Godfrey
Well-known member
Interesting comment. To what do you refer?The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."
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Interesting comment. To what do you refer?The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."
So what? If it does what I want and I prefer having Leica back it, I couldn't care less. Getting service and support out of Panasonic has been almost as horrid as getting it out of Sony ... I've had far far better success with Leica when I needed it.You missed the point. No matter what leica comes out with, it will be more than twice the money and half the features. I’m betting there is no ibis in the sl2 which is huge. Anyway, I believe a lot of folks will shift to the lumix bodies. Don’t get me wrong, I love the leica lenses but, to your point, most of these are ancient technology.
Some interesting points here. The main point is, to me, the "universal" camera conundrum. Back in the day, Nikon & Canon used to produce two version of a same body, a fast one for sports and the like, and a high-res one for landscape, studio etc. The Leica SL is a professional camera for many genres of professional photography, meaning that it is an indestructible, reliable tool, producing great IQ, has two cards for backup, is weather sealed and so on. Whether the native lenses it offers and the feature it has are good enough for your kind of professional photography, that is obviously a completely different story. Now, and just for example:...
In reference to Vieri's comments, I also think that the SL is a very reliable camera and the SL lenses are free of the issues we've faced with the S lenses. I bought the SL only recently but I am very pleased with the image quality - instantly more appealing to me than anything I've seen from the major brands. What makes the SL less than "professional grade" however, is (a) the absence of a reliable tethering solution, and (b) lack of support by major strobe makers (e.g. Profoto) as far as TTL/HSS radio triggers are concerned. I have been writing to Leica repeatedly about these points but I always get the usual "we continuously improve but we can't confirm if and when". It is frustrating me with Leica that they can get "nearly there" but seem unable to stretch the last bit to make their cameras as usable as other "pro brands" out there.
Reading the OP and all the answers to it the quoted part above is for me where the crux is.Since November 8th, 2018 my SOO7 is at the customer service (I hope) and I have NO NEWS from them!!!
Let's not make this personal.It seems some of the posts here, specifically from the US West Coast, are preoccupied with the usual self serving interests and contradictions. Although, Vieri has shown that the SL is very capable of professional results, Leica's are simply not considered for most professional shoots. That's based on rental studios and support of major studio lighting systems. I believe the original intent by the OP was to vent frustration at a lack of support from Leica considering his vast investment in their brand. Emotional attachment to a camera or brand is inevitable when investing at this level. Having a connection to your camera is also essential for a creative extension of one's creative abilities. If you lack confidence in your camera, because of terrible quality control you will not produce lasting, memorable images. Frankly, I'm surprised that Leica was willing to lose you as a customer and thus, you should be mad. Your loyalty went much further than most. All the best to your new endeavors with Hasselblad, but be cautious there too.
Vieri, I don't disagree with you and, after all, I have voted with my wallet and enjoy using the SL. All I was trying to say is that Leica position the SL at fashion photographers and to do so without proper tethering and HSS strobe support seems a bit lame. I am not a pro but regularly shoot art nudes in the studio and outdoors for myself, with a full team, tethered, with strobes etc. The first time I tried to tether the SL, it stopped transferring images and froze after about four shots - removed battery, reconnected, tried again - same thing. This was with the latest version of Lightroom and the latest Leica Tethered Plugin. Ok, I know how to circumvent this issue via the Image Shuttle and a hot folder in C1, but that is not as fast and good as tethering "natively" (e.g. no way to apply develop presets automatically when importing images, review does not advance to the latest frame automatically...). On the second point, TTL for strobes is not important for me but syncing above 1/250s often is. Of course, there are a ton of situations where any modern or even half a century old camera can be used professionally. And I have other cameras when I need the features missing from the SL. I just regret that Leica can go a long way to create a superb machine, with amazing glass, but then stop short of providing two seemingly basic features that any competing system within the same category (mirrorless Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony) nowadays offers as standard. Again, not a "conundrum" for me, I love the SL and accept its limitations (but still roll my eyes sometimes).The main point is, to me, the "universal" camera conundrum.
Here's the story of a photographer who thought Leica was a serious camera company who cares about their trustful customers.
My name is Kaïs, french photographer based in Paris, France.
I started my Leica journey with a M9, ten years ago, sold and upgraded with a M9-P
A Monochrom (version 1) quickly followed him all of them bought brand new.
Wanting to get my hands on a "real Leica", I bought a M6 Titanium set with its Summicron 35/1.4.
The medium lust was too hard to resist: a S2 with a Summarit 70 joined my stable.
Let's add a wide angle to my S system: a brand new Summarit 35.
Time has past, I added a M7 (0.58 finder), a Q Titanium, a Monochrom version 2, a M5, an Elmarit 90/2.0, a Summicron 50, a Summarit 35/2.4...
We are talking about minimum 44 500€ (including the S007)!!!!!
Then, the problems begun: both my M9-P and Monochrom I had a sensor failure (cracked sensor).
How come a "pro" camera could have a sensor cracked?
During my carreer, I owned a 5DmkII, a D3x, a Df, a 5DmkIV (I'm still using today) that NEVER failed me, NEVER.
Anyways, Leica has been kind enough to replace both sensors for free.
When the S007 came out, I was tempted to upgrade my aging S2.
At my usual Leica dealer, they kindly checked my S2 before it goes on sale and discovered a corroded sensor!
Come on! A third failure from a so serious comapany? I must be the unluckiest photographer on earth then.
Still, I upgraded to a reconditioned mint grade SOO7, checked by Leica with a one year guarantee.
During my second shooting, the 70 started to rattle from time to time, missing focus lock.
Of course, my poker face never let any worries showed to my clients.
Back home, I uploaded the photos into Capture One and got struck by what I have discovered:
See attached photos.
DNGs avaiaible upon request.
I thought my memory card failed (I exclusively use hi-speed Sandisk Extreme and Extreme Pro SD).
I tried with different cards, same problem.
The DNGs are available if requested.
I met the people of Leica at Paris Salon de la photo (photoshow) and, after hours of friendly chat, they acknowledged that there was a video card failure.
Wait a second. Are we talking about Leica's flagship camera here?
The one that is supposed to compete with a Hasselblad HD6-50 or a PhaseOne XF???
A failure after less than 2000 photos taken? Is this german so-called excellence?
Since November 8th, 2018 my SOO7 is at the customer service (I hope) and I have NO NEWS from them!!!
How come a pro photographer can trust such miserable products?????
How come my 2400€ 5DmkIV works like a charm after litteraly thousands and thousands of photos???
How come it takes 10 days max to Canon to fix and upgrade the firmware of their pro camera when I have been waiting 6+ months to get any information from
Wetzlar???
I'm over with this overrated brand.
Keep on releasing limited edition for rich Qataris and Russians and let the pros (Canon, Nikon, Hasselblad, Fuji, to name a few) run the photography
business.
SHAME ON YOU Leica to ignore and disrespect your loyal customers!!! :angry::angry::angry:
We made you, never forget that.
I sent them a letter and I know the drill: they will send me apologies.
But I'm not paying for apologies!!! I don't need them!!! I'm paying for equipment that pays my bills and feed me!
Today, I'm waiting to get my hands back on my S007 to trade it for a Hasselblad H6D-50c.
I am so disappointed by Leica...
KAÏS DE BALI
I generally agree with you that there is an implied level of service and quality with premium products. For people to suggest otherwise is just ridiculous. A Mercedes isn’t going to last all that much longer than a Toyota but the materials used, craftsmanship of the fit & finish, and experience of the dealer network tends to be at a much higher level. At Toyota it’s rather impersonal in general... at Mercedes you’ll generally receive a loaner vehicle and often times it can be arranged that they pickup and deliver your vehicle to you.All cameras will experience some issues and recalls. Customer service goes a long way to mitigate the frustration. It's ludicrous to think that one shouldn't anticipate better service when paying Leica's prices. If it's not the quality or service you expect then why are they worth more? You're supposed to get what you pay for...right? For a while Leica actually replaced sensors on the M9, Monochrom, etc. with the exact same one that necessitated the repair. Leica's lack of quality control in some situations directly effect the price of today's cameras. With that said, I miss the colors and rendering of my CCD M9, but not enough to invest in the brand again.