New Leica S2 and new lenses (september 23, 2008)
On Monday September 22, at around 1930 (CET), Dr Kaufmann, CEO of Leica, introduced a new camera system made by Leica, the Pro format Leica S2. While he spoke, laptops were connected to the internet and the news was all over the world in hours. The basics are already well known: a 30x45mm sized sensor with 37.5 Mp in a body, closely resembling the shape and size of the R8/9. The sensor has the classical 2:3 shape of the Barnack format and is 60% bigger than the classical 35mm format. The body has a focal plane shutter with speeds up to 1/4000 and has a newly developed AF system. The claims for speed and sound are ambitious and we have to wait for true production models to substantiate them. Four lenses have been announced at the start, three of them with apertures of 1:2.5 and one with an aperture of 3.5.
The wide apertures of the lenses and the use of the classical slr shape and viewfinder system are a direct challenge to Hasselblad and Mamiya and with almost 40 Mp the system is also meant to attract users of the digital back studio cameras. Closely following the Leica rule of small size and high performance and intuitive handling, the S2 should bring documentary style photography into the studio and improve on the soemwhat slowa nd cumbersome handling of most studio cameras. The cooperation with Phase One indicates that this company believes that the very conservative clientele of the digital medium format domain can be persuaded to go the Leica way.
The camera body, interesting as this is, does not show truly remarkable features. The lenses on the other hand are very innovative. The high speed of 2.5 is a direct poke in the eye of the classical Hasselblad lens system that starts at 2.8. The medium format lenses are generally weak in the close range performance and the contrast at finer detail definition. The new Leica CS lens line offers excellent image quality at close range and have very high MTF values at 60 lp/mm, sometimes even better than what you get with the current M-lenses. When you combine the lens quality with the sensor size and pixel count, you may expect superior performance. One of the reasons for this performance is the design of the new all metal central leaf shutter, which offers a top speed of at least 1/500, possibly more. The shutter has some very innovative features in speed of opening and closing of the blades. Most important is the diameter: all existing shutters have a relatively wide outer diameter and a smaller inner diameter. The result is a lens with a big mount and a narrow passage for the light through the lens. Leica designed a new shutter with small outer and wide inner diameters.
The 120 and the 180 lenses find their roots in the superb R-lenses apo-macro-elmarit 100 and apo 2.8/180, the 70 and 35 lenses are entirely new.
Some background.
The Africa/Afrika project (Auto Focus Reflex Camera) was initiated by S. Lee immediately after Photokina 2006. Lee believed that a new DSLR was required for Leica to be assured of continued professional interest and claim the attention of the enthusiast Leica users. The CRF system is very important, but it would be too narrow a base to sustain the growth of the company. But the competition by the top products of the Japanese manufacturers is quite heavy and their pace of introduction of new features and improvements is too high for Leica to follow. And the technological end engineering experience within the Leica company for high end dSLR products needs to be expanded in breadth and depth. You cannot make yourself too dependent on outside sources. So Lee preferred to evade for the time being the direct confrontation with the Japanese 24x36mm sensor sized products and tried to profile the Leica camera company in a new market where innovative pace is slower and the professional image is worth more and price not the issue. Here Leica can exploit its best values without being forced to act on the inflation of features and the price erosion of high end consumer/professional dslr products in that hotly contested market.
It is a remarkable and bold move to go up-market where everybody assumes that downsizing is the best option for survival.
Dr. Kaufmann stressed the fact that Leica engineering teams are working under full pressure to finish the R10, but did not mention when or what we can expect this new model. But he stressed also the fact that the know-how of the Africa project would be of utmost value for the new DSLR products. The basic approach is to define and create products that show the Leica DNA and are not a me-too product that in essence is a pale shadow of the main contenders in the market. Nikon, Canon and now Sony are engaged in a fierce battle for the market share with almost identical products. All three have deep pockets and can allow themselves to introduce new products every year.
Leica needs another approach: durable and basic features allow for a longer product life, but require a more thorough thinking and reflection on the essence of photographic qualities.The S2 is a big gamble for Leica, but a most necessary step to evolve and expand into a prominent player in the digital high end market.
Some knows are still unknown and some unknowns wait to become known.
