Just bought Leica S (007) for $3,365!

[414concrete]

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Am I crazy!? I'm questioning whether to keep my system amid discussions about changes or discontinuations. I have a 30-day window to decide. I'm not interested in the latest Fuji or HB models, nor am I concerned about megapixels. What matters to me are image quality and user experience, and I find nothing appears to match the S system in that regard. I remember when the S2 was released and unaffordable for me. Now, acquiring this system almost feels like a steal. I have an M6 and a M240 and several lenses, as well as a collection of Canon and Nikon SLR and DSLRs.

[steve.chang]

Congrats. Get an S 70 if you haven't had any S lenses. Remember to get one with the updated AF motor to use with the S 007.

 

Happy photographing. 

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[LeicaR10]

414concrete,   First, welcome to the S forum.  You will find a good number of photographers who will offer sage advice such as Steve.Chang's above post.  Second, you bought into a great camera system that will deliver unlike anything out there with its cinematic rendering with the sensor and especially the S lenses.  The S lenses are really great bargins now.  I also second Steve's advice with the AF motor replacement as part of any purchase and store warranty.  Personally, I only buy from Leica dealers after being burned with private sales years ago.  Also, the S system is NOT dead, it is currently under development for a new mirrorless MF S4 and lenses.  Rest assured Leica will make the current S lenses backwards compatible with the new camera that is set to start production in 2025.  All the S lenses are simply stellar.  If you have any questions concerning which lenses you might want to purchase, check out David Farkas's helpful S lens guide below.  You can find previously owned S lenses with AF motors replaced, at stores such as Camera West, Leica Store Miami, Leica Store Lisse in NL, and list goes on.  You will be able to create superb photographs with the S007 camera and S lenses.  Last, enjoy your new S camera and lenses by getting out there and shoot, shoot and shoot more.   Happy New Year!  r/ Mark

Try:   https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2020/04/the-definitive-guide-to-leica-s-lenses/ 

Edited January 1 by LeicaR10

[helged]

12 hours ago, 414concrete said:

Am I crazy!? I'm questioning whether to keep my system amid discussions about changes or discontinuations. I have a 30-day window to decide. I'm not interested in the latest Fuji or HB models, nor am I concerned about megapixels. What matters to me are image quality and user experience, and I find nothing appears to match the S system in that regard. I remember when the S2 was released and unaffordable for me. Now, acquiring this system almost feels like a steal. I have an M6 and a M240 and several lenses, as well as a collection of Canon and Nikon SLR and DSLRs.

What more to say than: enjoy!

For hand shooting, use a shutter speed 2-3 times the focal length to avoid vibration unsharpness, and avoid shutter speeds close to 1/60 sec as far as possible (this is based on my hand shooting stability/technique). 

On tripod, use mirror up and 2 sec delay when shooting static scenes. And for optimal focus - for static subjects - focus with magnification in live view. 

For looooong shutter speeds in day light (using nd filters), cover the optical viewfinder to avoid light leackage on the sensor via the mirror (there is a special, magnetic cover for this, but you can use whatever you have). 

Personally, S35, S70 and S120 are most frequently used lenses. Thereafter S45, S180 and S24. S180 only on tripod.

Four things that makes me smile every time I use the S: The battery lasts forever. The excellent button layout and how the body 'rest' in my hand(s). The fantastic optical view finder. When changing lenses, let the focal length engravement point up, and you are done, no fiddeling to mount the lenses.

Enjoy the instrument! 

[414concrete]

I'm truly grateful for all the invaluable advice and insights shared by this community. It's heartening to hear from experienced photographers like Steve Chang and to learn about the enduring quality and potential of the Leica S system. The updates about the S4 and lens compatibility, along with practical tips on using the S007 camera, are incredibly helpful. I'm looking forward to exploring photography further with my new S camera and lenses, inspired by your shared experiences and recommendations. Thank you all for the encouragement to just go out and shoot more. Your collective wisdom and support are greatly appreciated!

[dritz]

This system demands conscious technique. But if you've used MF you're already aware of it. I agree that you start with the 70.... cheap, fastest focus, and awesome performance. I recommend the 30 over the 35 if you want a wider lens.... but they're all great!  Congratulations. 

[tom0511]

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Enjoy, those lenses and the sensor are beautiful. Keep an eye on focus.

 

[Stuart Richardson]

It's certainly a lot of camera for that price. Do go the extra distance and make sure you get at least one of the S lenses (rather than just using adapted older MF lenses). The overall quality of the system and the images are still top notch, and you are unlikely to find anything as well constructed for close to the price. The lenses are still first class too, though the focusing can be a bit slow. 

My best advice for a new S user is to treat the entire circle in the viewfinder as the AF point, rather than the crosshairs. The S is accurate to focus assuming that whatever is contained in that circle is flat/equidistant from the camera. Otherwise, it tends to focus on the closest object in that circle, if there are multiple things. Once you get a feel for it, it works well, but it can be frustrating if you think it is a spot AF based on the crosshairs. It is more of an area AF. Of course, you can use the manual focus as well, but in my experience the AF was even more accurate, as long as you gave it a proper target.

[414concrete]

Thank you all! I’ve ordered up the 35mm and 70mm. Unfortunately I didn’t see the 30mm recommendation prior to 35mm purchase. I’ve downloaded quite a few RAW files to peruse while recovering from New Year’s. The IQ is spectacular, and I’m looking forward to experimenting!

[Stuart Richardson]

Don't worry, all the primes are great. The zoom has more variance. I preferred the 35mm over the 30mm. It is a bit lighter (100g or so), a bit faster (2.5 vs 2.8) and they are both more or less equally sharp and the same exact size. It really is more about whether you prefer a 24mm or 28mm equivalent.

[tom0511]

both 30 and 35 are very good lenses, so just decide based on focal length.

Personally I prefer the 35, because for me it's the more flexible focal length. Of course for landscape 24 offers a bit wider FOV.

Its also a bit smaller and lighter than 30 or 45.

70 is THE most flexible lens for my taste. 

[414concrete]

I bought the 35mm because of the deal I got on it, allowing minimal investment while experimenting, and not because I’m a 28mm fan 😆

The 70mm was always part of the plan, as I’m a huge ~50mm variant fan. Love the Nikon 58mm, Zeiss 40mm, and generally anything around the 50 mark but not necessarily 50mm. Really looking forward to 56mm equivalent! 

[LeicaR10]

44concrete,   As you will see with experience from current and former S system users like myself, there are no bad S lenses.  They are all top notch and perform in a stellar manner.   Use David Farkas's S Lens Guide to help you decide.  Also try these links to see how the different S lenses render to suit your genre of photography.  Unless you do fashion photography and use lights, there is no need for S lenses with a Central Shutter (CS).  There is no difference how the standard vs CS lenses render.  r/ Mark

70mm Try:  https://onfotolife.com/lens_sample_photos?lens_id=380&page=1&focal_min=0&focal_max=800&aperture_min=0&aperture_max=32

35mm Try:   https://onfotolife.com/lens_sample_photos?lens_id=357&page=1&focal_min=0&focal_max=800&aperture_min=0&aperture_max=32

30mm Try:  https://onfotolife.com/lens_sample_photos?lens_id=353&page=1&focal_min=0&focal_max=800&aperture_min=0&aperture_max=32

PS  My most used S lenses that I used for landscapes for my business were the S 24, 30, 45, 70, 120 and 180 (in this order).  My clients wouldn't accept anything less than photographs taken with the S system for their collections and corporation offices and ads.

Edited January 1 by LeicaR10

[darylgo]

On 12/31/2023 at 12:40 PM, 414concrete said:

I remember when the S2 was released and unaffordable for me. Now, acquiring this system almost feels like a steal. 

Wow, great price on the body.  I remember those unaffordable S2 days, it's been awhile and there continues to be so much that is great about the S system.  A few years back I bought a used S007 and found it had a minor electronic issue with one feature, it was repaired by Leica and my camera came back as good as new.  Some functions are seldom used, check as many features to determine the camera is functioning well. 

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase all the lenses in the system, $$$ allowing, they are selling at a fraction of their original price and can be adapted to the SL system with Leica's SL/S adapter.  Adapted S lenses work similar the S system except for the CS function, the SL2 camera now has ibis and multishot resolution up to 187MP.   

The S007 uses the newer battery, the Leica SBP PRO 1, the older S2 and S006 batteries will not work. 

Enjoy your new camera! 

[John Kasianowicz]

Congratulation!

I have several Leica cameras (M6 TTL, and the digital CL, M11, + SL2), and am considering an S 007.  I think the camera is gorgeous, feels great in hand, has a good selection of high IQ lenses, and its DSLR optical viewfinder is bright.

[414concrete]

2 hours ago, John Kasianowicz said:

Congratulation!

I have several Leica cameras (M6 TTL, and the digital CL, M11, + SL2), and am considering an S 007.  I think the camera is gorgeous, feels great in hand, has a good selection of high IQ lenses, and its DSLR optical viewfinder is bright.

That is exactly how I feel! Hopefully it does not disappoint. 

[davidmknoble]

My first S was an S2-P for $1995.   Yes a great way to enjoy photography!

[414concrete]

So I'm enjoying the camera so far. Since I purchased used and didn't know about its history I sent a note to Leica to ask if they had any information on the camera. 

Here was the reply.

"It was in 2023 sent to our HQ in Wetzlar. During this time the following repairs were carried out on the camera: renewal of the armouring, the position sensor, spirit level, wifi modules, micro-sd, flap of card slot, mirror bumpers and exposure meter. Otherwise, only normal service work was carried out."

Whoa! I'm not sure what I was expecting but the camera is immaculate and works great, now I see why. On one hand, I'm glad the camera just went to Wetzlar but on the other hand, are these S models unreliable? I didn't do a ton of research on reliability, or issues, most of my due diligence was with regard to features/benefits and IQ, which I really love this camera. 

Anything to be concerned with here regarding the amount of work conducted? What is the anticipated life expectancy of this camera? Should I upgrade to the S3 for increased reliability or are the internals so identical the benefit would be limited?

I'm waiting on a response regarding the cost of the services listed. 

Thanks!

[John McMaster]

My S(007) has no armour on the card slot flap; it survived a drop onto tiles with the mirror getting out of place, but I was able to get it back into correct location - so I would say that they are quite robust.  Once they have the camera apart it is easy/cheap to do those things, AFAIK the only real change from S(007) to S3 is the sensor...

john

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[John McMaster]

Oh, and this was after a slipped over in some mud a few years ago!  I had cleaned the worst off it by then as I was still shooting with it 😉

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