First Shooting with the Leica S2

[yaya]

Maybe I am be wrong, but of all viewfinders I have seen (and I admittedly haven't seen the H3D) I preferred the R8/R9 for manual focusing. Note that some are brighter, but none were better for focusing. So, I expect Leica to make no mistakes here. I do prefer the R8 to my Contax 645, specifically. The latter is larger, but it was easier to focus the R8.

In fact, there are people here who have seen and held the S2 at Photokina. Did anyone try manual focusing with it, and can compare to the H3D? That is probably the acid test here.

No direct side-by-side as yet but I held the S2 on a few occasions already and did not feel it was as big/ bright/ clear as the AFi, RZ or H3D. It was better than the AFD and the Contax though.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Peter there target is the working Pro, they said it repeatedly. Now getting them to buy is the hard part because we know the well healed will buy them. They are touting Pro camera with Pro service aimed at the Pro.

Here the word professional photographer comes up repeatedly in there website

http://www.s.leica-camera.com/leica-s-system/

 

[Paratom]

better to focus on well heeled collectors and fanboyz - we will pay. btw - if 20,000,000 Euros was the cost - then that means 2,000 @ 10,000 or 1,000 @ 20,000 for break even -the question is - who are these 2000 users? They should start a special club immediately - and focus attention on these people - because WE are the real market for Leica.:grin:

Happy to take contra views on this - it will be great news for Leica.

They will have to sell much more units to break even, because they would have to earn that amount for R&D additionally to the cost for making and selling the cameras.

 

[Mitchell]

I doubt the S2 viewfinder will be better than the Hy6 except it will have the advantage of the image fitting full sized. The size of the actual image real estate on the ground glass may be similar.

Best,

Mitchell

 

[dfarkas]

...In fact, there are people here who have seen and held the S2 at Photokina. Did anyone try manual focusing with it, and can compare to the H3D? That is probably the acid test here.

Carsten,

I tried the manual focus on the S2. The viewfinder is nice and bright. Certainly, fast lenses help out here as well. You could certainly tell when you were or were not in focus. The image crisped up nicely, similiar to R9. The feel on the focus ring was perfect, with just the right amount of drag. I never liked plasticy-feeling focus rings on other AF lenses. The S lenses had great manual focus feel and balanced very nicely in the hand, so you could fingertip focus.

Unfortunately, I didn't do a similiar test at Hasselblad. There I mostly played with their new zoom lens and the T/S adapter.

David

 

[carstenw]

No direct side-by-side as yet but I held the S2 on a few occasions already and did not feel it was as big/ bright/ clear as the AFi, RZ or H3D. It was better than the AFD and the Contax though.

Yes, I don't expect the S2 to out-compete the 6x6 cameras (or 6x7), but I was curious about the H3D. In fact, brightness is not necessarily as important, at least to me, as focusability, and this is where Leica traditionally excels.

 

[PeterA]

Guy - I know what Leica are saying - but for a lot of reasons, I doubt that they are going to get working pros who are already set with Hasselblad/Phase/Leaf etc to change their whole system and lose big time on what works already to switch to somethign that isnt proven and wont have the established support networks that already exist. ie - exactly what you and others have been saying.

Switching people is going to be a big challenge - especially in current economic circumstances - good luck Leica! Thats why I say ( tonge in cheek) only fan boyz are going to buy this system...

so much detail yet to be disclosed - so much 'working pro' detail not asked by those who have had a chance to play with teh pre-production versions.

Regarding manual focussing Carsten - it is iportant to me to have a very bright viewfinder in cameras I use - because after 20 years of staring onto computer screens all day my eyes arent the best. When I say NOTHING compares to HAslblad viewfinder in SLR - it is just my experience and my eyes - and I own or have owned pretty much any system you care to name.

Lets start usng disclaimers from now on hh - Ihave used or do use this and this is my experience. Otherwise all teh firum becomes is a repetition of internet babble - lots of places to get that 'experience' from.


Yaya - is quietly asking the right questions about the S2. So lets see what Leica actually pts on teh table - when/if theydo.

Anyway just my 2 cents worth.