I’ve now had 3 x sl2 bodies fail.

[AZN]

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59 minutes ago, J12 said:

With the SL2 / SL2-S it feels like the uncompromising professional nature of the S system that set the foundations for the original SL 601 has been lost. Or shifted slightly, crossing over into consumer / prosumer territory. 

Completely agree. I also have the SL (typ 601), and other than dust between the protective cover glass and sensor which had to be cleaned out under warranty, the camera has been rock solid since I got it in 2017.

Didn't want to talk about it in this thread though as it doesn't help @Gavin Cato and his particular situation. Also for those who absolutely need good AF, presumably the newer SL2/ SL2-S are much better in this regard… when they aren't locking up due to firmware meltdowns 😃

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[panoreserve]

Am 8.4.2022 um 12:46 schrieb Stuart Richardson:

Gavin,

I would highly suggest you call Leica Germany directly (not email), and talk to the customer service team. Tell them that you are a pro and this is the third time it has happened and that you need to not only get the cameras fixed, but understand why they are breaking. I would not rely on the local distributor. I think you have the best shot understanding and fixing what is going on if you have a direct line to the factory. In my experience they are not great about email as a first contact. Call them, find out who you are speaking to, and keep speaking to that person. It is a small company and there are not so many people involved, so if you ask you can stay in touch with the person in charge. And if it were me, I would definitely try to reach out to the SL system project manager. I am not sure who that is now (Maike Harberts?) , but that is the person who is responsible for overseeing that line of the camera in the company, and upon whose shoulders this kind of problem lies.

No, please email Stephan Schulz (Stephan.Schulz@leica-camera.com) or Stephan Daniel (Stefan.Daniel@leica-camera.com)!

[J12]

52 minutes ago, AZN said:

Completely agree. I also have the SL (typ 601), and other than dust between the protective cover glass and sensor which had to be cleaned out under warranty, the camera has been rock solid since I got it in 2017.

Didn't want to talk about it in this thread though as it doesn't help @Gavin Cato and his particular situation. Also for those who absolutely need good AF, presumably the newer SL2/ SL2-S are much better in this regard… when they aren't locking up due to firmware meltdowns 😃

I can't comment on the difference in AF performance, but a used SL (typ 601) body might be worth investigating to see if it would do the job. Perhaps even a loaner from the dealer if the other cameras are in for repair? In that case it might be of some help in continuing to use the SL system and lenses. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by J12

[trickness]

Friend of mine has an SL2-S and the battery is stuck inside the body, dealer said they have never seen this issue before. Had to send it off to New Jersey, waiting to hear back whether or not it’s going to need to go to Germany.

I have an SL2 which has been dead reliable - but this thread does make me think that perhaps I need to have a back up.

[Alistairm]

Gavin

If you can get your hands on an R3, it is a different beast to the R5, and somehow just more enjoyable. I’ve now shot both extensively and the R3 is very easy to live with. While not as nice in hand as the Leicas, it’s still enjoyable to use. And yes, the RF lenses are sensational… I especially like the 85 f/1.2 and 28–70 f/2. I have also been pleasantly surprised by the out of camera colour from the Canons. 

The only thing with the R3 is to try and not get addicted to 30 FPS of perfectly focussed photographs… my experience has been that it is very easy to rack up 6000+ images from an event! 

[doublev]

Does your gun safe have a dehumidifer rod?  Where I am at the humidity is very low and this is an absolute must.  If you dont have it then you are destroying your electronics locking them up in there without one.  If you are not dehumidifying your gun safe.. 90% this is your problem.

 

[Gavin Cato]

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40 minutes ago, doublev said:

Does your gun safe have a dehumidifer rod?  Where I am at the humidity is very low and this is an absolute must.  If you dont have it then you are destroying your electronics locking them up in there without one.  If you are not dehumidifying your gun safe.. 90% this is your problem.

 

Hey I do appreciate the advice but I do think the safe is ok. I’ve had it since 2004 and tons of stuff stored in it including many cameras , hard drives, and various other things. The interior of safe is perfectly dry and all my paper work in there has never shown signs of humidity. 
 

 

[doublev]

21 hours ago, Gavin Cato said:

Hey I do appreciate the advice but I do think the safe is ok. I’ve had it since 2004 and tons of stuff stored in it including many cameras , hard drives, and various other things. The interior of safe is perfectly dry and all my paper work in there has never shown signs of humidity. 
 

 

I don’t expect you to listen to everybody that gives advice.  And you have gotten a lot of advice here and I agree with you that most of it is not logical. How does a SD card make a shutter permanently break?  Yeah, I am with you on that.  But you are making a big mistake putting electronics in a gun safe without dehumidification.  Call a retailer of gun safes and speak with the owner (I say the owner because you want someone who has many years experience). Tell them you store high-end electronics in your safe and if a dehumidifier rod is needed. This is a $25-100 part.  Either buy one or keep the gear out of the safe.  You cannot ignore this.

[tom0511]

Personally I can not see/experience the SL2(s) to be less or more pro quality than the SL. Except I preferred the 4 buttons of the SL.

However I remember when the original SL came out some Leica guy said they built it without IBIS because it was more solid this way.

 

 

[Simone_DF]

2 hours ago, tom0511 said:

some Leica guy said they built it without IBIS because it was more solid this way.

That is by far the lamest excuse for not having newer tech I have ever heard.

[Photoworks]

7 hours ago, tom0511 said:

some Leica guy said they built it without IBIS because it was more solid this way.

 

it is good to have a reason to bring some laugh into the day. Thank you Leica.

[tom0511]

Maybe yes. maybe. at this point of time it was reasonable decission. It is out of question that with an IBIS sensor there are more mving parts.

And, yes, I know, everybody does it today. When the original SL came out there was not even a Canon or Nikon FF mirrorless existing. There was Sony as far as I can remember with the A7 series, which had IBIs, which- at that point of time was not on the same solid build level as the SL.

I mentioned this because some people here feel the SL was a more pro/solid body than the newer SL2(s) bodies. (I can not confirm this from my experience).

 

[BernardC]

21 hours ago, tom0511 said:

some Leica guy said they built it without IBIS because it was more solid this way.

And that was probably true at the time. It wasn't true anymore 5 years later, when the SL2 came out. That's how progress often works: identify a weakness, and work on it until it is resolved.

As Tom mentioned, there weren't any high-quality full frame IBIS systems at the time the original SL was released. The Sony system didn't perform very well, and it was one of the many problem areas on those cameras (the most notorious being their tendency to wick-up moisture from the bottom plate).

[pgk]

On 4/12/2022 at 4:52 PM, fotografr said:

Not just the pro-oriented SL system. I used the Leica M system alongside my Canons and Nikons throughout most of my pro career. I was a registered Leica Pro for a long time but my impression is that they dropped the program. While it existed I got very fast turnaround on repairs and occasionally even loaners.

Same here. For a time Leica offered the most efficient 'pro service' that I've ever used. But it seems to have quietly disappeared. I take this to mean that Leica no longer see their cameras as being within the 'pro' market anymore. A real pity and given that there has always been a penchant for marketting cameras as being used by pros, its not a good indicator of the direction Leica are taking. I have little doubt that the marketplace for higher end photographic gear is shrinking and oversaturated with too may players in. it. It seems an odd way to operate with a lack of pro service, undoubted QC issues and high prices. The next few years will be interesting.

[pgk]

On 4/15/2022 at 10:06 AM, Gavin Cato said:

Hey I do appreciate the advice but I do think the safe is ok. I’ve had it since 2004 and tons of stuff stored in it including many cameras , hard drives, and various other things. The interior of safe is perfectly dry and all my paper work in there has never shown signs of humidity. 

If you want to check just buy some indicator Silica Gel (eBay) and see how long it takes to turn colour, which indicates how fast it is absorbing moisture. I keep my gear in an old safe with Silica Gel which can be recharged by heating it easily enough. But if paper remains dry and shows no indication of going at all limp then you are probably right. The real problem with dark, warm places is that if they have any high humidity fungus can grow.

Edited April 17, 2022 by pgk

[fotografr]

On 4/12/2022 at 11:06 AM, Ko.Fe. said:

 

Going to first sport event after 2+ years of restrictions. Will be interesting to see, if any shift in photo pro gear.

My prediction is that you'll see about 90 percent Sony. They have really captured the pro market.

[BernardC]

5 minutes ago, fotografr said:

My prediction is that you'll see about 90 percent Sony. They have really captured the pro market.

Disclaimer: I have no direct knowledge, what I know comes from professionals that I follow online.

The new canon R3 is the "hot" sports camera, but very hard to get. You need to have a long-established relationship with your local Canon distributor to get your hands on one. Even then you probably won't get the 3 cameras that you need as a basic kit (one permanently mounted on a super-tele, one with a short or medium zoom, and a spare).

Local market shooters (if any are left) hopefully hung-on to their pre-pandemic kits.

[Ko.Fe.]

37 minutes ago, fotografr said:

My prediction is that you'll see about 90 percent Sony. They have really captured the pro market.

Last time most mirrorless were not with accredited photogs,  but teams, riders representatives recording, streaming. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Kim Dahl]

7 hours ago, fotografr said:

My prediction is that you'll see about 90 percent Sony. They have really captured the pro market.

We have the Canon R3 at my place of work.  With 24-70 and 70-200 f 2.8.  100 Macro 400 f2.8 and 100-500.  
Canon has entered the photojournalist market.  Nikon will with their new Z9 (and a new 850 (z8)) will boost sales for Nikon.  The rest is Sony.  Leica SL has no market share.

[Gavin Cato]

10 hours ago, BernardC said:

The new canon R3 is the "hot" sports camera, but very hard to get.

The local store I've been dealing with did have the R3 but I wanted the 45mp on the R5. Pixels aside I'd definitely have preferred the R3.

I still prefer the SL2 files (at low iso anyway). So I'm still a bit depressed about all this.