Anthony Flores Posted January 13, 2011 Share #41 Posted January 13, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I hope you have better luck this time around. I am anxious to hear how the new body performs for you. While you are testing the auto focus you may want to try both methods of activating the AF as well as AFs and AFc. Me too Marc, please do keep us posted -- appreciate your thoroughness and willingness to share 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 13, 2011 Posted January 13, 2011 Hi Anthony Flores, Take a look here Focusing Issues. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Googaliser Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share #42 Posted January 13, 2011 Me too Marc, please do keep us posted -- appreciate your thoroughness and willingness to share I echo this. Fingers crossed.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterv Posted January 13, 2011 Share #43 Posted January 13, 2011 Yeah me too! Marc, I hope that this time you'll find that the S2 is everything it's promised to be. I've been following your adventures on getDPI and I was sorry to hear that the first two didn't work out for you. Hopefully this third time everything will be fine. Looking forward to your upcoming reports! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted January 14, 2011 Share #44 Posted January 14, 2011 Thanks everyone. I'm very cautious now about any reporting good or bad. However, after the first round of casual home testing with this replacement S2P, inside and outside in cold temps, the camera seems fine. I've done quite a few auto focus tests and virtually every shot was on ... even tricky stuff both closer and at distance. Boring pics, but they tell me what I need to know. More testing to do, but so far, so good. I'll be back with more as I use it ... supposed to snow this weekend, so that should be a good time to shoot. -Marc Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted January 19, 2011 Share #45 Posted January 19, 2011 As mentioned on the other focusing thread ... this new S2P works perfectly ... further testing has shown the AF to be fine and I have bought into the system lock, stock and lens barrel. Thanks for all the info and feedback. -Marc 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted January 26, 2011 Share #46 Posted January 26, 2011 So, back to the original OPs post ... did the issues get resolved? -Marc Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Googaliser Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share #47 Posted January 27, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I have decided to send the camera back so that Leica can check it - but more to be on the safe side - than being sure there is an issue. I also managed to create unsightly rub marks on the top of the camera by poorly packing it whilst running around - direct contact with the 35mm lens in the back of a car for an hour.... will see what this costs to fix . I have invested in a new bag for the S2 - since the lenses with hoods on are very long and can arch over to the body in shallow bags. Back to focussing: It is a frustrating problem and my tests have proven inconclusive - thus this seems like the most sensible course of action. I just need to find a suitable window. I'm glad your new system meets with your approval - it gives me hope that this is just a teething issue - perhaps only affecting some of the early cameras (if indeed it is an issue). Will keep you posted. M Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted January 27, 2011 Share #48 Posted January 27, 2011 Hi,I have decided to send the camera back so that Leica can check it - but more to be on the safe side - than being sure there is an issue. I also managed to create unsightly rub marks on the top of the camera by poorly packing it whilst running around - direct contact with the 35mm lens in the back of a car for an hour.... will see what this costs to fix . I have invested in a new bag for the S2 - since the lenses with hoods on are very long and can arch over to the body in shallow bags. Back to focussing: It is a frustrating problem and my tests have proven inconclusive - thus this seems like the most sensible course of action. I just need to find a suitable window. I'm glad your new system meets with your approval - it gives me hope that this is just a teething issue - perhaps only affecting some of the early cameras (if indeed it is an issue). Will keep you posted. M Bummer on the rub marks. I'll keep that in mind when trying to pack too optimistically. I do not quite know about the focussing being age of issue related ... I went back to look at the shots done over a year ago with one of the first S2s available ... and none of the shots exhibited AFs issues ... except my attempt to use AFc was not very successful. The current camera seems fine, but now being "aware", I select the AF target more ... shall we say, knowledgeably. Rather than placing the cross hairs over the thing I want in critical focus, I am aware if there is something with-in in the circle that may garner more the AF sensor's attention and readjust slightly to remove or lessen it from the sensor's consideration. It's a minor change from how I initially used the S2 AF ... and really makes little difference in working speed ... but it MAY be why I no longer experience AF issues other than those I create with body sway or other user errors. -Marc 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Googaliser Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share #49 Posted February 9, 2011 So by way of closure - the S2 is on its way back to Germany. The final nail in the coffin was an AF light that would stay on - locking me out of the menu system amongst other things - and gremlins deciding to focus hunt even while the camera was sitting on a tripod untouched. In the process of getting the original sales invoice from the first owner - it transpired that he had already sent an S2 back - which had been replaced with my one. Bit of serial number confusion revealed this. So once repaired, the S2 will be sold and replaced by something with a higher IQ than mine. I would love to keep the lenses and wait to see what the S3 brings - but I may just say Sayonara and focus on the photography. Signing out... M Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddanois Posted February 9, 2011 Share #50 Posted February 9, 2011 I have been following this thread with great interest as my S2 has been to Germany three times for focus issues. On this (its third), the good folks at Leica deceide to spare me the nervousness of another repair cycle and replaced my body. The new one is working well and all of my lenses are performing as advertised. Despite the early adopter challenges, the S2 is still a great investment and I'm happy with how Leica has stood behind the product. I'm sure the S3 will be even better (perhaps they can get Nikon to share "state-of-the-art" focus systems for the next model. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Googaliser Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share #51 Posted February 10, 2011 I have been following this thread with great interest as my S2 has been to Germany three times for focus issues. On this (its third), the good folks at Leica deceide to spare me the nervousness of another repair cycle and replaced my body. The new one is working well and all of my lenses are performing as advertised. Despite the early adopter challenges, the S2 is still a great investment and I'm happy with how Leica has stood behind the product. I'm sure the S3 will be even better (perhaps they can get Nikon to share "state-of-the-art" focus systems for the next model. I agree with you and admire your loyalty. The problem is that I am of a paranoid disposition and once I lose faith in a system - it is very hard for me to recover from that. I also hate down time. If I buy an E-type Jag - I expect to end up on the hard shoulder of a highway at least once a year. But if I buy a modern state of the art car - I expect it to work. I should have bought a 'P' version with hindsight - but nevertheless - it is too much distraction and the ergonomics became a bit tedious. There is a threshold which I am willing to tolerate of new model gremlins - the S2 simply exceeded mine. More to the point - if I am being very candid - I have seen competitors close the gap quite significantly in recent months. Many of the issues that I had with MFD in the past at least appear to have been addressed if not resolved. If I were happy in my existing relationship - I would have taken note, but stayed true. Unfortunately, the new blood look very hot... notably more so in substance rather than form (did Leica get that balance right - hand on heart ?) I have no loyalty to any manufacturer - but Leica will still see some of my Children's inheritance through their M-System if not their S one Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom0511 Posted February 10, 2011 Share #52 Posted February 10, 2011 I seem to be lucky. All 3, the test S2 I had for 4 days, the new S2 I bought (and gave it some days later to someone who urgently needed one) and the new one I got now all seem to focus pretty accurate. So I wonder if Leica has eliminated the problem or if I am just lucky. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted February 11, 2011 Share #53 Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) I agree with you and admire your loyalty. The problem is that I am of a paranoid disposition and once I lose faith in a system - it is very hard for me to recover from that. I also hate down time. If I buy an E-type Jag - I expect to end up on the hard shoulder of a highway at least once a year. But if I buy a modern state of the art car - I expect it to work. I should have bought a 'P' version with hindsight - but nevertheless - it is too much distraction and the ergonomics became a bit tedious. There is a threshold which I am willing to tolerate of new model gremlins - the S2 simply exceeded mine.More to the point - if I am being very candid - I have seen competitors close the gap quite significantly in recent months. Many of the issues that I had with MFD in the past at least appear to have been addressed if not resolved. If I were happy in my existing relationship - I would have taken note, but stayed true. Unfortunately, the new blood look very hot... notably more so in substance rather than form (did Leica get that balance right - hand on heart ?) I have no loyalty to any manufacturer - but Leica will still see some of my Children's inheritance through their M-System if not their S one I'm not all that big on blind faith loyalty anymore either ... especially at these prices. Frankly, my tolerance for S2 gremlins was also wearing thin ... but if previous treks with MFD taught me anything it was to set aside my triple type A personality and be more patient ... plus, as I stated many times, I did think it was bad luck (as opposed to Tom's seemingly good luck). If the S2 wasn't so uniquely nice in hand, and if the lenses weren't simply the best I've ever experienced (expected from Leica), it would have been easy to spend the king's ransom elsewhere. There is always someone willing to take your money. Your thought on spending your Children's inheritance made me chuckle ... but it also made me think. One of the hidden attractions of the S2 for me was it offered an exit from the never-ending MFD brand wars, and subsequent devalued products as the improvement cycles started coming at closer and closer intervals ... many at $20,000.+ a crack even with trade-ins of barely used gear. Some folks can sustain that over the years, but I've come to the conclusion that even if I could, I don't want to anymore. It is beginning to border on consumer insanity for all but a few rarified user needs. Technological leap-frogging has indeed improved MFD at a ferocious rate, but those darned frog's sticky tongues are reaching deep into my bank account. While it may seem a contradiction given the price of admission to the S2 system, the question is ... is it really? Leica's product cycles have tradionally been quite slow, and unlike the legacy MFD systems ... I won't have to be buying new lenses to replace old ones that then become semi-worthless. Even if a S3 is on the horizon (a distant horizon if history holds true), it would be fine by me as I always like two bodies for my work ... for now it can be something else I already have). I currently use Hasselblad H in my studio ... but if I were buying into a legacy modular MFD system from scratch today ... I honestly wouldn't know what to do. There are new IQ backs from Phase One, but the camera is simply horrible IMHO. A new one is reportedly in the works, so why would I buy the current one? Hasselblad's H4 camera is good, but now they will be playing catch up to Phase One's latest-greatest DB ... so why would I buy into that hasselblad system that's sure to change and severely devalue my kit ? What I think it has come full circle back to is ... making photographs ... and thinking about what you have and use in those terms rather than being forced to to think about your gear like an accountant or investment banker. Just a thought or two. -Marc Edited February 11, 2011 by fotografz Typo Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Googaliser Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share #54 Posted February 14, 2011 We share similar views Marc. I bought the S2 secondhand and a 35mm new. Wonderfully, I have been offered the exact same money I paid for the set-up (once its back from the service center) as I paid - so frustrations aside - I haven't lost any money. It would have cost more to rent the system... so for those who are fortunate enough to have the capital available - I would recommend putting yourself out of your misery - buy sensibly - a used camera and decide if the S2 works for you. The financial downside is limited in my view at present. Now one could say this is one of the great aspects of Leica - demand usually far outstrips supply - thus keeping used prices high. Certainly has worked with my M glass (and bodies until they fall off a cliff when the successor is announced). But even a brief chat with an R user will remind us that a 'tail event' can still occur - even with Leica. You're not insured by any means - and there are definitely risks with their forray into MFD. Also - longer product cycles being a good thing - is very subjective and says more about one's self control than anything (you can always skip a phase or Hassy product cycle). I have a wondering eye and have a similar passion for cameras & glass as I do for photography itself - so will always be fighting that battle ! I do agree though that from a depreciation standpoint - an S system does look to be a better proposition than other MFD systems. Caveat: as long as there isn't an R-type extinction level event. M Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwilliamsphotography Posted February 15, 2011 Share #55 Posted February 15, 2011 I think you are still a prime candidate for the S2 ... : -) It's too bad your first brush with it was problematic. So was mine. However, I reviewed the MFD landscape, and despite recent advancements found them all to be lacking as they try to be too many things to too many different people ... a jack of all trades and a master of none ... despite all the marketing spin, and owner's cult ramblings to the contrary. Personally, the very thought of spending $50K+ for a Mamiya based MFD system sends shivers up my spine. Where is Contax and Zeiss when you need them ... LOL! I also think some of the advancements fall under the title of "The Emperor's New Clothes" ... where one is paying an "Emperor's Ransom" for a few clever do-dads, while the actual gain in true usability is truncated, and end output is comparatively questionable ... except of course to those who paid the ransom ... or those that feel compelled to keep up with the Emperor so as to not fall to far behind and be marked as a lowly peasant, or have their current gear devalue beyond recovery. It's an interesting and powerful psychology at play ... where compulsions are catered to well beyond the abilities or needs of all but a few photographers ... and I do not exclude myself from the manipulated and duped crowd either BTW. Not sure the R system extinction is the same thing ... unless something like that happens to the Auto-Focus S2 before they get a nice spread of lenses to market ... although, frankly, what is already available is enough for me. The R was a long time manual focus legacy system that was getting very long in the tooth. Personally, even though being a die-hard Leica R fan, I had walked away from it long before they announced its demise. That Contax is gone and an updated version never materialized, that Zeiss not making AF MF lenses for an existing platform, that the ground-up Rollie MFD was still-born ... yet a band-aid riddled Mamiya 645 marches on, or the H film camera keeps getting digital tech make-overs while correcting optics inadequate to the ever increasing demands of ever more pixel packed sensors, says a lot about what users (including myself) actually can be conned into ... IMHO. -Marc Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Googaliser Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share #56 Posted April 23, 2011 (edited) Well... the S2 is back from Leica and the focussing gremlins are well and truly fixed. As is the scuffed top-plate. This presents me with a major dilema though. The more I look at the work I did with the S2 - the more it grows on me. I love the way this system renders. Even though I should be selling it, I must confess it is back in active service. Alongside a PhaseOne system which I may add was meant to be its successor (at least that's what I told my wife and my accountant (me) ). All those threads focussing on which is better make me smile. They are 'different' - that's all I can say with any certainty. PS: Turnaround time from Leica was very impressive - about 3 weeks - from HK to Solms and back. M Edited April 23, 2011 by Googaliser typos Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2011 Share #57 Posted April 24, 2011 Indeed very good news that the camera is back and the focusing issues have been put to rest....I think that as time passes you will come to treasure the captures from you S2 and be glad that you did not sel or trade it. Luckily, my demo S2-P has been flawless. After a month I find I have more real captures from it than from my H3DII 39 over the prior two years that I had it. There is something about the images ... a complete, organic rendition that belies description but draws one into the scenes. I see things with this camera that I have not seen with others. That includes using other non-Leica lenses with adapter. The files hold up well to PP and it truth need little work.... I can see myself selling off all of my other cameras as in reality the rest of it does not measure up....I regretted selling my Alpa and lenses when I dropped the H3DII 39 but today would prefer a 24 or 30 shift lens from Leica. It is that good. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougg Posted April 28, 2011 Share #58 Posted April 28, 2011 Glad to hear focusing issues are getting resolved; of course I was concerned that mine might misbehave, but I haven't had much opportunity to shoot. So I did the "keyboard test" as above, and the S2 seems to have locked onto the Y letter at the lower-left of my older-style keyboard keys, at the middle of that thin DoF. A relief. And I took the camera to an urban shopping mall while my car was serviced. Most shots were f/2.5 at 1/60, with only two showing signs of camera shake, and very satisfactory focusing. I think we're going to get along just fine! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Rains Posted April 29, 2011 Share #59 Posted April 29, 2011 I just spent ten days in Papua New Guinea shooting in the forests and villages. ISO640, 1/60th or 1/125th @ 2.8 (or even 2.5) on the 120mm Macro and 70mm - no issues of poor focussing. I got at least as many keepers as my other small format DSLR system and any problems were due to camera shake or subject movement in the low light. I found the AF did its job as well as any other camera I have used and better than most. There are some small examples here: Australian Landscape Photography by Nick Rains - Over $4000 Raised for PNG village. They are mixed up with some images by a colleague with a P65+ who got some wonderful images but found the AF on the Mamiya body to be a bit hit and miss - to say the least. And some M9 images in another post. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterv Posted April 29, 2011 Share #60 Posted April 29, 2011 Nick, thanks for sharing. I like the 120 mm portrait of the boy (with the orange paint/Make-Up) Somehow I feel I'm starting to recognize the signature of the 120. Wonderful sharpness and OOF drawing, even in such a small web image. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.