The Leica SL: What is Leica thinking?

borge said:
Seeing as 99.9% of the most iconic and important B&W work since photography was invented was done with an optical viewfinder, I can't really agree with your statement.
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While I wouldn't call my B&W work iconic or important by any stretch of the imagination, I have done extensive shooting with such a setup, having owned the first mirrorless camera, the Lumix G1, since its inception in 2008, and can attest to the efficacy of live view in monochrome.

And I would offer that the 99.9% of work done with optical viewfinders was because the technology didn't yet exist for live-view EVFs. If it had, they would have used it; as more and more people are now discovering. Which gets to the point that the best years of photography are ahead of us, not behind us. Live-view EVFs bring the act of mental previsualization from being something in the realm of the imagination to the realm of the visual. That's groundbreaking, in my view; but hasn't yet been fully appreciated because the majority of professionals are still using optical viewfinders. Just wait.

~Joe
 
I just got home from Photo Plus.
Spent a long time at the Leica booth with the SL, and it is a very impressive camera.
It's robust and has excellent features.
Using some M lenses on it was very easy, as the viewfinder is quite nice.
Menus and controls were nicely laid out.
They had the 24-90 and 90-280 there.
Both lenses are wonderfully constructed, and the 90-280 was surprisingly light weight for it's size and focal length range.

I look forward to more reviews and samples from this camera.
 
Godfrey said:
Okay, you win. You are ignored now so I don't have to be annoyed by your posts.
Bye.

G
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well thats unfortunate. i will not be following suit. even though i find myself disagreeing with you most of the time, i find we seldom learn anything from those who always agree with us. youre obviously an intelligent person, so hopefully i will pick up some knowledge continuing to read your posts.
 
benmacphoto said:
I just got home from Photo Plus.
Spent a long time at the Leica booth with the SL, and it is a very impressive camera.
It's robust and has excellent features.
Using some M lenses on it was very easy, as the viewfinder is quite nice.
Menus and controls were nicely laid out.
They had the 24-90 and 90-280 there.
Both lenses are wonderfully constructed, and the 90-280 was surprisingly light weight for it's size and focal length range.

I look forward to more reviews and samples from this camera.
Click to expand...

given leicas history of providing hardware soecifically for M lens use, i find thinking about this particular camera for that purpose really interesting. did you find an advantage using M lenses with this camera over say the M9 or the 240?
thanks in advance.
 
borge said:
Seeing as 99.9% of the most iconic and important B&W work since photography was invented was done with an optical viewfinder, I can't really agree with your statement.
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Yes, and 99.9% of all transportation before the invetion of trains and cars was done by horse.
 
rbelyell said:
given leicas history of providing hardware soecifically for M lens use, i find thinking about this particular camera for that purpose really interesting. did you find an advantage using M lenses with this camera over say the M9 or the 240?
thanks in advance.
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I only had a few lenses with me, so I can't speak fully about using M lenses with the camera.
But it felt great in the hand with my 35mm pre ASPH Summilux.
The viewfinder, while not a bright optical M finder, is a great electric viewfinder.
And in my opinion, not a comprise or downfall.
The viewfinder has tons of useful info in the display.
And the viewfinder was very responsive when manual focusing an M lens.

Image quality and processor speed trump anything else Leica has ever presented for a digital M user.
Though we'll see how wide lenses such as a 28mm Summicron or 21mm Super Elmar perform on it.
And if video use is something you're interested in, the 4k straight from the camera is beautiful.
So some major advantages for this camera over past ones for M users as far as image quality is concerned.
I could see it living happily side by side my other M cameras.
 
Emile de Leon said:
No tilting screen...too bad..
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If you like them and use them it is too bad, although at least it is touch, which the Sony's no longer have (mine doesn't).

Nice for angles and even to add cooling. But vulnerable. I've grown to like the little M9 display, because it does the basics, but is very tough. I drag my bodies on small backcountry motorcycles often. I never had a Nex last a season. I protect my A7 with a case that precludes opening.

But that's just me, and I should use my tilt screen on the A7.mod more. For video it's often useful. I used my old PD-170 tilt screen all the time filming weddings :)

benmacphoto said:
Though we'll see how wide lenses such as a 28mm Summicron or 21mm Super Elmar perform on it.
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I'll bet those two are very good. Already on the Kolari modded A7 they are fine. Some of the quirkier ones, like the CV 21/4, anything really wide and short, well I'd expect less than film-level performance there.

For example here is the SEM 21 on the A7.mod:

Light up the leaves by unoh7, on Flickr

No fancy color correction there, nearly straight out of the camera. On a Sony LOL So the SL, I would think, should be better yet, as is the 240 and M9. But you can see the Sony with the thick sensor cover stripped off is no slouch with the SEM 21 :) ZM18, 28cron, even ZM 35/2 are basically great with the Kolari. Biggest issue is finding the critcal focus with the lower rez EVF. No infinity stop to help. Infinity should be as good as any M on SL. A reliable infinity stop for multiple M lenses is not possible with the A7 in any form. Even with an adapter, as the lenses vary slightly in the E mount, or mine seem to.

For those who want a really affordable FF M body, you get a used a7 for less than 700 and spend 400 on the Mod. You end up with a very good camera, really, for under 1100USD
 
I just love a fully articulated screen...opens up all the angles and saves my aging neck..esp for video on a tripod..
Dont care for the Sony A7 screen all that much..just tilts..
I just got a Lumix G7..and its touch and fully articulated screen really is nice for such a inexpensive and fully 4k ready cam..
Kind of surprised Leica hasn't done this yet..esp with this SL..as its touted for video usage..
But maybe they want you to hook it up to an external monitor..
 
Lss said:
So, the size of the camera body is not a showstopper for M lens use?
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for me personally? yes it absolutely is. for others, obviously not. no right answer, just personal preference. i know what this cameras disadvantages are imo. i am interested in what people who have used it see as this cameras advantages. thankfully the gentleman provided a very thoughtful and enlightening reply.
 
Haven't read it yet, but skimming this review there are some useful photos of the SL and 24-90 lens that let you gauge both the body and lens size accurately.

http://www.mirrorlessons.com/2015/10/22/leica-sl-typ-601-hands-on-review/

The body is just right, for me. I was out shooting with the Leicaflex SL this morning and found myself smiling a lot, it feel just right; the SL is within mm of the same size and weight.

The lens is large for me, but not grossly oversized. In proportion, it really does look exactly the same as the FourThirds Vario-Elmarit-D 14-50/2.8-3.5 ASPH, just scaled up,by ten percent or so for FF. I used the FT lens quite a lot.

G
 
according to B&H, these are the comparative specs:

PanLeica 4/3 14-50/2.8-3.5: 4.6" long, 1.08 lbs, 72mm filter thread, $375
Leica SL 28-90/2.8-4: 5.43" long, 2.5 lbs, 82mm filter thread, $4995

i recently purchased an old panny L1/14-50 vario elmarit. i really like the results, even at 7.5mp. the combo has great clarity, lovely bokeh and perhaps the most intense yet realistic color ive gotten out of a digital. skin tones are awesome. the size of that rig was a great surprise to me, much bigger than i anticipated. my wife, who has seen many rigs come and go, laughed out loud when she saw this one slung around my neck. anyway, though i was very happy with the lens and with the cameras manual controls, i just put it up for sale. just didnt fit physically with where i am personally now with my equipment.
 
Godfrey said:
Why presume? Download and read the manual. :)

From the manual:
Tap the LV button, spin the dial ... That sets exp comp with the default setup. You can reassign to a favored button.

G
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That's actually worse than my presumptions.

Thanks for the clarification though.
 
BlackXList said:
That's actually worse than my presumptions.

Thanks for the clarification though.
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Hmm? Seems simple enough—the LV button is right by the shutter release and your thumb is right by the dial most of the time. It's how most of my cameras are set up by default with a compensation button (including the D750), works ok.

There may well be other configs too since all these controls are customizable.

G
 
The real problem Leica is going to face is meeting demand.
They already cannot meet demand for the Q, and from what I have heard from stores is that already there are far more people who want to place orders than what will be available.
 
uhoh7 said:
For those who want a really affordable FF M body, you get a used a7 for less than 700 and spend 400 on the Mod. You end up with a very good camera, really, for under 1100USD
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Disagree. You end up with a very good sensor in, at best, a middle of the road camera. There is a reason it's $1100.

Huss said:
The real problem Leica is going to face is meeting demand.
They already cannot meet demand for the Q, and from what I have heard from stores is that already there are far more people who want to place orders than what will be available.
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Not surprising, more I read, more compelling it seems.

An aside: pretty sure that Leica will have overcome typically poor mirrorless battery life. That body will surely be able to hold a nice, fat batt.

Edit: looks like the eyecup/EVF placement will help avoid smashing my proboscis into the LCD, otherwise leaving it smeary from nose-oil.
 
Donald Drumpf

Donald Drumpf

That's his father's original last name. By reading this blog I have decided that the new SL must be the Donald Trump of the new cameras.

I want one.
 
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