Entering (and slowly switching) to Leica System

[Rmccoole]

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I don’t dispute anything the very seasoned Leica users have pointed out. I’m an amateur and left Sony to go to Leica by buying a CL. Now I also have an SL2 and SL3. I never had a Nikon, and loved my Sony, but the build of Leica is far better than Sony. I love the history, the depth and consistency of the brand. For what I do, the “results” are not only just fine, they are pretty damn good. It doesn’t sound like the cost to get the SL2-S is a problem, so I’d go for it. It may take you into a completely different area. At 74 years old, working with and understanding my cameras is a major source of continuing education and learning. It could be for you, too.

Thanks for putting yourself out there in your post. Admirable.

Edited January 10 by Rmccoole

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[FlashGordonPhotography]

9 hours ago, keeping_a_balance said:

Only a local experience, but I was in the Leica store in Zurich to consult about waiting time to get my visoflex 2 / hotshoe on the m11 repaired.  The guy at the store did mention that if I was a professional they would provide me with a replacement camera while it was being repaired.   - I did not consult which models they have etc... but felt it was a good step.    maybe will be expanded to other stores.

 

 

 

9 hours ago, jaapv said:

Not only the stores. Leica tries to be as accommodating as they can. They once pulled a M240 from the assembly line as mine died just before my holiday- and me not even a professional. 

Fine if you’re in Europe. Not so hot from Oz where months is normal.

However….

The reality for a *professional* wedding photographer is you HAVE to be totally self sufficient. You break a camera during a Friday wedding you need to be up and running for Saturday, no matter what. You’re not getting a loaner between 10pm Friday and noon Saturday. Not to mention that when I was a CPS member they let me down multiple times with loan gear. Multiple times. We have a saying. 3 is 2 and 2 is 1. You ALWAYS have backups to your backups if you do this properly because you can’t reshoot or reschedule. And Canon service is closed on the weekend. Newbies have one or two cameras for wedding work. Real pros have 3 or 4 or 5. Or you’re ready to roll into a shop on Saturday morning and buy another one if one breaks Friday. Unlike studio shooters we don’t do rentals. No time to organise that kind of stuff. You also need to be near a CPS/NPS service centre. Mine is a two hour drive each way. 

So for some working photographers it doesn’t matter if there’s a week or months of repair time or if there’s a loan service. That’s still too late. You need to be your own loan service and you need to carefully consider that if you change systems. Especially when that change is to something expensive like Leica.

When I switched to Leica I had to buy 2 x M9’s. I kept a 5Dii and a couple of lenses as my third. When I bought into the SL system I got two bodies and kept the M’s as backups. Sold the last of the Canon gear. Kept the SL’s when I bought my SL2’s etc. Many times had something go down. Always turned up the next day with three cameras. No matter what.

For some CPS can be your backup. Or rentals. Studio photographers maybe. But not for all of us.

Gordon

[jaapv]

Of course. Just throw a couple of used Pana S bodies and a Sigma 28-70 and 70-200 in the boot of your car. 

[Photoworks]

On 1/10/2025 at 3:54 PM, FlashGordonPhotography said:

 

Fine if you’re in Europe. Not so hot from Oz where months is normal.

However….

The reality for a *professional* wedding photographer is you HAVE to be totally self sufficient. You break a camera during a Friday wedding you need to be up and running for Saturday, no matter what. You’re not getting a loaner between 10pm Friday and noon Saturday. Not to mention that when I was a CPS member they let me down multiple times with loan gear. Multiple times. We have a saying. 3 is 2 and 2 is 1. You ALWAYS have backups to your backups if you do this properly because you can’t reshoot or reschedule. And Canon service is closed on the weekend. Newbies have one or two cameras for wedding work. Real pros have 3 or 4 or 5. Or you’re ready to roll into a shop on Saturday morning and buy another one if one breaks Friday. Unlike studio shooters we don’t do rentals. No time to organise that kind of stuff. You also need to be near a CPS/NPS service centre. Mine is a two hour drive each way. 

So for some working photographers it doesn’t matter if there’s a week or months of repair time or if there’s a loan service. That’s still too late. You need to be your own loan service and you need to carefully consider that if you change systems. Especially when that change is to something expensive like Leica.

When I switched to Leica I had to buy 2 x M9’s. I kept a 5Dii and a couple of lenses as my third. When I bought into the SL system I got two bodies and kept the M’s as backups. Sold the last of the Canon gear. Kept the SL’s when I bought my SL2’s etc. Many times had something go down. Always turned up the next day with three cameras. No matter what.

For some CPS can be your backup. Or rentals. Studio photographers maybe. But not for all of us.

Gordon

As a professional in NYC, i agree with Gordon.

I repack for every job, and backup from the camera, lenses, flash, lights and batteries and lastly computer and cables.
Everything to Finish the job. I would not get a second shooter that does the same.

CPS is probably the best service in this area, repairs a quick, and loners are not great as they have so many people asking. But not an issue as you need multiple cameras to even qualify for CPS basic support.

NPC was and still is terrible in the NY area, so that is the same for the US. We are talking Leica times for repairs.

Sony has paid Pro support, and I have sent some lenses in for repair, most of the time that consisted of a replacement or the lens. Many of the lenses can not be taken apart and it is less money for them to replace them. The service is about a week turnaround.

I had a talk with Leica recently in Germany, the repair times are currently reduced drastically as they catching up on repairs. A big help was the US is now doing M system repairs in-house, and playing SL system in the future. Most M repairs are 3-4 weeks in the US

[FlashGordonPhotography]

On 1/11/2025 at 8:22 AM, jaapv said:

Of course. Just throw a couple of used Pana S bodies and a Sigma 28-70 and 70-200 in the boot of your car. 

Not for weddings. Flash hot shoes are different. Throws all your TTL lighting out. Best to keep a camera from the previous generation. If your shoot OCF you can just have a trigger for Panasonic but not for on camera.

Lenses. Absolutely. The f4 Panasonic 70-200 makes a nice backup as well.

Gordon

[Slender]

My SL2 passed the 150 000 shutter clics mark this week, mostly shooting in the high-high-end luxury world of private events, many of them in low light. Granted these arent weddings but it has to be the closest thing I can think of.

There are wedding photographers charging premium to shoot with Leica M cameras.... which I also use next to my SL2. Paired with the 24-90 its the ultimate money-maker-workshorse for me.

You will definitively stand out from the competition in some ways, it wont make you a better photographer but its limitation surely will force you to be more mindfull. In low light without the flash I can produce decent results for the clients up to 12500 iso, I find, since LR got so good at denoising. It will be even better with SL2s, Sl3, SL3s cameras.