Popular Post Kristian Dowling Posted October 2, 2020 Popular Post Share #1 Â Posted October 2, 2020 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hey guys, I've put together a video story about my last 5 years of using the Leica SL as my workhorse professional camera. I'm always being asked why I stuck with the same camera for 5 years when there are plenty of available options to upgrade, so I thought I'd answer those questions in this video. Hope you enjoy it KD 5 YEARS 1 CAMERA | A Photographer's Story 15 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 2, 2020 Posted October 2, 2020 Hi Kristian Dowling, Take a look here 5 YEARS 1 CAMERA - A Photographer's Story. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Jeff S Posted October 14, 2020 Share #2 Â Posted October 14, 2020 And lens(es)? Jeff 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted October 14, 2020 Share #3 Â Posted October 14, 2020 You obviously haven't watched the video 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocean2059 Posted October 14, 2020 Share #4  Posted October 14, 2020 On 10/2/2020 at 6:48 PM, Kristian Dowling said: Hey guys, I've put together a video story about my last 5 years of using the Leica SL as my workhorse professional camera. I'm always being asked why I stuck with the same camera for 5 years when there are plenty of available options to upgrade, so I thought I'd answer those questions in this video. Hope you enjoy it KD 5 YEARS 1 CAMERA | A Photographer's Story Kristian. It's very nice video and thank you for sharing. I alo enjoy using my SL very much, as much as, I have not really looked into upgrade to the SL2 seriously.  I agree most of your comments for the SL except on reliability. The electronics on my SL broke down without a hint one day and I had to send to Leica to replace the whole board, which was about $895 USD. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMF Posted October 14, 2020 Share #5  Posted October 14, 2020 Thanks for posting this Kristian!  Very enjoyable, informative, and stunning body of work. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRayGuy Posted October 14, 2020 Share #6 Â Posted October 14, 2020 Thanks for posting this - I really enjoyed it. Â You are very talented. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted October 14, 2020 Share #7 Â Posted October 14, 2020 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) 7 hours ago, andybarton said: You obviously haven't watched the video Wrong. Â But I was the first to comment after thread remained dormant for two weeks. Â Â Looking for more personal commentary, but thanks for your insight. Jeff Edited October 14, 2020 by Jeff S 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveMo Posted October 14, 2020 Share #8 Â Posted October 14, 2020 Thanks for posting. It was certainly an interesting watch and highlighted some very good images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedro Posted October 15, 2020 Share #9 Â Posted October 15, 2020 agree, thank you Kristian. Great video and pics 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
graeme_clarke Posted October 15, 2020 Share #10  Posted October 15, 2020 Just watched it and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I've had my SL since 2016 - now how to get off the horn of a dilemma - should I try to satisfy my craving for an SL2 (better AFc for BIF) or keep going with what I have????? Thanks Kristian. Graeme 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #11 Â Posted October 15, 2020 On 10/14/2020 at 11:53 AM, Jeff S said: And lens(es)? Jeff Hi Jeff, I used a wide variety of lenses including: 24-90mm SL 50/1.4 SL 50/2 APO SL 35/2 APO SL 90-280 SL Voigtlander 50/1.2 M 50/ 0.95 M 75/1.4 M I have used an incredible amount of lenses over the years but these were the main lenses I used with the SL 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #12  Posted October 15, 2020 18 hours ago, ocean2059 said: Kristian. It's very nice video and thank you for sharing. I alo enjoy using my SL very much, as much as, I have not really looked into upgrade to the SL2 seriously.  I agree most of your comments for the SL except on reliability. The electronics on my SL broke down without a hint one day and I had to send to Leica to replace the whole board, which was about $895 USD. Thank Graeme, thats disappointing to hear. Like any product, its bound to have some failures, and for the smaller amount of production compared to mainstream cameras, I think the failure rate is relatively low - just a shame you suffered that problem, especially out of warranty period. Considering how much I have abused my SL, it's almost a miracle that its survived and still ticking. I guess now that electronics dominate camera manufacture, this is something Leica users will need to be aware of, unlike the old days where a battery was only used for a camera's light meter - miss my old trust MP and M6.  All the best mate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #13  Posted October 15, 2020 18 hours ago, RMF said: Thanks for posting this Kristian!  Very enjoyable, informative, and stunning body of work. Cheers RMF, thank you for watching Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #14 Â Posted October 15, 2020 17 hours ago, XRayGuy said: Thanks for posting this - I really enjoyed it. Â You are very talented. Thank you XRayGuy, I appreciate you watching and glad you enjoyed it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #15  Posted October 15, 2020 13 hours ago, DaveMo said: Thanks for posting. It was certainly an interesting watch and highlighted some very good images. Thank you Dave, I wanted to do something a little different, even if it meant leaving 'Leica' out of the title 😉 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #16 Â Posted October 15, 2020 1 hour ago, Fedro said: agree, thank you Kristian. Great video and pics Cheers Fedro, much appreciated. More to come! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristian Dowling Posted October 15, 2020 Author Share #17  Posted October 15, 2020 1 hour ago, graeme_clarke said: Just watched it and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I've had my SL since 2016 - now how to get off the horn of a dilemma - should I try to satisfy my craving for an SL2 (better AFc for BIF) or keep going with what I have????? Thanks Kristian. Graeme Thats a great question. I would test out the SL2 at a store first to ensure it's AF-C is adequate for your needs. While it's improved, testing is always the best way to ensure its right for you. So for the final answer, please refer to the 'Last Word' at the end of my video 😉 haha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJN Posted October 15, 2020 Share #18 Â Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) Inspired! Thank You. If I can't "do it" with my SL I don't need the SL2. Edited October 15, 2020 by BJN changed text 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkinVan Posted October 15, 2020 Share #19  Posted October 15, 2020 Great video and insights. I can see the wear on your SL and can only agree on what a workhorse. Really enjoyed and appreciated your video, thanks. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J12 Posted October 16, 2020 Share #20  Posted October 16, 2020 There’s a lot to be said for sticking with the same equipment and really understanding how to get the most out of it. The gear gets out of the way and you’re then free to focus on picture making. Which is the goal and very well illustrated by the variety of images in your video. None of which are let down in the least by the use of a camera featuring digital specs from 5 years ago! Considering the SL was the first model in a brand new product line, I think there’s so much that was got right with the camera straight out of the gate. It was a very confident and bold move. And no doubt a big reason it continues to remain relevant. That high quality EVF was a revelation at the time. Despite the release of the newer model, personally I like the uncompromising design of the original SL. Which better aligns itself with the design philosophy of the professional S system. I’m familiar with the handling of the original SL now and comfortable using it. So wish to stick with it. It’s easy to nit-pick tech specs on paper in the digital age when change is so fast and frequent. And I can also relate to many of your comments regarding the camera in actual use. The SL continues to be more than enough camera for stills and I can make it work for my needs. Video is the only function that has had me looking at other cameras. To date, I have just been renting bodies like the Sigma FP when needs arise. If anything, my next purchase may well be another lens for the SL as I also feel the body has plenty of life left for stills. To be honest I haven’t really felt many digital stills cameras were seriously lacking since the release of the Nikon D700, D3s and Canon 5D MKII. Which was a decade or more ago now. I felt that generation was a real turning point that opened up many new opportunities. Especially with regard to areas such as working in low light. Good to see a comprehensive and objective review of the SL in practical use over so many years. Thank you. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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