Leica highlights its customers' work, on a calendar and on the web

Leica has launched a website to showcase the work of users of its S2 medium-format DSLR. The S-League website allows users to show-off their work to an International audience and see what other users are doing with their equipment. Leica S users can also use the site to apply for a free loan of Leica S equipment. Meanwhile, the company has also announced it has created a 2012 calendar made up of images shot by photographers from the Magnum co-operative, using the M-9 rangefinder. The 16.5 x 28.3" calendar will feature six mono and six color images and will cost €45.

• S-League Press Release
• Magnum Calendar Press Release

Press Release

NEW ONLINE PORTAL FOR LEICA S PHOTOGRAPHERS

Solms, Germany (November 30, 2011) - In collaboration with Leica Camera AG, LFI Photographie GmbH presents a new online portal for the Leica S-System, www.S-League.net. The website illustrates the wide range of photographic opportunities covered by the Leica S-System and provides a platform for photographers to present work shot with the medium format Leica S-System to a broad international audience. In addition to viewing current advertising campaigns and editorial portfolios by prominent international photographers, visitors to the site can keep informed on the latest trends in commercial photography and explore S-Magazine, a new publication allowing professional photographers to freely publish contemporary photographic ideas.

Leica S photographers can submit their latest campaigns and editorials and also apply for a free loan of Leica S equipment on the website. An application for publishing work on www.S-League.net can be found in the ‘Apply & Take Part’ section.

About the Leica S2

The Leica S-System is a revolutionary digital camera concept to meet supreme professional requirements. With a resolution of 37.5 megapixels, the S2’s 30 x 45mm CCD sensor features an aspect ratio of 3:2 and an area nearly 60% larger than that of a traditional 35mm camera, resulting in stunning image quality. The S2’s full range of features includes autofocus, high-speed MAESTRO image processor, highly durable design and optimal size and ease-of-use for professional photographers.

Press Release

LEICA M-SYSTEM 2012 WALL CALENDAR SHOWCASES WORK OF INTERNATIONAL MAGNUM PHOTOGRAPHERS

Solms, Germany (November 30, 2011) - Leica Camera AG, in conjunction with Magnum Photos, presents the Leica M-System wall calendar for 2012. Titled ‘Past. Present. Future.,’ the calendar shares its name with the motto of the partnership between Magnum and Leica and contains six monochrome and six color images shot with Leica’s flagship M cameras by a selection of well-known Magnum photographers.

Each calendar image is accompanied by a few words from the photographer along with information about the camera used. The photographers selected include: Alex Majoli, Richard Kalvar, Bruno Barbey, Martine Franck, Paul Fusco, Alex Webb, Constantine Manos, Rene Burri, Mark Power and Elliott Erwitt. Each photographer is represented by at least one image and several contributed two. The result is a high-quality wall calendar with widely differing images that provide impressive insights into the world of photojournalism captured with the Leica rangefinder system.

The Leica M-System wall calendar in landscape format (approximately 16.5 x 28.3 in) will be available from the LFI online shop at www.lfi-online.de, Leica stores and Leica distributors beginning December 2011.

About the collaboration between Leica Camera AG and Magnum Photos:

In February 2011, Leica Camera AG and Magnum Photos signed a technological and photographic partnership agreement founded on the common history of these two world-famous photographic institutions that goes back almost one hundred years. New chapters in this story of long-standing dedication to the field of independent documentary photography will be written in a number of joint projects under the motto of ‘Past. Present. Future.’

Against this common background, a number of independently produced multimedia essays by Magnum photographers began production in Spring 2011 and will be presented online at www.leica-camera.com, www.lfi-online.de and www.magnumphotos.com. Additionally, the partnership provides an opportunity to gain knowledge and insight from the experience of Magnum photographers working in the field with the latest Leica equipment. The field reports from Magnum photographers will make a significant contribution to the comprehensive user requirements analyses already performed by Leica, assisting in the mutual aim of developing the Leica product portfolio to ensure that products continue to meet the needs of photographers around the world.

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Comments

Total comments: 33

By J Parker (Dec 6, 2011)

Leica obviously has its admirers -- and its critics. There are definitely many cameras that take comparable images at a fraction of the price. But how many of us who perceive Leica as being arrogant haven't turned up our own noses at people we feel use inferior equipment (i.e. those who use compacts instead of DSLRs)?

Ironically, Magnum Photographer Alex Majoli (who has used both Leicas and DSLRs) shot stories for Newsweek and National Geographic with neither -- he used a 5 megapixel compact that you could find on ebay today for about $100. It was with this point and shoot that he won both the U.S. National Press Photographers Association's Best of Photojournalism Magazine Photographer of the Year Award and the U.S. Overseas Press Club's Feature Photography Award.

Whether the camera costs $10,000 or $100 -- it's probably a good idea to develop our skills to the level where it doesn't matter which camera we choose.

0 upvotes

By Razgriz (Dec 8, 2011)

Absolutely bang on Mr Parker. It always made me wonder whether Picasso would have painted better if he used really expensive brushes....Don' t think so :)

0 upvotes

By harrisoncac (Dec 3, 2011)

What is this camera? Most stupid and retarded design. Garbage.

0 upvotes

By ThomasH_always (Dec 4, 2011)

A voice on an expert...
I just heard someone talking about Mozart's music in a similar way in spirit. He was the same kind of "an expert," in high culture that is.

Get a life folks, and stay away from Leica threads if you fail to comprehend the difference, and understand the economics of the market for this system.

3 upvotes

By Boomz (Dec 2, 2011)

This is such a joke! Comes across as something a little desperate. Leica should be paying $ to use these professional photographer's photos. Not the other way around.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

1 upvote

By Cineski2 (Dec 1, 2011)

Anybody find it funny that a bunch of photographers had to spend 30 grand to have Leica use their images for free advertising?

3 upvotes

By Just Ed (Dec 1, 2011)

Found the collection of photos to be boring advertising tripe.

0 upvotes

By Ashley Pomeroy (Dec 1, 2011)

Look, the price is ridiculous. I'm not paying €45 for a Leica calendar. €545, yes. That's more like it. But not €45.

I mean, ordinary people can afford that. I don't want to own something that *ordinary people* own.

On a more serious level, I recommend this thread, which will probably put you off Leica for life:
http://www.styleforum.net/t/262227/ordering-leica-mp/105

(in brief: man wants custom Leica MP with his name engraved on it - and the lightmeter removed, because that's not pure. This goes on for ten pages. Sample quote:

"I don't want "M. FAN" to be too close to "MADE IN GERMANY" because it would be less clear that they reference totally seperate things. As I have it set up, "MADE IN GERMANY" is aligned with edge of the back door and "M. FAN" is aligned with the vertical tangent of the viewfinder.")

3 upvotes

By M1963 (Dec 5, 2011)

Talk about being picky :)

0 upvotes

By ryansholl (Dec 1, 2011)

If dpr dropped the time it takes to post all their useless news items they might have time to do any of a number of long overdue camera reviews.

0 upvotes

By Ashley Pomeroy (Dec 1, 2011)

That's cruel. It's very important that we know there's a new version increment of Lightroom (for example). I remember, back in December 2009, learning from DPReview that version 2.6 was out - and then in May 2010 version 2.7, and ever since then I've been glued to DPReview in order to find out when 3.2 and 3.3 and 3.4 and 3.5 were coming out, etc.

I don't actually have Lightroom, and I'm sure if I *did* I'd just update the software automatically, but still.

1 upvote

By therussmeister (Dec 3, 2011)

I would be willing to bet that the people that find and post the news items are not the people doing the camera reviews and therefore forgoing "useless" news items would not speed up camera reviews one iota.

0 upvotes

By carokann (Dec 4, 2011)

+1

0 upvotes

By ryansholl (Dec 4, 2011)

Exactly. So can the news item poster and hire on another reviewer.

0 upvotes

By Superka (Dec 1, 2011)

Do somebody notice that Leica S2 is.... ugly

4 upvotes

By NigelMoore (Dec 4, 2011)

So are the Sony alphas, but that doesn't stop people taking beautiful photographs with them though.

2 upvotes

By M1963 (Dec 5, 2011)

That's a matter of taste. Personally, I'd take this design over any existent DSLR, but this is a MF camera with DSLR looks. Now go compare it with the Pentax 645 - let alone the behemoths from Mamyia and Hasselblad.

1 upvote

By munro harrap (Dec 1, 2011)

Surely they give them away to purchasers of their equipment !

The blurb is really inaccurate as Magnum was only set up in 1947, not a hundred years ago, and Leitz only statred into producing their own digital equipment a couple of years ago with the M8.

But like Nikon they do not make the sensors themselves.

2 upvotes

By Denys Finney (Dec 5, 2011)

Not true others make Nikon sensors to Nikon's specifications!!! I think Kodak or Dalsa make Leica's!!!!

0 upvotes

By HeezDeadJim (Dec 6, 2011)

And the server makes my sandwiches to my specifications (no cheese, extra mayo, medium rare) at restaurants!

Somehow that doesn't exactly mean Nikon has that much control over their sensors. You can make a request of what ever custom product/part you want, but that's entirely different from actually making it yourself.

0 upvotes

By Mr Fartleberry (Dec 1, 2011)

For a moment I thought the Magnum photogs were buying S2s thus depriving the 1% of their camera jewellery.

0 upvotes

By aris14 (Dec 1, 2011)

Well, at least they have the name and the products to support such an edition.
I hope they will produce a state of the art calendar in every aspect... pictures, aesthetics, layout, printing, endurance in time, case to keep it after its use. I've seen a lot of camera manufacturers calendars and some of them are uninspired and worse than a lot of massively produced calendars ....

0 upvotes

By Zvonimir Tosic (Dec 1, 2011)

How much is the version of the calendar with titanium nails in ostrich leather wallet included? :-)

Comment edited 28 seconds after posting

4 upvotes

By Debankur Mukherjee (Dec 1, 2011)

I have compared the Leica M9 with the Nikon D3s - I have found the D3s better in every respect.......Leica has become more of a fashion brand camera system for the rich and the famous........

2 upvotes

By Hugo808 (Dec 1, 2011)

Every respect except weight perhaps?

2 upvotes

By feraudy (Dec 1, 2011)

Yes, but what does this have to do with the S2????

1 upvote

By NigelMoore (Dec 4, 2011)

I've never used a rangefinder, but for those who appreciate it, that might be difference enough.

0 upvotes

By djec (Dec 1, 2011)

i would be very interested in purchasing said bargainous calender but sadly i'm not sure i will be able to afford the €15 nails to hang it up on my wall. and that's not to mention the €20 pen to write on it.

2 upvotes

By Superka (Nov 30, 2011)

I have a calendar 2012 made by 160Mpx GAOERSI camera!!! You have never heard?? Welcome to superka-photo.com !

0 upvotes

By feraudy (Dec 1, 2011)

I enjoyed your calendar and passed the link on.

1 upvote

By Superka (Dec 2, 2011)

Thank you :)

0 upvotes

By nitropizza (Nov 30, 2011)

who'm the hell is gonna buy one of these calendars???

1 upvote

By Superka (Nov 30, 2011)

Only Leica owners will :)

1 upvote

Total comments: 33