When will S3 be available? {merged}

[albireo_double]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

9 hours ago, YellowBelly said:

 I’m sure you’ll see capture one embrace Leica soon 

I wouldn't be so sure. I understand there is some animosity between the managements of Leica and Phase One that goes beyond P1 just not wanting to support a competitor's medium format digital camera.

[alan.y]

5 hours ago, ZHNL said:

Is FUJI glass focus by wire or have real focus ring?

So far all by wire

 

[Milan_S]

I was a big S fan from the beginning having used the S2 up to the S007. I love the feel of the body, the long battery life, the gorgeous files and of course the sharpness of rendering of the lenses. The S system was unique and Leica was a pioneer to bring a portable weatherproof medium format system. But times have changed, the most frustrating for me was the slow and sloppy AF. I use the S for portrait and fashion work and often the S misfocusses on the eye the AF is too slow even with modeling light. Although most S users rave about the OVF, I hoped the S3 would be a mirrorless update, a Leica SL on steroids with a great EVF (so I could manual focus the S lenses in lower light) but Leica decided to keep the S as it is a big DSLR with a MP and sensor upgrade. A few months ago I bought the Hasselblad X1D system to use parallel with my the S system.

I took the X1D with me to Cuba and I never missed the S, the AF is faster also in lower light, the camera is much lighter, the files are flexible and the colors of the X1D are out of this world. 

I am thinking to let go of the S007 because I miss the future proof direction of the S.

One of my last professional work with the S007 

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[frame-it]

5 minutes ago, Milan_S said:

But times have changed, the most frustrating for me was the slow and sloppy AF. I use the S for portrait and fashion work and often the S misfocusses on the eye the AF is too slow even with modeling light. Although most S users rave about the OVF, I hoped the S3 would be a mirrorless update, a Leica SL on steroids with a great EVF (so I could manual focus the S lenses in lower light) but Leica decided to keep the S as it is a big DSLR with a MP and sensor upgrade. A few months ago I bought the Hasselblad X1D system to use parallel with my the S system.

I took the X1D with me to Cuba and I never missed the S, the AF is faster also in lower light, the camera is much lighter, the files are flexible and the colors of the X1D are out of this world. 

 

 

you kind of described a 64mp medium format SL2 😁

[ynp]

19 hours ago, YellowBelly said:

What is missing is a Leica S to gfx adapter having all the glass already it would be great on the gfx100. I’m sure you’ll see capture one embrace Leica soon 

I talked to the Fringer guy. He’s not interested in making the adapter. Maybe some other people can make it?

[peterv]

17 hours ago, alan.y said:

I imagine Leica is very reluctant to admit the possibility of being reduced to a lensmaker eventually.

 

Yes, that has always been the argument ever since I have been following Leica now for more than 15 years. I don’t know much about marketing, but I do wonder if they could make more money from their S system lenses if these adapters were available. Just look at the interest in M lenses on mirrorless Sonys, Canons, Nikons et al.

[alan.y]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

29 minutes ago, peterv said:

Yes, that has always been the argument ever since I have been following Leica now for more than 15 years. I don’t know much about marketing, but I do wonder if they could make more money from their S system lenses if these adapters were available. Just look at the interest in M lenses on mirrorless Sonys, Canons, Nikons et al.

In the short run I think not. Used S lenses have been trading at 30-50% of their list prices, and there're a lot of them around. Look at this sorry state:

https://www.camerawest.com/products/system/leica s/condition/used

Leica won't make any money from these except when it occasionally charges $500 or $1000 for AF motor upgrades and other repairs. Compare that to milking the last remaining users for $20k per S3 body.

In the long run, SLRs and their bulky lenses, as much as I enjoy the OVF, are a vanishing breed. The central shutters in the S lenses--the reason why they're bigger than they have to be--will be rendered obsolete by advanced electronic shutters. It's asking a lot of people to stick around for Leica "rendition."

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by alan.y

[frame-it]

On 5/23/2019 at 7:41 PM, helged said:

Ugly it is - but I imagine a powerful and colourful image machine.

yes they explain some things quite nicely

 

 

[Dr No]

On 5/24/2019 at 5:06 PM, alan.y said:

In the short run I think not. Used S lenses have been trading at 30-50% of their list prices, and there're a lot of them around. Look at this sorry state:

https://www.camerawest.com/products/system/leica s/condition/used

Leica won't make any money from these except when it occasionally charges $500 or $1000 for AF motor upgrades and other repairs. Compare that to milking the last remaining users for $20k per S3 body.

In the long run, SLRs and their bulky lenses, as much as I enjoy the OVF, are a vanishing breed. The central shutters in the S lenses--the reason why they're bigger than they have to be--will be rendered obsolete by advanced electronic shutters. It's asking a lot of people to stick around for Leica "rendition."

 

Sorry it is. Makes you wonder if the af motor fault is intentionals.

[peterv]

Of course it isn’t, Leica is not going to be happy with that AF thingy, they have a name to uphold, and I’m still convinced we’ll see an S3 eventually.

And I think those who buy it will shoot a very nice camera that delivers a very nice file that can compete with most MF offerings. I’d guess that at least 50% of the folk participating in the threads - me included - have not planned to buy an S3 before the end of the year. But we’re all curious and impatient (I know, Photokina is already 9 months behind us) and lots of us are invested in the S system so we want to see it flourish.

[John McMaster]

When I buy one depends on what deals they offer against old kit, I do not use my S2-P at all these days....

john

[YellowBelly]

They have to slash the price massively which would hopefully get more people in to the system that’s the bravest way out of the hole 🕳 

[TMKM]

On 5/27/2019 at 8:14 PM, Dr No said:

Sorry it is. Makes you wonder if the af motor fault is intentionals.

I just sent my 2 lens to Germany for AF failure, both fail for the second times in 2 years 30-90mm and 70mm cs. 

I think, I am not going to waste any more money on the S3. For the price of Leica S3 I can get a set of Fujifilm gfx 100 plus a couple of lens and a Lumix S1r .

[erlingmm]

4 hours ago, TMKM said:

I just sent my 2 lens to Germany for AF failure, both fail for the second times in 2 years 30-90mm and 70mm cs. 

I think, I am not going to waste any more money on the S3. For the price of Leica S3 I can get a set of Fujifilm gfx 100 plus a couple of lens and a Lumix S1r .

2 years ago? Leica started repairing with new AF solution 3 years ago.

[Jeff S]

2 hours ago, erlingmm said:

2 years ago? Leica started repairing with new AF solution 3 years ago.

No, even you were waiting and posting Feb  2017, when word unofficially trickled out. The official announcement was in April.

Jeff

[xiaubauu2009]

8 hours ago, Jeff S said:

No, even you were waiting and posting Feb  2017, when word unofficially trickled out. The official announcement was in April.

Jeff

the mass incident with the AF started with the new firmware written for s006 to 'bring the AF up to 007 standard', if I remember it correctly.....

[Jeff S]

3 hours ago, xiaubauu2009 said:

the mass incident with the AF started with the new firmware written for s006 to 'bring the AF up to 007 standard', if I remember it correctly.....

But that wasn’t the question, which was about when the ‘permanent’ fix was available.  Before that, all repairs were made with the same potentially faulty parts. 

Jeff

[erlingmm]

I had a repair done with new AF solution the fall of 2016, half a year before it was officially announced.

[Jeff S]

So in another half year, maybe it will be 3 years.... stretching it unofficially.

Jeff

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[erlingmm]

Well, my point was really that if they were repaired 2 years ago, when the new solution were available, this is the first incident of new AF mechanism failing. If it was MORE than 2 years ago, maybe more than 2,5, then they were probably repaired with the old version, which has then failed (again).