SL 601 in 2022.

[BernardC]

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13 hours ago, markc2 said:

Does anyone know if the sensor of the SL has gone to unatanium status? I was playing with the idea of an M8 but it went poof, and the price difference while higher for the SL it seems on the surface you get a lot more for the money. The people that use the M lenses do they perform just as well on the SL?

There have not been any reported issues with the SL sensor, so I wouldn't worry about availability. I'm sure that Leica kept a few spares, just in case.

M lenses work very well on the SL. I'm not sure if it's "just as well," I guess that would depend on the lens, and on which M you compare it to (presumably one of the 24 megapixel Ms). Maybe somebody ran tests back in the day, you can always try searching the archives. Keep in mind that wider lenses will perform much better if the camera knows what they are. 6-bit coded lenses identify themselves automatically via Leica's "M-adapter-L", and other combinations need to be selected in the camera menu.

I regularly use an M 50/2.0, which performs perfectly even without coding, and a 21/2.8 which is coded and is sharp to the edge at medium apertures. That particular Elmarit-M wasn't necessarily the sharpest wide open on film (the ASPH that superseded it is better), so I don't know if any deficiencies are due to the lens or sensor.

[Stuart Richardson]

The M8, while it has its charms, is probably not a general use camera at this point. It is a 10mp APS-C camera with IR contamination so strong that every color photo needs to be shot with a special IR blocking filter. It is extremely bad with high iso and the screen, battery life, shutter noise and so on are all poor compared to anything newer. I had the M8. When I sold it for the M9 it was like a totally different experience. A million times better. In terms of usability the SL is way way ahead of the M8. 
If you want a camera for nostalgia, I would recommend a film camera over the M8. I think the M9 is the earliest M digital worth owning…as a user/professional camera at least. 

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[didier]

I’ve had my SL(601) for 5 years now. I was at first pretty angry as I bought it a couple of months before Leica offered bundles at discounted prices… and I paid Eur 5000 for my body.

I don’t use it that often : my M10M gets 10* more shots, but every time I take the SL out, it remains a Joy to use.

Combined with the ‘lux 50 SL, it is a very nice combo, and not that bulky after all  

[laowai_]

On 10/11/2023 at 6:07 AM, shawn2nd said:

Resurrecting this as my pristine condition 601 just arrived about an hour ago 🙂  As the OP mentioned weather sealing, I'm wondering does anyone have any links to anything from Leica on what the actual IP rating is? I know it's weather sealed, and apparently quite well, but up to what point should one pay attention to? 

My Q2M used to have the IP rating directly on the bottom of the body, but the SL doesn't and there's no mention of an IP rating in the instruction manual. I just wanna make sure I don't push it too hard by accident at some point 😅

I've downloaded the spec sheet from Leica and put a screen shot here, even here it just says "Sealing provided" lol. 

 

To get an IP rating a manufacturer needs to submit the product to a certified process. That costs time and money. When my SL was in repair the technician explained to me that Leica did not submit the SL to the certification process because the wanted to get the product out fast and did not want to wait for the results. 

[jcatral14]

It's 2023 and dare I say, the SL Typ 601 can hold its own and is still a very capable camera 👍

[JohnathanLovm]

Few days ago I discovered that the SL601’s wireless app is far smoother and useful than Nikon Z6 counterpart. The FOTOS app is allowing you use the camera and app simultaneously while the Nikon app is laggy, no video mode and disconnects when you use the camera. I wish you could see my smug face that day.

joke aside, the ibis is the feature I want most. In SL601 I only can do 1/60 with 70mm lens while the Z6 allowed me go as far as 1/15 with 70mm lens.