Considering switching to the SL2-S/Q2 kit for weddings

[bcapphoto]

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On 6/3/2022 at 12:39 PM, Chris W said:

I'm not in the photography business, but I think it would be more sensible to have spare bodies and one set of lenses, rather than two separate camera systems (Leica and Fuji).

 

Mmm - I don't know if I would necessarily argue that. As long as I had a backup kit I could reliably (and comfortably) shoot in in the event of emergency, that's all that matters. It also doesn't make business sense to buy 2 x $15k kits so I can have one sit in the car "just in case" - you know what I mean?

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[hdmesa]

3 minutes ago, bcapphoto said:

...I've got 8 years full-time on Fuji gear. Having it as a backup if I had to send my Leica stuff away isn't the end of the world. As I said - I've shot with it already for 8 years, so it would be totally natural and normal. 

I literally said, yes, you could finish the job with the backup Fujifilm. But I'm saying if you go with Leica, have more than one backup camera to cover you if the Leica has to go out for repair. Maybe you have two backups already, and I misread.

[bcapphoto]

I brought my Q2 with me to yesterdays wedding as my candid and wide PJ lens/kit. I always shoot with either 28/50 or 28/85 (equivalent). Instead of shooting with my X-Pro3 and 18mm f/1.4, I shot with my Q2. It didn't skip and beat and kept up, no problem. I really enjoyed shooting with it, too! 

 

(And yes, I had my X-Pro3 and 18mm f/1.4 loaded up in my bag as a backup) 

[bcapphoto]

1 minute ago, hdmesa said:

I literally said, yes, you could finish the job with the backup Fujifilm. But I'm saying if you go with Leica, have more than one backup camera to cover you if the Leica has to go out for repair. Maybe you have two backups already, and I misread.

Oh yea - I have more cameras and lenses than I know what to do with haha. And I have another full backup @ the office that we use for vlogs/webcam setup if I had to grab it for an event, too! 

[hdmesa]

6 minutes ago, bcapphoto said:

Oh yea - I have more cameras and lenses than I know what to do with haha. And I have another full backup @ the office that we use for vlogs/webcam setup if I had to grab it for an event, too! 

Ah, I see. Just my 2¢ that I would go with an R5/R3/A1/Z9/Z7 over an SL2/SL2-S simply due to how fast and accurate the autofocus is on those versus the SL cameras. If I were crazy enough to shoot weddings again, I'd go specifically for the R3 since it has a giant battery and integrated vertical grip but is still fairly light, at least compared to the Z9.

Edited June 5, 2022 by hdmesa

[bcapphoto]

2 minutes ago, hdmesa said:

Ah, I see. Just my 2¢ that I would go with an R5/R3/A1/Z9/Z7 over an SL2/SL2-S simply due to how fast and accurate the autofocus over the SL cameras. If I were crazy enough to shoot weddings again, I'd go specifically for the R3 since it has a giant battery and integrated vertical grip but is still fairly light, at least compared to the Z9.

I shot for 6-7 years with the D3/D4/D5 cameras and I don't know if I would want to go back with those big suckers again ha.

 

The Canon is decently larger than the SL2-S kit, too. The Canon kit (w/ the 50mm f/1.2) is 1965g vs. SL2-S kit w/ the 50mm APO Summicron is 1590g.  And the Canon is a fair bit larger still. 

 

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[hdmesa]

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11 minutes ago, bcapphoto said:

I shot for 6-7 years with the D3/D4/D5 cameras and I don't know if I would want to go back with those big suckers again ha.

 

The Canon is decently larger than the SL2-S kit, too. The Canon kit (w/ the 50mm f/1.2) is 1965g vs. SL2-S kit w/ the 50mm APO Summicron is 1590g.  And the Canon is a fair bit larger still. 

 

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Well, then if battery life and portrait-orientation grip are not vital, then R5/A1 

Why not rent an R5 + RF 50 1.2 and an SL2-S + SL 50 APO and try them out each at two different weddings to see what you think?

[bcapphoto]

1 minute ago, hdmesa said:

Well, then if battery life and portrait-orientation grip are not vital, then R5/A1 

Why not rent an R5 + RF 50 1.2 and an SL2-S + SL 50 APO and try them out each at two different weddings to see what you think?

The R5 is the higher MP one, right? I don't know if I want that TBH. But maybe the R6? It's the 24MP one, yes?

[hdmesa]

3 minutes ago, bcapphoto said:

The R5 is the higher MP one, right? I don't know if I want that TBH. But maybe the R6? It's the 24MP one, yes?

Correct. R6 (20mp) would also let you use two SD cards instead of one CF Express and one SD, plus it's cheaper. I owned both and landed on the R5, though. It's also a more fair fight against an SL camera. I don't know if you'd like the feel of the build quality of the R6 compared to an SL.

[Gavin Cato]

I wouldn't use a Q2 (as much as I love the little guy) due to single card slot. No thanks.

On Leica front, I shot weddings very well for roughly 2 years with mostly the SL2, 35/2, 50/1.4 and 90/2. No real need for anything else (though I did own more lenses).

However, the Leica support is horrific. I'm on Canon now and as much as I love the SL glass, for weddings the R5 is a better camera in pretty much every aspect. They don't feel remotely as nice in the hand as the SL2 but are incredibly efficient at shooting people. 

From my personal and very expensive experience I would not recommend using the SL system at weddings.

Each to their own and all that, by all means give it a go. Just know if the gear fails, minimum 2-4 months turnaround.

[Gavin Cato]

5 hours ago, bcapphoto said:

The Canon is decently larger than the SL2-S kit, too. The Canon kit (w/ the 50mm f/1.2) is 1965g vs. SL2-S kit w/ the 50mm APO Summicron is 1590g.  And the Canon is a fair bit larger still. 

of course, you are comparing 50 f2 vs a 50 1.2 - of course the leica will be lighter. 

I have the SL2 with the 50 SL 1.4 here and the R5 with the 50 1.2 though I can't be bothered to weigh them but I bet the Leica is heavier.

[beewee]

1 hour ago, Gavin Cato said:

of course, you are comparing 50 f2 vs a 50 1.2 - of course the leica will be lighter. 

I have the SL2 with the 50 SL 1.4 here and the R5 with the 50 1.2 though I can't be bothered to weigh them but I bet the Leica is heavier.

SL2 + 50/1.4 SL is 300g heavier than the R5 + 50/1.2 RF. They’re similar in size.

[Chris W]

9 hours ago, bcapphoto said:

Mmm - I don't know if I would necessarily argue that. As long as I had a backup kit I could reliably (and comfortably) shoot in in the event of emergency, that's all that matters. It also doesn't make business sense to buy 2 x $15k kits so I can have one sit in the car "just in case" - you know what I mean?

I was making the case for having one set of lenses. L mount if choosing the SL2-s. A back up L mount body is not $15k. You are wasting money if you maintain two separate systems with incompatible lens mounts, Leica and Fuji

[M11 for me]

vor 9 Stunden schrieb bcapphoto:

I shot for 6-7 years with the D3/D4/D5 cameras and I don't know if I would want to go back with those big suckers again ha.

 

The Canon is decently larger than the SL2-S kit, too. The Canon kit (w/ the 50mm f/1.2) is 1965g vs. SL2-S kit w/ the 50mm APO Summicron is 1590g.  And the Canon is a fair bit larger still. 

 

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You compare Apples with Pairs. Why take the R3?  Competitor to SL2 is R5. Why do you come about with such queer things? Is your request here real?

https://camerasize.com/compare/#851,843

Your picture above is fully wrong. Your SL2 is smaller than the M.

Plus the lens you compare is on the SL the 50mm f/2.0. On the Canon you take the 50mm f/1.2. Is it possible that you are not aware of all of that?

What is your intention here? 

Edited June 6, 2022 by M11 for me

[hansvons]

2 minutes ago, M11 for me said:

Your picture above is fully wrong. Why do you bring fake stuff here? Do you ask a real question or is this advertising: A poor photographer needing urgent help? And a second thing that seems strange to me: The jump from Fuji to Leica. 

Why so angry? The OP reacted with this picture to another poster who suggested the R3.

---

@bcapphoto, as you probably learned, a big chunk of posters in this thread try to stir you away from using Leica professionally.

There are tons of reasons to follow their advice. However, everyone is different and has a personal approach to the question: how to take a photo? And there are happy pros using Leica gear. I'm one of them. Do I shoot weddings? No. Do I shoot stuff that will be gone if missed? Yes. I even like to use old manual glass on these assignments. I can't get that look otherwise; sometimes, you have to take a risk. Do my clients bother? No. Are they happy with what I do? Yes. And that's because they like my style. Do they fancy my Leica gear? Sometimes, yes. But that raises only the expectations, naturally. 

Shooting people isn't all about sharp eyes and smiling faces. It's about how you interact, your personality and how deeply you are involved in the creation process. Routine is the death of art. You have to leave your comfort zone to reach the next level. Weddings, I guess, are not like sports, press conferences and other societal events. It's more about the more profound understanding of the happening, of friendships, the family's vibe, you name it, rather than the accurate documentation of a political event ending up in a newspaper. There are brilliant wedding photographers around who shoot their stuff entirely manually. 

Ok. A few more comments. 

2 Sd card slots. The second slot issue is in cinema land a non-issue. I've shot hundreds of TV commercials and only lost once a little chunk of data due to a faulty SD card. However, that data was recoverable later. Arri, for instance, not known for unreliable gear, offers one slot in their cameras which are roughly ten times more expensive than the SL2. I always buy the best available SD card. 

Backup body. That's a no-brainer if there's no rental shop nearby. The SL2-S can be bought for under 4k used. That's money for sure, but it's not wasted because you can sell the body at some point. The difference is the insurance fee. In reality, these pro-programmes that offer loaners are customer relation programs to glue people to the brand and igniting GAS.

[Chris W]

Aren't most people recording video to a separate drive - Samsung SSD or Ninja external recorder?

[hansvons]

13 minutes ago, Chris W said:

Aren't most people recording video to a separate drive - Samsung SSD or Ninja external recorder?

No. Not with the Alexa or Red cameras. 

[Chris W]

Doesn't look like the latest Alexa records to SD card:

'Media Type: ARRI Codex Compact Drive'

The Red Komodo records to C Fast, not SD card. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[hansvons]

1 minute ago, Chris W said:

Doesn't look like the latest Alexa records to SD card:

Yes. Only one slot, though. Regardless of the media, they don't believe in redundancy but rather in quality. I only purchase the top SD cards. 

Until 2016 or so, Red media (Gen 1 Red Mags) was designed in Raid0 configuration for speed, which added even more "insecurity". I owned such a camera for 8 years, and the media never failed; the sensor twice, though and needed service at Red Headquarters, which took 2 months to ship and fix in each incident. Red doesn't provide loaners - quite a costly experience. 

[Chris W]

SD cards are arguably less secure than CFast or external SSD.

I can see why people would be nervous about a single SD slot for an important event like a wedding.