Considering a SL series body

[Ken Ford]

I don’t know about anyone else, but shooting with a RF styled body is a very different experience than shooting with a SLR styled. It’s a totally different mindset that for me carries over to EVF bodies. I don’t want to give either up.

 

[Michael Markey]

I don’t know about anyone else, but shooting with a RF styled body is a very different experience than shooting with a SLR styled. It’s a totally different mindset that for me carries over to EVF bodies. I don’t want to give either up.

I agree. I took both my SL2s and 246 out today.
Ended up using just the 246.

 

[Godfrey]

I don’t know about anyone else, but shooting with a RF styled body is a very different experience than shooting with a SLR styled. It’s a totally different mindset that for me carries over to EVF bodies. I don’t want to give either up.

I agree. I took both my SL2s and 246 out today.
Ended up using just the 246.

I hear you both. It's akin to the difference that happens in my mindset when I take out the Hasselblad 907x or the MiNT TL70+ as opposed to one of the Leica Ms or Polaroid SX-70s: the shape and organization of the camera and its controls changes how you see with it. Same goes for even just fitting the EVF onto the M10-M/-R. Making very similar photographs, the experience is different ... and that difference often affects my results as well.

G

 

[Michael Markey]

I hear you both. It's akin to the difference that happens in my mindset when I take out the Hasselblad 907x or the MiNT TL70+ as opposed to one of the Leica Ms or Polaroid SX-70s: the shape and organization of the camera and its controls changes how you see with it. Same goes for even just fitting the EVF onto the M10-M/-R. Making very similar photographs, the experience is different ... and that difference often affects my results as well.

G

I`d like to say that it depended on the subject matter , and it does sometimes ,but at other times its purely on a whim which I use.

 

[Archiver]

To the best of my knowledge, there are no third party batteries for the SL series.

A company called Kastar makes batteries compatible with the Q2/Q3 and SL2/S/3. Anecdotal reports suggest they work okay.

Kastar third party battery: BP-SCL4

Has anyone tried these? https://www.amazon.com/Kastar-Battery-Replacement-Rechargeable-Lithium-Ion/dp/B0CZ7NRM8K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ELN1UHKHUFG1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TtJSSG6E0dyA3HYebgA_XGGP8c2vahlO5lPw-sxfZcSu-ZHM3juqe7T_6ICCki1dAboCHeJ4eFofiRk9OaDggQ.lf7C8PNmzFWdOBt3bLFfy-cqwuaUjCij_mxfxUPl6qk&am...

www.l-camera-forum.com

 

[Archiver]

I went through a similar process a few months ago which resulted in buying a secondhand SL2-S. Since then, I've used it with M lenses for more leisurely shooting, and L mount lenses for when I need dependable focusing speed and accuracy.

The EVF is excellent, and with the latest firmware, pressing the rubber joystick button zooms in the image, which can be repositioned using the joystick, too. It isn't as fast as RF focusing, although admittedly, I have 15 years of practice with RF focusing vs not too many months focusing with an EVF. You absolutely know when you've hit critical focus with the EVF, anywhere in the frame. And I love shooting without worrying about whether the RF is correctly aligned. It's also easier to shoot in dark situations as the EVF increases brightness automatically.

Wide lenses and small apertures make it somewhat harder to achieve critical focus with an EVF, as much more is in focus compared with a fast 35 or 50. This may also be a matter of practice.

The SL2-S is bulkier and heavier than the M9, most of which comes from the EVF bump and the grip. The EVF protrusion at the back makes me a little more cautious about having the camera rest against my body on a strap, as I've torn the rubber eyepiece from two cameras in the past year.

One feature of the SL2-S makes it a dream to shoot with M and adapted lenses: a complete internal library of every M and R lens, and a long list of focal lengths. These settings offer lens correction data, and set the camera's IBIS for stabilization. What's even better is that you can edit the list of M and R lenses to include only those that you use, so you can scroll and select faster than with a huge list. The setting to change lens model can be placed in function buttons and also in the custom menu, making access very easy.

Image quality is another big factor. The SL2-S dynamic range is superb, and 24mp is enough for most purposes. High ISO is ridiculously good - I can use ISO 6400 with very little worry, and 12,500 if necessary. Colour is gorgeous, black and whites are also excellent.

I've configured the rear scroll wheel to change aperture, and change custom shooting profiles when clicked in. The front wheel changes exposure compensation, which is how I use DSLR's and mirrorless cameras.

The finish is not exactly sturdy: in the past few months, it already has tiny marks on the edges, particularly on the ends where I first used metal Peak Design strap attachments. I now use a nylon strap to prevent more such marks.

And if you are okay with autofocus, the Panasonic f1.8 primes are light, super value and offer very decent image quality. I have the 50mm f1.8 and the Leica Summicron 35mm f2 asph which is based on the equivalent Panasonic lens. I used both lenses to shoot an engagment party last week, and the results were wonderful.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the SL2-S as an alternative to the M9, and although I'm still in the honeymoon stage, it's shaping up to be a stable and permanent part of the kit. I've hardly touched the M9 apart from shooting comparison images so I can dial in equivalent colours in Lightroom.

 

[Archiver]

As for using a Panasonic L mount body instead: the S5 is small and fiddly for my tastes, and the S1 is even bigger and heavier than the SL2-S, and all Panasonics lack the sensor optimization and the specialized lens correction data for M mount lenses. Don't get me wrong, I love the S1, and the S5 is still very decent, but size/weight and operation are big factors when choosing a camera. I felt that the SL2-S was the best balance of M lens affinity, cost and size.

 

[Ken Ford]

I went through a similar process a few months ago which resulted in buying a secondhand SL2-S. Since then, I've used it with M lenses for more leisurely shooting, and L mount lenses for when I need dependable focusing speed and accuracy…

This right here is my goal. Wonderful post, thank you!

 

[Archiver]

@Ken Ford A couple of videos to whet your appetite for a SL body:





The second video features the SL3, but the experience is pretty much the same apart from the tilting screen.

 

[peterm1]

I thought I would post a shot here (taken with a smart phone) of my SL with an old Elmarit f2.8. My SL is equipped with a battery grip which itself is huge and heavy - decidedly overkill. Not really needed at all of course for Leica M glass - even longer ones like the Elmarit, but useful when using heavy SLR lenses because it does help counterbalance the camera and lens, making it easier to hold (assuming you have the arm strength to lift it and keep it steady. Even so I seldom bother taking it off when using smaller Leica lenses.
One reason I put off considering the SL for some years was that I felt this large, square cornered boxy affair would also look and feel clunky. But I have to say, now I have experienced it, that it does not look particularly ungainly. In my view anyway. And most importantly, the experience of using an M mount lens on this camera is better than I thought it would be.

BTW the sharper eye'd of you may have noticed a knob (akin to a Leica infinity lock on many of its lenses) on the M to L adapter. It is the Light, Lens, Lab helicoid / close focus adapter. Its build is excellent and the main benefit of course is that it allows Leica M glass which typically tops out at either 1 metre or 0.7 Meter to focus closer. Which can be useful in portraits an the like. The knob on the adaper is an excellent addition as without it, it would be difficult to turn the helicoid.

 

[Archiver]

A video by Matt Day about the SL2

 

[Ken Ford]

Has anyone tried the Sigma 40/1.4 Art on their SL series body? I saw comments that this is a very, very good lens.

Also, I saw comments that the Leica 24-70/2.8 is OEMed by Sigma?

 

[brusby]

Rangefinders are terrific at what they do. Love my M9. But for more precise composition and more accurate preview of exposures it's hard to beat the SL series cameras. And all our old Leica, Canon, Nikon and Zeiss rangefnder lenses perform at or near their optimum with them.

On a recent trip to Yosemite I brought both the M9 and SL, but ended up favoring the SL with both longer and wider than normal lenses.

SL2S, 90mm Elmar f4 three element
L1030218 by Brusby, on Flickr


And for wider lenses where composition is more difficult with the rangefinder,
21mm Super Elmar f3.4, SL2S
L1000075 1 by Brusby, on Flickr

 

[Archiver]

Has anyone tried the Sigma 40/1.4 Art on their SL series body? I saw comments that this is a very, very good lens.

Also, I saw comments that the Leica 24-70/2.8 is OEMed by Sigma?

From what I understand, the Leica 24-70 uses the same lens design as the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN v1. Whether it is completely manufactured by Sigma and then finished in Portugal, or is completely made in Portugal, I do not know. There is some talk that the Leica version has different lens coatings, and might include an extra element, but overall it seems to be the same lens.

The first version of the Sigma has issues with dust ingress, which was fixed in later samples, and also fixed in the 2nd version. The Leica lens, to my knowledge, has not had this upgrade. There's a secondhand Leica 24-70 near me which the shop notes has dust inside.

The Leica 24-70 does have one advantage: the original Sigma has slower and less accurate autofocus on SL bodies, but the Leica version appears to be faster and more accurate/hunts less.

If I'm spending that kind of money, I'd opt for a secondhand Panasonic 24-70, which is reportedly better optically than the Sigma and Leica.

 

[brusby]

That Sigma 24-70mm is one of my favorite go-to lenses when I want good image quality and dependable lens operation with consistently accurate autofocus. If I'm not using an M lens I'm typically using that Art or the Art 85mm f1.4 for the same reason. Under almost any lighting condition, I can usually depend on it to get a useable shot.

24-70mm. Backlight at dusk -- no fill or supplemental light
L1060916 by Brusby, on Flickr


24-70mm. Mixed light, as found -- combination of daylight, incandescent and led. No supplemental lights added.
L1020317 by Brusby, on Flickr

 

[trix4ever]

The Leica 14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200mm and 100-400 are all variation of the Sigma lenses. The Summicron 50 and 35mm are variations of the Panasonic lenses.
This goes back to the dark ages when leica sold Minolta and Sigma lenses in new barrels for the R system.
All I know is that my Leica 24-70mm is the best zoom lens I have ever used, my copy is sharp all over at 24mm wide open, and just has a look that I have to keep using. It is much more solid than the Sigma lenses, but heavier too.
The only problem I have with the Leica versions of the lenses is the lack of switches such as af/mf or is on/off, on the telephoto zooms, plus the price of course. Oh and the zoom direction is opposite to that of the other native zooms, which I thought was a bit cheap of them, frankly.
I got the 24-70mm at a bargain price as part of a kit, I probably would not have bought it at full retail price, but now I've tried it, who knows.
I still fancy the Leica 14-24mm but remain dubious about the bulbous front element.

 

[Archiver]

@Ken Ford This might interest you:

Leica 24-70mm f2.8 SL Review: Not Just a Sigma Lens

The Leica 24-70mm f2.8 SL is a great lens that takes Sigma's optics and makes the overall package better. It's worth thinking about.

www.thephoblographer.com

Also this review for the Panasonic 24-70:

Did Sigma Do Better?: The Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 LUMIX Pro Review

The Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 LUMIX Pro is a lens that is in an awkward place and outshined by the Sigma option. But it isn't at all a bad one.

www.thephoblographer.com

which mentions this lens on the SL2-S:

May 2021 Update: The Panasonic 24-70mm f2.8 Lumix S Pro hasn’t been updated per se. But the Leica SL2s has received a massive autofocus update. On that camera, it’s incredibly fast, accurate, and reliable. It works fantastic even in low light. It took Leica a while to really put the resources into improving their own mount, but they did it. As a result, we’d recommend it for journalistic work in a heartbeat.

 

[ellisson]

The L-mount alliance really opened up options for those who like shooting with the Leica, Panasonic and Sigma L-mount cameras. They share designs back and forth and find their individual niches in the cost and features realms.

 

[Ken Ford]

Great info on the various 24-70 lenses. I’m trying to plan ahead - my main interest in a SL2 is using my M mount and Sigma L lenses but I’d also like one good AF all rounder.

 

[Michael Markey]

Prices seem to be dropping .