Forum Replies Created
Now that they have taken the sync speed to 1/1000th, I'm converting all my lenses to CS.
Never mind the camera and lenses, gimme that lighting! LOL!
-Marc
Thanks guys,
David, yes it is always what's behind the camera no matter who …. however, when a camera does what it is supposed to do, when it is supposed to do it, and the files have such a nice look and feel, it's a real help.
Frankly, I have not seen files from any other camera provide the look and feel that the S2 provides. There is a sort of gentleness to tonal roll-off and a way of rendering light that looks better to my eye than any 35mm DSLR of any meg count, or even the range of MFD cameras I have had the good fortune to own and use. Not everyone can see that or will agree, but I see it … and I am the one that counts … LOL!
Jack, I'm a real avocate of having lighting available, and using it when called for with the S2, or any other camera pressed into service for assignment work … be it weddings, portraits, advertising, etc. In these cases, I don't have the luxury of not taking the shot because the light isn't right like we do when shooting for ourselves.
This is not to say that I don't use the S2 in available light when it is right and true … it is just nice to have more light available : -)
-Marc
Personally I wouldn't hold my breath regarding a Leica shift lens for the S2. There was never one for the R series either … just an R mount Schneider 28mm which was okay, but not a stellar performer.
One could use a V adapter and the Hasselblad PC Mutar shift adapter with a Zeiss 40IF CFE, which I've used on other focal plane cameras … however, it is a 1.4X factor added to a somewhat cropped S2 FOV … i.e., not very wide. I don't even know if infinity could be maintained with this on a S2 anyway.
http://harrysproshop.com/pcmutar/pcmutar.html
IMO, the compositional issues of perspective correction may be easier solved by software solutions, or should be in this day of profiled lens corrections. The S2 files are quite malleable, more so I found than 35mm files with dense pixel pitches. The trick is to take the corrections into account when shooting, and provide yourself with enough edge area … which may argue for using the 30mm as opposed to the 35.
Software PC applications used to be a lot more destructive or seemed so, but I haven't noted that to be true today except with really massive corrections.
For all I know, there could already an excellent, dedicated PC software solution that is better than those in LR … I don't shoot architectural work all that often, and when I do I use a Rollie Xact-2 with a H4D/60 back, or the Hasselblad TS/1.5 with a 28mm on the H camera.
-Marc
I would first get your hands on a different Hasselblad HC or HCD lens. Preferably a new or newer one.
Some HC300mm occasionally can act up even on some H bodies … mine would sometimes just not AF at all, or the H camera would read no lens attached. I would reattach the lens and it would work, then later wouldn't. I found that it was just the combination on my H4D/60 camera in colder conditions, and a friend in Florida bought my lens and never had the same issue on his H3D-II/39.
Check that the gold contact pins on the lens are even when viewed from the side, sometimes a pin gets stuck, or the spring load weakens/fails and it doesn't make secure contact.
How old is the 300mm lens? Does it have silver or black screw heads holding the H mounting flange?
You no longer have a H camera, so you cannot check the firmware version of the lens.
Frankly, these suggestions are all long-shots as most people do not have any issues with the 300mm on a H camera, and you may well just have a defective H to S adapter.
-Marc
I think you may have missed my point. The H system is ubiquitous at rental houses, therefore provides access to both back-up, and special application lens use on the S2. For example, I recently sold my HC300/4.5 due to limited use, and will simply rent it when needed.
The other aspect of dumb adapters verses one like this is more than just AF verses manual focus, it is access to a huge range of focal lengths with central shutters and high sync speeds, or Focal Plane use to 1/4000 with a flip of the FP/CS switch (the switch we paid for and haven't been able to use up until now). So true cost comparisons should be S/CS lenses not just FP versions. If you don't need that feature, that is different. I do, and so do a lot of others that work with lighting … and was one of the attractions of the S2.
If one does true Macro work, then cost is of little consequence … the $5,000 HC 120/4-II Macro focuses to 1:1, and has a central shutter … the Leica 120/2.5CS lens does 1:2 for $8,500. Total cost for the HC120/4-II with the adapter is $1,500 less, and gets you to that 1:1 mag. at full resolution on the S2. Trust me the HC120-II is no slouch for Macro type work … my HC120/4 v1 easily beat my Zeiss 120CFi with tubes on the same camera in the same light. The newer HC120-II version is even better.
Anyway, there are a lot of advantages, and not much downside with this smart move by Leica. There are a LOT more people with H systems out there than S systems.
It is conceivable that rental houses could provide an S2 with H adapter for a number of fashion shooters currently working with H cameras … a different handling and shooting experience, especially on location.
This isn't to suggest the H lenses are a replacement scenario for the S lineup, however, there are some very good H lenses which have no counterpart in the S system and probably won't for the foreseeable future.
As soon as I get the H to S adapter, I'll run some locked down comparisons in a controlled environment … which will be easy, since it is just a matter of swapping lenses.
My HC lens line up is 28, 50, 80, 100, 120, 150, 210 … unfortunately, I sold the 35-90 and 300 to help fund the S2 system … not the best move in retrospect, LOL!
All the best,
-Marc
I think Leica just made it easier to decide on any dual system considerations.
The Hasselblad H and S2 became a no brainer the minute Leica announced the fully functional H to S adapter … be it a Hasselblad H systems camera, or a H1/H2/H2X with a Phase One back.
In effect, any pro or serious enthusiasts now has access to a back-up rental system of dual shutter H lenses available most anywhere in the world.
-Marc
Be quick about it David … we are on the edge of our seats! 😀
Thanks for all your efforts!
-Marc
FYI, the top sync speed with the H lenses adapted to the S2 is not 1/1000, it is 1/750.
David, the key question I'd want insight on is how Leica will continue supporting S2 owners with firmware updates that refine performance?
The speculative chatter regarding a S3 is irritating to those that dropped $25K on the S2 and may not be ready for another $25-30K investment soon … at least not without an upgrade path like those offered by the other professional MFD makers.
The biggest area of improvement i'd like to see is the ISO performance of the S2.
I know from history that this is possible IF the company is dedicated to improving the experience of their current S2 owners.
For example, Hasselblad issued a firmware update for all H3D/31 and 39 owners that increased the ISO performance by a full stop. The 31 meg backs went from ISO 800 to 1,600, and the 1600 was as good or better than the 800 used to be. Net benefit was better IQ across all ISO selections with ISO 400 becoming a sweet spot for that camera … up from 200 … and a highly useable ISO 800.
This move by Hasselblad kept the H3D/31 and 39 more current and viable for those owners who had selected Hasselblad for their work.
Of course, AF can be improved on any camera, and if that is possible … it would be great!
Thanks for reading,
Marc
P.S., it would also be VERY beneficial if Leica would offer the option of an extended warranty for the S2 …like those available for the other MFD choices on the market. We S2 owners showed good faith to Leica even though the camera was new and relatively unproven … a reciprocal sign of confidence in their product would be most welcome .
🙂
-Marc
One wonders how all the wonderful photography was taken before the advent of automation … LOL!
Practice perhaps?
One thing of value when shooting wedding photography, is that it forces a relationship with any given camera. If you use a S2 for it's strengths, then you must practice techniques that mitigate any weaknesses. Same for any camera.
If you use a pre-focus technique to nail a moving subject, then you have to be really good at timing the shot. I used to shoot moving subjects with a manual focus Hasselblad 203FE and digital back using pre-focus, and I HAD to be successful because there are no second chances at a wedding. So, practice makes perfect … practice timing shots until any idiosyncratic aspect of a camera becomes part of the shooting technique.
Here's a tip regarding the S2 that takes note of how the camera works. When you turn on the S2, the lens starts up and sets itself at the focus distance you last used. If it was @ 5′, then the lens sets itself to 5′. Now, for those that have used a manual focus system in past, one effective technique was to set the focus at infinity prior to a shot because for most images (other than close-ups), the lens has less distance to travel to achieve focus. If you have a lens with distance markings like a M optic, look at how they progressively get closer and closer covering greater distances as you approach infinity.
So, one technique that can improve AF speed is to manually set the focus to infinity before you turn on the camera. If a subject is moving toward you, the lens only has one way to travel as the subject successively gets closer. It isn't traveling from a close setting to a farther one and maybe over-shoots it and has to return (hunting) … it is simply faster to move from infinity for a great majority of shots.
Try it. With practice, it's pretty revealing.
-Marc
RE: AF on a subject walking toward you at a normal pace:
Here is a technique you may want to try. I use it at every wedding where the Bride is being escorted down the aisle toward me. Oddly, this slow “processional” is one of the harder shots to get right every time, but it is a critical shot at every wedding. I often would get marginal results even using a Nikon D3 or D3X set to continuous focus … something about the irregular pace when people are walking toward you as opposed to running, like in sports.
I found that if I track the subject myself in single focus, I nailed the shot every time. As they move toward me, I AF but don't shoot. I keep doing that until they are where I want them in the frame, and then shoot with one motion of the shutter button …. no hesitation, one firm steady press of the shutter button all the way.
I think that it works because the lens has been partially focused closer and closer as they move toward me, and when the time comes has very little ways to go to nail the shot. It's sort of a Manual Continuous focus technique … LOL!
Practice it a bit and see if it can work for you.
Marc
There is a third option depending on the subject matter … use some flash.
I just finished a blog article on this subject, specifically referencing the S2.
It seems Leica users are inordinately against flash, and fear that “flashy” look. However, it really isn't that hard to employ the S2 for low light photography without an obvious flash effect, once you get the hang of it.
The technique calls for use of a lower light technique known as “dragging the shutter”.
If shooting at ISO 640, f/2.5, and the shutter is 1/25th … set the camera to manual exposure mode with a shutter speed of 1/40th and use the same aperture of f/2.5 … and a SF58 set to ETTL with a modifier mounted on it to somewhat soften the light.
This way you are almost correctly exposed for the ambient, so the background gets exposed fairly well. The foreground then gets the benefit of the additional light from the flash, and the flash duration “freezes” the subject … effectively eliminating hand shake, and in many cases will also freeze subject motion. (At f/2.5 the background won't be sharp anyway due to DOF, so any slight motion there is irrelevant).
Flash duration is how speed-lights and strobes control the level of light hitting the subject. In general, they ALWAYS fire at full power … it is how long they stay on that determines proper TTL exposure. The less additional light you need, the faster the duration is … so by letting in more ambient with a slower shutter speed, the duration of the flash becomes shorter. For example, a typical speed-light that only requires about 1/2 its full duration is 1/1000 of a second. At 1/8th its full duration, it is 1/3,700 of a second!
Try it, it's less disruptive than you may think … the amount of flash is pretty low compared to shooting at 1/125th and making the flash work harder to light the subject.
Again, depends on the subject matter, but this is a viable way to extend the S2 beyond its ISO limitations, and get very nicely exposed images.
Here are some extreme examples using different cameras, but the concept is the same regardless of camera. I chose shots done using low ISOs and very slow shutter speeds … dragging the shutter to simulate using the S2 at low ISOs to keep the noise low.
Color Lips shot: ISO 500 @ 1/25 shutter; Bride being dipped: ISO 200 @ 1/25th; Hands: ISO 200 @ 1/20th, outdoor couple dancing: ISO 100 @ 1/15th. All used flash combined with “dragging the shutter” to shoot where it would have been impossible to do using just ambient.
Marc
Thanks Josh!
What a great treat for me to look at your sunny pictures, bright colors and very cool cars while huddled indoors here in dull, cold Motown Michigan … where all I do now is fiddle around with studio lighting techniques and … of course … the S2.
Next year I will trek out to our big car shows here with the S2 … notably, the Woodward Dream cruise where a 10 mile stretch of our main drag is lined with exotics, vintage vehicles and hotrods cruising up and down for days on end. Very festive event.
The bi-product of really getting used to the S2 and all it can do is that my poor Sony A900 system now just sits in its bag unused.
-Marc
To be honest, if it is a debate in your mind, then just get the Nikon.
Either you get what the S2 is about, know how it fits your needs, and what it can or cannot do, or you don't. Upwards of $40,000. for a basic S2 kit is a major commitment to be making if you “aren't sure”.
I waited over a year after first testing the S2 … waited for more lenses, waited until bugs were worked out, waited until other early adopters with talent showed the camera's worth … then went all in with no second thoughts or second guessing my decision. (Granted, it was easy for me to wait, I also use a Hasselblad H4D/60).
I did so with full knowledge that 35mm DSLRs would reach the S2's 37 meg count or exceed it. That was meaningless to me then, and it still is. The S2 is in a class of its own … larger sensor, bigger viewfinder, and the lenses take it beyond anything out there.
Heck, there are strong rumors of an impending 45 meg Canon 5DX … what will you do with your obsolete D800 system then?
-Marc
Are you fellows using the rear button to AF with?
-Marc
