The Leica SL: the new AF Leica

While I truly love my M-E and hope to keep it for many years, this SL does nothing for me. Not sure I get the market. At $7500 for the body alone, it's just another CMOS sensor camera, and I think I'd save some cash and go with a Nikon D4s. The two zooms listed are both variable aperture, from 2.8 - 4.0. And I suspect they'll be rather costly ($5000 for the 24-90). You can pick up Nikon zooms with a constant 2.8 aperture for less than half that amount. Maybe as a studio camera it makes sense, but I don't get it for a "professional" camera.

Best,
-Tim
 
Leica's announcement this morning:
http://en.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-SL/Details

For those who like the simple Leica S control layout, this SL will be very familiar. The battery looks similar, as does the joy-stick.

I see no mention of auto-ISO or GPS, though that bump on the top left side looks like a GPS antenna.

The size is surprising. But the T-mount is quite large while the mount on the SL looks more M-size in proportion. But that must be deceptive and the body is bigger than it first appears in the photos. With a bigger body, the T mount is in proper scale...

And I was thinking the rear LCD looked awfully small, but if the body is bigger than it appears, that comes into scale as well.
 
I thought I saw in the specs that video mode was APSc with a 1.5x crop factor?

Did I read that correctly?

Samouraï said:
So I've read into this camera just a bit, and if the video mode offers a full-pixel, downsampled readout at full frame, then maybe the price could be justified, as this will be the only 4K full frame 10-bit video camera on the market (10 bit out, 8 bit internal).
So that's kind of interesting, aside from what is probably a really high quality still camera.
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rbelyell said:
but only focus peaking as manual focus aid? not even fujis digital split screen? wow, that is one of the big disappointments. back to your homes people, nothin to see here...
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Read Ming Thein's review. Focus peaking and magnification with the best EVF made. He says it makes the Sony A7Rii's look like peering through a straw.

Plenty to see here people. Including this nugget:

"M lenses are now virtually native, as are R lenses; they’re easy to focus and image quality is better than from the M cameras. "
 
Huss said:
Read Ming Thein's review. Focus peaking and magnification with the best EVF made. He says it makes the Sony A7Rii's look like peering through a straw.

Plenty to see here people. Including this nugget:

"M lenses are now virtually native, as are R lenses; they’re easy to focus and image quality is better than from the M cameras. "
Click to expand...

He said pretty much as much about the Q's EVF. In reality I find the color tearing from panning pretty noticeable. The EVF is indeed a lot larger than any other one out there - the size is consistent with the Leica S's OVF, but slightly smaller than what you get with the 645Z.

Either way, for the price of the body alone you can get an A7rII and 3-4 Sony-Zeiss primes. Or you can send it for a thin filter stack mod and get a 50mm Summilux ASPH for the price difference...
 
This announcement made my evening earlier, it's utterly hilarious.

Pricing is ridiculous (you could pick up a couple of Pentax 645Ds instead of the body), specs that are, on paper at least a couple of years behind the top of the competition.

And it's not only hideous but looks comically massive too.

I wonder if a bunch of Q owners will ditch the Q for this? That's the only Leica product I'm lustful over.
 
Larger than CaNikon
No on camera manual controls
No on lens aperture ring
No manual focusing aid beyond 'peaking'
$10,000 cam/lens combo

Give leica credit for celebrating the Fall-holiday season with the camera version of 'A Charlie Brown Halloween':

Sony: 'I got an A7'
Fuji: 'I got an XT1'
Leica: 'I got a rock!'
 
This seems to be a very capable camera that Panasonic has come up with. I don't have a problem with its looks, because it looks like a Leica SLR, but I'm just stunned by the monstrous size of the thing, and of its lenses.
 
Oh, I can be so slow sometimes..... I get it. This new body is like an S with the new L mount; put them together and you get SL. Just coincidence that SL was the moniker of an earlier SLR from Leica?

I bet its a stellar performer (as mentioned by the reviews), but no manual controls and no aperture ring mean I can't use it like I want. Then there's the price. Yes, I know it sounds like whining, but no. Even if I had the funds, I would still have to do the cost-benefit analysis and consider all my options. I would like to use R lenses, and I would like full frame; there might be other ways to get there...for less $$ leaving me with the ability to purchase a backup camera, or more lenses, or maybe some lighting. Seriously. The pricing is tough, but I'm quite certain Leica will sell these.

Now that I've complained about the price and the lack of manual controls, I will (mostly) withhold judgement until I get a chance to learn more and hopefully handle one myself, in person. I will definitely check in withLeica SF or Seattle when I'm next in the area. And hey, maybe there is an SL-E in the future....I mean, they did eventually make an "economy" model of the S.
 
The word Leica on the EVF bump, it just doesn't look right to me -- the spacing between the letters...

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Huss said:
Read Ming Thein's review. Focus peaking and magnification with the best EVF made. He says it makes the Sony A7Rii's look like peering through a straw.

Plenty to see here people. Including this nugget:

"M lenses are now virtually native, as are R lenses; they’re easy to focus and image quality is better than from the M cameras. "
Click to expand...

I believe Sean Reid will show the M240 is better in the corners with some lenses.

Ming had the camera very little time, while Reid had it for months. But I agree Ming writes a very interesting preview.
 
13Promet said:
Either the guy handling it is a dwarf, or the camera is crazy large :eek:
Click to expand...


I have to take back my yuck and say its more of a "ehh...hmm" since seeing it in proportion to a small person atleast...

The evf housing looks more reminiscent of the R series than in the flat image in the op.

Idk about that grip and large oled display...

The lenses are HUGE... A weird direction to go with a mirrorless indeed?
 
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