Today, Leica has announced the new Leica S-Case, designed to securely carry and transport the Leica S camera system. The case is weather and dust sealed and designed to meet the carry on regulations of most airlines. From Leica:
Leica Camera is pleased to introduce the Leica S-Case which provides an elegant and professional way to store and transport the Leica S-System safely. This case will be available in North America at the end of June.
The case comes with an inlay and is made of high quality materials. There is also a valve in the bag which allows for automatic pressure compensation. The case is also dust and water proof. The case meets most airlines’ regulations on hand luggage.
The Leica S Case provides space for the following products:
• 1 Leica S-Camera Body
• 1 Leica Multifunction Handgrip S
• 1 Leica Summarit-S 35mm/f 2.5 ASPH
• 1 Leica Elmarit-S 30mm/f2.8 ASPH
• 1 Leica Summarit-S 70mm/f2.5 ASPH
• 1 Leica Apo-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm/f2.5
• 1 Leica Apo-Elmar-S 180mm/f3.5
• 1 Quick Charger
• 1 Professional Battery Charger S
• USB-Cable S
• Focusing Screen S
• 2 x Battery S
• 1 X Remote Release Cable S
Technical Data:
Dimensions: approx. 21 5/8 x 14 x 9 inches (545 x 350 x 230 mm)
Weight: approx. 11 ½ lbs. (5.3 kg)
For users who need a secure, dedicated place to store their S system, and who travel with their gear, this new Leica S-Case should be the perfect solution. We will certainly be using this case to transport our S system; keep an eye out on Red Dot Forum for more photos and details.
To pre-order, visit the product page for the Leica S-Case on Dale Photo & Digital's website.
This is “really special”. I am wondering how many people will buy this at the end. Who has all the lenses? Even if, when you are going on an assignment, do you take the 30 & 35? Hmmm… I bought a Peli Case and fitted it to my needs, which makes sense. But this. Kind of strange in my opinion, even tough it is cool. 😉
Hmmm…850 dollars!? More than six times more expensive than the pelican version. It must have aspherical elements!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/330231-REG/Pelican_1510_000_110_1510_Carry_On_Case.html
I really love Leica, and I love the S2, but sometimes the way they price these sorts of things makes me more than a little bit incredulous. Seriously, I look at something like this and it makes me think that someone expects me to be a fool. I am more than happy to pay a premium for something that is truly exceptional, handmade or a brilliant solution to a particular problem, but something like this is just offensive.
I saw the case at this past Photo Plus in NYC. The Leica team from Germany brought over their S gear in one. It is indeed very nice. The insert is perfectly sized to the S gear with grab cutaways and the case itself is higher quality than a similarly-sized Pelican. I believe it is also about 25% lighter as well. Given the rigidity of the foam, I wouldn’t hesitate traveling without all the lens slots filled. There would be no danger of anything shifting.
Price? Well, it is Leica, after all…..
Just purchased the anniversary edition Leica S /006 with 100mm f/2–it came with what looks like a similar case,-but foam cutouts are just for body, 100mm lens, and some cables.Quite useless if you have more than 1 lens and the handgrip. If this is the same case- Can I buy the foam cutouts for the regular case to use in my case ? —Thanks for any help—-Charley
I just think about the value in my hand while traveling with this case ………:cool:
It will be heavy too …….
Also, what shall I do if Leica brings out another lens? Will they make a new case then?
:confused:
Looks nice, but I believe my 2 Thinktank Airport are more versatile
This case was probably made for Leica employees and shipping sets to members of the S league. Then someone said “let’s see if users want to buy a few”. Trust me, this will sell fine to the person who has even four lenses. And I would have expected to have seen it on the New Hampshire Fall trip had it been available. The price? I am surprised it is under $1,000. After all, the cost of one filled is about $60,000 so the case is nothing, right?
Perhaps I should elaborate a little about why this gets under my skin.
First of all, I will state flat out that the pricing of the S series is extremely high, but that does not particularly bother me. The S2 itself and the lenses are completely unique, made in tiny quantities, use the best materials and are the result of thousands of hours of design and labor, the majority of it first world labor. These are not disposable cameras and lenses.
This case on the other hand, is not unique in any way other than the fact that it has a particular logo on it, and it has pre-made cutouts for the S camera and accessories. I bet it is nicely made. I also bet that it is subcontracted to a company in China (for the record, I don’t have a problem with that either). The problem I have is that it is patently obvious that they are asking such a huge premium SOLELY because of a label. Not because of any added value, just image. In other words, they are making you pay a huge sum because they can. I think this is a really dangerous road to go down, because by selling run of the mill crap with a badge slapped on it, you destroy the very reputation you spent decades building up. Instead of building a product that DESERVES its higher price, because it provides a unique and higher function, you are telling your customer that they should pay you not because you are providing them something of the best quality, but because the label will produce envy in others.
Leica has been straddling this canyon for awhile now — whether to run to the side of special editions and the Asian and Russian “bling” collectors market, or towards providing truly excellent cameras and lenses that solve problems for photographers. I think there is a lot of room for coexistence as long as Leica keeps the special editions unique and useful, but things start going off the deep end when they offer humidors with their noctiluxes and 850 dollar plastic boxes.
This appears to be an HPRC case with custom OEM Interior.
Yes it’s HPRC 2550W.
I wouldn’t say that the premium is asked soleley for the label.
Working myself in the product development, I know that even such easy-looking work like building a really fitting inlet is not enormous, but it has to be done anyway. And how many cases will be sold? 20? 50? Even if hundret of those cases can be sold, you can easily make the calculation yourself.
We often think, wow, thake this simple thing, just put it over the counter, but there is so much to do when you want to offer somthing that really works. You have to make testing, correcting etc. ok, creating such a case is not rocket-sience, but as I said, it has to be done.
Don’t forget all the overhead either: Making photos of it, creating the webpage, writing and distributing articles, showing it on exhibitions and so on.
We tend to compare prices with mass-market products. Let’s say Nikon got the idea to make such a case, then they will sell it in thousands. This will reduce the part of developpement and overhead costs in the product dramatically.
You can reason the other way round: How much time and hassle will you need to make such a case yourself? I tried once for my Nikon gear, an I can tell you that the hours run away quickly.
And a last way to look at it: When you compare it with another professional travel solution like the think-tank airport, they also cost real money and are probably less robust (they are more vesatile, though).
Well, I probably will not buy this case anyway, just wanted to give another point of view on the pricing.
I agree with Stuart Richardson. On one hand Leica Camera is producing high quality camera equipment. But on the other hand, their way of pricing is almost out of proportion to what they have built.
For the OEM HPRC 2550W look alike camera case, I do not think it perform better the a Pelican case. At least you cannot stand on it. The case is just too soft, even when closed. If you step on it as a make shift ladder, I am sure you will damage whatever inside.
And it is not wise to put a Leica logo on the caring case since this only attract theft’s attentions.
Stephans comments describes exactly how it is.
Somebody has to do all these tasks. And that means costs. And you can not do it in China for such low quantities.
But provided, most S-Customers do not have time to make it DIY, it is maybe cheaper for them to get a tested perfect working solution just from the shelf instead of investing lots of their valuable time. We see it as a service for them!
Stephan Schulz
Nice, I waiting mine…! 😎
Load of expensive rubbish and tends to confirm the opinion that there will be few, if any, further lenses added to the S system. Is it dead or simply dying..??
This forum is a place for Leica enthusiasts to come together and have spirited discussion. I’ve no problem with warranted criticism but there’s no need to be inflammatory.
With that said, the S system has a great user base and I expect to see more lenses announced this year at Photokina, and even more in the months to come after. Leica’s legendary status comes primarily from their superb lenses and I don’t expect this to change, even as camera technology becomes more complex.
If Leica comes out with more lenses and designs a case to fit everything (let’s say a camera and 8 or so lenses) they might also need to include a Leica-branded forklift to help cart it around!
My intention was not to be inflammatory but factual. It will soon be 3 years since the launch of the S system. At that time, although no timescales were admittedly given, the press releases gave details of a fair number of lenses, including, from memory, a 30mm perspective control, a 24mm extreme wide angle, a 30-90mm zoom and a 350mm telephoto. Some 3 years on and there is no sign of any of these lenses and much internet debate of an S3 camera. The S2 and the current lenses are superb, although there are, as with any camera system, issues such as the accuracy, at times, of the autofocusing.
Setting that aside, having spent some £45k of hard earned cash on the “promise” of a mature sytem, I am, despite the excellence of the current offerings, somewhat disenchanted by the obvious gaps in the lens range and even more disenchanted when an up-market Pelican type case is offered at what appears to be a ludicrous price. Perhaps S owners should debate the above and make Leica aware of their thoughts?
Let me know where on Craigslist you have posted the S2 180mm
I meant to add, reply to [email]cdavidanderson64@gmail.com[/email]
Does anyone know if I can keep the Leica S with the straps on the S case?