Introducing ... the Leica SL2-D

[Datsch]

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I'm a big fan of the M60, M-D and M10-D screen-free cameras. To me the -D concept is not at all about 'trying to be like a film camera'. It's about:

• Becoming free of menu anxiety
• Extreme simplicity
• Instant and speedy direct control access to the essentials
• No chimping

So when considering how to apply the -D philosophy to the SL, I was of course tempted to slap a nice ISO dial on the back (see my avatar). But that simply didn't look right, not modernist enough for the SL. Besides, it's super speedy to just depress a top plate button and twizzle a thumb dial. All the info is right there in your viewfinder or the top plate display. So I kept it simple -- and hopefully cheap to make should Leica consider this as a model extension before rolling out the SL3 next year.

In many ways the SL2 is more suited to the -D concept than the M series -- you already have exposure and focus WYSIWYG which makes things easy, right?

Oh, and I ditched autofocus, sorry about that. The SL2-D is purely  manual focus with no aids ... just turn the focus ring until it looks right in that big EVF ... I know the SL lenses are fly by wire but surely still worth using MF only?  Maybe someone will bring out a manual focus only L-mount 50mm 1.4 that would be nice and compact ...

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Well anyway, that's my crazy thought experiment for the day. Now you can all complain about how you couldn't possibly live without AF, jpgs, histograms, etc but just think about it, you probably wouldn't miss the majority of menu items ... 🙂

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Datsch

[ajmarton1]

I don't chimp and I use primarily manual settings I guess because I started with film.  But there are times where I want to check my exposure and quickly change settings like metering and AF/tracking modes so I'm not sold on the "D" for my particular methodology.  Otherwise, I just grab my M3, M6 or M7 for working on just the essence of photography and have the roll scanned directly to CD.  It's a real test to limit yourself to 36 pictures.  

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[Datsch]

Slept on this and here are a few more details of the spec and functionality:

.DWG only

Manual exposure only -- no need then for exposure compensation, AEL either

Matrix metering so it just gets it right most of the time

Auto WB

 

Then there's that extra button on the top plate. It could be used for one of:

• Cycling through MF and various AF options (probably the sensible route from a marketing point of view); OR
• Other things that are in my view distracting and against the ethos, like WB, jpgs, metering type, continuous, self timer etc. ; OR
• Toggle plain view with no text or data overlays, just 'through the lens''    <<<<----- My personal favourite

 

Time setting should be handled automagically as per $30 casio waveceptor watches but as myseriously no camera manufacturer does this yet there would have to be something a la M-D where you hold a function button for 12 seconds and then use the thumbwheel to set it on a little menu in the EVF. Aargh I don't like even saying the word menu ha ha. It really should be automatic. This is a high tech product that should just get stuff sorted for you quietly and discreetly ...

 

 

 

 

[wjdrijfhout]

Excuse me, what did you say the advantage of the SL2-D was over the M10-D?

[Datsch]

12 minutes ago, wjdrijfhout said:

Excuse me, what did you say the advantage of the SL2-D was over the M10-D?

47MP, EVF WYSIWYG, L-mount lenses as well as M-mount via adapter , matrix metering, bigger grip, modernist vs. retro, longer battery life, and I am on the fence re: adding autofocus options.

EDIT: actually scrap the longer battery life part. Probably quite close in the end.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Datsch

[Al Brown]

The 7 euro solution is awesome

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[Simone_DF]

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Are you going to tape over the EVF too? Because you can still access the menu from there

[Al Brown]

57 minutes ago, Simone_DF said:

Are you going to tape over the EVF too? Because you can still access the menu from there

External OVF of course. Don't you have one?

[art-fuse]

No, thank you. Will never happen.

[Photoworks]

I suppose you don't use the camera professionally if you want to remove the menu and screen.

I like more control over what I deliver.

But if I would use it just for causal it would be not so important to miss a shot!

anyway, gaffers is the solution and turn the screen to EVF only. I don't check pictures much since you already exposure preview 

[Alistairm]

I’d buy an SL with an articulating screen that can be fully reversed to a “closed” position in a flash. It’s a function I use all the time on my EOS R5 (which I only use for long lens photography). 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Alistairm