SL3 Rumors

[padam]

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1 minute ago, BernardC said:

The R5C is a demonstration of compromises required for usable 8K. Canon had to add an inch-thick cooler just to make it work reasonably well.

NLEs create proxies automatically in the background. I collaborated on a 12K project (a triptych of 3x 4K) where the editor used an entry-level M1 Macbook with no issues in Resolve.

No one is arguing against you, and no one will think less of you because of the camera you use. We all have our preferences, and if the R5 is yours, that's great. I shot Canon for many years, and then crossed the street the other way. I could list all of the reasons here (better UX, better files, etc.), but they aren't important to others.

Of course. I just don't buy into this "technology in other brands probably does not work properly" mentality without actually seeing what capabilities each of them have.
I wish it was true. In that case, there would be no argument to be made vs Leica being cutting edge worth it or not.

The R5 does not need a fan, just needs proper heat dissipation which was intentionally left out (and it was demonstrated in a YT video that is works perfectly well, Kolari Vision even offers it as a cooling mod). But they lifted the thermal limits via firmware, pretty much a non-issue now, even with the poor thermal design. So whether 8K is useful or not, it is quite capable in that regard (and there is also a 4K mode that benefits from it that is also missing from others).
Fewer models with newer processors seem fine without it even if they still decided not to bother with cooling too much.

And the SL3 may not bring a lot of new stuff to the table in comparison to what's already there.
I mean, what else could it realistically have, besides a 61MP Q3-like sensor and processor, a tilt screen and an even better viewfinder and IBIS? Not much,
While the SL2 and SL2-S both were significant additions to the SL system, but after trying other cameras example here some already start to feel that it's not cutting edge is some cases (or it does have the optical prowess, but AF in the lens is not that quick, etc.).
That's the main problem and I don't think it is bad if people treat them as they actually are. No better and no worse (same with all the M11 advancements vs all the issues).

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[Geoff C. Bassett]

On 9/27/2023 at 3:28 AM, WvE said:

I'm seriously contemplating to buy a SL-S (or SL2) to complement my M10-P. I would like to have an autofocus camera.

I tried the SL2-S in the Leica store and I found the look and feel to be second to none. However, what keeps me from buying it is the price and the tech, which is not the newest on the block. So, I'm also considering the new Nikon ZF which seems to be more value for money. The prices for second-hand SL2-S' are still pretty steep. What would you do, or wait what the SL3 brings?     

I was just able to grab a SL2 for $2800 on Keh, I love it so much in decent light that I had to jump on it. Honestly if your not shooting weddings or events in the dark I think the AF is more than enough. 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Geoff C. Bassett

[hansvons]

2 hours ago, padam said:

While the SL2 and SL2-S both were significant additions to the SL system, but after trying other cameras example here some already start to feel that it's not cutting edge is some cases (or it does have the optical prowess, but AF in the lens is not that quick, etc.).

FOMO on cutting-edge drives GAS. In that context, one must always buy the proverbial latest and greatest and must jump the proverbial ship whenever the proverbial cutting-edge pushes the proverbial envelope  . 

If I owned the Q2 should I have bought the Q3? And why don't I own one of these?  Should I have bought an SL2 instead of the SL2-S for those landscape shots?  Even more importantly, should I have travelled to Iceland like everyone else? But without an XD2? And if I owned the Hasselblad, would that improve my campaign and journalist work, mostly péople? 

And there are a gazillion more of such questions.

The reality is often very different from an image-making point of view.

I figured that I'm happiest with 35mm film. Yeah. M6 and M4P, Summicron 35mm. That's about 4-5K. And it's noisy as hell. And the colours are surely not true to life. I don't care. But my audience cares. They like my film photos better by a large margin. And that's because they look unique, have been made with care and are not disposables in today's digital mega landfill. 

Would I care to test the new SL3? Sure. Because, maybe, Leica will fix the fixed screen and make it adjustable. Because, maybe, Leica will fix the heft by making the body a bit smaller. Because, maybe, Leica will introduce internal raw video (that would be something, indeed).

Would I buy it? No. The SL2-S does it all good enough for my talent.

---

(I once was an ambassador for Canon cine lenses. I had the honour to testdrive almost everything they offered. I totally understand why pro photographers tend to prefer Canon. It's just not me. And it's not about the numbers. For me, it's the colour. That's it. And that counts for the lenses as well. Purely subjective.)

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by hansvons

[padam]

Yes,, I am more set up (back) towards an SL2-S as well, almost knowing that I will end up with one anyway after venting the frustrations and being at piece again.
An SL3 already looks to be an unsuitable replacement for an SL2-S as a hybrid. (FF 4K will be inferior, simply put)
One thing that I forgot to add that while those SL3 improvements look fairly tame (to me anyway)
Just like the O3 vs. Q2 the MSRP over SL2 might increase very little, if any in the US with the strong $. (But if they sell used SL2 copies under 3000$ then it shows how overpriced it is at 7000$ - I know, silly to talk about Leica being overpriced in the first place...)

[LocalHero1953]

For the amateur video shooter, or at least the low budget video shooter, there are benefits to high resolution that are nothing to do with deliverable high resolution. Shooting at 8k, 6k and 4k means you can digitally zoom in to FHD/2k without owning or changing to different lenses. Professional set-ups might do the same thing with several cameras, but a cheapskate like me can shoot a stage play with one lens, and then cut, pan and zoom to close-up action during editing. I already do this from 4k with the SL2-S (and previously with the Sigma fp).

Edited September 30, 2023 by LocalHero1953

[hansvons]

56 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

a cheapskate like me can shoot a stage play with one lens, and then cut, pan and zoom to close-up action during editing.

I once owned a Red Epic with the Dragon 6K sensor. I found that I lost too much quality when punching in to jump from one shot size to another in storytelling terms, e.g., from medium long shot to close-up. But adjusting framing, changing a medium close-up to a close-up, works nicely. Having proper 6K does help a lot in that regard. But for pros, that's often not a requirement. Arri's brand new Alexa 35 has a 4K sensor and sells like hotcakes. I absolutely see that, as I prefer fidelity over resolution.

By the way, have you tried Topaz VIdeo AI? That application delivers striking video restoration experiences. Perhaps it could help to make that zoomed close-up a bit less thin if that was a problem.

If Leica would introduce an SL3-S that is a tad smaller, has an articulated screen, and offers 6K FF video pixel-to-pixel from a 24 MP sensor raw internally, I'd be interested. Until then, the SL2-S. 

[LocalHero1953]

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7 minutes ago, hansvons said:

I once owned a Red Epic with the Dragon 6K sensor. I found that I lost too much quality when punching in to jump from one shot size to another in storytelling terms, e.g., from medium long shot to close-up. But adjusting framing, changing a medium close-up to a close-up, works nicely. Having proper 6K does help a lot in that regard. But for pros, that's often not a requirement. Arri's brand new Alexa 35 has a 4K sensor and sells like hotcakes. I absolutely see that, as I prefer fidelity over resolution.

By the way, have you tried Topaz VIdeo AI? That application delivers striking video restoration experiences. Perhaps it could help to make that zoomed close-up a bit less thin if that was a problem.

If Leica would introduce an SL3-S that is a tad smaller, has an articulated screen, and offers 6K FF video pixel-to-pixel from a 24 MP sensor raw internally, I'd be interested. Until then, the SL2-S. 

Thanks for the heads-up about Topaz Video AI - I shall have a look at it. 

I have only zoomed from 4k to FHD, and didn't notice too much loss of quality, but then they were stage performance which didn't have ideal lighting

[BernardC]

7 hours ago, padam said:

An SL3 already looks to be an unsuitable replacement for an SL2-S as a hybrid. (FF 4K will be inferior, simply put)
One thing that I forgot to add that while those SL3 improvements look fairly tame (to me anyway)

Did I miss an announcement, or did someone breach an NDA? Do you have a link?

[IkarusJohn]

6 hours ago, BernardC said:

Did I miss an announcement, or did someone breach an NDA? Do you have a link?

Looks like speculation becoming fact through repetition.

[Pierre68]

can't afford to read this whole thread. Is there anything interesting to notice?

[IkarusJohn]

9 minutes ago, Pierre68 said:

can't afford to read this whole thread. Is there anything interesting to notice?

No

[Pierre68]

Just now, IkarusJohn said:

No

That's what I feared...

 

[trickness]

6 hours ago, IkarusJohn said:

No

Anybody who actually does know anything interesting is surely under NDA.

[IkarusJohn]

We’ll know what we know in due course, and some will say they were right all along and others will stay silent.  But we will only know when Wetzlar is ready to tell us.

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, trickness said:

Anybody who actually does know anything interesting is surely under NDA.

And you started this whole  (predictable) thread 8 months ago, thinking that “it might be fun to take some guesses.” 🤪

Jeff

[T25UFO]

5 hours ago, trickness said:

Anybody who actually does know anything interesting is surely under NDA.

But doesn't the same thing happen ahead of every new camera release?  596 posts, 30 pages, 8 months, 0 result.  It's the fun of the forum!

[frame-it]

10 minutes ago, T25UFO said:

But doesn't the same thing happen ahead of every new camera release?  596 posts, 30 pages, 8 months, 0 result.  It's the fun of the forum!

well, its not always a 0 result, as some things do turn out to be true, and Leica does read this forum as well.

 

[IkarusJohn]

9 minutes ago, frame-it said:

well, its not always a 0 result, as some things do turn out to be true, and Leica does read this forum as well.

 

Something is bound to be true - isn’t that the law of averages?

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[frame-it]

49 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said:

Something is bound to be true - isn’t that the law of averages?

yes it is....and after a few years of covid and other shit, its nice to be positive at least on this forum.

[T25UFO]

The 3 in SL3 should be true unless Leica reverts back to the type numbering of a couple of M generations ago.

Good things happen in threes!