Introduction & advise on switch Fuji -> Leica TL

[poli]

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Dear all,

Been lurking this forum for quite a while now and some months ago I started thinking about the Leica T(L). I have been using the Fuji X100 and X-Pro1 for quite some years. They are both lovely cameras and I use them mainly for travel photography, occasional street and portrait and family pictures.

 

My name is Paul, I am 43 and I live in the Netherlands. I have been taking pictures for quite some years. No expert, but an enthousiast, I guess.

 

Lately I have been looking at the Leica T-series and really interested in the more simple approach. No endless menus, many buttons to choose and setup. A very minimalistic approach which I think is refreshing.

 

I am wondering if there are any forum members who made a similar jump? What are your experiences? Is the Leica TL more simple indeed? Or is it a system that still makes you worry about settings and take your attention away from the composition of your picture?

Also wondering: How do you operate it wearing gloves in winter?

 

Would love to hear some advise and experiences.

 

Cheers,

Paul

Edited December 28, 2016 by paulhek

[bencoyote]

I'd say I made a somewhat similar jump. I went from the Olympus E-M1 to the original Leica T. In summary, I'd say that they nailed it. They gave you what you need as a photographer in a very clean simple user interface. In my opinion, this frees you to focus on the art of photography and composition and not on fiddling with the camera. I think that when it was released several people said something to the effect, this is the camera that apple would have designed if they made cameras. It really is that simple.

 

Now here is the important thing to understand. There is a bit of a caveat in what I just said, "They gave you what you NEED as a photographer". It really is, "what you need" and not a whit more. You are not going to find "whiz bang fancy feature" that makes your job as a photographer easier in this one specific situation. I would say that the UI of other cameras are cluttered up with hundreds of features look good on marketing brochures. Whether these features are well implemented and well thought out really doesn't matter. Other cameras have those features and so they can be listed on the marketing materials and can show up in reviews. The Leica TL has none of that. You have the bare necessities of what you need as a photographer and that is it. In my experience there is an implied understanding in that. Leica has a long history in photography and most of the time the cameras were primitive mechanical devices. Adding features was just not possible the way it is now with these modern computer controlled digital recording devices we now have and call cameras. Never the less, photographers managed to do some stunning things. They found tricks and techniques and work arounds and could make these primitive cameras capture all these amazing shots. Leica with its long history and deep experience with photography in essence assumes that you know those special purpose tricks. So all those things which are special purpose options or modes buried in way too many buttons, levers, and menus on other cameras cluttering up the UI just aren't there on the TL. The end result for me, is a mantra that I developed when shooting with the T: "Be a better photographer". If I find myself pushing up against the capability of the camera when trying to do something, wishing that it would do just a little bit more, I say to myself "be a better photographer". For example: do I need 80 frames per second burst mode with continuous tracking AF to capture just the right shot? No I need to recognize and anticipipate the decisive moment, be pre-focused and hit the shutter at just the right time.

 

So in the end, if you want a beautiful uncluttered camera that focuses you on the art and practice photography not on device operation, the TL is a good camera. If you want to do anything out of the mainstream of photography then be prepared to go back and figure out how people did things before cameras were software controlled computers. I kind of enjoy this kind of thing.

 

All of that being said there are some things which I wish were different and some truly missing features in the Leica TL.

1) If you are doing studio work, the fact that you can't use the EVF and use the hot shoe to trigger flash can be a bit of a challenge. You can work around this by using the internal flash to trigger remote flashes but there is also the problem that you can't turn off exposure simulation and so the camera thinks your image will be black when you dial in the settings for your studio lights.

2) I'm not a big fan of the external EVF, I think it is really important to have but I find that it makes the camera cumbersome to carry and put into a bag. I really feel like they need to make a version of the TL camera with the EVF built in like it is on the Q.

3) I wish the TL were weather sealed to some extent. The place where the flash pops out always freaks me out.

4) I hope that they upgraded the USB charging port from 500mW to 12W like many cell phones on the TL so that it could charge faster. (Note: I haven't verified that they haven't done this on the new TL). Likewise, I wish that the external charger used 12W USB or USB-C rather than having a plug.

5) There are a couple of long standing bugs which never seem to get resolved. E.g. When using AF pressing the shutter half way cancels the shot review of the previous shot. When you are using MF you just have to wait. This makes taking a rapid succession of shots a sort of manual drive mode impossible.

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[ropo54]

My experience: the TL produces superb images with any and all of their native TL lenses. (Have not tried non TL lenses so cannot comment in that regard).

 

The TL interface - for me - takes some getting used to. The more I have used the TL, the more I have become comfortable with it. Still, I prefer the classic Leica system as used on the X series and Q. 

 

Autofocus is much improved with the software updates.

 

The viewfinder is very good, somewhat of a necessity outdoors, but as bencoyote suggests becomes easily dislodged when taking in/out of a bag.

 

The TL system is very versatile. The camera has great style, is extremely solid and well built, and overall a ton of fun to use!

 

Rob

[bencoyote]

 

The TL interface - for me - takes some getting used to. The more I have used the TL, the more I have become comfortable with it. Still, I prefer the classic Leica system as used on the X series and Q. 

 

I also hope that Leica continues to expand the TL line of cameras. I think that they could notably increase their return on their investment in R&D by making some slight variations of the same camera guts with different body styles and different firmware.

- The TL with the GUI user interface

- A TL+ with a built in viewfinder and GPS and some weather sealing.

- A TL mount camera with an X or Q like body style and UI.

 

I honestly expect this to happen around the time when there is a real new TL series camera.

[ropo54]

I'd also like to see them increase the sensor size of the SL 601 line so that the cropped sensor TL lenses have more mega pixel resolution when used on the SL.

[poli]

Thanks for the elaborate answers! This is very helpful. (More So than at the shop I was today).

Where they wanted to sell me a Fuji x-pro2.

Also, the main difference between T and TL is the processor, and some added internal memory. am I correct?

Edited December 28, 2016 by paulhek

[ropo54]

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If you can find a good deal on a T go for it.

The TL has a tad more built in memory, but the T and TL are essentially the same camera.

[Guest VVJ]

If you appreciate simplicity and minimalism and don't care too much about the additional features that Fuji (or Sony) might offer then the Leica TL might just be the right camera for you!

 

Ideally you get an opportunity to try it though before buying it...

 

Some other threads that talk about Fuji and the Leica T:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/265549-t-and-fuji-x/

and even this one (if you ignore the personal conversations):
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/267027-leica-t-weddingevent-photography/

[davidfung]

Was in the same boat and had a decent sized Fuji system before moving to the T. The menus and usability of the Fuji got to me. Even though they had all the dials, so settings were still buried. Whereas the T was so simple to use and (like other posters) allowed me to focus and concentrate on the shot and not the settings. I now have the 11-23, 23 and 35. Great travel combo. IQ wise, colour and tonality much better. Absolutely sharpness, when using the right RAW convert or for Fuji l, I felt it was better. Though I have not had the time to play with the T against various RAW. I have them all... just takes too darn long. But in terms of getting a photo looking good with minimal processing/tuning, Leica T (in fact all Leica cameras. I have the 262 and X2) are so much faster for me. Still have my Fuji gear, but not missed it. FYI I had the Xe1 and 2, 16-50, Zeiss 12, 18, 27, 35 and 56. Hope it helps!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jevidon]

Dear all,

Been lurking this forum for quite a while now and some months ago I started thinking about the Leica T(L). I have been using the Fuji X100 and X-Pro1 for quite some years. They are both lovely cameras and I use them mainly for travel photography, occasional street and portrait and family pictures.

 

My name is Paul, I am 43 and I live in the Netherlands. I have been taking pictures for quite some years. No expert, but an enthousiast, I guess.

 

Lately I have been looking at the Leica T-series and really interested in the more simple approach. No endless menus, many buttons to choose and setup. A very minimalistic approach which I think is refreshing.

 

I am wondering if there are any forum members who made a similar jump? What are your experiences? Is the Leica TL more simple indeed? Or is it a system that still makes you worry about settings and take your attention away from the composition of your picture?

Also wondering: How do you operate it wearing gloves in winter?

 

Would love to hear some advise and experiences.

 

Cheers,

Paul

 

Paul,

My choices mirror yours. I had several cameras  including the Leica M9P, Fuji XPro-1 and Olympus Pen F. I was taken with the Leica T and bought a used one with very few shutter actuations along with a new 23mm f2 Summicron T. After a while, being too deep in cameras, I decided to get rid of at least one system. Being very heavily invested in MTF lenses and loving the Pen F, and considering the M9P an absolute keeper, it was down to the XPro-1 vs. Leica T. As good as the Fuji is, the Leica T won hands down for all the reasons already stated. True it has idiosyncrasies like erasing the user profiles whenever the firmware is updated as well as the lack of a remote shutter release for tripod work and a rather cranky system of remote operation with the use of an iPhone. But the simplicity of the camera once it is set up with user preferences and the delicious images resulting from superb lenses and excellent sensor/firmware & software design made the choice easier. So the Fuji outfit was sold. My only real objection to the camera is Leica's decision to eliminate a remote shutter release and go for the complication of relying on an iPhone. True, I can use the delayed shutter release function for tripod work, but I would have preferred either a cable release socket, a plug in remote electronic release or a separate release using the WiFi function. Perhaps down the line they will make a remote hand held release using the WiFi function or permit a 3rd party manufacturer to do so.

      

But as it stands, with that one reservation, I am glad I chose the Leica T over keeping the Fuji. I hope you make a good choice and will be happy with it.

As for the gloves, I assume that once you have set up the camera using the touch screen, you will operate the T with gloves just like you would do with

any camera; i.e., awkwardly. BTW, there  are photographer's gloves made. I think Leica sells a rather expensive pair, but cheaper ones can be found.      

Cheers. 

Edited December 29, 2016 by jevidon

[Guest]

@ Paulhek- The TL shares the same processor as the T, I am pretty sure. It only has more internal memory (which is really too slow to rely on with the T), and it has smoother, more rounded edges. I am pretty sure everything else inside is the same.

 

That's not a bad thing, because the T is still a great camera. A used T is a great value and great way to go. +1 on that suggestion.

[dudewithacamera]

Hi all. Would you say the T with the updated firmware is the same as the TL?

[nocturnal1]

Also wondering: How do you operate it wearing gloves in winter?

 

 

The North Face makes (fairly thin but somewhat insulating and somewhat windproof) "ETip" gloves that enable you to still use the touchscreen pretty well most of the time, even with a screen protector in place.

 

[Louis]

Hi all. Would you say the T with the updated firmware is the same as the TL?

 

This is the response I got from leica when I asked them the same question:

 

"The firmware files are not interchangeable but rest assured that improvements for the TL are integrated into new firmware for the T as well."

[dudewithacamera]

Thanks Louis. Much appreciated. Sounds identical in performance with the exception for obvious slight body modifications. T here I come.

Edited February 16, 2017 by dudewithacamera