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fotografz replied to the topic Future of the S2 in the forum S2 13 years ago
Mark Gowin;1409 wrote: The S2 and associated lenses are very expensive no doubt about it. I fully expect the S2 to be replaced with an S3 (or whatever they call it) and at that time the S2 will be worth considerably less. However, the S2 will still function the same and be capable of the same exceptional IQ. If or when I decide to replace the S2…
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fotografz replied to the topic Advice need from wedding shooter in the forum S2 13 years ago
I AM a wedding photographer and use a M9, S2 and a Sony A900. I try to not “herd” people or “machine gun” them … LOL!
Advising you isn't easy because I don't know where this is, or what timings you will be facing at this wedding. Outdoors/indoors, all indoors, big venue or small, very low light, big group shots or more casual and intimate?…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Future of the S2 in the forum S2 13 years ago
The question all of us must answer is …
Will our talent, skill and ability be up to this or any other high-end camera available now, and will more/better/best make any difference in the future?
There is a threshold where the addiction to highly heralded, but actually incremental, technological advancements begins reaching the point of…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
Interesting article in LFI on the new S30mm.
It appears that this 30mm will be the widest lens available as a CS lens. So, I may have to rethink my lens strategy … keep the 35, but get the CS version of the 30 when available. Then a 70CS and 120CS upgrade.
Here's a tech question for the Leica lads … if you use a SF58 with a CS lens…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Next S-Lenses? in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
Atanabe;1142 wrote: Cam,
The 120 focal length is ideal for table top product work it allows room between the front of the lens for lights and reflectors. In addition, the slightly longer focal length reduces perspective distortion.The T/S market is limited as is and having one lens is big news and a big investment for whoever is…
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica S2 and CS Lenses in the forum Images to Share 13 years ago
Me wantie.
I've told my dealer that the minute they are available I want to upgrade at least two probably three lenses to CS … 35 and 120 for sure, and the 70 if I can afford it. I don't need the 180 in CS form.
Here's a question for those that have touched the real thing … are they bigger fatter longer? How much more do they…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic is the 120 CS lens worth the upgrade to shoot macro in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
As I understand it, the S2's focal plane shutter will also still be in action as opposed to say the Hasselblad H4D which doesn't have a focal plane shutter, and only uses the leaf shutter in the lens.
But that has to be confirmed when the CS lenses become available. It seems to me that when you switch to CS the focal plane shutter could also…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
Actually it's not really off topic Mark.
There are two aspects to the discussion as it relates to aspect ratios and the related FOV discussion: Personal display of prints and commercially viable display.
Prints and album applications are an important part of shooting with a MFD camera because the benefits are not as readily apparent…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
David Farkas;1227 wrote: For me, my normal print ratio is 2:3, so I rarely crop my S2 images.
The zoom is slated to be a 30-90mm f/3.5-5.6 and be the size of the 35mm, so not very big and not too slow. Leica had originally planned for a 30-90mm f/3.5 constant aperture zoom, but decided it would be far too large and heavy. Rather, they…
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
Seems to me that the 24 due next would be the desired lens for landscape, especially considering that by the time you crop the S2 aspect ratio to normal print ratios, you'd probably end up close to 30mm anyway.
However, I admit that I don't do landscape work, but do get stuck in cramped shooting scenarios and also like to do sweeping…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
Excuse the interruption of the love fest … but what happened to the 30 T/S?
I bought into the projected lens line-up, and while the 35 fits my shooting needs, I had also planned on the 30T/S even though close in FOV to the 35mm for all practical purposes, because the T/S would have brought a completely different functionality to the party…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
David Farkas;1171 wrote: Pete,
I have the images from the 30mm just about ready to go up…. but of course today I am a little distracted. Doing a test shoot this afternoon with some CS lenses at the beach. 😎
Oh my aching pocket book.
Hope they are coming soon … of course they will probably be made available just as the…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
Kurt Kamka;1184 wrote: Forgot to change that, Jack. Just moved in this week.
How exciting for you. An exotic new location … nothing like a new place to get the juices flowing. I envy you. Best of shooting to you.
-Marc
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fotografz replied to the topic next lighting option in the forum Lighting Equipment 13 years ago
This is some pretty interesting technology and I hope it continues in development. I've been
following such developments on many fronts, but this design seems to be the most sophisticated in terms of control.While it is true that any continuous lighting resource usually pales in comparison to strobes or speed-lights, there conceivably is a…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years ago
David Farkas;1113 wrote: After using the 30mm a bit I can say that the FOV is noticeably wider, but not a huge amount. Really, it is what you'd expect to be a single-focal length difference.
I will be posting shots next week when I return home.
Marc, yes, the 24mm is planned for release next year. It will be the equivalent of a 19mm…
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica vs. Hasselblaud vs. PhaseOne in the forum S2 13 years, 1 month ago
rudlinfineart;722 wrote: I am moving from 35mm to MF. It was recommended that I ask the members of reddotforum for their advice, comments and most importantly, their experience related to why they chose the S2 vs. the H4D-40, Pentax 645D and the Phase IQ140.
I would be particularly interested in comments from those that may have used these…
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fotografz replied to the topic Leica introduces Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH in the forum S Lenses 13 years, 1 month ago
In a practical sense, there isn't a huge difference compared to the S35mm unless you are precisely utilizing the full 30mm FOV … but it also depends a lot on your subject matter and applications.
Normally my subject matter is overwhelmingly people, and the 35 (28mm in 135 terms) is as wide as I like to use for groups and environmental…[Read more]
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fotografz replied to the topic S2 endangering other cameras you own? in the forum S2 13 years, 1 month ago
Well, I guess I'm not alone in all this.
David, when you do your sit down, please convey what a bang-up job they have done with the S2 for me/us.
Frankly, the more they improve the current S2 with firmware (and that includes more in-between ISO choices if possible), the more desirable and usable the camera becomes to more people. I…[Read more]
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fotografz wrote a new post, The S2 and I … Recent Work 13 years, 1 month ago
Hi all … haven't posted much recently because the S2 and I have been pretty busy … and we still are.
So, just a few images to post that may be of interest to fellow S2 shooters. More to come when time allows.
This wedding image was a real bear to pull off … by the time we got to the location and finished the usual formal stuff with the S2, is was pitch dark out. So I took advantage of the available darkness by having my assistant take the strobe out in front of them and using the SF58 in the hot shoe for a touch of fill. Shot with the 35 wide open at ISO 640, the only issue was the camera absolutely refused to auto focus … the battery powered Quadra strobe has a weak modeling light and was of no help at all trying to manually focus. I solved it by auto focusing on the overhead light and recomposing a bit.)
While I did end up with some noise issues when I opened up the shadows in post, the file was so big and pliable it really wasn't much of an issue at all. This will be printed centered on 17″ X 22″ paper.
I also recently did a studio session with a champion body builder creating images that'll be use for various applications. The session was shared between my tripod mounted H4D/60 shot tethered to the computer using the HCD/35-90 and HC/150N lenses, and the S2P using the 35 and 70 lenses shooting more freely hand-held untethered to a CF card. Frankly, except for the file ratios, it was not easy to distinguish the files … a testimony to the S2, which punches past it's meg count IMO. Very basic lighting techniques were used … most were done with a highly polished silver Mola 33.5″ Beamm without a diffuser … the shot
with the Symmetry type was the S2 using a a 6′ Profoto strip light with a 4″ strip cover. The other “Back” shot was done with the H4D/60 just for comparison (but the color version is a composite of a B&W overlay layer pulled back to 25% opacity, which accounts for the slightly more muted color. The same color & B&W composite technique was used on the S2 color “Bicep” shot, except I set the B&W layer slightly more aggressive than on the the Hassey shot.-Marc
Thanks for the feedback guys. More info for those interested in details:
By “simple Lighting set-up”, I meant the use of minimal lights … the tools used are admittedly pretty sophisticated. If you think camera gear is a black hole sucking money up like a vacuum cleaner, do NOT get involved in lighting. It is very similar to MFD … you can get to a certain level fairly quickly, then every incremental step upwards exponentially cost more and more cash. However, as I advised another S2 users wanting to set up a lighting kit, why pay $40-50K for a S2 system, then go cheap on the lighting? The lighting tools and technique are actually more important than the camera used. High quality ighting is especially important with these cameras, which love crisp clean light to really perform to their maximum potential. The S2 was supposedly originally designed for exactly this type use of lighting … or so they keep saying (fashion, etc.) But we NEED those leaf shutter lenses to really use the S2 to its maximum abilities!
The body builder shoot was my first session of that type, and was surprisingly more difficult to do than I had anticipated. So I agree with David K, it is much harder to do than it looks. For one thing, these guys can't hold those poses for very long, at least not at the peak muscle pop, and it is exhausting to do it for a couple of hours, so time is limited. I had all kinds of different lighting ideas, and was able to do only a few. You really have to work fast, so next time I'll have an assistant to help me.
While I do agree that pulling off that wedding shot in the tunnel isn't something that an Uncle Bob would/could do, the one shown below is even harder to pull off. Optional creative stuff can be experimental, and if it doesn't work “oh well” … but there are certain shots you HAVE to do and there are no second chances, regardless of how cliche' and boring we may feel they are. Clients don't know enough to realize what that certain conditions can pose serious issues … like a huge wedding party formal that has to be shot in the dark. We often don't have control of when or where a shot has to be taken, but it has to be done. I pulled this one off because I looked up the sunset time before hand, and knew it would be in a courtyard which further darkened the scene. Without the Quadra set to 400 w/s I wouldn't have been able to pull it off with the S2. I had about 10 minutes to arrange the people, set the camera and lighting and pull off the 4 or 5 shots to assure everyone's eyes were opened and they where all looking at the camera. Lighting was directional held high on a painter's stick camera left with a Elinchrom Varistar Umbrella type softbox kit , with a SF58 TTL speedlight in the hot shoe aimed more camera right to make up for the light fall-off from the directional strobe … and to provide general overall fill. Hand-held S2 @ ISO 640, dragged the shutter @ 1/30th to open up the background, S35 @ f/2.5
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fotografz replied to the topic Favorite Tripod/Head for S2 in the forum Tripods, Monopods and Other Camera Supports 13 years, 2 months ago
One experiential comment I can add is that I'm not a fan of the Lever type release on the RRS QR clamp … nor are a number of other long time MFD users.
It can be to easily snagged and opened, and once adjusted for a tight grip on the RSS camera plates, is not always tight with other QR ARCA type plates, so it has to be adjusted. The big…[Read more]
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