FlyPenFly wrote:
Strangely, Leica is expert on miniaturizing things. You would think it would be the Japanese but nobody makes a full frame camera that small and nobody makes a medium format as small as Leica. Heck, the S2 is smaller than a D3x!
I know that the M9 is used by real photojournalists and fine art photographers. I'm curious if the S2 is used by many pros as well.
I doubt they would have developed 5 new S lenses to be released later this year if they didn't think there were enough users to buy them.
edwardkaraa wrote:
I'm with you Gary. All Leica users I know are not millionaires, they have to sacrifice many things in order to afford their gear
same, I know a few, all young and all had to starve a bit
In fact I only know one leica guy who is abviously well off (brain surgeon), but he loves his kit and uses it so much that I suspect he'd find some way to afford it even if we wasnt.
kosmoskatten wrote:
Yes Ed, I'd take a good old optical rangefinder over any EVF any day of the week.
I'd appreciate a live view option too though. I see the GXR M as a pretty good compromise and though I am no fan of EVF's and focus peaking it does work and I've learned to see past the quirkiness. However, I find that EVF's take a lot away from the feeling I am used to with optical viewfinders.
The files of the GXR-M are gorgeous and for my style of shooting, none of the quirks are annoying to me. But every time I put the Zeiss ikon to my eye after the GXR, it's like moving from the darkness to the light
millsart wrote:
I'm sure the S2 is used by quite a number of studio photographers. I mean lets face it, even the most unpopular, worst selling camera out there surely has to have a few people using it right ? (not that the S2 is of course)
I highly doubt you'd come across many photojournalist with one though. I've honestly never come across anyone with a M9 either. I have taken mine to various sporting events just for fun and used some of the photos but I think its pretty rare.
Maybe some PJ drives a Ferrari to their assignments as well, but typically seems to be a lot more Honda Accords with well over 100K miles on them lol
Funny you mention sports. I shot a Vikings game last year where one of the local photographers was using an M9 with 35 Cron as a third camera. I didn't see him use it during the game (busy shooting the game myself), but asked and he said he did... Mine was in the bag in the media area, for walkabout use that weekend. I would use it for games if it had an instant wake from sleep and 4-5 fps as a prefocused near corner end zone, sideline camera.... Hmmm... NEX-5N does 10 fps... could work too, though the buffer is only a few frames IIRC...
edwardkaraa wrote:
The files of the GXR-M are gorgeous and for my style of shooting, none of the quirks are annoying to me. But every time I put the Zeiss ikon to my eye after the GXR, it's like moving from the darkness to the light
That's another annoyance with EVFs, shooting in available darkness. Had that experience with the GXR using the CV15 indoors where the exposure was around ISO 3200 1/8 f/4.5 and basically had to guess framing and focus.
rscheffler wrote:
That's another annoyance with EVFs, shooting in available darkness. Had that experience with the GXR using the CV15 indoors where the exposure was around ISO 3200 1/8 f/4.5 and basically had to guess framing and focus.
I don't understand this, Ron. Does the GXR's EVF not mimic exposure?
rattymouse wrote:
Leica is ridiculously overpriced. Virtually every camera is "made by hand". These devices are not assembled by robots the way automobiles are. They are put together by skilled technicians!
After the massive earthquake in Japan, that destroyed a lot of the camera industry there, Fujifilm released a video of their X100 plant's operations. Here you can see X100's being assembled by hand! And not being assembled by cheap labor either. Japan is one of THE most expensive countries in the world.
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japan's Canon Inc. (JP:7751)(US:CAJ) plans to fully automate its digital-camera production by 2015, becoming the first camera maker to swap out all its workers in favor of robots, the Nikkei business daily reported Monday without citing sources. Canon, the world's No. 1 digital-camera maker by virtue of an approximately 20% global market share, plans to keep employees displaced by the robots by engaging them in production-control jobs or at "new divisions in growth fields," the report said. The plants involved in the first phase of the move are located within Japan, but if the fully automated lines are successful, Canon will duplicate the move at three overseas facilities, the report said.
Btw, I received today my copy of LFI magazine, and apart from a very nice reportage done with the Monochrom, and a very good article explaining the advantages of the monochrome sensor, it is interesting that they are showing MTF of the new 50/2 at both infinity and close distance. The infinity ones are the same you can find on Leica website, but the close distance ones look extremely good, though not as good as at infinity, obviously.
It is also funny that Leica is bashing its own products. They call the LCD on the X2 mediocre by today's standards, among other things. It's probably a modern marketing technique, in which you bash your own products, before others do it
Around $200M revenue ( that's Leica AG's camera and lens sales only) may not mean much for some giants like Canon or Nikon to introduce a FF or APS-C size rangefinder/mirrorless with a few AF lenses to accompany (to amortize investment costs they can never introduce one with M-mount). However half of this turnover could easily be feasible for a joint venture between Zeiss & Cosina. The Fuji X-Pro1 and M9 "controversy" have indicated that the rangefinder/mirrorless users are after to have either a fast or reliable AF body with native AF lenses or one with classical rangefinder and manual focus lenses.
I think the closest company to the latter "dream" is the Zeiss/Cosina; for they have the rangefinder as ready, needing only the body to be modified while having an array of lenses similar to what Leica do. Even with a 24MP sensor of late Sony offering could well be a fine alternative to satisfy almost any expectation like the M9 does. With the reasonable lens costs I tend to believe it may sell more than the X-Pro1 and definitely more than the M9.
vuilang wrote:
hmmm... $7k body with 2.5" ancient tech LCD. and (to me) it look very cheap.
maybe all leica shooters dont need to look at their photo from camera.
You use your LCD to judge your photos? I check exposure for a split second and move on... I could care less if they kept the current screen on the M10, as long as the camera does not get bigger.
As an M camera does not have liveview, a super high quality LCD is pointless. If my M8 had the worlds best LCD it would make no difference to me.
vuilang wrote:
hmmm... $7k body with 2.5" ancient tech LCD. and (to me) it look very cheap.
maybe all leica shooters dont need to look at their photo from camera.
AshNZ wrote:
You use your LCD to judge your photos? I check exposure for a split second and move on... I could care less if they kept the current screen on the M10, as long as the camera does not get bigger.
As an M camera does not have liveview, a super high quality LCD is pointless. If my M8 had the worlds best LCD it would make no difference to me.
Some of us like to see if we actually got the image in focus or not..
edwardkaraa wrote:
It is also funny that Leica is bashing its own products. They call the LCD on the X2 mediocre by today's standards, among other things. It's probably a modern marketing technique, in which you bash your own products, before others do it
How did it arrive in Bangkok before Sweden from Germany
I think that LFI Magazine is supposed to be kind of "independent" from Leica. Anyway I like that the magazine isn't solely writing positive marketing mumbo jumbo about the Leica products, like, for example the Nikon Pro magazine. My guess is that they are free to write anything, but restricts themselves as they don't want to risk their relationship with Leica ...
But the best parts are the photo reports and photo techniques. You can always find better reviews online.
JonasY wrote:
How did it arrive in Bangkok before Sweden from Germany
I think that LFI Magazine is supposed to be kind of "independent" from Leica. Anyway I like that the magazine isn't solely writing positive marketing mumbo jumbo about the Leica products, like, for example the Nikon Pro magazine. My guess is that they are free to write anything, but restricts themselves as they don't want to risk their relationship with Leica ...
But the best parts are the photo reports and photo techniques. You can always find better reviews online.
I guess I was lucky
LFI is such a nice publication. I subscribed solely for the photography reports. The printing is high quality too.
