Fun with the Leica SL (digital)

[ashwinrao1]

I'm going to try turning GPS on. Maybe it wastes more battery scrubbing the GPS from the files

I leave the LCD off.. I don't check when I shoot.
And the banding issues aren't happening from bad exposures. They're sometimes showing up on perfectly exposed non-pushed images. Then sometimes they're not showing up at all.. Even if I push the thing 5 stops for the heck of it.


I think the zoom will grown on me. I've just been away from zooms for so long. That's not to say I'm not foaming at the mouth waiting for the S-adapter L to show up. Or the 50LuxL.

Great discussion. I have generally noted variable battery life, depending on how I shoot. At a recent American Football game, I shot over 600 images with battery left over, in quite cold temperatures. However, after a day of general shooting, about 200 shots, I am often left with a half-full battery. I too shoot with GPS on, Wifi Off, but I keep the screen LCD activated to be able to use all of the manual pre-sets if needed (the upper left one does not work if you use just the EVF.

I have been very happy with output from my M lenses on the Q. I have no real complaints at all, and for my way of shooting with M glasses, i doubt that people (or myself for that matter) could really distinguish between files coming from an M vs SL.

With a few firmware tweaks, this will be one of my favorite cameras, and as you all know, I have had my share. It's a bit bulky, at times, particularly with the 24-90, but does not feel drastically different than an M with Luigi/arte di mano half case (with grip, my preferred type of half case). I do feel no desire for a half case here, hahah, but a bit more of a thumb rest would be welcomed. The EVF is a miracle for focusing manual lenses.

At this point, while I suspect that R lenses would perform somewhat better at the edges that similar M lenses, I prefer the look, rendering, and OOF of my M lenses (and to boot, I already have an M collection, and only 1 R lens)...I am hesitant to build a new R lens collection, even though the ergonomics of lenses such as an R35, R50, and R80 are really lovely on this body....

Fun times. Great camera....a few quirks...but this camera, along with the Q, represent the future of Leica...and it's a promising future. Even better, the future is NOW...

 

[ashwinrao1]

....Now on to a few images...with M lenses

50 APO

Canon 35 mm f/1.5 LTM (Jiro Mukai RF design)

Canon 85 mm f/1.8 LTM (also a Mukai design...he was the Mandler of Canon RF)

Leica 50 mm f/2 Summicron-R (great lens for this body, and affordable to boot)

Noctilux f/0.95

24-90 SL

 

[Godfrey]

Great! More photos! Nice!

Great discussion. I have generally noted variable battery life, depending on how I shoot. At a recent American Football game, I shot over 600 images with battery left over, in quite cold temperatures. However, after a day of general shooting, about 200 shots, I am often left with a half-full battery. I too shoot with GPS on, Wifi Off, but I keep the screen LCD activated to be able to use all of the manual pre-sets if needed (the upper left one does not work if you use just the EVF).

That's the reason I set the TL button to operate Drive Mode. I switch drive modes very very infrequently; if I want to use EVF only, it's no real problem to switch on the LCD to access it.

On the other hand, if your nose doesn't tend to hit the TL button, you can change Menu Access In EVF in the Setup menu to enable the button when the EVF is active. Then you can use your assigned shortcut or go into the menu system through the EVF.

G

 

[Godfrey]

I saw this on the way to my car after work last evening...

Leica SL + Summicron-R 35mm f/2 II
ISO 2500 @ f/2 @ 1/60

full rez image: https://farm1.staticflickr.com/610/23467984666_3452563690_o.jpg​

I think it benefits from being printed fairly large, and looks best in the full-resolution image.
I liked the look of the "grain" (noise) that was produced and did no smoothing or sharpening.

enjoy,
G

 

[Godfrey]

After work today, I was sitting here sipping some wine, and thinking, "What do I want to do for tomorrow morning's walk?" Meaning, of course, what kind of photos would I like to make? I've been working with the normal to longer end of the FoV range lately and feeling uninspired with wide views. Hmm.

I thought for a moment about pulling out the Hasselblad SWC. And then I thought, hmm, I wonder if I set up the SL with the Elmarit-R 19mm, set it to square format, and set the JPEG rendering to contrasty B&W ... I wonder how close that comes?

The SWC with Biogon 38mm on 6x6 format nets 92° across the diagonal. Calculating for 24x24mm format on the SL, the 19mm nets 84° ... a 15mm would run to 97°, but I don't have one of those or a WATE (16mm would do 93°).

Good enough, 19mm will have to do. So ... I created another User Profile named "SWC" and stuffed the Elmarit-R 19mm and the Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm in the bag. Should be an interesting combination to work with.

This will be fun.

G

 

[Godfrey]

My faux-SWC experiment with the 19mm worked nicely this morning:

Leica SL + Elmarit-R 19mm f/2.8 v1
ISO 400 @ f/8 @ 1/160​

... although I think a 15-16mm lens is needed to accommodate the amount of cropping that lens corrections consume out of the original image FoV. The 19mm becomes an effective 21mm after corrections and doesn't net the SWC's full 92° utterly rectilinear diagonal FoV.

(Note: corner softening and darkening is post-processing work ... the Elmarit-19 at f/5.6 is sharp right to the corners, particularly on a square crop.)

enjoy!
G

 

[docmoore]

I've often been tempted to go to the D810 - or even a D750 (24mp is enough for me) - but they won't shoot M or R lenses (which I have) and I want it for primarily for zooms, not primes (I'll shoot primes on the M240 thank you). The Sony is obvious, great for R lenses but the M lenses are seriously compromised and the zooms big and unconvincing.

Jono,


I must admit that the SL is very compelling and that I almost followed you all down the veritable rabbit hole ... went down to the local shop today after demo-ing the SL a couple of days
ago and the one body they had was GONE.

Sometimes things work out in spite of our best efforts to push them in our preferred direction.

So I thought ... I really don't need a Beaufort 5+ capable camera ... as I will be in front of a fire with the dogs and a single malt.

But at my age any help in focus for distant landscapes is a blessing.

I dug around in the closet and came up with the following.

Now I can keep the D810 Otus 55 85 ZF.2 25 135 and the quirky Nikon 50 1.2 with a bit more pixels and DR.

Mandler will live on the Type 246.

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/57030-evf-high-mp-ovf-camera-ultimate-focus.html#post672370

Back to the thread ....

Bob

 

[Godfrey]

Another from my "SWC emulation" shoot yesterday morning ...

Leica SL + Elmarit-R 19mm f/2.8 v1
ISO 50 @ f/2.8 @ 1/40​

enjoy!

G

 

[Paratom]

Jono,


I must admit that the SL is very compelling and that I almost followed you all down the veritable rabbit hole ... went down to the local shop today after demo-ing the SL a couple of days
ago and the one body they had was GONE.

Sometimes things work out in spite of our best efforts to push them in our preferred direction.

So I thought ... I really don't need a Beaufort 5+ capable camera ... as I will be in front of a fire with the dogs and a single malt.

But at my age any help in focus for distant landscapes is a blessing.

I dug around in the closet and came up with the following.

Now I can keep the D810 Otus 55 85 ZF.2 25 135 and the quirky Nikon 50 1.2 with a bit more pixels and DR.

Mandler will live on the Type 246.

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/57030-evf-high-mp-ovf-camera-ultimate-focus.html#post672370

Back to the thread ....

Bob

Bob,
do I understand right...you base your decision on the instant availability of that camera in your store?

 

[docmoore]

No Tom the D810 has been in my CLOSET for a long time ... second one I have owned and used.

Short story ... I had a S2-P and wanted to upgrade to the S006 recently.

Received an S006 with a new 70 CS that was dead on arrival ... no AF nothing.

So I dropped out of the loop ... using this D810 with Zeiss Otus lenses ... no AF but
expectations were met.

Would love the S 007 but a bit leery of Leica S AF as the issue still exists some 2/3 years
after the initial delivery. Not a great sense of product QC when a three year old lens cannot
AF .... and it is probably their least exotic lens.

I may still seek out a Leica SL but not for AF ... would prefer the live view aspects of the camera
but I have found that with the add on Zacuto ... in addition to better DR and higher resolution.

Just not the most approachable ergonomics but I thrashed around for a number of years with
a Sinar F2 Master Tech 4x5 and Alpa TC with film backs. SO this is nothing. Still disappointed to have
missed the opportunity to play long term with the SL.

Just saying there are other options for those who prefer a bit larger file for landscapes. And I think that
an external EVF would be ideal for those who have the S 007 as it allows for 100 magnification at a
pixel level when shooting long or wide.

So partly my decision was based on the camera's lack of availability but also on my rather mixed
view of Leica's efforts to resolve the S AF issue ... first the Macro 120s then other lenses but stunning
that the 70 would be affected with the same issue.

YET we have three new systems that are marketed and this one for "PROs"

Leica S support is wonderful in that they will send you a loaner overnight while your lens or body
goes to Solms for months ... but in my view AF issues might be addressed before you deliver a
dead on arrival lens to a dealer. JMHO.

Consider me a bit jaded by the experience and I am basing all of my purchase decisions by
my experience ... first M camera in 1984 M6 M7 M8 M8P M9 S2-P S 006 M Monochrom and now M Type 246.


Bob

 

[Paratom]

No Tom the D810 has been in my CLOSET for a long time ... second one I have owned and used.

Short story ... I had a S2-P and wanted to upgrade to the S006 recently.

Received an S006 with a new 70 CS that was dead on arrival ... no AF nothing.

So I dropped out of the loop ... using this D810 with Zeiss Otus lenses ... no AF but
expectations were met.

Would love the S 007 but a bit leery of Leica S AF as the issue still exists some 2/3 years
after the initial delivery. Not a great sense of product QC when a three year old lens cannot
AF .... and it is probably their least exotic lens.

I may still seek out a Leica SL but not for AF ... would prefer the live view aspects of the camera
but I have found that with the add on Zacuto ... in addition to better DR and higher resolution.

Just not the most approachable ergonomics but I thrashed around for a number of years with
a Sinar F2 Master Tech 4x5 and Alpa TC with film backs. SO this is nothing. Still disappointed to have
missed the opportunity to play long term with the SL.

Just saying there are other options for those who prefer a bit larger file for landscapes. And I think that
an external EVF would be ideal for those who have the S 007 as it allows for 100 magnification at a
pixel level when shooting long or wide.

Bob

Hi Bob,
just to not be misunderstood: I fully understand and there are good reasons to use a D810, it just sounded you wanted to buy an SL but didnt buy it just because someone else bought that one sample.
Regarding S AF I have not had any comparable problem with neither my S2/S006 and also my new S007 seems to work fine.

 

[docmoore]

And all my S2-P and first S006 lenses were perfect.

Realizing that finding a SL in the next few months was unlikely it
nevertheless inspired me to try the external EVF.

And I very pleased with the 100% focus accuracy at this point.

The S007 is the only camera that could replace the D810 for
color resolution and DR. Yet not a walk about camera ... my M Type 246
will suffice for the present.

Regards,

Bob

 

[yatlee]

Preview with DNG only

I'm testing a SL and notice that none of my pictures are sharp or look out of focus on the back display when I shoot DNG (Raw) only without JPG. When I added JPG to the the DNG, everything back to sharp again in preview. Is this normal?

 

[Godfrey]

Re: Preview with DNG only

I'm testing a SL and notice that none of my pictures are sharp or look out of focus on the back display when I shoot DNG (Raw) only without JPG. When I added JPG to the the DNG, everything back to sharp again in preview. Is this normal?

Yes. The DNG files have only a rudimentary, very low resolution preview in them. The SL uses the companion JPEG for preview display, if available.

 

[Godfrey]

Continuing with the square theme ...

Leica SL + Elmarit-R 24mm f/2.8
ISO 200 @ f/8 @ 1/30 sec​

The 24mm focal length on 24x24 format is approximately the same diagonal AoV as a Planar 80mm f/2.8 on 6x6 format.

enjoy!

G

 

[jonoslack]

Re: Preview with DNG only

I'm testing a SL and notice that none of my pictures are sharp or look out of focus on the back display when I shoot DNG (Raw) only without JPG. When I added JPG to the the DNG, everything back to sharp again in preview. Is this normal?

Hi There Yat
Godfrey has it . . . .
If you want to see sharp pictures on the rear display you need to shoot DNG+jpg - you can always ditch the jpg files afterwards (I don't even import them) and it doesn't have any noticeable impact on the speed of the camera.

Hopefully that will be cured in a firmware upgrade later on, but we shall see!

All the best

 

[Godfrey]

Re: Preview with DNG only

I'm testing a SL and notice that none of my pictures are sharp or look out of focus on the back display when I shoot DNG (Raw) only without JPG. When I added JPG to the the DNG, everything back to sharp again in preview. Is this normal?

Yes. The DNG files have only a rudimentary, very low resolution preview in them. The SL uses the companion JPEG for preview display, if available.

Hi There Yat
Godfrey has it . . . .
If you want to see sharp pictures on the rear display you need to shoot DNG+jpg - you can always ditch the jpg files afterwards (I don't even import them) and it doesn't have any noticeable impact on the speed of the camera.

Hopefully that will be cured in a firmware upgrade later on, but we shall see!

All the best

More for the firmware upgrade notes, Jono:

Add to "allow the option to provide either a minimum or a standard sized JPEG preview in raw-only mode" an additional option to output a lossless-compressed DNG file for raw mode.

Love the camera, but this is obviously "1.0" firmware. It doesn't bother me much, but a couple of update generations down the pike and this camera will become much more fluid and comfortable in operation.

G

 

[Paratom]

Sl+50apo

 

[yatlee]

Re: Preview with DNG only

Hi There Yat
Godfrey has it . . . .
If you want to see sharp pictures on the rear display you need to shoot DNG+jpg - you can always ditch the jpg files afterwards (I don't even import them) and it doesn't have any noticeable impact on the speed of the camera.

Hopefully that will be cured in a firmware upgrade later on, but we shall see!

All the best

thanks Godfrey and Jono, i sold the M240 and got the SL. Still getting used to the operation.

 

[barjohn]

One of you that has both the SL and the Q, how do the images compare given that both use the same sensor? Can someone post a comparison set of images? Thanks