New Leica S firmware announced in latest LFI

[erlingmm]

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Does Leica abandon prior models as far a performance enhancements go ? I will be shocked if the only changes coming are lens identification. My S2 is nearly two years old and I'd like to benefit from some development. I'm sure S 006 users will be pissed if there's a base feature improvement on the S007.2/3/4/5.

 

I believe other manufacturers continue to develop firmware for prior models and I'd like to see it here.

 

I don't think we are abandoned, but with every new model there are changes, also in the hardware. It seems the AF mechanism changed slightly from S2/S2P to S006, so we cannot expect exactly the same updates, but my impression is that AF is improved with the new firmware also on the S2/S2P.

[peterv]

So today, I updated my S2-P and my 70 and 120, both CS. Everything with the updates went smooth, no problems.

 

Now I know these things are highly subjective, but I think AF is somewhat faster and more secure. I tested on purpose in a relatively dark room and even the 120 locked on without hesitating. I could get it to hunt though, but only in extreme situations.

 

I would be very curious to see how fast the new S is, and I will certainly try that at Photokina, when I'm there saturday.

[SaW]

I've post the following on GetDPI yesterday:

 

I've made a little test to check your impressions:

Leica S2 with FW 1.3.0.0 + 120mm CS lens, on tripod.

Lens focus manually turned to min focus distance then start autofocus on my kind's bike 5m away.

Several tests gives an average 4,6sec for acquiring focus.

Same test but with lens focus manually turned to Infinity, average focus acquisition of the 5m distant target: 1,6sec

 

Then FW update of the S2 to 1.4.0.0 and lens update.

New run of tests, exactly at the same conditions than before updating.

 

Average acquisition time from min focus distance: 4,1sec (0,5s less) = 11% speed gain.

From infinity to target, it only took an average of 1,1sec (also 0,5s less) to acquire focus = 30% speed gain.

 

Based on the very nice round up of the new Leica S from David Farkas and his explanation of the new autofocus mechanism, it could be that the S2 also gains in AF speed thanks to avoiding the start-stop-restart of the AF motor, which could explain the same 0,5s gain in speed.

 

Of course this is just a speculation & 1 test of 1 body & lens on just 1 shooting condition. But this test + some handheld use at poor, rainy light conditions makes me believe the better AF speed after FW update is not just an impression, and that's great.

[SaW]

Today visiting Leica boot at Kina.

I did test the AF speed of their demo S-E with 70CS (FW 2.4.0.0) and compared it with my S2 with my 70CS (FW 1.4.0.0).

It was just a formal test (AF on the head of the Leica guy then far away on the wall) and could not detect any speed difference between both systems.

 

After this experience and my test of yesterday I'm now quite sure that the new FW update for the S2 is also boosting the AF speed.

Maybe Leica doesn't want to communicate about that for marketing reasons or whatever but S2 users were definitively not abandoned on this one

[John McMaster]

Just updated my kit, a couple of lenses (30-90 and 70) ended up with later firmware but not the same as on the instruction sheet. It was only a digit or two lower in the last number but I wondered why....

 

john

[John McMaster]

30-90 is 134.43.16.0 vs 134.43.17.0 and the 70mm is 132.43.31.0 vs 132.43.33.0

 

john

[peterv]

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John, maybe because of the difference between CS and non CS lenses?

[John McMaster]

There are different versions listed for each type, 70CS 132.43.10.0 the 70 non-CS 132.43.33.0

 

john

[mwilliamsphotography]

I have a S2P and S(006).

 

I just upgraded the S(006) camera FW early this morning, (which also carries the lens FW updates).

 

I then mounted each lens (CS35, CS45, CS70, CS120, CS180) and in each case the camera LCD informed me of a lens update being available … which I did.

 

Upon checking the updated FW numbers in the menu of the S(006) camera, they matched the numbers in the S2 Lens FW update chart PDF. (Yes, there are different FW version for each version of a focal length: S and CS versions, so don't mix them up!)

 

I then updated the S2P camera FW.

 

I then tested the CS120 on the S2P. The AF improvements are definitely applicable to the S2.

 

The acid test was trying the CS120 in the low tungsten ambient of my studio at night (conditions where I always test AF performance) … it acquired focus much faster … more importantly, even when working on difficult subject contrast that I use to trick it, the AF did just a few adjustments in small increments rather than the extreme back-and-forth hunting this lens was infamous for.

 

Very good news for S2 owners IMO.

 

-Marc

[Rolo]

Fully agree with Marc about the S2 upgrade. I anticipate it will transform this camera for me.

 

I've found it necessary to achieve focus by pumping the AF button on the top to have the confidence that the subject is in focus and it's usually taken 2 hits to secure accurate focus. In a moving environment, a wedding, or on the street, things can develop too quickly and hitting the button two, or three times and re-composing away from the centre AF point has been really tough with wider apertures. It's quickly became a tripod based camera for me.

 

If I can hit focus easily, I can shoot wide open at f2.5 and not have to be concerned about the absence of high iso setting. This firmware upgrade will make the S2 much more of a pleasure to use.

 

I've said elsewhere that, I'm really pleased that Leica has not abandoned us S2 users. It had definitely felt that way to me and my camera is not yet two years old.

 

Gary

[cokerwu]

I upgraded the S TYP006 to FIRMWAR 2.4.1.0 and S2 to FIRMWAR 1.4.0.0 at the same time, 30-90 mm lens, but work with S2, performance is very good, work with S TYP006 appears not af.