Leica SL Image Thread ...post your examples here ....

[dancook]

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Relative movement across frame and focal plane, it does not even compare.

 

A close-quarters "doggie" is much faster in this respect.

 

 

BIF, must be movement slower than your doggie.

Edited March 2, 2018 by dancook

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[helged]

The ability to af depends on many factors. The first one is the oprator's skill and experience and time and knowledge. For this point, I can only talk of myself...

 

Other factors are the technological ability for a given system (body+lens) to quickly and accurately focus on a subject. Plus to follow the subject with continuous adjustment of the focus without beeing fooled to jump out of focus. At least not for a long time. This includes subjects with erratic movements. All with stabilisation being activated. For the latter points, the Nikon af implementation in D500/D5/D850 is very, very impressive. I guess Canon is doing fine, as well. As is Sony, I guess.

 

As an example, I had this King Eagle in sight for a few seconds (see link below). It takes some time to orient the 400mm lens towards the bird, then to activate the focus on the Eagle's head/eyes and let the shutter go: http://helged.zenfolio.com/p359297810/ha492364f (Nikon D850+400mm f2.8E). This shot would (likely) be a lost opportunity with the SL. In addition, Leica offers only max 280mm. And with the CL+280mm, I am (almost) certain that this shot would be impossible.

 

Note, I don't claim that others can't do the above. But I know that I can't, at least not on a regular basis. And if you have a once-in-the-lifetime kind of situation in front of you, with photo gear in your hands, I would certainly pick a reliable system.

 

But as previously stated, I prefer the SL (and CL and S) for the rest of the shooting I like to do.

Edited March 2, 2018 by helged

[dancook]

Run Yuffie by dancook1982, on Flickr

 

I haven't filled the frame with her (a step up in difficulty), but I haven't got her in focus either.

 

This is pre-focused - problem with that is, you're guessing where the shot is... 

 

the AF cannot keep up with her running towards me - every shot is back-focused if it manages to focus at all.

Edited March 2, 2018 by dancook

[helged]

I haven't filled the frame with her (a step up in difficulty), but I haven't got her in focus either.

 

This is pre-focused - problem with that is, you're guessing where the shot is... the AF cannot keep up with her running towards me - every shot is back-focused if it manages to focus at all.

A very nice example! In this case the SL fails for two reasons and the operator for one reason: Improper af (therefore pre-focussing), too few images per second (leading to too much movement of the dog between the shots; this is certaily the case for birds flowing towards you on a few m distance), and not pressing the shutter at the _exact_ correct time.

 

A very tricky situation. A successful shot could possibly occur in 1 out of 10 or 20 or 30 trials (?). But to hope that this shot sits with one attempt is like winning in Lotto. Furthermore, I am quite confident that the best af system out there would greately improve the hit rate. Not to 100%, but possibly to 60-70%.

[dancook]

A very nice example! In this case the SL fails for two reasons and the operator for one reason: Improper af (therefore pre-focussing), too few images per second (leading to too much movement of the dog between the shots; this is certaily the case for birds flowing towards you on a few m distance), and not pressing the shutter at the _exact_ correct time.

 

A very tricky situation. A successful shot could possibly occur in 1 out of 10 or 20 or 30 trials (?). But to hope that this shot sits with one attempt is like winning in Lotto. Furthermore, I am quite confident that the best af system out there would greately improve the hit rate. Not to 100%, but possibly to 60-70%.

 

 

I used continuous shutter, but it wasn't going to give me the shot I wanted since I had focused a little too far forward to catch that in flight shot I tried for anyway

 

On the subject of trials, Yuffie got bored after 5 attempts in this particular session, and 3 of those attempts veered off course around the puddle instead of over it.

 

I'm certainly not bashing the SL, I never was - I only said, and I'll paraphrase "it's a shame the AF isn't capable for the action shots I want, because it's hard to compromise on image quality after using the SL"

 

It would be nice if the SL2 didn't make me want/need a 'sports camera' and it's lenses alongside it - I also don't want to have to carry multiple systems around

Edited March 2, 2018 by dancook

[helged]

I used continuous shutter, but it wasn't going to give me the shot I wanted since I had focused a little too far forward to catch that in flight shot I tried for anyway

 

On the subject of trials, Yuffie got bored after 5 attempts in this particular session, and 3 of those attempts veered off course around the puddle instead of over it.

 

I'm certainly not bashing the SL, I never was - I only said, and I'll paraphrase "it's a shame the AF isn't capable for the action shots I want, because it's hard to compromise on image quality after using the SL"

 

It would be nice if the SL2 didn't make me want a 'sports camera' and it's lenses alongside it - I also don't want to have to carry multiple systems around

+1. I guess a summery can be that a single all-singing-all-dancing system doesn't exist. Yet. And I don't think Leica's user group is that into sport/action photography either. But let's hope that the af can/will be imroved in SL2. The SL works fine for quasi-static subjects, but is too slow/unreliable for erratic and/or quickly moving subjects towards/from the photographer.

[BlackDoc]

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international Horsejumping competition, using SL with the 24-90

one picture 90mm

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[BlackDoc]

international Horsejumping competition, using SL with the 24-90

and one at 24 mm

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[BlackDoc]

and SL with the Nocti (!) 50mm f1.0 V3

same competition

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Edited March 2, 2018 by BlackDoc

[BlackDoc]

Maybe i should open an extra Thread....

[sillbeers15]

Refering to Dancook's comments that shooting fighterjets fly by is 'non taxing at all', either he is a damn good photographer or the rest of us are not anywhere near his photographic skills level. But i wonder why he chooses to take shots of his doggie running towards him in a not well light environment. It must be something I need to learn from him.

 

The following tread was posted by fotonutzz on 3rd Feb 2018 on topic ‘Focus Limiter on 90-280mm’:

 

“Is there any way to set a focus limiter on the 90-280 ?  

 

Was shooting a F15 Eagle performing some aerial performance with the SL and 90-280.  Despite setting my camera to AFC, High Continuous Shutter, Focus Tracking and Field Focusing mode, the SL with the 90-280 had a hard time trying to focus on a F15.  60-70% of the photos are OOF even though the aircraft is just flying across from Left to Right.  When the aircraft was coming straight at me, the OOF rate is 80-90%.

 

Basically, the SL with 90-280 was just struggling to lock focus even with the focus tracking mode.  It was hunting back and forth to lock focus from closest focusing to infinity.

 

Wondering if you guys encountered problems like this and if so, were you able to overcome it ?  

 

Wish there is a focus limiter on the 90-280 like the other lenses.......Sigh!

 

I had a higher hit ratio with my Canon and Nikon 300/F2.8”

 

 

The following shots were taken on two different sessions on 9th Feb 2018 with reference to the exact event as fotonuzz’s post (morning & afternoon aerobatic display of the same left to right high speed roll past the grand stand), the SL was set on AFC / single point / dynamic tracking mode. There was only one opportunity each session to catch it right and both sessions the camera produced sharp pics consistently. I also noticed the AF accuracy improvement in the afternoon with the sun behind me illuminating the images well.

 

My point is more practice on the 90-280 lens and camera helps to improve better use of the AF system to produce good pics. 

 

L1070686 by sillbeers15

 

L1060792 by sillbeers15

[scott kirkpatrick]

Also, both of your shots were taken as the aircraft flew by at a constant distance from the grandstand.  But for safety reasons, aircraft at low altitudes should not be making a run straight at the grandstand.  That sort of picture is more likely to be taken by a single photographer in a more exposed position, such as at the end of a runway.

[Alistairm]

Run Yuffie by dancook1982, on Flickr

 

I haven't filled the frame with her (a step up in difficulty), but I haven't got her in focus either.

 

This is pre-focused - problem with that is, you're guessing where the shot is...

 

the AF cannot keep up with her running towards me - every shot is back-focused if it manages to focus at all.

Dan - a tough shot to get perfect, but as prefocussed, how did you bring AF into play to pick up the dog (if at all)?

 

Also - what shutter speed to freeze the dog in flight?

 

Al

Edited March 3, 2018 by Alistairm

[dancook]

Dan - a tough shot to get perfect, but as prefocussed, how did you bring AF into play to pick up the dog (if at all)?

 

Also - what shutter speed to freeze the dog in flight?

 

Al

 

I didn't use AF in this shot, in a different session when I used AF I didn't even import the photos to the computer, I just formatted the card.

 

This was at 1/400th, looking back I was probably cutting that a bit fine..

[BlackDoc]

2nd day horsejumping "show part"

Noctilux 50mm with SL

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[BlackDoc]

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[ropo54]

BlackDoc: Great photos!

Rob

[BlackDoc]

BlackDoc: Great photos!

Rob

thank you rob ! Edited March 4, 2018 by BlackDoc

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Rog3r_M]

frozen Lake

 

Leica SL, VARIO-ELMARIT-SL 1:2.8–4/24–90 ASPH.

 

 

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[geetee1972]

the 'beast from the east' making it's presence barely felt in our narrow corridor of the south east. To left and the right of us they had close to 20cm of snow.

 

When's summer here? by Greg Turner, on Flickr