SL low light quality?

[a.j.z]

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As the new M10 allegedly will get the SL sensor, I would be grateful, if you could post low light pics, ideally interior without flash with 100% crops. Many thanks!

[LD_50]

There are a ton of photos available and ISO tests online from the SL and the Q. It's better than the M240 but not as good as something like a D5 unless normalized for output.

[jrp]

It tops out at about 6400, in my view, but night pictures are superb, for some (happy) reason.

 

I thing that the colour could do with a bit more tweaking in firmware, but I'd say that it's half a step up from the M240 sensor.

[steppenw0lf]

In case you don't know it yet, Reid Reviews has also high ISO tests.

Here a thread close to your topic: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/256982-sl-vs-monochrom-246-at-higher-iso/

I remember that Thighslapper has added some test photos, but currently I cannot locate them anymore. Maybe you can find them with the forum search function.

I think I finally found it again:  http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/257178-monochrome-conversions-mm-v-m246-v-m240-v-sl/

[ramarren]

As the new M10 allegedly will get the SL sensor, I would be grateful, if you could post low light pics, ideally interior without flash with 100% crops. Many thanks!

 

 

The SL sensor is quite good. This image took very very little editing, other than cropping. 

 

High ISO Test - ISO 20,000 - Leica SL

Leica SL + Summicron-R 90mm f/2

ISO 20000 @ f/4 @ 1/80

 

Click image for a full resolution JPEG. 

[steveBK]

I have the Q, which has a sensor quite similar (if not identical) to SL.

I also have the M240.

 

The DXO labs charts reflect what I have seen in the wild.

On a noise basis, the Q might only be ~1 stop ahead, but on a Dynamic Range basis it is closer to ~2 stops ahead.

In this respect, I find the Q/SL sensor is not that far off the most modern sensors like the A7rII, etc in terms of low light usability.

 

In use:

M240 I don't go beyond ISO 3200, as the Dynamic Range starts to drop drastically.. plus banding starts to become an issue at 6400.

Depending on the subject, above ISO 1600 the Dynamic Range can be too low and the image kind of mushy.

 

With the Q I let the ISO go as high as neccessary. No concerns at 6400, and it gets to 12.8K at night rarely. Between the fast aperture, wide angle and OSS I rarely end up pushing the envelope.

[a.j.z]

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Thx, very helpful!