wlaidlaw Posted October 30, 2008 Share #1 Posted October 30, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I enjoyed Sean's very readable and interesting review as usual. After what I consider to be a weak development by the company on the M8-2, to the extent I was worried about Leica's future, the S2 prototype I feel shows sufficient promise from this review, for me at least, to have additional confidence for the years to come. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 30, 2008 Posted October 30, 2008 Hi wlaidlaw, Take a look here Sean Reid's review of S2 prototype. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
peterv Posted October 30, 2008 Share #2 Posted October 30, 2008 Hi Wilson, I agree that Sean wrote yet another well-balanced article, enjoyable to read. As for the S2, I'm starting to get anxious to get my hands on one and test it myself. I'm thinking if I would sell all my M gear... Kind regards, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted October 30, 2008 Share #3 Posted October 30, 2008 I, too, just read the review. What a great-sounding camera (and, of course, excellent review, but Sean must be getting tired of hearing that from me) and I agree with Peter that I lust for it. Damn, I chose the wrong parents. I need Paris Hilton's parents.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photoskeptic Posted October 30, 2008 Share #4 Posted October 30, 2008 Bill, I could buy one, but how would I explain a $30K camera to my wife?!!! Can you spell D-I-V-O-R-C-E? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted October 30, 2008 Share #5 Posted October 30, 2008 Since they aren't available, I guess I'll stay married, too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted October 30, 2008 Share #6 Posted October 30, 2008 Some interesting new details: 1.3kg for the body, a bit heavier than I expected, and 1.5fps, a bit slower than I expected. Either number may change though. I find the idea of the programmable buttons great, but I really do think that in this day and age, the ISO and Exposure Compensation settings deserve dedicated buttons. In fact, putting a wheel on the left shoulder (seen from behind) with the ISO, the E/V button could be in the middle of this. That would make the camera more compete to me, and with viewfinder readouts for both, would allow on-the-fly changes without taking the eye away. There also doesn't seem to be any direct way to set M/A/S/P that I have spotted? That needs to be directly settable as well, and not be a menu item. Probably a small lever under the shutter speed ring. Other than that, I can live with menu settings for everything. I do miss the aperture ring though, more from nostalgic than from practical reasons. Oh, are there both mechanical and electronic release sockets? Both are needed, unless Leica can devise a way for hour-long exposures not to run down the battery with the electronic release. Finally, just for operational comfort, I hope that the edges will be made a little rounder before the final shape is set. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share #7 Posted October 30, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Bill, I could buy one, but how would I explain a $30K camera to my wife?!!! Can you spell D-I-V-O-R-C-E? I used to have access to excellent wet darkroom facilities at a friend's house. He had told his wife they could not afford a new kitchen. His wife found the bills for his DV-Gilde camera, an eye-wateringly expensive, multi format 6 x 23 cm panoramic camera. He got the camera, she got the house! Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterv Posted October 30, 2008 Share #8 Posted October 30, 2008 Oh, are there both mechanical and electronic release sockets? Yes, I've been wondering about that too. No mention of any connector for a release anywhere yet. Both are needed, unless Leica can devise a way for hour-long exposures not to run down the battery with the electronic release. Why are both needed? Correct me if I'm wrong, please, but I've always thought that long exposures are going to drain the battery anyway, whether the release is electronic or mechanical. (that's one of the things I love about my MP and MD...) Cheers, Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjh Posted October 30, 2008 Share #9 Posted October 30, 2008 Some interesting new details: 1.3kg for the body, a bit heavier than I expected Just to keep it in perspective, that is about the same as the EOS-1Ds Mark III and about 1.0kg less than a Hasselblad. and 1.5fps, a bit slower than I expected. Twice as fast as a 39 MP Hasselblad. The sensor is the bottleneck here; the H3DII-50 using the same CCD technology as the S2 is also faster than the H3DII-39, but not by that much. Once Kodak offers CCDs with eight or more read-out channels, we will see faster medium-format cameras – maybe the S3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted October 30, 2008 Share #10 Posted October 30, 2008 Peter, with most mechanical releases, there is a screw to lock it, so you can set the camera on Bulb, and time really long exposures yourself. As long as the shutter allows it to stay open without battery use, that is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted October 31, 2008 Share #11 Posted October 31, 2008 Some interesting new details: 1.3kg for the body, a bit heavier than I expected, and 1.5fps, a bit slower than I expected. Either number may change though. I find the idea of the programmable buttons great, but I really do think that in this day and age, the ISO and Exposure Compensation settings deserve dedicated buttons. In fact, putting a wheel on the left shoulder (seen from behind) with the ISO, the E/V button could be in the middle of this. That would make the camera more compete to me, and with viewfinder readouts for both, would allow on-the-fly changes without taking the eye away. There also doesn't seem to be any direct way to set M/A/S/P that I have spotted? That needs to be directly settable as well, and not be a menu item. Probably a small lever under the shutter speed ring. Other than that, I can live with menu settings for everything. I do miss the aperture ring though, more from nostalgic than from practical reasons. Oh, are there both mechanical and electronic release sockets? Both are needed, unless Leica can devise a way for hour-long exposures not to run down the battery with the electronic release. Finally, just for operational comfort, I hope that the edges will be made a little rounder before the final shape is set. Hi Carsten, The camera doesn't currently have a thread for a mechanical cable release and I don't expect one will be added. They're using only an electronic remote release cable jack as is now common on DSLRs. I want to check with Leica to confirm details and then I'll explain how one sets exposure modes (AV etc.) in the prototype. My notes aren't clear enough but the settings are made through combinations of shutter speed dial settings, pressing of the thumbwheel and turns of the thumbwheel. Those settings are *not* currently menu driven. I'm on the road and so time is spotty but when I get back I'll add a clear section on the exposure mode setting process. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted October 31, 2008 Share #12 Posted October 31, 2008 Just to keep it in perspective, that is about the same as the EOS-1Ds Mark III. Hi Michael, That's the exact comparison I made in the article. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
humptydumpty Posted October 31, 2008 Share #13 Posted October 31, 2008 First post here: I'd like to a see a right-thumb-actuated button for auto-focussing. Humphrey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted October 31, 2008 Share #14 Posted October 31, 2008 First post here: I'd like to a see a right-thumb-actuated button for auto-focussing. Humphrey Seconded! I use that exclusively with my Contax 645. Welcome! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevelap Posted October 31, 2008 Share #15 Posted October 31, 2008 Some interesting new details: 1.3kg for the body, a bit heavier than I expected, and 1.5fps, a bit slower than I expected. Either number may change though. I find the idea of the programmable buttons great, but I really do think that in this day and age, the ISO and Exposure Compensation settings deserve dedicated buttons. In fact, putting a wheel on the left shoulder (seen from behind) with the ISO, the E/V button could be in the middle of this. That would make the camera more compete to me, and with viewfinder readouts for both, would allow on-the-fly changes without taking the eye away. There also doesn't seem to be any direct way to set M/A/S/P that I have spotted? That needs to be directly settable as well, and not be a menu item. Probably a small lever under the shutter speed ring. Other than that, I can live with menu settings for everything. I do miss the aperture ring though, more from nostalgic than from practical reasons. Oh, are there both mechanical and electronic release sockets? Both are needed, unless Leica can devise a way for hour-long exposures not to run down the battery with the electronic release. Finally, just for operational comfort, I hope that the edges will be made a little rounder before the final shape is set. With respect Carsten, and no disresprect intended towards Reid Reviews which I'm sure is very good, this was all covered during photokina in the numerous reports/magazine articles/interviews/blogs etc. In particular by David Farkas in his blog http://http://dfarkas.blogspot.com/2008/09/photokina-2008-day-1-all-things-leica.html which was widely discussed on the forum at the time. Aperture priority or manual is selected via the shutter speed dial as usual and the thumbwheel, which is a rotate and push design (rotate to select, push/click to set), is used to control other settings in conjunction with the four large buttons around the main LCD moitor. The latter are 'soft' keys, whose functions are user customisable. We should bear in mind of course that Leica could, and probably will, change some details before production starts, as a result of further feedback from beta testers and its professional user focus groups. groups. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted October 31, 2008 Share #16 Posted October 31, 2008 With respect Carsten, and no disresprect intended towards Reid Reviews which I'm sure is very good, this was all covered during photokina in the numerous reports/magazine articles/interviews/blogs etc. In particular by David Farkas in his blog http://http://dfarkas.blogspot.com/2008/09/photokina-2008-day-1-all-things-leica.html which was widely discussed on the forum at the time. Aperture priority or manual is selected via the shutter speed dial as usual and the thumbwheel, which is a rotate and push design (rotate to select, push/click to set), is used to control other settings in conjunction with the four large buttons around the main LCD moitor. The latter are 'soft' keys, whose functions are user customisable. We should bear in mind of course that Leica could, and probably will, change some details before production starts, as a result of further feedback from beta testers and its professional user focus groups. groups. David Farkas' blog report on the S2 is excellent and I encourage anyone interested in the S2 to read it. That said, it should be said that my article on the S2 does more than duplicate the information already out there. I realize you haven't read the article so its hard to get a sense of it. I'll be adding a section to the piece which deals with setting exposure modes as there seems to be some confusion about how that works. I want to check some things with Maike Harberts before writing the new section (after I return from a trip). Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevelap Posted October 31, 2008 Share #17 Posted October 31, 2008 David Farkas' blog report on the S2 is excellent and I encourage anyone interested in the S2 to read it. That said, it should be said that my article on the S2 does more than duplicate the information already out there. I realize you haven't read the article so its hard to get a sense of it. I'll be adding a section to the piece which deals with setting exposure modes as there seems to be some confusion about how that works. I want to check some things with Maike Harberts before writing the new section (after I return from a trip). Cheers, Sean Sean, I didn't intend to imply that your article was just a distillation of existing information from other sources. I'm sure it's interesting and informative, given that most people here who subscribe to your site report very favourably indeed. My intention was to point in the direction of other sources of information that might shed further light on Carsten's questions, and I agree that David Farkas' blog was indeed excellent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 31, 2008 Share #18 Posted October 31, 2008 Seconded! I use that exclusively with my Contax 645. Welcome! I can do that on the Phase/Mamiya AFD III as well . Nice feature Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted November 1, 2008 Share #19 Posted November 1, 2008 I agree that David Farkas' blog was indeed excellent. I also was very interested in David's report of his conversation with Peter Karbe and recommend it to all. David Farkas Photography Blog: Photokina 2008 - Day 2 - Taking it easy and getting an education Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfarkas Posted November 1, 2008 Share #20 Posted November 1, 2008 Thank you guys for the kind words on my blog. I'm currently at the LHSA annual meeting in Louisville right now, so I haven't been online too much in the last couple of days. I asked Leica for some clarification on the mode changing. Here is my understanding: By default the camera is in A mode. You can turn the thumb dial to adjust aperture. If you want to change to P mode, you press the dial in. Then you can turn the dial to perform a program shift. To get to M mode, turn the shutter speed dial off of A. Turn the thumb wheel to change aperture and use the shutter speed dial to adjust shutter speed (obvious, I know). To get to T mode, press the thumb dial. Sounds a little complicated on paper, but makes good ergonomic sense in practice. Sean had an opportunity to use the S2 as well so maybe he could chime in with his take on it. By the way, we (Dale Photo & Digital) will be hosting an online webinar with Justin Stailey from Leica on Saturday, November 15th, where he will be discussing the S2 and the other new Photokina products. You can submit any specific questions for him when you register. If anyone is interested in attending please click here for more info and to register: New Leica Products Webinar | Dale Photo & Digital David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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