The Leica SL (Typ 601) has
been on the market for a while now and reviews of the camera are beginning to
appear. Our friends at Leica Store Miami
are no exception. Here is the extremely
thorough report ...
by David Farkas:
I sat in my hotel room in
Gießen, Germany staring at my laptop screen as night began to turn back to day.
Earlier in the evening, I attended the launch event at Leitz Park for the new
Leica SL (Typ 601) and was attempting to piece together an analysis before
grabbing some shuteye. Pouring over the specifications for the new camera, I
immediately reflected on the 2010 LHSA meeting where Leica director of product
management Stefan Daniel held the in-person equivalent of a Reddit AMA (ask me
anything) session. At the time, I was surprised by his candid and in-depth
responses. One topic up for discussion was that of EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder
Interchangeable Lens) cameras and Leica’s plans. When the M (Typ 240) was
released at Photokina in 2012 just two years later, I thought about Stefan’s
discussion, where he emphasized that Leica already had a mirrorless camera –
the M system. The addition of EVF capability made sense as it would allow the
use of R lenses and make better use of wide-angle M lenses. And I figured that
that book had closed. Leica had realized their EVIL camera solution. It was the
iconic M.
Leica Camera CEO Oliver
Kaltner presents the new camera
Little did I realize there
was more to his statements that had yet to materialize. He also postulated a
camera with an SLR-like format with an EVF rivaling an optical one. This
theoretical design could be smaller and faster than a mirrored equivalent. And,
it could go beyond being just an amateur plaything. Rather, Stefan teased the
idea of a professional-level tool. Five years ago, he put forth the idea, with
the caveat that the technology wasn’t there yet. Not to the level that Leica
required in order to bring this vision to fruition.
Fast forward to 2015. The
technology is now here and so is Leica’s cutting edge effort at a mirrorless
pro camera.
The New Leica SL (Typ 601)
Armed with what we can
assume is the same excellent 24MP low noise CMOS chip found in the Q (Typ 116)
(full review here), the wickedly fast Maestro II processor, also in the Q and S
(Typ 007) (full review here), and an enormous 0.66” 4.4 MP EVF with 0.8x
magnification, the SL packs a technological punch. It can shoot 11 frames per
second, matching up with the best of 35mm pro DSLRs, but with higher resolution
full-frame capture, and can auto focus faster than just about any camera out
there, including those same pro DSLRs. These last points are important ones.
Leica is choosing to go head to head with the top of the line systems from
Nikon and Canon – the ones aimed at professional shooters.
The body is machined from
a single block of aluminum, resulting in one of the most solid feeling chassis
I’ve ever held. Leica gained considerable experience in unibody aluminum
construction from the T (Typ 701) (full review here) and fully exploits that
know-how in the SL. The only bit of plastic is a raised rectangular piece on
the top left of the camera, which houses the GPS, as the signal can’t travel
through metal.
The control layout is
strikingly similar to that of the S (Typ 007). With well over 10,000 exposures
under my belt using the new S007, I feel the operational concept Leica has
engineered is one of the smoothest and least obtrusive ones that I’ve used to
date. Nothing extraneous. All controls at your fingertips. Nothing to get in
the way of picture taking. I’m pleased to see this same interface put to good
use on the SL.
And while the SL could
clearly be seen as a baby brother to the larger medium format S (Typ 007),
advances made for the Q (Typ 116) are also brought to bear, giving the new
camera a leg up on the S with regards to cool tech. The luscious EVF displays
all info at a glance and the rear touchscreen speeds some operations like
playback, although Leica has been adamant that the camera can be operated
perfectly and completely without interacting with the touchscreen. It is purely
optional for the photographer. In my testing, I found that I often overlooked
the touchscreen entirely and had to remind myself to play with it.
Other bells and whistles
abound with dual SDXC card slots, one of which supports UHS-II, built-in Wi-Fi
with control and live streaming apps for iOS and Android, dynamic and face
tracking AF, advanced video functions, a self-cleaning sensor and full weather
sealing.
The SL is designed for
speed at every turn. Just as with the Q (Typ 116) and the S (Typ 007), its
responsiveness is immediately apparent. No hesitation with menus, playback or
shot-to-shot times. Live view is impressive with no latency. And while I’m sure
many would have been satisfied with the same class-leading 3.7 MP EVF used in
the Q, Leica pushed for an even higher level of viewfinder fidelity.
With its L mount (the new
name of the T mount), the SL can accept the new line of autofocus SL lenses, as
well as existing T lenses and future TL lenses in crop mode. M lenses, R
lenses, S lenses and even Cine lenses all get a chance to join the party with
adapters. Then there are the whispers of fully functional Nikon and Canon
adapters that would offer full aperture and AF functioning on the SL, but
nothing official yet. It seems that Leica is keen to make a migration to the SL
as easy as possible by leveraging potential users’ existing glass.
Over 100 Leica lenses are
compatible with the SL via adpaters
When using manual aperture
lenses with no electronic coupling, like the M and R lenses, the camera
utilizes a secondary, externally mounted light meter to approximate aperture
information, similar to the M240. And, just like the M240, the SL uses this
information to apply any necessary DNG shading corrections for specific lenses.
This is further complimented by either automatic 6-bit detection of M lenses or
by manual selection of uncoded M lenses and for all R lenses.
SL Lenses
While I was at Leitz
Park,I had an opportunity to speak with Peter Karbe, head of optics for Leica,
and optics engineer Dietmar Stuible. We discussed the new SL lenses.
The optics team had to
totally rethink lens design for the SL lenses. First, with a shorter flange to
focal plane distance, a typical telecentric design wouldn’t be necessary.
Secondly, in order to achieve near-instant AF performance, the focus group
would have to be extremely lightweight, driven by quick, but accurate motors.
Additionally, optical image stabilization would need to be integrated without
any appreciable degradation in image quality.
So, they got to work.
Drawing from considerable expertise, the Leica optical team successfully
created an exciting new standard in 35mm zoom lenses. Linear stepper motors,
ultra-light focus groups, quick processing and new algorithms now work together
to achieve superior speed using contrast detect autofocus, outpacing even the
best phase detect AF systems. According to Leica, the AF on the SL is the
fastest of any 35mm pro camera to date. Yes, that includes cameras like the
Nikon D4s and Canon 1Dx.
Commensurate with the
stellar autofocus system, the optical image stabilization in the lenses works
astonishingly well and with the same complete silence as the AF. Degradation of
optical quality is always a concern when employing OIS. But, my friends in the optical
department indicated that with IS enabled, 95% of the optical quality of the
lens could be maintained. Under most circumstances, the extra sharpness
afforded by using IS more than makes up for any subtle loss of absolute
quality. And after seeing the results for myself, I couldn’t agree more.
But AF speed and IS
weren’t the only goals. Starting with the S lenses and carrying forward to the
TL and now the SL lenses, Leica started designing lenses for higher resolving
power. The published specs show MTF testing up to 40 lp/mm, but internally,
technicians now test up to 60 lp/mm, in order to guarantee the highest
performance level for this latest generation of cameras, as well as what is to
come in the foreseeable future.
Touching briefly on the TL
lenses before getting down to the new SL models, Peter wanted to reiterate that
there will continue to be TL lens development. “The lenses are quite good with
great performance on the SL.” And, true enough, shortly after the SL
introduction, two new TL lenses were announced: a 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-TL and
60mm f/2.8 APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL. I briefly tried the 35 Lux TL on the SL and it
did seem excellent.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
new 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-TL ASPH – the camera automatically switches to APS-C
mode with TL lenses mounted
The first SL lens, the
Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH has more in common with the 30-90mm
Vario-Elmar-S lens than the previous 28-90mm Vario-Elmarit-R. In fact, both
zooms, the 30-90 S and the 24-90 SL, were designed by Dietmar Stuible, with the
new SL lens loosely based upon his earlier S design. With 18 elements in six
moving groups, four aspheric elements and eleven elements using glass with
anomalous partial dispersion, the standard zoom is packed with exotic glass.
And, the end result is probably the best zoom lens that Leica has built to
date. Looking at the MTF charts for the new lens, you can see that even wide
open, the lens is resolving 80% contrast at 40 lp/m. At all focal lengths. At
both infinity and close focus. Yes, this is impressive, especially for a zoom.
In fact, the MTFs stay very consistent at all distances, focal lengths and
apertures. The lens has no weaknesses. Certainly none that I could see in any
of my test shots. If the rest of the SL lenses are as outstanding as the 24-90
we’re in for a real treat.
Stuible also worked on the
upcoming APO Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-4, which looks to be quite an
achievement. Taking up roughly the same physical dimensions as the legendary
280mm f/4 APO Telyt-R, the new zoom provides a 3x zoom range while maintaining
stunning optical quality and offering a faster f/2.8 starting aperture,
lightening quick AF and the same OIS found in the 24-90. The lens utilizes 23
elements in seven moving groups, with seven elements made from glass with
anomalous partial dispersion. All zooming and focus is internal, with no change
in the length of the lens.
Canon and Nikon users are
accustomed to having two mainstay pro zooms: the 24-70 and 70-200. Here, Leica
extended the range a bit by going to a 24-90 and 90-280. The tweaking of the
accepted standard is not without purpose.
On the 24-90 zoom, the
push to 90mm makes it more practical for portrait and detail applications,
especially with the 1:4 reproduction ratio given the minimum focus distance of
0.45m at the long end of the focal range. This means more utility in one lens
with less switching out for just a little extra length.
For the long zoom, the
increase from 200 to 280mm is significant. Most of the times that I’ve shot
with a 70-200, 200mm was often too short. But, getting that extra reach meant
using a much larger and much heavier lens, or compromising on quality and using
a mid-level plastic 75-300 zoom. Leica’s decision to offer a more useful range
for its tele zoom makes perfect sense. Combined with the highly effective IS
and near optical perfection at every focal length and every aperture at every
distance, the 90-280 is drool-worthy indeed. Unfortunately, we will have to
wait until later in 2016 when it’s ready for prime time.
I got some hands-on time
with the 90-280 SL at the launch event
The teased Summilux-SL
50mm f/1.4 ASPH is also extremely exciting. According to Peter, who has a
well-known soft spot for the 50mm focal length, the standard prime lens for the
SL will be nothing short of spectacular. He likened its performance to that of
his masterpiece, the legendary 50mm APO for the M. Indeed, Leica is calling
this 50 a reference lens. The details, beyond Peter’s glowing praise, are
scant. We will have to wait until the end of the year to see it materialize.
Given the size and weight of the zooms, I’m keen to see how the 50 Lux works as
a walk-around lens.
It’s likely that some will
express concern that the new SL zooms do not feature a constant f/2.8 aperture,
given what they might be used to in their Canon or Nikon lenses. I’m confident
after using the lenses, any apprehension will melt away. I’ve used the
equivalent zooms in Nikon and Canon and the Leica glass is in a different
league with regards to both build quality and imaging performance. The one stop
fall-off in max aperture over the full focal range really isn’t that
significant. Here, you can see that on the 24-90, up to 50mm you’re only giving
up a half stop, at most. And, the quality offered wide-open is equivalent to
what you might get stopping down on the other lenses.
Variable aperture of
24-90mm SL
24mm f/2.8
28mm f/2.9
35mm f/3.1
50mm f/3.6
75mm f/3.9
90mm f/4
Speculating for the future
of SL lenses
Leica has only provided
details on the first three SL lenses. Given that the SL has been launched with
the intention of a broader market appeal, I am giddy at the prospect of Peter
and his team fleshing out a full lineup of SL glass. I’d predict a wide-angle
zoom, 24, 28, 35 and 90 primes along with a macro or two. And, if Leica is
serious about attracting the sports photographer, some ultra-teles might be in
the works too. It only took a few years for a full range of lenses to be
released for the S System, so I think we can expect a similar pace for the SL.
Of course, my wild speculations were consistently met with a measured and
grinning “no comment.”
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 38mm
1/3200th @ f/5.0, ISO 200
Getting an SL to play with
Following the launch
event, I was given the opportunity to test out the SL for a few days. With
camera in hand, I decided to stick around Germany a little longer. I
rescheduled my return flight, extended my car rental, and made a beeline to the
factory to retrieve my test kit.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/100th @ f/4, ISO 2500
I thought about where to shoot.
Having never travelled much farther north than Frankfurt, I figured I’d use the
opportunity to go explore someplace new. My sights were set on Hamburg.
Plotting my course (okay, the Waze app took care of that), I hit the Autobahn
right from the factory. The weather wasn’t great, and my concern grew as I
drove for hours through rain and gray dreariness, before finally arriving in
Hamburg and checking in to my hotel.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 58mm
1/2000th @ f/8, ISO 400
I had every intention of
going out to shoot my first night, but after five hours navigating wet highways
in the dark, I just didn’t have it in me. Instead, in the comfort of my hotel
room I played with the camera, explored the menus and charged up two batteries
for the next day.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
APO-Elmarit 180mm
1/4000th @ f/8, ISO 200
Getting an early start, I
was delighted to see that the sun had decided to make an appearance for a
reasonable, yet unspectacular sunrise. I wandered on foot around the waterfront
in Hafencity, taking full advantage of the the morning light.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/5000th @ f/2.8, ISO 200
Shooting straight into the
rising sun, the camera did a fantastic job translating the brightly backlit
scene into a usable preview in the electronic viewfinder. Highlights were well
controlled and rolled off naturally. I had no trouble focusing, selecting the
proper exposure or composing. And, unlike an optical finder, I didn’t get
blinded by staring at our friendly celestial fusion reactor. It was a good
start.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/1000th @ f/5.0, ISO 400
From the waterfront I
strolled back towards Speicherstadt, the historic warehouse district, grabbed
some coffee and warmed up a bit, then set about seeking textures and details. I
always love this kind of work, whether I am out shooting landscapes or travel
pictures. I think that they add to the story of a place and provide a tactile
sensation to a visual medium. Moreover, these types of shots tend to tell you a
lot about the capabilities of a camera and lens.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 48mm
1/60th @ f/5, ISO 1600
The SL and 24-90 worked
wonderfully for this type of photography. Framing was a piece of cake with the
zoom, aided by minimal lens distortion and the accurate viewfinder. I was
easily able to square off my compositions, then focus anywhere in the frame
using the joystick control.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/80th @ f/6.3, ISO 400
After a full morning of
walk-around shooting, I needed a little rest and the camera battery needed a
top-up in the charger. This proved to be a perfect opportunity to review images
for a few hours to see how the SL performed on its first outing. Even without a
proper profile in Lightroom, the results were encouraging and I was excited to
go out for a more challenging night session later that evening.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 51mm
1/400th @ f/8, ISO 200
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/1000th @ f/8, ISO 400
In Northern Germany in
late October the blue hour doesn’t seem to last as long as its namesake.
I managed some pictures at
the Alsterfontäne. The large urban lake with its shores decked out with lighted
traditional buildings made a decent subject on short notice. Putting the SL on
a tripod for the first time wasn’t exactly fun, given that I had no Really
Right Stuff quick release plate yet. Slow release it was. After removing the
RRS clamp from the top of my tripod, I just screwed the 1/4-20 thread on the
top of my ball head to the base of the camera, took my time exposure, then
freed the camera for some impromptu imagery of street scenes.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 63mm
2.5 sec@ f/7.1, ISO 100
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 88mm
1/20th @ f/4, ISO 3200
From there, I hustled a
couple of blocks away to the towering Rathaus (City Hall). With the beautiful
purple hues in the skies fading fast, I didn’t bother with the tripod. Rather,
I opted to shoot handheld and the results even at slow speeds were excellent.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/30th @ f/2.8, ISO 3200
Seeking a change of
scenery, I hopped an Über and headed for Hamburg’s legendary, enormous port. Away
from the hustle and bustle of the city center, I figured I’d be able to really
test out the SL’s low light chops.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 67mm
1/80th @ f/4, ISO 800
The waterfront was
sparsely populated, providing a welcome respite to the crowded city streets
just a few minutes away. Sodium vapor lighting cast an eerie yellow glow,
illuminating the hazy, low-lying clouds. Boats of all sizes dotted the dark
water, shining brightly with bold colored lights of their own.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 30mm
1/20th @ f/3, ISO 3200
These conditions made for
some challenges. It was dark, except for the brightly lit boats, making for a
very contrasty scene. At higher ISO settings, you’d expect dynamic range to
fall off. If you expose for the highlights, you’ll save these areas from
getting blown out at the expense of some potentially very noisy shadows. Go the
other way for clean shadows and the bright spots will be unrecoverable. Lucky
for me, the SL handled these situations far better than I expected.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/13th @ f/3.6, ISO 3200
Shooting at ISO 3200, I
was able to hold the highlights and still had plenty of shadow information.
This allowed me to push my shadows another 1-2 stops in Lightroom without
turning to a grainy mess.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/25th @ f/2.8, ISO 3200
Perhaps the most
impressive feat for the night was a shot of a large sailing vessel, where I
pressed the image stabilization to its max. The final image was handheld at 1/4
of a second and renders the fine lines of the rigging with pinpoint sharpness.
I can’t attribute this to pure luck as this just shouldn’t be possible, even in
the best of circumstances.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/4 sec @ f/3.8, ISO 3200
(yes, handheld)
After a full day of
shooting, it was time to turn in for the night and examine the results. The low
light ability, paired with the effective image stabilization and wonderful
color reproduction were all beyond my expectations, even in less than optimal lighting
conditions.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 31mm
1/160th @ f/3.0, ISO 3200
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/500th @ f/2.8, ISO 3200
From Hamburg, it was off
to Osnabrück the next day. I was mainly going to visit an old friend, but any
picturesque German town would do just fine for testing. So, camera in hand, I
showed up at Christian’s door. After catching up for a bit at his house, he
took me to the Altstadt (old town), as the day was turning to night. the
colorful traditional building facades set against the azure sky made for a
pleasant stroll and decent photo subjects.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 31mm
1/25th @ f/4, ISO 3200
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 27mm
1/25th @ f/4, ISO 3200,
perspective correction in LR
We toured one of the
town’s churches, The SL’s near silence made for a very discreet shooting
experience in spite of its size. With virtually noiseless focus and such a well
damped shutter, the SL was indeed an extremely quiet tool. As before, hand
holding at slow speeds was no problem and lining up interiors was easy with the
outstanding EVF.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/25th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 50mm
1/40th @ f/3.6, ISO 3200
With limited light, I set
the camera to ISO 3200 for the remainder of the night. And again, this setting
proved to be more than capable of extracting the full range of detail, tone and
color from every scene.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 89mm
1/60th @ f/4, ISO 3200
Our visit was a short one.
My friend had to pack for a trip, departing the next morning. He recommend that
I head to Münster next, as it would take me closer to Wetzlar and thought I
would enjoy the city. He made arrangements for me to stay at a cozy little inn
right in the center of town, which proved to be an ideal launching off point.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/200th @ f/4, ISO 3200
His suggestion was spot
on. Münster was great and probably would have had enough variety for all my
testing. I’d love to go back there in the future. Pedestrian areas, cobblestone
streets, great architecture, lush parks and tons of activity provided a wide
variety of subject matter, all within walking distance.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/200th @ f/8, ISO 200
That first night led me to
the towering Dom at the center of the city. Here, the 24-90 fell short of what
I had in mind, namely to capture the entire cathedral. 24 just wouldn’t be wide
enough. So, I used the challenge as an opportunity to test out the 18mm
Super-Elmar-M. Coupled with the M-Adpater T, using the 18 was a breeze. I just
set it to hyperfocal distance at f/8, composed and shot. Tack sharp front to
back, albeit with a bit of keystoning from the extreme upward angle. Some
perspective adjustment in Lightroom and I was happy.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Super-Elmar-M 18mm ASPH
5 sec @ f/8, ISO 200,
Tripod w/ perspective correction in LR
The following morning,
with a light rain, I was able to put the 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R to some good use,
photographing droplet covered leaves and flowers. The light was soft and
diffuse once the rain stopped. The 60 R lens worked perfectly and was extremely
well balanced on the SL body.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm
1/125th @ f/8, ISO 800
The long weekend flew by
and Sunday was coming to a close as I walked back into the Leica factory. I
reluctantly handed back the SL and would leave for home the next morning. While
the conditions weren’t ideal, I got a very good feel for the capabilities of
the new camera. This has always been my approach: just get the camera and try
to put it to good use in a variety of situations.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/200th @ f/8, ISO 6400
So, after about 1,000
exposures around Germany, I was able to form some thoughts about the SL. I had
shot at almost every ISO, used the SL zoom, two different M lenses, two
different R lenses, pushed the image stabilization to the extreme, worked in a
full spectrum of conditions: bright sun, back-lit sun, overcast, hazy,
twilight, low light and no light, and still managed to come away with usable
images in almost every scenario thanks to the SL’s insane flexibility.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 37mm
1/320th @ f/8, ISO 200
Speed
The camera is fast. There
is no doubt about that. Turn it on, put your eye to viewfinder, and you’re
ready to go. Selecting focus points using the rear joystick is quick and
intuitive. The image snaps into focus almost instantly once you half-press the
shutter release. Exert a little more pressure when ready to shoot and the SL
obeys your command without hesitation or the slightest delay, allowing
precisely timed captures. With image review turned off, the viewfinder blackout
is extremely short and at the full 11fps, becomes imperceptible with the
resulting view looking like an old time movie but never going completely blank.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/200th @ f/8, ISO 400
Handling and Build Quality
Carrying around the SL was
somewhere between the M and the S. With just the 24-90 zoom mounted, the
experience was relatively light and balanced. I didn’t feel weighed down or
fatigued as I might carrying around the S all day with a a set of lenses in a
shoulder bag. Of course, an M with a small lens like a 35 Cron mounted is tiny
by comparison. The SL is by no means a direct replacement to the M. And, the
standard zoom, weighing in at over 1kg is no lightweight, so my definition of
light and balanced might differ with yours if you are not accustomed to a
pro-level DSLR with fast zooms or a full Leica S kit.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 54mm
1/500th @ f/8, ISO 200
The almost perfectly
rounded grip is the only curved component save the slightly softened corners in
an otherwise hard-edged design. More than just a stylistic element, the grip is
comfortable and allows for secure holding, even one-handed. The
diamond-patterned rubberized leatherette is nice and sticky without feeling
gummy or cheap. Precision machined aluminum of the front is cool and smooth to
the touch. Often, I just carried the camera one-handed at my side while
walking, without a strap. Even in the brisk October air with slightly numb
fingers, I never once felt that the camera would slip from my light grasp. When
slung on my shoulder, the increase in weight over the M was barely noticeable.
The camera feels amazingly
well put together. One of my friends at Leica jokingly told me that he thought
it felt like a hammer and that an ambitious user might even be able to pound
nails with it. I wasn’t about to put this theory to the test, but I rather
agree that it gives the impression of a professional, no-nonsense tool. This
word has continually come up in my conversation with those that own or have
tried the SL: A tool. As with many things Leica, this was no accident. In one
of my discussions with Stephan Schulz, manager of professional products, he
explained the design direction. “We initially thought about making the SL a smaller
version of the S, using the same shape and design aesthetic. And, we made
design studies to look at this. But, in the end, we went with this approach as
it is very tool-like. It gives the impression of a professional, strong tool.”
And really, the more time I spent with the SL, the greater my appreciation grew
for its understated and clean look.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 88mm
1/160th @ f/4, ISO 1600
The SL lenses made for the
camera are equally rugged. Wide, rubber-coated and deeply ridged zoom and focus
rings offer a perfect amount of drag and tactility. Precision machined aluminum
barrels protect the exotic glass within and feel exquisite. If you are accustomed
to handling Canon or Nikon pro zooms, the SL lenses will seem like a different
class of product, with no plastic-on-plastic grind. Even the focal length
engravings, hand painted in crisp white and orange, are flawless. The front and
rear elements are coated with the same tough AquaDura hydrophobic coating found
on S lenses that repels water and makes cleaning a breeze. The only spoilsport
here are the same included bulky plastic lens shades as the S lenses. My advice
is to leave them at home. I didn’t use the shade on the 24-90 at all during
testing.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 47mm
1/200th @ f/8, ISO 200
Everything, on both the
camera and lenses, is weather sealed against spray and dust, just as its big
brother, the S. If you read my S (Typ 007) review or my follow-up trip report
from the same 10-day trip to Iceland, you should have a good idea of the abuse
these cameras are capable of taking.
Weather sealing on SL body
and lens
Viewfinder
I already touched on the
electronic viewfinder, but it deserves repeating: the EVF really is
astonishingly good. Yes, the resolution is impressive, but isn’t actually the
most noticeable feature. Upon pressing my eye up to the generously sized
eyecup, nicely spaced away from the back of the camera to avoid nose smashing,
I was greeted with an expansive and clear view through the lens. For me,
especially coming off some heavy shooting with the S recently, the size is what
blew me away. The EVF on the SL isn’t tunnel-like. Rather, the impression is
more what I would expect from medium format, encompassing almost my entire
field of view – and I wear eyeglasses when shooting. The eye relief at 20mm is
excellent for fellow four-eyes like me.
Leica didn’t squander the
added pixel density. In the default display mode, detailed camera and shooting
information line the image on the top and bottom in sharp white text set
against black bars. I really appreciate the plethora of data presented for
quick reference without blocking the image.
Looking through the SL EVF
Even in low light, the
viewfinder image stayed bright, clear and smooth. Under such dark conditions, I
was worried that there might be some muddiness or lag, but I am pleased to
report that my concerns were unfounded, except at the very top of the ISO range
and in extraordinarily dimly-lit situations. In my experience, an optical
viewfinder would have been near useless under these same conditions. Very
impressive.
My only issue was with the
color accuracy of the finder. While photographing some of the fall colors in
Germany, the bright yellow-orange hue of the leaves rendered more as a
yellow-green with less saturation than was evident in both real life and the
resulting images.
With the latest v1.2
firmware update, the viewfinder quality has been even further improved, with
smoother refresh and more accurate colors. It is difficult to quantify, but the
change is noticeable and makes a splendid EVF even more so.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/20th @ f/4, ISO 3200
Battery life
I managed at least 3-4
hours solid shooting per battery charge, even in the cool fall weather. As with
all live view cameras, the sensor, viewfinder and internal processing are all
working non-stop. Leica has struck an impressive balance between camera performance
and battery saving techniques. I was spoiled for a long time using the original
S2, and later the S006, with a battery life of around 2,000 pictures per
charge. Here, expect about 400 pictures on the SL, which for most people could
mean a full day shooting. For my own shooting needs, I would opt to carry one,
or possibly two, extra batteries when out with the SL, especially in colder
conditions.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
15 sec @ f/10, ISO 100,
Tripod
As with the S and the T,
battery changes are extremely quick. Just flip the bottom lever and the battery
drops a couple centimeters from the body. A light tap upwards on the battery
itself then releases it completely, avoiding accidental falls onto concrete,
into a river, etc. To insert a fresh battery, just slide in and lock into to
place. No door or latch to fiddle with. The gasket around the base of the
battery seals tight with the camera with a reassuring click.
Menus and interface
Each generation of camera
development ushers in more features, and added menus are a necessary evil of
that advancement. Luckily, Leica has applied their overarching theme of The
Essentials and managed to keep the clutter and confusion to an absolute minimum
while still offering finite controls.The menu system is very similar to that of
the latest S007 and the Q with nested menu options. A new addition, a Favorites
menu, is the first to pop up when activating the menu system with the upper
left control button. Here, you can select which options you’d like to add from
all different menu areas. This reduces scrolling and hunting for frequently
used settings. A similar concept made its debut on the Leica T. Truthfully,
this menu tweak took some adjustment on my part. With a little customization,
though, it did end up proving itself to be a time saver.
New favorites menu
Much of the operational
concept comes care of the S007. In most cases, the physical buttons and dials
play dual roles. The top dial serves as the shutter speed control in shooting
mode and toggles zoom level in playback. The rear clickable thumb wheel
provides aperture adjustment for shooting, image scrolling for playback and a
long-press and turn function to cycle between shooting modes (P, A, S, M). The
rear joystick selects the AF focus point in live view then controls jump zoom
and navigation in image review. With a manual focus lens mounted, a single
press of the joystick magnifies the live view to 100% and allows scrolling
around the image area in any direction.
Rear clickable scroll
wheel
Joystick button
The four buttons
surrounding the rear LCD offer various functions for live view, playback and
menu navigation, as well as being available as customizable shortcuts,
accessible through a 2 second long-press.
Programmable soft keys
surrounding rear LCD
On the top of the camera,
flanking the same always-readable 1.28 inch transflective monochrome LCD found
on the latest S, are two buttons, one for video recording and the other
programmable, defaulting to mode toggling between still and video live view.
The square LCD panel takes up the entire depth of the thin camera body
front-to-back, putting the most common camera info at a glance.
There are only two
physical configuration changes from the S to the SL. The front function button
sits on the grip side of the lens of the SL, the opposite side from the S. It
is still programmable, but now accessible by your right middle finger while shooting.
The other change is the addition of a button just to the right of the
viewfinder eye cup to toggle EVF function manually, if you opt to disable the
eye sensor. To emulate a DSLR, turn off image review and press the button to
keep the EVF on at all times.
Button to right of
viewfinder toggles EVF behavior
Autofocus
While autofocus isn’t
exactly new or revolutionary, the AF system on the SL is worth some mention.
It’s fast, accurate and completely silent. Driven by a powerful linear stepper
motor, the lens can move from infinity to 0.3m in 110 milliseconds. Yes, that
is extremely quick.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/125th @ f/8, ISO 400
Like most pro cameras, the
autofocus can be configured in a variety of ways. At the simplest level we’ve
got basic selection of focus modes: AFs (single), AFc (continuous) and MF
(manual). Then, there are three options for AF. Here, you can choose from Static,
Dynamic (Tracking) and Auto (Face) modes.
In Static and Dynamic
modes, the rear joystick moves the AF point around the image through either a
rectangular array of 49 or an oval field of 37 zones, which cover almost the
entire frame. Once locked on (green box) in Dynamic mode, the camera remembers
this area. You can then move the camera to reposition, or use it to follow a
moving subject. The AF field size is also selectable, with options for 1 Point,
Field or Zone. The 1 Point is like spot focus, with a single crosshair, Field
shows as a single framed rectangle, and Zone displays a group of nine
crosshairs in a 3×3 arrangement, which then turn into boxes upon focus lock.The
options can be a little overwhelming. For my testing, I mostly used AFs, Static
and Field. Simple is good, especially for an old-school style shooter like
myself.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 47mm
1/60th @ f/3.6, ISO 6400
Shutter sound
The SL is mirrorless, but
not shutterless. Thankfully, that shutter sounds beautiful. Quick and precise,
with minimal vibration and no clunking. It’s quiet yet reassuring and doesn’t
impact slow speed handheld shootability, nor does it give you away in subdued
environments.
Image quality
As with so many cameras
I’ve tested lately, the lack of official Lightroom support for the test files
before launch made it challenging to give a final determination on picture
quality while I was out shooting with it. With both the Q and the S007, I saw
marked improvements when Adobe released updates with camera support and
profiles. And not just in color rendition, but also for adjustability, noise
and per pixel acuity. So, while evaluating images during my testing, I had to
assume a worst case scenario. And even then, it felt like the final output on
the SL would be right in line with the latest generation of Leica digital
cameras.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 37mm
10 sec @ f/10, ISO 100,
Tripod
Now that Adobe has
provided a new version of Lightroom with full camera support and automatic SL
lens profiles, I went back and reprocessed my test shots. The gain in image
quality was significant, even surprising. Highlight and shadow recovery made
meaningful changes. Noise volume decreased and noise structure became much more
uniform and fine. Sharpness increased and colors were more accurate. The end
result, now that the imaging chain is complete, is quite impressive.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/200th @ f/5.6, ISO 200
How good are the SL
images? It’s a Leica – the images look fantastic. What did you expect? Are they
as eye-popping as the files from the S007? No. The detail, nuance and dynamic
range offered by the latest generation S is still noticeably superior to the
SL. And I don’t think this will change with future software updates. The S is
still the top dog in the range and currently offers the best imagery that Leica
has to offer. And frankly, it should. The S features a 60% larger sensor and is
twice the price of the SL. I don’t think this takes anything away from the SL
at all. Just as the SL doesn’t take away anything from the S.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 29mm
1/1600th @ f/8, ISO 400
ISO Performance
I took a handful of shots
at ISO 50, but I had zero complaints about using the SL in good light at 100,
200, 400 or 800. There was so little difference that I consider it a moot
point. ISO 50 is certainly nice to have if shooting waterfalls or other
subjects where a longer shutter speed is valuable, but just not necessary for
regular shooting. I’d rather gain more aperture or shutter speed than an
insignificant decrease in noise. ISO 800 on the SL reminds me of base ISO of
100 on cameras from just a few years ago. They are almost squeaky clean even
with zero noise reduction and great pixel acuity.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/100th @ f/4.5, ISO 800
For higher ISO, I found
that ISO 3200 was very clean and ISO 6400 was perfectly usable. This handheld
interior shot, for example, shows great sharpness, nuance and tonality.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/100th @ f/5, ISO 6400
ISO 12500 works fine as
long as you’re not trying to pull the shadows up too much. Details are sharp
and there is plenty of information. And while I know others have had good luck
at ISO 25000 and 50000, especially for B&W conversions, I felt more
comfortable in the 3200-6400 range. For this bicycle image, there was almost no
light, and the SL still managed a crisp image at ISO 12500, wide open and
handheld at a 1/15th of a second.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 56mm
1/15th @ f/3.7, ISO 12500
With the IS lending a
helping hand, there were very few nighttime scenarios that couldn’t be managed
with the zoom and ISO 6400. Swap out for an M Summilux and you’ll have even
more speed to work with. While I haven’t done head-to-head comparisons with the
M Monochrom (Typ 246) (full review here) , my gut feeling is that the Monochrom
still holds a slight edge for low light, putting in a marginally superior ISO
12,500 result, compared to the SL when the SL image is converted to black and
white. At its sweet spot of ISO 8000, I’d give a stronger advantage to the
MM246.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/40th @ f/4, ISO 6400
White Balance
As with just about every current
generation Leica digital camera, auto white balance is surprisingly accurate.
Mixed lighting is handled with aplomb, almost as good as the M240. In post
processing, white balance often goes untouched, with the camera guessing
correctly more than 90% of the time.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/100th @ f/4, ISO 6400
Video
The camera features an
HDMI 1.4 port, which allows for Cinema 4K output in 4:2:2 10 bit to an external
recorder. Leica recommends the Atomos Shogun. Built-in timecode generation, an
available audio adapter, video L-Log, aspect ratio masking and digital
stabilization round out the impressive motion capture feature set. Add in the
ability to take Leica Cine lenses with the upcoming adapter, and the SL has the
potential to be a serious player in the realm of professional video.
The SL will be able to
utilize Leica Cine lenses
I’m not a video reviewer,
so I will leave that to those more capable and qualified to speak to workflow
and quality specifics. From what I’ve seen from a layman’s perspective, though,
the video capture looks great. It’s also worth noting that the latest firmware
update addressed a shortcoming of the L-Log gamma feature that some early video
reviews discovered by expanding the dynamic range of the flattened feed, which
is intended for post processing grading.
Video settings menu
Image stabilization
For all the features of
the SL system, I think that perhaps the most significant one might just be the
image stabilization in the SL lenses. A remarkably effective OIS system
combined with no mirror, an extremely well-damped mechanical shutter and a
dense metal body all serve to make previously unimaginably slow shutter speeds
suddenly possible for everyday shooting. I took far too many shots between
1/10th and 1/30th of a second handheld to peg this one to dumb luck.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 41mm
1/13th @ f/3.6, ISO 3200
They’re almost all tack
sharp. During my testing in Hamburg, I even took one remarkably crisp shot at
the wide end of the zoom at 1/4 of a second. And as I mentioned above, Leica
was able to incorporate the OIS system with almost no degradation in image quality.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 56mm
1/20th @ f/3.7, ISO 3200
Lens compatibility
With the ability to mount
nearly every single Leica lens ever made, save for a few exceptions like the
21mm Super-Angulon, the SL gives you access to just about any optical look you
might have a hankering for. Get ready to dust off those R lenses that have been
keeping your papers safe from a stiff breeze all these years. They’ll all work
with the upcoming adapter. Don’t want to wait? Just go ahead and stack adapters
with an M-Adapter T and R-Adapter M. M lenses? Even easier.
R-Adapter L
The current M-Adapter T
adapter works perfectly, featuring a 6-bit reader for lens corrections and EXIF
metadata. If you feel so inclined and prefer the vintage 1930’s glow of the
Berek era, grab yourself an LTM adapter and go to town with your screw mount
Xenon or Summar.
M-Adapter T/L
S lenses with AF and
aperture control? Yes, please. The adapter is coming soon, as is the one for
Leica Cine Lenses (and any other PL-mount cine lenses, for that matter). With T lenses, now rebranded to TL lenses,
the mount is identical. Just be aware that mounting a T/TL lens will automatically
put the camera into APS-C crop mode. From a user perspective, the change is
seamless, with the viewfinder filling with the cropped image.
S-Adapter L
Using M Lenses
Dipping into the kit I
brought with me to Germany, I had an opportunity to try out a couple M and R
lenses on the SL.
First order of business. I
had to see how my current favorite M lens, the 50mm APO-Summicron-M performed
on the new body. With the 50 mounted, the camera got a whole lot lighter and
smaller. Focusing was simple and quick. As I turned the focus ring on the lens,
the high res image in the EVF gave a clear indication of focus, even without
activating magnification.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-M
50mm
1/100th @ f/2, ISO 3200
Unfortunately, unlike the
M240, the camera doesn’t have an option for automatic focus assist. You have to
activate the magnification manually each time you want it to display. On my
test camera’s firmware, this feature was hard wired to the lower left LCD
button, with no ability to reassign it to any of the custom function buttons.
This was obviously not an ideal placement when you have the camera up to your
eye, and proved to be quite cumbersome while shooting. After mentioning my
feedback to Leica, I was told that this ability would be added via firmware.
And it was in short order. In firmware v1.2, the ability to use the thumb
joystick for quick focus magnification changes the entire dynamic of using M
lenses. What was slightly annoying in my test is now awesome. Assigning this
functionality automatically when a non-AF lens is mounted is just brilliant.
Just give a single press to the joystick button and you’ve got a 100% magnified
view with staggering resolution which can be moved around with the joystick.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Super-Elmar-M18mm ASPH
6 sec @ f/8, ISO 200,
Tripod
I also tried out my 18mm
Super-Elmar-M which is the widest fixed focal length for the M system. The WATE
(16-18-21) is wider, but the 18mm is just a stunner. I find it complements a 24
superbly. On the SL, I merely set the lens to hyperlocal distance at f/8 and
went to town. I was rewarded with sharp, detailed and crisp images with the
signature I’ve come to expect from the Super-Elmar. What I didn’t see was
falloff, vignetting or corner softness. For interiors, architecture, broad
landscapes, and other ultra-wide use cases, the 18 M will be hard to beat. As
the SL ecosystem matures, it will be interesting to see what Leica develops in
the ultra-wide and wide range. My guess is that we’ll see a 16-35mm lens, or
similar, in the near future.
Truth be told, the 24-90
with autofocus will spoil you with its convenience, flexibility, zoom range and
speed. And the lens’ outstanding image quality certainly won’t leave you
wanting.
The advantage I felt with
the M lens was that the camera vastly shrinks in size. It becomes more stealth
and could prove to be a really fast street setup with a 28 or 35 Lux mounted.
Using R Lenses
In addition to the usual
collection of M lenses, I also brought along a 60mm Macro-Elmarit-R and 180mm
APO-Elmarit-R. I’ve used both of these lenses on the M240, so I was curious how
they would handle on the SL. With my two adapters stacked up, I first played
with the legendary 180 APO. Compared to the M, the experience was much more
SLR-like, which proved to be more comfortable and balanced than using the
front-heavy R tele on the M. The only inconvenience was the aforementioned
unergonomic placement of focus magnification, but this has now been remedied.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
APO-Elmarit 180mm
1/3200th @ f/6.8, ISO 100
The 60 Macro was a blast
to use. Wide open and close up, the lens evokes the character of the Noctilux.
Buttery bokeh. Painterly color rendering. Just gorgeous. Stop down and it’s
razor sharp. The lens is small, light and easy to handle. The verdict: the 60
Macro is a keeper on the SL. I’d be keen to try the 100 APO-Macro-Elmarit-R.
The extra working distance and greater resolving power might be advantageous on
the SL. Again, I am anxiously awaiting an SL Macro, preferably with IS.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm
1/200th @ f/4.8, ISO 400
Other R lenses that might
be interesting would be the 90 f/2 APO, 80 f/1.4, 135 f/2.8, 280 f/4 APO, and
perhaps normal and wide lenses like the 50 f/1.4, 35 f/2, 28 f/2.8 and 19
f/2.8. The caveat here is that while some of the wide and normal R lenses are
quite good, the current M lenses in this range are generally far superior. And
much, much smaller and lighter. I’d take the 18 M over the 19 R, or the 35 Lux
FLE M or 35 Cron ASPH over the 35 R, and the 50 APO M is a no-brainer versus
the 50 R. And when talking about the zooms, I can’t see any good reason to
recommend a manual focus R zoom instead of one of the new autofocus, image
stabilized SL zooms, unless weight savings is your main priority.
SL vs. M or S
If you’re an existing user
of an M or S system, this universal compatibility allows the camera to serve as
an additional or backup body that will be able to take full advantage of lenses
already in your bag. With its speed and high ISO performance, the SL could make
an excellent companion to the S where absolute image quality isn’t as important
as getting the shot under challenging conditions.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 24mm
1/40th @ f/2.8, ISO 6400
For an M user, the SL
brings similar benefits, and a different experience from the M. My suggestion
here, would be to incorporate the SL into an existing M kit to give the
flexibility and convenience of an AF zoom and the compatibility with M lenses.
The built-in EVF is stellar, but there is still something about a traditional M
rangefinder experience that I still find irreplaceable. The M might not be as
fast to work with, or offer all the wiz-bang features that the SL does, but it
remains the quintessential Leica experience.
Basically, the SL doesn’t
so much replace an M or an S as compliment it, at least for me.
Other notable features
The SL comes loaded with
technology. Here are a few features of particular interest.
Dual SD card slots with
DNG redundancy
The SL has two SD card
slots and can be set to record DNG files to both simultaneously. The top slot
offers compatibility for the new UHS-II standard, supporting cards up to
280MB/s. You can tell these cards by the second set of contacts on the
underside of the card. If you plan on shooting at 11 fps, plan on also stocking
up on the fastest cards you can. The generous 2GB buffer will fill after just 3
seconds in DNG mode (33 shots). Sure, you could get a lot longer sequences in
JPG. But really, what’s the point? Get a fast card to flush the buffer as
quickly as possible.
GPS
Standard in the S006 and
S007 and optional with the Visoflex (Typ 020) on the T, Leica obviously
recognizes the convenience of geotagging your images in camera. The SL comes
packed with GPS on board to both embed location data in the files as well as
set the time, date and time zone automatically. This is a nice convenience if
you tend to cross time zones a lot and often forget to change the time accordingly.
Wi-Fi
Also making its way into
many Leica cameras these days is Wi-Fi. Pair the camera up with an iPhone or
iPad and you can see a clear live view image and remote control the camera,
along with browsing your memory card and sharing pictures online.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/100th @ f/4, ISO 2500
Self cleaning sensor
Finally! Given my habit of
frequent lens changes in less than hospitable conditions, I was delighted to
see that the self cleaning sensor in the SL actually works. There is no little
on-screen animation or anything like that, but I can verify that I had very
little dust spotting to do on my finished image files.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 50mm
1/13th @ f/3.6, ISO 3200
Conclusion
The SL isn’t an S. It’s
certainly not an M. Nor is it merely a Q with interchangeable lenses. No, the
SL, while sharing so much DNA with its fellow Leica cameras, is very much its
own system. With autofocus and shooting speed to spare, the largest, clearest
EVF ever put into a digital camera, robust construction, simple handling, and
the flexibility to accept just about any lens you might want to bolt on it, the
SL is a very attractive proposition.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 43mm
1/800th @ f/8, ISO 400
I’ve had plenty of people
ask me if I think the SL could replace their existing kit, be it M, S, or T.
And I guess the answer is a personal one. It really depends on what kind of
photographic experience you are seeking. All of the choices are good ones,
capable of producing incredible photographic captures. The S007 still remains
the king of image quality with 15+ stops of dynamic range and a sensor 60%
larger than full frame 35. The M is the perpetual iconic Leica camera with its
optical rangefinder. The M Monochrom (Typ 246) is the undisputed champ for low
light and black and white. The T is light and small and a work of art. The Q is
an autofocus mini M. The SL system is still in its infancy, but is already
leading the way into the future for Leica in many ways. In the coming years,
we’ll see more lenses and an ever-expanding system to serve the needs of
professionals and amateurs alike.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 90mm
1/80th @ f/4, ISO 400
For me, it will serve as a
nice complement and backup to my S007 when on landscape shoots, or as another
tool with my M kit. Being able to share lenses is huge. And, I’m sure there
will be many occasions where the SL along with the stellar 24-90 AF zoom lens
will stand on its own. For situations requiring speed and versatility, the SL
will be hard to beat. With more SL lenses in the pipeline, the system will
continue to grow and mature rapidly over the next few years.
Leica SL (Typ 601) with
Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm @ 72mm
1/125th @ f/3.8, ISO 400
Leica has continued to
stay true to their vision and overarching theme of Das Wesentlichte, The
Essentials, while also pushing the envelope of innovation. The SL boasts
technology and performance rivaling or besting the most advanced systems on the
market, yet has a beautifully straightforward and well-thought-out design that
feels great to hold and even more fun to use. The camera is built like a tank
and is as fast as a sports car. You can use your M and R lenses on it. You can
take it in the rain. The image quality is everything you would expect from a
modern Leica and the new SL glass is magnificent. Leica has realized their
original vision that was bandied about over five years ago and achieved
something wonderful – a truly professional-grade mirrorless camera system.
The Leica SL (Typ 601) is available for order
through Leica Store Miami.
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