - I do the same with the DOF preview button. My four buttons are as follows:

TL: ISO
BL: Exposure Mode (most the time I keep it on spot for quick reference with my manual exposures)
TR: Focus Mode (I need this, because sometimes I wanna shoot with one hand while drinking Ice Americanos, and then I use the AF mode rather then MF mode)
BR: White Balance

I don't use EX.compensation because I'm always shooting manual. Habit from years of M use. I also truth be told only adjust the whitebal when I want to see what the final result will look like. Most of the time I shoot on a fixed whitebal (I use HMI). Because i'm always using a color checker passport anyway. So I adjust in LR. Unless of course I need the JPG files, then I make good use of the bottom right button.



Been playing with the 120APO lately. It's growing on me.

 

[menos]

You are welcome ... this is what makes GetDpi such a great forum! We help each other out.

Heck, it'll be like getting a new camera!:ROTFL:

BTW, once you set this up, you really do not need to use the long push "Drive Mode" assigned to the top right button. The camera is in full time MF Mode unless you press the rear AE/AF button.

My 4 Long Push Custom Functions are:

Upper Left: ISO

Lower Left: White Balance: I have WB as a long push custom button choice because I sometimes set Manual WB ...

Upper Right: Exposure Compensation (upper right so I can press it with my thumb without taking the camera from my eye (the +/- gauge shows in the viewfinder)

Lower Right: Exposure Metering (for swift selection of Spot, Center weighted or Multi-field)

I've set the Stop Down button to show the Level for when working on a tripod.

Good luck,

- Marc

Thanks again Marc - have been trying it yesterday in the dry and it is working beautifully! A new camera indeed ;-)

I see you guys prefer to set WB in camera. I use AWB with the S2 exclusively and find it nails WB in general lighting conditions very, very consistently, I rarely have to correct WB in Lightroom, but then I don't have a need for precise colors from shot to shot like for studio work.

Do you set WB for the consistency from shot to shot or are you also making use of the JPGs?


EDIT: added some photos
In the past I always used a Nikon D3 + 60/2.8 Micro when a quick gear-shot needs to be taken.
The S2 + 120/4 APO Zeiss (Contax 645) is just so much nicer though ;-) … the nicest Zeiss Contax lens in fact.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

I also only tend to use the S2 in AWB. I only shoot DNG, and agree that it is remarkably consistent. I do edit every photo I wind up using, however, so WB is generally tweaked a little bit. In the studio I use a color chart and just set the balance off of that. I don't do that in the field very often, as I rely more on my eye, as the light here is rarely 100% neutral, and I would rather preserve the tints it has. The only way I know how to do that well is via memory and experience!

 

[peterv]

By the way, however, I am trying to get someone to make an S to Leica M or Sony E mount adapter so that I can use the S lenses on my A7s for video. I discovered that it is possible to keep the lenses stopped down if you hold down the stop-down lever and remove the lens. The aperture stays at whatever aperture you have set, so as long as you have an S body with you, you could set whatever aperture you want. Of course, it is not that quick or efficient, but it should work well for static scenes, which is mostly what I am interested in.

Interesting that you mentioned this, Stuart. I just entered a plea/request for Leica made adapters for Canon, Nikon and Sony E-mount here:

Plea for Canon, Nikon and Sony E-mount adapters - Leica User Forum

I understand that you're talking about a mechanical adapter and spacer, which would be great to have. I suggested a fully fledged Leica made set of adapters like they made for Hasselblad and Contax.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

That would be lovely, but unfortunately I think it might be less likely...the S lenses are one of the biggest reasons to get the S body, if someone can buy an S adapter and use the lenses on another camera with full functions, some people might think twice about getting the body. Maybe not, however! I hope they do it, having a fully functional S lens on an E mount camera would be very interesting for the video, super high ISO and so on.

 

[aDam007]

I agree with Stuart. Although it would be nice to have an adapter.

As for AWB. The problem is, I often find myself shooting in mixed lighting. So it's easier to set one point of reference that I like (on the spot). And then use the colorchecker. Then shoot as per normal, then later review and correct.

For outdoor spaces, I'll just set HMI then use the colorchecker.

I don't have anything against AWB (it does work well). But sometimes when shooting into the sun, then not. It will mess around with the colors, then confuse me in the edition process and I'll second guess what the colors should be.

 

[peterv]

Hi Stuart, I agree it's not very likely that Leica will make these adapters, but then again, who would have thought they'd make the 5 MF adapters they have now, 2 of which come with fully functional AF and auto diaphragm.

Right now I'm on vacation, but when I'm back I plan to make another post in that thread over at LUF (it got more than 500 hits in one week) about the counter-arguments against such adapters. And indeed what you wright about Leica perhaps being afraid of selling less S cameras when FF S adapters become available, because customers might loose an important incentive to buy an S camera, is a very important aspect to consider.

Still, in the end someone will likely make these adapters, and I'd rather have Leica make them.
- For them to make good money on the adapters and lens sales
- For us users because of safety reasons. I don't want to fry the internal electronics of my S lenses with an adapter some guy made/reverse engineered back in his garage :grin:

 

[Stuart Richardson]

I think the other adapters made it pretty obvious how much better the S lenses were than the other equivalents. I know that after I bought the V adapter, I bought the 70, 180 and 45mm S lenses! I thought I could get away with the FE lenses, but after using the 35mm and 120mm S lenses, I realized that the V system lenses were not up to the task. So in that sense, I think making the adapters might not have hurt them.

In general, however, I am with you in hoping that they make it. Or that someone does, if nothing else. If you can get together a group of people, it may be possible to get it done. I found an adapter maker in Poland who did a superb job making FD to E mount adapters, and I am sure that if enough people expressed an interest in physical adapters, there might be a way to get him to make the adaptor. I think all that is needed is a rear lens mount or lens, and the body.

Of course, Leica will do the best job. I hope they consider it, but I am not holding my breath!

 

[peterv]

I'd sure be interested in such in adapter.

Since this is an image thread, here's a picture I made yesterday with my new 24mm (what a lens!)
I'm in The Hague this week, the town where I grew up. Made this picture for sentimental reasons. My friend, who passed away, used to live right there above the stores.