SL vs M (if you could only keep one)

[northernlights]

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I have an SL that i bought used in Mar 2020, after I sold the MP240 that i bought used since 2017 at almost no loss. Before the MP240, I had been a M-mount lenses manual focus person changing from Fuji and Sony bodies since 2015. Prior to this, i was a Canon user for 10 years. 

The 24-90 is the only L mount AF lens i bought used. It was a good rekindle with having AF again. The rest of the 3 lenses I still own are M mount - Canon 50 f1.4 LTM, Zeiss 21mm f2.8 Biogon and Leica 50mm summicron APO M. I also have a Nikon AFS 300mm f4 lens that i shoot insects, some birds and tele stuff. 

My experience with the SL is it is not much larger or heavier than the MP240. Whenever i have paid or critical shoots, i tend to reach out for the 24-90 for the essential shots and then the M-mount lenses deliver the wow shots in between. But for street, hobbyist shots, like many others, i reach out for lighter, M-mount lenses as i also enjoy the manual focusing and slowing down. 

The SL seems to do all the Leica M’s can do. But i am also aware the M lenses seem to look better on the MP240 than the SL for some reason. 

With the M11 around the corner, the M10 will finally become affordable to me. While I yearn the rangefinder experience, I also know the SL is a good all-rounder. There’s just something keeping me from being more committed to the L mount by getting Leica L mount primes instead of M mounts. In fact, i am very tempted to pick up a used 24 lux (now discontinued) something I enjoyed using and sold in 2017. 

Just want to hear from leica users who keep only 1 body if there have been conflicting thoughts - the itch of going back to the M but worry about flexibility. 

 

[Jeff S]

I bought the SL2 because it did things the M could not…weather sealing, zooms, focus aids, stabilization, AF, etc.  M’s satisfy in other ways, maintaining simplicity and compactness.  I don’t put M lenses on the SL2.  Complementary systems. I like both; no Sophie’s Choice required.

Jeff

Edited August 7, 2021 by Jeff S

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[jrp]

L-mount lenses tend to be superior to M lenses in almost all respects other than compactness and probably longevity (as they are mechanical and so don’t need firmware updates, etc). The choice is yours. 

[chris_tribble]

I wouldn’t want to choose. Long long term (and with a very hard push meeting a terrible shove) I’d stick with the M + 28 / 35 Summicron Asphs and 50 lux + 135 APO Telyt (some of which I’ve had for decades). And boy, would I miss the SL2 and 24-90 / 90-280 zooms. I’d miss them so much I’d probably go out and buy them again as soon as I was back in funds! What about the APO 35 & 75 I have and which have had so little use this year (no portrait or product shoots)? 
I think I’ll have to wait and see….

sorry if this isn’t much help 🙃

[Guest BlackBarn]

If it has to be a choIce between the M or SL then it seems sensible to keep the SL and 24-90 as it gives you the reassurance with the ‘paid critical shots’ and it is a very capable system.

However with the SL and 24-90 combination I would think carefully about what advantages adding SL primes to that would give. My inclination would not to add additional SL primes but invest that money into the M system which you obviously already resonate with.

I think in this way you don’t have to choose between one or the other but can leverage the strength from both systems.

 

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I'd be disappointed not to have an M system but not having my SL2 would be much, much more inconvenient. So I'd definitely keep the SL2 first.

Actually the M would be about number 4-5 on my list of systems I'd keep.

Gordon

[Torpille]

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Thanks a lot for having create this topic.

This is the question I asking me since I bought the SL for about one year.

Like you I have been with canon for over 10 years and for 3 years now, I decide to buy a M10 + 35mm.

I am not a pro but I have done a lot of shootings the last fews months. 80 % of the time with the SL and the 24-90mm.

the results are beautiful with this kit. It can’t go wrong. The ergonomics of this body is perfect and I feel so confident by shooting with it.

I don’t shoot that much with the M lenses on the SL, sometimes with the M 35 or more likely with the TL 23mm, the results are good.

But the m10 gives you such a beautiful rendering and is so a joy to use that it’s the camera I take with me  daily. 

it’s not perfect for the shootings but I can live with , 80 % of the time.  
 

i will go for the M for the compacity, the image quality, the M-lenses and the capacity to improve my skills as photographer.

that’s is a very important point to me : 
2 or 3 systems give more flexibility for sure, but too much gear may be an obstacle for the creativity. 
one body and one lens (or two)might be the right thing to do. 

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Torpille

[Torpille]

Thanks a lot for having create this topic.

This is the question I asking me since I bought the SL for about one year.

Like you I have been with canon for over 10 years and for 3 years now, I decide to buy a M10 + 35mm.

I am not a pro but I have done a lot of shootings the last fews months. 80 % of the time with the SL and the 24-90mm.

the results are beautiful with this kit. It can’t goes wrong. The ergonomics of this body is perfect and I feel so confident by shooting with it.

I don’t shoot that much with the M lenses on the SL, sometimes with the M 35 or more likely with the TL 23mm, the results are good.

But the m10 gives you such a beautiful rendering and is so a joy to use that it’s the camera I take with me  daily. 

it’s not perfect for the shootings but I can live with , 80 % of the time.  
 

i will go for the M for the compacity, the image quality, the M-lenses and the capacity to improve my skills as photographer.

A very important point to me  :  As 2 or 3 kit could add flexibility, I think it may slow down the creativity.

The perfect kit for me is one body and one  (or two) lenses

 

Edited August 7, 2021 by Torpille

[ravinj]

11 hours ago, northernlights said:

I have an SL that i bought used in Mar 2020, after I sold the MP240 that i bought used since 2017 at almost no loss. Before the MP240, I had been a M-mount lenses manual focus person changing from Fuji and Sony bodies since 2015. Prior to this, i was a Canon user for 10 years. 

The 24-90 is the only L mount AF lens i bought used. It was a good rekindle with having AF again. The rest of the 3 lenses I still own are M mount - Canon 50 f1.4 LTM, Zeiss 21mm f2.8 Biogon and Leica 50mm summicron APO M. I also have a Nikon AFS 300mm f4 lens that i shoot insects, some birds and tele stuff. 

My experience with the SL is it is not much larger or heavier than the MP240. Whenever i have paid or critical shoots, i tend to reach out for the 24-90 for the essential shots and then the M-mount lenses deliver the wow shots in between. But for street, hobbyist shots, like many others, i reach out for lighter, M-mount lenses as i also enjoy the manual focusing and slowing down. 

The SL seems to do all the Leica M’s can do. But i am also aware the M lenses seem to look better on the MP240 than the SL for some reason. 

With the M11 around the corner, the M10 will finally become affordable to me. While I yearn the rangefinder experience, I also know the SL is a good all-rounder. There’s just something keeping me from being more committed to the L mount by getting Leica L mount primes instead of M mounts. In fact, i am very tempted to pick up a used 24 lux (now discontinued) something I enjoyed using and sold in 2017. 

Just want to hear from leica users who keep only 1 body if there have been conflicting thoughts - the itch of going back to the M but worry about flexibility. 

 

Having used the SL / SL2 / SL2-S and M10, etc., I would keep the M10 (or M10R) IF I had M lenses to use and portability was a factor. Leica M has no equivalent in any system and I wouldn't compare it to anything else for this reason. If you don't mind lugging around more weight then SL or its variants may be preferable for your use cases where you use tele stuff. 

[Jeffry Abt]

If push came to shove I would keep my M10. It is in my view a perfect camera. But l’m glad I don’t have to choose. The SL2 is a excellent camera and very useful. But it is not quite the classic that the M10 is.

[6bit]

I’d keep the SL2. I use M lenses with my SL bodies and have the option for an AF native lens. 

[northernlights]

I can only afford to keep one camera body. 

[northernlights]

This is interesting, the M being 4th or 5th. I presume would be medium formats or even the Sony’s, Nikons and Canons?

14 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

I'd be disappointed not to have an M system but not having my SL2 would be much, much more inconvenient. So I'd definitely keep the SL2 first.

Actually the M would be about number 4-5 on my list of systems I'd keep.

Gordon

 

[chris_tribble]

If you’re doing paid work, keep the SL. If possible sell the M240 and the SL and get a used  SL2 or SL2s.  Either would be a transformative step up from the SL. I love the Ms, but for paid work I need reliable AF and IS.

[Jeff S]

30 minutes ago, northernlights said:

I can only afford to keep one camera body. 

Consider Panasonic L mount equivalents to pair with an M, even if all used gear.

Jeff

[FlashGordonPhotography]

10 hours ago, northernlights said:

This is interesting, the M being 4th or 5th. I presume would be medium formats or even the Sony’s, Nikons and Canons?

 

Sony would be first to go. Actually if I stop being so lazy it WILL be the first to go. Great tech. Horrible cameras.

Of the various systems I own practically it's be SL2/S1R=GFX>X1D>CL>M43=FujiX>Z7>M10R&M>Pentax>Sony.

Emotionally it's very different. X1D=M10R&M=SL2>GFX=CL=M43>Pentax645Z>Z7>Sony.

The eye focus and tracking stuff is interesting but makes no difference to the way I approach a subject so, while many find it vital, it's of little importance to me. When I need it the S1R and GFX do just fine for my needs.

Gordon

[skimmel]

This is a tough choice that I went through as well. What I ended up doing is selling my M10, getting an M10 Monochrom, and keeping my SL2.  This way, I have an M that I use for monochrome and the SL2 for color (and I can use my M lenses on that for color although I don't like shooting with M lenses as much on the SL2 as on the M).

[Mr.Q]

For me, the M is what makes Leica special and I would never part with it. As for other MILC's they cater to difference preferences but they all basically do the same thing, imo. I shoot with a Sony A1 now as I prefer a smaller body with more useful features (flip screen, flash compatibility, AF-C tracking for video, etc etc) for critical work. My order of preference would pretty much look the exact opposite of Gordon's lol.  I've owned all those cameras and they were all fun, but at the moment my shooting requires speed and accuracy for both stills and video. Sony is great for that. The current Canon offerings would work too. 

If I were to go back to L-mount (if my requirement changes) I'd probably start with one of the Panasonic offerings. Can you afford 2 bodies if the 2nd weren't a Leica?

[Cowz]

I have the luxury of slowly collecting all Leica (mostly) equipment.

My kit comprises of a M9Monochrom (2014 vintage), M10P and SL (601).  For Glass, its a mixed bag of TTArtisan 35mm f1.4, Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG ART L Mount, TTArtisan 50mm f0.95, Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM V1 (from 1957!), Leica 50mm f2 Summicron, 7 Artisan 75mm f1.25, Leica 75mm f2.5 Summarit, Leica 90mm F2 Summicron (pre APO) and 135mm f2.8 Elmarit (goggled).  I use all the manual glass on the M10P, primarily the Canon 50 on the Monochrom and mostly the Sigma on the SL.  But I am not afraid to put any of the M Mount lenses on the SL.  In fact, I tested every lens with and without in camera lens corrections and every single one was sharp and acceptable.

I shoot a lot of portraits, so lenses with a bit of character and softness are perfect,  Most of my German glass is 1984 and older.

This image is the M9 Monochrom with the per APO 90 Cron.  Certainly sharp enough and gorgeous rendering.

 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Mdol]

If only one, I would keep the SL and the M 😂. SL for professional work, M for the pleasure it gives to me.