I haven't even watched this yet, but I like it already for the title and the length of the video. Excited to sit down with some coffee this evening and watch this one!
Great review. Clear educated relaxed speaking. Positive presence! I could follow for hours!-) A rare example of 'how to present'!!! :-) best greets from Frankfurt/Main, germany Robert
It looks amazing. And I'm sure it's one of the those cameras people will hate until they see it in person. It looks like a solid camera that screams pro
SuperSomphon ha ha, ya that was my point. I showed 3 pro photographers and a few of my friends. They all were impressed when holding it and playing with it in person. There is no direct competition. Sony A7 series is amazing, but they're not competing for the same market. Thanks for sharing your experience!
very good and differentiated review of how this camera fits into the market and it´s "pros" and "cons". It truly is expensive but it seems that Leica REALLY have gotten their act together make a difference in the pro segment. It is really beautiful and looks like a classic from the start ;-)
Nice video!!! I have just moved on from Canon and Hasselblad (my everyday shooting kits) to using a Leica and the S-Series (S2) is the one i started shooting with. I know this video has nothing to do with the S2 or S-series medium format, but would like to comment how good and outstanding the series is. The tones was superb. Looking at the images, needed little or no retouch. Though it was a bit slow but the image quality was stunning and to add to it the focus. Not a single image was shaken or out of focus. I was shooting a fast moving campaign for 3 days and each and every image was bloody sharp. On the third day shot at a slower shutter speed at low light, around 1/30s but still no shake. After seeing these results, I am definitely moving to get an SL kit for myself. Its worth putting all the money in the Leica Basket!
+Vishal Kullarwar the S series is a tank of a camera and system and yes, it's built for working pros. The stability comes from the weight of the equipment, it truly does stabilizes everything when shooting. The lenses are super sharp, and Leica is Leica. If you learn how to shoot with it, you'll get great results for sure!!
ha ha, thanks Dave. Never thought of it, but unless it's public television (CBC for us, BBC for you guys) probably not. I don't even watch TV. Don't like it in general.... not enough freedom to do what I want. UA-cam is where it's at.
Well that puts me in my place. I joined the Leica digital family today when my new X 113 turned up. Its absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for inspiring me to return to Leica. I already have a IIIg and a M3 that belonged to my father but i never used them; well i dont use film anymore even though I have a Nikon FM2n. My father and I always argued about was my Nikons or his Leicas better. Well now Nikon makes bloated plastic industrial equipment and Leica still makes lovely street cameras; my Dad won in the end from beyond the grave. No I dont want this huge lump of heavy technology but, hey i am glad it exists I can point at it when getting heat from DSLR fan boys but , I will stay with the human scale and probably end up with a Leica M; after all I already have two 50mm F2 Summicrons ;-)
+Vici Martynov congrats on the X113. The classic manual focus SLRs are great, like the FM2, F1, F3, etc. However, there's something about the rangefinder that is classic in design and in functionality. You're correct that DSLRs have their place in the market place, as do classic rangefinders, weather digital or film. In the end, as long as we're having fun and creating great photographs, it's all good in my eyes. Congrats again!
I love the look of the SL ... chunky, solid and very much like the build of an older analogue camera. I can't afford a Leica at this very moment, but a Leica would be a first purchase if I were to win on the lotto.
I own the SL and the one thing that drives me crazy about it and it's title as a professional camera is that it only has a one battery charging dock. Pro cameras in my opinion should always come with a dual battery charger. It's the one oversight and gripe I have with this camera, otherwise it is fantastic and will reward you if you put in the time to learn it well.
when you talk about the speed of leica lenses in comparison to other manufacturers it is important to understand that all the other build their lenses to shoot, while leica builds their lenses to shoot sharp, contrasty and with nice colors. this is a huge difference. when you compare other lenses especially the 3rd party plastic china ones and you start counting the speed when the image is sharp, then you end up with lenses that are 80-200/8 and not 2.8 as printed on the box. but even when you compare with the nice lenses from nikon or canon they get sharp results even in the corners when they are roughly in the same area as leica glass. so when leica prints a 2.8 or 2.0 on the box, that means there is no difference in sharpness from full open to fully closed and if you really really need this one extra stop then you still have the option to go with the summilux, they have like 1.4 speeds and they are still sharp from beginning to end but they come at a price that is nessesary to build such an incredible lens. it was always cheap to build crap, so comparing a leica with a sony, well as you said, a nissan can drive you from vancouver to la but a bmw will do it in a different way. if you don't understand the difference than a bmw is not for you. ;-) ah and btw. you did something i always see when people shot with leica. you publish black&white pictures. as you surely know our eyes are way more senitive to luma/contrast then they are with colors so with a black&white it is way easier for us to see the real image quality. with a leica you shoot a picture turn it to black&white and it looks great, right out of the box, thats why everybody is doing it. to get the same out of any other camera you need to use photoshop, ask yourself what this tells you about the lens quality. anyway, i appreciate your first impressions video. thank you.
Hi there Taco. I think there's an error @27.45, re the viewfinder being dark. If the aperture is stopped down with an M or R lens, the EVF can be set to compensate and brighten up the image, which also represents what the finished photo will look like. It doesn't have to be dark in the viewfinder!
+Mauser M03 Blog Awesome, thanks for the extra info!! As I mentioned I only had the SL for a few days and didn't realize I could put the EVF in auto-gain mode. You're correct that if this camera has this feature, then the first problem I mentioned is no longer a major issue, except that it does gain up and look 'grainy' and also the 60fps refresh speed will slow down. But hey, no big deal. However, the issue of using focus peaking will still be an issue since the camera is still looking for highlights to peak into the image, so the EVF gaining up won't help. I will see what happens when I have the camera back in my hands and I can do a full review. But thanks a lot, I really appreciate it. It's great when someone catches a mistake, it means you're paying attention!! Happy shooting!!
+bigheadtaco - Another issue of this review where you showed concern. The R lenses and what the adapter has to do to work on the Leica SL. A Leicaflex R lens is always stopped-down (off camera, whatever the aperture is set too, the lens is already there). Since the camera provides the fantastic feature of auto-gain EVF, all the great advantages of focusing at the "Taking Aperture" are retained even if there isn't a "Open up the Aperture" device/pin (Lens Focus Shift, aperture blades error, real-time Bokeh and among many other things, B&W viewing!). Also, your mentioned issue "of using focus peaking" is errant. Who stops down in low light with great performing low-light lenses? Besides, when Focus Magnified is chosen during peaking, the "colors" of focus peaking aren't so generalized/indistinguishable...
+y2ktube thanks for even more info, this is great. Let's wait and see when the R mount adapter comes out and see how Leica works out the details on how it will work. Yes I am aware that most mechanical lenses are stopped down when removed from the body because it makes sense to have the aperture blades close by default instead of wide open as default, making it easier to stop down mechanically. At the same time, I have the same concern as many that the R adapter is not ready at this time. If it was easy to make, I'm sure Leica would have made it by now. The fact that it may not be ready until late 2016 means they have come across a technical difficulty. I will do my best to find out what that issue is and share on an upcoming video. As for the stopping down in low light, I did mention that this is mostly for studio work and not low light using only ambient light photography. In the studio, many will stop the lens down to control the exposure along with using the output control of the strobes. Using a strobe at minimum power and shooting wide open is possible but not typical. When I did studio work using film and both 35mm and medium format, it was normal to stop down to f/8 to gain greater depth of field. Also shooting in the studio it is normal to have very low ambient light so as not to allow it to effect the image. As for auto-gain, I'm looking forward to trying this feature. I know that by gaining up you will slow down the refresh rate, but I want to actually see how much it will increase the lag. I won't be able to say for sure until I actually try it. Have you actually tried the SL under the conditions we are talking about? I will be receiving a review copy in the next day or two so I will be able to report hands on how well this auto-gain feature works along side with focus peaking. Thanks for your input.
+Mauser M03 Blog, I tested the camera in the studio with a M lens 50mm @ f11 and @ f8 in a dark ambient lighting. I find the EVF compensated and brighten up but not clear enough to be able to focus properly and the focus peaking did not work. Many of my shots was out of focus when I bring them up in my computer for post processing.
hey great reviews on your channel, can u please do a video of the SL with the native 24-90 on it and also the iq and the performance of the 24-90. thanks
On my original video with the SL I did show some images I took with it as well as my thoughts. It's a great lens, super sharp, but too big and bulky. It's for event or wedding photographers, or studio. Walking around, it's too heavy. Perhaps on a tripod for outdoor shooting.
Too pricey. I would look at it if it was half the price. For now the A7Rii with legacy lens will suffice. Body is weatherproof but using i.e. legacy or M lenses on it defeats the purpose of weather seals. I seriously think Leica is following Sony conceptually. Technologically I feel Leica is still behind some of the japanese companies. Great video, will be looking for more. Thanks!
Great video!, I look forward to a Japanese camera maker making a better, and cheaper version. If I was a member of the more money than brains club I would have one already. Great camera.
I'm surprised I missed this. I thought I'd seen all the SL reviews I wanted to see. It seems not! I'd say the only thing that a DSLR would do better than the SL is sport (but only some sports). One aspect which you didn't touch upon here is the discrete shutter, which would make the SL suitable for events and press conferences. DSLRs sound like metal spoons running over washboards in comparison. BTW I'd like to bet on a very long shot: like you said, the image circle of the native SL lenses must be pretty big. It could be large enough to cover a 45x30mm sensor. Who knows, right? I think Leica made a huge mistake with the S series, and I think they can save it with a mirrorless body that takes SL lenses natively, and S lenses with an adapter. The question is, is the flange focal distance too short for a 45x30mm sensor? It would be interesting to compare with the Hasselblad X1D.
I like Leica, I have several lenses, an R8 a CL I use a 50mm summicron on and I had a M9 but I had a chance to handle the SL at the Yodobashii store in Akihabara a few days ago, and just personal opinion of course, I think it's ugly, too square, but I'd still be tempted except for one thing.. According to the Leica site the adapter to allow use of Leica R lenses won't be released until the autumn of 2016!!! WTF is that about?!?! Sure the design might be more complicated but it's not like Leica came up with the idea for the SL last month. They've been engineering it for a couple of years I'm sure so they've had all that time to work on an R mount adapter. The only reason I'd get it is to use Leica R glass on it and they're taking a year to release the adapter. That's horrible Leica!
If this new Leica SL can do what Nikon D810 do with transitioning from Light to dark adapting to light that way during video shoots then its an 4k winner. It just needs more modern lenses. ty
+Janko Bosch it is possible if someone made a T to M mount adapter. It would be such a small market since there's only a hand full of T/SL mount lenses, but who knows. Maybe Leica will make it.
Excellent precis of this wonderful camera and brand! people always moan and peach (sic) about Leica prices. It's a yawn. I had a Sony A7ii that I loved for 2 years. I had a billion glass from proprietary to Zeiss, Minolta and all manner of adapted glass. Then Ii got fed up with its ubiquity. So bought an M10 and the cron and lux and blimey! Shortly after, I hated the A7ii and its plastic feel and look and glass and rendition to the extent that I resented looking at it :) It's now sold and guess what I bought? Correct de mundo.. Sl top 601. Ii cannot wait for it to arrive so I can throw on the lux and go for a spin. Would you rather drive a Nissan Micra or a Porsche 911? Go buy Sony, it's a fine camera. It's not in the same lane as M10 or SL..the sooner that is realised the happier one is! It's tiring listening to these bores and their endless comparison and whinges about prices.. do you :)
No complain about the weight: even a prosumer level crop sensor DSLR weighs around 850g, same as Leica SL, and any faster 3x-4x zoom lens weighs more than 1kg. So it is comparable. ... Constant f/2.8 in a 3x zoom lens means LOTS of compromises and a possible gain in use in less than a single digit %. When max ISO was 1600, f/2.8 lenses made sense. That was 20 years ago. But today, with usable ISO of 50K even in crop sensors, f/2.8 zoom lens becomes ridiculous! Simply not worth lugging around. Better to make f2.8-f4 (even constant f4) and reduce weight while increasing image quality overall.
Good points, and throw in OIS or sensor based stabilization. Constant aperture is nice if you shoot manually and don't want a shift in exposure, but for the expense, yes, a shifting aperture of 1 stop is no big deal. Thanks for your comment!
Pentax did a similar sacrifice (for the better) when they recently introduced a DA20-40 zoom lens, for their crop cameras, with same f2.8-f4. I call that very smart thinking, because such lens is more affordable, weighs less, will last longer (less mass to move around with an AF), and can achieve stellar quality image in much smaller package. Big lenses for use in the field are the legacy of film; we don't need those things anymore or people will totally abandon cameras and switch to smartphones. More usable cameras and smarter thinking lens-wise is required these days.
saying they dont compare then saying it is faster... yeah its faster. than the a7r with nearly double as much megapixels. Its faster, thats about all. its sturdier and weathersealed ok. Nothing that could not be done to a "sony a7r2 OUTDOOR-edition" or so and it would still be cheaper. and has Stabilisation built in which is useful the 11fps with a fullframe sound nice but still its much to expensive to be called a reasonable choice. still a Leica, still luxury
+Joshua Mack hey Josh, thanks for your comment. Yes I agree Leica is luxury. When I say 'you can't compare' I mean spec for spec to see which is the better bargain. Leica will never win spec or spec versus price. It will always be overpriced. But Leica is not trying to attract Sony A7 customers. If they were, then they will utterly fail. It's like McLaren trying to entice Nissan Skyline GTR customers with the new P1. Totally different customers with totally different priorities. The Sony is the bang for buck performance, and it's hands down the industry leader. At the same time, you have to compare it with something in terms of its place in the photographic world. I have a really cool yet unusual comparison coming up. Thanks again for your comment.
+bigheadtaco yes, the A7r2 is more megapixels, but you know what? Those files can become a pain because of their size. If you want uncompressed RAW, that's 80 Mb right there.
Calvin Chann sure, i see my computer crashing down there, but if you really want to compare it to a Leica, that doesnt matter at all. you can buy storage space and you can for sure get a laptop that can savely handle these files. This Laptop will be expensive, but you cant argue with costs when comparing something to a Leica
The Leica is huge, large and overpriced. The answer is the NIKON D5500. Same sensor in a incredible handy, leightweight, small package and it is a DSLR! Awesome picture qualitiy and cheaper as an iPhone. This is what counts today. Everybody is taking snap shots with his phone. How could you compete? The NIKON has won the deal! Try it out... Nevertheless an interesting posting, thanks.
+PB621 There is always going to be cameras better than this or that, but the Leica's aren't trying to compete with DSLRs or with other brands. It's like saying Bentley or McLaren is competing with Lexus/Toyota. Totally different market. At the same time, you are correct that in terms of functionality, the DSLR is still the best bang for your buck. As for the iPhone, I love shooting with every type of camera, include mobile photography. If you check out my Instagram feed (instagram.com/bigheadtaco) the majority of my images are taken with my iPhone. I decided I would use it like a proper photographic tool so that's what it's become. If you have a better tool the potential to take better pictures is always there; but in the end the photographer takes the image. I'm just as happy to shoot with my iPhone as I am with any Leica, Fujifilm, Ricoh or any other camera brand that I review. A camera is just a tool. Thanks for you comment, I appreciate it!
The quality of the Leica SL sensor is VERY BAD compared with other professional cameras top as Nikon or Sony, Leica cameras are no longer the best cameras as in the past, IMAGE QUALITY OF CAMERAS LEICA ,NOT JUSTIFY ITS PRICE, WHO WANTS to be fooled by the siren calls LEICA MARKETING BUY ONE, BUT YOU ARE ALREADY WARNED!!!! these days Leica is one of the worst cameras in relation Price and money. AND FOR THE MONEY I CAN TELL YOU IS A COMPLETE DESAPPOINTMENT. NO GOOD QUALITY!
I respect your opinion although I do not agree with you on all points. However, please do not troll my account with the same comment on 3 different videos. Leica has NEVER been the best price-performance camera. Neither has Ferrari or McLaren. It's a luxury product and most know this going in. I don't think Leica was ever 'the best camera'. Leica has always had a perceived value, which was often exaggerated. Many Nikon and Contax rangefinders of the 50's and 60's equaled or surpassed many Leica camera bodies and lenses. In the 70's and 80's Leica was overwhelmed with the Japanese SLR cameras. However, Leica has always survived because they've offered a unique product. It's no different today. The Leica SL is not marketed to people who don't already own Leica cameras. If you don't already own Leica lenses, or if you can't afford it, it's not for you, period. Thanks again for your comment.
Dear BigHeadTaco apology for putting three times the same comment was somewhat distracted when I did, it was not my intention to bother. I all ready erase the other 2. My friend I dont speak English I hope you will be able to do a translatión. Respondiendo a tu comentario, creo que no me deje entender lo suficiente, me refería que Leica es la peor camara en relación de la calidad con el precio, ( hablando de la calidad del sensor).Es facil entender el concepto de producto de Lujo que mencionas,como un Ferrari o Lamborgini, Pero eso no se puede aplicar de la misma manera con Leica por la simple razón de que sus sensores no son de Lujo, sera de Lujo todo lo demás pero sus sensores no lo son, y al final lo que mas importa en una camara es el sensor. Lo que te digo no es una simple opinión al respecto, todo el mundo puede opinar lo que quiera sobre cualquier cosa, lo que yo te digo es el resultado de la comprobación despues de haber hecho varios test, me encantaría poder compartir contigo esta información para que veas por ti mismo cuan superior es por ejemplo un sensor de una Sony A7RII en comparación con la Leica SL por ejemplo. Voy a preguntar a mi amigo con el que he hecho los test que tiene una Leica SL si estaría dispuesto a compartir la información. Mientras tanto te mando un Link donde puedes descargar los archivos originales de la Leica SL y el de varias otras camaras profesionales para que puedas ver por ti mismo que la Leica, esta muy por debajo en calidad de imagen que las camaras top de Sony y Nikon. www.dpreview.com/reviews/leica-sl-typ601-in-depth-camera-review/2 Asi mismo puedes verificar el bajo puntaje conferido a la Leica SL con respecto a otras camaras en DXO te dejo el Link. www.dxomark.com/cameras/brand-canon-nikon-sony-leica#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo
Come on, BHT. Your reviews are normally very good, but this is utter crap, and it shows that you are a total Leica Fanboy. I love Laica as well, but it shouldn't make you tell stories/lies! First of all you said, that the SL is very special because it can do 120p in full HD. A lot of cameras have this feature, also in november 2015!!. But your hatred against the Sony line makes you say stuff that is not true. The SL being the only camera in the world that can output 4K externally in 4:2:2!!! The a7s could do this in 2013!! The Sony RX100 mark iv can do that and in a better videoformat than the SL! Stop lying or brush up on the facts before you flame Sony! Just my 2c. Now go back to doing good reviews again!
+Morten Rasmussen hey thanks for your comment and thanks for making sure I'm on my toes. First of all, I think you mistake my comparison with the Sony A7 series with me not liking Sony. As I mention in many of my comments and reviews, I tell most of my family and friends to buy Sony for bang-for-buck performance. Two of my brothers own A6000s, and I've probably recommended a dozen friends to buy the RX100 series. Anyone looking for a full-frame mirrorless, 99% of the time I point them to the A7 without hesitation. In fact for my professional DSLR work, I shoot Sony/Minolta. This video was shot on a Sony A7S! As for the external 4K 4:2:2 output I did not say that only Leica could do it, and I even put a note saying the Panasonic GH4 can do so via a micro-HDMI connector. My point was the Leica has full size external connectors (full size HDMI and USB 3 connectors) which is great for video guys who typically use external hard drives and monitors. As I began the video portion, I also mentioned I don't really know much about video, so perhaps there are other cameras out there that have all these features (1080P @ 120fps, 4K 4:2:@ output via full size HDMI); but my point was the Leica SL is unique amongst mirrorless cameras to have all these features. Is there another mirrorless that can do this? Thanks again for watching and thanks for being playfully critical about my Leica 'fanboy' status. Yes I am a fan of Leica, but I'm also a huge Sony fan, and Fujifilm, and Ricoh, and Olympus, and Panasonic, Canon and Nikon! I love it all. The main reason I don't review Sony is because there are already so many reviewers doing Sony, including computer and tech reviewers who know nothing about photography or video. I would rather review brands that are considered niche and cameras that are less reviewed to create unique content different than the majority. I hope you understand. I'm not saying I'll never review Sony, but I'm not interested at this time. My guess is that Sony wouldn't send me product to review as well, which is fine. I'm a small fish in a very big pond!
+bigheadtaco Hey Thanks for commenting on my comment :-) I'm glad that you took time to do so. I did read my comment and it was a bit harsh, that really was not my meaning. English is not my native language. I fully understand your stand on Sony Reviews but I am only shooting Sony, but I wish that I had the money to buy a Leica M with 35 and 50 Summilux, but that kind of money is not within my reach. So I will have to put up with the RX1R mark ii :-) thx again, I really like what you do! Keep it up. Best regards Morten
Hideous, huge, unremarkable, overpriced and pretty low-spec considering the cost, why bother honestly. The M240 is a much better purchase if you must have a digital Leica. The Sony and Fuji mirrorless cameras are more "pro" than this. The Newer fuji mirrorless cameras and lenses are also weather sealed, I'm not sure about Sony's. I don't know who would buy this except extreme Leica enthusiasts.
I haven't even watched this yet, but I like it already for the title and the length of the video. Excited to sit down with some coffee this evening and watch this one!
+Matt Day Photo ha ha. Sounds like me with your videos!
Great review. Clear educated relaxed speaking. Positive presence!
I could follow for hours!-)
A rare example of 'how to present'!!!
:-)
best greets from Frankfurt/Main, germany
Robert
Bought one already and used it for a wedding. Love it!
It looks amazing. And I'm sure it's one of the those cameras people will hate until they see it in person. It looks like a solid camera that screams pro
+Joe Saunders exactly.
I was one of the initial haters until I got to played with it. Now selling a kidney...
SuperSomphon ha ha, ya that was my point. I showed 3 pro photographers and a few of my friends. They all were impressed when holding it and playing with it in person. There is no direct competition. Sony A7 series is amazing, but they're not competing for the same market. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I will play with one and then decide.
Great in-deapth overview of the Leica SL
Your turn to review next!
very good and differentiated review of how this camera fits into the market and it´s "pros" and "cons". It truly is expensive but it seems that Leica REALLY have gotten their act together make a difference in the pro segment.
It is really beautiful and looks like a classic from the start ;-)
Nice video!!! I have just moved on from Canon and Hasselblad (my everyday shooting kits) to using a Leica and the S-Series (S2) is the one i started shooting with. I know this video has nothing to do with the S2 or S-series medium format, but would like to comment how good and outstanding the series is. The tones was superb. Looking at the images, needed little or no retouch. Though it was a bit slow but the image quality was stunning and to add to it the focus. Not a single image was shaken or out of focus. I was shooting a fast moving campaign for 3 days and each and every image was bloody sharp. On the third day shot at a slower shutter speed at low light, around 1/30s but still no shake. After seeing these results, I am definitely moving to get an SL kit for myself. Its worth putting all the money in the Leica Basket!
+Vishal Kullarwar the S series is a tank of a camera and system and yes, it's built for working pros. The stability comes from the weight of the equipment, it truly does stabilizes everything when shooting. The lenses are super sharp, and Leica is Leica. If you learn how to shoot with it, you'll get great results for sure!!
Great video. So far the most informative on the web,
an absolutely perfect presentation, fantastic work.
Great review! Your channel is one of my favourite channels!
thanks for watching!
This is such a nice channel. Why don't you get more views on your vids?
19:01 beast mode very impressive bit of kit
Nice review. Well presented and with good tech info. Congrats!
Amazing video Take. Your presentation is spot on. Ever considered a career in TV presenting?
ha ha, thanks Dave. Never thought of it, but unless it's public television (CBC for us, BBC for you guys) probably not. I don't even watch TV. Don't like it in general.... not enough freedom to do what I want. UA-cam is where it's at.
Well that puts me in my place. I joined the Leica digital family today when my new X 113 turned up. Its absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for inspiring me to return to Leica. I already have a IIIg and a M3 that belonged to my father but i never used them; well i dont use film anymore even though I have a Nikon FM2n. My father and I always argued about was my Nikons or his Leicas better. Well now Nikon makes bloated plastic industrial equipment and Leica still makes lovely street cameras; my Dad won in the end from beyond the grave. No I dont want this huge lump of heavy technology but, hey i am glad it exists I can point at it when getting heat from DSLR fan boys but , I will stay with the human scale and probably end up with a Leica M; after all I already have two 50mm F2 Summicrons ;-)
+Vici Martynov congrats on the X113. The classic manual focus SLRs are great, like the FM2, F1, F3, etc. However, there's something about the rangefinder that is classic in design and in functionality. You're correct that DSLRs have their place in the market place, as do classic rangefinders, weather digital or film. In the end, as long as we're having fun and creating great photographs, it's all good in my eyes. Congrats again!
I love the look of the SL ... chunky, solid and very much like the build of an older analogue camera.
I can't afford a Leica at this very moment, but a Leica would be a first purchase if I were to win on the lotto.
it's a tank of a camera. I really like it, especially with the M adapter to put classic Leica glass on it....
SL 1.1版本支持佳能ST-E3-RT和保富图AIR REMOTE TTL-C，升级1.2后无法使用了。1.2固件跟踪对焦还是没有广告那么神奇，只是一个摆设。DNG格式也无法关闭降噪是个问题，DNG格式相机放大预览照片模糊不清。
I own the SL and the one thing that drives me crazy about it and it's title as a professional camera is that it only has a one battery charging dock. Pro cameras in my opinion should always come with a dual battery charger. It's the one oversight and gripe I have with this camera, otherwise it is fantastic and will reward you if you put in the time to learn it well.
when you talk about the speed of leica lenses in comparison to other manufacturers it is important to understand that all the other build their lenses to shoot, while leica builds their lenses to shoot sharp, contrasty and with nice colors. this is a huge difference. when you compare other lenses especially the 3rd party plastic china ones and you start counting the speed when the image is sharp, then you end up with lenses that are 80-200/8 and not 2.8 as printed on the box. but even when you compare with the nice lenses from nikon or canon they get sharp results even in the corners when they are roughly in the same area as leica glass. so when leica prints a 2.8 or 2.0 on the box, that means there is no difference in sharpness from full open to fully closed and if you really really need this one extra stop then you still have the option to go with the summilux, they have like 1.4 speeds and they are still sharp from beginning to end but they come at a price that is nessesary to build such an incredible lens. it was always cheap to build crap, so comparing a leica with a sony, well as you said, a nissan can drive you from vancouver to la but a bmw will do it in a different way. if you don't understand the difference than a bmw is not for you. ;-)
ah and btw. you did something i always see when people shot with leica. you publish black&white pictures. as you surely know our eyes are way more senitive to luma/contrast then they are with colors so with a black&white it is way easier for us to see the real image quality. with a leica you shoot a picture turn it to black&white and it looks great, right out of the box, thats why everybody is doing it. to get the same out of any other camera you need to use photoshop, ask yourself what this tells you about the lens quality.
anyway, i appreciate your first impressions video. thank you.
thank you for the informative video! many interesting points covered.
hello. I from Argentina... excellent video!!! thank you!!!! is possible do a comparison between Leica sl and hasselblad x1d? Regards!!!
Hi there Taco. I think there's an error @27.45, re the viewfinder being dark. If the aperture is stopped down with an M or R lens, the EVF can be set to compensate and brighten up the image, which also represents what the finished photo will look like. It doesn't have to be dark in the viewfinder!
+Mauser M03 Blog Awesome, thanks for the extra info!! As I mentioned I only had the SL for a few days and didn't realize I could put the EVF in auto-gain mode. You're correct that if this camera has this feature, then the first problem I mentioned is no longer a major issue, except that it does gain up and look 'grainy' and also the 60fps refresh speed will slow down. But hey, no big deal. However, the issue of using focus peaking will still be an issue since the camera is still looking for highlights to peak into the image, so the EVF gaining up won't help. I will see what happens when I have the camera back in my hands and I can do a full review.
But thanks a lot, I really appreciate it. It's great when someone catches a mistake, it means you're paying attention!! Happy shooting!!
+bigheadtaco - Another issue of this review where you showed concern. The R lenses and what the adapter has to do to work on the Leica SL. A Leicaflex R lens is always stopped-down (off camera, whatever the aperture is set too, the lens is already there). Since the camera provides the fantastic feature of auto-gain EVF, all the great advantages of focusing at the "Taking Aperture" are retained even if there isn't a "Open up the Aperture" device/pin (Lens Focus Shift, aperture blades error, real-time Bokeh and among many other things, B&W viewing!). Also, your mentioned issue "of using focus peaking" is errant. Who stops down in low light with great performing low-light lenses? Besides, when Focus Magnified is chosen during peaking, the "colors" of focus peaking aren't so generalized/indistinguishable...
+y2ktube thanks for even more info, this is great. Let's wait and see when the R mount adapter comes out and see how Leica works out the details on how it will work. Yes I am aware that most mechanical lenses are stopped down when removed from the body because it makes sense to have the aperture blades close by default instead of wide open as default, making it easier to stop down mechanically. At the same time, I have the same concern as many that the R adapter is not ready at this time. If it was easy to make, I'm sure Leica would have made it by now. The fact that it may not be ready until late 2016 means they have come across a technical difficulty. I will do my best to find out what that issue is and share on an upcoming video.
As for the stopping down in low light, I did mention that this is mostly for studio work and not low light using only ambient light photography. In the studio, many will stop the lens down to control the exposure along with using the output control of the strobes. Using a strobe at minimum power and shooting wide open is possible but not typical. When I did studio work using film and both 35mm and medium format, it was normal to stop down to f/8 to gain greater depth of field. Also shooting in the studio it is normal to have very low ambient light so as not to allow it to effect the image.
As for auto-gain, I'm looking forward to trying this feature. I know that by gaining up you will slow down the refresh rate, but I want to actually see how much it will increase the lag. I won't be able to say for sure until I actually try it. Have you actually tried the SL under the conditions we are talking about? I will be receiving a review copy in the next day or two so I will be able to report hands on how well this auto-gain feature works along side with focus peaking.
Thanks for your input.
+Mauser M03 Blog, I tested the camera in the studio with a M lens 50mm @ f11 and @ f8 in a dark ambient lighting. I find the EVF compensated and brighten up but not clear enough to be able to focus properly and the focus peaking did not work. Many of my shots was out of focus when I bring them up in my computer for post processing.
Great work as usual
Very informative. Thank you.
about the grab
in
Winter time when wearing gloves the Grab will be very good
i wana take this camera to war to test it .
hey great reviews on your channel, can u please do a video of the SL with the native 24-90 on it and also the iq and the performance of the 24-90. thanks
On my original video with the SL I did show some images I took with it as well as my thoughts. It's a great lens, super sharp, but too big and bulky. It's for event or wedding photographers, or studio. Walking around, it's too heavy. Perhaps on a tripod for outdoor shooting.
Too pricey. I would look at it if it was half the price. For now the A7Rii with legacy lens will suffice. Body is weatherproof but using i.e. legacy or M lenses on it defeats the purpose of weather seals. I seriously think Leica is following Sony conceptually. Technologically I feel Leica is still behind some of the japanese companies. Great video, will be looking for more. Thanks!
Great video!, I look forward to a Japanese camera maker making a better, and cheaper version. If I was a member of the more money than brains club I would have one already. Great camera.
Cheerio to my Nikons and hello to this when I can afford it!
This camera and lense for landscape photography or will i be better off with a sony a7rii/a7riii?
I'm surprised I missed this. I thought I'd seen all the SL reviews I wanted to see. It seems not!
I'd say the only thing that a DSLR would do better than the SL is sport (but only some sports). One aspect which you didn't touch upon here is the discrete shutter, which would make the SL suitable for events and press conferences. DSLRs sound like metal spoons running over washboards in comparison.
BTW I'd like to bet on a very long shot: like you said, the image circle of the native SL lenses must be pretty big. It could be large enough to cover a 45x30mm sensor. Who knows, right? I think Leica made a huge mistake with the S series, and I think they can save it with a mirrorless body that takes SL lenses natively, and S lenses with an adapter. The question is, is the flange focal distance too short for a 45x30mm sensor? It would be interesting to compare with the Hasselblad X1D.
so, you are back in Vancouver. Hk misses you
+Fumi Lam I miss HK too. Until next year!
I like Leica, I have several lenses, an R8 a CL I use a 50mm summicron on and I had a M9 but I had a chance to handle the SL at the Yodobashii store in Akihabara a few days ago, and just personal opinion of course, I think it's ugly, too square, but I'd still be tempted except for one thing.. According to the Leica site the adapter to allow use of Leica R lenses won't be released until the autumn of 2016!!! WTF is that about?!?! Sure the design might be more complicated but it's not like Leica came up with the idea for the SL last month. They've been engineering it for a couple of years I'm sure so they've had all that time to work on an R mount adapter. The only reason I'd get it is to use Leica R glass on it and they're taking a year to release the adapter. That's horrible Leica!
+mavfan1 ya I'm surprised it's not early next year. R lens compatibility should be a high priority for Leica...
If this new Leica SL can do what Nikon D810 do with transitioning from Light to dark adapting to light that way during video shoots then its an 4k winner. It just needs more modern lenses. ty
Great review and good job !
Thanks!
Is it possible to mount the Vario-Elmarit-SL 2,8-4/24-90mm for leica SL to a leica M (with adaptor)?
+Janko Bosch it is possible if someone made a T to M mount adapter. It would be such a small market since there's only a hand full of T/SL mount lenses, but who knows. Maybe Leica will make it.
How is the bracketing?
Does he have the video about the 80-200 f/4 out already?
Interesting, but "like a small Leica S" 😂 A real elite comparison😎
To much money IMHO. It cost as much as 3 D810s - and that's without a lens ?
fantastic review
Any insight on how it performs with M lenses?
+Khalid Alremaihi performs beautifully with M-mount lenses with zoom-in feature and focus peaking...
Excellent precis of this wonderful camera and brand!
people always moan and peach (sic) about Leica prices. It's a yawn. I had a Sony A7ii that I loved for 2 years. I had a billion glass from proprietary to Zeiss, Minolta and all manner of adapted glass. Then Ii got fed up with its ubiquity. So bought an M10 and the cron and lux and blimey! Shortly after, I hated the A7ii and its plastic feel and look and glass and rendition to the extent that I resented looking at it :) It's now sold and guess what I bought? Correct de mundo.. Sl top 601. Ii cannot wait for it to arrive so I can throw on the lux and go for a spin. Would you rather drive a Nissan Micra or a Porsche 911? Go buy Sony, it's a fine camera. It's not in the same lane as M10 or SL..the sooner that is realised the happier one is! It's tiring listening to these bores and their endless comparison and whinges about prices.. do you :)
Great video...!!!
No complain about the weight: even a prosumer level crop sensor DSLR weighs around 850g, same as Leica SL, and any faster 3x-4x zoom lens weighs more than 1kg. So it is comparable. ... Constant f/2.8 in a 3x zoom lens means LOTS of compromises and a possible gain in use in less than a single digit %. When max ISO was 1600, f/2.8 lenses made sense. That was 20 years ago. But today, with usable ISO of 50K even in crop sensors, f/2.8 zoom lens becomes ridiculous! Simply not worth lugging around. Better to make f2.8-f4 (even constant f4) and reduce weight while increasing image quality overall.
Good points, and throw in OIS or sensor based stabilization. Constant aperture is nice if you shoot manually and don't want a shift in exposure, but for the expense, yes, a shifting aperture of 1 stop is no big deal. Thanks for your comment!
Pentax did a similar sacrifice (for the better) when they recently introduced a DA20-40 zoom lens, for their crop cameras, with same f2.8-f4. I call that very smart thinking, because such lens is more affordable, weighs less, will last longer (less mass to move around with an AF), and can achieve stellar quality image in much smaller package. Big lenses for use in the field are the legacy of film; we don't need those things anymore or people will totally abandon cameras and switch to smartphones. More usable cameras and smarter thinking lens-wise is required these days.
great job!
just turn off exposure preview on the evf
It's not 'Nuremberg ring' man
It's kind of sad that he cannot verbalize negativity of numerous short comings of this camera.
Any camera without an optical viewfinder is totally amateur.
I'll keep my M240, thanks.
Lol...that's bigger than my 6x6 ;)
Nikon D800!
Use such effort to produce a luxurious e-waste ... well done Leica!!!
saying they dont compare then saying it is faster... yeah its faster. than the a7r with nearly double as much megapixels. Its faster, thats about all. its sturdier and weathersealed ok. Nothing that could not be done to a "sony a7r2 OUTDOOR-edition" or so and it would still be cheaper. and has Stabilisation built in which is useful the 11fps with a fullframe sound nice but still its much to expensive to be called a reasonable choice. still a Leica, still luxury
+Joshua Mack hey Josh, thanks for your comment. Yes I agree Leica is luxury. When I say 'you can't compare' I mean spec for spec to see which is the better bargain. Leica will never win spec or spec versus price. It will always be overpriced. But Leica is not trying to attract Sony A7 customers. If they were, then they will utterly fail. It's like McLaren trying to entice Nissan Skyline GTR customers with the new P1. Totally different customers with totally different priorities. The Sony is the bang for buck performance, and it's hands down the industry leader. At the same time, you have to compare it with something in terms of its place in the photographic world. I have a really cool yet unusual comparison coming up. Thanks again for your comment.
+bigheadtaco yes, the A7r2 is more megapixels, but you know what? Those files can become a pain because of their size. If you want uncompressed RAW, that's 80 Mb right there.
Calvin Chann sure, i see my computer crashing down there, but if you really want to compare it to a Leica, that doesnt matter at all. you can buy storage space and you can for sure get a laptop that can savely handle these files. This Laptop will be expensive, but you cant argue with costs when comparing something to a Leica
Is it just me or you say the word "out" funny?
Big old clumper - stylistically this aint no Ferrari
The Leica is huge, large and overpriced. The answer is the NIKON D5500. Same sensor in a incredible handy, leightweight, small package and it is a DSLR! Awesome picture qualitiy and cheaper as an iPhone. This is what counts today. Everybody is taking snap shots with his phone. How could you compete? The NIKON has won the deal! Try it out... Nevertheless an interesting posting, thanks.
+PB621 There is always going to be cameras better than this or that, but the Leica's aren't trying to compete with DSLRs or with other brands. It's like saying Bentley or McLaren is competing with Lexus/Toyota. Totally different market. At the same time, you are correct that in terms of functionality, the DSLR is still the best bang for your buck.
As for the iPhone, I love shooting with every type of camera, include mobile photography. If you check out my Instagram feed (instagram.com/bigheadtaco) the majority of my images are taken with my iPhone. I decided I would use it like a proper photographic tool so that's what it's become.
If you have a better tool the potential to take better pictures is always there; but in the end the photographer takes the image. I'm just as happy to shoot with my iPhone as I am with any Leica, Fujifilm, Ricoh or any other camera brand that I review. A camera is just a tool.
Thanks for you comment, I appreciate it!
Ahem.... Leica SL? Really?
PanzerLeica
The quality of the Leica SL sensor is VERY BAD compared with other professional cameras top as Nikon or Sony, Leica cameras are no longer the best cameras as in the past, IMAGE QUALITY OF CAMERAS LEICA ,NOT JUSTIFY ITS PRICE, WHO WANTS to be fooled by the siren calls LEICA MARKETING BUY ONE, BUT YOU ARE ALREADY WARNED!!!! these days Leica is one of the worst cameras in relation Price and money. AND FOR THE MONEY I CAN TELL YOU IS A COMPLETE DESAPPOINTMENT. NO GOOD QUALITY!
I respect your opinion although I do not agree with you on all points. However, please do not troll my account with the same comment on 3 different videos. Leica has NEVER been the best price-performance camera. Neither has Ferrari or McLaren. It's a luxury product and most know this going in. I don't think Leica was ever 'the best camera'. Leica has always had a perceived value, which was often exaggerated. Many Nikon and Contax rangefinders of the 50's and 60's equaled or surpassed many Leica camera bodies and lenses. In the 70's and 80's Leica was overwhelmed with the Japanese SLR cameras. However, Leica has always survived because they've offered a unique product. It's no different today. The Leica SL is not marketed to people who don't already own Leica cameras. If you don't already own Leica lenses, or if you can't afford it, it's not for you, period. Thanks again for your comment.
Dear BigHeadTaco apology for putting three times the same comment was somewhat distracted when I did, it was not my intention to bother. I all ready erase the other 2. My friend I dont speak English I hope you will be able to do a translatión.
Respondiendo a tu comentario, creo que no me deje entender lo suficiente, me refería que Leica es la peor camara en relación de la calidad con el precio, ( hablando de la calidad del sensor).Es facil entender el concepto de producto de Lujo que mencionas,como un Ferrari o Lamborgini, Pero eso no se puede aplicar de la misma manera con Leica por la simple razón de que sus sensores no son de Lujo, sera de Lujo todo lo demás pero sus sensores no lo son, y al final lo que mas importa en una camara es el sensor. Lo que te digo no es una simple opinión al respecto, todo el mundo puede opinar lo que quiera sobre cualquier cosa, lo que yo te digo es el resultado de la comprobación despues de haber hecho varios test, me encantaría poder compartir contigo esta información para que veas por ti mismo cuan superior es por ejemplo un sensor de una Sony A7RII en comparación con la Leica SL por ejemplo. Voy a preguntar a mi amigo con el que he hecho los test que tiene una Leica SL si estaría dispuesto a compartir la información. Mientras tanto te mando un Link donde puedes descargar los archivos originales de la Leica SL y el de varias otras camaras profesionales para que puedas ver por ti mismo que la Leica, esta muy por debajo en calidad de imagen que las camaras top de Sony y Nikon.
www.dpreview.com/reviews/leica-sl-typ601-in-depth-camera-review/2
Asi mismo puedes verificar el bajo puntaje conferido a la Leica SL con respecto a otras camaras en DXO te dejo el Link.
www.dxomark.com/cameras/brand-canon-nikon-sony-leica#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo
Imagine Apple Prores RAW on that. Weep!!
That thing is hideous.
It looks like a caricature of a mirrorless camera.
Come on, BHT. Your reviews are normally very good, but this is utter crap, and it shows that you are a total Leica Fanboy. I love Laica as well, but it shouldn't make you tell stories/lies!
First of all you said, that the SL is very special because it can do 120p in full HD. A lot of cameras have this feature, also in november 2015!!. But your hatred against the Sony line makes you say stuff that is not true. The SL being the only camera in the world that can output 4K externally in 4:2:2!!! The a7s could do this in 2013!! The Sony RX100 mark iv can do that and in a better videoformat than the SL! Stop lying or brush up on the facts before you flame Sony! Just my 2c. Now go back to doing good reviews again!
+Morten Rasmussen hey thanks for your comment and thanks for making sure I'm on my toes. First of all, I think you mistake my comparison with the Sony A7 series with me not liking Sony. As I mention in many of my comments and reviews, I tell most of my family and friends to buy Sony for bang-for-buck performance. Two of my brothers own A6000s, and I've probably recommended a dozen friends to buy the RX100 series. Anyone looking for a full-frame mirrorless, 99% of the time I point them to the A7 without hesitation. In fact for my professional DSLR work, I shoot Sony/Minolta. This video was shot on a Sony A7S!
As for the external 4K 4:2:2 output I did not say that only Leica could do it, and I even put a note saying the Panasonic GH4 can do so via a micro-HDMI connector. My point was the Leica has full size external connectors (full size HDMI and USB 3 connectors) which is great for video guys who typically use external hard drives and monitors. As I began the video portion, I also mentioned I don't really know much about video, so perhaps there are other cameras out there that have all these features (1080P @ 120fps, 4K 4:2:@ output via full size HDMI); but my point was the Leica SL is unique amongst mirrorless cameras to have all these features. Is there another mirrorless that can do this?
Thanks again for watching and thanks for being playfully critical about my Leica 'fanboy' status. Yes I am a fan of Leica, but I'm also a huge Sony fan, and Fujifilm, and Ricoh, and Olympus, and Panasonic, Canon and Nikon! I love it all. The main reason I don't review Sony is because there are already so many reviewers doing Sony, including computer and tech reviewers who know nothing about photography or video. I would rather review brands that are considered niche and cameras that are less reviewed to create unique content different than the majority. I hope you understand. I'm not saying I'll never review Sony, but I'm not interested at this time. My guess is that Sony wouldn't send me product to review as well, which is fine. I'm a small fish in a very big pond!
+bigheadtaco Hey Thanks for commenting on my comment :-) I'm glad that you took time to do so. I did read my comment and it was a bit harsh, that really was not my meaning. English is not my native language.
I fully understand your stand on Sony Reviews but I am only shooting Sony, but I wish that I had the money to buy a Leica M with 35 and 50 Summilux, but that kind of money is not within my reach. So I will have to put up with the RX1R mark ii :-)
thx again, I really like what you do! Keep it up.
Best regards
Morten
it maybe a lovely built camera buts its butt ugly
That is not a beautiful camera. looks like a well built Playschool toy.
Hideous, huge, unremarkable, overpriced and pretty low-spec considering the cost, why bother honestly. The M240 is a much better purchase if you must have a digital Leica. The Sony and Fuji mirrorless cameras are more "pro" than this. The Newer fuji mirrorless cameras and lenses are also weather sealed, I'm not sure about Sony's.
I don't know who would buy this except extreme Leica enthusiasts.