Jump to content

News about the firmware update 3.0 for the SL2


Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

 

6 hours ago, sillbeers15 said:

Well if Panasonic comes up with significantly more improvements on their S1R on more firmware updates and the S1 series bodies are compatible with more 3rd party flash makers, I will migrate my SL lenses over to Panasonic cameras in the next S1R replacement rather than SL2's replacement. It is a shame that Leica forces me to move on although I love their lenses.

I replaced my SL with an S1R and after 2 rather frustrating months I got rid of the Lumix & went back to the SL, until the release of the SL2. Albeit an excellent camera, the S1R had too many buttons & too many superfluous functions for my liking, it drove me nuts!

I also found that the S1R images (even with Leica SL lenses) were too clinical for my liking, I got lambasted at the time by a couple of users here for that comment 🙄 "je m'en fous"....

I've recently added an SL2-S which I use alongside the SL2. The improvement in AF on the SL2-S over the SL2 is noticeable, mainly when using AFC.

Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, michali said:

 

I replaced my SL with an S1R and after 2 rather frustrating months I got rid of the Lumix & went back to the SL, until the release of the SL2. Albeit an excellent camera, the S1R had too many buttons & too many superfluous functions for my liking, it drove me nuts!

I also found that the S1R images (even with Leica SL lenses) were too clinical for my liking, I got lambasted at the time by a couple of users here for that comment 🙄 "je m'en fous"....

I've recently added an SL2-S which I use alongside the SL2. The improvement in AF on the SL2-S over the SL2 is noticeable, mainly when using AFC.

Hahaa, I am with you on the menu and buttons as no Japanese cameras come close to Leica SL & SL2 in my opinion. I just enjoy using it. The current S1R do not offer that significantly better AFC than SL2 so I am still happy with my SL2. However when key aspects of AFC and flash protocol between future Leicas & Panasonics differ much more significantly, I will still have to make the move to ditch Leica and replace it with Panasonic.

The reason for me sticking to SL2 instead of SL2S is the 47MPx which I enjoy over landscape & croping applications.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, michali said:

 

I replaced my SL with an S1R and after 2 rather frustrating months I got rid of the Lumix & went back to the SL, until the release of the SL2. Albeit an excellent camera, the S1R had too many buttons & too many superfluous functions for my liking, it drove me nuts!

I also found that the S1R images (even with Leica SL lenses) were too clinical for my liking, I got lambasted at the time by a couple of users here for that comment 🙄 "je m'en fous"....

I've recently added an SL2-S which I use alongside the SL2. The improvement in AF on the SL2-S over the SL2 is noticeable, mainly when using AFC.

Are you still seeing the DFD pulsing in the SL2-S EVF when shooting in AFC? I recently forced myself to ignore that AFC DFD pulsing using the SL2 when tracking high speed roller coaster carts and was surprised to find a very high hit rate when later editing the test photos. 

Edited by LBJ2
Link to post
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, TheGerman said:

Yup, and that's the exact amount of time I'm willing to wait before giving Dan Tamarkin a call about selling my SL2 if the update isn't available by then. 

Or you could simply trade in the SL2 for the SL2-S and be on your merry way. 

P.S. If you have ever shot any of the other major camera brands, firmware upgrades are never soon or fast enough for most on the forums. You'll find plenty of company, just pick the brand. FYI at the moment Canon seems to be flinging out the R5/R6 firmware updates but even that will come to an end at some point.

Edited by LBJ2
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, panoreserve said:

Sorry, but this is an completely exaggerated position - at least to my mind...🙂

It might seem so on first glance, but it is unacceptable to me (and should be to everyone else who spent $6,000 on a camera), that after almost 2 years they still have not fixed the power management issues that greatly impact your ability to use the camera, as well as other smaller, but very annoying bugs. At $285 per battery, I expect to at least be able to use the full battery without restrictions.

39 minutes ago, LBJ2 said:

Or you could simply trade in the SL2 for the SL2-S and be on your merry way. 

P.S. If you have ever shot any of the other major camera brands, firmware upgrades are never soon or fast enough for most on the forums. You'll find plenty of company, just pick the brand. FYI at the moment Canon seems to be flinging out the R5/R6 firmware updates but even that will come to an end at some point.

If I didn't "need" the resolution (cropping since there were no native super-tele options until the 150-600mm), I would have done that a long time ago. I came from shooting Fuji and most recently Sony A7RIII, and while I agree with what you're saying, at least those brands quickly fix major issues and throw in some new features in the process. I didn't buy the SL-2 (or any of my previous cameras) expecting new features, although a nice thing, but I do expect major bugs to be addressed quickly. 

The other frustrating issue here is the complete lack of communication from Leica. If the update is delayed, that's fine, but how about a quick statement with any kind of update keeping users in the loop - or do we not deserve that since it's part of they Leica brand/appeal?

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

1 hour ago, TheGerman said:

It might seem so on first glance, but it is unacceptable to me (and should be to everyone else who spent $6,000 on a camera), that after almost 2 years they still have not fixed the power management issues that greatly impact your ability to use the camera, as well as other smaller, but very annoying bugs. At $285 per battery, I expect to at least be able to use the full battery without restrictions.

If I didn't "need" the resolution (cropping since there were no native super-tele options until the 150-600mm), I would have done that a long time ago. I came from shooting Fuji and most recently Sony A7RIII, and while I agree with what you're saying, at least those brands quickly fix major issues and throw in some new features in the process. I didn't buy the SL-2 (or any of my previous cameras) expecting new features, although a nice thing, but I do expect major bugs to be addressed quickly. 

The other frustrating issue here is the complete lack of communication from Leica. If the update is delayed, that's fine, but how about a quick statement with any kind of update keeping users in the loop - or do we not deserve that since it's part of they Leica brand/appeal?

BTW, how do you know it's been delayed? Sure its expected, but was there a fixed dated promised? 

Link to post
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, MrQ said:

I know it was referenced in this YT video at time stamp 1:43:09

 

These guys are not Leica. Looks like they are in the same boat as the rest of us, estimating/expecting. Either-way, thanks for posting and referencing  1:43:09. I dialed in about 1:40 and noticed the description of the new Highlight-Weighted feature which I could certainly use in the SL2. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

vor 2 Stunden schrieb TheGerman:

It might seem so on first glance, but it is unacceptable to me (and should be to everyone else who spent $6,000 on a camera), that after almost 2 years they still have not fixed the power management issues that greatly impact your ability to use the camera, as well as other smaller, but very annoying bugs. At $285 per battery, I expect to at least be able to use the full battery without restrictions.

I don't know...I mean, the SL-System is the best product line Leica had ever build (I'm a Leica user since 1990). The SL2 with some of those phenomenal Apo summicrons (I'm using the Apo's 28/35/50/90) is simply unbeatable and without any serious competiton (at least to me). Sure, there are -well known- "power management issues", but I've learned to live with them (having 5 batteries and the battery-exchange-mechanism is brilliant). Nothing is perfect, but the IQ is second to none.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

There have been more than enough very unsubtle hints from members here that they have been beta testing the firmware. It's definitely there -  and more unsubtle hints suggest the beta testing is over. it just hasn't been released. The puzzle is why not.

Edited by LocalHero1953
  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

There have been more than enough very unsubtle hints from members here that they have been beta testing the firmware. It's definitely there -  and more unsubtle hints suggest the beta testing is over. it just hasn't been released. The puzzle is why not.

Exactly. In the meantime I’m able to continue to use the SL2 as is, across multiple genre and I don’t think I am alone, by a wide margin. With every single camera I’ve owned over the years, I put in the time to learn, practice and understand strengths and weaknesses and then adjust accordingly. I don’t buy any of this gear on the expectation that some future upgrade/firmware is owed or will come and would recommend the same to others.

I read the camera can only nail One in ten shots for family photos with active children. Not at all what I am finding but I did have to learn how to use the camera system as is. No. It’s not as easy as my Sony A1, but I was able to get the results I needed with practice. I also ran into the battery issue, that one literally shut me down in the middle of a shoot. Lesson learned, I need to manage my battery power more frequently than I had expected. In my case, about 20% since I use Leica SL glass. Same with AFC, once I got through AFC DFD motion sickness effect through the EVF, I was pleasantly surprised at the results I found in post editing. It’s works but I could do without the heebiejeebies AKA switch to iAF. 

I don’t give any of these manufacturers a kitchen pass and I do welcome firmware updates to correct, enhance or add features—of course I do. But none of this should negate the need to learn how to use our equipment’s strengths and weaknesses and if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out. Plenty of choices ! 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

There have been more than enough very unsubtle hints from members here that they have been beta testing the firmware. It's definitely there -  and more unsubtle hints suggest the beta testing is over. it just hasn't been released. The puzzle is why not.

I think from this observation one can draw the conclusion that there were a set of suggested features, changes or bugs discovered that required addressing before release. It does no one, neither Leica nor testers, any good to waste time developing and testing new firmware just to toss into the garbage can.  But an even worse outcome would be to simply release it if it was not up to snuff or lacked critical features.  I have to assume that whatever the specifics, they are withholding release for a good reason.  

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Tailwagger said:

I think from this observation one can draw the conclusion that there were a set of suggested features, changes or bugs discovered that required addressing before release. It does no one, neither Leica nor testers, any good to waste time developing and testing new firmware just to toss into the garbage can.  But an even worse outcome would be to simply release it if it was not up to snuff or lacked critical features.  I have to assume that whatever the specifics, they are withholding release for a good reason.  

+1

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, LBJ2 said:

These guys are not Leica. Looks like they are in the same boat as the rest of us, estimating/expecting. Either-way, thanks for posting and referencing  1:43:09. I dialed in about 1:40 and noticed the description of the new Highlight-Weighted feature which I could certainly use in the SL2. 

I think David Farkas either operates or co-owns the Leica Miami store, so I wouldn’t label him as a non-Leica guy.  It is reasonable to suspect that he has inside information into Leica development activities.  Now, his original claim was this summer, but it is obvious it is more like end of summer or perhaps further out due to technical challenges… I am still hopeful the firmware is around the corner 🙏🏻

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!

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 9/18/2021 at 9:33 AM, MrQ said:

I think David Farkas either operates or co-owns the Leica Miami store, so I wouldn’t label him as a non-Leica guy.  It is reasonable to suspect that he has inside information into Leica development activities.  Now, his original claim was this summer, but it is obvious it is more like end of summer or perhaps further out due to technical challenges… I am still hopeful the firmware is around the corner 🙏🏻

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!

David is the owner of the Leica Store Miami. Neither he or his employees are Leica employees. He has commented a few times on his Red Dot video series they do not have access to this type info. In the video referenced a few posts earlier both when asked about when we might see the SL2 firmware update both clearly responded “we don’t know” but then went on to speculate and estimate like everyone else. As I think you are alluding maybe that’s the “professional” answer. Maybe. Turns out their guess is as good as the rest of the internets. However Summer 2021 is defined in the Northern Hemisphere as June 20 - September 22. So there’s a few more days to meet the Summer guess. 🤷🏾‍♂️

Edited by LBJ2
Link to post
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, LBJ2 said:

David is the owner of the Leica Store Miami. Neither he or his employees are Leica employees. He has commented a few times on his Red Dot video series they do not have access to this type info. In the video referenced a few posts earlier both when asked about when we might see the SL2 firmware update both clearly responded “we don’t know” but then went on to speculate and estimate like everyone else. Turns out their guess is as good as the rest of the internets. However Summer 2021 is defined in the Northern Hemisphere as June 20 - September 22. So there’s a few more days to meet the Summer guess. 🤷🏾‍♂️

I can echo this. Leica Miami is my “home” store even though I don’t live in Miami. The people are great to work with. What I can say by speaking to them over the years, their guesses may be a little better than ours, but they don’t have an inside connection. Those guesses are usually just past experience leading the way. 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...