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Press release: S2 Technical Specs
- Thread starter Guy Mancuso
- Start date
Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Doubt it would. The IQ is really not any of my concern. I still worry about the raw processing though. Yes I did not get what I wanted and freely admit I wanted C1 to be a player
tom in mpls
Active member
I never understand why so many cameras come so close yet fail to reach 100%. Why is that? Does it save a huge amount on the mirror or prism size? I agree it's bizarre that a camera striving for such perfection, at a price that should ensure perfection, would do this.
Lars
Active member
It's happened more than once, as you point out. My guess is feature creep - a body is designed that can cover 100%, but down the road AF and metering is added or changed, slicing off a fraction of viewfinder coverage. Or there is a decision to make the prism smaller for some reason, or (obviously not with the S2) coverage is reduced to position against a top of the line model.
Then again, with enough resolution it's not really an issue.
My bet- the 4% was cut, in part, because of the desired ergos and stylists -- as well as feature creep. Prism too large vs body, etc, etc. A lot of effort and verbiage has gone into the look and feel of this beast.
4% doesn't sound like much, but then the moulding needs to be enlarged to allow everything be larger and to allow the hardware and circuitry around the prism to be shifted, etc.
It does seem silly that a camera branded as perfection and priced accordingly would skimp on what so many photogs long so much for.
The IQ in terms of resolution will be good - nice MF standard sensor + top glass, why wouldn't it be? WB, DR, etc - that we shall see.
However, this is Leica's A900. Their first crack at a new market and lots of new tech for them - here WILL be shortcomings. Items not quite perfected, testing cut back to meet release dates, compromises made by Design Team A to accommodate Design Team B, etc. Every NEW design is a basket of compromises. No one gets 'perfection' 1st time out of the gate. DR, ISO range, noise, speed, power consumption, AF etc.
If it sells beyond the initial monied devotees and QC, reliability and S&S are there, it will hopefully give them the cash flow needed to moderate their auditors' concerns for fiscal 2010 and allow improvements in an S3, etc in 20__. Personally I expect we'll see great IQ at base ISO, great glass and then a mixed bag of "ooh yeah, baby", "oh", and "#$%!".
4% doesn't sound like much, but then the moulding needs to be enlarged to allow everything be larger and to allow the hardware and circuitry around the prism to be shifted, etc.
It does seem silly that a camera branded as perfection and priced accordingly would skimp on what so many photogs long so much for.
The IQ in terms of resolution will be good - nice MF standard sensor + top glass, why wouldn't it be? WB, DR, etc - that we shall see.
However, this is Leica's A900. Their first crack at a new market and lots of new tech for them - here WILL be shortcomings. Items not quite perfected, testing cut back to meet release dates, compromises made by Design Team A to accommodate Design Team B, etc. Every NEW design is a basket of compromises. No one gets 'perfection' 1st time out of the gate. DR, ISO range, noise, speed, power consumption, AF etc.
If it sells beyond the initial monied devotees and QC, reliability and S&S are there, it will hopefully give them the cash flow needed to moderate their auditors' concerns for fiscal 2010 and allow improvements in an S3, etc in 20__. Personally I expect we'll see great IQ at base ISO, great glass and then a mixed bag of "ooh yeah, baby", "oh", and "#$%!".
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Thanks for getting this to everyone Guy. :thumbs:
96% viewfinder? USB feed to the computer? Well, we'll just have to wait for first hand reports.
But if the image quality is a step forward from existing systems, that stuff will be of little consequence and many will put up with it as the price one pays.
I still contend that it's not necessarily the initial price (which is admittedly breathtakingly high), it's the staggering loss one has to undertake if you already have a MFD system. Most people bought their MF gear long, and now it's all selling way short ... if you can sell it for anywhere near a decent price at all. In effect, this can increase the S2 price by 50% or more.
No matter to me ... Leica already has a commitment for my money in the near future ... the M9. I think the M9 will sell like oxygen tanks in outer space ... and will take the pressure off the S2 so it can have some breathing room to flourish over time.
Just my 2,250,000¢ worth
96% viewfinder? USB feed to the computer? Well, we'll just have to wait for first hand reports.
But if the image quality is a step forward from existing systems, that stuff will be of little consequence and many will put up with it as the price one pays.
I still contend that it's not necessarily the initial price (which is admittedly breathtakingly high), it's the staggering loss one has to undertake if you already have a MFD system. Most people bought their MF gear long, and now it's all selling way short ... if you can sell it for anywhere near a decent price at all. In effect, this can increase the S2 price by 50% or more.
No matter to me ... Leica already has a commitment for my money in the near future ... the M9. I think the M9 will sell like oxygen tanks in outer space ... and will take the pressure off the S2 so it can have some breathing room to flourish over time.
Just my 2,250,000¢ worth
Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Yea I am having a hard time just thinking of moving up to the P40+ from the P30+ and that is still a concern. Seriously us MF users are looking at low used prices for our stuff
Christopher
Active member
Screw the whole S2 system, Screw the whole R system, Just give me a FF M9 this fall ;-)
Double Negative
Not Available
Just a thought. Don't approach the S2 as a "MF system." Everyone wants a high-end DSLR nowadays - pros and amateurs alike. So here comes Leica with a camera not much bigger or different - yet has a MF engine. Effectively one-upping the high-end DSLR market. Of course, the price is a bit of a determiner here, but let's ignore that for a moment.
That would be a good way to look at it if it weren't for the fact that super wide and mid-range Zooms ... and long image stabilized lenses ... are a primary reason to have a 35mm DSLR system for most shooters.Just a thought. Don't approach the S2 as a "MF system." Everyone wants a high-end DSLR nowadays - pros and amateurs alike. So here comes Leica with a camera not much bigger or different - yet has a MF engine. Effectively one-upping the high-end DSLR market. Of course, the price is a bit of a determiner here, but let's ignore that for a moment.
Yep. :thumbs:
I am with you guys here. A M9 might be all I ever need.
Double Negative
Not Available
Hmm, true, true. Although I would think the folks interested in making the jump to the S2 aren't "sports shooters" but are after the ultimate image quality. I have some IS/zoom lenses myself and they're great, but I could live with primes. The wide angle issue is something, though. Let's hope Leica introduces some additional lenses for the S2 system.
johnastovall
Deceased, but remembered fondly here...
I was swapping emails with Leica USA's information contact for printed matter on the S2 this morning. I'm more than a little taken aback to be told they will have no printed information on the S2 System until the end of September.
I spent a lot of years supporting super computer marketing and the first thing you did was get printed information available to put in prospects' hands even if you hadn't rolled a single mainframe off the line yet.
You are going live with a product in a month and a half and no sales support materials?
I spent a lot of years supporting super computer marketing and the first thing you did was get printed information available to put in prospects' hands even if you hadn't rolled a single mainframe off the line yet.
You are going live with a product in a month and a half and no sales support materials?
Steve Hendrix
Well-known member
I think to some degree, today's world has had an impact there. Printed materials in general are in shorter supply for products than in years past. Often, as dealers, we are asked to download PDF's and print our own data sheets. So I see it as symptomatic of the way information is disseminated today.
And, frankly, with new products like this, it makes sense. If a spec changes just in time for product launch, you can quickly and inexpensively make a content change on a website. But if you've already printed thousands of brochures/data sheets, that's a hard cost that is now less than optimal as it contains outdated information.
It seems clear that the S2 has at least a few specs that are not finalized yet, so I can see the point of holding off on hard cost promotional materials until ship date.
Steve Hendrix