Are the pixelrace dead? Do I really need a SL3?

[dennersten]

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I am a part-time photo artist, working on exhibitions and books. I currently shoot with a Leica SL2-S and an M9, but I need an additional camera, mainly as a backup.

I often create large prints. The attached images were taken with a Hasselblad SWC on film, scanned at 24 MP, and printed at 1.5 x 1.5 meters. Recently, I produced a 5.5-meter print for a church.

For 98% of my work, 24 MP is more than sufficient. However, I use Adobe AI Super Resolution to upscale SL2-S files to 72 MP for heavy cropping or huge prints.

My question is: Am I missing out on any details compared to the SL3? I've searched for comparisons but haven’t found much information.

Do I really need an SL3? The SL2 is currently available at excellent prices, and I don’t need the speed of the SL3-S. I am currently pleased with my prints. But it would be fun if the SL3 really gives me more details. 

 

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[Jeff S]

Why don’t you demo, rent or borrow one and see?  Your workflow and techniques, from shot to final print display, as well as your judging standards, are unique to you.  
 

I don’t print as large as you, but the camera is only one of many variables that determine my final print quality, including other hardware (e.g., lenses), editing software and techniques, printer/ink/paper selections, and much more, including all-important lighting conditions for both the shot and for the final print display.

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 9 Minuten schrieb Jeff S:

Why don’t you demo, rent or borrow one and see?

Yep!
That is my usual answer when someone ask for opinions about expensive purchases.
More MP is desirable if heavy cropping and/or large prints are needed but it comes with the back draw of more noise at high ISO.
I shoot 90% maximum 28mm so sometimes i need to be able to crop without degrading the photo, but that's me.

Not really knowing what you shoot i suggest to rent a SL3 for a few days and repeat some shots you already have done and may do new ones you wanted to do including some under low light conditions to see if the SL3 will do what you expect or SL2 would do the trick for much less money.

Chris

 

[Photoworks]

We all use some AI these days. How do you feel if as an artist when the AI changes you image?
There are always noticeable changes in texture and line refinement. I have kept testing different software and most of the time, I am not happy about the changes. 

I have shots shot on 24MP camera and displayed for billboards in NYC in 20m size, but it is all relative to the viewing distance.

Higher MP makes it easier if you want detailed prints. If your images are not all about sharpness and details and more showing a mood, I don't see how much MP will add to the story.

At the end to me, images are taken once! I try to take them to the best quality I can, with a high MP camera and good lenses.
SL2 has Multishot that is limited by 1 sec exposure. I was told SL3 will have it too eventually. I don't use it much because it needs a tripod and can't use my studio lights.

[Photoworks]

10 minutes ago, PhotoCruiser said:

Not really knowing what you shoot i suggest to rent a SL3 for a few days and repeat some shots you already have done and may do new ones you wanted to do including some under low light conditions to see if the SL3 will do what you expect or SL2 would do the trick for much less money.

@dennersten since you have the the SL2s, you can embrace the SL3 with the same and a bit better noise control on the new camera.

SL2 is good on many occasions as long you keep in control of your ISO.
On this camera exposures above 800ISO the noise starts to show. If you underexpose a bit the noise will show in post, if you are doing longer exposures at 400ISO the noise starts to show.  But there is always AI to fix it.

[Einst_Stein]

4 hours ago, dennersten said:

 

I am a part-time photo artist, working on exhibitions and books. I currently shoot with a Leica SL2-S and an M9, but I need an additional camera, mainly as a backup.

I often create large prints. The attached images were taken with a Hasselblad SWC on film, scanned at 24 MP, and printed at 1.5 x 1.5 meters. Recently, I produced a 5.5-meter print for a church.

For 98% of my work, 24 MP is more than sufficient. However, I use Adobe AI Super Resolution to upscale SL2-S files to 72 MP for heavy cropping or huge prints.

My question is: Am I missing out on any details compared to the SL3? I've searched for comparisons but haven’t found much information.

Do I really need an SL3? The SL2 is currently available at excellent prices, and I don’t need the speed of the SL3-S. I am currently pleased with my prints. But it would be fun if the SL3 really gives me more details. 

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Wow, what a beautiful gallery.

I doubt you need much advice, if any. You tell me!

 

[LD_50]

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5 hours ago, dennersten said:

 

I am a part-time photo artist, working on exhibitions and books. I currently shoot with a Leica SL2-S and an M9, but I need an additional camera, mainly as a backup.

I often create large prints. The attached images were taken with a Hasselblad SWC on film, scanned at 24 MP, and printed at 1.5 x 1.5 meters. Recently, I produced a 5.5-meter print for a church.

For 98% of my work, 24 MP is more than sufficient. However, I use Adobe AI Super Resolution to upscale SL2-S files to 72 MP for heavy cropping or huge prints.

My question is: Am I missing out on any details compared to the SL3? I've searched for comparisons but haven’t found much information.

Do I really need an SL3? The SL2 is currently available at excellent prices, and I don’t need the speed of the SL3-S. I am currently pleased with my prints. But it would be fun if the SL3 really gives me more details. 

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

The difference between cameras at different sensor resolutions is one of the most discussed and most documented topics. There are countless YT videos, forum posts, articles, etc that deal with this. 

Ultimately, with the same high quality lens and the same viewing medium, size and distance you will have to decide what you deem to be an acceptable level of detail.

Using AI to upres is making up detail that isn’t really there so that’s a different topic altogether for me. 

[dennersten]

On 2025-03-02 at 14:51, Jeff S said:

Why don’t you demo, rent or borrow one and see?  Your workflow and techniques, from shot to final print display, as well as your judging standards, are unique to you.  
 

I don’t print as large as you, but the camera is only one of many variables that determine my final print quality, including other hardware (e.g., lenses), editing software and techniques, printer/ink/paper selections, and much more, including all-important lighting conditions for both the shot and for the final print display.

That sounds sensible. There is no place to rent in my area. But I am exhibiting in Gothenburg at easter, and they have rental possibilites. Thanks, good idea. 

[dennersten]

On 2025-03-02 at 15:07, PhotoCruiser said:

Yep!
That is my usual answer when someone ask for opinions about expensive purchases.
More MP is desirable if heavy cropping and/or large prints are needed but it comes with the back draw of more noise at high ISO.
I shoot 90% maximum 28mm so sometimes i need to be able to crop without degrading the photo, but that's me.

Not really knowing what you shoot i suggest to rent a SL3 for a few days and repeat some shots you already have done and may do new ones you wanted to do including some under low light conditions to see if the SL3 will do what you expect or SL2 would do the trick for much less money.

Chris

 

Thanks for the sensible advice. The ISO issue concerns me since I live in Sweden, where it’s very dark—on Christmas Eve, the sun is only up from 09:30 to 14:30. So, ISO is crucial. I tried Googling the highest possible ISO on the SL3 but found conflicting answers. I suppose the noise tolerance is quite subjective. The most practical approach, as you suggested, is to rent one and test it myself.

[Dazzajl]

As said, this is a much discussed topic. Probably because there isn't one straight or definitive answer. 

I shoot from 10 to 100mp and of course the level of detail captured is very different. The biggest difference though, once you step back from working on the files (pixel peeping) is the 'look'. My personal preference for megapixels on a 35mm size sensor is in the 16/20 neighbourhood. 24mp is probably the sweet spot for file size vs look but it's a very personal thing. 

Yeah, I guess that comes back to try one and see how much you like it.

[jaapv]

20 hours ago, LD_50 said:

The difference between cameras at different sensor resolutions is one of the most discussed and most documented topics. There are countless YT videos, forum posts, articles, etc that deal with this. 

Ultimately, with the same high quality lens and the same viewing medium, size and distance you will have to decide what you deem to be an acceptable level of detail.

Using AI to upres is making up detail that isn’t really there so that’s a different topic altogether for me. 

I would suggest that the quality of the detail is more important than the amount. 

[hoolyproductions]

28 minutes ago, dennersten said:

Thanks for the sensible advice. The ISO issue concerns me since I live in Sweden, where it’s very dark—on Christmas Eve, the sun is only up from 09:30 to 14:30. So, ISO is crucial. I tried Googling the highest possible ISO on the SL3 but found conflicting answers. I suppose the noise tolerance is quite subjective. The most practical approach, as you suggested, is to rent one and test it myself.

Hello neighbour, I live in Finland so experience the same very dark winter. I'm very pleased with the high ISO quality on the SL3 (my main use case is low light music photography, but I also do candid landscapes). In this setting (ISO 12500, underexposed shadows that need to be lifted) it is leagues ahead of the SL2 IMO and quite satisfactory. But indeed, best to check for yourself if you can. I noticed that Rajala Finland do rentals these days so.

I did however decide to get an SL3-S for my low light work (and as a back up), which does still have an edge for low light.

[Stuart Richardson]

On 3/2/2025 at 1:36 PM, dennersten said:

 

I am a part-time photo artist, working on exhibitions and books. I currently shoot with a Leica SL2-S and an M9, but I need an additional camera, mainly as a backup.

I often create large prints. The attached images were taken with a Hasselblad SWC on film, scanned at 24 MP, and printed at 1.5 x 1.5 meters. Recently, I produced a 5.5-meter print for a church.

For 98% of my work, 24 MP is more than sufficient. However, I use Adobe AI Super Resolution to upscale SL2-S files to 72 MP for heavy cropping or huge prints.

My question is: Am I missing out on any details compared to the SL3? I've searched for comparisons but haven’t found much information.

Do I really need an SL3? The SL2 is currently available at excellent prices, and I don’t need the speed of the SL3-S. I am currently pleased with my prints. But it would be fun if the SL3 really gives me more details. 

 

 

I work as an artist and an exhibition printer. I would say that 24mp is definitely not as good as you can get, particularly for the scanning. I think you would notice a substantial jump in detail with a 47 or 60mp camera. As for AI upscaling, in my experience it does more harm than good. It creates fake detail that often disrupts the natural look of the image. There are often uneven or strange variations in sharpness and softness. Personally I find it to be counterproductive. Ultimately this is a very simple question: does more detail captured mean more detailed output? The answer is yes. If you were asking about A4 prints the answer would be no, but you are asking about massive prints.

Edited March 6 by Stuart Richardson

[jaapv]

That is correct. Using a high pixel count to counter upscaling or cropping loss is very useful but I would argue that for most photographers this is a specialized use that does not impact their needs. How many A0 prints will a wedding photographer make -or a hobbyist for that matter? For those that print to A3+ max or display on a screen 24 MP is more than enough. Acuity of detail is more important than amount of detail ( the viewer will never know that it ever was there) 

[hoolyproductions]

56 minutes ago, jaapv said:

That is correct. Using a high pixel count to counter upscaling or cropping loss is very useful but I would argue that for most photographers this is a specialized use that does not impact their needs. How many A0 prints will a wedding photographer make -or a hobbyist for that matter? For those that print to A3+ max or display on a screen 24 MP is more than enough. Acuity of detail is more important than amount of detail ( the viewer will never know that it ever was there) 

Yes, but the OP is doing fine art reproduction and massive prints 🥰

[Stuart Richardson]

We are not talking about most photographers here. The OP asked a specific question. He did not ask about small prints or the web. He asked “am I missing out on details compared to the SL3?” The answer to that question is yes. The SL3 has nearly three times as many pixels and those pixels are of very similar quality to those in the SL2S. More pixels means more subtle detail and tonality recorded. So much of life is complicated, this question is not!

[jaapv]

Quite that is clear, and as such a legitimate question and answer. However, this forum is read by many asothers as well and we need to try and replace the “more is always better “ mentality by a “fits the needs” one. 

[Archiver]

Just wondering, does your subject matter lend itself to the SL2S multi shot mode? That mode delivers a 96MP image, would that work for you?

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Photoworks]

AI = 🩼

[Photoworks]

especial proud should be the artist that can say, I didn't use AI!