Today the Buy-n-Shoot team was given a rare opportunity to preview the S2: Leica’s $36,499.00, 37.5 megapixel DSLR/medium format hybrid currently unreleased in Australia.

We were granted permission to have an initial hands-on preview with the pre-production model before it hits the market in late September and were certainly impressed with what we saw.

Initially, the S2’s DSLR-like appearance denies its medium format camera capabilities. At first glance you wouldn’t necessarily know that this stylishly meaty unit is fitted with a 30x45mm CCD sensor featuring a 3:2 aspect ratio, the ability to shoot some 1.5 images a second whilst still at maximum resolution and to repeat, 37.5 megapixels of resolution.

The S2 body as a whole is delightfully minimalist. The back is fitted with just four soft-touch control buttons, a three-option toggle switch, a small AF lock button, and a horizontal control wheel that cleverly doubles as the main selection button.

A generously sized external circular eye piece steers away from the more commonly used rectangular design although proving equally, if not more, comfortable.

The OLED information display resting on the top of the S2 is large enough to present relevant shooting information (aperture, shutter speed, shooting mode etc.) and does so according to colour codes for instant recognition.

The unit as a whole is cleanly designed with a smooth black finish that offers ample grip, all-weather sealing against water splash and dust, and an ergonomically friendly hand-hold to help support the 1410g weight of the body (without lens).

Buy-n-Shoot previewed the S2 with one of the four S lenses existing: the 70mm F2.5. Also available will be the 35mm F2.5, the 120mm F2.5, and the 180mm F3.5 lens with either focal plane or central shutter mechanism (the latter not available until December.)

In terms of image quality, the S2 seems as though it would sit fairly comfortably in the medium format class however, unlike competing brands in that market, it has the appearance and relative portability of a DSLR. No longer then, would a traditional medium format photographer necessarily be confined to studio-type situations if they opted to shoot with the more manageable S2, which is capable of syncing at up to 1/500th second and comes nicely bundled with Adobe Lightroom via a download.

Leica is marketing this unit as a camera in a class of its own and indeed, on initial preview it certainly seems to be the case. While technically the S2 is a DSLR, in reality it is far more than that and will undeniably deliver for those serious commercial photographers who can afford the justifiable investment.