jszokoli
Well-known
Looks like the SL2 has landed...
https://us.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-SL/Leica-SL2
https://us.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-SL/Leica-SL2
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Joe,
I'm going on a "Camera Vacation" this Thursday. The Leica Store in SoHo is hosting a SL2 Launch Workshop/event.
On a first come first serve basis multiple SL2's will be on hand for a photowalk beginning at 11:00 AM. A driver's license and credit card are required as collateral.
One has to supply their own SD cards. I already bought a pair of 128 GB Type 2 SD cards that cost $199.98 each. Ouch.
From 3-6 PM is a Photoshoot that involves live models.
At 6:30-7:30 PM there will be an artist talk.
The day ends with a reception and party from 7:30-9:00 PM.
"Maggie" gifted me $2K to buy a SL2, and I'm on the VIP list for a SL2. They say at the Leica Store they get 3-4 SL2's delivered every week, and I was directed to call every work day in the late afternoon to check in on deliveries.
Since I already own a SL I intend on keeping it as I also own the APO 35 Cron and 50 Lux-L. This leather padded bookbag can fit two rigged cameras as my kit.
I might have a SL2 at the December NYC Meet-Up. Of course I'll bring the SL2 if I have it. I already handled the display SL2 at the Leica Store rigged with an APO 75 Cron.
I scrolled through the menus, and all I can say is that Leica really has advanced things. The Maestro III processor is crazy fast, and the layout and ergonomics are really advanced when compared with my now 4 year old SL. I am deeply impressed.
Cal
I'm going on a "Camera Vacation" this Thursday. The Leica Store in SoHo is hosting a SL2 Launch Workshop/event.
On a first come first serve basis multiple SL2's will be on hand for a photowalk beginning at 11:00 AM. A driver's license and credit card are required as collateral.
One has to supply their own SD cards. I already bought a pair of 128 GB Type 2 SD cards that cost $199.98 each. Ouch.
From 3-6 PM is a Photoshoot that involves live models.
At 6:30-7:30 PM there will be an artist talk.
The day ends with a reception and party from 7:30-9:00 PM.
"Maggie" gifted me $2K to buy a SL2, and I'm on the VIP list for a SL2. They say at the Leica Store they get 3-4 SL2's delivered every week, and I was directed to call every work day in the late afternoon to check in on deliveries.
Since I already own a SL I intend on keeping it as I also own the APO 35 Cron and 50 Lux-L. This leather padded bookbag can fit two rigged cameras as my kit.
I might have a SL2 at the December NYC Meet-Up. Of course I'll bring the SL2 if I have it. I already handled the display SL2 at the Leica Store rigged with an APO 75 Cron.
I scrolled through the menus, and all I can say is that Leica really has advanced things. The Maestro III processor is crazy fast, and the layout and ergonomics are really advanced when compared with my now 4 year old SL. I am deeply impressed.
Cal
icebear
Mentor
Hi Cal,
lucky you, I'd be joining the fun if I was still around in the area...
You know what the 75APO 'cron M can do on the MM
Have fun and enjoy the shoot.
lucky you, I'd be joining the fun if I was still around in the area...
You know what the 75APO 'cron M can do on the MM
Have fun and enjoy the shoot.
Huss
Mentor
The thing that is fantastic about digi Leicas are their menus. Why cant other mfgs emulate that?
raid
Dad Photographer
Good for you Cal. Let us know how you do with the SL2 as compared with your SL.
giganova
Well-known
I was a confirmed participant for the same event at the Leica store in DC and then I ended up not going because I had too much work
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I have been waiting for the SL2 for the past 3 years. I'm really excited about tomorrow. In my 15 minutes of handling a display model I was really amazed by the increase in speed. That Maestro III processor is something.
I could also tell that the AF is also speedier. The rear display and the VF'er are also even better than my SL.
On my tour of Europe recently I did mucho shooting in Strausbourg, France in a Christmas market at night. I used the 50 Lux-L at F1.4 and 800 ISO. Pretty much used my skills being an old film available light guy.
The SL2 with IBIS I'm pretty sure will be deadly for a new body of work "NYC at night."
Cal
I could also tell that the AF is also speedier. The rear display and the VF'er are also even better than my SL.
On my tour of Europe recently I did mucho shooting in Strausbourg, France in a Christmas market at night. I used the 50 Lux-L at F1.4 and 800 ISO. Pretty much used my skills being an old film available light guy.
The SL2 with IBIS I'm pretty sure will be deadly for a new body of work "NYC at night."
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
The feel of a SL2 is smaller and lighter than my SL. 15 SL2's were available, and I mounted my own 50 Lux-L and used my own battery from my SL.
I bought a pair of 128 GB Type II SD cards that cost $199.98 each at B&H. Ouch.
The Maestro III processor is twice as fast as the Maestro II processor used in my SL and the M10. The AF is faster and has sped up, is not twice as fast, but is notably faster.
BTW the 50 Lux is known to have a sluggish AF and is likely the slowest AF lens that Leica makes. The 50 APO Cron is much faster in this regard, but for those of us that like F1.4 and the smoother OOF and better bokeh the 50 Lux is the better lens.
I mounted my Noct-Nikkor with a stack of adapters. I use the Leica M-L along with a Novaflex and somehow I am able to gain acess to the Leica lens profiles. For the Noct-Nikkor I use the F1.2 Noctilux profile.
Know that my friend J. in Basel lent me his F1.2 Noctilux. It has wonderful rendering. J. also owns a Noct-Nikkor and he says the Noct-Nikkor is sharper than the F1.2 Noctilux. I also got to shoot a double AA 35 Lux when on vacation in Basel.
I used about half a battery taking about 250 shots in bitter cold weather. It seems the battery consumption is a bit overblown from the review I read. John Kreider, the Technical Rep, took out a second group on a photo walk through Greenwich Village, too about 500 shots over 3 1/2- 4 hours, all on one battery. Of course he carried a spare.
So not the battery hog as stated in the one review.
I can say the VF'er and rear display are even better than my SL. Everything seems to be much higher resolution. Downloaded and viewed on my EIZO I could see added detail, texture, and added sharpness.
For those that say or once believed that big prints are required to see or use the added resolution, I would think again. My EIZO does not lie, and I see a difference on my calibrated monitor. Know this is likely due to IBIS as the shots were taken with my own lens that I have owned a number of years.
With the Noct-Nikkor indoors in the Leica Store I slightly overexposed Craig the Leica Store Manager who is a black man. The shutter speed was 1/13 second (auto mode) from about 10 feet away. IBIS made it like a tripod shot, but there was some motion blur from his breathing in his face. The wool sweater he was wearing showed sharp texture. Of course shot at F1.2 for shallow DOF.
This was a great workshop. There was a demo with a live model and they had a SL2 tethered into Lightroom. The smut was that this was better than creating TIFFS into Capture One because with Lightroom you are importing DNG RAW. Hmmm...
There was a pretty inspirational Artist Talk. Pretty much an adventurer who has visited both the North and South Poles, Patagonia, and even wore a spacesuit to fly in a U2 Spy plane. Formerly Mike was an aviator in the U.S. Navy.
My out take the SL2 is a great camera for shooting MF lenses wide open, something I surely will be doing much more of. The movable patch for zooming in and metering now does not center itself after exposure making it much easier and faster to bracket shots.
My SL recenters this patch and slows down the process making me have to recompose everything all over again to bracket the focus. My hope is that in the future Leica adds this feature to the next SL firmware upgrade.
For me there are three reasons to get a SL2: one is the speed; two is the improved ergonomics and even more elegant menu; and lastly IBIS.
Really the extra resolution from the 47.3 MP is just a bonus. I do see added resolution, but I believe it is really IBIS. Imagine the added resolution as if you took the shot with a tripod.
Know that my Noct-Nikkor and 50 Lux-R "E60" have a bonus value on a SL2. Also that Mike the photographer who presented a talk loves shooting a Noctilux wide open during the day. He cites that the electronic VF'er along with the zoom-in for magnification beats any optical VF'er. I agree.
Cal
I bought a pair of 128 GB Type II SD cards that cost $199.98 each at B&H. Ouch.
The Maestro III processor is twice as fast as the Maestro II processor used in my SL and the M10. The AF is faster and has sped up, is not twice as fast, but is notably faster.
BTW the 50 Lux is known to have a sluggish AF and is likely the slowest AF lens that Leica makes. The 50 APO Cron is much faster in this regard, but for those of us that like F1.4 and the smoother OOF and better bokeh the 50 Lux is the better lens.
I mounted my Noct-Nikkor with a stack of adapters. I use the Leica M-L along with a Novaflex and somehow I am able to gain acess to the Leica lens profiles. For the Noct-Nikkor I use the F1.2 Noctilux profile.
Know that my friend J. in Basel lent me his F1.2 Noctilux. It has wonderful rendering. J. also owns a Noct-Nikkor and he says the Noct-Nikkor is sharper than the F1.2 Noctilux. I also got to shoot a double AA 35 Lux when on vacation in Basel.
I used about half a battery taking about 250 shots in bitter cold weather. It seems the battery consumption is a bit overblown from the review I read. John Kreider, the Technical Rep, took out a second group on a photo walk through Greenwich Village, too about 500 shots over 3 1/2- 4 hours, all on one battery. Of course he carried a spare.
So not the battery hog as stated in the one review.
I can say the VF'er and rear display are even better than my SL. Everything seems to be much higher resolution. Downloaded and viewed on my EIZO I could see added detail, texture, and added sharpness.
For those that say or once believed that big prints are required to see or use the added resolution, I would think again. My EIZO does not lie, and I see a difference on my calibrated monitor. Know this is likely due to IBIS as the shots were taken with my own lens that I have owned a number of years.
With the Noct-Nikkor indoors in the Leica Store I slightly overexposed Craig the Leica Store Manager who is a black man. The shutter speed was 1/13 second (auto mode) from about 10 feet away. IBIS made it like a tripod shot, but there was some motion blur from his breathing in his face. The wool sweater he was wearing showed sharp texture. Of course shot at F1.2 for shallow DOF.
This was a great workshop. There was a demo with a live model and they had a SL2 tethered into Lightroom. The smut was that this was better than creating TIFFS into Capture One because with Lightroom you are importing DNG RAW. Hmmm...
There was a pretty inspirational Artist Talk. Pretty much an adventurer who has visited both the North and South Poles, Patagonia, and even wore a spacesuit to fly in a U2 Spy plane. Formerly Mike was an aviator in the U.S. Navy.
My out take the SL2 is a great camera for shooting MF lenses wide open, something I surely will be doing much more of. The movable patch for zooming in and metering now does not center itself after exposure making it much easier and faster to bracket shots.
My SL recenters this patch and slows down the process making me have to recompose everything all over again to bracket the focus. My hope is that in the future Leica adds this feature to the next SL firmware upgrade.
For me there are three reasons to get a SL2: one is the speed; two is the improved ergonomics and even more elegant menu; and lastly IBIS.
Really the extra resolution from the 47.3 MP is just a bonus. I do see added resolution, but I believe it is really IBIS. Imagine the added resolution as if you took the shot with a tripod.
Know that my Noct-Nikkor and 50 Lux-R "E60" have a bonus value on a SL2. Also that Mike the photographer who presented a talk loves shooting a Noctilux wide open during the day. He cites that the electronic VF'er along with the zoom-in for magnification beats any optical VF'er. I agree.
Cal
raid
Dad Photographer
Thank you, Cal. Now I need to plan .............................................................
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Raid,
For you there is a fourth reason: to exploit your 75 Lux at F1.4.
I owned a version 2 75 Lux "Made In Germany." It features the same low coma formulated glass of a Noctilux; at F1.4 it is "dreamy" and makes for a wonderful portrait lens; but at F2.0 it is mucho sharp across the frame.
I can see just buying a SL2 for just the 75 Lux. Also know that a 75 Lux would balance perfectly on a SL2.
A 75 Lux and a SL2 would be a killer rig.
Cal
robert blu
quiet photographer
Come on Raid, just do it before coming to Europe!
raid
Dad Photographer
Hello Cal and Robert,
I will really really think about it.
The internal stabilization system is very helpful. If I buy an SL2, it will be before the summer trip to Italy.
Basically, it would mean to skip the M10 (from my M9) and move to an SL2.
The thought is nice (and free!).
I will really really think about it.
The internal stabilization system is very helpful. If I buy an SL2, it will be before the summer trip to Italy.
Basically, it would mean to skip the M10 (from my M9) and move to an SL2.
The thought is nice (and free!).
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Raid,
75 Lux is said to be Mandlar's favorite lens.
I happened to love the signature. Just so classic Mandlar. I particularly love that it does not have the dark corners and the light fall-off of the Noctilux.
What's not to like about creamy bokeh and the retro smooth soft out of focus.
In a way my Noct-Nikkor and the 75 Lux have a similar signature: wide open mucho dreamy; and at F2.0 sharp. Like two lenses in one.
Cal
raid
Dad Photographer
The Lux deserves critical focusing, in my opinion.
I may get the Made in China replica of the 50/1.2 Noctilux too.
It also requires IS for focusing wide open.
I may get the Made in China replica of the 50/1.2 Noctilux too.
It also requires IS for focusing wide open.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Raid,
Having shot a F1.2 Noctilux, I can say it has a remarkably pretty rendering, and that all these ultra fast primes all require critical focusing.
These fast primes definitely love to be shot wide open.
Cal
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
GEAR ALERT: SL2 expected delivery tomorrow, February 4th.
I was on three waiting lists, and it was reported that the Leica Store in SoHo has not received a SL2 delivery in a month.
Cal
I was on three waiting lists, and it was reported that the Leica Store in SoHo has not received a SL2 delivery in a month.
Cal
fad gadget
Established
You'll love it Cal.
Best M Leica's never made.
The EVF is absolutely brilliant, 50 f1 focus bang on in a snap.
cheers/ken.
Best M Leica's never made.
The EVF is absolutely brilliant, 50 f1 focus bang on in a snap.
cheers/ken.
Emile de Leon
Well-known
My 50 f1 noct..focuses in a snap..on any camera made..panny...sony..Leica M..all of em..w/no issues whatsoever..
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Enjoy it Cal! You’ll need an even bigger printer now!
John,
How true.
I thought it would take big prints to exploit the added resolution. I was wrong. My 27 inch EIZO easily displays a big jump between the SL and SL2, and pretty much I can print mucho-huge.
I got delivery at work to avoid touring the South Bronx to pick up the parcel at the depot. My Fed Ex guy tends to leave a form notice that he attempted delivery even though I was at home. Pretty much he does not ring the bell, and that would be all that is required to do his job.
You can expect Third World service in poor neighborhoods in NYC. The same would happen in Williamsburg pre-hipster invasion and in Long Island City back in the day before there was a skyline.
So I have had a SL2 since Tuesday February 4th. Even though I attended the all-day SL2 launch at the Leica Store SoHo, I didn't get the chance to really "dig-in."
If you or others are interested read posts 104, 105, 109, and post 110 on the February NYC Meet-Up thread for some of my ranting and raving that is rather detailed. Since I'm a lazy-slacker I decided to limit my ranting to that thread even though it is SL and SL2 related.
I'm happy-happy. The CF in me was rewarded by saving $1.2K by securing my 50 Lux-L and APO 35 Cron pre-Trump tariffs. Ouch.
Know that the SL2 is an impressive rig, especially with the native Leica glass. For NYC night shooting I can keep it at 400 ISO and shoot in the mud as far as shutter speed. The IBIS works that well. I surely will be doing mucho annoying photography exploiting the high resolution at slow shutter speeds.
Also know that the SL2 seems to love F1.4 on the 50 Lux and F2.0 on the APO Cron.
Cal