Unexpected flagship sails in: The Leica S2 DSLRRemarkable new camera from Germany in the pro DSLR class has a custom 37-megapixel, 30x45mm sensor built into a 35mm-sized body! By Jason SchneiderSept. 23, Cologne, Germany: Leica’s introduction of the flagship Leica S2 is not merely an incremental advance. It is aimed at nothing less than setting a new performance standard for professional digital SLRS. With a custom 37-megapixel, 30 x 45 mm sensor that is 60% larger than full frame, it establishes imaging parameters that leapfrog those obtainable by previous 35mm-based pro-caliber DSLRs. And in the Leica tradition it utilizes the classic 3:2 aspect ratio said to correspond more closely to the human field of vision. In designing this exciting new camera Leica’s engineers took a close look at the existing DSLR designs and then synergized them into a radical new camera that is claimed to combine the performance parameters of a medium-format digital camera with the ergonomics, form factor, and handling ease of a 35mm SLR. The result is the new Leica S2, an entirely new professional tool developed in-house by Leica with hands-on input from established professional photographers. The S2 incorporates an advanced new dual shutter system with in-body focal-plane shutter for fast lenses, and in-lens leaf shutters for high flash sync speeds, a high-precision autofocusing system, a new series of high-performance lenses designed around the imaging parameters of the new sensor, and a Maestro image processing system said to provide twice the speed of comparable medium-format backs along with reduced power consumption and in-camera JPEG capability. Remarkably, all of this has been incorporated into a camera that is smaller than a full-size professional 35mm SLR, and still has the looks and feel of a Leica.Just how important is the Leica S2 in Leica’s ongoing transformation into a digital imaging company? Leica’s top executives in Germany have compared the announcement of the Leica S2 to the debut of the first Leica, the legendary model A, way back in 1925. That seminal camera did nothing less than redefine 35mm photography in the 20th century. Clearly this venerable German company has high hopes that the Leica S2 and its successors will do the same for DSLR photography in the 21st. UPDATE: We’ve been holding our breath waiting for the price…and if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Don’t ask. €30,000, which would make it around $45,000. Body only. Gulp. Canon EOS 5D Mark II: An insider’s perspectiveStaying ahead in the full-frame prosumer DSLR raceSeptember 23, Cologne, Germany: The long awaited (and rumored) successor to the incredibly successful Canon EOS 5D (the first prosumer full-frame DSLR on the planet) has finally arrived, and the new 5D Mark II it has all the earmarks of a winner. With a 24x36mm, 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, the ability to capture full HD video clips at 1920×1080 resolution, a lower-noise Digic 4 image processor and ISO settings from 50-25,600, it clearly sets a new standard for the class as it goes up against such formidable recent contenders as the Nikon 700D and Sony Alpha 9000. Other key features include: 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion for smoother color tones and gradation, burst rate of 3.9 frames-per-sec for unlimited full-res JPEGs or up to 14 RAW images per burst when using a UDMA CF card, 15-point AF with 9 selectable AF points plus 6 more Assist AF points and 3 central AF points sensitive to f/2.8 lenses, 3.0-inch Clear View LCD with 920,000-dot resolution, high magnification finder showing 98% of the captured image, and a choice of 16:9 Full HD and 4:3 standard (SD) video capture at 30 fps.Indeed, video capture is just one part of the camera’s extensive Live View functionality that uses Picture Style that has been set for Live View still image shooting. This allows experienced photographers to adjust key image parameter, save the settings, and apply them to movies—up to 4GB per clip. The Mark II’s Live View also features three AF modes, Quick, Live, and Face Detection mode for capturing stills or video. Live mode uses contrast-detection AF via the image sensor, and users can change the AF point using the Multi-controller. Other impressive capabilities include Peripheral Illumination Correction, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Creative Auto Mode (which allows blurring the background and lightening the background, two Small RAW formats for more efficient workflow, Silent Shooting in Live View (great for law enforcement apps) and the EOS Integrated Cleaning System for keeping the sensor pristine. The EOS 5D Mark II is scheduled for delivery by the end of November 2008 at an MSRP or $2,699. It will also be offered as a kit with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM image-stabilized zoom lens at $3.499.While the debut of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II represents a significant technological advance that answers many questions, it also poses some of its own, namely where does it leave Canon’s flagship, the EOS 1Ds Mark III and how well is it suited for studio applications? I posed these questions off the record to a Canon expert, and here are his verbatim replies:“1. The EOS 5D Mark II can be tethered to a computer through either the USB port or our Wireless File Transmitter for Remote Live View. This includes the ability to shoot movies as well as still images.2. Here’s a short list of features where the EOS-1Ds Mark III still has the edge over the 5D Mark II: • More durable camera body with better weather resistance. (5D Mark II has better weather sealing than 5D or 50D, but not as good as the Mark III SLRs.) • 300,000 cycle shutter durability vs. 150,000 • 100% viewfinder at .76x magnification vs. 98% viewfinder at .71x magnification • Longer lasting battery (1700 shots per charge vs. 850) • 45-point AF sensor with 19 high-precision cross-type AF points vs 15-point AF sensor with 1 high-precision cross-type AF point • 15 interchangeable focusing screens vs. 3There are other feature differences in favor of the 1Ds Mark III, but these are some of the biggies. They’re basically two different kinds of cameras that are targeted towards different market segments.” In any event, I fully expect the new 5D Mark II to be a stupendous success in the marketplace, probably surpassing its predecessor in winning the hearts, minds, and wallets of serious enthusiasts and pros everywhere—not bad for a camera retailing for around 3 grand! It looks like the prosumer DSLR sector has really exploded, and that’s great news for advanced shooters of any stripe.–Jason SchneiderBACK TO THE PHOTOKINA FLASH HOMEPAGE© 2008 Adorama |
