S2 Brochure en(1)

LEICA SInaclassofitsown.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 1

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2 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


LEICACAMERAAG 04

LEICAHISTORY 06

LEICAS 08

LEICAS-LENSES 14Thecentralshutter. 28S-Adaptersforthird-partylenses. 32Theautofocus. 34

LEICAS2 38Intuitivehandling. 40Perfectergonomics. 42Innovativemenucontrol. 46Readyforanysituation. 48

LEICAS-SYSTEM 50Sensorwithoffsetmicrolenses. 54TheMaestroimageprocessor. 56Professionalworkflow. 58Custom-designedaccessories. 62ServicefortheS-System. 63Technicaldata. 64

CONTENTS


1913/14 1925 19541930 1932 1965 1966

04 I LEICACAMERAAG

LEICACAMERA AGPassionatephotography.

LeicaCamerasharessomethingwithcountlesspeoplearoundtheworld:aloveof,andapassionfor,photography.Itsthefascinationofcapturingamomentintime;shapingit,transformingitintosomethingtimeless,andexperiencingitagainandagainasauniquephotograph.ThisiswhathasdrivenLeicaforalmost100years:wecreatecamerasusingthebestpossiblematerialsandassemblethemmeticulouslybyhand,sothateveryLeicadeliversunwaveringreliabilityandqualityoveralifetime.AllLeicacamerashaveonethingincommon,regardless

SketchedconstructiondiagrambyOskarBarnack.OskarBarnack(18791936). Kissingintherearviewmirror,byMagnumphotographerElliotErwitt,1955.

Leica IwithafixedlensispresentedattheLeipzigSpringFair.

Leica M3withcombinedbright-lineviewfinder/rangefinderandbayonetlensmount.

ThefirstLeicawithinterchangeablethread-mountlensesappearsonthemarket.

Leica II:thefirstcamerawithacoupledrangefinder.

Leica ex:thefirstLeicasinglelensreflexcameragoesintoproduction.

Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/1.2:thefirstlenswithanasphericalelement.

OskarBarnackconstructstheUr-Leica.


1971 1984 2006 2008 2009 2012

Leica M9 Leica X1Leica S2

LEICACAMERAAG I 05

ofwhethertheyareusedprofessionally,forartphotography,orsimplyapassionfordocumentinglife:theyhelpthephotographertoconcentrateexclusivelyonwhatsessentialtheperfectimage.Eachoneisasmallmasterpiece.Leicacamerasarecompact,ageless,elegant,easytouseandyetuncompromisingintheiroptical,mechanicalandtechnicalquality.Theyaretheperfecttoolsforeveryonewhounderstandsthefascinationofphotographyandwholovesauniquephotograph.

TheLeitzOpticsbuilding,Wetzlar. Lenselementandassembledlenstesting. LeicaXcamera:fittingtheshutterspeeddial.

Leica M5:thefirstrangefindercamerawithselectivemeteringthroughthelens.

Leica M6withelectronicmeteringandLEDviewfinderdisplay.

Leica M8:thefirstdigitalrangefindercamera.

Leica Noctilux-M50 mm f/0.95 ASPH.:theworldsfastesteverasphericallens.

Leica S2: theprofessionaldigitalcamerasetsnewstandardsinmedium-formatphotography.Leica M9:thesmallestdigitalsystemcamerawithafull-framesensor.Leica X1:thefirstcompactcamerawithanAPS-Csensor.

Leica X2:thetrailblazerofitsclassinpicturequality.


INTHEBEGINNINGWAS LEICA Fromanideatoalegend.

Photographycannotstopthecourseoftime.Yetitcancapture,documentandinterpretfleetingmoments.Itcreatesamemoryofamomentforeternity.Thisisoneofthereasonswhywetakephotographs.ThankstoLeica,today,itispossibleforeveryonetorecordtheirmemoriesinpictures.Because,around100yearsago,OskarBarnackchangedphotographywithhisstrokeofgenius.Hedesignedandconstructedacamerawithafilmformatof2436mm:theUr-Leica.Small,robustandsimpletooperate,thiscamerapavedthewaytophotographyasweknowittoday.

In1954,thelaunchoftheLeicaM-System,withitscombinedviewfinderandrangefinderconcept,openedupvastnewhorizonsinphotojournalismandartisticphotography.Andofcoursewithperfectimagequality,too.BecausethatisthestandardagainstwhicheveryinnovationanddevelopmentatLeicaismeasured:theperfectimage.TheseunderlyingprinciplesalsocharacteriseLeicasmotivationtocreatecamerasystemsthatareuniqueintheirsynthesisofintuitivehandling,precisionandultimateopticalperformanceand,notwithoutgoodreason,havealwaysbeenthechosentoolsofthebestphotographers,whohaveemployedthemincapturinganentireuniverseofemotiveimages.

TheLeicaS-SystemmarksafurtherbreakthroughthatcanbejustifiablycomparedwithOskarBarnacksinventionarevolutionthatbegantheageof35mmphotography:theinnovativesensorformatoftheLeicaS2isnolessthananincomparablyambitiousredefinitionofthequalitylevelsthatcanbeachievedwithacamerasystemconceivedformobileuse.TheLeicaS-Systemthehighlightthusfarofahistoryuncompromisinglydedicatedtothetechnicalperfectionofthephotographicimage.

06 I LEICAHISTORY


JoachimBaldaufcapturedthisimageofChristinaKrusewithaLeicaS2.

1849 CarlKellnerfoundstheOptischeInstitutWetzlar(WetzlarOpticalInstitute).

1865 ErnstLeitzjoinsthecompanyasapartnerandgivesithisname.

1913 OskarBarnackconstructstheUr-Leica.

1925 TheLEICAIwithafixedlensispremieredattheLeipzigSpringFair.

1930 ThefirstLeicawithascrewmountandthreeinterchangeablelensesappearsonthemarket.

1932 TheLEICAIIwithabuilt-incoupledrangefinderislaunched.

1954 TheLEICAM3withbayonetmountandcombinedbright-lineviewfinderandrangefinderbringsinawholenewera.

1965 TheLEICAFLEXisthefirstLeicasinglelensreflexcameratogointoproduction.

1966 TheLEICANOCTILUX50mmf/1.2isthefirstserial-productionphotographiclensconstructedwithanasphericalelement.

1968 TheLEICAFLEXSListhefirstcamerawithselectivemeteringthroughthelens.

1971 TheLEICAM5istheworldsfirstrangefindercamerawithselectivemeteringthroughthelens.

1975 ThedevelopmentofnewglassenablestheconstructionoftheextremelyfastLEICANOCTILUX50mmf/1.0lens.

1976 TheLEICAR3isthefirstelectronicLeicawithselectiveandcentre-weightedintegralmetering.

1980 TheLEICAR4isLeicasfirstmultiprogramSLR.

1996 Leicaintroducesthemicroprocessor-controlledLEICAR8singlelensreflexcamera.

1996 IntroductionoftheLEICAS1,adigitalcamerawithanimageresolutionof75megapixels.

1998 TheLEICADIGILUXisthefirstdigitalLeicacompactcamera.

2003 IntroductionoftheLEICADIGITALMODULE-R,adigitalbackfortheLeicaR8andR9.

2006 LeicalaunchestheLEICAM8digitalrangefindercamera.

2008 LeicaintroducestheS-SystemasanindependentdigitalsinglelensreflexcamerasystematPhotokina.

2009 IntroductionoftheLEICAM9witha35mmfull-framesensorandthecompactLEICAX1withanAPS-C-formatCMOSsensor.

2009 MarketlaunchoftheLEICAS2camerawithasensorin4530mmLeicaProFormatandthefirstS-Lenses.

LEICAHISTORY I 07


LEICASInaclassofitsown.



The Leica ProFormat enables the lenses of the S-System to fully exploit their superior optical performance while simultaneously offering ideal levels of creative freedom.

S-System to fully exploit their superior optical performance while simultaneously offering ideal levels of creative

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In combination with the Leica ProFormat, the ultimate precision and compact design of the S2 guarantee both outstanding performance and perfect handling.

Inthedesignandconstructionofacompletelynewandpurelydigitalcamerawithouttheneedtoemployaclassicalrecordingformat,itmakessensetoalsotaketheopportunitytoselectasensorformatthatprovidesanidealbalancebetweenimagingqualityandcreativecapabilities.ThisidealbalanceisfulfilledbythesensoroftheLeicaS2withitsdimensionsof4530mm:theLeicaProFormatsolvesproblemsthatcouldnotbesolvedbyestablishedstandardphotographicformats.TheLeicaProFormatoffersthesameaspectratioas35mmformat,butissignificantlylarger.Atthesametimehowever,itissmallerthantheclassicmediumformat.Thelargertheformat,theshallowerthedepthoffieldforthesameangleofview,meaningthatshallowdepthoffieldcanbeusedallthebetterfortheisolationofdetails.

However,iftheformatistoolarge,theopportunityforthecreativeuseofplanesofsharpnessalsomeansthatitbecomesessentialtostopdownsignificantlytoachieveanevenslightlygreaterdepthoffield.In35mmformat,andparticularlyinthecaseofwide-anglephotography,extremelyfastlensesareneededtoaccentuateplanesofsharpness.Incontrast,medium-formatphotographyrequiresanenormousamountoflighttoachievesufficientdepthoffield.Atthesametime,stoppingdownsharplyhasnegativeeffectsonlensperformance.TheformatoftheLeicaS2liescomfortablyandideallybetweentheseextremes:eveninthewide-angledomain,S-Lensespermitthepreciseemphasisofplanesofsharpness.Atthesametime,theselectionofmoderateaperturesissufficienttoextendthedepthoffocus,allowstheuseofavailablelight,andexploitsthefullperformancepotentialofeverylens.

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Actual size


THEULTIMATEINLENSPERFORMANCE

LIGHTWEIGHTANDFAST

TheLeicaS-Systemwasconceivedexclusivelyfordigitalphotographyfromthegroundup,andoffersprofessionalphotographersauniquecombinationoffunctionaladvantages.Itunitestheimagingqualityofamedium-formatcamerawiththemobility,speedandversatilityofa35mmcamera.TheinnovativeLeicaProFormatwithits4530mmsensordimensionssimultaneouslyenablescompactcameradesignandaresolutionofdetailsatamuchhigherlevelthanwouldeverhavebeenpossiblein35mmformat.Atthesametime,itpreservesthefamiliaraspectratioof3:2,whichenablesacleardistinctionbetweenportraitandlandscapeformats,andisidealforuseinallcontemporarymedia.TheLeicaS-Systemanidealsymbiosisofergonomicsandperformance.

ThedesignandformoftheLeicaS2guaranteesthesuperiorspeedandversatilityneededforworkingonthemoveandinthestudio.Itssophisticatedergonomicconceptreliesonaminimumnumberofcontrolsthatensuresperfecthandlingatalltimes,eveninthemosthecticsituations.Thankstoitscompactformandextraordinarilyfastlenses,theS2letsphotographersachievetypicalmedium-formatquality,evenwhenshootingwithoutatripodandinavailable-lightsituations.Itsfastautofocus,fine-tunedformaximumprecisionbyLeica,isafurtherguaranteeforperfectlysharpandrichlydetailedimages.Thebody,thelensesandallothercomponentsoftheS-Systemaresealedagainstdustandspray,areextremelyrobustandarebuiltwithalongworkinglifeinmind.

TheS-Systemlensesarespecificallydesignedandconstructedforuseonadigitalcamera.Theexceptionallyfastlensesofferphotographerseverythingtheycouldwishforatallaperturesanddistances.Nomatterwhattheshootingdistance,theS2offersthehighestopticalperformanceatmaximumaperture,sophotographerscanrelyonthesuperiorperformanceofS-Lensesineverysituation.ThecentralshutterversionsofalltheS-Lensesenableparticularflexibilityinthecreativeuseoflightineverysituation,whetheronlocationorinastudiosetting.

THEIDEALFORMAT

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 13


Imagequalitydependsuponthequalityofthelensesused.Thisiswhyourdesignengineersalwayspushthelimitsofwhatistechnicallypossibleandneveracceptcompromises.InthecaseofthelensesfortheS-System,legendaryLeicaqualityiscombinedwithcutting-edgetechnology.Ourcommitmenttoqualityisfoundedonasimpleprinciple:photographersmustbeabletorelycompletelyontheirlensesinallshootingsituationsandunderallconditions.ThatisthereasonLeicaS-Lensesdeliverexcellentimagingperformance,notonlyatallfocusingdistances,butalsoatallapertures.

Theuniquecombinationofmanyyearsofexperienceandstate-of-the-artproductionmethodsmakesLeicatheonlymanufacturerwiththeabilitytoproduceevenlarge-diameter,asphericallygroundlensesofthisqualityinserialproduction.

Leicaalsoharnessesitsexpertiseinusingthehighestqualitygradesofglass,whichareextremelycomplextoworkwithandpossessessentialpropertiessuchasanomalouspartialdispersionoraparticularlyhighrefractiveindex.EveryLeicaS-Lensalsohasitsownintegratedprocessorforallcontrolfunctionsoftheautofocus.Atthesametime,thephotographercanoverridetheautofocusatanytimeandsetthedistancemanuallywiththefocusingring.Inaddition,allLeicaS-Systemlensesarealsoavailablewithaninnovativecentralshuttertoguaranteemaximumflexibilitywhenusingflash.

LEICAS-LENSES Fortheultimateinphotographicperfection.

14 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


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AllLeicaS-Lensesareunusuallyfastanoutstandingfeature,particularlywhencomparedwithconventionalmedium-formatlenses.Adecisivefactorinthisisthattheyachieveveryclosetotheiroptimumperformanceevenatmaximumaperturethisenablesthephotographertousethebestpossibleaperturefortheircreativeneedsineverysituation.Stoppingdownbringsonlymarginalimprovement,andthefastinitialapertureoffersunrivalledcreativefreedomforphotographerstoexploreplanesofsharpnessandlesssharpnesstoisolatespecificdetailsoftheirsubjects.Withtheinterplayofpreciselydefinedplanesofsharpnessandharmoniouslyresolvedareasoflesssharpness,visualeffectsthatcanonlybeachievedwiththedegreeofperfectionofferedbyLeicalensesunfold.Atthesametime,theseextremelyfastlensesensureanintenselybrightandclearviewfinderimagethatguaranteesoutstandingimageassessment,evenwhenfocusingmanually.

ThepurelydigitalconceptoftheS-Systemenablesasignificantimprovementinimagingquality.Forinstance,theglassscreenoftheimagesensorforalllensesandthedustandsprayprotectionelementsavailablewithseverallenseshavebeenincludedasfactorsintheiropticaldesign.TheimagesensoroftheS2cannotbeseparatedfromthecamera,isintegratedwithextremeprecision,and,incontrasttofilm,hasamuchnarrowerandmorepreciselydefinedplaneofsharpness.Thisinturnenablestheuseofopticaldesignsthatincreasecontrastrenditionperformancetopreviouslyunimaginedlevels.Suchperformancepotentialcanonlybefullyexploitedwithanequallypreciseautofocusmechanism,andhere,themicroprocessorineveryS-Lensworksinperfectunisonwiththecamerascontrolsystems:thecontactsoftheinterfacebetweenthecameraandlensconstantlyrelayandexchangedata,commands,distancemeasurementsandmuchmore.Thus,duringeveryexposure,thecameraandlensareasingleandinseparableentitythat,thankstopainstakingandreciprocalfine-tuningofbothitscomponents,deliversperfectimagequalityineverysituation.

Excellentdesignisonlyonepartofthesecretoftheselenses,theotherisextremeprecisionintheirconstruction.AllS-Lensesarebuiltwithahighproportionofmanualexpertisebyhighlyqualifiedspecialists.Onlydecadesofexperienceinthedevelopmentoftheinteractionbetweenopticalandmechanicalmanufacturingandassemblytoevernewheightsofperfectionmakeitpossibletoachievetheextremelyprecisetolerancesdemandedbythedesignspecificationsofeachhigh-performanceLeicalens.Ourtechnicalstaffdontsimplyadjustuntilavalueissomewherewithinthedefinedtolerances,theytakethetimetoensuremaximumprecision.Andthisistheonlywaytoensureanambitiousdesignbecomesaperfectproduct.ItisnotjusttheuniquenumberofmanualproductionphasesthataretypicalofLeica,butalsotheconsistentuseofmechanicalandautomatedprocedureswherevertheyofferbenefitswithintheproductionprocess.Forexample,asphericallenstechnologies:noothermanufacturerpossessesLeicasimmenseexperienceintheproductionofasphericallensesatreasuretroveofknowledgeandexpertise,withoutwhichtheextremeperformancecharacteristicsoftheLeicaS-Lenseswouldneverhavebeenpossible.

JustlikeallothercomponentsoftheS-System,thelensesareperfectlyprotectedagainstenvironmentalinfluencessuchasdustandmoisture.Thefocusingringcanevenbeusedintherainanditisimpossibleforwatertoenterthelensbarrel,througheitherthebayonetmountoraroundthefrontlens.TheexposedglasssurfacesofallS-LensesalsofeatureLeicaswateranddirtrepellentAquaDuracoating,which,inasimilarwaytoalotusleaf,preventstheadhesionofdropsofwaterandparticlesofdirt.Thisalsomeansthattheage-oldproblemofcondensationmistingthefrontlensincoldweatherisnowathingofthepastandthat,evenintherain,theS2isalwaysreadytoshoot.

LEICAS-LENSES Fortheultimateinphotographicperfection.

OUTSTANDINGLYFAST

CONSISTENTSYSTEMINTEGRATION

MANUFACTURINGPRECISIONMAKESTHEDIFFERENCE

PERFECTLYPROTECTED

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Made in Germany: Master craftsmanship and advanced technology these are the key factors in the production of Leica high-performance lenses.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 17


LEICA ELMARIT-S30mmf/2.8ASPH.(CS)Theextremewide-angle.

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TheLEICAElmarit-S30mmf/2.8ASPH.(CS)hasanangleofviewequivalenttothatofa24mmlensin35mmformat,thereforealmostbelonginginthedomainofsuper-widelenses.Atthesametime,thelensisoptimisedformaximumcontrastrenditionandhighestresolutionfromitswidestaperture,andguaranteesaconstantlyhighlevelofqualityfromitsclosestfocusingdistancetoinfinity.Theextraordinarydegreeofcorrectionofthisopticaldesignisreflected,forexample,initsalmostcompletefreedomfromdistortion.TheLeicaElmarit-S30mmf/2.8ASPH.isalsoavailableasaCSversionwithacentralshutter.

Ofits13elementsinninegroups,fivearemadeofglasseswithanomalouspartialdispersion.Threeofthesearefluoridelenselementswithparticularlylowdispersionforthecorrectionofchromaticaberrations.Threeelementswithaparticularlyhighrefractiveindexandtwoasphericalelementsminimisemonochromaticaberration.Onlythereargroup,containingsixelements,movesduringfocusing,whichensuresexcellentperformancefrominfinitytoitsclosestfocusingrange.

AWIDEVIEWOFTHEWORLD

PERFORMANCECHARACTERISTICS

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Foralenswithadiagonalangleofviewof84,thecontrastrenditionisalreadyextraordinarilyhighatitsmaximumaperture.Stoppingdownincreasesitsopticalperformancetoonlyaveryslightextentintheextremecornersoftheimage.Themaximumdistortionof2.8%isimpressivelylowforsuchanextremelywide-anglelens.Thecontrastvaluesaredisplayedhereinpercentfor5,10,20and40lp/mmfortheheightoftheLeicaProFormatfortangential(dottedline)andsagittal(continuousline)structures.

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LEICA SUMMARIT-S35mmf/2.5ASPH.(CS)Thefastuniversalwide-angle.

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TheangleofviewoftheLeicaSummarit-S35mmf/2.5ASPH.(CS)correspondstothatofa28mmlensin35mmfilmformatandisanidealfocallengthforlandscapeandarchitecturalphotography,aswellasforstudiowork.Systematicallydesignedwithmaximumcontrastperformanceatmaximumaperturefrominfinitytoitsclosestfocusingdistance,thisunusuallyfastlensispredestinedforuseasauniversallens.Itssophisticateddesignandconstructionalmostcompletelyeliminateopticalerrorssuchasdistortionandchromaticaberration.TheLeicaSummarit-S35mmASPH.f/2.5isalsoavailableasaCSversionwithanintegratedcentralshutter.

Toreducechromaticaberrationstoanabsoluteminimum,fiveofthe11lenselementsaremanufacturedfromglasseswithanomalouspartialdispersion,ofwhichthreealsodisplayparticularlylowdispersioncharacteristics.Twoelaboratelymanufacturedasphericalsurfacesensurethateffectslikedistortionarekepttoanextraordinarilylowlevel.Rear-groupfocusingguaranteesconsistentlyoutstandingimagingpropertiesfrominfinitytoitsclosestfocusingdistance.


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THELENSFOREVERYSITUATION


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Consideringhowfastthislensis,thehighcontrastperformanceatmaximumapertureisevenmoreremarkable.Stoppingdownslightlyletsthelensdevelopitsalreadysuperiorperformanceintotheextremecornersoftheimage.Itsverylowdistortionofonly1.2%enablesitsuseasauniversallensandrequiresnoadditionalcorrectionormanipulationinpostprocessing.Thecontrastvaluesaredisplayedhereinpercentfor5,10,20and40lp/mmfortheheightoftheLeicaProFormatfortangential(dottedline)andsagittal(continuousline)structures.

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LEICA SUMMARIT-S70mmf/2.5ASPH.(CS)Thehigh-performancestandardlens.

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TheLeicaSummarit-S70mmf/2.5ASPH.,alsoavailableinaCSversionwithacentralshutter,issuitableasastandardfocallengthforanenormousrangeofphotographicsituations,and,thankstoitsspeedandsuperiorimagingquality,mastersthematallaperturesandfocusingdistances.Theuseofasphericalsurfacestoalmostcompletelyeliminatemonochromaticaberrationisunusualforthisfocallength,andunderlinestheexceptionalcharacterofthislens.

TheeightlenselementsoftheLeicaSummarit-S/70mmf/2.5ASPH.(CS)arearrangedinsixgroups.Twocementedelementsmadefromglasseswithhighanomalouspartialdispersionminimisechromaticaberration,whileglasswithextremelyhighrefractiveindicesandanasphericalelementcounteractsmonochromaticaberrations.Thebuilt-infrontfilterisanintegralpartoftheopticaldesignandprovidesoptimumprotectionagainstdustandspray.Inthisdesign,focusingincombinationwithafloatingelementensuresexcellentperformanceintheclosefocusingrange.


CONSTRUCTIONDETAILS

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Thislensfindsunlimitedusesinpracticethankstoitsconsistentlyhighlevelsofperformance.Itachievesclosetoitsmaximumcontrastrenditionatitslargestaperture.Stoppingdownevenslightlybringsperfectcorner-to-cornersharpness.Itsmaximumdistortionvalueof1.2%issignificantlybelowaperceptiblelevel.Thecontrastvaluesaredisplayedhereinpercentfor5,10,20and40lp/mmfortheheightoftheLeicaProFormatfortangential(dottedline)andsagittal(continuousline)structures.

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LEICA APO-MACRO-SUMMARIT-S120mmf/2.5(CS)Theperfectportraitlens.

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TheLeicaAPO-Macro-Summarit-S120mmf/2.5(CS)hasatruedualfunction.Firstly,itisamacrolensforclose-upphotographyuptoareproductionratioof1:2and,secondly,itisafasttelephotolenswithanunusuallywidemaximumapertureoff/2.5.Atthesametime,itofferssuchastoundingimagingqualitiesatmaximumaperturethroughoutitsentirefocusingrangethatstoppingdownreallyonlyincreasesthedepthoffield,butcannotfurtherincreaseitssuperiorcontrastrendition.Thisbringscountlessfascinatingoptionsforexploringthecreativeopportunitiesofferedbyselectivesharpness.ThealternativeCSversionwithacentralshutterfurtherincreasesitsenormousrangeofpotentialuses.

Thelensdesigncomprisesnineelementsinsevengroups,anditsfront-groupfocusingwithafloatingelementguaranteesoutstandingcontrastperformanceateventheshortestfocusingdistancesofthemacrodomain.Threeelementsaremadeofglasseswithanomalouspartialdispersionandtwoofthesehaveextremelylowdispersion,whichminimisesmonochromaticaberrations.ThesophisticatedAPOcorrectionenablesperfectresolutionofevenhigh-contrast,fine-detailstructures.

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MUCHMORETHANJUSTAPORTRAITLENS


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Theunusuallyfastinitialapertureforthisfocallength,andforalensdesignedformacrophotography,alreadydeliversalmostperfectcontrastperformancewideopen,whichcanbeimprovedonlyslightlyattheextremeedgesoftheframebystoppingdownalittle.Thisappliesequallytoboththemacroandtelephotodomains.Theminimalbarreldistortionremainsinsignificantinpractice.Thecontrastvaluesaredisplayedhereinpercentagesfor5,10,20and40lp/mmfortheheightoftheLeicaProFormatfortangential(dottedline)andsagittal(continuousline)structures.

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LEICA APO-ELMAR-S180mmf/3.5(CS)Theultimateinlonglensphotography.

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TheLeicaAPO-Elmar-S180mmf/3.5,alsoavailableasaCSversionwithacentralshutter,setsnewstandardsofqualityforhandheldtelephotophotography.Itsafact:asthecontrastperformancecannotbeimprovedanyfurtherbystoppingdown,wideopenisaworkingaperture,andopticalerrorsarepracticallyunknowntothisultra-highperformancelens.Thankstoitshighspeed,thislensisoutstandingforthecreativeuseofselectivefocusinportraits.Atthesametime,itsclosestfocusingdistanceofonly1.5metresmakesitidealforfascinatingclose-upstudies.Instudiowork,thegreatercamera-to-subjectdistancehelpsbycreatingmorespaceforsettingupthelighting,forexample.

ThedesignoftheapochromaticallycorrectedLeicaAPO-Elmar-S180mmf/3.5(CS)consistsofnineelementsinsevengroups.Ofthesixlensesmadefromglasseswithanomalouspartialdispersion,twohaveparticularlylowdispersionandareinstrumentalintheeliminationofchromaticaberrations.Threelenselementsmadefromglasswithahighrefractiveindexalmostcompletelyeliminatemonochromaticaberrations.

CUTTINGTHEDISTANCE


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Thepowertoresolveextremecontrastsandtheconsistentedge-to-edgeperformanceofthislensareextraordinaryineveryrespect.Inactualuse,theimprovementofitsopticalperformancewhenstoppeddown,hardlyperceptibleintheMTFcurves,hasnoeffectwhatsoeverontheextraordinaryimagingqualitiesofthislens.Thecontrastvaluesaredisplayedhereinpercentagesfor5,10,20and40lp/mmfortheheightoftheLeicaProFormatfortangential(dottedline)andsagittal(continuousline)structures.

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LEICAS-LENSESThecentralshutter.

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Precision technology made in Germany: every Leica S-Lens is also available with a central shutter.


THECHOICEISYOURS

Conceived,designedandconstructedexclusivelybyLeica,thecentralshutteravailableforallLeicaS-Lensesisamasterpieceofprecisionandreliability.Biggerinsidethanout:theLeicacentralshutterhasaverylargeinnerdiametertocaterfortheextraordinarilyfastinitialaperturesoftheLeicaS-Lenses.Atthesametime,itissocompactinsizethatitcanbeeasilyintegratedintoeveryS-Lens.Itisconstructedwithanextremelylongservicelifeofatleast100,000shuttercyclesand,withitsfastestshutterspeedof1/1000thofasecond,offersphotographerssignificantlygreaterexposureleewaywhenworkingwithprofessionalflashsystemsforthesuppressionofambientlightorasfilllightinginbrightsettingswhenusinglargerapertures.Thisoffersevenmorescopeforexploringyourcreativelimits.

PhotographersusingaLeicaS2canchoosebetweenthefastmetalfocalplaneshutterinthecamerabodyandatopspeedof1/4000thofasecondandthespecialbenefitsofthecentralshutterintegratedinCSlenses.AlltheyhavetodoissimplyselecteitherFocalPlaneShutter(FPS)orCentralShutter(CS)withthemainswitchonthecamerabody.Whenusingflash,theshortestsyncspeedwiththefocalplaneshutteris1/125thofasecond.Incontrast,thecentralshutteroffersflashsyncuptoitsfastestspeedof1/1000thofasecondandthusexpandstheworkingrangebyawholethreestops.

ThefocalplaneshutterdesignedespeciallyfortheLeicaS2isextremelyfastandoffersatopspeedof1/4000thofasecond.Thisoffersphotographersawiderangeofoptionsnotonlyforfreezingfast-movingsubjects,butalsotheopportunitytouselargeraperturesinbrightlylitsituations.Whenusingflashwithlenseswithoutacentralshutter,thefocalplaneshutteroffersflashsyncspeedofupto1/125thofasecond.

CREATIVECONTROL

FASTFOCALPLANESHUTTER

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 29


CUTTING-EDGEMATERIALS

TheLeicacentralshutterisamasterpieceofmechatronicsandaproductthatthatowesmuchtothedecadesofprecisionengineering,microtechnology,electronicsandmaterialsexpertiseofourdesignengineers.Eventhoughitemploystheclassicsolutionofmechanicalspringsfortheefficientstorageofpotentialenergy,thecentralshutterisapieceofcutting-edgetechnology.Thetensioned-springprincipleemployedcontributessignificantlytotheextremelycompactdimensionsthatallowtheintegrationofthecentralshutterinallS-Lenses.

Thespringsaretensionedbyaspeciallydevelopedelectricmotorwithahigh-precisionoverrunningclutchandreleasetheirstoredenergytoactivatetheshutterbladeswhentheshutterreleaseisdepressed.Aspeciallyconstructedsolutionensuresthatthebladesarepreventedfromreboundingwhentheshutterisopenedorclosed.Amicroprocessor-controlledpawlandratchetmechanismcontrolstheshuttercycleviatwoelectromagneticallyactivatedplungers.

Lubricantsandoilsareasoutofplaceinanopticalsystemasdustandabrasionparticles.Inviewofthis,theLeicacentralshutterisconstructedexclusivelyfromstate-of-the-arthigh-techmaterialsandwithmanufacturingmethodsthatensurethepracticallyfrictionlessinteractionofallmovingpartswithouttheneedforlubricants.Forinstance,theshutterbladesaremadefromprecision-engineeredcarbonfibre.Severaloftheshutterscontrolelementsaremanufacturedfromhigh-performanceceramics,whileothercomponentsaremadefromspecialsyntheticmaterials.Thesurfacesanddrilledholesofallcomponentsareelaboratelymachinedwithextremeprecisionandpolishedinawaythatensuresthatthereispracticallynofrictionand,inturn,nowear.

Thisconsistentuseofthelatesthigh-techmaterials,manufacturingandfinishingmethodsthatpushthelimitsofthetechnicallypossible,isuniqueintheproductionofamass-producedelementliketheLeicacentralshutter.

SUPERIORCONSTRUCTION

The Leica central shutter is so compact that it was easily integrated into all S-Lenses.

30 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


MADEINGERMANY

AprofessionalcameraliketheLeicaS2mustbeabsolutelydependableineverysituation.Duetothesometimesenormousstressesontheircomponents,centralshuttersareamongthemostsensitivecomponentsofacamerasystem.AllthemorereasonforourdesignengineerstoconcentrateontheenduringreliabilityandrobustnessofthecentralshutterforourS-Lenses.Itstandsuptoatleast100,000cycleswithoutanyissuesandisthereforejustasreliableaseveryothercomponentoftheLeicaS-System.

Aboveall,thedesignandconstructionofthecentralshuttermakesthispossible:whereverthereiscontactbetweenmovingparts,carefullyselectedcombinationsofmaterials,precisefittingandsurfacefinishingthatpushesthelimitsofthetechnicallypossibleensurepracticallyfrictionlessoperation.Andwheretheresnofriction,theresnowearsoconsistentperformanceisguaranteed.ALeicacentralshutterguaranteesshutter-speedprecision,dayin,dayoutforitsfirstexposureandaftermanyyearsofdemandingprofessionaluse.

TheLeicacentralshutterisacompletelynewdesignthatowesmuchinitstechnicalachievementtothemostmodernofadvancedmaterialsandmanufacturingmethods,whichhaveonlybecomeavailableintherecentpast.OnlyinthiswayisitpossibletocombinetheingeniouslysimpleandexceedinglycompactoperatingprincipleoftheLeicacentralshutterwithoutstandingreliabilityandutmostprecision.

Nevertheless,thetruesecretofthecentralshuttermaywellbefoundinitsconstructionandassembly,becauseherethefinishingofsurfacesandfittingofcomponentsrequirethehighestlevelsofprecision,whichdemandsomuchfromourhighlyqualifiedteamsofexperts.Eachshutterisassembledinaclean-roomenvironmentafterthoroughcleaningofeverysinglecomponent.EachassembledshuttermustthenpassthroughaseriesofstringenttestingandcalibrationprocessesbeforeitcanbeinstalledinaCSlens.Onlythesemeticulousprocedurescanprovidetheabsoluteguaranteethattheshutterwillaccuratelymaintainitsspeedswithoutanyvariationsformany,manyyearstocome.

EXTREMERELIABILITY

The central shutter is completely vibration-free and incredibly fast. Its high-performance construction enables shutter speeds of up to 1/1000th of a second and full flash system synchronisation at all shutter speeds. The use of cutting-edge materials in combination with meticulous construction and assembly procedures guarantees extreme reliability and a long service life.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 31


LEICAS-LENSESS-Adaptersforthird-partylenses.

The S-Adapter H supports all the original functions of Hasselblad HC and HCD lenses.

TheLeicaS-AdaptersallowHasselbladHandVlensesandlensesfromtheMamiya645andPentax67systemstobemountedontheLeicaS2.ThisoffersusersofthesesystemsthechancetodiscovertheextraordinaryimagequalityandcompactsizeoftheLeicaS2whilemaintainingtheirearlierinvestmentinlenses.Atthesametime,italsomeansthattheLeicaS2canbeusedwiththelargestselectionoflensesinthemedium-formatsegment.

32 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


Lenses compatible with S-Adapters

Hasselblad H HCD 28 mm f/4 HC 35 mm f/3.5 HC 50 mm f/3.5 II HC 80 mm f/2.8 HC 100 mm f/2.2 HC Macro 120 mm f/4 II HC 150 mm f/3.2 HC 210 mm f/4 HC 300 mm f/4.5 HC 50110 mm f/3.54.5 HCD 3590 mm f/45.6

Hasselblad VZeiss Distagon CFi 30 mm f/3.5 Zeiss Distagon CFE 40 mm f/4 Zeiss Distagon CFi 50 mm f/4 Zeiss Distagon CFi 60 mm f/3.5 Zeiss Planar CFi 80 mm f/2.8 Zeiss Planar CFi 100 mm f/3.5Zeiss Makro-Planar CFE 120 mm f/4 Zeiss Sonnar CFi 150 mm f/4 Zeiss Sonnar CFE 180 mm f/4 Zeiss Sonnar Cfi 250 mm f/5.6

Pentax 67SMC 67 35 mm f/4.5 Fish-Eye SMC 67 45 mm f/4 SMC 67 55 mm f/4SMC 67 75 mm f/2.8 AL SMC 67 90 mm f/2.8 LS SMC 67 90 mm f/2.8 SMC 67 105 mm f/2.4 SMC 67 165 mm f/4 LS SMC 67 200 mm f/4 SMC 67 300 mm f/4 SMC 67 400 mm f/4 SMC 67 500 mm f/5.6 SMC 67 600 mm f/4 SMC 67 800 mm f/4 SMC 67 800 mm f/6.7 EDIF SMC 67 1000 mm f/8 SMC 67 Macro 135 mm f/4 SMC 67 Shift 75 mm f/4.5 SMC 67 100 mm f/4 Macro SMC 67 120 mm f/3.5 Soft SMC 67 165 mm f/2.8 SMC 67 300 mm f/4 ED IF SMC 67 400 mm f/4 ED IF SMC 67 55100 mm f/4.5 SMC 67 90180 mm f/5.6

Mamiya 64524 mm f/4 35 mm f/3.5 45 mm f/2.8 50 mm f/4 Shift 55 mm f/2.8 55 mm f/2.8 LS 80 mm f/1.9 80 mm f/2.8 80 mm f/4 Macro 120 mm f/4 APO 150 mm f/2.8 150 mm f/3.5 150 mm f/3.8 LS 200 mm f/2.8 APO 210 mm f/4 300 mm f/5.6 300 mm f/2.8 APO 500 mm f/5.6 500 mm f/4.5 APO 55110 mm f/4.5 105210 mm f/4.5 TS 120 mm f/5.6

TheS-AdapterHallowsallHasselbladHSystemlensestobemountedontheLeicaS2.Thankstoanintegratedmicroprocessor,theadapterallowsphotographerstousealltheoriginalfunctionsofbothLeicaS2andtheHasselbladlenses.Theautofocusandmanualoverridefunctionsofthelensesarepreservedwithabsoluteprecision.Theintegratedcentralshuttersofthelensescanbeuseduptothemaximumshutterspeedof1/750thofasecondasanalternativetothefocalplaneshutteroftheLeicaS2.Fullelectronicaperturecontrolallowstheuseofaperturepriority,shutterspeedpriorityandprogramAEmodes.

ThankstotheelectroniccommunicationbetweentheS2andtheHasselbladlenses,thecameraalsoregisterstheselectedaperture,shutterspeedandotherparametersintheEXIFdataofeachimagefile.LeicahasalsocomputedlensprofilesforthedigitalcorrectionofopticalerrorsinAdobePhotoshopLightroomandCameraRaw.TheS-AdapterHisfullycompatiblewithallHasselbladHCandHCDlenses.Itis,however,notcompatiblewiththeextensiontubesforclose-upphotography,theteleconverters,orthetilt/shiftconverter.

PurelymechanicallensadaptersarealsoavailablefortheHasselbladV,Mamiya645andPentax67systems.Asnoelectroniccommunicationforaperturecontrolorpotentiallyavailablecentralshuttersisprovided,theselensesmayonlybeusedinconjunctionwiththefocalplaneshutteroftheLeicaS2.Insuchcases,theapertureissetonthelensandtheLeicaS2providesthecorrespondingshutterspeedinapertureprioritymode.AllLeicaS-Adaptersaremanufacturedfromhigh-qualitymaterialssuchasanodisedaluminiumorchrome-platedbrass.

THELEICAS-ADAPTERH

THELEICAS-ADAPTERV,M645ANDP67

COMPATIBILITY

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 33


34 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

A LENSPROCESSOR

B AUTOFOCUSMOTOR

C PARTIALLYTRANSPARENTMIRROR

D AUTOFOCUSSENSOR

E AUXILIARYMIRROR

F VIEWFINDERDISPLAY

LEICAS-LENSESTheautofocus.

OnlyprecisefocusingrevealsthefullperformancepotentialoftheS-Lenses.Leicahasdevelopedanextremelyhigh-performanceautofocussystemfortheS-Systemthat,althoughfundamentallysimilartootherAFsystems,includesanumberofadvancedfeatures.Forexample,additionalsensorsensurethatwarmingandcolourtemperaturehavenoinfluenceonitsmeasuringaccuracy,andthatphotographerscanalwaysrelycompletelyonitsfocusingprecision.


TheAFsystemfromLeicaguaranteesoptimumproductivitybyensuringmoresuccessfulshotswithoutmakingtheimmensetechnicaleffortinvolvednoticeabletothephotographer.AlltheyhavetodoisselecttheAFmodeortakeadvantageoffocuscontrolinmanualfocusingmodewhichevertheychoose,exposureswillbebrilliantandpin-sharpineverydetailandineverysituation.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 35

E FCA B D


36 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

Flexible changeover from autofocus with focus or release + focus priority and manual focusing (full-size view).

LEICAS-LENSESTheautofocus.

ThesizeoftheLeicaProFormatandthefastS-Lenseswiththeircorrespondingshallowdepthoffielddemandsignificantlygreaterautofocusingprecision.EveryS-Lensemploysaninnovative,magnetoresistivesensortopreciselymeasurethemomentarydistancesettingandcontainsanexacttableforthelinearisationofthemeasuredvalueoftheAFsensorinthecamera.Thecolouroflightcanalsoinfluencethemeasuredvalues,andthisiswhytheS2alsofeaturesanadditionalexternalsensorthatrecognisestheambientcolourtemperatureandprovidessignificantadditionaldataforthedeterminationofthecorrectwhitebalancefortheimage.Thepreciseandrobustdesignandconstructionoftheautofocusmotorisalsoinstrumentalinensuringconsistentlyperfectfocusing.

WithaLeicaS2,photographersalwayshavecompletecontroloverthefocusingprocess.Theycanchoosebetweenrelease+focusorfocuspriorityAFmodes,orcanswitchtomanualfocusingtosettheirdesiredplaneoffocus.Aspeciallyconstructedmechanisminthelensensuresareassuringlycomfortableresistancewhenfocusingmanuallyandafocusthrowthatissufficientlylongtoworkprecisely.Theautofocusalsoassistsphotographersworkinginmanualmode.Thefocusconfirmationindicatorintheviewfinderisanidealaidtodeterminingthecorrectfocusingdistance.IftheeasilyaccessibleAF/AEmemorybuttonissettotheAF-Lposition,theautofocuscanbetemporarilyactivatedevenwhenthecameraissettomanualmode.

GREATERPRECISION

FLEXIBLEFOCUSINGCONTROL


In the S-System, focusing is controlled by the built-in brain of each lens.

TheinnovativeLeicaautofocusconceptwithitscentralcrosssensorcombinesspeedwithprecision.Forinstance,thecameraautomaticallyvariesthesizeoftheAFmeteringfieldwithinasplitsecondtomeettheneedsofthephotographicsituation.OnefactorinthechoiceofthesizeoftheAFmeteringfieldisthecamera-to-subjectdistancedeterminedbythemagnetoresistivesensorinstalledinthelens.Forsubjectsatgreaterdistances,themeasuringprocessbeginswithasomewhatwiderAFmeteringfieldtoensurethefastest-possibledeterminationofthedistance,beforenarrowingitdownautomaticallytopreciselylocatethedetailsimportanttothecomposition.Atshortershootingdistances,thesystemautomaticallyselectsanarrowerAFmeteringfieldfromthestart.Thismeteringstrategyenablesasimultaneouslyfastandaccuratedefinitionoftheplaneoffocus.

EveryLeicaS-Lenshasitsownbrainintheformofamicroprocessorwithitsownfirmwarethatautonomouslycontrolsthefocusingprocess.Thisimmensetechnicaleffortensuresthatthefocusingcontrolcanbeideallyharmonisedwitheachindividuallensanditsmechanicalsystem.Thefocusingdriversystemitselfcomprisesahigh-precisionmotorandisdesignedandconstructedtoensurelownoiseandalongservicelife.ThissophisticateddriveconceptguaranteesutmostprecisionandsufficientlyhightorquetofocuseventhelargerLeicaS-Lenseswithoutstandingspeedandprecision.

HIGHSPEED

INTELLIGENTLENSES

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 37


LEICAS2 Versatile,practical,idealhandling.

TheLeicaS-Systemwasconceivedfromthegroundupasapurelydigitalcamerasystemandwasbuiltwiththepreciseneedsofprofessionalphotographersinmind.Thismeantthatitwaspossibletocreateacamerasystemwithafreelyselectableformattoenableanidealsymbiosisofexcellentimagingqualityandidealhandling.PerfectimagequalityhasalwaysbeenagoodreasonforchoosingaLeica.Atthesametime,fast,uncomplicatedandsimplehandlingisanequallyimportantfactorintheeverydayworkofprofessionalphotographers.Photographersmustbeabletohaveanintuitivefeelforthecameraanditssettingsatalltimes,andparticularlyinhecticsituations.Thesystemmustbelightandcompactenoughtobeusedhandheldforlongperiodswithoutstressorstrain.And,lastbutnotleast,itmustbedesignedandconstructedforalongandreliableservicelife,undereventhetoughestconditions.

TheLeicaS2fulfilsalltheserequirements:despiteitslargesensorformat,ithasanextremelycompactbodywithdimensionsthatarereminiscentofa35mmSLRratherthanamedium-formatcamera.Itfeaturesauniqueoperatingconceptthatreliesononlyaminimumofbuttonsandswitchestoenablefastandconvenientaccesstoallsettingsandfunctions.Thankstotheextremelyrobustconstructionofallitscomponents,thesystemretainsitsresidualvalueovermanyyearsofconstantuse.Afurtherreasonforthisistheconsistentprotectionofthecameraandallitslensesagainstdustandwaterspray,meaningpracticalelementsareasimportantasimagequalitywhenchoosingsuchanessentialworkingtool.

38 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


40 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

WhenyouholdaLeicaS2inyourhands,youfindthecontrolsexactlywhereyouexpectthemtobe.Theirlayoutanddesign,similartothatofaclassic35mmSLR,isbasedonthemaximsofensuringintuitivehandlingineveryrespect,forinstancebythecombinationoffamiliarelementsliketheshutterspeeddialwithstate-of-the-artcontrolcomponents.EverythingabouttheLeicaS2isdedicatedtoprovidingphotographerswithalltheyneedforaspontaneouswayofworking.

LEICAS2Intuitivehandling.

Actual size

1


1 CONCENTRATION AND MINIMALIsATION

2 BRIGHT AND CLEAR DIsPLAY

3 BuILT TO fIT THE HAND

4 CONNECTIVITY

5 PERfECT ENERGY EffICIENCY

6 sD AND COMPACTfLAsH

Youcanfindoutmoreonlineatwww.s.leica-camera.comandwww.s-league.net.

Actualsize

2

3

6

LEICA s-sYsTEM I 41


42 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

6

1

LEICAS2Perfectergonomics.

2 5Actual size

Inthedesignofthecameracontrolelements,Leicaintentionallyconcentratedontheprincipleoflessismore.Inadditiontotheclickwheelandthemainswitch,alsousedforselectingthefocalplaneorcentralshutter,thecontrolsonthebackoftheS2arelimitedtoasinglememorybuttonforAFandAElockandthemenunavigationbuttonsgroupedaroundthemonitor.


Althoughadigitalsystemcameraoffersnumerousfunctionsandsettings,everydayprofessionalphotographydemandsonethinginparticulartheabilitytoconcentrateonthepictureyouwanttoachieve.Withthisinmind,LeicadevelopedanintuitiveoperatingconceptfortheS2thatreliesonanabsoluteminimumofcontrolelements.Insteadofthetypicalonebutton,onefunctionconcept,whichdemandsalongfamiliarisationperiod,theLeicaS2offerseasilyaccessiblemenusonitsgenerouslydimensionedmonitor.Thesearesubdividedintofourcategories:Camera,Image,ReviewandSetup,eachofwhichisactivatedbyoneofthefourbuttonsgroupedaroundthemonitor.ThecentralcontrolelementoftheS2istheclickwheel,ideallyplacedforoperationbythephotographersrightthumb.Theclickwheelcontrolstheaperturesettingandhelpsthephotographertonavigatethroughthemenus.

Theothercontrolelementsareashutterspeeddialandthemainswitch,whichissimultaneouslytheswitchforselectingfocalplaneorcentralshutteroperationandaprogrammableAF/AEmemorybutton.ThemostimportantexposureandcameradataarealsodisplayedbyabrightandclearOLEDpanelonthetopplate.Inanutshell:anyoneholdingaLeicaS2intheirhandsforthefirsttimecanrelycompletelyontheirintuitionwhengettingtoknowitsextensiverangeoffunctions.Infact,itsetsentirelynewstandardsinuser-friendlyhandling.

The3-inchTFTmonitoronthebackoffersbrightandclearviewing,eveninbrightlylitenvironments.Itisnotonlyidealforcheckingimagesharpness,butcanalso,ifdesired,displaytheexposureparametersandahistogramthatrelatesexclusivelytothecurrentlyviewedimagesegmenttoallowmoreefficientimageassessmentauniquefeatureofLeicadigitalcameras.OntherobustLeicaS2-P,themonitorisprotectedbyavirtuallyindestructiblesapphireglassscreen.

TheLeicaS2combinesthedimensionsofa35mmSLRwiththeimagequalityofthelargeformat.Thankstoitsergonomicallyformedhandgrip,theLeicaS2fitsperfectlyinitsusershands,anditsfavourablecentreofgravityenhancesitssuitabilityforlongerhandheldphotographysessions.Incomparisonwithtraditionalmedium-formatsystemcameras,whereadigitalelementhadtobecombinedwithanexistinganaloguecamera,theS2hastheenormousadvantagethatallitscomponentsareperfectlyplaced.Theresult:perfectergonomics.

1 CONCENTRATIONAND MINIMALISATION

2 BRIGHTAND CLEARDISPLAY

3 BUILTTOFIT THEHAND

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 43


LEICAS2 Perfectergonomics.

4

Actual size

ConnectivityisoneofthekeystrongpointsoftheLeicaS2.Forinstance,itcansimultaneouslyrecordonSDandCompactFlashmemorycards.ItssocketsforUSB2.0andtheoptionalremotecablereleasearedesignedforheavyuseand,ifdesired,anHDTVcanbeconnectedtoitsHDMIinterfaceforlarge-screenimageassessment.

44 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


Therobustlybuiltandspray-protectedinterfacesoftheLeicaS2setbrand-newstandardsinmanageability.

DataistransferredfromthecameratoaMacorPCviaaLEMOHigh-SpeedUSB2.0socketwithanintegratedstrainmechanismthatmakesitparticularlyrobustandwaterproof.TheappropriatecableisofcourseincludedintheS2package.TheUSBsocketcanbeusedforreadingdatafromthememorycards,aswellasfortetheredshootingfromacomputerwiththeaidoftheLeicaImageShuttleandAdobeLightroomsoftwaresuppliedwiththecamera.

AnHDTVcanbeconnectedtothecameraviaitsstandardmicro-HDMIporttoallowfastandefficientimageassessment.ThecamerasX-syncsocketallowsprofessionalflashsystemstobetriggeredbythecamera.Asacompactalternative,flashunitsliketheLeicaSF58orunitswithaSCA3002adaptermaybemountedontheaccessoryshoe.

AnotherintelligentfeatureoftheLeicaS2isitsbatterysystem:thankstoanadditionalsafetycatch,itdoesntsimplydropoutofthecameraafterunlocking.Whatsmore,despitethecompactsize,eachbatteryhassufficientreservesforaround1,000exposuresanextremelywelcomebenefitforlongershoots.Anemptybatterycanberechargedwiththechargersuppliedwiththecamerawithinaroundthreehours.Aprofessionalchargerisavailableasanoptionalaccessory,andcanchargetwobatteriessimultaneously,aswellasconnectingtothe12Vcigarettelightersocketofanyvehicle.

OpeningtheprotectivecoveronthesideoftheLeicaS2bodyrevealstwoslotsformemorycards:thephotographercanchoosebetweentherobustCompactFlashcardsandthemuchsmallerSDcardsallmodernhigh-speedcardsandtheircurrenthighestcapacitiesaresupported.

Thepresenceoftwocardslotsoffersmuchmorethanasimplechoiceoftwocardtypesandextrastoragecapacity.TheS2cansimultaneouslywritetherawdatafileofanimageinDNGformattoonecardandthecorrespondingJPEGfiletotheother.ThismeansyouhaveimmediateaccesstotheJPEGsforquickassessmentonthesetand,atthesametime,therawdatafilesinDNGformatforoptimisationinpostprocessingaftertheshoot.

4 CONNECTIVITY

5 PERFECT ENERGYEFFICIENCY

6 SDANDCOMPACTFLASH

Thanks to an integrated strain-relief mechanism, the LEMO USB 2.0 and remote-release sockets are particularly robust and ideal for the heavy demands

of studio work.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 45


46 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

Duringaphotoshoot,allcamerafunctionsmustbeaccessibleimmediately.TheLeicaS2workswithanunrivalledconceptthatiscustom-designedforintuitivecontrol:insteadoflinkingasmanyfunctionsaspossibletoonesinglecontrolelement,whichcanbecomplex,Leicahasdevelopedaningeniousandlogicalmenusystemthatsubdividesallsettingsandparametersintofourdistinctcategories.Thefourbuttonsaroundthemonitorleaddirectlytothesecategories:Camera,Image,ReviewandSetup.Themonitordisplaysthemostimportantsettingsinthesecategoriesinfoursegments,whichmakesitimmediatelyclearwhichbuttoncallsupthefunctionrequired.

KeycamerafunctionslikeAFmode,exposuremeteringmode,orexposurecompensationarelocatedintheCameramenu.TheImagemenucontains,forexample,settingoptionsforISOsensitivityorfileformatsandinSetup,thelessfrequentlychangedbasiccamerasettingsarefound.Inaddition,thebuttonscanbeprogrammedwithcustomfunctionsthatcanthenbeaccessedbyholdingdowntheappropriatebutton.Thankstothisintuitivemenuconcept,familiarisationwiththehandlingoftheLeicaS2isanextremelyfastprocessandsoonallowsitsuserstoconcentrateonwhatsessentialphotography.

STRUCTUREDMENU

In combination with only four buttons, the clearly structured menu guarantees fast and intuitive control of all camera functions. (Actual size)

LEICAS2Innovativemenucontrol.


OLEDDISPLAYPANEL

Forusersfamiliarwith35mmDSLRs,thefirstlookthroughtheimpressivelylargeandbrightviewfinderoftheLeicaS2isaconvincingargumentfortheadvantagesofthelargerLeicaProFormat.Thebrilliantclarityoftheviewfinderimage,aresultnotonlyofthemirrorandprismunit,butalsothespeedofthelenses,offersperfectqualitiesforassessingimagecompositionandprecisemanualfocusing.Asingle-linedisplayalongthebottomedgeoftheviewfinderimageshowsthemostimportantexposureparameterssuchastheshutterspeedandaperture,thefocusconfirmationindicatorandcamerasettingsliketheexposuremeteringmode,exposurecorrectionandcameramode,aswellastheflash-readysymbol.Soyoucanalwaysseeeverythingyouneedwithouthavingtotakeyoureyeofftheviewfinder.

TheinformationdisplaypanelontheplateoftheLeicaS2showsimportantparameterssuchastheshutterspeed,aperture,exposuremode,ISOsensitivity,batterychargelevelandtheremainingcapacityonthememorycards.ThepanelisbasedonOLED(OrganicLight-EmittingDiode)technology,makingitclearandlegibleeveninunusuallybrightshootingconditions.

BRIGHTANDCLEARVIEWFINDER

The large, bright viewfinder of the Leica S2 shows a brilliantly clear image and displays the most important exposure information.

A glance at the OLED panel on the top of the Leica S2 shows its user the most important camera settings. (Actual size)

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 47


48 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

Notallphotosareshotinperfectweatherorasafelyprotectedstudio.ThisiswhyallcomponentsoftheS-Systemareprotectedagainstdustandwaterspray,tokeepthemworkingperfectlyeveninrainyweatherortoughshootingconditions.TheexposedsurfacesofthelensesaretreatedwithLeicasresilientAquaDuracoating,whichmeansraindropsjustrollofftheglass.Thisextremeprotectionnotonlysafeguardstheenduringvalueofthecameraandlenses,butalsomakesthemeasiertoclean.

Noothercamerasystemonthemarketofferssuchperfectall-roundprotection,notonlyforthecamerabutalsoforeverylensforinstance,whenshootingintherain,thefocusingringsletnotraceofmoistureenterthelensbarrel.Thetechnicaleffortrequiredforthisisimmense:allcontrolelementsandallcoversforoutputsocketsormemorycardslotsarefittedwithcompletelywaterproofanddustproofseals.

PERFECTLYSEALED

LEICAS2Readyforanysituation.


ROBUSTCONSTRUCTION

Intheworldofprofessionalphotography,camerasareoftenfacedwithenormouschallenges.Thankstoitsparticularlyrobustconstruction,theLeicaS2takesthemallinitsstride:theentirebodyandthetopplatearemanufacturedfromdie-castmagnesium,atoughandresilientmetalthatprotectsthevaluableinnersystemsofthecamera,evenagainsthardknocks.Atthesametime,magnesiumisextraordinarilylightandcontributessignificantlytothecomfortablehandlingoftheLeicaS2.

Thisextremeresilienceappliesnotonlytothecamerabody,butalsotoallattachments,controlelementsandcompartmentcovers.

A multitude of seals and special construction features guarantee perfect protection against dust and water.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 49


Thebestimagesarealwayscreatedonthespot,notinpostprocessingonacomputer.Withitsexcellentlensesandanidealsensorformatintermsofbothhandlingandimagequality,theLeicaS2offersphotographerseverythingtheyneedtoexpresstheirskillsandcreativityinimageswithmaximumdatavolume.

Nevertheless,acameraisonlytrulyversatilewhenitleavestheoptionscompletelyopentothephotographer.TheLeicaS2employsauniversalrawdataformatthatoffersphotographersnoendofoptionsforgettingthebestoutoftheirimagesincomputer-basedpostprocessing.Furthermore,itcangenerateafullydevelopedimageinthecameraimmediatelyafterexposure.WithanS2,photographerscanevenchoosetorecordDNGandJPEGfilesofthesameimagesimultaneouslyontwodifferentmemorycards.ThisismadepossiblebyLeicasindependentlydeveloped,high-performanceMaestroprocessorthatsetsentirelynewstandardsinfastimagedataprocessing.

50 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

LEICAS-SYSTEM Outstandingimagequality.


52 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

LEICAS-SYSTEM Outstandingimagequality.

The CCD image sensor of the S2 accepts no compromises in its dedication to ultimate imaging quality (full-size view).

TheoutstandingimagingqualityoftheLeicaS2cannotbeattributedtojustonecomponentofthesystem.Everysinglecomponentisoptimisedtoperfection,butitstruepowersareshownbytheirinteraction.

Decisiveproofofthiscanbeseeninthe37.5-megapixelCCDimagesensorwithoffsetmicrolensesandaninfraredblockingfilterthatworkstogetherwiththehigh-performanceMaestroprocessortoensurethateverycreativeidealeadstoacorrespondinglyexcellentimage.


LOWNOISEDYNAMICRANGE

Imagequalityisnotmeasuredinmegapixelsalone,butisrathertheresultofcarefulattentiontonumerousfactorsandperfectharmonisationwiththeopticalcomponentsofthesystem.Thehighresolution,enormousdynamicrangeandextremelylowsusceptibilitytoimagenoiseoftheCCDimagesensordesignedespeciallyfortheLeicaS2guaranteesoutstandingimagequality.Forinstance,theopticalpropertiesoftheglassscreeninfrontofthesensorareincludedinthelenscalculations,asisthefocalplane,whichismuchmorepreciselydefinedthaninfilmphotography.TheimagequalityachievedisonlypossiblebecausetheS-Systemwasconceivedasapurelydigitalcamerasystem.

Withits37.5millionpixels,theCCDsensoroftheLeicaS2offersaresolutionsuitableforimagesthatrequirecroppingandforprintinginlargeformat.However,whatsdecisivehereisnotthepixelcountalone,butitsoptimumusewithintheframeworkofanoverallconceptdedicatedsolelytosuperiorimagingquality.Withapixelpitchofsixmicrometres,thesensoroftheLeicaS2strikesaparticularlyharmoniousbalancebetweenhighresolutionandapixelsizethatminimisesimagenoise.TheS-Lensesarefine-tunedforultimatecontrastrenditionandareperfectlyattunedtotheresolvingpoweroftheimagesensor.AsLeicafundamentallyomitstheanti-aliasingfilterforthepreventionofmoireffectsinitsprofessionaldigitalcameras,photographerscanmakefulluseofthetheoreticalmaximumsensorresolutioninpractice.Thankstotheconsistentoptimisationoftheentireprocess,fromtheinstantthelightentersthelenstoitscapturebythesensorandthereadingofthechargepackages,itisguaranteedthatabsolutelyeverysinglepixelofadigitalimagecapturedwithaLeicaS2containssignificantinformationandthatnolossesoccur.

InordertocopewiththeextremecontrastperformanceofS-Lenses,thecameraneedsextensivereservesintermsofdynamicrange.Thesecretofawidedynamicrangeis,firstofall,lowimagenoise,andtheresultingassurancethatdarkareasoftheimageshowasmuchdefinitionaspossible.TheimagesensoroftheLeicaS2wasdesignedforparticularlylowsusceptibilitytoimagenoise.Atthesametime,thephysicalinterfacebetweenthesensorboardandthecamerachassisisalsoanimportantfactor.Aswarmingofthesensorincreasesimagenoise,theentiremetalchassisoftheS2isemployedasaheatsinkforsensorcooling.

TheS2employsextremelypreciseanaloguedigitalconverterstoachieveitshighdynamicrangeandparticularlyaccurateandfinelynuancedbrightnessandcolourinformation.Theseguaranteesuperiordefinitioninthehighlightsandshadows,aswellaspreciseandnaturalcolours.Thisallcontributestothecamerasabilitytomastereventhemostdemandingphotographicsituations.

IDEALRESOLUTION

OPTIMUMHARMONISATION

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 53


IntheLeicaS2,agridofmicrolensesonthesensorincreasesitssensitivitytolight.Thedistinctivefeaturehereisthatthegreaterthedistanceofindividualpixelsfromthecentreofthesensor,thegreatertherelativeoffsetofthemicrolenses.Thiscompensatesforthefactthatimagesensorsarelesssensitivetoobliquelyarrivingraysoflightattheedges,andthatnolenscanguaranteethatincominglightraysareexclusivelyperpendiculartothesensorsurface.TheoffsetmicrolenssolutionwasplannedintotheS-SystemconceptfromthebeginningandisafeaturethatensuresthatallLeicaS-Lensesarepracticallyfreeofvignetting.

OFFSETMICROLENSES

As the microlenses at the edges of the frame are offset towards the centre, they are better able to capture oblique light, and thus avoid vignetting.

LEICAS-SYSTEMSensorwithoffsetmicrolenses.

54 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


Thesensor,especiallydesignedandconstructedforLeica,featuresaninfraredblockingfilterthatpreventsthecorruptionofitsnaturalcolourrenditionbyinfraredlight.ThesamespecialcoatingasusedforLeicalensesisalsoappliedtobothsidesofthiswafer-thinglassscreen.Togetherwiththecoatingoftherearelementsofthelensesthisfirstlypreventsreflections,butisalsoextremelyhardandresistanttoabrasion,meaningdustandsmearsonthelargesensoroftheLeicaS2canbeconvenientlycleanedwithreadilyavailablesensor-cleaningproducts.

PERFECTPROTECTION

The sensor board of the S2 is installed in the camera with extreme precision. The solid metal frame serves as a heat sink and helps to prevent image noise.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 55


56 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

LEICAS-SYSTEM TheMaestroimageprocessor.

The image board with the Maestro processor at its centre reads the image data from the sensor and writes it to high-quality image files at an incredible speed.


IfweconsiderthesensortobetheeyeoftheLeicaS2,thentheMaestroprocessorisitsbrainabrainthatprocessestheimagedatacomingfromthesensoratanenormousspeedandtransformsitintoimagefiles.ThiselaboratelydesignedandconstructedimageprocessornotonlymakestheLeicaS2muchfasterthanotherdigitalcameras,italsobringssomequiteuniqueabilities.

JointlydevelopedwithFujitsu,theMaestroprocessorcustom-designedfortheLeicaS2featuresseveral,inpartindependentlyactive,functionalunitsthatallowittoprocessoneimagewhilesimultaneouslywritingthedataoftheonebeforetothememorycard,forexample.Thankstoitsspecialfunctions,dedicatedexclusivelytotheneedsofimageprocessing,itcanalsoperformcomplexprocessingstepsatanextremelyhighspeed.Atthesametime,itspowerconsumptionisamazinglylow,whichinturncontributestothelongbatterylifeoftheLeicaS2.Asaseparateprocessortakescareofclassiccamerafunctionslikeexposureorautofocus,thesearenotslowedbycapacitiesdemandedforthecomplexitiesofimageprocessing,andtheMaestroprocessoronlydrawspowerwhenitsactuallyneeded.

Despitetheexceptionallyhighresolutionofthesensor,thehighperformanceoftheimageprocessorallowstheLeicaS2togenerateahigh-qualityJPEGfileinthecameraparalleltoaDNGrawdatafiledestinedforfinaloptimisationonacomputer,ifrequired.TheJPEGimageisidealwhenasmallfileisneededforimmediateimageassessmentorfasttransmission,asitcanbeviewedalmostanywherewithoutanyspecialsoftware.Whatsmore,asimagepropertieslikesharpness,contrastandcoloursaturationarefreelydefinable,thequalityoftheJPEGfilesismorethanadequateforhigh-qualitypostprocessing.

ULTIMATEPROCESSINGPERFORMANCE

PARALLELCOMPUTING

FASTIMAGEREVIEW

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 57


58 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

LEICAS-SYSTEM Professionalworkflow.

Acamerashouldbeflexibleenoughtoallowaphotographertoworkinthewaytheyprefer.TheLeicaS2employsauniversalrawdataformatthatdoesnotrequireoneparticularrawconverter,thatcan,ifrequired,generatehigh-qualityJPEGfiles,supportstwodifferentmemorycardtypes,andcanberemotelycontrolledfromacomputer.Forphotographers,thismeanstheabilitytoreactrapidlyandflexiblytochangingsituations,andmaximumfreedominthechoiceoftoolsforthetaskathand.Nevertheless,nooneisfacedwithdifficultdecisions,astheprofessionalworkflowsolutionAdobePhotoshopLightroomispartoftheLeicaS2package.

Therawdatafromthesensoristhebasicmaterialfromwhichimagesinoptimumqualitycanbecreatedwithmaximumflexibilityinpostprocessing.FortheS2,LeicachosetheDNG(DigitalNegative)formatdevelopedbyAdobetheonlystandardisedrawdataformatthatsafelypreservesallimageinformationandisrecognisedbyallmanufacturers.Themajorityofprogramsforrawdataconversionordigitalimageprocessing,includingAdobePhotoshop,allowthedirectinputandinterpretationofDNGdata,soS2ownershavealmostunlimitedfreedomofchoiceiftheywishtousetheirpreferredworkflowsolution.

TheLeicaS2takesadvantagesofallthebenefitsofthecurrentDNG1.3standard,whichgeneratesfilesthatcontainallcolourandimageinformation,alongwithmetadatasuchasthedistance,aperture,etc.ThisinturnallowsprocessingwithallprogramsthatsupportthisstandardwithouttheneedforspecificconversionsorprofilestoachievetheoptimumimagequalityoftheS2files.TheS2canrecordDNGfileswitharound75megabytesperimageinuncompressedformat,orinabsolutelylosslesscompressedformatthatrequiresonlyaroundhalfthememoryspace.

UNIVERSALIMAGEDATAFORMAT

ABSOLUTEFLEXIBILITY

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a part of the S2 package.


TheLeicaS2packageincludesAdobePhotoshopLightroom,afastandprofessionalrawworkflowsolution.LightroomiscompatiblewithbothAppleMacintoshandMicrosoftWindows,andisfullyequippedtoserveasacontrolcentreforalldigitalimageprocessingneeds:withLightroomtheyhavethoughtofeverything,fromimportingfilesfrommemorycards,sorting(includingdefinitionofkeywords)andimagemanipulation,toexportingimagesfore-mailingordirectlytotheWeb.TheextremelypowerfuldigitalimageprocessingtoolsinLightroomareperfectlydesignedforprocessingimagesforfurtheruse.Lightroomofferstheparticularadvantageofanondestructiverawworkflowthatleavestheoriginaldatauntouchedandstoresalleditsinaseparatefile.Anewfilewithalleditsappliedisonlycreatedintheexportphase,sothereisnoriskofoverwritingtheoriginaldatawhencreatingseveralversionsofthesameimage.ClassicdigitalimageprocessingsoftwarelikeAdobePhotoshopcanbeintegratedintotheworkflowforfurtherprocessing.

ThelensesoftheLeicaS-Systemaredistinguishedbyanextraordinarilyhighdegreeofcorrectionandarepracticallyfreeofperceptibleopticalerrors.Nevertheless,opticalerrorscanneverbecompletelyeliminated.Fortherarecasesinwhichextremelycriticalimagesdisplayphenomenasuchasslightcurvingofstraightlinesattheedges,LeicahascalculatedlensprofilesespeciallyforuseinAdobePhotoshopLightroomandAdobeCameraRaw,onthebasisoftheconstructiondataoftheS-Lensesandextensivepracticaltesting,thatallowautomaticcorrectionofresidualdistortionandchromaticaberrationeffects(colourfringing).ThetechnicalprerequisitesforthecorrectionstobeappliedarepreciselyregisteredandlistedimagedataintheDNGfiles,suchasthefocallength,apertureandtheactualfocusingdistancecommunicatedbythelens.Theselensprofilescansaveconsiderabletimeinthepostprocessingphaseandachieveconsistentlyperfectimagingresultsunderallsubject-relevantcircumstances.

THERAWWORKFLOW

AUTOMATICCORRECTION

DNG files from the Leica S2 can be imported directly into Adobe Camera Raw.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 59


60 I LEICAS-SYSTEM

Instudiowork,itisoftenadvantageoustocontrolandoperatethecamerafromacomputer(tetheredshooting).Thissetup,withautomaticimagetransferandtheopportunitiesitoffersforpreciseimageassessment,canmaketheentireproceduremuchmoreefficient.TheImageShuttlesoftwaredevelopedbyLeica,andavailableinversionsforMicrosoftWindowsandAppleMacOSX,isanidealsolutionforsuchsituations.Connectingacomputertothespecialstrain-relievedandrobustUSBportoftheLeicaS2providesfullremotecontrolofthecamerawithImageShuttle.PhotographerscanthenchoosebetweennormalortetheredshootingwiththeLeicaS2.Theimagesaredisplayedimmediatelyonthecomputermonitorandallowmorepreciseimageassessmentthanwouldbepossiblewiththecamerasbuilt-inmonitor.Inaddition,ImageShuttleoffersfulltetheredremotecontrolofallexposureparameters,suchastheshutterspeed,apertureandevenlensfocusing,directlyfromthecomputerkeyboard.Photographerscandefineaspecificfolderforsavingtheincomingimagefilestothecomputerandcan,forinstance,automaticallyimportimagestotheworkflowsoftwarewiththefoldermonitoringfunction.

LEICAIMAGESHUTTLE

The Leica Image Shuttle software enables full remote control of the camera via a USB cable connected to a computer. It even allows manual focusing control from the computer.

LEICAS-SYSTEM Professionalworkflow.


EXTENDEDSOFTWARESUPPORT

Tetheredshooting,wherebythecameraisconnectedtoacomputerbyaUSBcable,canbefacilitatedeitherwiththeLeicaImageShuttlesoftwareorwithAdobePhotoshopLightroom.Aftereachexposurebyremotecontrolusingthesoftwareorwiththecamerashutterrelease,theimageistransferreddirectlytotheLightroomcatalogueanddisplayedforassessment.Inadditiontoanextendedrangeofcontrolfunctions,usersofLeicaImageShuttlealsohavetheoptiontotransferimagesstraighttoAdobeBridgeand,inturn,thenhavedirectimageaccessfromanAdobePhotoshop-basedworkflow.

PhotographerswhoprefertouseCaptureOnefromPhaseOneratherthanLightroomcandownloadaspecialcolourprofilefortheLeicaS2fromtheLeicaWebsitethatensuresoptimumcolourrenditioninthissoftwarepackage.CaptureOnedoesnotsupporttheLeicaS2,butitdoesrecogniseDNG-formatfiles.ImageShuttlealsopermitstetheredshootinginconjunctionwithCaptureOne.

Image Shuttle can export images directly to Adobe Bridge.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 61


Remote release cable

Orderno.:16012

The 0.6-metre remote release cable for the S2 enables photographers to release the shutter without vibration, and is a valuable aid in numerous situations that arise when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

LEICAS-SYSTEMAccessoriesandservicepackages.

Multifunction Handgrip S

Orderno.(handgrip):16003

Orderno.(handstrap):16004

The multifunction Handgrip S has a dual function: firstly, it has a compartment for an extra battery and thus doubles the number of shots you can take in one session. Secondly, it guarantees comfortable handling and a secure grip when using the camera for shots in portrait format. To this end it offers a second shutter release, click wheel and AF/AE memory button. The Leica Hand strap S, made of neoprene, is available as an optional accessory for the Handgrip S.

Leica SF 58 flash unit

Orderno.(flashunit):14488

Orderno.(diffusor):14489

The Leica SF 58 is an extremely high-performance professional flash unit offering a multitude of features. Its zoom reflector adapts automatically to cover the angle of view of all Leica S-Lenses with focal lengths from 30 to 120 mm.

Professional charger S

Orderno.:16011

The Professional charger S is designed for the rapid, simultaneous and independent recharging of two batteries. The charger can also be powered from a standard vehicle cigarette lighter socket.

Replacement battery

Orderno.:14429

High-performance, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, developed especially for the Leica S2. Constant monitoring of relevant battery data guarantees safe and convenient operation.

S-Adapters

Orderno.(AdapterH):16030

Orderno.(AdapterV):16024

Orderno.(AdapterM645):16025

Orderno.(AdapterP67):16026

Focusing screens

Orderno.(focusingscreen):16000

Orderno.(focusingscreenwithgrid):16002

Orderno.(focusingscreenwithsplit-imageindicatorandmicroprismspot):16001

Users can exchange the focusing screen in the viewfinder of their Leica S2 with an absolute minimum of effort. Two alternative focusing screens are available in addition to the standard version provided with the camera: one with an engraved grid as an aid to precise camera alignment, and one matte screen with a split image and a microprism ring. These are particularly useful for S2 photographers who prefer to use manual focusing, and are also particularly helpful when using third-party lenses with S-Adapters on an S2 body.

Standard focusing screen. Focusing screen with grid. Focusing screen with split-image indicator and microprism spot.

62 I LEICAS-SYSTEM


TheLeicaS-SystemisdistributedexclusivelybyspeciallyqualifiedSspecialistdealerswhoareabletoofferprofessionalphotographersthebestpossibleserviceandsupport.AtLeicaitself,aglobalteamisdedicatedexclusivelytotheS-Systemandmaintainsdirectcontactwithcustomers.Perfectsupport,shortcommunicationchannelsanddirectcontactareamatterofcourseforabenchmarkcamerasystemsuchasthis.

Aprofessionalcamerasystemdeservesaperfectserviceconcept.AllproductsintheS-Systemportfolioaresuppliedwitha12-monthwarrantyfromthedateofpurchase.Leicaguaranteestheavailabilityofallreplacementpartsforatleastsixyearsafterproductdiscontinuation.

AdedicatedrepairhelplineisavailabletoallS-Users,ensuringfaster,moreefficientandshorterservicechannels,andguaranteeingrapidhandlingofrepairorders.TelephonesupportisavailabletoourcustomersthroughouttheentireworkinglifeoftheirLeicaequipment.

TheservicepackagesfortheS2cameraandS-Lensesallowuserstoextendthewarrantyperiodto24monthsfromthedateofpurchase,andoffervaluableextraservicestomeettheneedsofprofessionalphotographers.Theservicepackagesofferevenbetterassuranceofequipmentavailabilityandprovideasafetynetforprofessionalphotographerswhodependonconstantcamerasystemavailabilityfortheireverydaywork.ServicepackagescanbepurchasedseparatelyforcamerasandlensesfromauthorisedLeicaS-SystemDealers.Suchspecialistdealersarealsothefirstportofcallforserviceneeds,andwillorganisefurtherproceduresasrequired.

ThePremiumservicepackageextendsthefulltermsandconditionsofthestandardwarrantytoaperiodoftwoyears.Shouldadefectoccurwithinthefirstthreemonths,theproductwillbeexchangedwithoutdelay.Inaddition,Premiumcustomersalsoreceiveaonce-only30%discountonrepairsforimpactdamageorsimilardamagenotcoveredbythestandardwarranty.

InadditiontothecompleteservicesofthePremiumpackage,Platinumcustomersareentitledtotheloanofreplacementequipmentforthedurationoftherepair.Inmostregions,areplacementwillbemadeavailablefreeofchargewithin24hours.Thisincludesonce-onlyfreemaintenancebyLeicacustomerservice,includingthecameraorlensshutter.PlatinumserviceisincludedintheS2-Ppackage.

THES-SYSTEMUNIVERSE

THESERVICEPACKAGES

PREMIUMSERVICEPACKAGE

PLATINUMSERVICEPACKAGE

OVERVIEW Service package/content Guarantee Premium package Platinum package

Validity(AlwaysvalidfromdateofpurchaseoftheS-Product)

12months 24months 24months

1-year guarantee extension

Special Leica Repair Hotline

Exchange within the first 3 months after product purchase (new)

6-year availability of replacement parts

30% discount on repair charges

Free replacement product during repair (24 hours)

Free maintenance(incl. one shutter replacement)

Furtherinformation,detailsandthetermsandconditionsoftheindividualservicepackagesmaybefoundtogetherwithalistofauthoriseddealersandnationalrepresentativesonourWebsiteatwww.s.leica-camera.com.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 63


LEICAS-SYSTEM Technicaldata.

Product Leica S2

Order no. LeicaS2black10801,LeicaS2-Pblack10802.

Camera type Digitalmedium-formatsinglelensreflexcameraforusewithLeicaS-Lenses.

Image sensor

Type Low-noiseCCDsensor.

Size 4530mm(LeicaProFormat).

Aspectratio 3:2.

Resolution 37.5megapixels.

Pixelpitch 6m.

Dynamicrange 12stops.

Colourdepth 16bitsperpixel.

Colourspaces sRGB/AdobeRGB/ECIRGB2.0.

Whitebalance Presets:daylight,cloudy,shade,tungsten,HMI,fluorescentwarm,fluorescentcool,flash/auto/manualset/colourtemperature(Kelvin).

Low-passfilter/IRfilter No/onsensor.

Sensitivityrange ISOPull80toISO1250(manuallyorautomaticallycontrolled).

Lenses

Lensmount LeicaS-Bayonet.

Focallength DependentonLeicaS-Lensattached,conversionfactorto35mmfilmequivalent0.8.

Focusing

Type Autofocuswithcentralcross-sensorarray,AFmotorinlenses.

Focusingmodes AFsingleshot,AFcontinuous,manual.

AFmemory Activatedbypressingshutterreleasetosecondresistancepoint,AFmemorywithAFlockbutton.

Manualfocus FocusingonlensbarrelortetheredwithImageShuttlesoftware.

Exposure setting

Exposuremetering Multi-segmentmetering(5fields),centre-weightedintegralmetering,selective(spot)metering(3.5%ofimageframe).

Exposurecontrol ProgramAE(withshiftfunction),aperturepriorityAE,shutterspeedpriorityAE,manual.

Exposurecompensation 3EVinhalf-EVincrements.

Bracketing(AEB) 3/5exposures(automatic/manual)/,1,2,3EVincrements.

ISOsensitivity Auto,Pull80,160,320,640,1250.

Shutter

Type Verticalmetalfocalplaneshutterintegratedincamerabody(FPS).

ShutterspeedsFPS 1/4000sto125s,flashsyncspeed1/125s.

Optional OptionalcentralshutterinLeicaS-Lenses(CSversions).

ShutterspeedsCS 1/1000sto8s.

Viewfinder

Type Pentaprismviewfinderwithhigh-eyepointeyepiece.

Magnification 0.87(with70mmlensatinfinity).

Viewfindercoverage Approx.96%.

Dioptercompensation 3to+1diopter.

Focusingscreen Mattwithcrosshairs(interchangeable).

Display Top-platedisplay(OLED),controlmonitor:3-inchTFTdisplaywith460,000pixels,16millioncolours,LeicaS2-Pwithextremelyscratch-resistantsapphireglassprotectivecover.

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Flash

Connector Hotshoewithcentreandcontrolcontacts,standardcoaxialsyncsocket.

Meteringmethod/flashmeteringcell TTL(multi-segment,selective,centre-weighted)/multi-segmentphotodiode.

Compatibility FullycompatiblewithLeicaSF58andflashunitswithSCA3002adapters.

Xsynchronisation Upto1/125s(FPS),upto1/1000swithCSlenses.

Flashexposurecorrection 3EVinhalf-EVincrements.

Secondcurtainsync Yes.

Exposure

Exposuremodes Singleframe,continuous,self-timer2s(withmirrorprerelease),self-timer12s(withmirrorprerelease).

Data recording

Format DNG(75005000pixels,approx.75MBperimage),losslesscompressedDNG(75005000pixels,approx.3545MBperimage),JPEG(75005000pixels,basicorfine,116MBdependentonimagecontentandcompression).

Maximumburst-ratecapability Max.1.5fps.

Imagebuffer DNGmax.10images,DNGcompressedmax.14images,JPEGnolimit.

SimultaneousrecordingofDNGandJPEGdata

Yes,arbitrarycombinationsofDNGandJPEG,variousformatsondifferentmemorycards(e.g.DNGonCFcard,JPEGonSDcard).

Recordingoptions CompactFlashcard(UDMA6),SDcard(SDHC),tetheredtoPC.

Other functions

Reviewformats Singleframewithexposureparameters,singleframe,4thumbnails,9thumbnails,loupefunction.

Zoomloupefunctioninreviewmode 4-steploupefunction,pixellevelmagnification.

Deleteprotection Deleteprotectforindividualimage.

Menucategories Camera,exposure,setup,play.

Menulanguages: 9languages:English,German,French,Italian,Spanish,Russian,Japanese,traditionalChinese,simplifiedChinese.

Firmwareupdates Useruploadoption.

Interfaces

PC High-speedUSB2.0(LEMOsocketwithstrainrelief,cableincludedinpackage).

Other HDMI,remoterelease,Xflashsync,SCA3002.

OS compatibility WindowsXP,WindowsVista,Windows7,AppleMacintoshfromMacOSX10.5.

Software

Providedsoftware AdobePhotoshopLightroomandLeicaImageShuttle,downloadablefromtheLeicaOwnersAreaafterproductregistration.

Power supply

Battery Rechargeablelithium-ionbattery,nominalvoltage7.4V,capacity2100mAh.

Batteryleveldisplay OnOLEDpanelontopplate.

Power-savingoptions(sleepfunction)

4 steps, 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, off.

Powersupplyand batterycharger

RapidchargerS(withintegratedUSmainsplug,interchangeableEU,UKandAUSplugsandcaradapter);inputs:100240VAC,50/60Hz,automaticadaptation,or12/24VDC;output:4.2VDC,800mA.

Body

Bodymaterial Magnesium,blackpaint.

Operatingconditions: 0to+45C,1580%relativehumidity.

Dimensions(WHD) 16080120mm.

Weight Approx.1410g(bodyonly,withbattery).

Dust/spraysealed Yes/yes.

Tripodthread 1/4-inchand3/8-inchwithlocatorholesformountingplateantitwistlockingpins.

Package includes S2camera,RapidchargerS,Scamerabattery,USBcableS(5metres),CameracarryingstrapS,bayonetcap,EyepiececoverSandAdobePhotoshopLightroomandLeicaImageShuttlesoftwareasdownloadsafterproductregistration.

LEICAS-SYSTEM I 65


AtrademarkoftheLeicaCameraGroupLeicaandproductnames=registeredtrademarks2012LeicaCameraAGHDMI,theHDMIlogoandHigh-DefinitionMultimediaInterfacearebrandsorregisteredtrademarksofHDMILicensingLLC.Wereservetherighttomakechangesintheconstruction,featuresandrangeswithoutadvancenotice.Conceptanddesign:LeicaPhotographieGmbH,TomLeiferDesignProductphotography:AlexanderGhrEditorialphotography:JoachimBaldaufBrochureorderno.:German91600IEnglish(UK)91677IEnglish(US)91601IFrench91602I Italian91678LeicaCameraAGIOskar-Barnack-Strasse11I35606SOLMSIGERMANYPhone+49(0)6442-208-0IFax+49(0)6442-208-333Iwww.leica-camera.com


Leica Camera AG I Oskar-Barnack-Strasse 11 I 35606 SOLMS I GERMANY Phone +49(0)6442-208-0 I Fax +49(0)6442-208-333 I www.leica-camera.com


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