i have two of these and they are amazing -- i read somewhere that part of the high cost went into the damping of the shutter, which is mechanical, not just with foam. The idea was to not only reduce sound, but the vibration, to the point the SL and SL2 were similar to an M shutter. I think they came darn close.
The Leicaflex SL2 and the R8 are the best mechanical and electronic respectively SLR cameras ever made by Leica. The SL2 is regarded whit the best mechanical SLR ever made, the quality is so high that Leica lost money in every one was made!! Good the see this review about the SL2,I like very much yours reviews and the history of the cameras and other very useful information you provide. Also the photos are great too. It was very fine to see the review of the R8 in this channel, so if possible made one.
As a Leica shooter, I have several Leicaflexes as well as M bodies like the MP, M5 and even the digital Leica SL and Leica SL2S. My Leicaflexes, SL and SL2 are mostly Mot versions. The motor drives make my early Nikon motors seem so cheap.
I own both the M2 and M3 and Leicaflex SL2 Mot. I find my self using the Leicaflex more often, the loading of film is easy, the TTL metering is very accurate, (I had my battery upgraded and recalibrated to take regular 1.5 V batteries) and with the motor can take 3 FPS no problem. the light metering is very intuitive and easy to use on the fly. The leica M lenses are more affordable. The weight is not a problem, it actually helps to stabilize your camera to decrease shaking!. It is solidly built and very easy to use. I have the Fisheye as well. Great review though! Thank you ! David
I had rewatched this video and then decided to give myself a 2022 Christmas gift and get an Leicaflex SL2 with a summicron 35mm. I also got the minolta made 35-70mm f3.5. I'm amazed at how close the Wetzlar 35mm prime quality is to the 35mm on the zoom. It is clear that if Leica learned electronics from Minolta, Minolta gained a lot of optical info from Leitz. I'm assumed at the quality of this old zoom. Your reviews contain so much information and also examples that it was easy to make the purchase without buyer's remorse. Did I need another film camera-no! Am I really happen to get this Wetzlar gem, absolutely! I used to have an R4 in the pure film days and while it was a great camera (made in Portugal I think), I believe the SL2 is fundamental better and closer to the feel of my M camera. Thanks again for such great reviews.
Really love the photos..simple, effective composition and especially in monochrome. Always liked the Leicaflex SLII; I consider it as the German equivalent to the Nikon F at least in terms of build quality. Didn't know the Leicaflex SLII had 'spot' metering though; really a great tool in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing.
Really cool. I love the tonality of the lenses. They define shape by layering tones. Looks like a great system. I really loved your pictures and, you remembered to use lens hoods to keep the quality. I rushed off to pick up my MX. You reminded me what great black and white images look like. Thanks for the inspiration.
As someone who is not familiar with the Leica SL2 this is very informative. The comparison with two of my favourite cameras (OM1 and MX) was very interesting. I must admit that the weight and size issue would have put me off but your comments about solidity and quality feel are definite attractions to me. I used to think my F3 was too heavy and bulky but when I am using it the camera just feels right. Many thanks again for your thoughtful appraisal.
Excellent and inspiring review. After trying many vintage cameras, and after buying several Leicaflex cameras in less-than-good condition, for the lenses, I ran across an auction for an SL2 with three lenses. The description was minimal because a son was selling his deceased father's gear. I won the bid and a couple of days ago I received the most beautiful, black-chrome, vintage camera I've ever seen. Almost a museum piece, including immaculate leather case. I've never experienced a clearer, brighter, more life-size feeling, viewfinder. The meter is dead-on accurate and it is surprisingly straight-forward and easy to use because of the clear settings read out and the large shutter speed dial that has just the right resistance for turning, while looking through the camera. I can shoot with both eyes open. Lucky me, it came with a Summicron-R 50mm v2, a Summicron-R 90mm and an Elmarit-R 135mm, all Leitz Canada. I loaded it with Fujichrome Velvia 50 this morning and photographed a beautiful Stockholm-area waterfront, near the Baltic Sea. Like you say, pure pleasure. The crystal clarity of all that Mandler-Leica sharpness and yet un-named colors popping through.That shutter sound!
Enjoyed this video, and thanks for putting it together. I use my SL2 sins 2008 and in my mind it is the best Leica SLR , and the Viewfinder is great . Mit freundlichem Gruß aus dem Schaumburger Land Matthias
Matthias Bärenfänger hi, wie kriegst du sie zum Laufen? Ich habe eine, weiß aber nicht welche Batterie ich reinmachen soll. Die vorgegebenen Batterien sind schwer erhältlich (mallory px625/ Varta pertrix 7002)
I own an LEITZ R3, with the 24 m.m. ELMAR, with the " PERFECT HOOD", but don t have pola filter. I also have the 50 m.m. f 2.0 SUMMICRON ( Canadian ), and the 90 m.m. 2.8 TELE ELMAR............ LOVE THEM.
Back in the day I found a brochure for this camera (which was discontinued at that time but nevertheless) in photography school which I have attended, and I drooled over it, so I told to my father who was an amateur photographer "I'd like to have a Leica". He gave me a long, loooong look and told me "I drive a broken car and I should still buy you Leica? Have you been drinking"? Still, shortly after, he gave me his Minolta srT303b, also a brick of a camera, which still works to this day without any CLE... Gruß
@@antothemanto77 I'm a SRT 201 owner from new. It's built like a tank and still shoots beautifully 40+ years later. A sticky shutter in a sub-zero landscape shoot 20 years ago has been the only issue, fixed with a clean and lube of the original grease.
Are the R-mount lenses really equally good as the equivalent M-mount ones? I thought the M-mount ones were supposed to be sharper, due to being closer to the film plane or something.
Thank you for another wonderful review. I happen to have bought this camera a few week ago, so I was interested to see your take on it. I agree about the shutter: It's a very satisfying sound, and additionally there doesn't seem to be any mirror shake/recoil, which is a testament to some great engineering on Leitz' part here.
What a coincidence - I'm just getting my Leicaflex SL out today and noticed your video a moment before leaving the house... Nice portrait of this impressive camera!
Good solid camera but then so we're it's compatible competitors including the Canon F1, Canon FTB and of course the Nikon F and Nikkormats all of which saw wartime service. I love to shot film (various including an M6) but the World is very quickly going pro phone with only us fans hanging on. Long may we hang on. Great review. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Mike Whiles Many young people are getting into film as a form of artistic photography-including myself. It’s a wonderful way to learn the photographic process and enjoy the action of taking pictures itself. Check out Willem Verbeeck on RU-vid!
The lenses are obviously great. However, it seems as though there were so many almost similar cameras at that time. They were very basic, mechanical and built like tanks.
Thanks for the video. I always look forward to your videos. I happen to have purchased the SL2 a few weeks ago at auction and I sent the lenses to a Leica specialist to have them CLA'd. I do need to get a wide angle lens for the kit. Do you and Greg have a perspective on which might be the best in terms of optical quality 24mm Elmarit, 28mm Elmarit, 35mm Elmarit, 35mm Summicron?
Hello Mark, I use the Summicron 35mm and the Elmarit 24mm. I am absolutely satisfied with these lenses and I can highly recomend them. If you choose the 35mm or the 24mm, which is an improvement of a Minolta design and had as first Leica lens floating elements is not a question of quality, but of your personal preferences. Cheers, Greg
Peter Elgar it went excellent. Itˋs been polarising glasses, the viewfinder is extremely bright and there was also very bright light. Inddoors I took the glasses of.
Might be a stupid question but if I have Portra 400 inside my Leicaflex SL-2, do I set my film indicator disc to Colour Negative NE. Or do I set it to Daylight Colour (picture of Sun) on the left hand side of my camera? I am worried I’ve got half way through my Portra 400 with it set to Daylight colour, when in fact I should have had it on Colour Negative NE the whole time! I purchased a mint condition lens and SL-2 from 1975 because of watching this video so thank you for making this! Any help is massively appreciated ✌🏼
@@AnalogInsights Great! I just wanted to check to make sure it wasn’t having an impact on my film stock. Should I have it set to Colour Negative though or I’d Daylight Colour the same thing, but just to let me know it’s more for shooting outside? Thank you for the quick response and keep up the great work!
I have an sl. I've been so attached to my tiny Rollei35 I've been ignoring the leicaflex. (I put the Rollei away for a while.) You can imagine, in comparison, the leicaflexsl is SO heavy! But I'm going to persevere; I've been so satisfied with what I've gotten from it in the past.
Dorie Dahlberg - haha, nice! For me the choice often is: do I take the Leicaflex? Naw, just take the Rolleiflex 6x6, same weight but bigger negative...
Dorie Dahlberg - I understood what you wrote - just wanted to point out, that for me the choice is not less weight but bigger format, which is why my Leicaflex gets less use...
Hello Max and Greg, another thorough review, thank you. this is one model Ive never looked into. you may have mentioned it but im curious what the black button next to the name plate does. and yes shutter sound and camera feel are a big part of enjoyment of using a camera. Is there a camera you always wanted to get your hands on to review but havent as yet?
Raychristofer oh yes, there are a few cameras I want to review. e.g. the Nikon FM2, the Canon FTb, the Plaubel Makina 67 and the Nikon F3. So many stories, waiting for us 😉. Cheers, Greg Btw, the black button switches on a light inside the viewfinder, so that you can see the metering also in the dark
Anyone has a link about how the viewfinder looks inside? I'm tempted to buy this camera but my eyes are not very good so I would like to check how easy is to focus. I only have had one film camera, a humble minolta but with a prism with split image that makes to easy the focusing. I've been searching several reviews but can't find how the viewfinder looks.
Great review! I have been worried about the weight but think I will still give it a try if I can find one in good shape. The shutter sound (or lack of it) has me mesmerized!
Thank you for this review. I do like this camera, but prefer the Leica M-A in comparison . I am very close to purchasing this (new) with 2 'cron lenses. Can't wait!
It's a great camera, but it's not perfect. The rubberised cloth can degrade over time and they often develop faults with the higher shutter speeds. The Nikon F2 is definitely more reliable.
Im going to sound a bit silly but this is my first leica and my first film camera. I just bought the leicaflex sl2 and a bunch of film and the elmarit trio. Im kinda confused by the focusing system is everything supposed to look clear when im in focus or will there be a split diffraction? Id be so grateful if someone can reach out and point me in the right direction
If it is like mine it has a split screen in the very center like a rangefinder, but you can use the whole screen to focus. I just compared mine to several other cameras I own, and it is the easiest to focus IMO. Have fun!
I loved to shoot my SLs (not SL2) back in the days when film-photography was great and I'm looking forward to take them with me and shoot in the near future. Thank you for the alwas great "Insights". :) What fascinates me everytime is, when I see people shooting with their sunglasses on ... a thing that I absolutely hate and never practise. :)
Yes, the shutter operates fully mechanical. Only the built-in lightmeter needs the battery. As you probably know, there are adapters for today's LR44 batteries to ensure that they only provide 1.35V (like the original PX625 batteries).
According to Leica spokesmen themselves, Minolta only made the body for the R3; the electronics were developed by Leitz themselves. (see interview Hugh Brownstone sept. 2018 with mr. Eller.)
the way he loaded the film on the gray plastic piece by his middle finger 1:36 is that the correct way? i seem to find diff ways or does it not matter? the pdf file on cameramanuals dot org show it coming in from the other end, and his german book is diff too.
Great vid on a much underrated camera! 👍 I find from all mechanical Leitz cameras the Leicaflexes have the most reliable shutter design, apart from occasional advance/ selftimer blockage - no fading on this one! The feature I always liked most is the extremely bright screen, never had a brighter screen in an slr. The market failure of this line is due to Leitz‘ lack of support from the beginning. The original Leicaflex was already finished by 1960 but not put to market because of their fear it would dig into their well running rangefinder production and probably because there were not enough production facilities. If you look at the Leica Fotografie magazines from 1964-67, you will find very few articles on the Leicaflex, and then mainly articles stressing the use for close-ups (but there was no macro lens available) and for teles, but the only tele lenses available were for the Leica Ms, so without automatic diaphragm. Moreover, the original viewing screen made it hard to use tele lenses. The original line up was a 50, 35, 90 and 135, and that’s the range you would use with a rangefinder. You could of course use M lenses... Basically, it is safe to say, that Leitz was boycotting their own product. Interestingly, they launched their wonderful Macro-Elmarit with a very similar design like the Macro-Planar for the Contarex, when this camera line seized production. Many people complain about the size of the Leicaflexes, but if you look close, they are not that much bigger than the Ms, but lenses are, and weight is a factor... Though I agree the SL2 is probably the more useful camera, my favorite is the original Leicaflex, which I find even better built than the latter. You will feel that immediately when holding it, also the rounded off back sits very nicely in the palms. Thanks again for bringing this gem to attention.
After I watched your video, I seriously considered to buy this camera. But I wondered what’s the differences between Leicaflex SL and SL2. No video about that. Can you please answer me or make another video about that?
The difference between the SL and SL2- SL2 has a split image focusing scream vs the microdiaprism on the SL; the SL2 light meter has better low light sensitivity. The SL’s shutter is a bit more robust the weakness in the SL2 can be fully addressed in a complete overhaul. And of course the SL2 is newer.
Okay Nikon F,&F2 has no electronic junk except meters ,otherwise it was most pro used for ruggedness &changeable prism,screen but not precise as German Leica SL2(no interchangeable screen/prism by ordinary people )also leica leses color renditions are far better than any others
cameran Joun I think this is not fair. I also use a Leica R3 and the electronic is still working, although or because it is based on a Japanese development. And also my Pentax cameras with electronics (e.g. a now 50 year old Pentax 67) are still working. Sorry
leicanoct Very true. To me, Leica serves as a modern continuation of truly manual film photography. I think that’s what gives Leica its prestige, besides lens quality. On the other hand, Leica’s digital lineup feature many electronics, of which I might add, are likely based on Japanese innovations. To call Japanese cameras junky is truly an ignorant and elitist claim.
evelasq1 The SL2 and its lenses are likely held to higher build quality standards. Though in fairness, almost any Nikon or Canon will do the job just as well with a nice lens and proficient photographer. I like the SL and SL2 for the attention to detail, high quality, and the fact that it’s a way into Leica without Leica money. Still expensive though.
