Leica has also used Photokina to present a new digital SLR camera, system, the Leica S2.

 

September 23, 2008: Leica has also used Photokina to present a new digital SLR camera, system, the Leica S2.
Targeted at professional photographers, the new system concept is entitled ‘Made in Solms’ and centres on a new German-made camera with a 30 x 45 mm sensor and 37.5 megapixels. This sensor is 60% larger than a 35mm-sized imager yet the camera’s body claims to be smaller and more compact than competing products from other manufacturers. It also claims to be ‘nearly twice as fast thanks to ultra modern processor technology’. The S2’s LCD monitor is a 3-inch display with a resolution of 460,000 pixels. Little information is provided on the viewfinder beyond a comment that it ‘gives you a bright, clear picture and an integrated dioptre compensation makes working with the camera even more pleasant’.

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Leica-S2-front

Front view of the Leica S2.

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Leica-S2-back

Back view.

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Leica-S2-top

Top view.
An innovative dual shutter system is a feature of the new camera. The built-in focal plane shutter supports shutter speeds up to 1/4000 second while all S-series lenses have internal shutters that allow flash synch in any lighting mode. Either shutter can be used with an S-series lens. The S2 utilises the speed and power of a new MAESTRO dual image processor, which can save images in both DNG.RAW and JPEG formats. The new processor also claims to ‘set new standards in shooting speed, access to storage media, data transfer rate and low energy use’.
The precise autofocusing system claims to be fast and accurate. Manual focusing is also supported and an electronic sharpness alert enables users to ensure critical areas are sharply resolved. The S2 also features a high-contrast full colour OLED data display that is readable in bright sunlight. Both camera and lenses come with extensive dust-and water-proof protection. Dual media slots are provided for CF and SD/SDHC memory cards.

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Leica-S-system

The Leica S2 camera with some of the system lenses.
Full specifications of the S2 camera have not been published and the illustrations provided on Leica’s website to date are difficult to discern (as shown above). No details have been provided on a possible release date or pricing. For more information, visit http://en.leica-camera.com/home/.