Has the SL been discontinued?

[Bob Andersson]

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Over the last months there have been rumours about the X1D being discontinued, usually because B&H have listed the camera as "discontinued" by which they seem to mean that they have run out of stock. Then more stock arrives. 🙄

But this Wex Photo Video page is a lot more explicit. As I type that page states that:

Quote

Leica SL (Typ 601) Mirrorless Digital Camera

This product has been discontinued by the manufacturer and we will not be receiving any new stock. Check below for availability of second-hand units.

Condition	Availability
New	Discontinued - we can no longer source new stock of this product

It is only ten days since the £1300 discount was started (trading in a working DSLR or CSC) so has Wex got it wrong or has the SL really been discontinued. The SL2 is anticipated some time this year but would Leica really pull the plug on the SL without officially announcing its successor? 🤔

[darylgo]

I asked a major Leica store about the SL2 this past week and the answer received made me think they're under NDA.  

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Bill W]

Very interesting. I was in my closest shop in Austin today and the salesman told me that the SL had been replaced by a Panasonic of some sort which I did not want to get into a discussion about. I was fondling the Nikon Z7 just for fun.

[ajmarton1]

The SL is at the end of its life (4 year product cycle).  I sold my Q and SL months ago in anticipation of the Q2 and SL2. There will be a new version of the SL.  Probably with some behind the scenes development with Panasonic on electronics and Sigma on lenses. 

[caissa]

Sorry to be so frank, but why this silly question ?  If you like using the SL, then it does not matter (there are still many used items in good shape around if you need one). If you found it too old, then of course you have already switched to S1 or S1R. But then you are probably not an SL “enthusiast” anyway. 

So just silly speculation leading to nothing new or useful. (That an SL2 is expected or “overdue” is clear for every slightly interested follower of the forum.) But you have no confirmation or any positive news, so just stealing time and attention ... 😎

[darylgo]

16 minutes ago, caissa said:

Sorry to be so frank, but why this silly question ?  

Because there are a great number of kind Leica enthusiasts that may have information contributing to our collective knowledge.  

Apologies to the OP for jumping in.  

[Jeff S]

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1 hour ago, caissa said:

Sorry to be so frank, but why this silly question ?  If you like using the SL, then it does not matter (there are still many used items in good shape around if you need one). If you found it too old, then of course you have already switched to S1 or S1R. But then you are probably not an SL “enthusiast” anyway. 

So just silly speculation leading to nothing new or useful. (That an SL2 is expected or “overdue” is clear for every slightly interested follower of the forum.) But you have no confirmation or any positive news, so just stealing time and attention ... 😎

Ridiculously harsh, and not a very nice way to treat a relatively new forum member.  Meanwhile, I’m sure your last several hundred posts on the L-mount cameras have all been worthy of our attention.

Jeff

[Bob Andersson]

Hi darylgo. No apology needed. I couldn't have put it better.

Wex is one of the major photography stores here in the UK so I think that such an explicit statement about the SL is of interest. If the SL has been officially discontinued then it is indeed my hope that "there are a great number of kind Leica enthusiasts that may have information contributing to our collective knowledge".

I've already expressed an interest in the SL2 with one of the Leica stores here in the UK and I'm certainly not alone in having done so. I'll 'fess up to a degree of boyish interest that this statement from Wex might presage official news from Leica sooner rather than later but if the members here can illustrate that new stock of the SL is readily available from Leica, as opposed to stock already in the warehouses, then that's fine too.

Edited April 27, 2019 by Bob Andersson
timeline

[Leicaiste]

1 hour ago, caissa said:

Sorry to be so frank, but why this silly question ?  .. 

How to kill the mood !

🤨

[darylgo]

7 minutes ago, Bob Andersson said:

Hi darylgo. No apology needed. I couldn't have put it better.

Wex is one of the major photography stores here in the UK so I think that such an explicit statement about the SL is of interest. If the SL has been officially discontinued then it is indeed my hope that "there are a great number of kind Leica enthusiasts that may have information contributing to our collective knowledge".

I've already expressed an interest in the SL2 with one of the Leica stores here in the UK and I'm certainly not alone in having done so. I'll 'fess up to a degree of boyish interest that this statement from Wex might presage official news from Leica sooner rather than later but if the members here can illustrate that new stock of the SL is readily available from Leica, as opposed to stock already in the warehouses, then that's fine too.

There's a buzz about the SL2 lately, Leica Store LA has a waiting list for the upcoming camera.  And a definite school of thought that Leica reads these posts, perhaps entertainment.  If so, they're hearing a number of SL shooters moving to the feature packed Panasonics.   Is it possible they're announcing the new camera sooner to meet the competitions offerings?  

[frame-it]

7 minutes ago, darylgo said:

There's a buzz about the SL2 lately, Leica Store LA has a waiting list for the upcoming camera.  And a definite school of thought that Leica reads these posts, perhaps entertainment.  If so, they're hearing a number of SL shooters moving to the feature packed Panasonics.   Is it possible they're announcing the new camera sooner to meet the competitions offerings?  

i thought the rumor was end of may early june..so seems to be on schedule ?

[earleygallery]

It means that WEX are sold out and Leica aren’t making any more. Other dealers will still have stock to clear before the new model is released.

[Jeff S]

Some also thought it was discontinued two years ago...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/leicarumors.com/2017/08/17/leica-sl-typ-601-listed-as-expired-and-no-longer-orderable-at-swedish-retailer.aspx/amp/

It would surprise me if the SL2 emerges before the S3, but Leica can be unpredictable at times.

Jeff

[Chaemono]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb darylgo:

Is it possible they're announcing the new camera sooner to meet the competitions offerings?  

Announcing, perhaps. Availability, not before year end is my guess.

[Bob Andersson]

8 hours ago, Jeff S said:

Some also thought it was discontinued two years ago...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/leicarumors.com/2017/08/17/leica-sl-typ-601-listed-as-expired-and-no-longer-orderable-at-swedish-retailer.aspx/amp/

It would surprise me if the SL2 emerges before the S3, but Leica can be unpredictable at times.

Jeff

Well remembered!

Maybe it's a similar aberration from Wex. If so then hopefully Leica will quash it in short order and we can move on. 📷

[darylgo]

4 hours ago, Chaemono said:

Announcing, perhaps. Availability, not before year end is my guess.

Leica has shot themselves in the foot with long waits, lately having product soon after announcement, i.e. Q2 albeit demand may not be met for a while and general stock not available as you mention much later.   

[SiggiGun]

My feeling is that the SL2 will be announced together with the long waiting 50Apo-SL Cron. 

Anyway for now, I am only waiting for the lens

 

[frame-it]

1 hour ago, darylgo said:

Leica has shot themselves in the foot with long waits, lately having product soon after announcement, i.e. Q2 albeit demand may not be met for a while and general stock not available as you mention much later.   

funny, as the hasselblad x1d is in a similar state though for much longer..."discontinued" and zero info from the company for ages.

 

[darylgo]

5 minutes ago, frame-it said:

funny, as the hasselblad x1d is in a similar state though for much longer..."discontinued" and zero info from the company for ages.

 

The camera industry must be feeling some pressure from the double edge sword of social media's immediate promotion with it's hyper-critical nature.  A single issue could cost the company much needed revenue.  We've become accustomed to quick model changes, the Nikon F reigned for more than a decade.   The camera manufacturers, with their diminished sales may need to return to longer product cycles for economic reasons besides digitals maturing offerings are more incremental than the larger leaps in IQ seen previously.  

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[thighslapper]

10 hours ago, earleygallery said:

It means that WEX are sold out and Leica aren’t making any more. Other dealers will still have stock to clear before the new model is released.

Wex have never been a big Leica re-seller.

Possibly more a decision it is discontinued by WEX because of low sales, Lumix competition or the anticipation of a new model. 

In fact ...... if you search 'Leica' on the Wex website you will find nothing listed at all (apart from a handful of used items) ..... so I would take this with a pinch of salt. 

Edited April 28, 2019 by thighslapper