I just don't get the value proposition for a professional.
My niece got married on Saturday. The professional was toting a bog standard Nikon pro body and had a smaller spare (probably a D610 or similar). Her main lens was obviously a 24-70 type zoom (a Sigma from the look of it) and she had what looked like the monster Nikon WA zoom for group shots.
Unless my maths is wrong the total of her kit including strobe is probably equal to, or even less than the SL+24-90. What Wedding Pro except those doing the top end weddings is going to be able to afford two SLs (for safety) and two lenses?
Then there is the disaster recovery issue. If her camera had failed on the day then she had a cheaper similar body for backup but with an equally good sensor. If her camera had failed before the wedding she could hire a body for the day/weekend which will be compatible with her bog-standard lens collection.
So, I can only assume the SL is aimed at wannabe professionals and not real professionals.
Actually, thinking about it I'd modify that and say it probably does have a place for videographers with deep pockets. But it is competing with the Panasonic GH-4 'whatever' which professionals I have talked to use as the 4K standard, some use the Sony A7S which has the iso sensitivity advantage and just got a whole lot better in the M2 version, so again why buy a £10K system - what on earth would be the ROI?
There is nothing I can see in this system which would compete with or replace the value proposition of my Sony kit at the best mirrorless ILC on the market. There is the Leica build and ergonomics but the premium is ridiculously high.
The strangest contradiction in product management terms is that the Leica Q which is by comparison a third of the price but has the same sensor would probably make a good second camera for a wedding pro for reportage and grab shots. I have an order in for one (no deposit, so no pressure) but I'm now seriously thinking of getting the Sony RX1R mk2 instead.
Sony is basically thrashing Leica and I seem to meet some of my Leica forum chums here at GetDPI who can no longer justify the benefits of a Leica system over the value proposition of Sony - especially as each iteration of their body/sensor works better and better with legacy Leica glass.
Anyway, if a pro out there can explain the value proposition I am genuinely interested and not just trolling.
Just my two cents!
LouisB
The premium for working with Leica equipment has always been high Louis. There is no short answer to your request, but I'll try and share my own experiences. To address your "value" question depends on evaluating a few conditions a professional (full or part time) may be working with.
Chief among these is "how successful" one may be. If you have a good business model and sharp accountant, are positioned at the higher end of your market and/or have less external financial pressure that allows you to prioritize what you want to work with ... IF there is something you think will work well for you, and how you shoot, then equipment costs become less of an issue.
Leica has set their sights on those with the means to choose almost anything they want, whether pro or amateur. Volume sales isn't their objective. While we compare this SL to Nikon, Canon or Sony, that isn't really the competitive set for Leica. In a manner of speaking, Leica could be seen as a reward for doing well ... wether a successful Doctor, Engineer, or Professional Photographer
So, you are probably right, this SL system is of little to no value to a wedding shooter positioned at the lower or even mid-range of their market, certainly not a Craig's Lister cranking out weddings for $1K or less. In contrast, my last wedding was $6K, plus I was doing a fair amount of corporate work and commercial shoots on top of weddings and portraits with established day rates ... (have one this January for $4.5K plus all expenses for 7 hours shooting).
If Jono and Ming's assessments are correct, this kit is exactly what I'd seriously consider. I'm use to Leica prices and did work for pay with comparatively expensive Leica M9s & a MM with a King's ransom in M lenses, plus a S2 (now a S-006) and CS lenses. My work horse wedding DSLR was a 24 meg FF Sony A99SLT and 6 ZA lenses which I recently sold. If Leica had made a Digital R to replace the DMR, that is what I would have been using instead.
I tried the Sony A7R and found it wasn't up to my pro wedding needs. To loud, short battery life, an EVF that smeared in low light movement, too much timing lag, too complex interface, didn't shoot to two cards ... not to mention poor choice of AF lenses until more recently. While the A7R-II addresses some of these issues, it still falls short. Its value proposition to me was poor. Actually, the A99 was better in most cases.
In contrast, this SL hits a lot of the marks that are of importance for me:
24 meg FF is my sweet spot for most pro assignments, most certainly weddings. This camera is quiet. It doesn't lag. It shoots to two cards. Seems to have a simple interface similar to the S camera (4 buttons around the LCD), has a higher res EVF and fast refresh rate. The AF seems quick and accurate according to reviewers. Compared to the FE 24-70/4, the new 24-90/2.8-4 stabilized lens is the perfect zoom range for weddings and lots of other applications. If it is anything like the Leica 28-90R lens, it'll render to my liking.
I have hesitated in ordering the A7R-II, and while I liked the new S(007), also have hesitated ordering that. This time it seems procrastination is paying off. I will now get this kit instead.
I will be able to use my M lenses and S lenses ... so I probably will only need the SL body and the 24-90 zoom ... which combined are thousands less than the S(007) body alone. Hopefully, my SF58 speed-lights will work. My S kit can now reside predominately (but not exclusively) in studio tethered to a 5K retina screen (best LCD review ever!), or be used on jobs or personal projects requiring portable lighting with leaf-shutter CS lenses.
The issue others have with the SL grip probably won't concern me as much ... I use a Camadapter dual lug ARCA QR plate with a hand-strap and wide soft shoulder strap on all my working cameras. It eliminates long term hand fatigue and shoulder strain even when carrying a S camera and big S lenses ... like at a wedding.
- Marc