Ladies and gentlemen, please disengage your budget conscience for this post, as hearing things like "the Leica S2 seems to be quite the happy medium" when discussing a camera that costs
north of $31,000 (body only!) will never make much sense otherwise. Matthew Harrison, aka
The Leica Guy, has gotten his hands on what he calls the first commercially available S2-P and performed a loving unboxing and preview of the luxurious shooter. With a 56 percent larger sensor than the
stellar Canon 5D Mark II (stretching all the way to 37 megapixels), fully weather-sealed casing, sapphire glass monitor screen, and Platinum Service for the discerning photographer, the S2 certainly has a spec sheet to match its price. Matthew's impressions only confirm the supremacy of this beast, and you can hit up his site below for sample pictures. Don't forget the video unboxing after the break, which includes (at 3:53) something that might cause real distress to bona fide DSLR junkies -- you've been warned.
posted January 4th 2010 8:52AM
it would be way more impressive if the chicks were naked.
ummmmm, naked chick unboxings.....
@Showbiz It would be more impressive if they kept the video camera in focus. Sheesh!
@Showbiz
That's a little gross, but the models WERE awesome...
@Showbiz Give it a few years.
@Showbiz I kind of have to agree, models were top, but video skills were some of the worst I have seen.
Judging by the low DOF, I am guessing he filmed this with his 5D. Let this be a lesson to all of you out there. Video on a DSLR makes horrible video if you do not know how to handle your DOF and exposure in a controlled manner. This guy, can not do that.
I hope he looked like a fool in front of those fine ladies...
That's one big box.
@thebline
oh. I thought that was on purpose. high-end-luxo-artsy-soho feel.
or maybe I've just been in nyc too long.
somebody, help me.
help me get out.
@aubreyq yeah, I can't believe someone who buys that kind of cam and lenses can make such a crappy video using a 5d and a 50mm 1.0 lens.... sad....
@Showbiz
Look what google brings up :)
http://www.myspace.com/mletherese
http://www.myspace.com/kitcat517
@Showbiz
There were chicks? I just saw DSLR porn.
@Showbiz
Sure the models were okay, if you like that flat-chested pasty-skinned 16 year-old type.
@AbeFroman
I do (being 18)
@c w j I'm inclined to think that was done very much on purpose as well. He used a 50mm F1.0 lens to shoot HD. I'm not really in the know about on Canon's lenses, but I have shot HD with a Nikkor 50mm F1.2 with manual focus. If the Canon was manual focus, I would wager that the videographer was aware of the DOF and exposure issues that would arise when shooting video, wide open, and that was precisely why the lens was chosen.
@Showbiz
...or attractive
31k, seriously?
@Nimbuz ... yes.
When they announced it people were going crazy as well.
But this isn't a regular DSLR, it's more like a medium format (like hasselblad, etc.) in a DSLR form factor.
The price in that category of products isn't overly expensive, and we are talking about a Leica here. They are always more expensive, whether the price is justified or not.
@Nimbuz
ah, $31000... not so bad really, thats only £19,000 in real (valuable) money. Doesn't sound so bad then.
But um, yes, thats quite a lot for a camera.
Gingers...scare me!
@Andr Gingers?
@capwkidd Just a joke. Gingers are redheads.
@Andr Those aren't gingers. They're just dirty blond white girls. Gingers have red hair and freckles.
@(Unverified) I see pale skin and redish hair. They're gingers.
@ImSpartacus Hybrids
@Dapke36 Daywalkers.
People that do "unboxing videos" should all get Super AIDS and die.
Fracken consumer whores.
I don't get what's supposed to cause 'distress'
@(Unverified)
Yeah I mean she wasn't super gentle but its not like she was any where near rough enough to cause ANY damage?
@(Unverified) The body - and sensor - were facing up, exposed to dust which travels in a downward direction...
@Federaly The body was on the table with sensor pointing upwards with no cover on = anything can freely drop in.
@crappish Seems like the mirror is down, so shouldn't really be a problem..
@(Unverified) Professionals that would be using a camera like this don't worry about dust when changing lenses. You don't have time to worry about it.
@rsmith4321
a pro would set it on it's base if need be,
but I'd think a pro would be more likely to have it on a strap or in-hand while changing anyway.
For me it was seeing the camera flat on its back on the table, the lens go in, and watching the "errck" as the camera was dragged a few cm across the table as the girl locked the lens into position.
Will someone please spoil the surprise at 3:53? I'm not interested enough to watch the whole video.
@tonicboy Just go to that point in the video.... duh
@Jacob Apple Geek - You have to download the whole video before you can jump to that point... duh. Not all of us have fast broadband, but thanks for rubbing my nose in it.
@tonicboy No you don't need to wait for it to load entirely.
@tonicboy: someone without broadband that's reading engadget? O.O
Ah crap! They left the sensor pointing up to have junk and dust fall into it!!!! Noooooo
camera looks nice, how about some outdoor untouched raw sample photos for us to look at now?
My Canon 400d 10.1mp with 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 sigma lens is crying right now! The camera looks so tall, must be hard to hold surely?
That video was very blurry at standard res; but I notice there is an HD version? High res blurry cam...?
And the 3.53 moment wasn't particularly disturbing - though the girls will probably have to clean the lens glass after? I thought she was going to drop it or something...
the constant in and out of focus started to give me a head ache.
that camera looks huge.
The price tag includes the girls, right?
@Cydoniac
Yeah, and a Ford Mondeo as a casing for the camera.
@Cydoniac I'd settle for a pelican case to be included. They can keep the lame girls.
@Cydoniac
Only if they can properly point up something other than camera sensor at 3:53...
Why all the expensive cameras look so ugly these days?
@Mark Free
We must be looking at different cameras.
@Luke
Or maybe, just maybe, someone doesn't have a sense of beauty.
@Mark Free: for what it is and the category it's in, it's a thing a beauty. This isn't your Kodak 10mp party point-and-shoot... models don't care if your camera comes in red and slips into your pocket.