I’ve now had 3 x sl2 bodies fail.

[Gavin Cato]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Some of you might remember earlier I posted that I had a sl2 body fail with the red system error message. Then shortly afterwards my 2nd sl2 body failed. 
 

Because of the very long repair times I bought 2 x sl2-s bodies at considerable expense. So I now own 4 x sl2 bodies. I’m a wedding photographer.
 

Well yesterday Leica messaged me to say the first sl2 body is repaired. Took pretty much exactly 4 months by the time it got sent to Germany. They are posting it to me and I’ll probably get it in a couple of days.

I’m at a wedding today and one of my sl2-s bodies - 4 months old - just failed in the exact same way.

What on earth!!?? I bought into this system knowing the af was not up there with Sony but assuming the hardware at least would be strong and well built.  

I mostly use these cameras in silent mode / electronic shutter outdoors and switch to mechanical shutter indoors. So this body that failed would have hardly any mechanical actuations on it and again is only 4 months old. 

I really don’t know what to do. I love these lenses but can’t stay on the system if they are so ridiculously unreliable. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Gavin Cato

[Advertisement]

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

[MrFriendly]

What is red system error message?  Is it the electronics that's failing?  Did Leica tell you what exactly they repaired?

[Mute-on]

Invoke your rights under Australian Consumer Law and pursue rectification https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Electrical %26 whitegoods - an industry guide to the Australian Consumer Law.DOC

[wizard]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Gavin Cato:

I really don’t know what to do.

That's weird. AFAIK, similar mishaps of failing SL2 or SL2-S bodies have not been posted here.

Did you buy your bodies from a local dealer? If you bought four bodies from a dealer, and three(?) of them fail within four months from new, I would expect the dealer to help out by providing a free rental body and talking to Leica in either Australia or Germany to ensure speedy repair, the more so since you use those bodies as a professional.

Really sorry to hear about your problems.

[Gavin Cato]

Just now, wizard said:

Did you buy your bodies from a local dealer? If you bought four bodies from a dealer, and three(?) of them fail within four months from new, I would expect the dealer to help out by providing a free rental body and talking to Leica in either Australia or Germany to ensure speedy repair, the more so since you use those bodies as a professional.

 

Yes they gave me a loan sl2 because of the 4 month repair - but it's very disconcerting. 

[Gavin Cato]

1 hour ago, Mute-on said:

Invoke your rights under Australian Consumer Law and pursue rectification https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Electrical %26 whitegoods - an industry guide to the Australian Consumer Law.DOC

The issue is not whether they will repair it. The issue is, are SL2 bodies unfit for regular commercial use. I would have thought they were built to extremely high standards. But with 3 bodies dead, I've got my doubts now. I love the leica lenses but I'm now pondering unfortunately going back to sony.

[Stuart Richardson]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

That is very strange. I have not heard of this problem (and have had no problems with my own SL2). What happens in this error? Given how much it has happened to you, it sounds like you are either extraordinarily unlucky, or there is something in your manner of using the cameras that causes the error. BTW, I am not accusing you of misuse, but perhaps there is something that is a feature of how you work that causes the camera to fail, since it does not seem to be appearing in so many other cameras. Of course, still on Leica to fix!

[Gavin Cato]

Just now, Stuart Richardson said:

That is very strange. I have not heard of this problem (and have had no problems with my own SL2). What happens in this error? Given how much it has happened to you, it sounds like you are either extraordinarily unlucky, or there is something in your manner of using the cameras that causes the error. BTW, I am not accusing you of misuse, but perhaps there is something that is a feature of how you work that causes the camera to fail, since it does not seem to be appearing in so many other cameras. Of course, still on Leica to fix!

So when it happens, you are in mechanical shutter mode, and you hear a bit of a nasty shutter noise.

Now the camera locks up, and says in red letters "system error". I'll attach a photo.

Also the shutter is stuck over the sensor - normally you can see the sensor when the lens is off. But it's like it's physically stuck over the sensor and the camera can't move it. I'm only guessing here btw.

The only thing I think of that I do differently is I probably use them more (i.e. 90-125 weddings a year) and I use electronic shutter a lot (outdoors).

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Stuart Richardson]

That sounds terrible. I am sorry. It does sound like the shutter is not fit for your purpose somehow. Do you shoot in continuous or burst modes a lot? The other thing I was wondering about was heat, since you are in Australia, but I guess when it is truly brutally hot the weddings would mostly be inside.

As I said, I have had no problems, but my use case is rather gentle, as I am an art photographer or doing studio work, and I am almost always shooting single frames at a time in slow succession. And it is Iceland, so the warmest temperature it is likely to ever see is room temperature when it is inside.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Stuart Richardson

[jankap]

I remember in 1961, during my swearing in for the Royal Dutch Navy, the documenting photographer let fall his camera. Officer number 7, another 7 to go, the colonel waiting, several 100 people waiting and looking. But his assistent came with an M3 and in 3 minutes the procedure went on.

A catastrophe to have camera problems during a wedding!

Edited April 7, 2022 by jankap

[Stuart Richardson]

Btw, if you love the lenses and just can't handle the body, you should look at the S1, S1R or S5. I have an S1 as a backup to my SL2 (actually had it first, primarily for video using M and S lenses), and it is an excellent camera. It has a different feel than the SL series, but it is a truly professional system. The only problem I have had with it is that the battery tends to drain slowly if left in the body (over days/weeks), but in terms of handling, ergonomics and color science, I like them a lot more than the Fujis and Sonys I have used. They will take all your SL lenses and use them 95% as well (there are some reports that they don't have quite the same edge sharpness as they do on the SL bodies, as the SL has a thinner cover glass).

[Gavin Cato]

4 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

That sounds terrible. I am sorry. It does sound like the shutter is not fit for your purpose somehow. Do you shoot in continuous or burst modes a lot? The other thing I was wondering about was heat, since you are in Australia, but I guess when it is truly brutally hot the weddings would mostly be inside.

As I said, I have had no problems, but my use case is rather gentle, as I am an art photographer or doing studio work, and I am almost always shooting single frames at a time in slow succession. And it is Iceland, so the warmest temperature it is likely to ever see is room temperature when it is inside.

Yes I shoot in the low speed continuous mode a fair bit. And yeah I'm thinking this camera series is fine for casual use but full time commercial use looks a bit iffy. I can't imagine a huge amount of people would use them as much. Super frustrating.

 

[Photoworks]

wow, I didn't hear of that before.

I work professionally too and using SL2 for the last 2 years. I shoot 2-4 time a week...

I don't use electronic shutter much....

Any reason you use electronic shutter outdoors?

[Gavin Cato]

Just now, Photoworks said:

Any reason you use electronic shutter outdoors?

to be quiet & discrete during ceremonies. 

 

[frame-it]

25 minutes ago, Gavin Cato said:

The issue is not whether they will repair it. The issue is, are SL2 bodies unfit for regular commercial use. I would have thought they were built to extremely high standards. But with 3 bodies dead, I've got my doubts now. I love the leica lenses but I'm now pondering unfortunately going back to sony.

im guessing its the electronic shutter, with its slow readout speed, being used a lot that causes something to fail, i never use it on my SL

[chrismuc]

L-mount is a great system but honestly I also trust more Panasonic than Leica in electronics reliability. I use S1R and S1H and they work flawlessly.

[wizard]

vor 36 Minuten schrieb frame-it:

im guessing its the electronic shutter, with its slow readout speed, being used a lot that causes something to fail, ...

But why would using the electronic shutter a lot result in problems with the mechanical shutter? According to the OP, it is the mechanical shutter that makes some unusual noise and then gets stuck.

[wizard]

vor 21 Minuten schrieb chrismuc:

I use S1R and S1H and they work flawlessly.

So do most of the SL2 and SL2-S bodies. Mind you, I do not think there is much mechanical difference between the Panasonic bodies you mentioned and the corresponding Leica bodies, as the latter were likely developed to a large extent by Panasonic as well.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[frame-it]

20 minutes ago, wizard said:

But why would using the electronic shutter a lot result in problems with the mechanical shutter? According to the OP, it is the mechanical shutter that makes some unusual noise and then gets stuck.

well, if the ES creates problems on the main board that would obviously affect everything else

Edited April 7, 2022 by frame-it

[frame-it]

17 minutes ago, wizard said:

So do most of the SL2 and SL2-S bodies. Mind you, I do not think there is much mechanical difference between the Panasonic bodies you mentioned and the corresponding Leica bodies, as the latter were likely developed to a large extent by Panasonic as well.

Panasonic probably has a lot more experience with camera electronics that "work", than Leica does.