Member Mark Gowin

David, thanks for the report from Photokina. Has Leica abandoned the S system? A product roadmap for the S would be most welcome. A mirrorless replacement for the 007 leaves Leica would be most welcome. But no news about the S line is worrying.

David, certainly jealous you are there, but glad you are sharing so much information! Leica keeps making it difficult to pick between the M series and the SL series. It's great to see a roadmap of what's coming. Thanks!

David:

Just wondering how this new lens compares to the S 100/2 using the S to L adaptor on the SL camera? And it seems like there is little to no review/experience with the S lenses on the SL. Is the S to L adaptor available?

Thanks

John

I too need to know about the S, I have zero interest in the SL. Have they abandoned the S? They seem to have abandoned their customers.

Adam,

I'm not sure I agree. Leica has developed an amazing portfolio of cameras and lenses over the last few years that are very much intended for the quality-conscious shooter. I have a hard time deciding between S, SL, M, and Q these days. I'm not a collector by a long shot. My priorities are image quality, build quality and how a camera feels while working. Leica excels on all those points for me.

Sure, Leica comes out with special edition cameras to capitalize on the interest of collectors and enthusiasts. Why shouldn't they? Ultimately, the revenue from such products makes its way back to R&D for lenses like the 50 Lux SL, which is just the first of the next level prime lenses for the SL.

David,

Who knows where the sensor tech will be in 10-15 years. I doubt Leica does. And I wouldn't be so brave to speculate. By designing lenses that are suited to high resolution digital sensors, now and what might be possible in the future, Leica is essentially protecting your investment in glass. And their investment in R&D and manufacturing. Make it once. Make it the best it can be. Make it that way for years to come.

With regards to low light sensitivity, I don't personally use this as a measuring stick for most cameras. To me, the fact that the SL can turn out fantastic results at ISO 6400 or 8000 is plenty – for me. The D5 is very much a spot news and sports camera. Absolute image quality is not as important as getting the shot, no matter what condition. I'd wager that your SL shots at low and mid ISO settings look nicer than those from the D5, with more microcontrast, textural nuance, and more pleasing colors. A big part of this are the Leica lenses, no doubt. But, a huge part of the credit needs to be acknowledged, and that is Leica's digital side. The sensor and processing play an enormous role in meshing up perfectly with the glass and delivering that signature Leica look. The D5 is not a bad camera. Far from it. But, for me, I don't need heavily noise reduced ISO 100,000 shots. I rarely shoot anything above 6400 even in the darkest conditions. But, I do an awful lot of shooting at ISO 400 – 1600. And here, the SL wins hands down.

Indeed, the Q is fantastic. It shares almost the same exact sensor and image processing as the SL. 🙂

Stephan worked previously at Pentax and Philips Semiconductor before starting at Leica. I'll have to ask him if he was ever at Rollei.

Because Nikon G lenses use a mechanical cam actuator for aperture control, you wouldn't be able to electronically control aperture from the SL via the adapter. Only the NikonE lenses have electronically controlled aperture systems, so these are the ones that are officially supported and which feature full functionality.

Sadly, there is a bunch of focus hunting with this adapter. Unfortunately, it makes for a rather large package–the AF-S Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8E on an SL or SL2 body. Battery usage is significantly accelerated. But, at least we now have an option to use very fine Nikkor optics on the SLs.