In-depth review of S2 & Sticking aperture blades on Leica 180mm f3.5 APO-Elmar

[plevyadophy]

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Check this out:

 

diglloyd.com blog: August 2010

[markowich]

Check this out:

 

diglloyd.com blog: August 2010

 

bad luck for lloyd. my 180mm S lens is excellent...so far.

it is easy to get tricked into the mindframe that -due to its ergonomics- the S2 can compete with the nikon D line in AF etc. well, it can't. but it does well compared to the H system...probably this is where the comparism should be. after 5 days of shooting in jerusalem i am pretty pleased with its usability in the field. at 37 centigrades it beats the H3DII50....

peter

[jaapv]

I must say Digilloyd is not exactly the first site that would occur to me to look for an S2 review - I have a feeling Hasselblads refusal to give a 4D for review was well-considered. Having said that, an S2 lens should not be broken out of the box. But four Noctiluxes with sticking aperture blades?

[Arif]

I have never had any of the problems mentioned with my S2 and the 35/70/180 lenses which have all been superb. Used the 35mm to capture dance by a Kyoto Maiko last weekend and was very pleased with the result (although some people may argue the skin tones are off

 

Arif's Journeys

 

I am taking the S2 out more and more when travelling and only take the Nikon for high ISO shots in the evening.

[glenerrolrd]

Lloyd is very conscientious in his testing and supports his conclusions with evidence . On the 180 .. sticking aperture blades ....as evidenced by overexposed captures. Asymmetrical alignment ..as evidenced by the left /right corner sharpness differences. Those look like factual reporting to me ?

 

Care to justify how this lens got thru quality control at the factory? Leica has a test for asymmetrical alignment that displays a test chart ..wall size. Sticky aperture blades can develop over time but asymmetrical alignment is an assembly/QC miss.

 

Lloyd is also willing to retest anytime he gets a replacement lens for testing. He had to get the 180 from a rental house. So much for finding any unbiased reporting if the Leica/HB etc start shopping for favorable reviewers.

 

You do have to read his test report carefully . He reports as he sees the issues but he also has balanced conclusions . The bottom line was that he really liked the camera overall and felt that the lenses were the best he has ever tested . His reservation was primarily cost and he acknowledged that this a personal decision.

 

The important point is to read the entire point and avoid taking elements out of context . ..rather than questioning the reliability of the person testing.

[plevyadophy]

@ glenerrolrd

 

I agree with your comments, I find DigiLloyd to be EXTREMELY thorough in his testing. He has also been investigatin the issue of axial chromatic abberation (colour/purple fringing) in general and has also done some testing regarding this matter on the S2 system.

 

By the way, have you read his in-depth review of the S2 (it requires a subscription to read it)? And if so, what are your thoughts on what he has to say.

 

@ everyone else

 

Have any of you read the full in-depth review of the S2 (it requires a subscription to read it)? And if so, what are your thoughts on what he has to say.

 

On the issue of large sensors, this is also an interesting comment worth reading/considering: What's Guruji? And RZ33...: Open Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

 

Looking forward to all comments.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

 

plevyadophy

[jaapv]

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Lloyd is very conscientious in his testing and supports his conclusions with evidence . On the 180 .. sticking aperture blades ....as evidenced by overexposed captures. Asymmetrical alignment ..as evidenced by the left /right corner sharpness differences. Those look like factual reporting to me ?

 

Care to justify how this lens got thru quality control at the factory? Leica has a test for asymmetrical alignment that displays a test chart ..wall size. Sticky aperture blades can develop over time but asymmetrical alignment is an assembly/QC miss.

 

Lloyd is also willing to retest anytime he gets a replacement lens for testing. He had to get the 180 from a rental house. So much for finding any unbiased reporting if the Leica/HB etc start shopping for favorable reviewers.

 

You do have to read his test report carefully . He reports as he sees the issues but he also has balanced conclusions . The bottom line was that he really liked the camera overall and felt that the lenses were the best he has ever tested . His reservation was primarily cost and he acknowledged that this a personal decision.

 

The important point is to read the entire point and avoid taking elements out of context . ..rather than questioning the reliability of the person testing.

Sorry - the link was to the blog - now that I found my way to the test I retract.

[wildlightphoto]

On the issue of large sensors, this is also an interesting comment worth reading/considering: What's Guruji? And RZ33...: Open Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

Funny - Wisniewski rags on cameras without an AA filter and the photogrpahers who use them then recommends the M9

[plevyadophy]

Funny - Wisniewski rags on cameras without an AA filter and the photogrpahers who use them then recommends the M9

 

Yeah, I noticed that too but I think the qualifier is that he was kinda giving implicit praise in that he is saying the M system puts great emphasis on lens quality which he seems to be keen on.

[glenerrolrd]

@ glenerrolrd

 

I agree with your comments, I find DigiLloyd to be EXTREMELY thorough in his testing. He has also been investigatin the issue of axial chromatic abberation (colour/purple fringing) in general and has also done some testing regarding this matter on the S2 system.

 

By the way, have you read his in-depth review of the S2 (it requires a subscription to read it)? And if so, what are your thoughts on what he has to say.

 

@ everyone else

 

Have any of you read the full in-depth review of the S2 (it requires a subscription to read it)? And if so, what are your thoughts on what he has to say.

 

On the issue of large sensors, this is also an interesting comment worth reading/considering: What's Guruji? And RZ33...: Open Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

 

 

Looking forward to all comments.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

 

plevyadophy

 

 

I enjoy Lloyd s reports as they always provide clear insights into camera/lens performance. He is very strong in his critiques and sometimes leaves the casual reader with the conclusion that everything is bad . And he is tough on the vendor when he receives a bad copy (as the 180 must be). But overall I learn something from the reporting.

 

Lloyd likes the S2 inspite of the fact that he received a bad lens (for sure) and maybe a bad body (to be tested). The cost is a factor as it should be in the plus $30K range and the S2 is not for everyone. At approx 40MP s every part of the system has to work near perfectly to get the full potential IQ. When it all comes together it produces incredible files from some of the best glass ever. But as his tests show it doesn t always come together as it should. He shows the good and the bad ..lots of detail but very well supported.

 

Lloyd is also very open to suggestions and will retest if he sees a possible error. I am hoping he will get another copy of the S2 to retest the AF accuracy as none of my friends are having issues (this could be due to different uses of the S2 or maybe he has a out of calibration body).

[glenerrolrd]

Sorry - the link was to the blog - now that I found my way to the test I retract.

 

Certainly not a problem as Lloyd without a doubt is very critical at times and the test reports are long and have frequent updates.

 

He really does support his conclusions which I find explains how photographers can come to different conclusions. I never knew there were 6 types of CA and that some are inherent in designing a fast lens and others are not . or that LCA could be corrected with software and ACA can only be desaturated. Yet you might conclude that his detailed review implied CA is major issue which it doesn t.

[glenerrolrd]

I have never had any of the problems mentioned with my S2 and the 35/70/180 lenses which have all been superb. Used the 35mm to capture dance by a Kyoto Maiko last weekend and was very pleased with the result (although some people may argue the skin tones are off

 

Arif's Journeys

 

I am taking the S2 out more and more when travelling and only take the Nikon for high ISO shots in the evening.

 

Arif

 

I can see better color than a month ago ..have you settled on a profile and some presets for LR3? How are you liking the 35mm..it looks pretty great as well. Very nice work.

 

Roger

[glenerrolrd]

see new comments about sample variation at diglloyd s blog

[georg]

It^s a little bit strange to extensively illustrate a stuck aperture with a dozen exposures...

 

To me it seems very likely that the aperture and focus issue are related and the lens was damaged during transport.

[jplomley]

No problems to report with the 35/70/180 lenses I used in Olympic National park for three weeks under some very gruelling conditions (rain, high humidity, salt spray at the wildnerness beaches, and enormous temperture swings etc). I was extremely impressed with the robustness and weather sealing of the system.

[mwilliamsphotography]

Funny - Wisniewski rags on cameras without an AA filter and the photogrpahers who use them then recommends the M9

 

What a steaming pile of misinformation.

 

BTW, there IS a RZ33 ... so he's wrong there also. It finally has eliminated the need for hard wiring the lens to the back with a Leaf Aptus 7-II

 

Mamiya announces RZ33 medium format camera: Digital Photography Review

 

-Marc

[jplomley]

Always wondered if Mamiya would launch a digital version of the highly esteemed 7II RF system. Drum scans I've made from images with this system come very close to 4x5 IQ.

[Arif]

Arif

 

I can see better color than a month ago ..have you settled on a profile and some presets for LR3? How are you liking the 35mm..it looks pretty great as well. Very nice work.

 

Roger

 

Roger,

Thanks for the positive comments. I am still working in ACR but will download LR3 soon. I am using a profile I had developed but am curious to see how different David's profile will be. I really like the 35mm and it is sharp enough for me. I am hoping to take it to Myanmar early next year and see if I can use it (and the S2) versus the M8.2 which I used in Bhutan.

 

Arif

[mwilliamsphotography]

bad luck for lloyd. my 180mm S lens is excellent...so far.

it is easy to get tricked into the mindframe that -due to its ergonomics- the S2 can compete with the nikon D line in AF etc. well, it can't. but it does well compared to the H system...probably this is where the comparism should be. after 5 days of shooting in jerusalem i am pretty pleased with its usability in the field. at 37 centigrades it beats the H3DII50....

peter

 

I don't think I'd debate the AF competitive comment when comparing to the H3D/H3D-II ... but that is the previous generation of H camera not the current one. The H4D is a whole other ballgame.

 

IMO. and direct experience, True Focus - Focus Recompose on the H4D is a literal revolution in using MFD AF ... and I've found it swifter and more accurate then wheeling off-center focus points around the viewfinder of a 35mm DSLR ... which aren't even out to the edges anyway.

 

-Marc

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[kidigital]

Arif

 

I can see better color than a month ago ..have you settled on a profile and some presets for LR3? How are you liking the 35mm..it looks pretty great as well. Very nice work.

 

Roger

 

Roger, the color has definitely improved in this latest version of Lightroom. The files are looking very good.

 

Kurt