S2 Sensor Dimensions v. MF Sensor Dimensions

[Agent M10]

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After going through the threads, I didn't see any comments on Leica's decision to keep the 3:2 ratio. The MF world doesn't deal with that ratio and it seems to me, personally, that the S2 would have more going for it if it adopted a squarer ratio (say something akin to 645).

 

I understand that Salgado is now using a Canon DSLR, but is having his staff crop the pictures to a 645 ratio - one that he had with his Contax 645.

 

Personally, the 3:2 ratio is a sticking point in a decision to buy.

[lxlim]

I am likely to be in the minority but I would never get MF if it is not 3:2

 

To me its a waste of pixels for 99% of my jobs.

[paulmoore]

After going through the threads, I didn't see any comments on Leica's decision to keep the 3:2 ratio. The MF world doesn't deal with that ratio and it seems to me, personally, that the S2 would have more going for it if it adopted a squarer ratio (say something akin to 645).

 

I understand that Salgado is now using a Canon DSLR, but is having his staff crop the pictures to a 645 ratio - one that he had with his Contax 645.

 

Personally, the 3:2 ratio is a sticking point in a decision to buy.

 

I had good luck with the 6x9 120 format back in the film days, a classic medium format size...seems that if you want the 645 crop, the S2 gives enough resolution to crop down to that...this to me is the real benefit of this supersized 35.. gives you room to resize/crop as needed for work, or leave it in "director's cut" 3:2. After many years of commercial work where the full image size is never used, I have grown use to having extra image area cut out.. but up to now the 35mm format was not big enough to throw stuff away.. it is now.

I am sure you did not mean to imply that Salgado has his staff make the crops on his photography..or even that he uses a template, in this case the 645 crop to determine his

photographs.. I would be very surprised if this is the case..however I find nothing wrong with cropping to a different sze from what the camera produces if the image is enhanced, I love shooting to the full frame of the camera but it is not a self imposed set of horse blinders that I have to use.. and live with in the final image.

[Agent M10]

Paul,

 

To put it more accurately, Salgado apparently has had his Canon cropped to the 645 dimensions. See An Evening with Sebastião Salgado Richard Man – Photography and Calligraphy.

 

He did say that he is looking forward to the S2.

 

Given that many fashion and studio shooters like the 6x7 and 645 frames, I was just wondering if Leica had given any thought to changing the dimensions since the S2 is aimed at that market. Like Salgado, I prefer the usual MF frame dimensions over 3:2.