Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/05/07
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Eric wrote - > >Excuse me? Hear of the S1? It's THE state of the art studio digital camera. >Leica through and through. And even uses Hassleblad, Rollei and other MF >lenses as well as all M and R lenses. Yes I have heard of the S1 and it is impressive but it is hardly Leica through and through - where in the Leica tradition does a state of the art studio camera fit? and is the S1 anything more than a mock up? I mean have they actually put it on the market and is anybody buying it? My impression and that of the people in the business of selling Leicas I have spoken with is that it is nothing more than a design project. And I would have to add that Sinar have digital studio cameras that are streets ahead of the S1 and are selling widely - even in China! I would also contend that the 70-180 is state of the art only in imaging performance and that is really not the be-all and end-all of 'state of the art': it may be sufficient for certain hobbyists and a tiny proportion of the pro market but for the majority it is clear that even those for whom money is no object Canon and Nikon define the state of the art. Don't get me wrong - I know that Leica makes wonderful lenses and in many cases the optical quality more than compensates for the other deficiencies but lets not kid ourselves that they are really pushing the envelope in optical technology. The distinction IMHO is simply that they make a niche product that suits us: it is like comparing Aston Martin to Mercedes and I know which I would prefer and I also know which is (relatively) 'state of the art' in engineering. Bests Adrian