Leica S2, First Impressions
I'd barely cleared off my desktop after a short (but sweet) holiday break when Jim Wagner, our dashing Leica rep, called to find out if I'd be interested in spending the afternoon with a Leica S2. In 2 words? "Oooooh baby!"
The impending release of the S2 has been on-again/off-again for about 2 years, which is understandable considering that a camera of this scope is an awesome undertaking for a company the size of Leica. Despite the company's legendary history and reputation, Leica is a Piper Cub among Boeing 787s when it comes to developing and producing radically new products, digital or analog. And wisely, the folks at Leica resisted releasing the S2 prematurely because when it comes to DSLRs costing $20,000-plus there are no second acts.
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Despite its massive Teutonic look and stance, the medium-format S2 is dimensionally neck-and-neck with Nikon D3-series and Canon 1D Mark-series pro-level DSLRs. Depending on your choice of lens, the weight differences between 35mm pro DSLRs are similarly close (batteries included). As an example, a Leica S2 with a 70/2.5 Summarit-S ASPH 'normal' lens weighs 4.7 lb (2150 g). A Canon 1D Mark IV with an EF 50/1.4 USM lens weighs 3.63 lb (1646.5 g). However, when used with an EF 24-105/4L IS zoom the Mark IV weighs 4.48 lb (2030 g), and with an EF 24-70/2.8L zoom 5.09 lb (2310 g). So it's pretty much a wash in the weight department. As for resolving power, the Leica S2 is a whole other story.
The Leica S2 contains a Kodak-designed 37.5MB CCD imaging sensor that's about 56% larger than the 24x36mm imaging sensors found in 35mm DSLRs. This translates into increased detail, greater over-all tonality, smoother transitions from shadow to highlights, not to mention the ability to reach deeper in the highlights and shadows than you can ever delve into on a 35mm DSLR. And because of the sensor's large physical size and well-tweaked firmware, and image processing abilities, digital maladies including color fringing, artifacting, and moiré problems are greatly reduced, if not eliminated without having to place a low-pass filter in front of the camera's CCD.
The Leica S2 feels and handles as impenetrably tough as it looks. Starting with a solid, die-cast magnesium-alloy body, top plate, and base, the S2 is finished in black lacquer and rubberized grip material. Internally, there are 35 weather sealing gaskets designed to prevent moisture, dust, and grit from gumming-up the works; and every S-series Leica lens features a weatherproofing gasket along the perimeter of the lens mount that effectively seals the gap between the camera and lens. Yes Virginia, the Leica S2 is water-resistant.
The Leica S2 will most certainly be branded in some circles as neckstrap candy for ostentatiously wealthy enthusiasts, doctors, surgeons, and the high-price attorneys who earn their livings representing them in court. But make no mistake about it; the Leica S2 is designed for use as a serious work camera. Included among these pro-oriented features are true 16-bit color, dual (CF & SD/SDHC) card slots, a safety latch that prevents the battery from unintended ejections onto hard floors, 4-pin and 5-pin LEMO sockets for remote control and data output cables with connectors strong enough to support a dangling camera (take Leica's word on this one). And to ensure you can mount the S2 onto any tripod or support system, the S2 has both quarter-20 and a 3/8th" tripod sockets on its base plate.
The S2 contains a microprocessor-controlled focal plane shutter with speeds ranging from 8-seconds to 1/4000th (plus time-exposures up to 32-seconds and Bulb), and can be used in Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Program mode. Between the camera's large analog shutter speed dial and the vivid OLED display that resides beside it on the top deck, you always have an accurate snapshot of what's going on.
For studio shooters Leica will be releasing a selection of Leica CS-series lenses containing central shutters enabling flash sync at speeds up to 1/500th-second with studio lights, compared to the 1/125th-second sync speed afforded by the camera's focal plane shutter. A 3-way power switch (Off, FPS, and CS) automatically programs the camera to function in the appropriate mode. You can also expect to see tilt-shift optics available for the S2 later this year. (Note - Watch for our review of Leica's CS-series lenses in a studio environment when they become available)
The back of the camera features a 3" TFT LCD (420,000-dots) for reviewing images and adjusting camera settings. As with all DSLRs, the Leica S2 allows you to zoom in and scroll around to eyeball the details. You can also call up a histogram that reflects either the entire scene, or when you zoom in, just the portion you are eyeballing.
The S2 also features a bright optical viewing system featuring an all-glass, high eye-point pentaprism viewing system, and one of the beefiest diopter (+1/-3dpt) dials you're likely to find wrapped around the viewfinder of a camera. The prism offers a view of about 96% of the total image area. The S2's rear 3" LCD shows 100% of the total image area.
The native ISO on the S2 is rated at 160. When needed, you have the option of 'pulling' the sensitivity down a stop to 80, which doesn't affect image quality, but comes in handy when you want to shoot at wider apertures in bright sunlight or 'power-down' your strobes by an additional f/stop in the studio. The S2 also offers the option of pushing the ISO sensitivity levels upward of 320, 640, and 1280. At ISO 320 the noise levels are still quite acceptable, but start to act up as you go to ISO 640 and more so at ISO 1280. You're always going to get the best results shooting at a camera's native ISO, but even pushed 2-3 stops, the image quality on the S2 remains quite acceptable for all but the most demanding applications.
All medium-format DSLRs, including the Leica S2, tend to be disappointing to those accustomed to the blistering burst-rates and lightning-fast auto-focusing found on pro-level 35mm DSLRs. However, at 1.5 images-per-second the S2 keeps up with the fastest of medium-format capture backs. And while the S2's center-spot AF system works well under most lighting conditions, there were a few occasions where it seemed to forget what it was looking for. The saving grace is that the S2's focusing screen is incredibly bright, and the S-series Leica lenses instantly switch over to manual when you turn the focusing ring. It doesn't hurt that the S-series lenses are satisfying to the touch, and like a 5-speed stick in a 2-seat coup, a pleasure to drive.
On my picture-taking jaunt around midtown, I had use of a 70/2.5 Leica Summarit-S ASPH 'normal' lens and a 180/3.5 Leica APO Elmar-S portrait lens. Two other optics, a 35/2.5 Leica Summarit-S Aspheric and a 120/2.5 Leica APO Macro Summarit-S, are expected to be available around the same time the camera starts shipping in January 2010. These lenses are expected to be released as CS (Center-shutter) versions later this year.
The new Leica S-series lenses live up to their heritage in every way. They're solid to the touch and feature focusing rings that, with few exceptions, turn smoother than any of the lenses most of us are used to these days. Though I've never been a big fan of normal lenses, the 70/2.5 Summarit-S quickly won me over. Even when shooting wide open (f/2.5) and at its closest focusing distance (19.68"/0.5 m), the image quality was breathtaking. What's in focus is crisp and clear, and what isn't in focus seemingly melts away. Out-of-focus highlights are perfectly circular (which is how our eyes see them), and the breadth of detail in the highlights and shadows is equally impressive. Viewed at pixel-resolution, the gradations and fall-off between the various elements of each picture is - for lack of better descriptives - pure Leica.
The S2 can be programmed to capture JPEGs, DNG (RAW), or a combination of the two. JPEGs range in size from a bit over 10MB to a bit under 15MB, depending on your subject matter. DNG files weigh in at over 72MB, and files from both formats open up to a memory-chugging 106MB. At 300dpi you can print detailed 16x24" prints without having to scale up your files.
To illustrate the benefits of large medium-format imaging sensors and 'good glass', the photograph below of 'Elvis at La Casa' was taken with the 70/2.5 Summarit-S, wide open at 1/750th-second. At pixel resolution, the text of the newspaper clipping taped to the inside of the window on the extreme left side is clearly legible, as is the fly (life-size) wedged between the Zagat's Guidebook cover and the window. And this is at the edge of the frame through a dirty window pane... wide open no less.
The S2's flat-out burst-rate of about a frame every 1.5-seconds keeps up with the best medium-format DSLRs, but the camera's 1GB buffer drops the gates at about 8 frames. The camera I used came with a SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s CF card that started sputtering at about 5 frames, and staggered into a sad, lonely 8th frame before rolling over for a nap. A 32GB SanDisk Extreme Pro 90MB/s CF card proved to be our ticket.
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Starting with a freshly charged battery, (Leica claims they're good for about 900 frames-per-charge) I set the camera to record DNG+JPEG and let her rip. The camera snapped 9 exposures, skipped a beat, went on for another 9 or 10 images, skipped a beat, and continued this way for about 75 images. After about the 90th continuous exposure, the camera started skipping beats after about every 7 frames. At about frame 200 it started skipping beats every 3 or 4 frames, but kept on going. So while the Leica S2 is not the best choice for shooting fast-action sequences, if you use the fastest cards currently available you can expect to fill a 32GB CF card with about 350 images (DNG+JPEG) in a single - though somewhat tired towards the end - continuous burst.
 As with Leica's legendary 'M' cameras, operating the S2 is quite simple, though if you don't read the manual first you're likely to find yourself being talked off the window ledge within 20-minutes of picking up the camera. This is because the 5 control buttons are not marked. No wording, no icons, no nothing. But once you discover the sequencing, it's truly a piece of cake to set up the camera as well as change settings on the fly. (Note - For $23,000 not counting a lens, I would hope your salesperson takes the time to explain the details of this exceptional piece of imaging gear over coffee and danish, or at the very least the soda and pretzels we always serve B&H customers on Sundays and holidays.)
The 4 long buttons that border the S2's rear LCD (2 on each side) are pretty straightforward. The tricky one is the thumb-operated control wheel that resides just behind the analog shutter-speed dial. Besides enabling you to intuitively scroll quickly through the menu choices, it also functions as a 'Set' button when you gently press it inward. Once you get this little detail, everything falls into place. But until then, you might want keep away from sharp objects and people you find irritating. It's also possible (and easy) to set up custom functions to fit your shooting style and requirements.
An accessory we didn't have a chance to try out was the optional easy-on, easy-off battery grip that holds an additional battery and offers a vertical release button.
And in case you're curious, the reason this camera is called the S2 is because once upon a time, way back in 1996, Leica produced its first digital camera - a futuristic scanning device called the Leica S1. And though S1s were limited to photographing static subjects, optimally in a studio environment, S1's were snapped up by museums, universities, top-name auction houses, and serious studio shooters, and to this day are remembered for their amazingly sharp, high fidelity imagery.
Leica S2 Sample Picture Gallery
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