Is Leica S 007 suitable for event shooting?

[Gene9816]

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Hi everyone. I'm a event photographer and videographer in HK. Is Leica S 007 suitable for event shooting and videography? Thanks so much.

[davidmknoble]

@Gene9816, it probably depends on your previous use with SLR’s and medium format work, and on the event.  Many have used it for a wide variety of photographic shoots.  Because of the medium format nature, I prefer a tripod to avoid blur from poor handholding, but many have been successful.

What type of events do you plan to shoot?

[Gene9816]

@davidmknoble Thanks for your advice. i always shoot a conferences and shareholder meetings.

[davidmknoble]

@Gene9816, you’ll probably just have to decide what makes sense for your style.  I will say the lower ISO’s are best, and you’ll probably find a tripod works best at lower ISO and higher f/stop…

[Pieter12]

No. At least from my observations, event photography calls for the use of a long (isn) lens, hand-held to be able to be mobile and unobtrusive. The ISO range and the weight of the S plus a long lens don't make this an ideal event camera. And unless you are working with more than fill flash, the lack of image stabilization is another unfavorable factor. There are many FF cameras that would suit the job better.

[ZHNL]

3 hours ago, Gene9816 said:

Hi everyone. I'm a event photographer and videographer in HK. Is Leica S 007 suitable for event shooting and videography? Thanks so much.

Simple answer, No. AF is slow and has accuracy issue for wide aperture shooting.     Especially not suitable for moving subject.
 

I think this is a system for ‘slow’ shooting and for niche user who enjoy OVF and handling high build quality hardware with excellent IQ. 

[Milan_S]

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I have shot multiple events with the S007 including the Tomorrowland festival and it works really ok, keep shutter speed higher than 1/125 and try to shoot multiple shots.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Milan_S

[BernardC]

I shot several weddings with the S-006. It's a great tool for this type of event, but obviously it has limitations. I went for the S when circumstances were right: big stage, bright, colourful. Most important: when the client wanted that look. It's not a low-light vérité camera.

The batteries last forever. It's not unusual to be 2,000 shots into your day before you switch to a second battery. The viewfinder is amazing, it really lets you concentrate on your composition rather than offering-up useless information. I find that I can focus by eye, I only use the back AF button to quickly ramp from near to far. Shout-out to the S lenses as well: they can take a huge amount of back-light without washing-out. That opens-up compositional possibilities.

 

Many people will tell you that it "can't be done," that the S is unsuitable for events. They are wrong. However, using the S for events is a deliberate choice. It's more difficult to use than other options, but the payoff can be tremendous. It's something that can set you apart from every other photographer in your market. Realistically, you need a second system for the days when there's no light.

As far as video is concerned, the 007 isn't as good as it should be. It only did 8-bit, so HDR is out of reach. The LCD isn't very useful, so you'll need a rig with an HDMI monitor/recorder, microphones, etc. You might get interesting short clips (for social media, etc), but I wouldn't use it for longer stuff. Mind you, a lot of clients only want 10-second clips to post online, so maybe it would be great...

[Stuart Richardson]

At least in my experience using the S system, I would not really recommend it for this kind of use...not if that is the main or only purpose. It is big and heavy, as are the lenses, and it is loud (compared to mirrorless), the AF is prone to missing (again, compared to 35mm...it is good for medium format SLRs), and the video is not great. I think if you want a Leica to do this work, the SL2S is a much better option. It has better focus, better video, stabilization, a greater range of lenses and so on. The S really shines for making fine art prints or in doing studio work where you can control the lighting. It is a very capable camera, so of course it can be used for events successfully (I have used my S006 in the past for a wedding or two and some editorial work), but in general I think you will make your life easier and probably also make better work if you choose a camera that is better suited to your work. I would say this is especially true if you are shooting conferences and shareholder meetings, where the emphasis is probably more on having things depicted thoroughly, than necessarily at the highest artistic standard. As opposed to perhaps weddings where the aesthetics are probably a bit more important.

As in most cases, you are probably best off renting or trying the camera for yourself first, and certainly before any paying gig, as the S is a camera that likely takes some getting used to, in comparison to some of the more photojournalist/event based cameras you might expect from Sony, Canon and Nikon.

Edited February 13, 2023 by Stuart Richardson

[dritz]

Stuart is right on. SL2-S is always the goto for fast handling. And for discreet imaging the 90-280 is the moneymaker. I can't say enough good things about that lens, and there is no substitute for its flexibility in the S line. The 28-90 also is excellent.

I would use the S for some of the constructed wedding tableaus but not pressured shooting.

I appreciate the wanting to use the S. The lenses are absurdly cheap now (and I paid a lot for them in 2011 and 2012). You might even get a "throwaway" S2 of S006 and a 70 and a 120 for some experience with it.

Another idea is to get an S-70 lens and adapter for the SL system. That's the fastest focusing lens in the S line. That will help you experience the best of both worlds. And if that isn't good enough you'll know why: file quality, or AF speed.

[davidmknoble]

I will also take a chance and add to @dritz comment.  While I am much more of a landscape, or posed portraits, photographer, I also have the SL2-S.  Even at 24mp it delivers in color and dynamic range, over a stop better than the SL2.  And, I use S, R and M lenses (and a few Nikon AIS) on the body.  It really is a universal backup body that can be used in conjunction with other Leica systems.  

I hope we eventually have an SL body with a sensor as good as the M11.  That would be incredible in its own right.

[kodachrome]

Depends on the event. I recently used my 006 for a bar event with a flash. The result where a unique pop to the the 3D look. But it was cumbersome with its size and focus time

[topoxforddoc]

I have used a S006 to shoot concerts and festivals. It’s ok for that shooting from the pit at the front of the stage. But it wouldn’t be my choice for shooting a conference when you might be a little bit away from the stage. 
SL2S is your best bet, esp if you want video as well.