The closing comments, the honesty, made this video. I just want to say thank you. Make more content with this less filtered feel - it really works for you. It felt like the mask fell, just for a minute.
Red Dot, Leica Script inside Red Dot. Bold All Caps Leica on Prism, Leica SL3 on the Hot Shoe, Leica on the Bottom Registration Plate, Leica on strap.... It's just too many things I will have to cover with black gaffers tape.
when you’re spending $7000 for a camera that’s barely worth $3000 and not even half the camera of the A7RV, it’s important for everyone around you to know that you overspent your money so that they all know that you have money to waste and they don’t 😂 “maestro processor” typical Leica pretentious douchebaggery 😂 hey, did you see my Leica logo? Can you please validate me by looking at it?? Well, if you missed it, here’s another big logo next to it.
I found Chris’s summation on-point, especially keeping in mind that these are pre-production cameras. SL system users will, I think, receive the SL3 as checking the main boxes: the newer, higher resolution sensor; phase and contrast based autofocus; CF Express card slot; and articulated screen. As Chris noted, many Leica enthusiasts value the quality and heritage of these precision built products and often have multiple Leica platforms as well as other photo gear for specific applications. It’s not about “beating” the specs of, for example, high-speed sports and wildlife cameras, or cramming in ultra-high resolution sensors. The SL3 will beautifully complement a Q system or an M system, and video shooters will likely either wait for an SL3s (or order this and trade later) or wait to see what firmware updates appear. The price is in line with the general trend for Leica and is actually unchanged, and the old argument about “too high” prices simply misses the point. The SL series bodies have always excluded build quality as well as exquisite design, and offered a great photographic experience. As usual, this YT channel was my first stop upon hearing the news of the SL3. Wonderful video!
As a previously long suffering camera store drone... Leica SL customers were the worst. Almost always difficult old men, maybe dentists or business people... an expensive camera wasn't enough, a Leica wasn't enough, they just had to have a better camera and overwhelmingly they had the accompanying personality. Never mind they could have bought a better camera for a 1/3 of the cost with Sony Nikon or Canon. As far as I'm concerned being a SL owner (like being a S2/S3 or Hasselblad owner) is a red flag, they attract entitled pushy people.
@@stuntmonkey00 This is just total nonsense what you are describing here. I know a lot of photographers owning Leica Systems, either the M or Q or SL, none of them is a doctor or dentist or alike. Just normal people, having saved some money and enjoying to use this gear. Yes, we might not find a lot of sports or wildlife photographers with a Leica, but for street, landscape, portrait and studio work, this brand is as good as any other on the market today,. At the end it is the feeling and enthusiasm you have for your gear and your passion. In my camera bag is the SL2-S and the Q2, where I have no intent to change or upgrade to the 3 series. And for Video I use the Lumix S5IIx, where I can also get the benefit of the new AF system with all the L-Mount lenses. And for the review, great job as always from Chris and Jordan, honestly, reviews almost never had a big influence what I am buying. And yes, I had Canon, and a few Sony cameras as well.
I'm living only 40 mins away of Wetzlar. I should put a tent up there and wait for all my favourite youtubers to come visit Leica 😀 Here's tip for the next time: go visit Weilburg! It's a beautiful medieval city only 20 minutes away from Wetzlar.
@@niccollsvideoMarburg is also a nice city. Weilburg's historic city is very compact and uncrowded yet packed with nice sceneries. The castle and the surrounding area with the large gardens are very well suited for your style of videos.
@@obscurelines I’m a hobbyist so a lot of the specs don’t matter to me much., I have the og S5 and it’s a great hybrid setup. Other than autofocus and 60mp no one really needs the SL3, or any L mount Leica. Just get a lumix lol
@@obscurelinesYeah without speed improvements I don't really see the benefit of an extra 15MP but for 4k more than a used S1R. Panasonic's new version will need to be more impressive - just adding phase detect won't be enough when the sensor is too slow to make a desirable video camera anyway, it'll need to be a more useful photography camera for things other than landscapes or portraits. I'm kinda hoping they don't go down the 60MP route, but rather go for something more like the stacked 45MP of the Z9 and offer a great all-rounder.
I'm glad to see this review being very critical of Leica. Charging $7k for a camera with this much limitation is borderline robbery, no matter how luxurious your brand is.
Well put. My Fujifilm X-T series cameras have similar features and others that the SL3 lack. The colours and sensors of Fujifilm take some beating. As you say, the price of the camera is difficult to justify.
@@tonygarrett7214 I won't insult your intelligence by saying "less is more" or some rubbish like that. There are undoubtedly cameras with more features, but many of those are not necessary for a lot of photography. What I will say is that in half a century of using cameras of almost every brand (including Fuji X-T cameras), I have found the experience of using M series cameras and an SL-2S to be more enjoyable than any of them. I'm not a doctor, dentist nor a particularly rich man, but I found no problem in justifying the purchase to myself. Your mileage may (and probably will) vary, of course, but I would ask whether you have used a Leica of any ilk for any period of time? I'm not sure if I will buy the SL3 as I'm happy with the cameras I have, but I may jump for an SL-3S should Leica make one.
@@hansgaber6038 That’s not the point. I could buy it if I wanted to, but there’s no point if the equipment I have yield results equal to this over-priced style statement. I agree that it is an attractive camera, but technically it does not exceed the functionality of other high-end brands. Its lenses are superb but the camera is not equal to others in terms of performance. It’s possible to fit Leica glass to other better performing cameras. Do you have a problem with this?
Thank you Jordan for the great video footage and editing. It looked so natural. Of course Chris presents well to camera, so you have a lot to work with. But still, you made it all look effortlessly put together. Chris, thanks for your closing sit-down "Who is it for?" segment. We needed that. Leica SL3. A new story begins.
I never understand why someone would buy a Leica full-frame body when you have Panasonic. I mean there is nothing (including image quality) the Panasonic S series can't do compare to the SL series, while the reverse is not true.
they had to make the shutter slower to fit in a smaller body? meanwhile the A1 has 1/400s flash sync speed in an even smaller body, released 3 years ago
I will say, the tonality, colors, and richness of this video are better than almost any I've seen on this channel. Made me think the SL3 might be showing some game in the video department. Look at that last shot of Chris by the window, the gorgeous out of focus background and pleasing bokeh. It was very cinematic.
I understand why Leica charges a premium for the M cameras (they are a truly unique product), but the SL line is just your everyday average mirrorless camera.
Not so sure about the "your everyday average mirrorless camera." part. If this was any other brand with this many quirks and negatives, the reviewers would absolutely trash it. And I'm a dentist!😷
I was really looking forward to this camera. I was never expecting it to be a Sony A7R5 or Nikon Z8 but this seems like a really unfinished camera. I honestly expected a more complete camera, not one that does everything but one that excels at its niche. Hopefully they release firmware before its start shipping to make it a better performer. For 7K the launch firmware should be better.
Been using an SL2S with M lenses for my fashion editorial work in the last 5 months and quite like it. It's more than enough for me personally. I use it along with my film cameras on shoots (Nikon F5 and Mamiya RB). I don't know why anyone would use a Leica for midlevel or professional video work, however. It's not designed for that. There are much better options out there. I do like the weight that the SL2 offers. Lighter, smaller cameras as problematic for me, as I have long fingers that get in the way. I've had to sell all my Fuji X cameras for that reason. Thank you for the honest review. None of the others are even giving their opinions about this camera so far, let alone review it. It's all "features" for now from the others. Subscribed.
Is the EVF resolution drop tied to EVF refresh rate in continuous AF? That's the cause of that problem in the S5II - having it set to 120 FPS 🤔 Overall seems like quite a weird set of compromises in this camera, considering the price. Makes the Sony A7RV look like a bit of a bargain. It'll be interesting to see what Panasonic's variant of this opts to change - getting 15 FPS with mechanical shutter and C-AF would be a nice improvement.
OMG the ad placement for KEH at 1:25 is the best of all time! Jordan you just hit me at the right moment with that joke. I was beginning to question my sanity seeing all the youtube heros preening themselves with this new Leica. Thanks for putting all this back in perspective for me.
I always wanted a Leica and used the SL2 for a good 3 years as my main camera to make a living, and I can say that the design, the menus, the viewfinder, and the amazing grip make it so much more comfortable and fun to use than the big brands. The picture quality is absolutely insane, but in the end, the autofocus is not reliable, the batteries are meh, and most software tools won't have it on their compatibility list. So eventually, you will want to go back to a camera brand that just works. (If you can afford to buy it for fun, then go for it)
I had no problem sleeping in the Leica Hotel and the breakfast buffet was overwhelming. Regarding the SL3, I guess I was hoping for a Q3 that could use interchangeable lenses (M&R). Traded my SL2 outfit for a Hasselblad X2D system. The Hassy system is lighter, and the images are better. Thank you both for your sacrifices to bring us interesting and useful content.
2:29 was Chris' lower lip that purple in real life? Is grading those videos easy? 8:16 on the right there are some stripes in the shadow. Is it compression, reflection or some kind of moire-like noise pattern? On 8:38 it repeats, but now stripes are concentric. Also I feel like there are some issues with video shutter angle - sometimes moving hands are blurry as they should but their movement somehow feels choppy at the same time. Those aren't critiques on Jordan's part of course, I just wonder if SL3 still needs some polish.
the rest of his face seems naturally coloured, I'd be willing to bet it's just evidence of a blueberry smoothie. That pattern in the noise is very noticeable though, doesn't feel like the sort of thing you'd see on such a premium camera. I think the weird warping of the pattern comes from distortion correction.
That power button is something that I know would drive me insane. Also the video AF was definitely hunting throughout this video, so it does not look like it improves on the S5IIx's implementation. Also disappointed it still drops viewfinder resolution in continuous autofocus. Will be sticking with my SL2 and Panasonic S5IIx instead of upgrading. Maybe the next Panasonic or Leica will hit the mark.
I took one home, right after the introduction here in Switzerland, last Thu. Have been using it in the studio for two days, since. Fashion and beauty shoots. Right after, I ordered one more, to replace both SL2s. It’s that good. Just hanging in to my SL2-S for video for now. Even more, my colleague, after trying mine, also ordered one to replace her combo of A7RIV and V. The new 60MP sensor and the APOs and the Lux-SL 50 is so sweet…. Just wonder why Content Credentials isn’t in this camera. Could there be…an SL3-P on the way?
Comments by people that have never even touched a Leica before or even if they did they'd had no clue how to appreciate anything past their mediocrity, is the only reason I even bother to glance at these videos. Predictable passableness is just a guaranteed kind of freak show that soothes stress like nothing else. Wish Leica would release a new camera every day so we'd have daily videos like this with endless stream of inspiring, motivational and wisdom-full comments 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Thanks for the extensive info. To those who say Leica is an expensive toy for dentists, I say Henri Cartier Bresson, Phil Penman , Eliott Erwitt, Robert Capa, Ralph Gibson, need I go on?
for all the cameras drawbacks, I have to take my hat off to Jordan here: this might be one of if not the most beautiful looking video you’ve shot, watching it again on my computer monitor it looks really gorgeous (already looked great on my phone this morning.) Say what you will about this sensor’s video chops…clearly someone with technical experience and a good eye can get some rich images from this camera.
Unfortunately reduced flash sync speed is a total deal breaker for me. It’s wild they would do this. I have Sl1 & 2, love both and wanted to love this, just can’t justify going backward on these capabilities. Q3 is a complete win in all directions though, so there’s that.
This big 60mp sensor has terrible rolling shutter like the Sigma fpL, why cant camera companies get that right? Is it an issue with the processor used?
Nice to see such a beautiful portrait of my home town. I would have loved to cross their path. So sad I will never get invited to a Leica event although I could (with a little effort) literally walk there.
With Leica a good amount of the price comes down to made in germany compared to producing in china its just really expensive. For some people thats important and how the camera feels and its handling is also more important than having 1 stop more IBIS or more megapixels. For most people nearly every new camera on the market today is more camera than they will ever need. Just specs wise.
The power button is the most wild choice to my. I'm not even upset about the button itself. Do something different. But taking the on/off function of a camera away from the exposure capture area is perplexing to me. Maybe I shoot, or at least initiate the shooting capture, one handed more-so than the average bloke. But having the switch around the shutter button will always be my preferred placement. I have an Olympus E-M1 mk 1 and it's a fun, lovely, little device. The one thing that always throws me off though is the left side power toggle. If my left hand is busy I commonly end up putting the camera down or holding it awkwardly, turning it on with my right hand, then regrasping it properly to shoot with. It just doesn't seem intuitive to me.
Hi Chris Regarding the size and the downgrading performance of IBIS and Sync Shutter speed sorry but check the size of your S5iiX… is it downgrading any performance of this amazing little camera ?
I just picked up my SL3 this afternoon and am now on a flight to Paris... Looking forward to working this new system. I have my SL2 as a back up - great video.
Yes it absolutely tethers nicely. In the studio scenes you might see that there is a setup with capture one running and the ambassadors had it setup for tethering.
There are something with imagery in this video, it’s both crisp and soft with some very nice falloff in the background. I don’t know exactly what it is but it’s something in the imagery esthetics.
Love this video, very professional and unbiased. I am a current SL2S user and I was eager as hell for the specs and reviews on the SL3 to come out but I think I'm going to wait even longer for the SL3S or whatever they decide to call it. There are a ton of great upgrades on the photo side but at this price and to truly call it an upgrade, I would like the entire package to be an upgrade. The video side needs some work, the PRORES comment was spot on. Still, this is very tempting since my work is more photography than video. Great video as always guys!!
Fun fact: the cheapo, bottom-of-the-food-chain Canon EOS M10 uses a power button as well (primarily to save space though). I loathe it with all my heart.
So, how did you two from Calgary Alberta like Wetzlar in Hessen? I prefer Wetzlar as a city, the surrounding nature is nice. But it’s hard to beat nature and wildlife in Banff Natural Park. A tip to fight jet lag: enjoy your destination and don’t think / talk about the jet lag.
Looks like Leica still has its own unique, one of a kind, rich people only, beautifull colours, sharp lenses, rolling shutter, greeat AF, versaility, build quality aaaaand...big name for buck 😊 Yes, thats it, big name for the 💲💲💲 Heritage... Jokes aside, it is all about experince...I was unlike Chris never about the bang for the buck, rather the feel you get when holding a camera. SL3 looks like Nikon Z8 in a way. Somewhat simmilar body shape and design. I also like the feel of Z8 because its big and beautifull. I could never accept Sony for those reasons. I still hold Leica is the brand for the rich, buut I honestly do believe it is amazing experience holding one in your hands. Cheers
The SL3 is both a boutique toy for the rich AND a compelling product for those who love the experience of photography and see cameras like these as instruments, and others that maybe more efficient but definetly less appealing as just tools.
Looks like a great camera, though the few gripes like weaker battery life, the EVF not being better, and the other quirks here and there are too bad. I am interested to see if an SL3-S uses a stacked sensor though, that would be really exciting.
Would you say that that Panasonic S is the alternative to Leica SL? I love the UI Leica uses however until it becomes affordable for me....a pipedream.
I'm sure it makes great photos (like all modern prosumer to pro level cameras), but other than a bit of a different look and feel to the images (if you like it) and the name, I'm not sure why I'd want to buy one, given all the disadvantages (battery, high cost, etc). You kinda have to really want one just to have one to buy this over any of the other competitors that would perform better overall and be less expensive. That being said, I'm glad it exists. I like that there are options/variety in the market.
THANKS for a candid well thought-out review. I want one, but I don't, still a lot of small gaps that collectively shouldn't be there at this price-point. BUT, Chris's images are drop dead Leica-beautiful.
I get the M system, I get the Q's. I even get the Hasselblads They are in their own classes. But the SL, I don't get it. Where is it better than other far cheaper cameras? A sony a7rv with a 24-70 2.8 is also pretty sexy.
:D i am sorry, you can say a lot of good things about a sony a7rv with the 24-70 2.8, but for sure not that this is sexy. the sony system is professional in parts but every thing else than sexy!!!
That's looks like a super interesting option, as an L-Mount shooter, but sadly way too expensive. I think the new Panasonic with the same sensor will be a much better deal. Hopefully it comes out soon
