AFc issue and struggling to fall in love with my SL2s.

[Lukelog]

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Hello,

I recently picked up a used SL2s from a well known camera store here in the UK.

It's my second Leica after a Q which travelled the world with me and I liked alot, only eventually selling when it became too big to carry around as an EDC when my daughter was born and suddenly we had a million other things! A Ricoh Gr3x has done a fine job as an EDC since, with more than 10k images captured on it in the last 18 months.

Anyway I digress. I'm a Director by trade, mostly car and sports commercials shooting all over the world.

We normally shoot on Arri Alexa cameras or, from time to time 16/35 or even 60mm film when budget allows. But I always take a trusty Sony FX3 as a C-camera, it often gets mounted in cars, or is left running as a safety wide, or even crashed into inside a metal box for some scenes.

Ive digressed again. Just last week I picked up an SL2s with the 24-70mm as the used price meant I could get rid of the FX3(and sigma 24 70mm) and take home the Leica and some change.

The thinking is that the Leica will probably still be good enough quality with an external recorder as a C-camera, but at home it'll get use as a primary stills camera when we have space to take it.

First problem(not a fault of the system as such) was that the EVF has a hair or dust stuck right in the middle of frame, incredibly frustrating and ruins the experience of what looks to be an otherwise fantastic EVF. The company have offered a refund but don't have another used unit in stock, so I'd be about £1500 deeper in to buy a new one.

Second challenge is auto focus. There's a strong chance this is user error on my part, but when setting the camera to AFc and Tracking, it tracks right up until I press record in video, then the green box turns white and no longer tracks the object, it's strange behaviour that I can't work out how to change. Any advice welcomed.

I'm also finding the Leica Fotos app disappointing, with the(much much cheaper) Ricoh app connecting quicker and being easier to use all round.

I have 45 days to decide whether to keep the camera, in a perfect world I'll fall in love with it and end up down an R lens rabbit hole, a family trip to Copenhagen next week will probably tell me all I need to know, if the Ricoh is all I take out of the hotel room by the end of the trip!

 

Apologies for the lengthy post.

 

Luke 

 

 

[jaapv]

I have nothing to do with professional video as a rank amateur, but if i were in your position and interested in Leica lenses I would turn to Panasonic. As an SL2S owner I am not impressed with its tracking performance. The S5iiX draws positive reviews -also my experience-  and there is more in the pipeline 

[frame-it]

8 hours ago, Lukelog said:

Second challenge is auto focus. There's a strong chance this is user error on my part, but when setting the camera to AFc and Tracking, it tracks right up until I press record in video, then the green box turns white and no longer tracks the object, it's strange behaviour that I can't work out how to change. Any advice welcomed.

autofocus for video with an SL ????????

prolly way better with manual focus..

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[Markey]

I`m an SL2s owner and can confirm that the focus is poor for moving subjects (in my case equestrian /jumping ).

I had better or should I say more consistent results with my M3DS but with the SL2s the uncertainty is always present.

Previous advice is correct .... its not the right camera but as to why they didn`t produce the right camera is another question.

Edited December 11, 2024 by Markey

[davidmknoble]

The SL2s has an incredible sensor for when it was made.  It was also created as a video tool and some have incredible results with it, but they often use manual focus.  Auto focus has gotten better with the SL3, but the SL system has not been known for the best auto focusing or tracking.  I agree with @jaapv, if you can find a body compatible with SL lenses that gets the focus tracking the way you want, that is likely the way to go (I have no experience with Panasonic or sony bodies).  

I do have the SL2s as a second body and used it with the 24-90 and 90-280 in Antarctica including very amateurish videos of large whale pods with the 90-280, which focused well while shooting video.

[BernardC]

You have two conflicting use cases. You want a personal camera that is more handy than a Q, and a B-cam for pro shoots.

Frankly, for the B-cam role, a Lumix S5iiX or S9 will do the job better. They have better video AF than your Sony, and Panasonic V-Log is supported by every NLE you would actually use. You can also plug them into external recorders and get BRAW or ProRes Raw. Plus you can shoot 6K.

The other option is to wait a few months for the SL2-S replacement which should have better AF and video. It won't happen before 2025, but it should be worth the wait.

 

[Geoff C. Bassett]

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If you need video AF get rid of it, it will just disappoint you.

[Kim Dahl]

Hi, does anyone know for sure that AF is better and video is better in an SL3-S. ?

The SL2-S was - when it was presented - supposed to be Leica SL's answer to a better video camera than the SL2.

But it wasn't really good either.

Nice if some have rumors on SL3-S video spec/AF.  

Totally agree that Sony/ (Canon) is Much better for video/AF 

[Lukelog]

Thank you for everyone's advice. 

I should have been clearer, for video specific work, I won't be using the AF often, the camera would be rigged up with a wireless follow focus on cine lenses so not a problem.

 

However for shooting some nice home video of my little girl, it just doesn't function full stop. It's not that it's bad(I don't expect it to be brilliant), it's that it doesn't turn on at all.

Should the green tracking box stay green even when I press record? Currently what happens is, I select a tracking point, it goes green and does an OK job of tracking the object, then I press record, and it stops tracking instantly, the box goes white. Is this a setting I have got wrong, perhaps a firmware issue with the lens?

I appreciate all of your responses, certainly food for thought, maybe I should just go with an M-body and a couple of nice lenses then rent in a C-cam when needed!

Thanks again, 

Luke 

[LBJ2]

5 minutes ago, Lukelog said:

Thank you for everyone's advice. 

I should have been clearer, for video specific work, I won't be using the AF often, the camera would be rigged up with a wireless follow focus on cine lenses so not a problem.

 

However for shooting some nice home video of my little girl, it just doesn't function full stop. It's not that it's bad(I don't expect it to be brilliant), it's that it doesn't turn on at all.

Should the green tracking box stay green even when I press record? Currently what happens is, I select a tracking point, it goes green and does an OK job of tracking the object, then I press record, and it stops tracking instantly, the box goes white. Is this a setting I have got wrong, perhaps a firmware issue with the lens?

I appreciate all of your responses, certainly food for thought, maybe I should just go with an M-body and a couple of nice lenses then rent in a C-cam when needed!

Thanks again, 

Luke 

I couldn't get past the hair or dust stuck in the middle of the EVF --would drive me loco. If you decide to keep this camera, maybe best to send that cam back to the shop and request they take care of that for you. But also if you are coming from the small but mighty Sony FX3 experince, not sure you are going to be happy with the SL2-S by comparison, Have you had a chance to compare rolling shutter yet?

 

[BernardC]

21 minutes ago, Kim Dahl said:

Hi, does anyone know for sure that AF is better and video is better in an SL3-S. ?

The SL2-S was - when it was presented - supposed to be Leica SL's answer to a better video camera than the SL2.

But it wasn't really good either.

First things first, we don't know when or if the SL3s will be released. It's just a rumour for now.

What didn't you like about the SL2s' for video? If it's just the AF, you can expect a significant improvement.

I never use AF for video, but the SL2s provided significant improvements over the SL and SL2 in terms of CODECs and image quality (no re-sampling). It's quite a capable camera for a hybrid, but it won't be as good/convenient as a dedicated video camera.

[Lukelog]

Can this please not turn into a 'What will the SL3 be like for video' post, as I have no intention of spending out on an SL3(S).

[Lukelog]

1 hour ago, LBJ2 said:

I couldn't get past the hair or dust stuck in the middle of the EVF --would drive me loco. If you decide to keep this camera, maybe best to send that cam back to the shop and request they take care of that for you. But also if you are coming from the small but mighty Sony FX3 experince, not sure you are going to be happy with the SL2-S by comparison, Have you had a chance to compare rolling shutter yet?

 

It does drive me loco and truth be told will likely be the reason I send it back. The shop have said they don't have a repair connection with Leica, so my options are either keep it, or accept a full refund. 

I haven't shot anything of note with it yet, I just can't work out this autofocus issue, when I can, I'll give it a go shooting my little girl around the house and get it graded to see how it looks. 

[Malabito]

If you need reliable autofocus, Leica is not the right system. This perhaps is not what you want to hear, but no matter if is sl2s, or sl3 autofocus in leica just good enough, (mediocre with the sl2 and close to good enough on the sl3). Seems like you are planning to shoot video with the camera, using autofocus, if thats your requirment better send it back while you can, and no the sl3 will not give you great autofocus, it will be better, but far from the other systems....

[hdmesa]

Dust in the EVF answers the question — return it pronto. Get an S5IIX or Canon R5/6 if you want better AF for video. 

[Lukelog]

Today I found another issue that may well be down to user error.

 

I noticed overnight the battery completely drained from full despite being turned off.

 

I can only put this down to the WiFi connection between the camera and the Fotos app. The app was closed down but perhaps the camera is using alot of power 'waiting' to connect to the app.

My little Ricoh has a remote startup function which works perfectly and never discharges the battery a noticeable amount.

Is there a way of having remote startup from the app without it draining battery so much when turned off? 

 

 

[hdmesa]

3 hours ago, Lukelog said:

...I noticed overnight the battery completely drained from full despite being turned off.

I can only put this down to the WiFi connection between the camera and the Fotos app. The app was closed down but perhaps the camera is using alot of power 'waiting' to connect to the app.

My little Ricoh has a remote startup function which works perfectly and never discharges the battery a noticeable amount.

Is there a way of having remote startup from the app without it draining battery so much when turned off? 

 

 

Make sure you have GPS/location tagging turned off.