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Goodbye Leica SL

AlexP

By AlexP
in Leica SL System

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LD_50

LD_50

Posted
Posted

This would be why I said if I were shooting for income I would choose a brand with strong professional support, minus all the asterisks (register in Wetzlar, quick turnaround in Europe only, no clear communication about the program, etc).

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ramarren

ramarren

Posted
Posted

Another brand I have dealt with require that you send them your tax return for the past three years to prove that you make 70% or more of your income from photography, and most of it with their equipment, before even considering you for inclusion into the professional services program. You can barely find their pro services information before you apply, then they send you a link to it. 

 

This is simply normal as far as I'm concerned. They don't want a lot of well-heeled amateurs buying into the program because they lack sufficient resources to handle a mass crowd. 

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Ingo

Ingo

Posted
Posted

There is a dedicated service for S-User pros located in Germany: https://us.leica-camera.com/Contact?country=18004&category%5B%5D=Photography

 

 

 

LEICA S-SYSTEM SERVICE

If you are a professional photographer and need your S-System product serviced then our Pro repair service is here to help. They will be able to service or repair your Leica S-System product to match your professional expectations.

Leica Camera AG

Leica Customer Care
Am Leitz-Park 5
35578 Wetzlar
Germany

Phone: +49 (0)6441 2080-555
Fax: +49 (0)6441 2080-490

E-Mail: s-system-repair@leica-camera.com

 

I assume that Leica will extend this service also for professional SL-users. Just contact them and mention that you are a professional photographer. 

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jaapv

jaapv

Posted
Posted

This would be why I said if I were shooting for income I would choose a brand with strong professional support, minus all the asterisks (register in Wetzlar, quick turnaround in Europe only, no clear communication about the program, etc).

Well,  Europe only... With UPS, DHL, Fedex, etc, the world is no larger than 24 hours.

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Andrew Gough

Andrew Gough

Posted
Posted

IMHO as a working pro, you should always have a contingency plan. Depending upon your clients, or the nature of your photography, your contingency plan should adjust. If you shoot in a large city studio, with clients that permit it, then a  rental house maybe enough. For most other situations, you need a back up body of some sort. So do you have two GFx's? Did you have two SL's?

 

Seems to me you are trying to justify a gear change. Why not just suck it up and admit that you wanted to change, after all, there is nothing wrong with that. Disparaging the SL, which by your own account has been perfectly reliable, makes no sense.

 

Personally, I have had Leica Wetzlar turn a lens in 3 days. I have had Canon take a month before they would replace a defective body. And Sony service is basically non existent. Every manufacturer has both good and bad stories...

 

I am a travel guy, and I always have two SL bodies available and there is always a third option if needed.

 

Andrew

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Chaemono

Chaemono

Posted
Posted

Sony FE 50 is junk. I still have all the Otus lenses.

 

As for all other, I"m base in the US. Waiting couple weeks for turn-around is a no no for me. I also don't like the fact that after couple weeks waiting, i might find a surprise bill like Gordon. So i rather take a precaution step now than have to deal with the hassle later. Majority of you guys here are using leica for fun so you don't mind the waiting game.

Ok, the Otus is sharp. It's super sharp. In fact, it's made for Sony a7r II sensor IMO and, as others have said, Zeiss should make it for the Sony E mount. Haven't tried it on it yet but I can see why it would shine in terms of resolution and sharpness. The SL50 is as sharp in the center as the Otus 55/1.4 and sharp enough in the corners but the Otus is also super sharp in the corners wide open.

 

Where the SL50 really shines is the way it maintains contrast in the out of focus areas behind the area of focus. It resolves more details in the background while blurring it nicely. The difference in every detail is small but it adds up to an aesthetically more pleasing look compared to the Otus. The SL50 images can appear to have more depth this way while the Otus ones often show a super sharp object against a flat background. I also found that the SL50 images needed less adjustment to show details in the shadows. 

 

Have lots of pictures :) Will post them here. Gave one of the cameras back today but kept the adapter. I'll try to take more.

 

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Chaemono

Chaemono

Posted
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Ok, the first two. Now, one won't be able to tell much by these but just for warm up. Have many more.

 

Full resulution files that can be dowloaded here:

 

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-GGCRrg/

 

First the SL50, then the Otus and a crop of each.

 

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wildlightphoto

wildlightphoto

Posted
Posted

 With UPS, DHL, Fedex, etc, the world is no larger than 24 hours.

 

 

Then the lens will sit on a self (or under someone's roller chair) in Wetzlar for eight months.  Or will return after 2 months with the same problem it was sent in to repair, later to be repaired by an independent technician in two weeks for half the cost.

 

I have backups for the Leica equipment I rely on.  And backups for the backups because a lot can happen in the eight months the original lens was being not serviced in Wetzlar.  Good thing there's very little Leica equipment I rely on.

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Chaemono

Chaemono

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Two more. Critical focus may be slightly more in the front for the Otus one but, still, look how smoothly the SL50 image transitions from the in focus to the out of focus areas. With the Otus it's really more abrupt.

 

Full resolution here:

 

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-GGCRrg/

 

First the SL50 then the Otus.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

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Likaleica

Likaleica

Posted
Posted

I recently had an issue with my 24/90, so I sent it to my dealer who immediately sent it to New Jersey.  They couldn't handle the problem so they sent it to Wetzlar.  The process took a little longer than I had hoped, but I used fixed focal length lenses in the interim so I wasn't dead in the water.  In the end I got the lens back good as new.  In 48 years of using Leica equipment this was the first time I needed any service on anything, other than a rangefinder adjustment after I dropped the camera, so I've been a happy camper.

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Chaemono

Chaemono

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These are crops just to show how well the SL50 is able to capture the tonal variations of the crucifix. It almost looks alive.

 

Full size and full resolution files here:

 

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-GGCRrg/

 

First the SL50 then the Otus.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

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IkarusJohn

IkarusJohn

Posted
Posted

Jaap is correct that you can (just) fly to Germany in 24 hours from (almost) anywhere - actually, you can't, unless you have your own long distance jet. From down here, you need to have a connection, either through HK or the US and the minimum connection time makes it impossible, but I suppose it sounds nice.

 

In the real world:

 

- camera shipped DHL from Auckland on 17 May;

 

- cleared German customs delivered to Wetzlar on 23 May;

 

- registered into the Wetzlar system on 31 May;

 

- estimate sent (and returned) on 8 June; and

 

- into the queue on 9 June.

 

So, Jaaps' 24 hours, turned into 23 days from the time the camera left me (using the fastest tracked delivery) to it getting into the repair queue. Bear in mind, Leica had seen a DNG of the corrosion, and the camera was sent when they were ready to take it. I had reserved a position, so far as that is possible.

 

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not complaining - Leica CS has always treated me well, but there are realities. There is nothing Leica can really do about shipping times and customs clearance (6 days). The only saving (I guess if I was registered as a professional photographer, which would not be warranted), is in the 17 days from the time the camera arrived at Wetzlar until it went into the repair queue.

 

That, I suspect, is just the reality of the number of cameras Leica is trying to get through. There is no suggestion (yet) of a sensor shortage in Wetzlar, and I doubt there was. I'm quite sure Leica would have told me to hold off sending the camera in if there had been. I have no idea when I'll get the camera back, but I'm expecting it some time around August (guesswork on my part), though Christmas may be the reality.

 

Cheers

John

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Chaemono

Chaemono

Posted
Posted

Four more just for the background. AWB for both, LR lens profile applied also for the Otus, as in all, corrected a bit the vignetting of the SL50, and exposure adjusted to try to match.

 

Full Resolution here:

 

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-GGCRrg/

 

First the SL50 then the Otus.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

 

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Chaemono

Chaemono

Posted
Posted

I couldn't get the tourists in the cathedral to stand still for a moment but you get the picture. Here, it's even more obvious how beautifully the SL50 blurs the background. With the Otus it's just blurry.

 

Full resolution here:

 

https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-GGCRrg/

 

Now, the first two are with the Otus and the last two with the SL50.

 

Otus 55/1.4

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Otus 55/1.4

 

SL50

 

SL50

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almoore

almoore

Posted
Posted

Here, it's even more obvious how beautifully the SL50 blurs the background. With the Otus it's just blurry...

This is the same territory as the hifi buffs arguing about the nuances of cabling. No picture is going to succeed or fail solely due to the out of focus rendering of either lens.
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