Leica S1

300px S1 top - 300px S 1 -


S1 shown with S-Adapter-M 15310 and M-series lens
  • Code numbers - 10 600-Pro Version
  • Production era - 1996-2001
  • Variants - Per comment [5] #47
Model: S1
Period; 1996 - 1998 (serial numbers: 2286001 ? 2287500; total allocated: 1500)
Type; digital
Sensor: 3 channel, RGB trilinear CCD architecture (3 x 5200)
Sensor size: 36 x 36 mm
Resolution: 5200 x 5200, 36 bit color depth
File format: Photoshop formats
Finder: optical reflex finder
Lens: all Leica R and M lenses, many adapters for most other lens systems
Film speed (ISO); 50
Dynamic range: 1000 : 1; Dmax 3.3, 11 stops

Differences:

S1 Alpha
Resolution: 2570 x 2570, 42/48 bit
Sensor speed (ISO): 400 ? 1200 (with binning to 9600)
Dynamic range: 2000 : 1

S1 Pro
Resolution: 5140 x 5140, 42/48 bit
Sensor speed (ISO): 200 ? 600 (with binning to 4800)
Dynamic range: 2000 : 1

S1 High Speed
Resolution: 4000 x 4000, 42/48 bit
Sensor speed (ISO): 200 ? 400 (with binning to 1600)
Dynamic range: 1000 : 1; Dmax 3.0, 10 stops

  • S1 Pro 5140 x 5140 pixels 185 seconds scanning time
  • S1 High Speed 4000 x 4000 pixels 18 seconds scanning time
  • S1 Alpha 2750 x 2750 pixels 75 seconds scanning time
  • Designer - Burkard Kiesel 13 Mar 1997 (housing)

The Leica S1 as a prototype was announced at Photokina 1996, and improved upon significantly before the market launch in 1997.

Basically the S1 is a high-resolution scanner with a 3 channel, RGB trilinear CCD architecture (3 x 5200 pixels) made by Kodak. This type of scanner is typically used in variety of applications that include graphic art flatbed scanners; high-speed document scanners and copiers and studio photography camera backs. At first sight the S1 did not fit into the Leica world of 35mm photography and the product had a very low profile on the Leica stand. Leica cameras were however used in studios, graphical workshops, reproduction shops and museums where the slides, made with Leica cameras and lenses were scanned with drum scanners and prepared in a pre-press process for final output. The functional added-value of the Leica camera is limited to the quality of the slide and the quality of the lens. There is some logic in simplifying the process by skipping the slide as recording medium: it will speed up the process and with the excellent scanning software of Silverfast there is no quality loss in the final stage. The implicit strategy of Leica might be that the S1, using preferably the R-lenses, could boost the sales of these lenses and stem the advances of digital backs attached to medium format cameras. The S1 could be used with a multitude of lens adapters, including a tilt-and-shift adapters.

The careful profiling of the S1 in the prepress and high-end scanning workflow did not jeopardize the role and significance of the M- and R-systems of 35mm photography, but added an area of expertise to the Leica portfolio that did not exist before. The strategy to move into areas where the competition is not a critical factor has also been adopted for the introduction of the S2.

The S1 was quickly updated in 2008 with three new models that covered a wider spectrum of applications to become more competitive in the emerging market of digital reflex cameras from Kodak, Canon and Nikon and the manufacturers of digital backs. The performance of the S1 is beyond any doubt, but the selling price was very high, the support by Leica limited, some teething problems dented the reputation of the company/product and Leica itself did obviously not believe in the product. Only 146 units have reportedly been sold. The parameters of the S1 (pixel pitch 7 micron, 5200 x 5200 pixels) have now been been equalled by the S2.

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