in late 2008, Leica unveiled a new digital camera system - the “Leica S”
based upon a 30x45mm 3:2 sensor size (56% larger than 35mm full frame = 0.8x crop factor compared with 35mm), it is designed for autofocus and dual shutter types (in-body metal focal plane shutter for fast lenses and fastest shutter being 1/4000th sec with flash sync of 1/125th sec, and in-lens leaf shutters with speeds 8sec-1/1000th sec and fast flash sync up to 1/500th sec).
Leica-S bayonet lens mount
Leica also have made adapters for the following lenses to be adapted to this system:
Hasselblad H series lenses with full aperture and AF functionality and lens profiling while their leaf shutters can be used to shutter speeds of 1/750th sec
like all medium format cameras, one will not achieve shallower depth of field (DOF) on these cameras than one could get on a full frame 35mm system as 35mm offers wider aperture lenses
camera bodies
Leica S3
announced Sept 2018 due early 2019 but only available March 2020
64mp 30 x 45mm Leica ProFormat CMOS sensor, 15EV dynamic range
Leica Maestro II processor with 2Gb buffer; one SDXC card slot and one CF card slot
“large and bright SLR viewfinder,” 3 fps burst shooting for 6 x RAW shots
4K 24p Cine video
1080HD 30p
$US18,995
Leica S 2012 model
improved 37.5mp sensor with increased dynamic range and extended ISO (now 100-1600)
internal buffer 2Gb giving burst of 32 RAW
GPS built-in
new LCD screen with twice the resolution of the S2
new viewfinder display
electronic level
rear joystick
Leica S2
37.5mp 16bit Kodak CCD sensor with ISO to 1,250 and 1.5fps burst rate
centrally positioned cross-hair sensor for high precision focusing
typical Leica minimalistic design body
replaceable focusing screens - optional grid vs split image designs
12 stops dynamic range
no low pass filter
internal buffer 1Gb
DNG (75Mb) and jpeg format
CF and SD cards
460K 3“ LCD screen
flash fully compatible with LEICA SF 58 and devices with SCA3002 adapters
TTL HSS flash to 1/4000th sec
weatherproofed body, 160 x 120 x 80 mm/6.29 x 4.72 x 3.15 in and 1410 g/49.73 oz (including battery)
CS indicates the lens is also available in a leaf shutter “Central Shutter” version which weigh 150g more and sell for ~$1,000 more than the non-leaf version
Leica Super-Elmar-S 24 mm f/3.5 ASPH
Leica Vario-Elmar-S 30–90 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
Leica Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 ASPH (CS)
comparison in 35mm full frame in DOF and FOV terms = 28mm f/2.0
$US5300
Leica Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH (CS)
comparison in 35mm full frame in DOF and FOV terms = 56mm f/2.0