Kitu hicho WAPIGANAJI

Leica pulled off the biggest surprise at this year's Photokina international trade show with the launch of a new 37.5 million pixel resolution camera - the S2. Olivier Laurent was given details in advance of the official announcement Leica has launched an entirely new digital camera system destined to bridge the gap between more versatile professional digital SLRs and medium-format high resolution models.

The S2, which has a 37.5 million pixel resolution, is the first of many future models that will form part of the S system. The first device sports a 30x45mm CCD sensor, which is 56% bigger than a typical 35mm sensor. It was developed by Kodak, which has been working with Leica since it introduced its first digital rangefinder, the M8, and the Modul-R digital back for the R system.

The camera incorporates a new dual shutter system with in-body focal-plane shutter for fast lenses, and in-lens leaf shutters for high flash sync speeds. It also sports a high-precision autofocusing system, and Leica's Maestro image processing system, claimed to deliver twice the speed of comparable medium-format backs. It's also said to reduce power consumption. The S2 has a one-point autofocus, which can be overridden at any time.

CHEKI BEI YAKE

The S2 will retail at around EUR20,000, and is aimed primarily at fashion and commercial photographers who want medium format quality combined with a DSLR's speed and versatility.