Leica SL2, From The Man Responsible for It, Stefan Daniel

[@philipshucet9481]

This is one of your best product interviews. Stefan’s careful approach to design change strikes a chord with me. I especially like these comments from him. “It’s not a revolution but it’s an evolution.” And this; “So that’s another thing we do - we love - at Leica; to work on good things and make them better.” Outstanding. If Stefan were on a ballot, I would vote for him. Evolution. Not revolution. Leica.

[@Kit2Canada]

Philip Shucet Well said!

[@3BMEP]

🥰🥰🥰

[@edruttledge342]

@@Kit2Canada : Copy that on the "vote for him."

[@mikewheatley1099]

I'm broadly with you there, except every now and then you need a revolution - we would all still be using film cameras without a revolution in sensor tech.

[@surrogatemarker]

Love that you did the interviews in black and white with the simple Leica logo in the upper right corner .. an excellent “Homage” to the Leica legacy.. 😉

[@3BMEP]

Mark Williams 😊

[@StatisticsGuru]

Stefan Daniel gave us a one hour tour of Leica in Wetzlar. That was very nice of him to do.

[@StatisticsGuru]

We had a group of about ten photographers from some website. Oliver Kaltner was Leica CEO. He met with us too. Then Karbe gave us a 75 minute presentation of Leica lenses. It was a wonderful day in Wetzlar.

[@Simon-cr6ej]

WHAT A CAMERA! The SL platform is the best in the business and it will take some time for most users to appreciate its versatility (just like with the SL1). What I would like to see is a development of ProResRaw via HDMI.

[@edruttledge342]

Thanks for sitting down with this gentleman and having an interesting discussion on the development of the SL2 as well as Leica's concept to product methodology. When I grow up ... I will own a Leica.

[@ivanzecevic3081]

Hey had today the great opportunity to try the m10 and sl2 and i need to say the sl2 has the best feeling in hand from all camera manufacturers thank you leica austria and the photo adventure team Austria

[@ianbrown704]

Great interview providing nice insight to the SL2 - Thank You

[@3BMEP]

Ian Brown 🙏🏻

[@Pisceanboi]

Excellent interview; thoughtful, respectful, intelligent, and very insightful. A pleasure to watch. Yours is easily one of the, if not the best camera/photography news/review blogs I've come across on youtube, with a measure of thought and philosophical discernment and inquiry that few offer. Well done indeed sir.. :-)

[@3BMEP]

Thanks so much!

[@achimrecktenwald9671]

You missed a question. When he told you that he is with Leica for 35 years, you should have asked him for his first job title at the company.

[@baharam98]

I love this interview. It made me feel confident in my purchase. I love Leica, and this video made me LOVE it even more. When you love the tool you use, you produce better results. Thank you.

[@3BMEP]

My pleasure!

[@scottm499]

Hi Hugh, Great interview - thanks for putting this video together for us. As an SL shooter, I'm looking forward to this upgrade at some point. I'm especially excited about the IBIS and the ability to disable LENR. I wanted to mention something about the "Frankenstein hump" though. My understanding is that little plastic bump exists on the SL to enable GPS reception through the metal top plate. It appears (from the specs I've seen) that Leica has dropped GPS on the SL2, thus no "hump". If that's the case, I'd take the hump again any day.

[@3BMEP]

I will have to check on that - thanks!

[@stephenscharf6293]

Very nice interview, Hugh. I love hearing true product developers discuss their design rationale and you did an excellent job of creating context for that with your questions. Regarding tilting or articulating LCD screens, Stefan is completely correct that adding a tilting, and in particular, a "flippy" or fully articulating screen *will* require increasing the thickness of the camera body. This is not only to accomodate the tilt/swivel mech, but also to sure that, in the case of a flippy screen, it does not block access to the mic, headphone and HDMI ports. (Aside: this is _exactly_ the same reason why Fujifilm opted not to put a flippy screen on the X-T3, because customers did not want a thicker camera body). Cheers, Steohen.

[@erichansen7996]

Thanks for your informative interview with Stefan Daniel. Best so far the in enabling a voice for Leica. Fantastic 👍

[@3BMEP]

Eric, thanks, man - I see you’re taking the SL2 plunge?

[@erichansen7996]

Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions Yes, first in to order with DigiDirect, a major seller of Leica in Australia. Looking forward to using the camera with the variety TL and SL lens. Coming in from having a CL seemed to be an easy decision.

[@3BMEP]

Eric Hansen between you and me, I got the CL anticipating an SL2 😈

[@TheGazmondo]

Wow lovely to see Leica catching up !

[@TheLastJinchuriki]

Hugh, I'd really love to see you do a video on Vintage Medium Format lenses being adapted to newer digital cameras with speedboosters.

[@3BMEP]

Daniel Taylor Great idea!

[@TheLastJinchuriki]

@@3BMEP I'm ecstatic you like the idea!!! I was tossing up whether to actually send an email suggesting the idea for a video but was too worried to follow through. I recently upgraded my camera body to the Sony A7R4 and I've been tossing and turning on whether to buy one of the Kipon Speedboosters for mamiya645/Hasselblad V/Pentax 67 and get some oldschool lenses. I know that if I get the Kipon Mamiya 645 speedbooster I could get a Hasselblad V or Pentax 67 converter to adapt those lenses to a mamiya646 mount, or maybe it might be worth getting the dedicated Hassleblad V or Pentax 67 Speedbooster since those formats lens circles covers a larger areas and might have better optics than the 645 does. I'm not 100% sure, but would love to have an idea before I dive into it. The only thing I know is the Hasselblad lenses are quite cost prohibitive unlike the much more affordable Mamiya 645 and Pentax 67.

[@deanlgreen]

I know I’m late to the party ... but that discussion was extraordinary, to both gentlemen ... thank you

[@belgiboing]

Informative conversation. You can tell he's not the engineer, and that's a good thing too. Because making a product to be loved my many will not always please everybody. You need a team that can choose wisely and be able to get around the constraints. Nailed one request I've wanted for some time; and sent to Leica customer services several times - a hard wired connection -- to a phone or ipad! Hope they make this available soon (and that Apple, for example, allows it in their hardware. If Android does it first, I'm buying an Android phone just for that ;-) ). One note, however, Leica confirmed that you are now able to connect an external monitor via HDMI to the SL2 and get screen mirroring in both Stills and Video. Thanks!

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻

[@TheGazmondo]

A rather conspicuous cut just the mention of a 30 min record time arose in the conversation, Sony may have cut here too ?

[@edwardphilipmarianafzger9800]

Very deeply info for this Brand many thanks !

[@Pezinokrm]

Good solid interview well done. Cheers! 🥃

[@3BMEP]

Pezinok 🙏🏻😊

[@sundeepsembi6091]

I would like to see a comparison of the SL2 against the Panasonic both with the same L mount Leica lens . I hope to god the sl2 is not simply the Panasonic in a party dress and

[@endless_universe2023]

Hello, Hugh. Would be great to hear your well-weighted thoughts on the Sigma FP camera!

[@3BMEP]

Anton Drinks Wine waiting on Sigma!

[@ronanderson2130]

You talked to Stefan about The iPad for the SL2 .Is this for the iPad Pro? Are you talking about a iPad made for the SL or an app made to work with the SL and this camera only? Great interview. I own a Leica D -Lux 7 my first Leica for travel which I love . This would be a big step up to the SL2.

[@3BMEP]

He’s talking about a dedicated SL2 iPad version of the Leica Fotos iOS app. It will be positioned as a “pro” (i.e.,., more fully featured) version, which I believe will cost just under $50. I cannot recall if this is a one-time fee or annual subscription.

[@adamstorm1984]

I much prefer the 4 button layout of the SL/S-system.

[@gentleman0678]

Thank you for sharing this interview!!!! The only thing I am trying to understand is why we don’t TTL capability for event shooting with profoto? Especially since there are many who already have profoto lights, and it would be a great compliment to the system.

[@bertdog6093]

Yeah but what’s up with the lagging autofocus...need to know before I purchase one

[@absonus]

For some reason it doesn`t have phase just contrast AF .Don`t know why .... seems odd .

[@gentleman0678]

We would love TTL compatibility with profoto, elinchrom or one of the major lightning companies.

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :) Sir , can we record via HDMI out to an external recorder say ATOMOS.or external SSD ?

[@3BMEP]

krishnan srinivasan Yes. 😊

[@edwardphilipmarianafzger9800]

A great interview specially the App with the option using a smart phone as tilted flip screen virtuality .I am going soon to filling up my not moneypiggie but Money elephant for a Leica but I think for the SL2-S Reporter version .and using my Sigma 105mm F1.4 F mount with an adaptor or mount conversion option.Ha I was thinking of getting the Z9 Nikon but this gives other options and almost the same price.

[@Gravitys-NOT-a-force]

Did people NOT like the looks of the Leica R8 and R9 models? If the (digital) SL2 looked like an R8 or R9 and accepted M lenses, I'd trade in my M10 on a SL2 in a minute.

[@allgamestotal6773]

why leica M is more expensive than SL2?

[@johnhjic2]

One more exerlant interview thank you. I must say when I had a play with the first SL it was so good. But I am happy and would loose to much to change systems. But great set on interviews.

[@hubertbaierl9546]

I am wondering where the sensor in the camera is coming from. Sony? TowerJazz? via Sigma?

[@carlover4239]

Panasonic

[@caltetm1891]

Talking to the product manager of all Leica cameras it would have been interesting to ask about the elefant in the room keeping in mind calling the SL2 the new icon of Leica and releasing very experienced people from the mechanical section as it is rumoured, is the M (camera and lenses) dying and should the SL- line replace it?

[@rumporridge1]

2 yrs later the M11 answers back.

[@PhotoBob]

The problem with this is that EVERY source that knows Olympus’s business model says the camera division is essential to its medical equipment division... which is its most profitable. Until I hear differently I can’t believe they are getting out of the game.

[@maximewong3415]

Why not a flip screen

[@hendrikmintarno]

Is there any chance, from the L mount alliance, Leica gain something from Sigma? Perhaps M11 with full frame foveon sensor ;)

[@3BMEP]

hendrik Mintarno Great question!

[@hendrikmintarno]

@@3BMEP it comes naturally since Leica always trying to take risk doing things differently (medium format with 3:2 aspect ratio, the best evf for SL and magnetic dial thingie, etc etc etc). I wish you can relay this to Stefan ;) 16mp foveon full frame? Yes please, :D

[@Infofotografi]

@@hendrikmintarno I doubt it will be a good idea since Most M users prefer high quality image in high iso, dynamic range and responsiveness. Wait for Sigma fp with Foveon sensor next year.

[@hendrikmintarno]

@@Infofotografi as far as i know, Sigma only produce crop sensor camera for their foveon sensor. Thats one of the reason (besides color filter stacking) foveon have lower DR and ISO performance

[@Infofotografi]

@@hendrikmintarno Yes, Sigma is developing full frame sensor right now. It will be 20MP FF Foveon sensor. Compare to DP Merrill APS-C Foveon sensor of 16MP, it maybe better 1-2 stop (ISO 800 maybe usable), but it still be far behind conventional Bayer CMOS sensor with 24MP (usable up to ISO 12800).

[@arisarsenis3500]

Ι say that it's two maters give this very character to Leica S2: It's comprehensive and intuitive GUI and the fine cooperation between native Leica L-mount lenses with the given sensor.

[@garymeek4080]

Several Items, I see many videos on the SL2, first question why are most of the shooters not using a filter or lens shade? Second If I shot the same image with a Leica SL2 with a Sigma lens, Panasonic and Leica SL lens and printed three 11X14 would you be able to pick what lens they were shot with. All settings being equal.

[@garymeek4080]

@** So all in or all out with Leica lenses on the SL2, used to have two Contax 645 with four contax lenses, loved them. Thanks for the reply.

Is Mr. Stefan Daniel romanian?

[@Gravitys-NOT-a-force]

People loved the M3 because it was beautiful. I don't think people will love the SL2 for THAT reason. In that regard, for ME, the SL2 is a big disappointment.

[@3BMEP]

I understand.

[@zenden6564]

@@3BMEP it's still "Bauhaus" beautiful and in 70 years who knows if people won't be all misty eyed about a SL2?

[@3BMEP]

😊

[@peterr.7429]

Great interview, nice to be sure but expensive

[@3BMEP]

Peter R. True enough!

[@cramercosmos]

great interview. way to many ads.

[@3BMEP]

Happy to have you become a patron, where for $5/month, most of our videos are released early, ad-free.👍🏻

[@hart24m]

i love all the changes, but i personally wish they wouldve kept it 24mp. 47 is too specialized

[@3BMEP]

Mark Hartman sounds like the Panasonic S1 is the model for you?

[@pedromeyer6511]

You are not very good at making an interview, you talk too much and not allow whom you are interviewing to talk, you can’t help yourself to show off your own thoughts, so why make the interview?

[@rogeryoung3587]

Oh, behave yourself Pedro. This was an interesting conversation, which seemed about 50:50 to me. If you think that Hugh talks too much, then hold that thought!

[@pedromeyer6511]

M Bo, my feedback should be of interest to you, if improving is on your mind. Holding my thoughts is easier than improving your skills as an interviewer, that is, if you believe in improving,

[@yakattac78]

Who's this idiot? Stay quiet and let the men speak.

[@zenden6564]

@@rogeryoung3587 Hugh's ebullience is part of the portrait of Daniel in the conversation. It's not just data mining.