I shot with GONE BY DAYLIGHT on Friday night. They needed promo photos and I shot them in an empty studio space in the building that houses my law office. I had four Profoto D1 500′s… one profoto Acute 2400 generator with a D4 head. Sid Vintage did the styling. Karrie Welch from Fortunate Face Minerals did the makeup.

GONE BY DAYLIGHT led up to their reputation. Fun, Good Times, and Great Shots filled our evening into the wee morning. I shot them using my Leica S2-P. Most of the shots featured the 70mm lens – as wide open as possible (2.5-5.6) using filters. I also used the 35mm for a few group shots as it was impossible to get them within the frame at such a narrow depth of field.

I love the Leica glass…. it’s sharp wide open. It’s calibrated to be so. No other glass I know is meant for that. So while shooting at 2.5 is crisp – it may not be enough depth to get everyone in focus. It was a problem that I solved by going wider.

Thanks go to Tricia Slate and Emily Therese for their amazing assisting of me during the shoot – including the pizza / drinks run. Thanks ladies!

Saturday, Karrie Welch came back and Emily Therese put her model hat on. Or off – in this case – as Karrie also did hair.

I used both the 70mm lens and the 180mm lens for full body and facial portraits respectively. I usually use the 70mm for everything – as I like that working distance between the model and my subject (especially if we are on location and others are around and I wanna keep my actions to a minimum.) However, in a studio setting when room is not an option – the 180 is an amazingly flattering lens. The compression on a subject’s face is probably the most flattering I have seen in a long time.

I added a second head to the 2400 generator and an Acute 1200 generator with a ringflash.

While I started shooting with my “patented” 7 light fashion setup… I didn’t do it exclusively for both looks. The second look only used 2 or 3 lights (depending upon the particular shot) and frankly, I liked that one a lot better. Sample photos will be up soon – as soon as I finish editing more than just a handful.

I guess I need to go back to school for studio lighting. Not literally… but I guess it’s time to invest in some books, some more modifiers, and some time. But it’s certainly nice to be re-inspired.

Furthermore, the S2 is fully weather sealed. Leica claims that it actually exceeds the standards set by the Canon 1ds line. In a previous issue of LFI magazine, it was exclaimed that the S series lenses underwent a cycle in the dishwasher – in order to reinforce the idea that this camera is meant for the cleanest – and not so cleanest – conditions.

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The camera arrives…

It had been at least 4 months since I had sent off my digital medium format kits and two Leica bodies (an M7 and an MP – both ala carte demos) to my friend Duncan in the Netherlands…

I sent them to him in exchange for a store credit equal to the exact cost of the Leica S2-P, Two lenses, two batteries, the dual charger, and the grip.

After months of waiting… the day finally came.

On Christmas Eve, I get the following email:

OK it is not “on time” at your place BUT the complete kit with both the lenses did arrive here in my shop especially for you !!!! So in other words, I’ve got YOUR S2-P here with both the 70 and 180mm lens !!!

English may not be his first language, but Duncan at Foto Henny Hoogeveen in the Netherlands is one of the most amazing photographic resources I have ever known.

Between his own love of Leica – and his years working his shop – the man is a walking encyclopedia for the camera fanatic. Not to mention – he’s more than happy to make a deal – whether it’s cash, trade, or a combination of both.

I am not a sales rep for him. I don’t get a commission for the plug. I am just sharing my experience with those who may be interested. I have purchased from other dealers and other locations – but my experience was NEVER like it has been with Duncan…. And I’ve been a loyal customer since 2007 – and nearly $100,000 worth of equipment has exchanged hands since.

I was able to acquire the 4th commercially available M9 – his first shipment – from him… and I even paid $200 less than it would have cost me due to the exchange rate into Euros.
And of course – he held my hand through the seemingly endless waiting process for the first ever Leica S2-P.

Yes. I am the owner of the worlds first ever commercially released Leica S2-P.

In his own words…”Indeed you got the very first one !!!”

That’s THREE (3) exclamation points. How can one possibly argue with that?

I had my girlfriend and her sister model for the video of the un-boxing.

Admittedly, for me – the stereotypical man fantasy of making porn – got lost in translation when stripping the Leica S2-P of it’s packaging. But perhaps you will enjoy it:

Day 1: Shooting at Yonkers

With less than 2 months left until my thesis deadline, I needed to continue shooting at the abandoned greenhouse in Yonkers, NY.

Though I had chosen to use the Leica M9 and the .95 Noctilux lens specifically for this project – I decided to test out my new S2-P – in an actual shooting situation.

Sunrise at Yonkers was at 7:20. Dawn was 6:49. The temperature was hovering around 20 degrees… well below freezing and well below my comfort level, despite being dressed in layers.

Up until this point – I have never had a problem with a Leica or a professional level Canon camera not working properly due to cold weather. Though the S2’s biggest fan, I was not confident that it would operate properly in the cold. I was wrong.

Both the Leica M9 and the S2-P performed flawlessly at temperatures hovering less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Instead of my usual one model, Emily Therese, I went with two: Emily and her sister Catherine.

Dennis, one of my thesis advisors, had been really on my back about expanding my model pool. Though I am not one to put all of my eggs in one basket – I have yet to find any additional model who can add something to this portfolio – and do so on a consistent basis.

Emily and I knew that she would be an excellent match for this project. Additionally, keeping the weather in mind – the models dressed in layers (unlike previous trips)… which led to the need for coats.

This led to us using a particular coat – which as it turns out – will be a cornerstone of the thesis. But I digress…
…

So there I was in Yonkers, NY at sunrise with two models at an abandoned greenhouse as the sun was rising.

I had been using the M9 and .95 noctilux for these shoots previously – with a setting of 1600 iso – while shooting wide open. It quickly became apparent that at f2.5 and a chip that maxes out at 1250 (and arguably isn’t usable past 800 – so says other reviews) would not work in the low light circumstances of sunrise without a tripod.

So I started the shoot with the M9 and the Noctilux… until it got bright enough to shoot comfortably hand held at 640iso (the highest I felt comfortable working with).

I did later switch it to 320iso – so that I could minimize the noise. Though, surprisingly there wasn’t any there at either setting. This was kind of a disappointment and caused me to have to add texture to the images in post processing to get the feel that I had with the higher iso in previous photos.

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Initial thoughts…

The camera is light but very solid. I would equate the experience to driving my father’s BMW 500 series car. It seems like you are going 30 when you are hitting the speed limit… and though it seems light and graceful, I wouldn’t want to be in between it and a wall upon impact.

It was a great feeling having it in my hands. It really felt as if it was built to match my grip. I find other cameras either too small or too large to grip comfortably. This – without the grip – was snug. I dug it.

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Admittedly, I was worried that the 180 lens would make the camera front heavy. It did. Though, not nearly as much as I had expected – even best case scenario.
I have the Canon 200 1.8L IS lens. It’s a beast. You cannot hand hold that lens for very long – unless you got forearms of steel. It requires a monopod (at least) and even has the collar attachment to screw one on.

But this lens was not like that. It was more like the 70-200 2.8L IS. Big. Solid. But not heavy.

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I purchased a Zero Halliburton case – that should be big enough to hold the camera, batteries, lenses, and grip
(when it comes). It should be small enough to be considered a second carry on (purse, laptop, backpack)… since my first carryon is a zero halliburton luggage piece that fits the overhead compartment of most planes perfectly.

I just love the case I have for my M9 kit. The S2 had to match.

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So lets talk lenses.

The lenses were the best I have ever used.

I thought Dave Farkas was drinking the kool-aid when he wrote that on his blog. How could these lenses be better than the already amazing lenses that they had previously developed… when these lenses need to be larger to cover the extra surface area… and in that amount of glass, there’s gotta be a lot of room for error.
I used the 70 2.5 and the 180 3.5…

The auto focus system snaps to the correct position almost instantly upon pressing the appropriate button.

But if you don’t trust it – or you wanna dial it into a specific spot manually – you can grab it and tweak it – and it’s just the right tension.

Not to mention it’s sharp.

Wide open.

I did not even take it off wide open. I didn’t need to. The shutter speed range was more than adequate – and worst case, I would close it down a bit – but would rather use ND filters

than close it too much.

The bokeh is pleasing.

It’s not the Noctilux. Either version. But it’s certainly something noticeably pretty. Especially the 70mm… for a 70mm.

It reminds me of the bokeh I get with old Zeiss lenses that I have converted to Canon mount from Contax or the like… Very pleasing… round… I can’t really explain it but to show you.

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The 70mm lens is my perfect working distance. I generally shoot 50mm (both on my Leica M9 and on My Canon full frames) – and the angle of view for this lens is about equivalent to 56mm on a 35mm system (70 is the normal lens for this system).

The 180mm lens was a bit of a challenge for me. I like to be up in the action – not far away. And the 180mm lens kept me a few feet further from the scenes than I felt comfortable.
I thought about getting the 35mm but figured that for the commercial and portraiture work I do – a 180 may be the best bet. Plus, the 35 may not be out anytime soon.

The 180mm – though it doesn’t have the close focusing capacity of a macro – certainly has the bokeh and ability to capture sharp details wide open that is typical of most high end macros. It was the better choice for me – and probably the more mass appeal choice – since they decided to release both first.

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I have been quoting Dave Farkas quite a bit. I have never met the guy – though recently bought a .95 Noctilux from his store – but I certainly respect and admire his knowledge and understanding of his craft.

He writes…

The S2 files are crisp and clean. There isn’t the faintest trace of murkiness in fine details. CA is almost non-existent. Edges are clearly defined with no softness or haziness. Diagonals are precise with no stair stepping. Gradients are smooth. There is a complete lack of noise at low ISO, even into the shadows, but the files have amazing texture and subtlety to them. Yes, details are razor sharp, but transitions are just so gentle and graceful. Skin is rendered beautifully. Leaves on trees in the distance are clear and defined. Textures are perfectly rendered. Out of focus areas are buttery smooth. (directly stolen from his blog – but correctly attributed – so that’s gotta count for something).

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Like buttah.

Seriously.

If I knew a thing about optics and engineering – I would go for the look that the folks at Leica have achieved with this system.

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Battery life…

I spent an hour shooting with the S2 – pretty much continuously – in cold temperatures – and the battery icon only showed one click of use.

That was amazing.

I have been using the Canon 5dmkii’s lately for their HD video capacity (when not using the Red One) and I had gotten use to changing batteries constantly.
I had not used my 1ds in a long time – and forgot the amazing power of those 8 hour batteries… and how awesome it was not having to worry about having enough spares.
The Leica S2 – will not have these worries either.

The video was taken on a Canon 5dmkii + 50mm 1.0L lens. I took it on a whim – so I didn’t use proper lighting – nor did I care to use a very large depth of field. It’s the unboxing… not a major motion picture.

My girlfriend asked me… why are you using a canon to shoot the leica? Because the canon shoots video… and frankly – thats all I am going to use it for.