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A lot to Leica? Hands-on with the Leica SL (Typ 601)

Published Oct 20, 2015 | Jeff Keller, Damien Demolder

Hands-on with the Leica SL (Typ 601)

Now comes our favorite part of the Leica SL, and that's its electronic viewfinder, which the company brands as 'EyeRes'. Easily the best EVF we've used, it has 4.4 million dots, a magnification of 0.8x (higher than the Canon 1D X or Nikon D4S), and a 60 fps refresh rate. To say that the resolution is amazing is an understatement - this EVF must be seen to be believed. The only real issue with the EVF is that your nose can end up touching the LCD panel which, on several occasions, resulted in inadvertently changing the focus point.

Speaking of the LCD, it's a standard-issue 3" display with 1.04 million dots and a 3:2 aspect ratio. It's touch-enabled, which is a good thing, as the camera only has the two dedicated buttons shown on the previous slide. The four buttons that surround the display can turn on the menu, jump to playback mode, toggle shooting info, and adjust virtually anything you want.

The rub is that adjusting a setting requires holding down the button for a second and then using one of the dials. By default, for example, exposure compensation is adjusted by pressing the unlabeled button on the top plate until the adjustment screen appears, at which point you can use the dial to change the EVF. There's no way to directly map exposure compensation to one of the dials.

Selecting a focus point is simple thanks to the 4-way joystick to the right of the EVF. The joystick can be pressed inward for back-button focusing. Despite the general move to on-sensor phase detection, the AF system on the SL is contrast detect only, like the Q. Leica tells us that it's the fastest AF system in the world, though we didn't quite find that to be true in the real world, especially in low light, where the camera really struggled with the 24-90mm attached. In bright light, though, the system performed very well in our initial tests, with respectable face detection and subject tracking in continuous AF.

Tags: hands-on, leica, ppe2015

Gear in this story


Leica SL (Typ 601)	Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm F2.8-4 ASPH
9 I own it 76 I want it 32 I had it Discuss in the forums	2 I own it 35 I want it 5 I had it Discuss in the forums

Check prices / order now

Comments

Total comments: 1370

I guess finally I get it. First, phone size was decreasing then increasing so maybe Leica is just the pioneer for the cameras which are following the trend and this is the turn...

0 upvotes

Wow, huge, heavy, ugly as sin and a price tag only a drunken sailor can come up with.

Good luck with that, Leica.

1 upvote

Wow, smaller than a D810.

Ugly to some, plenty attractive to others.

Expensive, yep.

1 upvote

Any one know about it?
New M-EVF-Auto focus? without range finder?
http://leicarumors.com/2015/10/26/leica-x-u-typ-113-camera.aspx/

0 upvotes

How would one make M lenses AF? Move the sensor?

I'm sure Leica has thought of making a Q series with interchangeable lenses--SL likely.

Or the T, could readily be shaped to look a like a rangefinder.

1 upvote

Hi HowaboutRAW.
I don't know, but I think M lens set lock at smallest f22 fixed depend on what lens. Body control AF itself by software. So M able to operate both AF and Manual.
Leica "Angel" can do anything if Leica want to research on it because proud its named of Germany. The SL I wait for a while and let see how Leica expert photographers used it in the field and given comments. I may ask my members and friends whose used Leica around the world should buy SL to make a novice amateur photographer team "SL and M". This is my photo club: www.icsphoto.us

1 upvote

The sensor would have to move to focus with M lenses.

Contrax tried it.

1 upvote

Checked it out at the show in NYC that HowaboutRaw recommended. I like the camera a lot. I installed my own memory card, used both lenses and when I got on the train home started looking at the files.

Granted a few minutes of play time in the exhibition hall isn't enough time at all, but I liked the files a lot, even though I don't have Lightroom profiles yet. Ming Thein is right that at 280mm the long zoom lense focuses forward. But that was in auto, I didn't try manual.

The only two things that would keep me from buying this camera is price and resolution. If price was equal I'd still go for the D810 for the overall system and resolution. D810 is a proven workhorse backed up by an extensive system of lenses, both native and third party accessories, etc.

If I had the money, I'd have the D810 and the M240. I just love that little camera and the files it produces.

If the price, system and resolution weren't an issue? The SL would be a contender for me personally.

1 upvote

Technically the long zoom is still only a prototype, so Ming Thein really has no business drawing conclusions.

Glad you liked the show.

Did you go to the Zeiss counter to see the Nikon mount Milvus lenses, or the new Otus 28?

1 upvote

You are right, it is a "PROTOTYPE".
Indeed while I was standing there they took the long zoom from the person trying it to send it to Asia for a preview of some sort. I didn't hear exactly what they said.

Ming Thein was very clear the sample he used was a prototype, sorry I didn't specify that, my bad. He didn't draw final conclusions, just described what he experienced with the prototypes.

It's hard to say everything in a small about of space/time. My impression is he looks forward to the fully sorted out lens, camera, and operation systems, as do I.

Still, my conclusion remains, all things being equal I am very interested in the SL!!! I really liked it!!! I could learn to navigate the system, but I'm on a cheap beer budget. For now the D810 is a reach, but more reachable.

Did I like what I saw at Zeiss? Of course!
Oh yes! I kept a rag in hand to wipe off the drool... LOL.

The show was great.

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I'm glad you went to the Zeiss kiosk.

That seems like a more affordable approach, especially since the Leica system is still new.

0 upvotes

I'm with Leica since 40 years. But it seems that Leica felt asleep when the first digital cameras was introduced.
where are the advantages of this camera?
she is bulky, she is ugly, she is very expensive and her technical layout is waay behind of the most japanese $700-cameras.
so why should i buy this camera?
because the legendary quality of their lenses?
it is fact, that there are a lot of third party lenses on the market who defy a Leica lens and if not, so they will come very, very near to their level with the Advantage to be a lot cheaper.
for the amount of >$12.000 i will get a D4s with 3 prime lenses and a SB910, a carbon Gitzo and a nice bag for all the stuff!

Comment edited 10 minutes after posting

7 upvotes

It's not a particularly big camera, about the size of the Canon 6D.

Except for Zeiss there are not a lot of 3rd party lenses that challenge Leica for optical quality. No SigmaArts don't come close.

0 upvotes

Is there a way to assure Leica lenses are that great, and greater than the best Canon, Nikon, Sony, Zeisse, Sigma lenses today ?
I mean a real testing of these lenses with a mark that you can compare to the marks from other lenses.

I don't know why DXOmark doesn't rate Leica lenses... but Leica cameras they rate don't do very well...

4 upvotes

surlezi,

You can try them and see.

DXO's lens scores can tell you if a lens is good or bad, can't say if a lens is extraordinary though. The best SigmaArts get the same basic scores as Oti, but the results from Oti look better.

Now, no, not every Leica or Zeiss lens is optically extraordinary, but mostly they are.

There's probably a test that could be developed, but developing such a test presumes a better understanding of light and colour.

0 upvotes

excuse me, HowaboutRAW, but are you a Leica vendor ?

wath do you mean with " ..try them and see." ? i have'nt $ 4.000 to test extensively a lens... are you kidding ??
in this forum i would like hear new ideas, technical opinions and not ad... thanks

1 upvote

HowaboutRAW: I guess the person in the photo has seriously small hands then?

The camera looks like a huge flat slob of chunky metal with a cartoon-logo.

0 upvotes

Knacker:

Again the camera is about the size of a Canon 6D or Nikon D810.

0 upvotes

marmotto:

You ask to try it at the counter. It will take a while before this SL is in stock for demo though.

0 upvotes

I visited Leica Store in LA and hold in hand to see SL with lens 24-90 f2.8. I love it because it is Leica. But I feel it is too heavy, lens zoom extend heavy, I feel when I hold body with lens zoom extend unbalance on my hand, but it look so beautiful. Maybe I am 70, too old?. I think this SL must add on Grip to hold, it will balance, perfect. I want to place order it but still thinking.. it is nice camera but too heavy for me. I may order SL body to use with M lenses. I want to see experienced photographers who own it and test it and give opinion. In my mind now.. do I need SL for my hobby although I have two M-240-MP. I am not professional photographer, I am only novice amateur cameraman, but I love Leica even now I have other high end camera Nikon, Canon and not used much. Please give me idea, it will help me decide to place order it or not, thanks.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

1 upvote

I worked nicely when I tried M lenses on it, there was little vignetting and it was easy to focus.

But it's not like I used it for several days, in every condition. Just a couple of hundred shots.

1 upvote

DPR just posted M lens samples--real world.

1 upvote

Thank HowaboutRAW.

0 upvotes

So, $11,000 for a pimped out Sony with variable aperture lens.... right. I guess Seal is looking to update his camera. It's a bit of a paradox isn't it, that if you're smart enough to make enough disposable income (cause this isn't a pro's working camera) to afford this, that you'd be foolish to spend money on this. It has serious features. But applied in a non-serious way. It's a boutique camera with a laundry list of pro specs. For the weight and price you're better off with a Pentax 645z.

4 upvotes

It's not a Sony.

On the other hand the Pentax 645Z does use as Sony sensor, and the lenses, though plenty good, aren't up to Leica's best. The Leica has a much quieter shutter too.

Also you seem confused about the price, it's more like $12,000 with the zoom lens. $8000 body alone.

0 upvotes

I'm sure it's a nice product. Nice images and all. But not for the price. This is Hasselblad Stellar (or whatever rebadged Sony + $6000 price premium) territory. There are other and far better options for the price. Like I said this is a celebrity/oil tycoon boutique type camera.

Re: body price. Maybe I misread but this is a new mount, with one lens only right now, so in essence you're forced to buy it as a kit. $12,000?

0 upvotes

mgblack74:

Generally those rebadged Sonys are marked up by a much greater percentage. Say $1500 turns into an $7000 "Hasselblad".

And this Leica isn't a rebadge of anything. So in fact no mark up at all.

No, , with a $400 adapter, the body will work well with M lenses, I confirmed this. So no, you're not forced to buy a kit. Later it will take as yet un-released adapters for the R and S AF lenses.

There aren't better options that take native Leica lenses for the price.

2 upvotes

I'm struggling with the value of this. And for anyone that knows me knows I can justify the price on most things. But, not with this. Yes, I undetstand it's not for me then. I just don't understand the work-man-like specs with a boutique price. It's like getting a Ferrari to haul a trailer of soil. Sure it's powerful enough but the price doesn't justify the need or ability. One can get a Sony a7rII, adapter, and Zeiss Otus lens for the price of this body alone. A D810 is even less than a a7rII.

It's an ordinary camera by modern standards and seeing that it's not the first w 24mp or first with a mirrorless design, the price seems to reflect only that it's a Leica. What does it do better than PenCaNikony? FPS? Resolution? Sesnsor size? ISO? Size? Access camera settings quickly? 4K (or even 2K) video? Rangefind? No to all.

There are plenty of 3rd party adapters for M lenses too. For $8000, you'd think they would throw in a $400 adaptor... as a way to entice M mount lens purchases.

0 upvotes

mgblack:

I doesn't help your case that you misrepresent the price of Oti.

You mean you can get a Milvus+adapter+A7RII body for less than $7500. Got to.

This Leica has better high ISO performance, a seal body, a much quieter shutter, and a better EVF.

0 upvotes

Oh, you're right. Those features are worth $4000. :-|

0 upvotes

mgblack:

Not saying what the features are worth.

Just pointing out that your Oti pricing was off by a bit.

The A7RII, with the firmware update, is an excellent camera.

0 upvotes

Leica, when you have money but no common sense.

6 upvotes

Ah yes, another so predictable Leica basher.

Have you tried the SL?

1 upvote

Why would I bother? What's it offer over the competition. Leicas are overpriced. Nicely built, that's about all they have going for them. Be smart, invest in glass. You could buy 2 pro bodies of other makes for the price of this one. You can't tell a leica image from any other camera, it's nonsense.

6 upvotes

PhotoJ:

Lenses, that's a big part of the appeal.

It's much better with things like Leica M lenses than a Sony A7--well at least until this A7RII, which I've not tried with an M lens yet.

Leica lenses sure do a better job than Canikon.

0 upvotes

I hear that, yet I have yet to see it in images. Are you telling me if I showed you 100 photos shot with different brands including Leica you could tell me which were shot with Leica glass? I highly, highly doubt that.

3 upvotes

PhotoJ:

What's easy to see is the use of optically much better lenses. So yes all other things being equal, which they usually aren't, if the image is shot with a good Zeiss or Leica it shows easily. It's harder to pick between the Zeiss or Leica, or Schneider, or even the best Samsungs.

0 upvotes

Get over it. Leica has never been a cheap or earthly priced system, it has a name a lens quality that is second to none. If it is not for you just move on and pontificate on something else....

0 upvotes

No way on this earth can you tell a Leica lens from a good Canon Nikon or whatever and I have proved it. Granted, at very fast apertures it may be apparent but at say f4 and above I would defy anyone to tell.

Okay so I was challenged to this from a snobby academic and Leica 'expert' and he shall remain nameless for obvious reasons. I shot the same landscape scene with a Canon G9 and my Leica M8 at f8 with same focal length = 50mm. Both were printed on fine art paper at a lab in black and white and same size, which was A3.

I took them in to let him examine them and he could not tell me which camera shot which let alone what lens was used. This is a guy who has photos hung in international galleries and he made himself look silly because on another occasion he told me one of my prints had come from a film camera when in fact it had come from a Ricoh GRD.

Fact is that the photographic industry relies on myth. Love my M8 but it's just a camera.

6 upvotes

washy:

Not true.

Though stopping down better Canon L lenses helps them--a bit.

Depends on the Leica M lenses you have too. Don't know the G9's lens, the G6's lens isn't very good.

The Ricoh GR has a very nice lens.

Don't really care what your guy could or couldn't see.

0 upvotes

On a sunny day and f8 a Kodak brownie will come close too but that doesn't say much about your evaluations. I don't know about you but I don't buy fast lenses to shoot at f4. Shoot with leica's fast lenses wide open and see what you get, and do the same with canon and see what crap it produces.

I have been a long time canon/nikon users. If it wasn't because of them photography still would be craft for the elite. They do have good lenses here and there, but that is more of exception than rule.

1 upvote

You Leica users will tell yourselves whatever you need to say in order to justify wasting money. You will NOT be able to pick out Leica shots over any other camera, nobody can. There's nothing unique about Leica images, at all, nothing. They are not sharper, they do not produce a unique look, the only thing they do is drain your wallet.

I once heard an avid Leica user completely admit that theres nothing better about the shots, that he'd just like to think so because of the money he's spent. That's no surprise.

4 upvotes

Leica fanboys are just as predictable. Always have answers for everything and take this forum thing way too personal. Too much red Kool-aid.

1 upvote

PhotogJosh:

First paragraph: Yeah keep telling yourself that, you've convinced no one familiar with optically better Leica lenses.

0 upvotes

villa:

Leica lenses aren't simply about better reds.

0 upvotes

Another emperor with no cloths.There will be enough folks buying it at whatever cost Leica fancied should screw out of them.

4 upvotes

Why an emperor in the buff?

Have you used the camera?

Have you shot with optically good Leica lenses?

Is it inexpensive? No.

0 upvotes

HowaboutRAW, you're wrong.

Leica should stop the whole camera joke and start make lenses for other brands, that's how they could make real money in the modern camera marked, trough their name and old reputation.

Their glory days of their old analog cameras and manual lenses are long gone.

You seem to front that Leica is best in every class, concerning photography, you seem to forget that it definitely isn't, not even in the lens department.

- They are good, but when you start comparing, you'll find that there are many lens-makers making better glass.

Most modern brands have glass that is equal or superior to the various Leica glass.

You are trying to convince yourself that spending way to much doe is somehow justified by "Leica superiority", while at the same time making a fool of yourself for not recognizing that there is no such thing any more.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I think this is a Very cool looking camera. It has an odd retro flavor to it. Sort of reminds me of the horseman digiflex ii. The big bummer is that Leica keeps these price points off the charts and alienates pros like me that pay big bucks but don't sell the farm to get the newest and best.

0 upvotes

It's not real! Nobody is that short on brain cells to produce a 1995 era Digital camera – red dot or not!

1 upvote

There were full framed mirrorless CMOS sensored cameras in 1995? And they shot 4K video? And cost less than $200,000?

You don't seem real familiar with digital cameras, from 1995 or 2005, least 2015.

2 upvotes

Ausgezeichnet!

1 upvote

Indeed it is.

It is likely a bigger deal, for Leica, than Sony's introduction of the A7 series in Oct 2013.

0 upvotes

Drawn out?

0 upvotes

"excellent".

0 upvotes

Finde ich auch!

0 upvotes

@Howabout: I knew that...; my German is passable, dasz kann Ich Sie aus zeichnen...

0 upvotes

Leica SLoppy...

4 upvotes

How?

1 upvote

most ugly camera I've ever seen....

4 upvotes

Did you handle it at the NYC show?

1 upvote

It weighs over 4 pounds with the lens -- too big!!!

7 upvotes

There will be more than one lens.

0 upvotes

Even die hard Leicaphiles will be hard pressed to say anything nice about this camera... Its specs are nothing to write home about, it is BIG and it is positively ugly, not to mention that it carries the usual absurd Leica price tag... What is there to like? What does it do over and above the competition to warrant a premium? What a pity that such a historic mark is fast becoming obsolete...

6 upvotes

It's really well thought out.

Not particularly big.

It's better than Sony 24MP sensored cameras for higher ISOs.

For late 2015 it has the best EVF available.

Yep, it's expensive.

2 upvotes

Very nice industrial design, I like it very much.
This camera will look very nice next to my Rotring $100 pencil.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/littleflowerpetals/14269609687

2 upvotes

Praktisch, quadratisch, gut...

4 upvotes

Oktoberfest!

1 upvote

Go home, Germany, you're drunk.

0 upvotes

Hi guys,
just a comment about having had it. I clicked on that button to see if it would provide a list of those lucky enough to have owned it and all that happened was another person was added to the count of having had it.

Totally meaningless statistics.

Ian

2 upvotes

If the camera doesn't release until the end of November 2015, why would anybody except a beta tester have had it?

2 upvotes

Every body know SL body, made in Germany! how about SL lenses? what manufacturer or assembler?. I hope not China made/assembled SL lenses. I want SL lenses made in Germany. Many photographers discuss and give many opinion about SL body, but no body discuss or give opinion about SL lenses. People who used Leica like all are made in Germany, Germany, Germany. I read advertisement and specification about SL lenses but I found nothing about manufacturer/assembler?????

1 upvote

The lens says Germany.

The S and M lenses are made in Germany--not the T.

(By the way, Samsung makes extraordinary lenses in China.)

2 upvotes

Thank you.

0 upvotes

So many discussion! Nothing help! If you like Leica SL, buy it with no question. I am going to buy 2 lens SL 24-90 and 90-280 to use with my M240-MP for now. SL body will buy later after experienced Leica photographers test this SL body in the field and find no problem. But I don't know what kind adapter M/SL able to use for these SL lenses to M240 MP? Please let know about it, thanks.

2 upvotes

I just saw the backside of the camera. It's absurd that there are SO FEW controls at all. But this camera is clearly not aimed at working professionals anyway.

0 upvotes

It's not really much different from the minimalist button layout of the Leica S:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/7844486815/-leica-s2

I think these designs show that cameras don't necessarily have to be covered in countless knobs, dials, and buttons.

3 upvotes

nerd2:

The buttons are programmable and are easy enough to use in combination with the joy stick and control wheels.

I'm sure you could used it after a couple of days use and play.

And actually there aren't few buttons. There are more than the four on the back. The back wheel and joy stick have button functions, so too of course the buttons atop the body.

1 upvote

In theory you can do everything with just a single touchscreen but buttons, knobs, joysticks are there for a reason.

2 upvotes

nerd2:

And there are at least 6 buttons on the back of the SL, not counting the wheel and joy stick both of which have button like features.

1 upvote

Anyone else think that DPR needs to add a couple of comparison shots to this story? - the camara is nothing like the behemoth that the girl holding it implies.

http://camerasize.com/compact/#557.479,639.496,595.286,wa,t

4 upvotes

Well, I am not interested in this camera, not even if I could effort it.

But this picture makes it really a lot larger than it is.

1 upvote

True. The camera is not that big. The pics above are misleading. It's not bigger than a 5DS

0 upvotes

Sean Reid's review at LuLa basically states that SL's AF is best thing since sliced bread; he reports some amazing hit rates shooting moving targets at night.

But then there's hands on review at mirrorlessons.com:

"This is very likely (it is) the DfD system that Panasonic uses on its newest Lumix cameras. The same AF points, the same contrast detection type AF, and I would say the same behaviour.

Overall the AF locks fast enough but a few times I had out-of-focus results even in good light, such as for example the model below. In worse light, it failed to lock a few times when switching quickly from one person to another. With Heather I did a quick continuous shooting test and here again I was expecting better results. I definitely need to test this in various conditions but as a first impression of the "world’s fastest" AF, I have to say I am not impressed."

So jury is still out, but whether SL performs better or worse than others is irrelevant; certain people will buy it anyway.

2 upvotes

For all those among you who seriously consider this system as your next or even new one: who would you look to for an objective recommendation/ test?

0 upvotes

Ken Rockwell of course
- but he hasn't got one...yet.

0 upvotes

He hasn't got one yet, but he's so objective it's already the greatest camera on the market... Lol Rockwell.

1 upvote

For videotest I would look to Philip Bloom and for phototest I would look to CamerastoreTV. They do very good reviews at youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye9TrMw_nHI

0 upvotes

Yeah, I like what they do too, good reviews with useful tips, photographer + videographer insight, and a good sense of humor.

0 upvotes

LOL at anyone who would use KR (I wont actually say his name) for a review. Maybe try somebody who can shoot a professional picture and isn't a click baiter. KR is not a photographer.

0 upvotes

@surlezi
St Ken knows an instant classic when he sees one.
HaHa!

0 upvotes

I've handled a Leica Q and I found it fantastic: practical, great EVF, great lens, low noise, high detail even @ iso 6400 and f/1.7. Really a joy to use, good ergonomics. Also the price is quite fair, considering what you're getting.
This one, however, is another item in the long list of pointless digital Leica products. A mirrorless camera loses the mirror in order to be compact and small.
This is bigger, heavier and less discreet than a DSLR.
There's no reason to buy it.

2 upvotes

Check it out on camerasize.com, its not as big as these photos make you think it is.

1 upvote

Just did it. It's wide as a Nikon D810, just 133 grams lighter and a bit shorter.
A Sony A7R II is smaller and 1/3 lighter than the SL.
As I said, pointless.

0 upvotes

It is BIG, get over it, Leica fanatics!

1 upvote

I'm a Fuji fanatic, not a Leica fanatic, and while is is big it isn't as big as the photos make it look.

0 upvotes

If someone has girlyhands it is big of course, but it is not bigger than a 5D. An average man has no problem to handle it with his hands.

1 upvote

RStyga:

Only if you think a 5D massive, is this Leica big.

0 upvotes

Some other Leica fanatics compare it with medium format cameras incl. S and RZ!... unbelievable. You cannot compare with a DSLR like 5D just because it suits you; it's NOT a DSLR. You need to compare it with DSLMs. You're something else, aren't you?

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

RStyga:

Well it's smaller than a 5D.

I don't know of anybody saying it's like an S. (With an adapter it will take S AF lenses.) Irony an S is smaller than both a D4S and a 1DX.

I'm not sure what the RZ is. I know what a R8 or R9 is.

The fact remains that it's smaller than a full framed DSLR from Canon--the 5D, various. It's about the size of a Canon 6D or Nikon D810. Though both of those DSLRs are thicker in the body.

You're just uniformed about this body. But think you can post as if you are.

0 upvotes

Keep dreaming.

0 upvotes

RSyga:

How is it dreaming to point out the easily confirmed fact that the body is about the size of the 6D?

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I just love watching the few die hard Leica fans mindlessly trying to defend this abomination of a camera...

10 upvotes

So you've not handled it.

Leica bashers, who've never handled whatever Leica, and never used a good Leica lens, are so predictable.

8 upvotes

I rest my case.

6 upvotes

LF:

You don't have a case.

You could have a case, for your own user experience, if you could honestly say "I've handled it with the zoom, and it's not for me."

5 upvotes

I don't own a Leica, and probably never will (unless I won the lottery). But I can still appreciate this camera. If I had the money, I wouldn't mind having one.

BTW, what childish impulse would compel you to call this an "abomination [definition: a thing that causes disgust or hatred] of a camera." It's just a camera, for crying out loud! Why do people need to get so emotional or incensed over a camera? Get a grip, man! It sounds like it's you who is talking "mindlessly" here.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

5 upvotes

And the results are in; The SL is not only huge and badly designed, but has a very weak sensor and a soft lens.

Seriously, great camera. I hope you enjoy it, Leica fans.

1 upvote

LF Photo:

The lens is plenty sharp, not the example DPR used for the studio shots though.

A D810 is a huge body now?

The sensor is excellent.

0 upvotes

I would like to say "I can't wait to get my hands on it", but it looks as though I would have trouble in that department - it looks awkward.

2 upvotes

It's not.

1 upvote

I'll bow to your superior knowledge.

But I have more than a strong feeling that it would feel awkward to me because it looks similar to other designs that I have found to be awkward.

And I'm not a Leica basher either. I have two Leica M8s which I love and a 50mm Summicron plus 35mm Summilux. I had the Noctilux which I didn't like unless shooting at f1.

I had the Leica X1 which I thought was awful.

I have the Fuji XT1 - superb.

In my view of course.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

washy:

Okay, but I have actually handled it.

I didn't think you a Leica basher.

0 upvotes

Boris "the Blade" Yurinov: [referring to the gun he sold Tommy] Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it doesn't work … you can always hit them with it.

6 upvotes

If you haven't got the minerals, just say so.

0 upvotes

"Lock, stock and two smoking barrel".... HAHAHA, great movie!

1 upvote

I just struck me, I know where they got the design. They stole it from:

The 1986 Motorola cell phone.

2 upvotes

No external battery.

Smaller than direct competitors like the Canon 5DIII.

If anything Leica vaguely copied Fuji and Olympus--and the M digital bodies.

Comment edited 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Petax design team is off the hook for "ugliest camera of the year".

2 upvotes

Funny that you should say this. My first thought was that they let Marc Newson off the leash again, the guy who designed the truly abominable Pentak K-01, IIRC not without bragging that he never designed a camera before.

0 upvotes

I was taken aback by the look, but at second glance I actually think it looks great. At least it's a departure from the frankly horrific 1990's retro "melted bar of soap" looks of most current full frame DSLRs.

1 upvote

Not pocketable.

I'll pass.

0 upvotes

I'm actually enjoying your trolling.

Well done!

0 upvotes

The logo is to small.

3 upvotes

Yeah, that blows it. I wouldn't even consider a camera with that small a logo.

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Yeah, maybe you can customize it with a bold lettering... or underlined at least...

1 upvote

The special model with bigger logo is not out until early 2016. It will be a 1300$ more, but well worth it imho. I think I'll get this first and upgrade later, if the red dot will be big enough.

0 upvotes

For some reason this camera reminded me of an old joke from the early 2000s: cell phones are the only thing that men argue whose smaller.

2 upvotes

I will most likely never own a Leica, but I think this camera has a place in the Leica universe. It seems to adapt to most of the lenses they make. This would allow M users to deploy all their lenses on a modern viewfinder focusing full frame body. Plus it is much smaller than the S and will adapt its lenses so it may be a back up to that models owners especially for video.

2 upvotes

Well, Cadillac Escalade is much smaller than Caterpillar 797. It still doesn't make it a small (or good) car.

3 upvotes

Caterpillar is also much more useful.

3 upvotes

Why on earth being smaller than a medium format camera has any relevance here? You Leica followers are unbelievable! Did they pay you or something to speak such nonsense?!

0 upvotes

of course it's too small to fit in a flip screen.

2 upvotes

Ar u askin ze Germans to poot a flip skreen in zeir kameras? Uh uh uh. Cooler. Sree veeks.

2 upvotes

Has Sebastian Vettel got a Leica SL?

http://c.files.bbci.co.uk/0848/production/_86302120_vettel_camera_getty.jpg

1 upvote

Well spotted!!! Sure looks like he does!

1 upvote

A professionnal photographer LOL.

0 upvotes

Again Leica is convince to make a big event with a non event product .
Heavy , expensive , only 24 millions pixels , always two steps behind the trend and the last technologies .
it is a very well built obsolete novelty .

2 upvotes

It's an excellent camera.

The EVF and the mechanical shutter shame the A7RII, and it's a better high ISO camera than that Sony.

No, the SL is not inexpensive.

1 upvote

Patrick, Leicas are bought by the same people who buy those awful haute couture dresses you see on fashion shows. Same people who pack their Valentino garments into Louis Vuitton bags. It's not even a fashion statement. It's a UNIFORM.

Note the timing. It's the end of October. The jet-set camarilla is migrating from Cannes to St.Barts. They MUST bring something from Europe to show their likes that they are still worthy of their invitation-only clubs. In a few months when the reverse migration starts, Leica will announce the Hermes version so that the same nuveau-riches could flash it in Monaco marinas.

And the Leica's faithful supporters on every photo forum around the Internet are the people for whom the best photo format of all times is the daguerreotype.

I have to say, credit is where credit's due, Leica really knows their clientelle well.

2 upvotes

BO, are you crazy? There is no credit due; these are pure cash transactions, via debit cards. :)

1 upvote

BigOne:

It's easier to dismiss Leica in your mind set then.

But that's not what drives the average Leica buyer at all.

0 upvotes

Yes, HowaboutRAW, I meant you when talking about defending daguerrotypes. :-)

2 upvotes

I'm sorry, NoMirror99, I didn't mean to offend. :-)

1 upvote

BigO:

I missed your defense of daguerreotypes.

And no, I've never actually shot a daguerreotype, Leica on the other hand...

0 upvotes

Hmmm. Leica does a lot of things really well, but I can't quite figure out this release. A totally new mount for a new system that touts itself as the first "professional" mirrorless system - but then only has one kit zoom lens available for the whole "system" - with only two more in the pipeline. If the Sony A7 series wasn't around, this would be a much more exciting announcement, but it feels a little late to the party and not quite complete for release at that.

2 upvotes

There's an adapter for M lenses.

0 upvotes

And if you're asking how much is a Leica adapter, you can't afford it.

3 upvotes

Charlie, you are forgetting about Leica's world renown customer service./?#%$$$$$. Check with Lloyd Chambers for the details.

Comment edited 17 seconds after posting

1 upvote

I can bet any money you edited the Lloyd Chambers part. What was it before the change? :-))

1 upvote

BigOn:

Something like $400, likely to quickly be supplanted by a machine shop in China for $40, though it will be a black market item, since Leica owns the SL mount.

0 upvotes

it's a tank...

0 upvotes

That's about the size of a Nikon D750.

0 upvotes

Exactly! And the lens is two times smaller than Zoom-Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED.

2 upvotes

It has a kind of 1950's Soviet construction and style to me. I am not saying that this is in any way stylish. This is truly a butterface camera. If you think this is pretty than you have your Leica beer goggles on. Maybe Leica should give you a bottle of vodka and shot glass with every purchase with the obligatory red dot.

7 upvotes

It's Oktoberfest time!

2 upvotes

This thing is HUGE... and ugly.

7 upvotes

Sorta like your name loboto...

3 upvotes

Send you a hug, I know it's a difficult moment for you..

0 upvotes

HSway,

I suggest doing the test yourself, the results with the A7S mech shutter versus silent are stunning.

0 upvotes

Leica already has a mirrorless full-frame mount: the M mount, which has been in existance for the the biggest part of a century. Why come up with a second FF mirrorless lens mount?
OK, it lacks AF, but there's always room for electric contacts...
The studio samples seem out-of-focus. A re-do?

2 upvotes

Form factor matters. Rangefinder-form cameras handle differently than SLR-form cameras. For one thing, they don't handle larger lenses very well. So the SLR-form definitely has its advantages. Leica has certainly had FF SLR cameras in the past (such as their Leica R series). But the "Leica SL" name is telling. Leica's first SLR was called the Leicaflex SL, introduced in 1964, to capitalize on the popularity of the SLR form factor. And not surprisingly, the Leica SL looks very similar to the Leicaflex SL:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicaflex_/_SL_/_SL2

So that's what this digital Leica SL is doing: catering to people who prefer the SLR form factor (but obviously without the mirror, in this case), just like the Leicaflex SL did many years ago.

0 upvotes

If you do a Wedding with this, you can easily charge at least double the price... everyone will see right away that you are a very high-net-worth professional photographer.

OK, I admit, I was being ironic ... :-)

7 upvotes

with that weight...yes you are very IRONic :-)

sorry

2 upvotes

The best moment is when you point this little beautiful Leica camera at the bride and groom and say:
- Please say cheese.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 6 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Photographing military bases in America with this thing should be fun.

Comment edited 12 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

Marmotto, Don't be ridiculous. He's being Almonic :-)

sorry

1 upvote

BO: Unt, vat do you mean bi zat? Ver still bin allies....zo far, ya?

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 3 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Ja, ja!!!

1 upvote

Look, Canon, even Leica got it ...
:D

2 upvotes

Yes, if Leica/Panasonic start making shots at Sony's A7 line, Canon and Nikon should know they are way too late ;p

0 upvotes

If this is the camera for the future, Canikon should stay away.
I doubt that Canikon can do better.

Comment edited 6 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

According to dpr hands on, this leica is a let down functionally and ergonomically, especially for the $.
shame on you leica,

3 upvotes

They seem to have gone out of their way to make it hard to use.

Why?

I can guarantee owners will get frustrated with it

If it's not good to use word will soon get out and its value second hand won't be great unlike what you see for Leica rangefinders.

1 upvote

Media, DO: You've missed the point. The lack of buttons and dials will prevent this camera from getting caught on expensive jewelry and fancy clothes. What more could you ask of a camera?

Comment edited 4 times, last edit 3 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

I sold all my Nikon gear and am buying a Sony a6000 (for, guess which reasons ?) - this monstrosity vindicates my reasons for going the other way regarding camera size. Who'd what to lug that beast around ?

6 upvotes

The Leica is way too big for what it's supposed to contain. Surely, there must be some secret (covert government) device inside tracking all the movements of the photographer and sending images to a government spy center which keeps track on all our movements.

2 upvotes

I'll loan you 2 sheets of black photographic tin foil. Von fir ze camera, unt von fir sie.

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

Thanks, but I already have a roll of tin foil that I keep nearby.

0 upvotes

Horrible design. It looks more like they tried to make a piece of industrial art than a photographic tool.

Notice how the strap loops are offset? Obviously they couldn't stand them not being centered on their respective sides... This causes the center of balance to shift in the OPPOSITE direction you'd want it to. Anyone attempting to use a standard strap on this is going to end up with a twisted mess.

Maybe not a huge deal... But they are asking SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS for it.

Unacceptable.

And anyone trying to tout the superiority of this to the Fuji or Sonys in terms of a workable tool is doing so out of ignorance. I recently took a trip with an older gentlemen who had, for many years, shot with old Leica rangefinders of various sorts. He now uses Nikon DSLRs, but reached for my X-T1 on occasion by neccesity(right lens, right time). His opinion of my X-T1? "It reminds me of my old Leicas. It feels like it KNOWS what it's doing". It was hard to get it back from him.

5 upvotes

It's a comfortable body to use.

The ones I tried didn't have a strap.

The XT1 is an excellent camera. Odd menus, but one figures them out.

0 upvotes

Peacekeeper, Please don't use the word 'art' associated with this camera in anyway. It gave me a queasy feeling in my stomach. My body simply revolted at the thought.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

2 upvotes

Image 2 is a photomontage, right? wtf....

1 upvote

It is a girl holding it of uncertain size. Personally I think chosen to make a point. Perhaps 2.

0 upvotes

Total comments: 1370

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In pictures: PhotoPlus Expo 2015 Oct 25, 2015	Life in a glass case: We peer at new Pentax full-frame DSLR Oct 23, 2015	Studio tests and samples: Leica SL Oct 28, 2015	M & M: Leica SL Typ 601 real-world gallery updated with M-series lens samples Oct 27, 2015

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