ken_tanaka Posted April 10, 2010 Share #1 Posted April 10, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I thought I'd swing by to see how the S2 inaugural chat is looking. I was somewhat shocked to see that it's not. This place is dark, cold, and very quiet. Does the nearly total lack of S2 chit-chat indicate that Leica's S2 is a beautiful, but still-born, piece of camera history trivia already? I can imagine that this may be the case but, if so, how sad for Leica's fine engineering efforts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 10, 2010 Posted April 10, 2010 Hi ken_tanaka, Take a look here S2 D.O.A.?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
bill Posted April 10, 2010 Share #2 Posted April 10, 2010 ...and the news today is that there is no news today... Oh come on. People are probably out using it rather than sitting about wiffling. It is hardly targeted at the usual chatty little demographic that we get in the digital M Fora. Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted April 10, 2010 Share #3 Posted April 10, 2010 Maybe people who spend twenty five grand or more on a body and lens are more interested at making it pay for it's living than talking about it my dealer told me this week thatvthey have been selling very well in London. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentleman Villain Posted April 10, 2010 Share #4 Posted April 10, 2010 From the information that I've seen available...Leica is only trying to get about ten percent of the DMF market. So for example, if there are ten thousand DMF cameras sold in a year then a good target for the S2 might be one thousand units in the same year. The S2 is exclusive which is a nice way of saying "not for everybody." There simply will never be very many S2 owners in comparison to other camera owners and therefore much less in the way of internet conversation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephengilbert Posted April 11, 2010 Share #5 Posted April 11, 2010 The camera is so good that there's nothing to complain about, and its owners are in such a state of bliss that they can't bear to touch a keyboard. Or not. Given all the posts by new owners until they returned their S2s, I suspect that there would be some mention of how great it is if anyone who posts here actually still owns one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
c6gowin Posted April 11, 2010 Share #6 Posted April 11, 2010 I don't think the S2 is D.O.A. There are other reasons this sub-forum is not active. Sadly, and for reasons I cannot understand, most forum discussions about the S2 I have read turn caustic. I appreciate good spirited discussions about opposing views, but for some reason the S2 discussions usually attract way more negativity than I care for. Perhaps it will be different now that the camera is actually being shipped and there are real-world users which can share meaningful information. I have and use an S2. I have been very happy with it. I have been, up till now, reluctant to start a thread about my experiences with the S2 for the reasons stated above (that is sad isn't it). Another reason I haven't started a thread here is that the camera just works and I am not having any issues with it. Since I am new to the high resolution medium format world, I am having to learn all the technical demands that go with it (e.g., shallow DOF, need for higher minimum shutter speeds, etc.). If there are other S2 users or people who want to know more about the camera I will be happy to discuss it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_tanaka Posted April 11, 2010 Author Share #7 Posted April 11, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Nice to hear from you, Mark. I did not start this thread to be provocative. I genuinely wondered what the heck was happening with the S2. Of course there are bound to be only a small fraction of S2 owners compared to, say, M8/M9 owners. But, still, this would be THE place to discuss the camera with like minds. For my own part, I had to make a decision for a new direction for my own medium-format gearage recently. I ultimately chose the Mamiya 645 AFD II path due to its extreme open-system flexibility, its broad support, it's good performance with a variety of db's, and its more modest cost versus the S2. But I want to follow the S2's maturation as it may still be in my future. Glad to hear from a happy S2 owner, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boilerdoc Posted April 20, 2010 Share #8 Posted April 20, 2010 I handled and shot one recently (Thanks Mark) and it is a beautiful piece. The images look amazing and I'll be making some big prints from those files shot at Ft Pulaski, Georgia. Kind of made my Linhof look like overkill for what, no doubt, will be similar quality images! Now, if we can get some more lenses post haste Leica!!! Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
c6gowin Posted April 21, 2010 Share #9 Posted April 21, 2010 Hey Steve, please let me know how the prints look. I haven't had a chance to make large prints yet (I need a new ink set and have been holding off because I am thinking getting a new printer instead). Its too bad I didn't think to let shoot the S2 at Bonaventure Cemetery. My apologies. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_w Posted April 22, 2010 Share #10 Posted April 22, 2010 Don't know if the S2 is dead but this S2 forum is as quiet as a graveyard. What's happening?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptomsu Posted April 22, 2010 Share #11 Posted April 22, 2010 Sometimes the fines engineering is killed by wrong marketing and pricing ...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delander † Posted April 23, 2010 Share #12 Posted April 23, 2010 The people at the Leica Mayfair showroom kindly let me handle and take a few shots with the S2 yesterday. Although I found the grip a little too wide for my smallish hands it is a very nice camera to use (I could get used to it:) although for me it would be a pure indulgence) which definitely brings traditional DSLR handling to MF digital The files took an age to render in LR on my Windows PC which is beginning to show it's age. I've no idea how many have been sold (it seems that you still cant buy them off the shelf) but I would think that the new owners are out making money with the camera as opposed to posting here. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_tanaka Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share #13 Posted April 23, 2010 ...I've no idea how many have been sold (it seems that you still cant buy them off the shelf) but I would think that the new owners are out making money with the camera as opposed to posting here. Jeff That seems to be the standard defense chant, Jeff. But I've plenty of reason to suspect it of being a specious claim. I noted the reasons why I chose a different, and more future-flexible, path for my own choice earlier. I've since asked several photographers (commercial as well as art) for their perspective on the S2. All (except one) found it "interesting", none had touched one, and none had any interest in buying into the S2 system. Some would be interested in renting one for a few days but mainly for personal work. (Nobody seems to know where they could even rent one today. The story seems to be consistently "Maybe later this year). Certainly not a definitive survey but it is indicative to me of where the truth lies. While there are S2 sales being made there's every reason to believe that they're relatively few and mostly to hobbyists and pseudo-pro landscape snappers. Production constipation is certainly one reason for this. But I don't think that the camera has made a compelling case for system-switching to professional commercial photographers who have long been committed to Hassy, PhaseOne, and/or Mamiya. An let's be honest: Leica's stamina history in reflex cameras, and its ability to support the system in the manner that a commercial photographer needs support, are reasons to wait-and-see. As I noted when I started this thread, I wish Leica well with the S2. But on any given day you're far more likely to see Elvis than an S2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 23, 2010 Share #14 Posted April 23, 2010 How many lenses are available for it today? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted April 23, 2010 Share #15 Posted April 23, 2010 They are available to buy, today, in the UK. No waiting list. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted April 28, 2010 Share #16 Posted April 28, 2010 If you go to the M9 forum it's pretty quiet there these days too. Maybe it's a combination of firmware 1.16 shutting most of us up + the better weather so, hey, we're getting out more and sounding of here a bit less. Makes the forum a bit less interesting, but at least we're getting lives again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted May 15, 2010 Share #17 Posted May 15, 2010 Most photo forums I frequent have been relatively quiet (except maybe wedding ones because the season is starting). A forum for a new camera with limited lens availability and a high price tag may be a bit slower than most. I don't think it means anything. Pro buyers to busy to post? That's not exclusive to Leica, if even true. Besides, the Leica Forum isn't exactly a Pro Photographer type forum where photographers tend to discuss applying photographic gear to solve assignments or work through gear related issues as it applies to specific needs. They aren't there to reinforce their purchase decisions, or question someone else's purchase decisions. Give it some time ... most Pros that use MFD are pretty committed to existing systems ... financially, if not functionally or aesthetically. Few would jump yet anyway given the lack of lens options ... especially the S versions preferred in a studio environment. That market will be a slow grow ... which I think Leica is fully aware of. This is especially true in the face of aggressive promotional incentives by the competition: H4D/40 with a 35-90 zoom for under $20K, for example ... (the 35-70 is a $7,200. lens). I check in here from time to time despite using something else. The hope is to see some good photos. My interest is what users are doing with their S2. IMO, people with a S2 should just post their experiences and show some images ... and ignore any detractors or negative rants. Let the shots speak for themselves. Oh, and keep the "this is better than that" crap out of it ... speak softly and carry a big camera ... LOL! -Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhoersch Posted May 15, 2010 Share #18 Posted May 15, 2010 IMO, people with a S2 should just post their experiences and show some images ... and ignore any detractors or negative rants. Let the shots speak for themselves. Oh, and keep the "this is better than that" crap out of it ... speak softly and carry a big camera ... LOL! -Marc Amen! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arif Posted May 15, 2010 Share #19 Posted May 15, 2010 IMO, people with a S2 should just post their experiences and show some images ... and ignore any detractors or negative rants. Let the shots speak for themselves. Oh, and keep the "this is better than that" crap out of it ... speak softly and carry a big camera ... LOL! -Marc OK, I will post a few taken over the weekend in a separate thread, not the best I have taken but using the S2 is pure fun. Well, I tried but the thread was moved to the people forum so I guess it was not worth the trouble to post pictures from the S2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
c6gowin Posted May 15, 2010 Share #20 Posted May 15, 2010 Marc, you make good points and suggestions. The only problem with this forum what Arif just discovered - threads with photos for photo's sake get moved. It seems the only photos allowed in the camera specific (e.g, S2) forums are those which illustrate a particular technical point. Maybe I am wrong, but that's my perception from reading this forum a long time. Arif, I will go look at your photos asap. The S2 is a joy isn't it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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