New Leica SL

[Erik Lund]

Time for some hands on although the weather this afternoon was pouring the light in the Copenhagen Leica Store was quite ok for some first impressions - SL is a really nice camera!

View finder

Amazing, after a short while it felt like looking through any Pro DSLR view finder including red outlines along all sharp edges for focus aid this is a huge leap in technology for view finders. also with the lens stopped down all seems to be clear and bright.
For this to work the camera need contrast and sharpness in a ample amount;

Leica M-Lenses

Full support via a short adapter that relays basic data about the lens in use, the SL guess the aperture like the Leica M cameras via a small sensor on the camera body compared with the light through the lens.

Normal and tele

With the 50mm 1,4 and Tele 70mm 2.4 lenses wide open only a very limited amount of an image get the red outlines due to the very slim depth of focus. so it's very easy to nail focus quickly actually very Range Finder like focusing is possible.
Except that 'good' light is required for this to work the camera need crispness for contrast, the store light was not enough to do an indoor portrait at all...

As you stop the lens down you get more edges and areas in focus and therefore more indication on the plane or sphere of the in focus 'volume' but less chance to really nail focus and the whole idea falls apart and you get to focus similar to a matte screen...

Wide
Now the 35mm 1.4 seems to be a sweet spot for 'normal shooting'

Very wide
So now the new technology gets challenged with the 24mm 3.8 a huge amount of the image is showing as being in focus... so only chance is to zoom in with the focus peaking to see where the depth of focus is at, it works but no where as easy as with a range finder... but you get to see the whole field of view as opposed to a Leica M where you need an external finder for that. This makes the over all experience similar to shooting with a Leica M camera;
- First focus via the camera finder
- Then framing

Looks like the SL is usable for manual focusing but not really surpassing the Leica M's I would prefer to use the normal and longer M lenses on the SL

DoF and slow shutter simulation

Actually quite impressive the SL is able to show slow shutter tracing when moving the camera to an degree you will not believe; You will have to see this for yourself!
The view finder is really a huge leap forward in how to crate the image in the finder already before shooting the actual image to an degree above a DSLR...

The size and quality of the finder and rear display is fantastic.

[Erik Lund]

Size

The SL is actually same size as a Leica M9 with the RRS plate and grip, thickness length and height. Very nicely balanced and oozes quality

The SL feels really right even for my very big hands and the weather sealing and build quality is top notch. Very cleaver and minimalistic design.

Standard Zoom 24-90mm 2.8-4

Here you see the standard zoom behind my 35mm 1.4 - the zoom is large about the size and weight of the Nikkor 28-70mm 2.8 AFS or the new 24-70mm VR

The variable aperture is a non issue for me.


Feel and the hood

The real differences are the rather heavy drag of the zoom and focus rings and the ugly lens hood is attached to the end of the lens sticking out of the main lens barrel, not pretty - but OK... very distinct and recognizable for the brand... IMHO they should have gone with a lens hood design similar to the new Nikkor 24-70 VR lens hood, also the hood lags a decent lock to keep it in place the way it's shaped it could easily get knocked loose.

Focus

Super fast and positive focus, impressive!

Function

Overall function is like shooting a Pro DSLR like a D800 or D4
With a grip it will be the same...

Image Quality

Here some images with the zoom, it's fantastic at all focal lengths... True Leica quality

[Fons Baerken]

At least they offered an espresso

[Erik Lund]

B&W

For the B&W shooter there is really a boost in creative functionality, when set to B&W the finder show the image so well rendered with tonal graduations and grain that it's a whole new level of interaction with the camera, the test images are shot with the zomm again JPG directly form the card just resized. The camera saves a RAW file with full color of course.

[Erik Lund]

SL with Leica M lenses

Very similar experience to shooting an M and the image quality of the output form the SL looks similar, first impressions are the very far corners on the 24mm 3.8 is suffering a bit wide open...

RAW files

The Adobe raw convert doesn't have full support for the SL yet and since I used my SD card directly from my Leica M9 that is the presets the software used, looks ok except the very red look of the logo color is a challenge in any situation.

Images below are with the following M-lenses wide open:

50mm 1.4
24mm 3.8
70mm 2.4
24mm 3.8

[Erik Lund]

Price point is very close to a set like Nikon D4s with a 24-70 VR so for what is does out of the box it's fair in Leica land...

The challenge to win some Pro customers is to expand the lens arsenal although many could get away with the two zooms and a few primes...

Congratulations to Leica for creating a leap up in technology with the new SL

[Bjørn Rørslett]

So, have you bought the new Leica then, Erik?

Sure looks nice.

[Erik Lund]

I'm seriously considering it...

There is naturally a new Leica M (Type 262) in the pipeline and it will be interesting to see how they will use the new viewfinder technology for it... My best guess is that it's an external view finder for the hot shoe like on the Type 240 so you end up with a 'Add on' solution... to keep the Leica M - Messucher-Kamera experience intact... not really ideal...

[Erik Lund]

Interface

The human interaction with the cameras input dials and output screens are completely different to Nikon.

I have used Nikon cameras since 1989 with the F801s, F4, F5, D1, D1X, D2Xs, D3 and D3X so my interaction whit their interface is 'burned in'

The SL is customizable to a certain degree but it will take some getting used too...

The feel and look is really nice but very different to Nikon and of course there is a similar extensive menu for AF etc.

[Erik Lund]

M-Lenses on SL

Last but not least the 35mm 1.4 Asph FLE it really feels at home size the overall feel and the view finder experience is great, it snaps into focus and the admittedly few image shot looks great, very similar in image quality to the Leica M9

[Jan Anne]

Very nice and detailed writeup Erik, though most things sound very familiar as an a7S owner it is very good to hear that Leica got it right on all fronts besides maybe the premium price which puts it out of my reach anytime soon.

[tommiejeep]

Erik, a great sales pitch  .  Great collection of images.  I particularly like the reflections image, what, no security guard on the door ?    Your comments on the VFs are very interesting.  I will have a wander about the Net to get more info.      I really do not think there is any chance of seeing one in Goa  .

Thanks for posting.  The system is totally outside the range of activating GAS for me .  What I do think is that the money is much better spent on a Leica than spending $20,000  (and the rest) on a watch 
Tom

[Erik Lund]

I was really surprised by the high performance of this camera! I see no issues with the price compared to similar products; Top Pro cameras.

The diopter adjustment dial is smooth and,,, it just works.

Battery doesn't drop completely out when you tip the release leaver, you need to give it an extra small push to get it fully out, very well thought out.

Weather sealing is really cleverly designed, and the door for SD and connections are very well sealed and looks durable in use.

Full size HDMI for the video guys and standard screw thread flash sync plug.

This camera can do all the stuff I can think of... Except there is no AFS adapter for all of my Nikkors and I don't know if there will ever bee one...
I can only use MF via; Nikon F to Leica M-mount adapter on the 'Leica M Adapter T' (Remember that the SL actually share the lens mount with their recently launched Leica T camera, although it's a crop sensor camera)

There will come PL mount, S mount and  'Leica R-Adapter L' for the old Leica R mount lenses, they apparently perform well on the SL...

Anyway - I have decided not to buy it, I'll wait and see how the new Leica M will look like, I still love the simplicity of the Leica M system.

No guards needed in these parts of the woods 

[Erik Lund]

Regarding VR and or IBIS

For me these are not so important at all, it's only useful in very few cases for my type of photography, for me it's much better to freeze the motion with a short shutter speed, pan along the path of the subject or use a tripod/monopod.

I have seen many 'unpredictable' results using VR the reason as far as I can tell is that; when you 'shake' the camera and the VR actively compensates this movement to keep the in-focus motif steady within the image, the back and/or fore-ground will/can move within the frame...

It takes the VR system some time to 'kick in' - I don't know how long time it is for the SL and Vario Elmar 24-90 to perform this initial kick in...

Sure it can come in handy for some applications especially long lenses >300mm but it's not something I would recommend to have switched On all the time on wider/normal lenses.

[tommiejeep]

So Erik, is this a new M  or
http://leicarumors.com/

I agree on VR and really normally only use it with the 500vr on the tripod (not locked down).  I do find IBIS very nice.  The Olympus (EM1) is better than the Sony a7II.  The Nikon 1802.8D still needed speed on the a7II/novoflex .   The IBIS is good for the short FL lenses I have with the a7II and the EM1/75 1.8 works a treat.   I used to be able to hand hold most lenses under 135 at very low speed but age is catching up .  I have tried using the 16-35vr at very low speeds, handheld, depending on VR.  Not happy with the results 
Tom