The Dark Side of Shooting with Leica SL Cameras | What They Don't Tell You

[@johngreenwood9247]

Hi - liked your video. I became a Leica SL owner by accident. A long term friend died recently & I inherited his immaculate Leica SL. & Leica Q. He knew I was a keen photographer (Sony Alpha A9), and thought I would be a good custodian of his equipment. Sadly before his death he was in the process of upgrading to a Leica SL3 & 35mm apo lens & to this end he had disposed of all his Leica glass! However I started using the Q in the summer & was very impressed, and as I had a number of "R" lenses for my Leica R6, I used these with a 3rd party adapter on the SL. I found this a very enjoyable experience, so much so I've decided to look further into the SL system. I agree with most of your comments regarding, size, weight & cost of the SL system, but not so worried about the lens availability & because I'm used to using manual focus lenses & don't do sports/wildlife photography the auto focus system even on the SL doesn't bother me too much, and I'm seriously considering moving over from Sony, especially since the Q camera is such a convenient supplement, as a walkabout camera!

[@lukasvanderlende]

I’m so sorry for your loss John. What a special gift though to pass on! Thank you so much for sharing! The Leica system can get a little addicting

[@DavidSkelhon]

I bought an unused SL2S for $2500 from someone who was upgrading to an SL3. I just love the UI and the viewfinder in particular. I have the Sigma 24-70 2.8 for video and snappy autofocus, but mainly use vintage primes for stills, especially when I’m hiking as it keeps the weight down!

[@lukasvanderlende]

That’s a great find! Weight when hiking is a big consideration for me as well!

[@Chum_chumi]

Did you think he will sell me the unused SL3? 😂

[@DavidSkelhon]

@ You never know….my SL2-S was a backup to his SL2, and when the SL3 came out he wanted one and was keeping his old SL2 as a backup. You just might have to wait for the SL4 though!

[@JasonEdwardPhoto]

Can someone compare the AF from a Fuji XT4 to an SL2? Thinking of making the jump since I also shoot M.

[@absonus]

Shooting Leica since the `80`s . Currently film and digital M ,CL and SL2S.Thank goodness for an honest assessment of the lack of focus ability in the SL cameras .Drives me nuts . Still like them though :) Subscribed.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Thank you for the support! The autofocus is definitely lacking but I too still like the cameras more than anything else available

[@theonlyredspecial]

Funny enough I was looking at the sl2 in the uk and you can get them used for much less than half price now. The m cameras seem to hold value so much better. Even the sl lens drop like a tank in value second hand.

[@lukasvanderlende]

It is shocking to see how quickly these cameras dropped, and the lenses, not complaining hoping to get some APO lenses soon

[@MarcS4R]

i do agree with all points i do love shooting my SL2 , i usually upgrade to the next generation when a body gets released. When the SL4 comes out, i will get an SL3. I love the files, and even though i was never a zoom shooter, the 24-90 is amazing. I bought a Sl3 battery which has more capacity, and it lasts me almost a day of shooting stills.

[@lukasvanderlende]

That is the upgrade pattern I will probably be following as well! Pick up a sl3 while everyone else is dropping it to upgrade to the sl4 haha best investment I made into the sl2 was getting the sl3 batteries for it

[@BrandonTalbot]

The 24-90 is the best zoom ever made.

[@Selby.photography]

+1 24-90 with off camera flash FTW

[@MarcS4R]

@@BrandonTalbot i agree , I had the Canon 28-70 F2 , the Leica 24-90 has more mojo

[@fjouper]

What winter gloves do you have?

[@lukasvanderlende]

Currently rocking a pair of almost a decade old north face liners, I need some new gloves desperately

[@JoeThree-six-nine]

I have two SL2’s both in the last two years both have given me “System Error” on the display screen. They’re bricked. Sometimes by removing the SD card and restarting or removing the battery resets the camera. But not in my case I’m going on my third time sending them to Leica repair. Once they go there it’s a minimum of three months for return.

[@Radmountainbiking59]

I think it would be nice if they added a dedicated AF button for back button focusing.

[@lukasvanderlende]

You can use the joystick for back button focusing, that’s what I do, it’s great

[@Radmountainbiking59]

@@lukasvanderlende I think I'll try it.

[@GillesQuennevilleGQ]

We dont mind about auto focus. And I love to use manual focus M lenses on Leica SL3.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Completely agree

[@edxponce]

Completely agree with all the points you made haha. Funny enough I got a SL2S after watching a bunch of your content and consulting with a buddy that owned one before and I absolutely fell in love with it. Though unfortunately after 8 months I got rid of it cause my work/clients started shifting to a faster workflow and need faster autofocusing. Boy do I miss the colors though and feeling of the body itself/simplicity. Will eventually get into the SL system again if I'm honest 😂

[@lukasvanderlende]

There is something really great about the simplicity of its design, it just clicks for my work, but the autofocus definitely is a big deal breaker for a lot of people!

[@bers7109]

Hi! I'm interested in your opinion on the colors of sl2 and sl2s! Is there a difference and what's with the jpg of sl2 compared to sl2s? Thanks!

[@_parkphoto]

Love my SL2-S. I found a way to get through a full wedding day of like 4-5K images on two batteries - I use the battery grip and I have the power save set to 10 seconds. It doesn’t inhibit my shooting and I end the day with like 10-25% battery which is insane. Before that I was using 2 full batteries plus a half of another one, rotating on charger and battery bank over USB-C

[@lukasvanderlende]

Love that, I’ve looked at the battery grip a few times but don’t really have a need for it since I’m not doing long wedding days with it!

[@_parkphoto]

@ yeah makes sense! It makes the camera massive but ugh it looks so sick haha. Overall design of the SL’s is perfect imo because they are both futuristic and classic at the same time. Looks amazing with 60s lenses, R lenses and new autofocus lenses

[@johnkasianowicz6536]

The SL2-S is a superb camera.

[@JMPerona]

Great video as always!

[@lukasvanderlende]

Thank you!!

[@dfj555]

I own the Leica SL2 for my artsy fartsy photography. I also own the Canon EOS R3 and that camera outperforms the SL2 in every way imaginable aside from major cropping.

[@lukasvanderlende]

I used a R3 for a little over a year, for me the R3 outperforms the SL2 in ways that don’t matter to my work. It is a great camera though!

[@dominicmathurin6432]

Im debating between the SL2 and the SL2-S. I really like those extra megapixels but heard low light is bad? Does that mean the camera is unusable at night?

[@lukasvanderlende]

Depends on the style you’re wanting to shoot! I’ve found that the sl2 low light is better than people say online. If you check out my Utah video I’m using the sl2 for all of my digital photos and I did a lot of night photography with it

[@StephanSchaar]

I want to buy a used one. What about the „snappyness“ of the shooting? I have a Lumix S5X and it is an horrible experience when it comes to photography. Everything is so slow. I also have a Nikon Zf with a very fast shutter experience which I find fantastic. That being said, I prefer having one Lense Lineup and that’s why I am thinking about selling the Zf and getting me a SL2 just for photography (and videography backup). Besides I also have a Q2 where the shutter works fine for me. Your thoughts on this are very much appreciated

[@lukasvanderlende]

If you like the Q2 the SL2 shares the same sensor and processor so it would be a similar experience! I’ve found that the sl2 works really well for my workflow but I do know people who shoot in faster paced environments have said it didn’t live up to the task

[@StephanSchaar]

@@lukasvanderlende Thank you. The Q2 works fine for me and is fast enough (if we are not talking about af, we all know). It is just the „trigger experience“. With that I ment does it shoot when I press the button or do I have to wait for some time until it actually triggers. I find that is the case with the Lumix S5x and what keeps me away from using it as a stills camera. So thanks again! Keep on the great work you are doing.

[@Ricardo-SW]

I have heard some sad stories about length of time it can take for service if something needs repair.

[@lukasvanderlende]

I have as well, forgot to mention that. Thank you for bringing that up!

[@MarcS4R]

@@Ricardo-SW at the moment it’s digital 3-4 month and film 12 months . My M7 is still in for repair , since last Xmas 😂

[@LensForgotten]

Things will be better for L mount when Panasonic FINALLY gets to announcing the S1 series successors. They are overdue as the current S1, S1H, S1R are long in the tooth.

[@Bryan-lu4du]

Mostly agree although technically Sigma and Panasonic lenses are considered native. The SL3 feels like adequate autofocus now where I don’t really think too much about it like I did with my SL or SL2.

[@lukasvanderlende]

That’s fair, I guess I mean native as sharing the same manufacturer. I’m excited to try a sl3, hopefully soon

[@fotonutzz]

I have most of the SL series of cameras since 2016 (SL, SL2, SL2S Reporter & SL3). Apart from that, I'm also using the Canon 1DXii as well as the Nikon D5. Despite having Phase Detect AF on the SL3, it still cannot focus as fast as my old DSLRs from Canon or Nikon. Was really disappointed that the AF cannot match with an older DSLR. Although the SLs were great for 80% of my shoots since I normally shoot fashion, portraits, travel & macro, there were times I wished the SL3 could have been faster. The AF simply cannot keep up with my senior dog running around the house. It's been more than 6 months since the release of the SL3 and the animal detect is still on BETA mode.

[@dasignarts]

Nice breakdown! :) I use a Q3 and a M10. Mostly the Q3 though for everyday work and a little bit on clients. My main client work cameras are 2 Canon R6 with some Canon L-Glass RF lenses. Love my setup all in all. But I'm curios to use and SL one day :)))

[@lukasvanderlende]

Thank you! That’s a great kit! I had a R6 for a while, until I sold it to fund my sl2

[@TCMx3]

I shoot Leica M cameras but have had some eye issues recently that drove me to look for something with autofocus (that wasnt Nikon, who Im kinda not happy with due to their priorities re lenses) and I did look at the SL3. I think the issue is, ok great it's a high resolution body with amazing lenses, good interface, and is made well. But so is Hasselblad, and Hasselblad is cheaper on the lens front by far but also as good as it gets, and they have better color science, and 100mp vs 60, and probably most of all, 16 bit color. Im just not sure what the SL system can offer that really you can't get anywhere else. It's the best IQ in full frame ok but it does still lag medium format, and tbh if youre willing to pay it's not like Sony's best are actually worse. Theyre just big.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Some great points made here! I really want to get my hands on the new Hasselblad cameras and test them out, they look incredible.

[@jean-marcfroehlinger8749]

Hi, I was a long time Sony shooter with all the best cameras and lenses. But last year I fall in the Fuji GX system (with a GFX100 first generation, old new stock for less than half the price of a new one). I was shooting since 20 years with prime lenses but now the 45-100 on the GFX is at another level. Just something I didn't expect. Okay, I'm mainly a studio photographer ! All the other numeric cameras are now far away from me and the GFX is now the king in the town (and all my film cameras, of course). Please, Lukas, don't try the medium cameras, it's a not coming back travel ! The GFX100 first generation is such an amazing camera that I was not a single time tempted to upgrade to the new models !

[@astraeusone]

Thanks for the vid, Lukas! Some limited edition Leica cameras can appreciate in value over time, with the recent Leica M10-R black paint edition being a good example. However, regular models like the SL2 have actually depreciated more than 50% over time, putting them in the same ballpark as cameras like the Nikon D850, which I've observed through closely following and using these cameras. Based on this, I personally wouldn't call them investments at all.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Thank you! You’re totally right, I meant more of an investment in your work than an appreciating asset. Nothing more fun than watching the sl3 get released and my SL2 and sl2s value plummeting.

[@BrandonTalbot]

True, but it’s a crap shoot landing one of those - if they’re rare enough to actually be one of those cameras, they are most often already spoken for.

[@astraeusone]

​@@lukasvanderlende Thank you for your comment. I agree on both counts. The good thing is that SL2s won’t get much cheaper anymore… I hope. :)

[@astraeusone]

@@BrandonTalbot You won’t believe there was a time I chose the SL2 over the M10-R Black Paint :)

[@BrandonTalbot]

@@astraeusone goo.

[@dognute2746]

I have medium sized hands and find the really right stuff base plate just right for me. The SL2-S camera looks unfinished without it imho. It is a very expensive system to get into. Would suggest anyone should be debt free and have enough surplus money coming in before going with the Leica SL system. The APO lenses are something else and personal favourite is the 21. Mainly do landscape and some telephoto.

[@lukasvanderlende]

That must be the line for when you need a base plate, small to medium haha absolutely, that’s 21 APO looks like a great lens and another example of how the lens line up will continue to grow overtime!

[@StephenPodrasky]

The Leica camera is still not a sports or wildlife system. I have the SL3 and kept my SL2. 24-90 and the 90-280 are the best zoom lenses made. I find the SL system is perfect for myself as well. The APO glass is amazing and I have added most of the APO glass as well. 21,28,35 I have the 50summilux and have been shooting with the 90APO and looks like I will add as well. I use my R glass on the SL2 as it feels and renders perfectly and being manual focus no need for phase detect.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Definitely not a sports camera, but man that’s an incredible kit you have there!! I also like manual focusing

[@benjhaisch]

Just dropping night videos

[@lukasvanderlende]

Tried a midnight scheduled release for this one, forgot about timezones 😂

[@noenken]

6:51 Getting some serious static there on my headphones.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Sorry about that, something strange happened while recording!

[@rickseigh460]

My Leica SL3 should be arriving today. I’m an old fart so this will be the last camera that I’ll purchase. My problem is I have a dozen or so L mount lenses from Sigma and Panasonic and I know I’m going to want Leica glass. I have the Q3 which shares the same battery so at least that’s a plus. Hoping that one of the grandkids get into photography so I can leave these to someone.

[@lukasvanderlende]

Congratulations on the new camera! That’s a great combo you have there! I told my daughter I would leave her my M6 (she’s 5) and she regularly asks when it’s going to be her camera, hopefully not for a while

[@bernardlesperance742]

Camera gear is not an "investment" no matter what you pay for it (or how you feel about it). Camera gear is an expense (that is entered in the debit column of your ledger).

[@lukasvanderlende]

Absolutely! I probably didn’t use the right word in the video, I meant it as more of an investment in yourself/your photography. Not an appreciating asset

[@gwynneharries7024]

All my leicas have been an investment in as much I have really enjoyed using them and have an archive of images that I am proud of. Also, as I have moved them on, without exception, I have always made a financial gain on each item. However, you are investing in build quality (all hand made) and after sales service. Peace of mind, fun photography and a profit.

[@absonus]

@@gwynneharries7024 My black paint M4 has been an investment. Not that I knew it at the time .Going for four times what I paid for it back in the day.

[@Bollywoodhollywood2023]

Dark side is photographer and every system has downsides . So this is another fxxxing Clickbait video

[@recreationalplutonium]

downside 1: it's a rebadged panasonic for 5x the price

[@BrandonTalbot]

Can you specify what parts are Panasonic?

[@lukasvanderlende]

Leica and Panasonic collaborate that’s true, but you wouldn’t call a porsche a rebadged Volkswagen for 5x the price, there are major differences. I shoot on a lumix regularly as well and they’re definitely not the same camera

[@alanng6167]

This is not true

[@stuartfeen9236]

Lukas, About battery life, you are correct. On both the SL2 and on the SL3, battery life does not live up to Leica hype. Nothing to it but to buy and always carry extras.

[@lukasvanderlende]

You know I keep 6 extra batteries on me 💀