S 007

[LeicaS2]

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Leica may have just saved me many thousands by keeping the pixel count the same.

I appreciate the other fine improvements, but as a printer of huge enlargements, extra resolution would have been useful. However, Leica warned us when the camera was introduced that most of the improvements in the S ongoing, would not be resolution, that they would not necessarily play a pixel game. They are promising even better pictures but at the same resolution. That will be seen I hope.

[TDR]

It is a big disappointment, and Leica knew it would be. You can tell by the way it left any mention of pixel count out of it's website announcement.

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[LeicaS2]

Well the pricing is now out, and it is $25,400 US. Not so bad.

So the fears that it would be higher are offset by the news of no pixel increase.

 

But clearly they are using the big pixels for ISO higher than the M240.

I wanted more resolution for huge enlargements, but most users might not need huge enlargements vs more ISO or even higher quality. So Leica's trade off decision is probably smart for Leica and most users.

[darylgo]

What baffles me is that the lenses can resolve to a higher pixel count yet no camera. When I did compare the S to S2, the S resolved slightly better so it should be interesting to see what the new body can do. When first looking at images from the M9 the pixel quality was superior to anything I had seen prior; could Leica be improving pixel quality on the S rather than increasing quantity?

[tllabron]

Has anyone heard if the the S 007 is going to use the Leica S-Multifunction Handgrip for Leica S (Typ 006) for the S 006 or is it going to need a whole different accessory?

[peterv]

David Farkas has in interesting write-up:

 

http://www.reddotforum.com/content/2014/09/photokina-2014-day-2-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-leica-s-typ-007/

[tllabron]

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Well the pricing is now out, and it is $25,400 US. Not so bad.

So the fears that it would be higher are offset by the news of no pixel increase.

 

But clearly they are using the big pixels for ISO higher than the M240.

I wanted more resolution for huge enlargements, but most users might not need huge enlargements vs more ISO or even higher quality. So Leica's trade off decision is probably smart for Leica and most users.

 

If huge enlargements are your forte, why not go with a Hasselblad where you can deal in 40 - 50 - Mamiya leaf 80 megapixels backs. I love Leica and have for years, but Zeiss lenses are pretty damn good in their own right.

[Wolf96]

Maybe Leica Should come out with a second model with 60 -70 Mp without video function etc., but i don't know wether there is a market or not.

[RVB]

Maybe Leica Should come out with a second model with 60 -70 Mp without video function etc., but i don't know wether there is a market or not.

 

 

I bet my bottom dollar that an S body with a 60-70mp dalsa sensor would sell like hot cakes...

[erlingmm]

Leica S is the most portable and ergonomic of all MF cameras. It seems Leica has chosen to build on this strength in developing the new S model: Adding video, higher ISO and LV as a function of CMOS, better autofocus for moving objects, and higher framerate (3,5).

 

It seems they are not chasing the studio market as much as the reportage/sports&action/news/portraits and advertising in natural settings, rather than the tech cam/extreme pixel count/tripod landscape/studio set-up.

 

It will be interesting to see how these markets respond to the new S.

 

I am also curious to see how the sensor has been developed from the M platform, both in resolution and colors. I love the colors from the current CCD.

 

When can we expect the first tests?

[Paul J]

It's both a disappointment and a bafflement.

 

I don't know of any medium format shooter that wants less than 60MP, myself included. I shoot medium format for its large sensor look or for the large output. This doesn't have either. A 60MP file does not need the interpolation that a 37MP file does for the sizes I at times need to output.

 

I think the target market is not Medium Format users but dSLR users who want a very nice camera and has the money for it. It's an R series with a somewhat larger sensor and AF. I personally don't even think the smaller sensor and 37MP even classifies as medium format.

 

I will stay with my M9 and Phase One and if the 36± bug gets me I will go with the Nikon D810 and Zeiss Otus lenses which will show little difference in IQ.

[Printmaker]

36/37 MP fits nicely between my 309 MP 4x5 and my 18 MP M9, so no complaint there. And my S2 keeps pace with the recycle time of my studio flash. But the S2 does bog down when working outdoors with models. The bigger buffer and a faster shooting rate in the 007 is definitely a welcome improvement. But, like a lot of others, I'll wait for the 60 - 80 MP S3 since Leica has a bad habit of draining my bank account every few years.

[paulsydaus]

Me thinks there most definitely is a market for that. Moving to 5 micron CMOS design would yield about 45 MP. While 4 micron pixels would yield about 60MP.

However I doubt they could go much higher than that without seriously impacting the ISO and colour performance...

I don't think you'll see a 60/70/80 MP S any time soon if at all. The sensor is too small for that... The camera was designed to be a compact medium format bridge camera.

I'm glad they decided to keep the CCD body alive. At the new price I think it will be really popular.

I think what you are asking for Leica to release a digital large format camera?

 

 

Maybe Leica Should come out with a second model with 60 -70 Mp without video function etc., but i don't know wether there is a market or not.

[paulsydaus]

Can someone tell me the change they made to the top deck, LHS? Before there was a bump on the S2 but now it is flat?

[ynp]

Can someone tell me the change they made to the top deck, LHS? Before there was a bump on the S2 but now it is flat?

 

The S-CCD cameras have that lump on the left side for GPS. The new S-CMOS have a glossy square panel, flush with the top deck. They also moved the Shuter dial to the front, made it smaller, it has no shutter speed engravings now and it is easily accessible by an index finger for the shutter/mode control. Ergonomics is better and modern-DSLR-like.

[RVB]

Me thinks there most definitely is a market for that. Moving to 5 micron CMOS design would yield about 45 MP. While 4 micron pixels would yield about 60MP.

However I doubt they could go much higher than that without seriously impacting the ISO and colour performance...

I don't think you'll see a 60/70/80 MP S any time soon if at all. The sensor is too small for that... The camera was designed to be a compact medium format bridge camera.

I'm glad they decided to keep the CCD body alive. At the new price I think it will be really popular.

I think what you are asking for Leica to release a digital large format camera?

 

The Nikon D7100 has 3.9um pixels and while I have never used one I believe it has good colour and DR..

 

3.9um would yield 88.7mp.

 

Rob

Edited September 26, 2014 by RVB