New: Leica SL2

Leitz Leicaflex SL2, 1974: built like a Tiger I. This one's for sale.

First of all, the new Leica SL2 full-frame mirrorless (FFM) camera has an excellent name. I've often enough been a critic (or at least a lampooner) of absurd, obtuse, opaque camera names, so this should be acknowledged. The original Leicaflex SL2 was a beautiful, big, heavy, over-engineered, over-spec'ed SLR that Leitz made, late and grudgingly, as a response to the overwhelming popularity of the SLR. It was built like a Tiger tank. The name of today's SL2 FFM pays homage to that proud heritage product while at the same time remaining distinct from it by virtue of the fact that the earlier product has the tag "Leicaflex" attached to it whereas the new one is called merely by the current company name, Leica. So you can still search for the older SL2 on the Internet and not be swamped by results for the new camera.

Second, the second iteration of a camera is usually a promising and exciting event. It means that the original product was popular—otherwise there would be little reason to publish a new edition, as it were—and, also usually, the second generation corrects most of the niggles and glitches of the first, after the first has been thoroughly tried, sorted, used and discussed by its purchasers and, um, others. (It also sort of turns early adopters into de facto beta-testers, but that's neither here nor there.)

As befits the faster pace of evolution in digital, the SL2 offers some serious upgrades from the earlier SL (Type 601) from 2015. Most notably, it has in-body image stabilization (IBIS) almost certainly compliments of Panasonic, also most likely the source of the SL2's new OLED EVF—already one of the great features of the original. Although Panasonic has not been a leader with IBIS, and played catch-up for a long time, its most recent cameras seem finally to have caught up with longtime leaders and developers such as Olympus and Sony (née Konica-Minolta). The SL2 uses a new sensor of 47-megapixel resolution (same as the one in the Q2) and a new processor, called Maestro III. It is said to offer 14 stops of DR. It features a revised body design in response to complaints about the original, and revisions in the controls and menus. The rear viewing screen is bigger and has better resolution, although it's still not articulated in any way. It's a choice. The camera has a nice status panel on the top plate and the big, beautiful diopter control looks awesome (inset). The camera will cost $5,995.

Leica SL2. This one's for sale too.

Real-world tests to follow, out on the wilds of the Internet.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2019 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

Please help support The Online Photographer through Patreon

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Jeff: "Plus even better weather sealing (IP-54), better video capabilities, and now with even more lens options through Leica (including SL, TL and adapted M, S and R lenses) and through the L mount alliance (Panasonic Lumix and Sigma). The sensor is also better optimized for M lens use (especially wide angle) than the Lumix S1/S1R, somewhat offsetting the significant price disparity."

Kenneth Tanaka: "I rented an SL about a year ago to test it out. My experience was similar to Aaron’s; it was a miserable experience. The SL was heavy, awkward to hold, awkward to control. The experience was made all the worse because the project I was shooting required me to hold the camera away from my face and pointed downward most of the time. After 40 minutes my arms burned, my eyes were aching (trying to see the non-articulating screen), and the 10-lbs. battery (exaggeration) was nearly dry. There is absolutely nothing about the SL2 that seems as it would help facilitate me making better images. I don’t care about their IBIS or their newly rounded edges. The sensor may be lovely (same as in my Q2), but so what? I’ll stick to my infinitely more capable and versatile Sony A7R, Fuji GFX, and Canon systems, thank you."

Mike replies: That sounds like my reaction to the R8 and Leicaflex SL2 film cameras. I had an immediate strong aversion to the R8, which a friend loaned to me at Photo East one year. (He loved it. Rumor had it that it sold very poorly.) An idea of the tanklike build of the Leicaflex SL2 can be seen here. Nothing wrong with that if it's what one prefers, but it's not to my taste.

For that matter both those film cameras reminded me of the Zeiss Contarex, a candidate for the best-built, least user-friendly camera ever made:

CC by 2.0

Gordon Lewis: "My grandfather was the proud owner of a Zeiss Contarex, which he let me use for a few days so that I could experience what it was like to shoot with the pinnacle of German design and engineering. Excitement transformed into disappointment as soon as I discovered that not only was the Contarex as heavy as a brick, the selenium cell exposure meter (the "eye" above the lens) was prone to underexposure caused by light reflecting into the meter from the brushed chrome lens barrel. I've had an antipathy towards heavy, over-engineered cameras and lenses ever since."

Chuck Albertson: "Mark Meyer (cf. Mike Plews's comment) survived an ejection from an F4 Phantom while shooting an assignment in the 1980s over the Mojave Desert (engine flameout). The strap on his Leicaflex SL2 snapped when his 'chute opened, and the camera dropped several miles. It was found by some hikers about a year later. The film was recovered, and the camera was repairable (the lens was a write-off). His camera used to be in the museum at Leica in Wetzlar, but had disappeared the last time I visited. The digital SL is robust enough to have been OK'ed by NASA to ride on its sounding rockets; the first one didn't go so well, as the 'chute malfunctioned. The SL has been my day-to-day camera for a couple of years. The image quality is superb, especially with a SL prime attached to it, and it's incredibly durable. You could win a bar fight with it, and then use it to photograph the losers—wasn't that Marty Forscher's working definition of a professional-grade camera?"

Comments

[Aaron C Greenman]

Mike,

The SL was the most uncomfortable camera to hold that I have ever tried - the SL2 is a vast improvement in every way, and a seriously compelling experience camera platform for both SL and M lenses.

Not a camera with soul (😉), but impressive nonetheless.

Best Regards,

ACG

[Mike Plews]

There is a wonderful book of photographs of vintage war birds written by Walter Boyne and illustrated by Mark Meyer.
At the back of the book Meyer talks about shooting the book using a Leicaflex SL2 with the then new 35mm 1.4.
He used Kodachrome and said the fast lens made many of the best images in the book possible.
Classics is not just a good book of airplane photographs it is a terrific book of photographs that happen to be of airplanes. Highly recommended,
https://www.amazon.com/Classics-U-S-Aircraft-World-War/dp/096168786X

[David Evans]

It's sad that the diopter control merits the description "awesome". Every high-end optical device should have an eyepiece like that. Please, Panasonic, take note.

[Moose]

". . . the big, beautiful diopter control is awesome."

Only if it is not easily changed in handling. If it's push or pull and turn, OK, maybe awesome.

As I'm the only one who uses my cameras, and my eyesight changes little and very slowly, what I want is good range, reasonable ease of setting - and - most of all, that the setting doesn't change with handling and use of the body.

This is not true of all of them.

[Robert Harshman]

Leica, much like Apple and Airstream are cults. They are all over priced and way over valued. This camera is 2X times the price from systems from Nikon, Sony and Canon that can equal it's overall performance. If you are a Russian billionaire go ahead, buy it. If not, ignore it like most recent Leica products.

[Jay Burleson]

I am awaiting my SL2, supposedly will be available at my dealer on Nov. 21.
The hour I spent with a demo and my original SL gave me limited time for a true evaluation, but so far the expectations are holding up to reality.

[Herb Cunningham]

I had the Leicaflex and a bunch of lenses. Great camera until you needed servce-the NJ service center was arrogant and inept.
One reason I got rid of Leica

[Mark Kinsman]

I’ll have to ask my doctors and dentist how they like the new model. That’s about as close as I’ll ever get to owning one.
Seriously speaking, I do appreciate what Leica offers, it’s just not in my budget. Besides I find my Fujis quite satisfying to use and that is really all that matters, in spite of occasional GAS attacks.

[Kodachromeguy]

I tried the original SL a couple of years ago. It was solid and impressive optically, but too heavy and clunky for me. But it or the new SL2 might be perfect for some users (and who am I to complain about size; I travel with a Hasselblad 501CM and several lenses).

Leica should be applauded for offering something slightly different from the mainstream boring Can/Nikon products.

[Jim Arthur]

Bob Cobb would love this camera. I wouldn't be surprised if a baton is a recommended accessory.

[Bob Cobb was "the Maestro" on Seinfeld. --Ed.]

[Alan Fairley]

Pardon a mini-rant here, but can camera makers pleeeeze abandon the faux pentaprism hump as a design feature? No longer needed and looks stupid. Fujifilm is the only company with a (partial clue).

[Kirk]

I made the choice to go with Panasonic's Lumix S1 cameras and lenses leaving me a with a bit of budget left to treat myself to just one of Leica's new lenses. I have my eye on the 75mm f2 Apo Summicron. Just a few more plasma donations and I should have the budget sorted.

[Jeff]

The SL2 is significantly lighter, and now easier to handhold for long periods, than the best camera in the world. And with a newer, higher MP (albeit smaller) sensor.

https://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2012/12/the-best-camera-in-the-world.html

Just sayin’, as they say.

[Stan B.]

All roads lead to the R8!

[Stephen Scharf]

What?

No mention of the newly released and controversial Fujiflm X-Pro 3? ;-)

[Stephen Scharf]

Coming back to the SL2 itself, it seems to me that the biggest nit/gripe/failiing of the SL2 is its contrast-only autofocus system.

Chris Niccoll's video review at DPR of the SL2's AF system came across as a frustrating experience, with the camera's lens hunting continually back and forth to find focus.

If I were in the market for a "FF" MILC, I'd be looking hard at the Panasonic S1 or S1R; Panasonic's cameras have excellent ergos, and for any type of photography other than sports or fast action, Panasonic's DFD (Depth From Defocus) contrast AF system actually works really well and it is really fast. (side-bar: Mike, you know this from your experience with the G9, which is an excellent camera).

Then there's Ken's comments and insights on the user experience, which I really trust.

So...for 6 large, sans lens? Uh, no.

[Jeff]

@ Stephen Scharf... DFD technology existed in the SL and continues in the SL2. Of the numerous reviews posted so far, only Chris Nichols from DPReview, as far as I’ve seen, has expressed concern over significant AF hunting. He was using a pre-production camera, if that matters. I’ll reserve judgment on this and other issues until I conduct my own demo... as always.

[KeithB]

How did they get away with this name, since Canon also has an SL2 (and SL1!)?

Interesting that the Leica and the Canon pretty much bracket the DSLR market from entry level to top of the line!