I’ve very recently acquired a Leica SL, the original version first released in 2015 (a few months after my beloved Leica Q.) It should come as no surprise now to anyone that I very, very much prefer older digital sensors. The more megapixels and dynamic range a camera adds, the less and less of my attention it gets. Dynamic range and super high megapixles as selling points - are not my friends. I want a sensor that can retain dark shadows and dare I say - overblown highlights. That’s where the original SL came in.
The only real concern that I had was whether the 8 year old electronic viewfinder could still meet my needs. Anyone that has ever looked through a current SL2-S EVF can confirm that there is no better EVF to use. So while the original Q EVF has aged poorly by comparison, I can promise this is not the case with the Leica SL. I find absolutely no issues with the SL viewfinder and to be honest I would say I barely if at all even notice a difference when using the two cameras. The SL2-S EVF is probably brighter? Otherwise the button layout is a little more funny on the original SL, and the menu system isn’t nearly as refined. One other thing of note is that the handgrip feels a lot more chunky on the SL, and I wouldn’t say it’s in a good way. The SL2-S just feels better and more refined everywhere - but overall - it’s pretty subtle.
What really matters with these tools are the images they make. The moment that I looked through the original SL, I knew immediately I loved this camera. I can see the differences in the sensors just through the EVF, and that’s a strong sign for me. I feel it the moment I click the shutter. I love everything that the SL produces. But, it wouldn’t be fair to not talk about how the SL2-S is still the camera that I couldn’t live without - and there are many reason why.
My SL2-S is my work tool. I shoot hundreds of thousands of shots every year with it - I use it non-stop - all week - every day. I’ve also been using it for more video projects. For work - I need the dynamic range - I need to be able to pull highlights back from skintone - I need the extremely high ISO performance - I need the confidence of what I would consider to be the most capable and best digital camera in existence. So while the original SL creates more passion in me to use, the SL2-S is the one that would stay, if all other cameras had to go. This is not to say that I can’t make images that I love with the SL2-S, but I am comfortable dedicating my SL2-S as more and more of a work tool, especially now, given all the other options I have for personal creative and passion projects.
Here are some recent shots that I’ve taken with the original Leica SL and mostly the Panasonic 35 1.8 attached. This setup with the light weight of the Panasonic creates a more casual feeling experience for me. Anyone that has shot a new Leica APO SL lens or the 24-90 f2.8 - f4 will know precisely what I mean.