The camera’s intuitive controls for manual focus aid and EVF design mean that you can comfortably and efficiently shoot without straining to see what’s in focus.Īdditionally, the SL has a database of all Leica M lenses, meaning that it has profiles to correct for lenses’ optical errors such as vignetting, distortion, and color aberrations. Ask anyone with a Leica 50mm 0.95 Noctilux-M what camera they use it on, and they’ll most likely tell you it’s an SL or SL2. The SL’s strong performance with Leica M-lenses meant that it was essentially the modern Leica M camera that no one expected in 2015. I soon did all of my photography like this and the transition away from Sony’s autofocus systems was painless. Coming from a Leica M9-P rangefinder, I was surprised by how natural and quick it felt to use the SL’s magnification button to aid my manual focus using the EVF. I also adapted my style of photography to allow myself to slow down and manually focus with precision and speed. Otherwise, any other mirrorless system would serve a photographer better with more competent autofocus and lens choice flexibility.īefore I could afford any of the SL lenses, I used the SL exclusively with adapted M lenses. Practically speaking, the only reason a photographer would choose to use gear from the L-mount alliance is because they prefer the image quality and user experience from Lumix and Leica bodies, and the world-class image quality only Leica SL lenses can provide. Lumix’ lenses are nearly as heavy as their Leica counterparts, so you run into another compromise there. Subject tracking performance on the Leica SL (Typ 601) is subpar to modern standards. The L-mount camera manufacturers’ reluctance to incorporate hybrid (phase + contrast-detect) autofocus systems means that autofocus performance in general on the L-mount bodies are easily beaten by autofocus systems from other top mirrorless brands, such as Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, and Nikon. Many of Sigma’s L-mount lenses based on HSM designs do not operate well using continuous autofocus on the SL and Lumix S bodies. In my opinion, the idea behind the alliance is well-intentioned, but the execution is less than ideal. The cameras and lenses share a compatible lens mount and autofocus-enabled lenses can autofocus on every L-mount camera body. The cross-compatible lens/body alliance between Sigma, Panasonic (Lumix), and Leica allows for photographers to access greater varieties of focal lengths, and prioritize if they want to spend more of their money on camera bodies or lenses.įrom the cheapest L-mount APS-C cameras to the top-of-the-line Leica SL2, every L-mount lens is compatible across the platform. So, when I heard that the Leica SL was released in late 2015, I was surprised that Leica even attempted to break into a camera market so heavily dominated by Sony.īut for photographers on a budget who don’t necessarily need the very best optics, but still want autofocus capability on the SL, the L-Mount alliance answers that need adequately, but not exceptionally well. The Sony’s were the cameras to take out to make money and get a job done, but they were never cameras I enjoyed using for the reasons mentioned above. In 2016, I also had a Leica M9-P that I was just starting to get used to and enjoy for my personal work. I carried at least four batteries on a shoot to feel comfortable. But, I absolutely hated them because skin tones coming out of their RAW files were inaccurate, their button layouts were infuriatingly hard to remember and access in a hurry, and battery life was dreadful. I enjoyed that they were quick, capable, and their autofocus was often reliable, even back in the II generation of a7 bodies. I shot with 3 Sony A7 bodies but had mixed feelings about them at the time. In 2016, I had just finished my second year of photographing portraits professionally. I’m going to take my time writing my story with the Leica SL, because it’s been a large part of my own personal story. If you’re only here to see sample images, please go right ahead and continue scrolling down.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |