LEICA S-E / S2

A review of using the Leica S-E typ006 and S2 digital camera.

Gallery
Review
Circumstances Leading to Purchase
Specification
Option
Model History
Reference links
Update history
Affiliate

Gallery

Review

Impression
The body is huge, like holding a lunch box.
The shutter noise is not very loud, but you can feel the vibration of the huge mirror going up and down.
I use a Hasselblad lens with a lens shutter, but the camera’s metering is via a mirror, so when the shutter is released, the mirror is first raised and the lens shutter operates, so it is not so different from using a normal mechanical shutter. This is because it is impossible to use only the lens shutter like a mirrorless camera due to the metering system. I don’t think I would actively use the lens shutter except for strobe synchronization.
The shutter mode is changed by the position of the power button; selecting the power lever to CS (central shutter) uses the lens shutter, and selecting FPS (focal plane shutter) uses the body’s shutter.
When using the battery charger that comes standard with the camera, the charger terminal is inserted into the battery’s square recess, similar to the old DMR (Digital Module R).
The LEICA S is offered with a genuine mount adapter, and I purchased the 16030 Leica S Adapter H to mount my Hasselblad H lens.
The genuine adapter is very finely made and accepts the H lenses with great care.
There seems to be a firmware 2.5, but I can’t find it on the LEICA site. I saw that the firmware can only be obtained from the registered user, but it can be downloaded from the S3 normal web site, so maybe the policy has changed. I tried registering the Leica product but could not find the firmware.
I found a US download site that has firmware for S2/S typ006/S-E typ006/S typ007.

I will post the results of operating the H lenses I have immediately after arrival.
The HCD24mm is not on the list, but it worked normally.
The HC35mm is a FUJIFILM brand lens, but it worked fine.
As shown in the operation list, when extension tube H and teleconverter H x1.7 are used, the lens cannot be authenticated and does not work properly.

Lens name	AF	Shutter
HCD24mm	○	○	19.1
HCD28mm	○	○	19.1
HCD 35-90mm	○	○	19.1
HC35mm(Fuji version)	○	○	9.0
HC50mm-II	○	○	19.1
HC 50-110mm	△	△	10.0
HC80mm	○	○	10.0
HC100mm	○	○	19.1
HC120mm Macro-II	○	○	19.1
HC150mm	○	○	10.0
HC210mm	△	△	12.0
HC300mm	○	○	19.1

On the HASSELBLAD X series, only new lenses called Orange Dot can use AF, but on the LEICA-S series, AF operation is possible with older H lenses using the S-H mount adapter.
I was surprised that the HC120mmII, which in no way works except MF with the X series, is also AF capable.
Among the lenses I had on hand, the HC 50-110mm and the HC210 with the triangle mark were not AF-enabled and did not recognize the lens. I wondered if there was a problem with the lens, but found the following note on the National photo web site, which seems to apply to the third item.
I checked the firmware and it is not that old, so I think the AF motor in the lens is dead.

Requires latest camera body firmware upgrade.
The Hasselblad Tilt-Shift Adapter HTS 1.5 cannot be used.
There is a possibility of malfunction or non-recognition with Hassel HC lenses with older firmware.
FUJIFILM GX645 lenses are not supported. There is a possibility of malfunction or non-recognition.
We judge that the rangefinder eye-measuring is designed to be misaligned.

There are only a few websites in Japan that carry information on the Leica S series, and the amount of information is limited.
There are only a few personal websites and camera shop websites (see reference links).

Circumstances Leading to Purchase

I finally got my hands on an S series lens because I found an S-H mount adapter at a map store for 75% off, and since I have a complete set of H lenses, this adapter and a camera body would complete my system.
I couldn’t resist the temptation to use my H lenses on other platforms.
When using Hasselblad H lenses on other platforms, there are three options: the genuine X series, FUJIFILM GFX series, and LEICA-S. Although the GFX has a mechanical shutter, it is not so different from the X1D/X2D in terms of sensor, so it was not a candidate. I was not a candidate for the X1D/X2D.
After I bought the mount adapter, I looked for a used camera body on the used market and found a LEICA S-E in good condition. The gray color of the Leica E model is also my favorite, and I pressed the button while thinking of a way to make money. However, the LEICA S-E is the last model with a CCD sensor, and there is a risk of the sensor cover peeling off, so I had to think of a workaround if it actually peeled off.
I thought it would be no problem if the symptoms appeared after a few months of use, but I suspected the sensor was detached from the first day, and when I checked the surface of the sensor by mirroring it up, it was clearly detached. The body is gone.
The body was gone and only the HASSELBLAD mount adapter for the LEICA S remained in my possession.

I saw the S2 at a reasonable used price and bought it, but when I looked at it in the sensor cleaning mode, the sensor coat was in worse shape than the S-E. Moreover, I could see many marks from wiping by an amateur. I took a picture of a white wall to try it out, but the deteriorated sensor coat was too much to even go outdoors.
Recently, the mail-order industry is riddled with vendors who do not check their products at all, and I cannot buy a product unless I confirm the points of concern and get the assurance of a return. This time, too, I tried to buy the product after confirming it and was prepared to return it, but I lost. I was able to return it and get a refund, so I am happy with the result, but I don’t want to continue to gamble too much. If it was treated as junk from the beginning and was super cheap, I would be willing to try to peel off the coat.

Around 2021, there was a lot of discussion in the LEICA FORUM about sensor detachment. The information I gathered is as follows.

If the sensor has already been replaced, it should not delaminate. (According to an old post, it will be replaced with the same one as the original, so it will eventually delaminate over time.)
Leica customer will know if the sensor has been replaced and will tell you if you inquire.
In fact, Leica customer told me that they know if the sensor has been replaced on the body that is on sale.
According to the Leica customer, it is rare for the sensor to detach (although I think it’s a real possibility).
After the warranty period, the response to sensor detachment is a paid service and is handled at the amount of the window in each country.
Repairs should be looking at 400,000 yen or more.
Many people say it is recommended to use S2/S,S-E typ006 as a source and aim to replace it with S typ007

I see threads about whether it makes sense to use a 2009 camera in 2023, but I think there is meaning and value in using an older model if I am interested in it and can use it without problems.
As for Leica, the M series is in a cooling off period, the L series is in a mood to forgo it due to the T series disconnect and lack of progress since the SL2, and the S is something I’ve been wanting to use, but the sensor issue has left it in limbo.
I hope for a Leica model of the Pana S5II, but I feel that hope is slim as well.
Japanese cameras are more reliable and reassuring than Leica, but if you get used to unstable and inefficient cameras, you may end up feeling like you’re loving a bad child.

Specification

SLR camera with medium format digital sensor.
It is equipped with a CCD sensor made by KODAK.
As the name “reflex” suggests, it is equipped with a mirror in front of the shutter.
A lens shutter can be used, and with Leica and Hasselblad H lenses with shutters, you can use their shutters. Since the mirror is turned up when the picture is taken, the camera does not benefit much from the blur reduction provided by the lens shutter.

Items	S2	S/S-E(Typ006)	S(Typ007)	S3
Effective Pixels	3750	3750	3750	6400
Sensor type	CCD	CCD	CMOS	CMOS
storage media	CF/SDHC	CF/SDXC	CF/SDXC	CF/SDXC
Weight	1410	1260	1260	1260
Release date	2010	2012/2014	2015	2018

Options

16038 LEICA S adapter C
16024 LEICA S adapter V
16030 LEICA S adapter H
16026 LEICA S adapter P67
Metabones HV to L/S
Metabones P67 to L/S
16011 LEICA S system profecional battery charger S
16039 LEICA S Battery BP-PRO1
16000 Universal Screen
16001 Microprismatic screen
16002 Grid screen

Reference links

https://maenomeri.tokyo/leicas_living_1/
https://ichirophoto.org/category/leica/s/
http://photo.yodobashi.com/gear/leica/camera/s/index.html+

Update history

2022.02.28:First draft

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