Mutt & Jeff - Leica Q and SL 601 Living in Harmony

[lencap]

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Greetings -

I've posted about my struggle to find "THE Leica" for all of my shooting needs.  This is, as you likely know, a fool's errand.  There is a reason why a carpenter has both a hammer and a saw; different tools for different tasks.

I've recently posted in SL and M forums about suggestions for replacing my Nikon Z6, with the 24-70 f/4.0 zoom lens, and my Leica Titanium Q (Gen 1), asking if the SL or M would be a better platform.  Needless to say there were lots of helpful comments, along with a modest dose of "Pick One of the Other".  The more I considered the choices the more I realized that the answer wasn't difficult.

I have owned several M bodies - M-A, M7, M9, along with 35mm Summarit and 50mm Summicron lenses, newer vintage, 6 bit coded.  (On a separate note, the f/2.4 Summarit lens line was closed down far too soon - wonderful lenses at great prices, especially the 35mm).  What I enjoyed from each of these combinations was the joy of having a lens with easy to use zone markings, allowing me to pre-focus with an aperture of choice and generally get the shot I wanted without reverting to auto-focus or mirrorless EVFs.

Over the last several years things changed, mostly my senior citizen's eyesight, along with less than rock steady camera technique.  In an attempt to fight Father Time, I tried the Nikon Z6 system.  Truth be told it's a very nice overall package, with a good array of f/1.8 lenses of nearly uniform image quality.  While the autofocus was welcome, what was less enjoyable was the entire experience of shooting with the camera.  My earlier Nikons were all 35mm film, with typical range markings on the lenses and other tells that I was taking photographs instead of having the camera do it.  I found that the PASM marking on a camera dial are a sure way to know that if you enjoy shooting with a Leica you won't enjoy a camera that has a PASM dial.

So, I asked for advice and visited the local Leica dealer.  Unfortunately, inventory is not plentiful, and choices are limited.  Not a single M was available, new or used.  Similar problems for lenses.  BUT, he did have a very nice used SL (Excellent Plus condition) with boxes and booklets that I played with.  I agree that it's a heavy beast, but it's also not that much heavier than the latest M cameras (I love that Leica makes a case out of a solid block of metal) and it felt very nice in hand.  That was until I tried a few lenses on it.  No Leica zooms were available, but he did have an array of Sigma lenses.  I know, it's not Leica, but without any Leica glass available decisions and choices need to be made.  I selected the 50mm F/1.4 ART lens, mounted it to the SL and began taking some simple in store shots.  

At once I understood the comments about weight, along with the difficulty of balancing a heavy lens on a mirrorless camera body.  Despite the obvious issues, the camera combo felt great in hand, and the added weight helped steady the camera as well.  I decided immediately that this combo would replace the Nikon Z6, regardless of cost.  I brought my Q with me, and soon realized that if I kept the Q and added the SL/Sigma combo I would have possibly the best of both worlds.  A lightweight perfectly wonderful camera with all of the benefits of auto, zone  and macro focus options in a small footprint, along with a larger platform that could handle almost any lens ever made, coupled with the same simple menu structure of all Leicas and no unnecessary buttons/markings.

To make the decision easier, the original Q and SL share a very similar, if not identical, sensor.  Colors are very close, and complement each other well, along with exposure and other metrics.  That means less time processing and more time shooting.  So, the die was cast.  As an aside, the SL has an included GPS locator, not a critical item but a nice touch that I may actually use on occasion. 

For those of you not old enough to remember comics in newspapers, Mutt and Jeff was the first syndicated comic series, published six days a week created by Bud Fisher beginning in 1907, extending into 1983.  The two main characters are described in Wikipedia as "two mismatched tinhorns". Sounds like an apt description for two very different, and yet similar, Leica platforms.   I affectionately have given the Q the moniker "Mutt", and reserved the "Jeff" title for the SL/Sigma.

The image is the first time they've met as siblings in my now all Leica collection.  Regardless of what happens in the future, I've found a good solution for me right now, and for a cost that wasn't very much after selling the Nikon Z6, D5500 (which has lived in a camera bag unused for the last few years), along with some other odds and ends.

Happy New Year to All, and thanks to everyone on this forum for many years of knowledge, support and friendship.

 

 

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Edited December 31, 2021 by lencap

[wda]

Well Lencap, you have certainly given a great deal of thought to your re-equipment project.  Good luck. In time, when you tire of travelling with the bulky SL, you might consider a CL or TL body to work with your L-mount lenses. Options lie ahead for you.

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[JoshuaRothman]

I'm in a similar situation—own a Q2, thinking of picking up an L-mount camera, torn between the SL 601 and CL, trying to figure out which lenses might work (Sigma? Voigtlander?), balancing trade-offs between AF and MF, size, price, speed, etc., etc., etc. I've found reading your threads very helpful, and I'm glad to see that you've found a solution that works for you!

[lencap]

Happy New Year everyone.  Thanks for the comments.

Yes, weight and size is indeed an issue, but also not the only consideration.  Years ago my Hasselblad system was bulky, hard to hold occasionally, and with square images challenged my ability to compose.  On the other hand, it was a tool that made me think about what I was doing and became “Zen like”.  I’m not a pro photographer, just an enthusiast.  My shooting is for my enjoyment, not a day filled with taking hundreds of images to meet a customer’s needs.

I’ve also used some pretty big Nikon F film bodies, especially with autowinders and longer zoom lens combos over the years.  They too were relatively “chunky”, but balanced well in hand even with longer lenses and the weight became strangely satisfying, not a burden.

Yes, they weren’t invisible, but they felt like serious tools, which they are.  My issue with crop sensor cameras is mental, not performance related.  I just prefer larger sensors and have strongly considered the Hassie 907 medium format digital platform.  I had the D5500 Nikon, a very capable camera with no AA filter and a 24 megapixel sensor, but the small footprint wasn’t enjoyable in hand.  Everything felt cramped.  

My choice of the Sigma Art is a very large lens, but to get the option for bokeh and artistic shots that’s what I thought I needed.  Yes, an M Summilux can work on an M body very well, and that may be a future choice as well.  The issue is lack of M format gear availability, not a dislike of the M line.

The Q is a very good “travel camera”.  Small, easy intuitive controls, great lens and image control.  For times when the SL is too big, I expect that I’ll just take the Q, especially with more work refining my 28mm perspective framing.  It’s like a mini M.  Over the next several months I can see which platform gets more use, and which allows me to create the images I like.

Finally, the very depreciated price of an SL platform makes trying the camera a low cost way to see how a larger camera works for what I plan to shoot.  After trading in my gear the net cost of the SL, bought from an authorized dealer including tax, was far less than the list price of the Sigma lens alone.  If the Q turns out to be the bulk of my keeper photos I can move into an M platform and sell both the Q and SL.  From these levels the combined depreciation will likely be very modest, and with a new M11 availability of used M10 gear should improve.

I’ll see if Mutt or Jeff gets more use in the coming year, but my thought is like the hammer and saw - they’ll each have their moment.

Joshua - don’t rule out the Sigma lenses if you go L mount.  The 50mm Art seems like a very capable lens.  I’ll know more pretty soon, and the price isn’t especially high.  With Panasonic and Sigma there are lots of choices.  If you add the lower priced newer brands you can find lenses that are very inexpensive, and may be comparable with the look of some Leica vintage glass - more tilted to flare or soft borders - could be very helpful for portraits when a high pixel sensor and ASPH lens aren’t overly flattering.  You can also buy the entire line of TTArtisan or 7Artisans lenses for less than the sales tax on a single Leica APO lens!  

A quick comment about the Mutt/Jeff image - the Sigma lens is pictured complete with the lens shade attached, making it appear a bit larger than it actually is.  The hood is also pretty lightweight, not adding too much to balance challenges.  It is a big chunck of glass, but maybe not as quite as large a difference as the image suggests.  

Edited January 1, 2022 by lencap

[rickatwoodme]

I too bought a used SL601 after a Nikon Z6 and could be happier. The SL is to most people a "better more modern camera" , but using it was just not jiving with me, my hands and especially my brain.

For me, the real magic happens with M (Voigtlander and Zeiss only so far) lenses on the SL.. its a wholly different beast than with the big and heavy auto focus lenses. It fully changes how I approach making an image.. slower, more purposeful, manually focused and significantly more enjoyable.