Leica's APS-C Cameras: A Conversation with Product Manager Maike Harberts

Photokina 2018 was a bucket list item for us, and it was amazing.
The PEOPLE made it amazing. I think Claudia and I are finally recovered - just in time to head to London -- but there are still people we want you to meet.
Like Maike Halberts, product manager for Leica's TL2 and CL APS-C cameras. We talk about the original T concept, differences between the TL2 and CL, and implications of the L-Mount alliance.
I like these two cameras so much I just bought one, the TL2.
You can find both on B&H, along with the some of the things I'd get for them first:
Leica TL2: bhpho.to/2JKmdBQ
Leica CL: bhpho.to/2i1hG1n
Leica Visoflex Typ 020: bhpho.to/2zqtWfu
Leica Summilux-TL 35mm f/1.4: bhpho.to/2JNHydT
DON'T FORGET TO ENTER OUR Lighting Gear Giveaway! Video where you learn how to enter is here: • Giveaway: LED Lighting...
The specific gear we're giving away, with a huge shout-out to B&H for their continuing support:
- Genaray MonoBright LED Bi-Color 750: bhpho.to/2qqw5ES
- Angler BoomBox Octagonal Softbox with Bowens Mount (36"): bhpho.to/2QfCazo
- Genaray Crux 10" Round Bi-Color LED Light: bhpho.to/2Qdpbhy
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My favorite gear: bhpho.to/2AAOBSN
Gear Used to Make This Video:
Panasonic GH5
B&H: bhpho.to/2wi2J0Q
Sigma 30mm f/1.4
B&H: bhpho.to/2whK3hR
Sennheiser AVX wireless lav system
B&H: bhpho.to/2i3yIvN
Panasonic XLR Mic Adapter
B&H:bhpho.to/2BwvAxS
Genaray MonoBright LED Bi-Color 750
B&H: bhpho.to/2qqw5ES
Genaray Crux 10" Round Bi-Color LED Light
B&H: bhpho.to/2Qdpbhy
Angler BoomBox Octagonal Softbox with Bowens Mount (36"): bhpho.to/2QfCazo
Cartoni SDS 8 Fluid Head Tripod
B&H: bhpho.to/2B2OizS
FULL EDIT SUITE
Apple 2018 iMac with 5K Retina Display (maxed out)
B&H: bhpho.to/2whuvKR
G-Technology G-SPEED Shuttle XL 24TB (8 x 3TB) 8-Bay Thunderbolt 2
B&H: bhpho.to/2ydE5fc
Apple 2018 Macbook Pro 15.4", 2.6Ghz Quad Core i7 with 16G RAM, AMD Radeon 560X, 512GB SSD
B&H: bhpho.to/2zWwx5h
Glyph Technologies Atom RAID 2-Terabyte SSD
B&H: bhpho.to/2Cy30f5

[@Tom_YouTube_stole_my_handle]

This is why I like the Leica folk. They know 100% what they're talking about and it's not marketing bull. Always worth listening to.

[@gchristopherklug]

This was a great talk. Until your Leica videos, I hadn’t really considered the TL and now, I’m really looking at them. Thanks for this.

[@PhotoBob]

She gets it! Really enjoyed the interview and really enjoyed her perspective of a simplistic approach to camera design.

[@hawk00055]

I think I am in love with Maike. She is amazing. Thank you for the interview.

[@takuan650]

I was not a Leica person until I bought the CL last December. I simply like the photo centric usability paired with excellent image quality (23mm Summilux 2.0, 60mm macro Elmarit 2.8). It's for street, travel and landscape mostly. That gear cost an arm and a leg and I felt a bit dizzy when I hit the 'BUY' button. 11 months later I am glad I did what I did because the simple straight forward usability which lets me forget the camera when I take photos ( no button salad or weird grapple shifts ) and the reliable excellent image quality is what I got and expected. A tilting screen would have been nice though. Great video and Thanks.

[@williamself1949]

Hahaha! I also felt nauseous in the moments that immediately followed my purchase of the Leica CL, the 35mm Summilux, and the 11-23 Vario not even a full month ago. I dropped a lot of cash on those three items, but got over it quickly when I began shooting with my new purchase and seeing the results. Problem now is... I want more!

[@takuan650]

Yes, once You eat a bit of Leica cake You want more. I am eyeballing the 35mm Summilux real hard and my inner swine will not rest until I got it, but there will be more to come. I am sure of that!@@williamself1949

[@williamself1949]

That 35mm Summilux is my new favourite lens. I wish it was smaller, but that's my only complaint at this moment. I'm hoping my next piece of Leica cake comes served in an M-Mount format. I absolutely love the aesthetic of those gorgeous manual focus lenses coupled to the CL, and together they render superb images no doubt!

[@PhotoArtBrussels]

Great video. You do a great job at letting the people tell the story they want to convey. So in the other interviews you did. Very interesting and very high quality, image, content and production. Greetings from Belgium

[@3BMEP]

valcked Hallo 🇧🇪! Thanks for the kind words.

[@williamself1949]

A very enjoyable and reassuring interview with Maike Halberts - thanks for this! With this APS-C series, Leica has given many more people the opportunity to experience the joy that comes with the ownership of one their cameras - the pride, the beautifully simplified user experience, and of course the stunning end results.

[@3BMEP]

William Self I believe the L-Mount alliance could lead to a significant boost in interest for these cameras, as other than the Summilux TL 35/1.4, there are no fast native AF primes for them. Sigma’s 16, 30 and 56 crop sensor 1.4’s could become a new “holy trinity” for them.

[@williamself1949]

I caught your point in the interview where you stated your desire to see faster prime lenses in this series - I share that desire! The idea of a Sigma F1.4 prime lens lineup, as they've already done with other mounting systems certainly sounds very promising. They render beautiful images, but the trade-off comes with the size of their lenses - a deciding factor for some, but not for all.

[@alanhart8574]

William Self t

[@sromrell]

Excellent interview

[@tpf4292]

TL2 has a bright future if it is done correctly with more powerful computational photography, it’s can be the iPhone in the camera world, please spend more time and energy on it

[@18yearsoldnot]

But just look at how awful computational photography has become in 2023. The excessive haloing from composite imaging and sharpening artefacts are totally out of control - so much so that gen z kids are buying compact digital cameras from the early 2000s for that distinctive consumer flash photography look... For me, the tl2 is perfectly endgame and I use it more than my full frame z5, because the tl35 is everything one could want in a small enough package. If I go pro though I will probably get a used Nikon 58mm because the only thing missing from my tl2 is fast af, which maybe the cl is better for

[@ousi00]

It's always a much better idea to put someone who is enthusiasts about the product line in charge of marketing. They know what matters, unlike bean counters.

[@fellowcitizen]

Time for a follow-up interview with Maike :) And let's see some love for the TL2

[@Broadluxe]

Great video. If Leica is listening, PLEASE make a 100mm 1:1 Fast Macro Lens for the SL ASAP!!! I'm dying without it!!!!! :-)

[@MarioLopez69]

Very interesting concepts and video!! I am a Left eye!! I never thought about this before?!?! I am also Left handed so.. I suppose.. ;)

[@gh7213]

I like discussions directly with manufacturers

[@lylestavast7652]

Good video !

[@glennsak]

Leica is both progressive and traditional at the same time. Love it.

[@damianc80]

I love Leica everything

[@tpf4292]

Update the TL2 with image stabilization please...

[@Hoppetakeyama]

Excellent vdo

[@RuskinKyle]

Congratulations on this video. The future of the Leica APSC line is something I have specifically been wondering about with the L Mount alliance. Specifically - how small and how fast will Sigma be able to produce new APSC lenses, and how might Leica respond?

[@3BMEP]

Ruskin Kyle That IS the question! 😊

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Hello Hugues. Thanks for this video even if it’s already quite old I just found it today!!! Maike seems to be a very pleasing and passionate person doing perfectly her job. I’ve heard that the TL2 is over now and discontinued without any longer update or development. Is this true? I’m asking because you know, I love my TL2 but there is still room for improvement in it.

[@3BMEP]

I’d love to see a TL3 and a CL2, but ai have no insight into Leica’s plan for them.

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

@@3BMEP I will write Maike an email

[@chirag4]

what a beautiful Matured Woman she is (hope this off-topic statement is permissible). Sony + Fuji may be Great Mirrorless cameras but LEICA are Greater ..... irrespective of cost/price/value. Hugh, you are the True Champion of Photography, my Friend, and Sir !

[@3BMEP]

Chirag Parikh 🙏🏻

[@tedbahas]

Great interview! I share your thoughts on the Crop Leicas. I have a TL 2 and an original T and love the haptics. I work in the music biz and represent Neumann and Sennheiser. Leica is very similar... great heritage and engineering and a willingness to try new things.

[@3BMEP]

What glass do you use with it? Don’t know if you saw it, but we just named Sennheiser’s AVX lav system one of our “Workhorse Gear of the Year” winners!

[@tedbahas]

Awesome! That will part of the business is really growing. Have you tried the Ambeo headset recording mic yet? 3D immersive audio recording on IOS. en-us.sennheiser.com/finalstop. I use with iPhone to do Off or On camera binaural recording.

[@tedbahas]

Pardon my typos!

[@tedbahas]

I am using voightlander 40 1.4 20 f4 and 18-56 11-24+ 12 different Rokkors that I haven’t been able to part with over the years.

[@3BMEP]

Ted Bahas hadn’t heard of it. Looks great. Wonder how well it works on airplanes to cancel noise.

[@marc6652]

Ok for the kind presentation. Ok too for the convenience of the 18mm ; but this lens is unworthy of Leica in terms of image quality. To me, it would have been a better solution to propose only 1 APS-C, combining the features of both cameras and to add an articulated screen + stabilization.

[@macbookdieter]

I’m wondering if Leica will ever re-issue a film camera like the M3?

[@3BMEP]

Derek Leath they DO sell film M cameras even today!

[@HanZuyderwijk]

From the future: they just did!

[@tamilhoward9708]

left eye dominant here too

[@florinelfratica]

funny the Leicas are cameras made in Germany where street photography is almost censored

[@RemlichtFilm]

Love your channel, but this is just product placement to me. On the aps c market I feel that Fuji is a way better option