SL3 - New Firmware 3.1.1 - That's It?

[geronimosan]

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The long-awaited new firmware is out for the SL3 and it is, at best, lackluster.  The camera has been out for more than a year, and the much needed/requested improvements to autofocus go unanswered, animal detection still sits in underwhelming Beta phase (even though the technology it is derived from has been greatly improved in other camera brand systems), no multishot that the SL2 has, on and on.

This is the long and complex list of improvements we waited more than a year to receive from Leica:

• Access to the function Headphone Volume is now additionally available via the menu Audio in the Video section, and via the FN button.
• The function Magnification can now be activated and deactivated by pressing the joystick.
• When making changes to the icon assignments in the Control Center, the function assignment list will open with the currently assigned option presented in the list as the starting position.
• The former menus Film Style and Video Style (accessible via JPG Settings) were integrated into the Leica Looks menu, and their menu items will now be accessible via the Main Menu.
• The firmware update process was optimized. Following a firmware update, all previous settings will remain unchanged, and the dialogue “Do you want to save profiles on SD card?” will no longer be displayed. A battery charge level of around 25% will now suffice for starting the update process.
• Electronic shutter speed 1/16000 s will now be available for P/A mode.
• The function AF-ON can now be combined with the functions Eye/ Face/Body Detection and Animal Detection.

Edited May 9 by geronimosan

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[rim_light]

10 minutes ago, geronimosan said:

• The former menus Film Style and Video Style (accessible via JPG Settings) were integrated into the Leica Looks menu, and their menu items will now be accessible via the Main Menu.

Never understood this design decision. It's good that they have now changed this.

[Ning Ning]

vor 15 Minuten schrieb geronimosan:

The long-awaited new firmware is out for the SL3 and it is, at best, lackluster.  The camera has been out for more than a year, and still none of the much needed/requested improvements to autofocus, animal detection still sits in underwhelming Beta phase (even though the technology it is derived from has been greatly improved in other camera brand systems), no multishot that the SL2 has, on and on.

This is the long and complex list of improvements we waited more than a year to receive from Leica:

• Access to the function Headphone Volume is now additionally available via the menu Audio in the Video section, and via the FN button.
• The function Magnification can now be activated and deactivated by pressing the joystick.
• When making changes to the icon assignments in the Control Center, the function assignment list will open with the currently assigned option presented in the list as the starting position.
• The former menus Film Style and Video Style (accessible via JPG Settings) were integrated into the Leica Looks menu, and their menu items will now be accessible via the Main Menu.
• The firmware update process was optimized. Following a firmware update, all previous settings will remain unchanged, and the dialogue “Do you want to save profiles on SD card?” will no longer be displayed. A battery charge level of around 25% will now suffice for starting the update process.
• Electronic shutter speed 1/16000 s will now be available for P/A mode.
• The function AF-ON can now be combined with the functions Eye/ Face/Body Detection and Animal Detection.

I'm also pretty disappointed. You'd think Leica would focus more on enthusiasts who are capable of suffering 😉 and forget that there are also photographers who work with the SL3. That is of course possible, but some limitations, such as the AF and the “blurred” viewfinder during continuous shooting, are not acceptable in my opinion.

Edited May 9 by Ning Ning

[dsalamena]

“The function Magnification can now be activated and deactivated by pressing the joystick.”

Can someone confirm this update? I do not find any difference from previous firmware. No option to assign magnification to the joystick when in AF mode, it still works with MF lenses though. 

[batian]

vor 5 Minuten schrieb dsalamena:

“The function Magnification can now be activated and deactivated by pressing the joystick.”

Can someone confirm this update? I do not find any difference from previous firmware. No option to assign magnification to the joystick when in AF mode, it still works with MF lenses though. 

Yes, but it's only available in MF-Modus...

[consiglieretom]

This update is a big disappointment. The SL3 is on the market for more than a year, and still some of the features that were available in the SL2 are missing in the SL3. When I "upgraded" from SL2 to two SL3 last year, I was expecting a better SL2. What a disappointment! You can argue that I should have done a better research before buying the SL3, but I trusted Leica that they were improving rather than downgrading. 

As an architecture and landscape photographer, multi-shot was a fantastic feature that I used a lot to increase resolution. Why is it not implemented in the SL3 until today? The answer from Wetzlar to me was "because 60MP are more than enough". 

I used 3 Nikon tilt-shift lenses with a Novoflex adapter flawlessly on the SL2. On my first assignment using the SL3 I received the error message "lens communication error". Novoflex told me that Leica is not providing the changes made in the lens communication to them, hence thy cannot provide a firmware update for the adapter. Wetzlar confirmed this and told me that I should not use third party lenses on a Leica camera. Fair enough, but for one year I am discussing with Leica what tilt-shift lens they recommend to use on the Leica SL3. The answer I received for at least 5 times since then is "Leica does not support any third party lenses". First of all this is not answering to my question, and secondly I still don't know what tilt-shift lens Leica recommends. Why wasn't this stupid communication issue not fixed with this update? 

There is nothing really new coming with this software update. The "big" announcement are the new video formats. Who is the target market for the SL3? Photographers or videographers?  

My take on this is that Leica didn't design the SL3 with professional photographers in mind. I sincerely regret the "upgrade" from SL2 to SL3 and this upgrade doesn't make me feel better about it. But there is obviously a trend. Not only with the SL family the second latest camera was better than the latest one, same goes for M. At least I never downgraded my M10 Monochrom to an M11 Monochrom.  

 

[Paul2660]

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I would have liked to see an addition for focus bracketing.  I am starting to feel that Leica does not understand what I value this adds to any camera.  Multi shot I guess is also dead. 

 

Paul 

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Still no EFCS!

Just useless….

Gordon

[Dsauro]

1 hour ago, Paul2660 said:

I would have liked to see an addition for focus bracketing.  I am starting to feel that Leica does not understand what I value this adds to any camera.  Multi shot I guess is also dead. 

 

Paul 

 

1 hour ago, Paul2660 said:

I would have liked to see an addition for focus bracketing.  I am starting to feel that Leica does not understand what I value this adds to any camera.  Multi shot I guess is also dead. 

 

Paul 

Thanks Paul for your comments.   Leica’s absence in addressing the multitude requests of focus bracketing, multi - shot on the SL3 are the primary reasons I have added the Hasselblad X2d to my landscaping discipline.  The stubbornness of Leica in addressing the competitive advantages of the current market will, I believe and unfortunately, have me reconsider my commitment to the Leica brand going forward.

[Photoworks]

2 hours ago, consiglieretom said:

Wetzlar confirmed this and told me that I should not use third-party lenses on a Leica camera.

I feel your pain, but the Novoflex adapter is the issue, not the lens.

The only camera supporting Novoflex was the SL-601; everything after that has an issue.

I use the Canon tilt-shift lenses with a Sigma adapter. In reality, the newer lenses have much better resolution. I have been using the 14-24 and correcting in post.

Leica is always been slow, and I am sure more updates will come to the SL3. I have a few issues myself that have not been addressed in the fist update, and not in this one either 

The SL2 was a much more stable camera without all the bugs.

[jiggyb21]

2 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Still no EFCS!

Just useless….

Gordon

Quite literally the only addition and what I see as a crazy omission at this point that I care about.  My biggest complaint, which was how slow the camera was, has definitely been resolved.  It finally feels like a modern camera as far as menu, playback etc is concerned.  I'm not going to hop on the bashing bandwagon but the lack of EFCS combined with an aggressive shutter is a serious problem, not just a want for a new feature.

Edited May 10 by jiggyb21
clarification

[hoppyman]

FWIW my FW update worked without issue and all of the settings (including preserving file numbering sequence which I prefer) and my profiles remained with no need to save to card. I had to search what EFCS stands for. Not something I need myself. I just use my SL3 in studio with flash and shutter is set to hybrid, which just means it uses mechanical in my case. I can appreciate that others may use the camera differently.

Edited May 10 by hoppyman

[Photoworks]

I wonder if EFCS would ever come to Leica, Leica camera stands for image quality, and EFCS can introduce artifacts.

Anyway, I reported a number of bugs one year ago, and I see they have not been addressed 🤷‍♂️

[BernardC]

14 hours ago, consiglieretom said:

or one year I am discussing with Leica what tilt-shift lens they recommend to use on the Leica SL3. The answer I received for at least 5 times since then is "Leica does not support any third party lenses". First of all this is not answering to my question, and secondly I still don't know what tilt-shift lens Leica recommends. Why wasn't this stupid communication issue not fixed with this update? 

It sounds like they gave an answer, but you didn't like it.

[fngl51]

16 hours ago, consiglieretom said:

Wetzlar confirmed this and told me that I should not use third party lenses on a Leica camera. Fair enough, but for one year I am discussing with Leica what tilt-shift lens they recommend to use on the Leica SL3.

 

Does this not seems to be contrary to the concept of the L-Alliance? I thought the whole purpose of the L-Alliance was to make a wider range of lenses, adapters and other equipment interchangeable with the the SL system.  Am I missing something?

[Paul2660]

EFCS, for sure is a lacking feature for longer glass.  I have realized that with the SL3, and SL2 that with the 90-280 from about 160mm out you have to be extremely careful to avoid shutter shock.  On a tripod, with a 6 second timer delay, or with a remote release the amount of shutter shock with mechanical or Hybrid (still not sure what that is), from about 1/40 below is noticeable, extremely so.  The only way to get around this is with the E shutter, which works fine, but there are times (windy) or with moving subjects where the E shuttle will not work.   

My setup for the testing was stabilized on, tripod, remote release, then stabilized off on tripod, remote release with the various shutters.  Both M and H, shutters are pretty worthless @ 160mm and beyond due to shutter shock.   I know that most feel using IBIS and a tripod is not necessary, but I had the best results with longer lenses with:

E shutter, tripod, IBIS on.  for anything at 1/40 or slower.   This was shooting at a subject that was approximately 2.5 miles out.  Early morning, very nominal atmospheric distortion. 

I have to wonder if Leica ever does testing like this or if they are only working in a studio.  The amount of blur at 1/40 on a tripod with remote release is totally unacceptable, thus forcing the use of E shutter. 

Paul 

[Photoworks]

30 minutes ago, fngl51 said:

Does this not seems to be contrary to the concept of the L-Alliance? I thought the whole purpose of the L-Alliance was to make a wider range of lenses, adapters and other equipment interchangeable with the the SL system.  Am I missing something?

Novoflex and Nikon are not in the alliance 

Leica supports leica lenses
Sigma supports  sigma lenses

[jrp]

Moribund firmware development. No 24mm Summicron.  Leica seem to be falling behind in this segment and ceding the field to Sony, Canon and Nikon whose AF is at least a couple of generations ahead of Leica’s. The Chinese lenses seem to come in L mount at least, as well as E mount, so I suppose that that is a plus. But Sigma’s made for fast shooting sports have no L body capable of fast focus to work on. No doubt Leica are concentrating their efforts on the M and Q lines, accordingly. That is a pity as the SL lenses are class leading, although the lighter Sony and Sigma lenses are close and focus faster, in some cases. The pleasure of using an SL over a Sony A7r2 is not maintained when using an SL3 over an A1ii. Even the phone apps now seem to work comparably well.

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[fngl51]

22 minutes ago, Photoworks said:

Novoflex and Nikon are not in the alliance 

Leica supports leica lenses
Sigma supports  sigma lenses

The point was not about support of a lens by the manufacturer. Rather it was the quote "Wetzlar confirmed this and told me that I should not use third party lenses on a Leica camera." If Novoflex offers an L-mount adapter that integrates mechanically and electronically with L-mount hardware from other brands, it would also work with a Leica. The comment from Wetzlar seems contrary to the purpose of the alliance.

[BernardC]

17 minutes ago, fngl51 said:

If Novoflex offers an L-mount adapter that integrates mechanically and electronically with L-mount hardware from other brands, it would also work with a Leica.

Those old Novoflex electronic adapters only work with the 2015 SL, so they predate the L Mount Alliance. 

Novoflex stopped supporting them a long time ago. I'm not convinced that you can blame Leica for that, but I don’t know what happened behind the scenes. 

The only supported L Mount electronic adapters are made by Sigma and Leica (S adapter-L). Sigma's adapters work with the SL2 and later cameras, including every Lumix and Sigma body. The S adapter-L is only officially supported on Leica bodies, but it seems to provide aperture control (no AF) with Lumix and Sigma.