Re: Leica Medium Format Camera Project Is No More…
AndereObjektiv wrote:
I am quite saddened to hear this. The S system was very nice, I'm lucky to have one. The other issue that I am curious about is that 20 years ago Leica bought Sinar and I had high hopes they would continue with technical camera and digital back development, but alas that too has fallen by the wayside. Sinar was one of the best medium format platforms, with excellent products and beautiful results. I wonder if their new sensor partner is unable to deliver high dynamic range 33x44 or larger sensors. Sad news all around. Thanks for the update.
I am also sad to hear this, but I think it makes sense for Leica. On a more personal level, I never liked the 3:2 ratio as much as 4:3, so the S system to me was a bit of a swing and a miss for me. Nice lenses, but fully electronic and no aperture rings, so very, very closed, the usual obscene prices, and just no particular reason to get into that system other than if you have red dot fever. Fuji does pretty much everything equally well, with a larger lens range.
I fully agree on Sinar, they were really the prototypical medium format digital camera makers. I still own a Hy6 and the 54LV back (48x36mm). Quirky, but exceedingly good quality within a narrow range. I also do own a 645 and 6x6 film back, so it gets some exercise via that route too.
I never considered Hasselblad, the company has not been the same for me since they stopped making V and F cameras. Spurious directions, attempts at squeezing money out of customers in weird directions, Asian manufacture with European prices, they don't feel like a proper camera manufacturer to me any more, more like a company who hired a financial expert as CEO, although they do seem to have stabilised around the X cameras now. Also obscene prices based more on history than value, IMO. Several false starts in various directions, and abandoned products everywhere.
Re: Leica Medium Format Camera Project Is No More…
AndereObjektiv wrote:
I am quite saddened to hear this. The S system was very nice, I'm lucky to have one. The other issue that I am curious about is that 20 years ago Leica bought Sinar and I had high hopes they would continue with technical camera and digital back development, but alas that too has fallen by the wayside. Sinar was one of the best medium format platforms, with excellent products and beautiful results. I wonder if their new sensor partner is unable to deliver high dynamic range 33x44 or larger sensors. Sad news all around. Thanks for the update.
I am also sad to hear this, but I think it makes sense for Leica. On a more personal level, I never liked the 3:2 ratio as much as 4:3, so the S system to me was a bit of a swing and a miss for me. Nice lenses, but fully electronic and no aperture rings, so very, very closed, the usual obscene prices, and just no particular reason to get into that system other than if you have red dot fever. Fuji does pretty much everything equally well, with a larger lens range.
I fully agree on Sinar, they we really the prototypical medium format digital camera makers. I still own a Hy6 and the 54LV back (48x36mm). Quirky, but exceedingly good quality within a narrow range. I also do own a 645 and 6x6 film back, so it gets some exercise via that route too.
I never considered Hasselblad, the company has not been the same for me since they stopped making V and F cameras. Spurious directions, attempts at squeezing money out of customers in weird directions, Asian manufacture with European prices, they don't feel like a proper camera manufacturer to me any more, more like a company who hired a financial expert as CEO, although they do seem to have stabilised around the X cameras now. Also obscene prices based more on history than value, IMO. Several false starts in various directions, and abandoned products everywhere.
May 13, 2026 at 02:08 AM
Previous versions of carstenw's message #17037237 « Leica Medium Format Camera Project Is No More… »
