Printmaker

Yes, GAS can be a problem. I got my SL2S about 16 months ago and love the results. Yet I wonder if 60 mp will make that much of a difference. Probably. I still do the occasional art reproduction shoot and the pixel shift of the SL2S does make a huge difference. So I tell myself, wait until the SL3 has pixel shift and then pull the trigger. But then again I’m going to want a new APO Summicron. Yep, GAS is a problem.

I used a 35 Summicron V4 for about 20 years and loved the lens. But those years took a toll on the lens. Hanging out of helicopters, out on boats, and just bouncing around my bag, put scuffs and then cleaning marks on the front coating. I traded it in for the latest version a few years ago. Someone bought that lens because they had to own the legend. Me, I got a lens that was sharper-bigger, yes, but definitely sharper. Now, if you can find a decent copy of a version 4, it’s worth getting. Tiny, light, and has a beautiful rendering. There are sharper lenses but few have the look this classic produces.

It is true that the Chinese are flooding the market with crap… at least in America. But the fault lies in the American corporations who insist on lower manufacturing prices and thus higher profits. This is the sole reason why corporations moved their manufacturing to China. Now our landfills are full of CCS (cheep Chinese Sh.t). But don’t blame the Chinese- blame corporate America. The Chinese are quite capable of producing high quality goods. I owned a wonderful Choey Lee sailboat and it was better than anything built in America or Europe. It is probably too late to return to a time when we treasured craftsmanship or took pride in doing our best work. Quality is expensive but not in the long term. This is why we buy Leica cameras and lenses. They are hand made by craftsman who take pride in their work. I had my Leica M4 for 45 years before trading it for a M9. And that M4 is still clicking away some 15 years later. That’s quality. The current Leicas are just as good and that’s why we pay the price.

I debated between the 100-400 and 150-600 but settled on the 100-400 because of the 67 mm filter size and the overall length of the lens fit my bags. I took the 100-400 on a 3 week safari to the Serengeti and Maasai Mari and found it nearly perfect. The big cats were close enough for this lens while in the Serengeti but in the Maasai Mara the extra reach of the 150-600 would have been nice. Still I was perfectly happy shooting with the 100-400. Dust was always a concern as was changing lenses in the field. So the 100-400 never left my camera. In fact I wish I had bought my M10 for the times when I was surrounded by elephants and needed a wider lens. I might pick up a SL3 or a used SL2 for a second body for backup and to cover other focal lengths. And, yes, that new 500 sure looks tempting. It would still fit in my bag…

I picked up a Sigma 28-70/2.8 (470 grams) for my SL2S and it is remarkably small, lightweight, and sharp. Add that to my 100-400, 105 macro and five M lenses and I’m totally covered. I never thought the SL2S would replace my M10 as an every day carry but with the 28-70, I find I tend to take it more often. Too bad Leica doesn’t rebrand that lens as well. Still looking forward to trying and possibly buying a SL3 though.

I’ve never noticed any difference in speed between my SL and SL2S. But I’m convinced that the SL2S has better dynamic range and image quality. Both cameras are great. I originally got the SL as a replacement for the electronic visoflex and used my M glass. Then I got spoiled with the convenience of autofocus zoom lenses. Today I only go back to my M10 for a pure photographic experience. It can be very refreshing using a M camera but most of the time I reach for the SL2S.

Subscription… hush, don’t give Leica any ideas. My only complaints with my SL2S is the autofocus and the MP. I missed too many photos because the camera would focus on the leaves and not the animal in the trees. Or the animal running. By the time I got my finger on the af lock, the camera had already refocused elsewhere. Still, I got 95% of what I needed. So, a 60 mp backlight pixil shifting sensor and better AF would get me to upgrade. Though 16 bit capture would sweeten the deal.

One of many storms. It took hours to dig the Land Cruiser out of the mud.

But not this big boy. A white rhino.

Black rhino. Every click of the shutter made him nervous.

River crossing.

Going down.

A few more cats. SL2S/100-400

Every 20 minutes for three days... whew I'm sore.

And for you?