Leica SL
The new Leica SL certainly
has been met with praise, but also with a lot of criticism, some of which is
questioning the sensor resolution of “only” 24 MP. It certainly should have been possible to go
to a higher resolution. But is it worth
the effort? We must not forget that in
order to increase resolution of any sensor, it is necessary to decrease the
size of the individual pixels. That
would increase overall resolution, but it would also mean lower sensitivity, decreased low light performance, slower shoot-to-shoot time, just to mention a few.
Leica SL, Leica Q, Leica M
While there are some minor
differences, the sensors of the Leica SL, the Leica Q and the Leica M 240 utilize
essentially the same technology. That is
also true with the larger sensor in the Leica S Type 007.
A while ago David Farkas of
the Leica Store Miami wrote a very informative article about this very
subject. While his touched only on the
sensor in the Leica S, the same essentially holds true for the current Leica full frame sensors as well. David Farcas
wrote:
WHY LEICA IS STAYING AT 37.5MP FOR THE S (TYP 007)
Since Photokina, I’ve read
some comments online expressing disappointment in Leica’s decision to use the
same 37.5MP resolution of the current S (Typ 006) in the upcoming .S (Typ 007)
I’m not surprised. Indeed, as a long time S-System user myself, I can’t say
that my initial reaction wasn’t similar. I too wondered why there was no
resolution bump. But, unlike the average S-System user, I have a certain
advantage and a somewhat unique perspective that most don’t. I’ve had a few
hours of one-on-one time during Photokina with key individuals at Leica
responsible for developing the product. And believe me, I am grateful for the
continuing opportunities that my close relationship with Leica has allowed for
over the years. Besides speaking with the head of professional imaging Stephan
Schulz and S 007 product manager Toni Felsner at some length in Cologne, I also
had a very informative chat with Dr. Volker Zimmer, the head of R&D at
Leica. In each of my conversations, I pretty much led off with, “So, why only 37.5?”
And, to the casual observer, the reactions and responses to such a direct
question that I received might be surprising. Instead of the defensiveness that
one might expect, I was greeted with knowing smiles and articulate reasons
surrounding the decision.
Before even delving into
Leica’s strategy, we, as users, have to really ask if this resolution is
holding us back. Some might say, “Yes, absolutely. More is always better.” And
perhaps others would reason, “No, the resolution is fine, but I’d really like
live view and higher ISO.” As for myself, I’ve been shooting with the S2 and
then S 006 since before the S2 was even in production. I have made
eye-poppingly good 30×40 inch prints myself and have seen beautiful fine art
prints 5 x 7 feet printed from single S2 files hanging in our gallery at Leica Store Miami from photographer EJ Camp.
Stephan’s take on the matter
was that he doesn’t think that users’ real issue is about actually needing more
pixels. The difference between 40 and 50 MP is roughly a 10-15% increase in
linear resolution, hardly earth shattering. He feels strongly that for there to
be a noticeable increase in image quality, the jump would have to be more
significant, say from 40 to 60 or possibly even to 70 MP. He believes the
underlying concern is that users of a system want to feel theirs is the most
advanced, the most future-proof. By
staying at 37.5 MP while the competition is all going to 50 MP, Stephan thinks
that the concern of some Leica S users is that somehow their camera is
outclassed, or worse, outdated. I thought for a moment about this then ran a
quick list of features in my head, innovations and advantages of the S 007 vs.
the competition.
I thought in general about
all S camera bodies, including the current S 006:
Smallest, lightest, most
ergonomic body
Completely weather and dust
sealed on body and lenses
Brightest, most color neutral
viewfinder
Virtual horizon display in
viewfinder
Dual shutter system (even
with Hasselblad HC/HCD lenses)
Least mirror vibration
Best lenses (no one seems to
argue this one)
Longest battery life with
shot counts measured in thousands
Fastest AF system (with
latest firmware)
Best focus tracking for
moving subjects (with latest firmware)
Only system with built-in GPS
for geotagging and auto time/date/time zone setting
Most integrated system with
such features as aperture shift compensation in AF
Only system designed 100%
from the ground-up as a complete digital imaging chain
Ability to use Hasselblad
HC/HCD lenses with full AF, aperture and shutter control via adapter
Ability to use Contax lenses
with full AF and aperture control via adapter
Then, I added all the unique
features from the upcoming S 007:
Fastest frame rate / fastest
sustained frame rate (3.5 fps)
Fastest shot-to-shot time
What promises to be best high
ISO performance in MFD
Most advanced sensor design
(I’ll get to this one in a minute)
Magnified live view anywhere
in image
Focus peaking on screen
Only system with live view
contrast detect AF anywhere in the image
Only system with spot
metering anywhere in image during live view
60 fps refresh rate on live
view for seamless output
Full Wi-Fi control from iPad
with 60 fps streaming live view, capture and image review
Backup mode for dual card
recording and recording to card while tethered
Live readout for DOF range
Only MFD system with 4K video
Only MFD system with built-in
timecode generator and ability to receive external timecode via adapter
Full sensor width HD
recording
Clean FullHD HDMI out with
simultaneous recording to card
4:2:2 video encoding
That’s a pretty long list.
And when you actually take a
step back and look at this list, we aren’t talking about useless features like
creative modes or color-pop or whatever from consumer cameras. Remember Leica’s
mantra these days: Das Wesentliche, the Essentials. Every single feature on the
S 007 was born as a result of actual customer requests and in-depth study of
where the needs of photographers is going. The days of Leica trailing behind
and playing catch-up are over. In more than one conversation, I heard how
counterparts from other camera companies (yes, big ones too) paid the Leica stand
some visits during the show. They admitted that they wanted to take a closer
look because Leica has garnered a reputation in the industry of being a
trend-setter and innovator, essentially predicting what photographers want
before they, the potential customers, realize it. And it wasn’t lost on these
same individuals that to say such a thing about Leica just a few years ago
would have gotten you laughed out of the room. The funny thing is, Leica is
just staying true to Das Wesentliche. The product management team has become so
adept at something so basic and fundamental that it seems to get lost in the
race for more pixels, more buttons, more computerization, more, more, more.
Just make a product that represents absolute quality, both in terms of design and
construction, as well as in the image quality such a product is capable of
producing. Then, make that product simple to operate, elegant to look at, a
pleasure to hold and fun to use.
The bottom line is that that
S is far from outdated. But, what about that sensor….?
The S 007 will be getting the
same MAX CMOS sensor architecture as that used in the M 240. By utilizing the
same architecture, they didn’t have to reinvent the digital wheel. Dr. Zimmer
and his team already knew how to handle the data coming off the chip and work
the files to maximize image quality and speed, while minimizing noise. And with
the supercharged Maestro II processor at the heart of the S 007, image quality
from the same sensor is taken even farther with new hard-wired noise reduction
and image processing algorithms. The 7,500 A/D converters are all humming along
with 14-bit precision and the camera can still maintain a record-setting 3.5
fps, three times faster than a Phase One or Hasselblad system. Frame rate won’t
be the only noticeable difference in speed. The JPG engine in the Maestro II
can churn through DNG files at a blistering rate of 320 megapixels per second.
So, when you want to zoom in to 100% to check focus on the LCD, the files are
rendered on the fly, in real-time. The S 006 is already incredibly fast at 160
MP/s. The S 007 ought to be instantaneous.
Leica MAX CMOS sensor
When talking about imaging
sensors, there is a crucial element that doesn’t get much discussion: the
finest structure possible in fabrication. Structures can be microscopically
small wires that carry signals from the photo diodes, the transistors required to
be placed next to every photosite, or any other printed circuitry. So, how
small are we talking? Well, Canon, for their sensors, can produce structures as
small as 0.35 microns. Not bad. Sony is a little more advanced. They can go
down to 0.18 microns. Pretty good. The fabrication process at STMicro, where
the Leica MAX sensor is made: 0.09 microns. Yeah, that’s not a typo. In fact,
when creating the specifications for the sensor, the team at Leica demanded
that the structure sizes be kept as small as technically possible. Dr. Zimmer
explained this to me in more detail.
The first goal was to keep
the non-photosensitive areas to an absolute minimum in order to maximize photon
efficiency. This in turn, helps to maximize dynamic range and increase base ISO
sensitivity. Basically, if less of the surface of the sensor is taken up by
supporting electronics overhead, then more surface area can be used to collect
incoming light.
Diagram of the surface of a
sensor. If structures can be made smaller, the non-photosensitive areas can be
minimized to allow for more surface area dedicated to light gathering.
Dr. Zimmer estimates that the
sensor in the S will have a SNR of around 79 dB, which will probably translate
into somewhere between 13 and 14 stops of usable DR. The second goal was to
achieve the thinnest CMOS sensor ever developed so that the pixel wells were as
shallow as they could be. There are multiple layers to a sensor and by making
each one of these slimmer the cumulative result is significant. Why is this
important? Well, when light enters a shallower pixel well it is less likely to
bounce off the edges on the way down to the photodiode.
Standard CMOS sensor – deep pixel wells with
shallow microlenses and smaller photodiodes
Leica MAX CMOS sensor –
shallow pixel wells with tall microlenses and larger photodiodes
Some of the technology that
went into the sensor came from CMOSIS’s experience in making 1.75 micron mobile
phone camera chips and using extremely fine structures to maximize the already
small photosensitive areas on those tiny sensors. One such tactic was utilizing
copper to construct the conductive pathways (wires) in the sensor. Most often,
aluminum is the chosen material, as the process for using copper is more
complex. But, because copper has a much lower electrical resistance, conducting
layers with half the thickness could be used. And to minimize thickness,
instead of having four metal layers for the conductors typically employed on
CMOS sensors, only two were necessary on the MAX CMOS chip.
Leica also designed an
optical microlens structure unlike any used previously. Leave it to an
optics-driven company to rethink the classic flat-raindrop structure used for
so many years. The Leica design is more of an elongated cone. Light entering
perpendicularly passes straight through, and light coming in at a high angle of
incidence gets caught by the taller lens and directs it down. The result is
that there is no sensor vignetting, no color shifts and no loss of sharpness in
the corners. It’s easy to put this theory to the test. Take a Leica 18mm Super
Elmar-M ASPH lens. Put it on the M 240 and take a shot. Then, mount the same
lens on a Sony A7r. Yeah…. Oh and just to see that the advantage isn’t only at
extremes, try a 35mm Summilux ASPH next. The Sony sensor in the A7r just isn’t
adept at handling non-retrofocus lenses, with non-telecentric designs.
The result of all these
efforts is that the S 007 should prove to be the most advanced and capable
medium format digital system on the market. Cutting edge, from optics to camera
body to sensor architecture, the S will be far from outdated. So, what about
those needing more pixels? Here’s the math: going from 40 to 50 MP would only
yield an additional 2.6 linear inches of print resolution at 300 DPI. That’s
it. So, as a photographer, I ask myself whether I’d rather have that long list
of advantages and features that can expand my photographic possibilities, or
whether I want to print two inches wider. I think the answer is clear, at least
for me, and I do hope that others can look beyond mere megapixels to see what
the S 007 will have to offer.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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