Photography

I found myself in an unusual situation a few weeks ago when I kidded Manila about arranging a demo unit with the Tokyo office for me to test. I had a short vacation lined up and it was going to be scheduled a week before the 1st year anniversary program of Leica Manila. Highlights of the program would include the SL and Leica Gallery launch. 

Anyway, Manila didn't promise me anything but left that request open. Day one in Tokyo with my eyes barely able to accept the first rays of the rising sun, I get a message telling me that a unit was made available for me to test and that I was to pick it up in their head office. It was a good thing that Casey was more than familiar with the office location. We went to their office not knowing what to expect really. The exchange was unceremonious yet curt with a lot of bowing and thanking. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with the thing yet. There were no instructions let alone a product brief. I did have some sort of a pdf file (product brochure cum manual) emailed to me which i just glazed over.

The demo unit courtesy of the Tokyo Leica office. Note how small the body is without the 24-90. It's not a whole lot bigger than an M.  

Just to be clear, expectations weren't set as to my involvement with the SL. The most quid pro quo that I thought would be requested from me was to write something about it which was ok. Having said that and with the anniversary being curiously near, I prepared a short speech on my flight home just in case. The anniversary program included face time with the media and I did prepare something for the gallery portion because they were going to debut it with work from me and a long-time shooting buddy. What we weren't expecting were last minute changes to the program. I got the impression that Singapore was going to do all the SL heavy lifting. But then there I was being asked if I could share my experiences with the SL. It was a good thing I had my laptop with me. I synced a set of pictures with Singapore's presentation slide and off we went.

Pardon the watermark. I just borrowed this photo of mine from a friend. That's yours truly explaining the SL's fast focus tracking capability.  

As I'm not exactly in a good position to give a review, I just want to share with you what I wrote down on the flight back home and what I also shared with the media. I only had a day with the camera so all I can share with a bit of confidence is my impressions about it. I'd love to give this camera a more thorough test to be honest. I want to see, for example, how it performs given that it boasts of being able to do 30 minute long exposures! 

Here is my take on the SL ...

"Leica SL.. It's usually not a good idea to have a rabid Leica M user do a quick test of anything that isn't a rangefinder. Apart from image quality.. Size, stealth, weight, and ergonomics will always get factored in in any equation.

So let's get those issues out of the way first. In thehand, the SL feels as good as it looks inspite of its size and weight. This will always be a trade off as far as current tech is concerned because excellent optics in a zoom will require good glass from the nearest to the furthest focal length. It will also mean that you need to have an AF motor in there to rotate said chunk of good glass. 

From this perspective, it is no different from any zoom lens of this calibre in the market. Size and weight will always be a challenge and it is good to know that Leica is up to the task. I had the SL on me for a whole day in Tokyo and it didn't really bother me. Mirror less tech means you don't need to make room for a single reflex lens so you can design the body to be thinner and lighter! Which it is! This coming from a guy who shoots with a rangefinder all year round, the weight was more than bearable.

I had fun panning with the SL up and down Ginza.  

Now to the matter at hand.. How well did Leica do in designing this camera to do action? I'd say pretty well. First thing that i noticed is how the menu was designed to default to have quick access to focus tracking speed and accuracy aka "drive mode". The left thumb easily rests on a button on the upper left side of the menu. Press said button and the first thing that it brings up is drive mode where you have quick access to 3 continuous shooting speeds in addition to other tracking options. I don't think there's any camera out there that has the action oriented shooter in mind more than the Leica SL. 

And This is where an M will concede this area of shooting to the SL. Highly reactive situations in close distances will almost always require fast AF. And having been a dslr user in my past life, I doubt if I could've pulled this off at this level of quality in what would amount to just milliseconds...

I saw this guy on a bike with my peripheral vision approaching fast behind me. I swung back with my camera preset for panning and was amazed at how the SL fired off 3 consecutive shots when I forgot to release my trigger finger from the shutter. I had the camera on shutter priority because the main draw of this cam was supposed to be its ability to nail action shots as reliably as a top-of-the-line DSLR. I had the shutter set at 1/20 to blur out the background.   

Given the competitive landscape of cameras in this particular area, who is this camera really for? It can't exactly go head to head in price although the gap isn't exactly that Unreasonable when you think about the value that it can give its potential owner.

Two segments easily come to mind. The first segment is undoubtedly the dslr user who wants to shed off that utilitarian look for something that can do the job and then some in terms of Leica level optics and of course make you look good doing it. I tell you, the SL is not about stealth. This camera can go head to head with a sexy girl in a red dress in terms of double takes. I felt sexy with this thing beside me, going up and down the streets of Ginza. It's as close to having a stunner of a date as one can get in a launch party  

Yours truly telling folks how the SL is giving my arm a workout.  Seriously, I was telling them about the SL's form factor, how nicely balanced it is in the hand.  

The second segment is the current Leica user who needs to complement their M system when out photographing big game in Africa or jumping in and out of Zodiacs in the Antarctic. Yes these guys do exist and there is a healthy bunch of them.

Two months ago I got a text message from an M user asking me what he should bring to a photo trip in the Antarctic. The 0-70 requirement was covered with a M/50 APO setup. Begrudgingly, we had to settle on a 70-200 zoom from another manufacturer. 

What does this tell us? People used to a certain level of quality don't want to compromise. The M/50 setup easily filled the need for a 70 and wider setup. My friend easily compromised focal lengths from 0-70 by just having the 50 APO. On the other end however, there was nothing that was commercially available for that level of quality. It can be a hassle to be shooting with two different systems at the same time.

Fendi display, Matsuya Ginza.    

The next time I need to dispense advice on cam set up for these types of shooting, I will not hesitate to recommend the SL as it can go all the way to 280. This time around, I might be tempted to say.. You don't have to bring the M. Just bring the SL. And your dslr? Sell it! The 50lux SL version will be a very good compromise to bringing an M and the 90-280 will be more than adequate to keep a comfy distance between you and some growling hungry lion.

Thank you."  

Best,  

Echi  

I enjoyed reading your Leica SL impressions... can't help but think back to your visit to Tokyo and the [too] short time to connect during your recent travel to Japan.  I am getting pressure from various sides to visit Manila, so let's see where that leads... earliest March/April 2016.

The SL definitely seems to have a place and role to play in the Leica line-up... and having met some more of the Leica team, I am impressed by their approach and friendly support... very professional.

Casey

Yep, I think the SL will have its market. Btw, I had a challenging time inserting photos and editing. I may been doing it inefficiently. I also see weird gray boxes on paragraph text now that I'm looking at after clicking on the "insert" button. Upside though is that I don't have to go through a hosting site. One minor downside is image quality upon upload. I guess some sort of compression is applied. Anyway, if you have suggestions on how to do it better i;m all ears.. or eyes :p
I also just scratched the surface on the SL. I think it's more than just a second body to an M user. It can be something complementary if one is an all-around travel kinda guy. In fact, and I'm not sure how good the 50 SL Lux will be... if I have that setup, the M might actually stay in the dry box a little longer. It's a good thing though that I only have the M246 (having sold the M240 so I can see how I'll fare with just shooting bw for a year). If I find the need to have color, it will be an interesting toss up between some future M iteration or the SL being that it is capable of accepting M lenses via an adapter.
Good times!

But maybe not for you since it has a lot in common with the M (Typ 240)...  I wonder how good the SL adapter to M-mount is / will be... doesn't seem 'fair' to  have to buy two 50mm Lux lenses in different mounts.  You might consider hand coloring your B&Ws ; )

I will PM you on posting tips with multiple images... first time to see the gray boxes... I will take another look at your post to see if I can figure that out...

Casey

and I'm saying it only because I've found it useful and has nothing at all to do with the design philosophy behind the paring down of features... well, they took out live view. If you're the kind of guy who wants to do landscapes with the best lightweight kit available, at some point you'll find the live view very helpful for accurate composition and making sure that the horizon is level for starters. I really think the M is still the best "compromise" travel camera out there.
So yep, I'm willing to pay the extra bucks for video.
I'm also not too sure about having an aluminium top plate instead of brass. We like to have that patina after awhile after all. Although with digital, we hardly get to keep stuff long enough for it develop "character". Also, I'm not sure how hardy it is in terms of maintaining its form. I'm thinking it can get easily dented? of course they might be using some high grade aluminium. On the upside, it can give character a new dimension with a dent instead of patina.
Echi

A pleasure to read your impressions, Echi.

I got a tutorial from Casey last night. Bless our mod I say! Hope you can take it out for a spin and share some impressions on it. I'm not in the market for one at the moment but just like watches, we keep a year round working list :p
Best,
Echi

The current Mrs MTF has been hankering for a Leica...any Leica digital camera for years.

I pointed out that the Panasonic is a Leica without the red dot and bought her the Lumix..

She took some shots on a week holiday in Gambia and has never held the camera since. She hates it.

Here is my dilemma.  Does she only shoot 30 pictures a year because she has no Leica?

What's the point of a Leica if she shoots 30 pictures a year?

Will she shoot more if it were a Leica?

It's like Philosophy 101 all over again.  If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody around to listen, does it make a sound?

Regards,

MTF

I think you're missing the big picture here... your wife should visit the local Leica boutique, try all the digital Leica cameras, pick [at least] one that she likes, send you the bill, and live HEA...
Recently I took a look at the Panasonic Lx100 / Leica D-Lux Typ 109 when looking for a small digital camera... ended up with the Fuji X100T as I didn't really bond with the Lx100 / D-Lux Type 109 so in some way I agree with Mrs MTF.
One obvious choice would be the Leica Q Typ 116 (with grip option), but why not a Monochrom 246 or the new M 262 with a Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. My choice would be the Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. Depends on what she wants to photograph. Then again my original choice would be film, but that's another story... She can PM me for details.
Get a Wi-Fi card that talks to a smart phone and 'Bob's your uncle'
Casey

I preface this by revealing that my father worked for Kodak and Polaroid so film was a part of my childhood.

Any industry that has an 88% decrease in financial results in five years... might have serious issues ; ).  One does not need to look into the detail when trying to understand the trend...

In the case of photography, the industry repositioned itself  with the introduction of digital some  years ago, but those that "debate" the  A vs. B aspect of photography (or any industry) miss the big picture that people love photos and there always will be a way to fill that need.  If you're looking for investment tips, it night not be dSLR production ; )

BTW, I still shoot Kodak Gold 200 as one of my favorite color negative films and it's very much available - as is Kodak Gold400.  Kodak Professional film, such as Portra (160, 400, & 800) and Ektar 100 are also still available.

For reversal film, I have been using Fujichrome... and I still buy and shoot Ilford Delta 3200 and Ilford HP5.

So called "niche players" in any area of interest have their sources.  The same as other photographers, I have a freezer full of film ; ).  I get second day turn around on lab work... and I do shoot a fair bit of digital... the OOC JPG color of the X100T is very nice (IMHO)...

Now, back to the original question... what will Mrs. MTF do ; )

Casey

The long reply listed all the contenders and their pros and cons.

The LX100 has some decent controls for WB...

01) the normal selections for standard lighting conditions (including AWB)

02) Custom WB where you shoot a white target (subject) when the light changes

03) Ability to store four (4) preset custom white balance settings (think about the most common locations)

04) Perform White Balance fine adjustments.  White Balance settings can be individually fine-tuned if colours still do not appear as anticipated.

05) Bracket recording using White Balance.  Bracket settings are performed based on the fine adjustment values for White Balance, and three pictures with different coloring are automatically recorded when the shutter button is pressed once.

Page 103-106 of Panasonic
Operating Instructions for advanced features
Digital Camera Model No. DMC-LX100
(SQW0024 / M0914KZ0)
DMC-LX100EB_eng_full.pdf / 9.14 MB file size
_____________________

I agree with most of your "rejection" list.  The one exception is the Fuji X100T.  I am using that camera and the plus points are (a) the image quality / in camera color is very good, (b) I really like the face detection feature, and (c) if you shoot large JPGs the quality is good enough to crop to equivalent zoom.  On the down side the X100T is maybe a bit too large for the purse.

You have a reasonable requirements list...  My short list included the Fuji X100T and Panasonic LX100.  Obviously the X100T won out in my case...
_____________________

Re: Nikon s9900.  The small sampling of review sites (e.g. DPR etc) gave it 3.75-4.0 out of 5 stars and it does cost less than USD 300...  My gut feeling is that, based on your requirements, the LX100 might be a better choice than the Coolpix...

Casey

This message has been edited by cshimokita on 2015-11-30 15:24:02

I tried it in the London shop and came to the same conclusion as you did.

The face recognition is amazing (in a store full of Black Friday customers) and the fill-in flash good to 10 m distance.

The camera size is not too bad as she does not carry 'purses' but full size hand bags.

I would choose the X100T as my back-up camera to Nikon DSLR but for the macro distance not being as good as my ancient Sony T-9 that focuses down to 1 cm...food and watches need stealth.

The main reasons that the current Mrs MTF rejects X100T  are:

1) fixed wide angle lens when she wants telephoto zoom.

2) Fuji is known for vibrant "Disney" colours....even if this is only a rumour.

3) The logo not being a LEICA red dot    The same applies for the Lumix.

On the other hand, she does not want a Leica with interchangeable lenses: "if you are going to change lenses...get a full frame F-mount camera".

It's Mission Impossible.....it ain't made yet.

Regards,

MTF

Apologies for my late reply. It seems that Mrs. MTF wants the red dot and also seems to value haptics as well.
I'd go have her try the C, Q, Dlux Typ 109, even the M in the Leica boutique.
The C might be a good way to start her off. Fits in a bag. Good for parties. Literally a point and shoot. I've used it a couple of times and have been impressed with the output.
The typ 109 is a good step up. Full manual controls available. Great for quick macros. A capable point and shoot and then some. I've been tempted to buy on several occasions but it never seems to be available when the itch comes up and supply is unavailable to scratch it.
The Q is a good travel camera. I'm thinking this might be the future of the M in as far as compact yet capable cameras are concerned but hopefully in interchangeable lens format.
Have Mrs. MTF play around with these cameras in the store.
It feels like it looks!
Don't worry about thoughts like it might be too much of a camera for the average shooter (aka not worthy feeling). I always say Leica is a nice camera to make mistakes with
Best,
Echi