Forum Replies Created
Michael:
If you purchase the new Leica S, it automatically comes with the three-year Leica S Protection Plan for Camera Body. You would only purchase this protection plan if you had a Leica S2 or S2-P that was within (but nearing the end of) its original warranty. On a Leica S2, it would extend the warranty by 2 additional years (because the camera originally came with a one year warranty) and on the Leica S2-P, it would extend the warranty by 1 year.
For this reason, Leica does not offer an “S-P” as the S already incorporates the extended warranty. Sapphire glass has proven to be very expensive, and with the new S, Leica went with a very resilient Gorilla glass LCD that should stand up to most normal use. I've been using our new S quite heavily and have yet to notice a single mark on the LCD.
This lens is supported by the M, but there is not an in-camera lens profile for it. I believe this is because Leica did not have the lens available to test…although the lens in the above images (which belongs to us) has been loaned to Leica Germany by us so hopefully they will be able to make a profile for it.
The official word from Leica on this upgrade program is now available:
The official word from Leica on this upgrade program is now available:
Leica S CS Lens Upgrade Program Finalized
Questions or concerns? Post them here and I will address anything I can.
Jimmy:
I've moved your post to a new thread within the S forum so that more users will see it.
There are some key differences between the S-120mm and 180mm lenses. The 120mm is an f/2.5 lens and the 180mm is f/3.5. The 120mm is also a macro that focuses down to about 20 inches.
The 180mm is great for landscape, wildlife, and any time you need to get close to the action. It's difficult to use hand held at shutter speeds slower than 1/500th and is not ideal for close-up portraits or low light (unless you are on a tripod).
The 120mm is an amazing portrait lens and does great macro work as well. You can hand hold it at around 1/250th and be OK. It does focus slower than the 180mm due to the larger focal distance range that the lens elements have to travel, so if you are shooting any moving subjects, the 180mm is better suited to the task.
Both lenses are superb, sharp wide open, and can be had for the same price. You need to decide what you plan on using the S system for. In fact I am sure many users here can chime in on their experiences with the two lenses in question. If you can share what you plan on photographing we can help you pick the right lens setup to start with.
John, we have not heard any official statement yet from Leica but I know they are aware of the problem. When we do hear news of a firmware update I will definitely post it on the main page here!
Derek:
It would be important to note that the cost of the Schneider lens is $4,643 (at a major camera shop that shall remain nameless) but you would also want to factor in the cost of the Leica S-Mamiya 645 adapter which is $850, so now are at $5,493, or a $1,457 price difference.
I would say the primary advantage of purchasing a product that's officially within the S system would be to have Leica's comprehensive 1 year, fully transferable S product warranty, and the convenience of purchasing a product that's 100% guaranteed to work on your S camera. You are also able to purchase a one-year warranty extension from Leica on this product, that is again fully transferable.
This is a unique lens that might not be right for everyone, but for anyone needing a superb (and surprisingly lightweight) tilt/shift lens for the S system this is absolutely what I would recommend. We'll have this lens in the shop tomorrow, so I will be posting a few sample images here on Red Dot Forum in the near future.
Nice stuff Scott! I can't wait to see some of the photos from the actual race weekend. I'll agree with Mark that the focus on the last shot is a bit off, but for someone who JUST got a Noctilux and is really new to the M system, you are doing amazing things with it. Keep it up!
Ddanois we are just as excited as you to get our hands on this lens. I believe they will begin shipping in the USA next week, although I won't make a formal announcement until I have 100% confirmation. Keep an eye on the main page of Red Dot Forum for updates.
Here are links to some early versions of my Lightroom 4 Leica S presets, one for each ISO:
Dale_LR4_S_800_V1.lrtemplate
Dale_LR4_S_100_V1.lrtemplate
Dale_LR4_S_400_V1.lrtemplate
Dale_LR4_S_200_V1.lrtemplate
Dale_LR4_S_1600_V1.lrtemplateI am open to all suggestions of course so please download them and try them out. I haven't done any color calibration yet so these presets are designed to optimize sharpening, noise reduction, and tonality.
I will definitely be posting more ISO1600 samples as I use the camera more. To be honest, I had no trouble using the S2 at ISO1250. As long as you are careful not to under-expose the images were very usable, especially with a bit of processing. If I look through my database of S2 images, I would say 95% are at ISO320 or lower. When I work in low light, I switch to the M9 or the M Monochrom, with a Noctilux or a 35 lux.
Very nice Joe! I am glad you were able to make use of the +0.5 EV technique. While the S puts out a great file from the camera, there is a lot of “potential” in the files that can be brought out with a combination of tone adjustment, sharpening, and noise reduction (for higher ISOs) within Lightroom 4. I have found that the S images can take considerably more adjustment than the S2, as such I am working on some new presets. I would be happy to send you (or anyone else interested) some beta samples of my presets if you like!
Albert, as you know I emailed you about this but I want to put it here as well. With some firmware updates, the S2's settings may be reset, usually if there are major changes happening at lower levels of the camera's operating system. This is perfectly normal. I keep an SD card with my settings from the S2 saved on it in my camera bag, so that if the camera is reset (or if someone else uses it, and changes some settings) it is easy for me to pop in the card, and load my preferred settings back onto the S2.
That is exciting news! I am looking forward to seeing some of your first images from the new S once your camera arrives.
That would be very cool, but in the case of the S it would not work. The camera only has a GPS receiver, not a transmitter, so there would be no way to track it.
