SL2-R or SL3 with M11 Sensor

[opera207]

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I think Leica & Panasonic are waiting for the new 33m pixel cmos, which is used on the a7m4.

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

[padam]

On 1/11/2022 at 9:17 AM, hansvons said:

With the inevitable small pixels that come with high-resolution sensors, you will lose a few things that I consider somewhat critical. First, the dense pixel pitch won't resolve colour in low-light situations as good as a 6K camera, albeit the noise will be similar when oversampled to 6K. Second, the texture is too fine to be taken advantage of. When it becomes visible, it's already ugly noise. And lastly, you get absurd large files. The required storage size and the computational power must be adjusted to such file size. 

If they use that new sensor, then it will present the same lower resolution "RAW" options as well. Downscaled from full res, it is still going to be higher quality than using a 24MP sensor, at the very least moiré will be almost completely eliminated and noise may not be inferior either. Of course, it may be too temping not to use all the resolution available. They do have optics resolving well beyond 100MP+, so it is not surprising that they use sensors utilizing them better.

That being said: so far, we haven't see any M and SL camera that use a similar sensor.

[intermediatic]

I have basically stopped using my SL2 since I got the FP-L and then the GFX100S. A lot of this “processing power can’t keep up” talk mystifies me. If people are willing to pay Leica prices for cameras and lenses, surely buying a contemporary computer like an M1 MacBook Pro is a smaller price to pay for speed? I don’t have any issues with the GFX100S files either speed wise or storage wise. 

I’m very much looking forward to an SL3 that would resolve at the level of the FP-L while, in all other respects, would be a better camera. While I’m at it, just in case anyone is listening, why not an SL3 Mono? This is something that Leica does not have in its lineup and it puzzles me. 

[Paul2660]

I feel that in 2023, Leica will be updating the SL2, to a 3, and odds are will use the same sensor now available in the M11.  No one has published if this is a Sony sensor, but it's safe to assume it is.  

I feel the SL2 lacks about .5 of DR at base ISO, and past 1600 ISO, the noise is an issue to contend with.  However I rarely find I am needing an ISO past 1600.  

First reports from photographers using the M11 appear to show that the DR is better and shadow ranges much better albeit with slight issues on highlights.  For sure if it's the same Sony Sensor that is use with Sony's current A7 MKIV there should be excellent DR. 

I would hope that Leica continues with multi shot and carries into the next generation of SL bodies.  I agree MS is not a perfect solution, and requires Precision in obtaining accurate focus   , requires a tripod and can't accommodate much if any wind .  For sure can't be hand held.  But the images I feel that the multi shot file has overall better image details than the same smaller regular dng (taken after the MS), and then taken up with Super resolution.  The fact that Lecia is processing the final image in camera is a huge time saver, unlike Sony's or Fuji's solution.  

For most work I shoot the SL2 in an exposure bracket, hand held or on tripod.  This gives me enough overall DR to process out a file.  It's a bit more work,  but with modern software not much.  

I would love to see Lecia create a option like Phase One did on the IQ4, with dual exposure.  By far the cleanest files you can get, and amazing range of DR.  Phase One requires C1 to process out the files, so not sure how or what Leica would do in that regard.  

Hope to rent out a SL2-S sometime in the future to see just how much extra range is in the files, vs the trade off in resolution from the SL2. 

 

Paul