Jono Slack Review: Leica SL2-S

[Slender]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am sure it was both shot on DNG, only that the SL2 images were downscaled to 24mp to match the SL2s output (and therefore the SL2 "regains" more quality, sort of speak).

Topaz Denoise should take things even further... I have recently sold images shot at 12 500 Iso from my SL2, rescaled to 24mp and Topaz Denoised... it is so clean sharp...

Sure, if you can live without the high megapixel output possibilities, want a slightly cheaper body with less aliasing and higher iso performances for video (or in stills with less post production work) then sure, SL2s fits the bill very well.

The 5 fps with AF-C (SL2s) is actually slightly lesser than 6 with AF-C (SL2).... yet all the oxygen is wasted on the nearly useless 25 vs 20ims feature. (with locked focus, white balance and exposure).

That is when you know marketing has taken over...

Like Mr Slack however. I like the idea of "sure can do" with 47mp FF or 20.5mp aps-c (when cropping or using small lenses) or 187mp in multi-shot 😇 and knowing results will be equal (if not superior) in good light. That makes the SL2 still a better option for studio, landscape, all tripod stuff, product shots, macro (wildlife perhaps?).

Tho I would be a bit (very) bitter if the video tweaks (waveform, follow focus, colour bars, viewable LUTs....) do not come available on the "flagship" SL2 at the same time with firmware 3.0.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Slender

[Jeffry Abt]

36 minutes ago, Slender said:

Tho I would be a bit (very) bitter if the video tweaks (waveform, follow focus, colour bars, viewable LUTs....) do not come available on the "flagship" SL2 at the same time with firmware 3.0.

Yes indeed!
 Keep The “flagship”, “The” flagship!

[Advertisement]

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

[sillbeers15]

1 hour ago, Slender said:

I am sure it was both shot on DNG, only that the SL2 images were downscaled to 24mp to match the SL2s output (and therefore the SL2 "regains" more quality, sort of speak).

Topaz Denoise should take things even further... I have recently sold images shot at 12 500 Iso from my SL2, rescaled to 24mp and Topaz Denoised... it is so clean sharp...

Sure, if you can live without the high megapixel output possibilities, want a slightly cheaper body with less aliasing and higher iso performances for video (or in stills with less post production work) then sure, SL2s fits the bill very well.

The 5 fps with AF-C (SL2s) is actually slightly lesser than 6 with AF-C (SL2).... yet all the oxygen is wasted on the nearly useless 25 vs 20ims feature. (with locked focus, white balance and exposure).

That is when you know marketing has taken over...

Like Mr Slack however. I like the idea of "sure can do" with 47mp FF or 20.5mp aps-c (when cropping or using small lenses) or 187mp in multi-shot 😇 and knowing results will be equal (if not superior) in good light. That makes the SL2 still a better option for studio, landscape, all tripod stuff, product shots, macro (wildlife perhaps?).

Tho I would be a bit (very) bitter if the video tweaks (waveform, follow focus, colour bars, viewable LUTs....) do not come available on the "flagship" SL2 at the same time with firmware 3.0.

SL2S will only cave out a niche if the drive speed can be in the 15fps on AFC vs the advantage of the more pixel from the SL2. Even taking wildlife with SL2 allows an extended rich to 420mm on the 90-280mm when the SL2’s 20MPx APSC mode is selected. Meaning cropped photos with sufficient MPx becomes available with the limited range of focal length from current L mount range of lenses, especially Leica.

[LocalHero1953]

Anyone who has bought the SL2-S and has buyers regret for a SL2 should look at my offer to swap in the Classifieds!

[Chaemono]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb sillbeers15:

SL2S will only cave out a niche if the drive speed can be in the 15fps on AFC vs the advantage of the more pixel from the SL2. Even taking wildlife with SL2 allows an extended rich to 420mm on the 90-280mm when the SL2’s 20MPx APSC mode is selected. Meaning cropped photos with sufficient MPx becomes available with the limited range of focal length from current L mount range of lenses, especially Leica.

Think SL2S AF twice as fast. There are reviews on YouTube now who say that in continuous shooting the camera hardly misses a shot. 

[ropo54]

9 hours ago, Chaemono said:

Think SL2S AF twice as fast. There are reviews on YouTube now who say that in continuous shooting the camera hardly misses a shot. 

Just wondering, Chaemono, have you tried any of the S lenses as yet on the SL2-S?  Impressions?  (Congratulations, too). 

Regards, Rob

[sillbeers15]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

9 hours ago, Chaemono said:

Think SL2S AF twice as fast. There are reviews on YouTube now who say that in continuous shooting the camera hardly misses a shot. 

It better be. I’m looking forward to that.

[Photoworks]

On 12/12/2020 at 12:20 PM, Chaemono said:

Not as pronounced as they show with LUF compression above. That's why I include a link to less compressed JPEGs: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-VRrRQh/ in the posts. It can be dealt with in LR or Photoshop.

maybe you can, but it becomes challenging in video mode.

in any case, If you a do a portrait shoot with few hundreds images, do you really want to edit moire out?

[Photoworks]

Electr. shutter function: 60 s to 1⁄16000

I wonder why it is not the same shutter from the SL2.

I suppose it is still enough to shoot the 0.95 without ND filter most of the time

[Chaemono]

vor 4 Stunden schrieb ropo54:

Just wondering, Chaemono, have you tried any of the S lenses as yet on the SL2-S?  Impressions?  (Congratulations, too). 

Regards, Rob

Thanks, Rob. Not, yet. I still want to shoot it side by side with the SL2 first and compare the low-light performance against the S5 some time this week which I had promised another forum member. The reason for the former is, I noticed that the SL2S renders the OOF areas differently than the SL2. One can see it in the pictures I posted but they were at f/2.8. I want to test this wide open. It also has more DR at ISO 100, IMO, meaning it controls highlights better at the same shutter speed. But need to check this further. I want to use more M lenses on it and see how they perform, another forum member is wondering about this, and then use S lenses, as well. I may do the S lens test before the M lenses, though. I have some time off and can do all that hopefully in the next two to three weeks. We are going into a hard lockdown starting tomorrow. 

I put up my SL2 for sale, BTW, and most other cameras will go, too. File size is one issue but I like the SL2S IQ better. There is something about the way the camera captures details that I prefer. When I process the files with Auto in LR as a starting point, I instantly like the results better (except exposure) and it requires little effort after that, particularly getting WB right. Not to speak of the high ISO noise which in well lighted scenes is not an issue for the SL2, especially if one uses Topaz DeNoise AI. With the SL2S one doesn’t have to worry about that, can set the camera at EV -1 to control highlights. I find that with Sony BSI sensors one always has to do that because they are so light sensitive. If you look at the  EXIF data of the pictures I posted comparing it to the SL2, EV was -1 on the SL2S and -2/3 on the SL2. It resulted in the same shutter speed on both cameras and the SL2S pictures were slightly darker which I liked. 

Then there is the speed of operating the camera and focusing it. It’s so fluid and snappy.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Chaemono

[Chaemono]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Photoworks:

maybe you can, but it becomes challenging in video mode.

in any case, If you a do a portrait shoot with few hundreds images, do you really want to edit moire out?

An issue with most 24 MPx and below cameras now. Note that Sony decided not to include an AA filter in the α7SIII, same as they had done with the α7III vs. the α7II which had one. The trend is going towards moire.

[helged]

6 hours ago, Photoworks said:

Electr. shutter function: 60 s to 1⁄16000

I wonder why it is not the same shutter from the SL2.

I suppose it is still enough to shoot the 0.95 without ND filter most of the time

With 1/16.000 sec, you can leave the ND-filter at home for almost all light situations, I believe 😎... 

[scott kirkpatrick]

9 hours ago, Photoworks said:

Electr. shutter function: 60 s to 1⁄16000

I wonder why it is not the same shutter from the SL2.

I suppose it is still enough to shoot the 0.95 without ND filter most of the time

Think of the electronic shutter as if were a focal plane shutter with the smallest slit width being one line of pixels.  The SL2 has a minimum slit width that is half the width of the SL2S's electronic shutter.  I'm trying to think of a desktop experiment that would let me measure the extraction time (full scan of an image) in either of the SLs.  Since they can take continuous electronic shutter exposures in excess of 20 frames per second,  that sets an upper limit.  Maybe fringes from flourescent lights (and some LEDs) will be gone now.

[BernardC]

4 hours ago, helged said:

With 1/16.000 sec, you can leave the ND-filter at home for almost all light situations, I believe 😎... 

Some quick calculations, using the old "one over ISO at f:16" rule, with a base ISO of 100.

1/100 is 7.3 stops from 1/16000. 7.3 stops from f:16 is f:1.2.

In other words, you are correct helged. You can shoot wide-open at 0.95 in any light other than direct noonday summer sunshine.

If you do want to shoot at high noon on a cloudless summer day, you either need to stop-down to 1.2, use extended ISO 50, over-expose by 1/2 stop, or use the lightest ND you can find.

[jcatral14]

Thank you for the quick review! I'd love to upgrade next year and was looking at the SL2 but the SL2-S is a better fit for me both for price and file size. If they can find a way to shrink the size down a bit more for the SL3 then the M system might really be in trouble.

 

[Steven]

17 hours ago, Chaemono said:

I find that with Sony BSI sensors one always has to do that because they are so light sensitive.

Agreed, I had to do the with my A7SIII all the time. 

[Archiver]

On 12/11/2020 at 1:45 AM, Danner said:

The lenses are too large.

True, and Sigma make smaller lenses of excellent quality. That's what the L mount alliance is all about.

[la1402]

3 hours ago, Archiver said:

True, and Sigma make smaller lenses of excellent quality. That's what the L mount alliance is all about.

Certainly True. My plan is to use Sigma zooms and Leica- M primes. So far the Sigma 24-70/2.8 which is tiny compared to its competition, and the 35+50mm Summicrons. Walking around with just the SL2-S and the 35mm Summicron M is a pleasure.  On wide angle, I am pondering to just use the 18mm Super Elmar as it is sharp and much more compact than the AF WA zooms.

[Donzo98]

On 12/14/2020 at 9:16 PM, Photoworks said:

Electr. shutter function: 60 s to 1⁄16000

I wonder why it is not the same shutter from the SL2.

I suppose it is still enough to shoot the 0.95 without ND filter most of the time

Funny... I noticed that right away as well. 
 

1/40000 vs 1/16000. Most will never care... but 0.95 wide open, outside requires a crazy fast SS. 
 

I also have a Panasonic S1... with a min SS of  “only” 1/8000. This summer I bumped up against overexposure using the 35 SL @ F2. 
 

I decided to keep my SL2... as a photographer... I think the SL2 works best for me. 

 

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Chaemono]

Am 15.12.2020 um 03:14 schrieb Photoworks:

maybe you can, but it becomes challenging in video mode.

in any case, If you a do a portrait shoot with few hundreds images, do you really want to edit moire out?

The α7 III snows the same moire. The trend for 24 MPx FF cameras is towards no AA-/OLP-filter. 

Less compressed JPEG here: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-xjDrXB/i-8dKnL7j/A

α7 III + Planar FE 50/1.4

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!

ISO 100 f/2.8 @1/250 sec.