My 'new' Leica SL typ 601 arrived in the Australian Bush

[Jacob the Photographer]

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Recently I received my 'new' Leica SL from the Leica Wetzlar shop - all the way from Wetzlar to Warrumbungle ... ??? ... a very small locality in Australia but with a big name : It is Australia's first Dark-Sky region and home to Australia's national Astronomical Observatory : Siding Spring Observatory , or by good Aussie tradition shortcut to SSO.

I'm a retired photographer with over 40 years pro camera work on my sleeves. And started my varied career in 1977 with .... Leica ! As a young photographer my first photo boss handed me a Leica M2 with the promise that if I performed well i would get a M3 - that did not take long 😉
Later in my own studio had a collection of Leicas hard at work: M4-P , M4 , the useless M5 and the just as useless CL. Tried a poor old R3 and R4 but did not like the system , eventually the Leicas all went out of the door around 1990 , mainly due to the fragile viewfinder and tragic slow flash sync. - I went for Nikon F3 and never looked back ... until Digital arrived. That confused the hell out of me , from one brand to another. A few years ago - I neared retirement and settled for Fujifilm X series with only prime lenses. I still made nice money with it but at the same time that silly amount of to small buttons .... OK I lived with it , created fabulous images that still sell. But often it felt like a barrier between me and my creativity. 

I just accepted that I would grow very old (older 😉 )with Fuji..... But I needed a 200 mm tele lens , of the best quality - the crazy expensive Fuji one was out of my league , I do not like zoom lenses , I mean AU$8000 for just one 200mm lens ?? So I researched and found the illustrious Leica Apo Telyt 180 3.4 ... hmm , I can fit that on my Fuji , interesting ! By a stroke of luck could bue a mint sample in Sydney for AUD$550 .
And then all my old Leica memories came back : the mechanical quality , the optical refined qualities , the general feel of handling something made with love for every detail. (Dear Fuji people forgive me , I know you are passionate as well) . And for the first time in about 30 years I looked at Leica again.
And so it happened:
I came across a certainLeica  model named 'SL' - honestly I had no clue 🙂 I read review after review and eventually decided to find a good used one - just to 'test the waters'. Found that nice one in Wetzlar for a friendly price with batteries and battery grip and the friendly staff in Wetzlar shipped it super well packed to Australia. My friends: it was love at first sight. This was the camera I should have had all my career. 
Is it perfect ? No ! Not one camera is ever perfect. But man oh woman ... the SL is great. I fitted it with a Novoflex L/R adapter , got some more R lenses ( I do not need AF and can not afford / justify the SL glass) and ... a Nikon adapter for some of my old Nikon glass. And I am almost happy.

Almost ?
Yes more about that in a soon to write next message from the Australian bush .

Cheers:
Jacob the Photographer 

 

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[mumu]

Dear Jacob,

what an interesting and nice story. Please keep us informed about your new love...

Regards Reimar

[vinoeolio]

Hello Jacob.....I fully understand your feeling about the Leica SL. Once I had the Leica SL the first time in my hand it felt like I cam home. Everything felt just so well. No fiddly nobs anymore a clear Menu an the Camera is built like a tank.......Congratulation to your choice......Josef from Bavaria

[mumu]

Dear Jacob,

will you show us some first results from your (i hope) loved Leica SL (601)?!