Richard & Caroline's Blog

This year has seen be do little personal photography, so recently I have been getting into the habit of taking a camera with me on my local walks. Even if its just a local dog walk.

I have to admit that Ted as was Timmy, is very photogenic.

So the SL2 from Leica is now available. The erganomics have been tweaked to make it feel better in the hand and its now definitely got a Leica R series look. It seems to have the same killer sensor as in the Leica Q2. At 47 MP its a rival to many medium format cameras, and with the micro-lens to allow Leica M lens, this is a camera that will take with adapters just about any lens you can buy.

Leica kept the same battery and it works with all the original accessories.

If I wanted a studio / portrait camera, this and the Hasselblad X1D II would be at the top of my list.

I try at least twice a week to have a wander around Lincoln while carrying my camera. Lately its been a struggle to find a dry day with at least a touch of sun, but this last couple of weeks between the cold and heavy rain there has been a few opportunities.

The original Leica SL was derided on its release. Now we have a number of manufactures who have released full frame 35 mirrorless bodies with fast AF lens.

The issue people had with the SL was they thought it too large and the lens too large. Now its being seen in a new light and has become very popular. With the new alternatives also large, people have realised you cannot break the laws of physics with lens optics.

If you want something smaller Sony have DX cropped bodies and lens and now Nikon have released the Z50 also with the DX cropped factor.

If you really want small then MicroFourThirds is still the best compromise; or take my route and use a Leica M system, if you can put up with manual focus and a range finder.

The new SL2 has been leaked and is rumoured to have 47 MP. That puts it up against the new Sony and the Nikon D850.

With Nikon releasing the new Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct, I am seeing a lot of interest in fast glass again and reduced depth of field.

One of the biggest complaints people make of small format sensors formats is that there is too much depth of field, something I have discussed in the past.

When one thinks of fast glass the old classic Canon f/1 comes to mind but the one that is always top of the list is the Leica range of Noct lens.

The complaint with fast glass is the cost, though we cannot really complain, its a niche product and one that is difficult to produce. The new Nikon is over £8000, which puts it in a similar price range.

The big thing about these lens is the unique look they give to your shots, and many who have used the Leica Noctilux actually prefer the look over the older one.

I have never owned a Micro Four Thirds camera, but the Olympus Pen series have always come close to making me purchase one.

The best Pen was the Pen F and I had a good play with one a few years ago at a Photography show when it was first released. I was surprised and somewhat saddened to hear its now been discontinued.

It was a great little camera. Over priced but a good camera never the less.

With Panasonic adopting the L mount to go full frame, Sony pushing full frame and Nikon and Canon getting in on the full frame mirrorless scene, many feel that Micro Four Thirds is a dead end. I disagree and feel that it has a place, as does the cropped DX format and medium format. They all bring something to the party and have pros and cons.

The new firmware for my Leica M10 was released this month, I have been monitoring the forums over the last few weeks and I am not hearing any issues so last weekend I finally updated.

Companies like Leica and Fuji have been very good at keeping up with firmware updates even older cameras which gives one confidence.