On The Money LEICA SL2
AMIDST ALL THE HOOPLA associated with recent full-frame mirrorless cameras, it’s easy to forget that, after Sony, Leica was second into this category and the L Mount is its original fitting. Of course, it’s now shared with Panasonic and Sigma in the L Mount Alliance which, among other things, has to enhance the appeal of Leica’s products beyond its traditional customer base. Consequently, the new SL2 fits into a line-up of, currently, four other L Mount bodies supported by a wider and more diverse system of lenses. And, particularly with the SL2, you get the sense that Leica is fully aware it needs to present a more mainstream camera while preserving what makes a Leica camera a Leica camera. But if you’re thinking of buying into the L Mount, the SL2 is definitely in the frame for its capabilities as a camera first and being a Leica second. The original SL was probably just a bit too individualistic for some tastes and Leica concedes it was probably overly “Germanic” in its styling. So its successor has been given a complete makeover.
Interestingly, compare the dimensions directly and the SL2 is fractionally bigger, but it looks a lot smaller because the proportions are now better balanced: All the edges and corners have been softened, and the viewfinder’s housing looks like it’s meant to be there, not stuck on as an afterthought. Pretty? Well, almost. The handgrip has been reshaped and the rear control layout completely redesigned so the ergonomics are much nicer. There’s also an all-new graphic user interface, with separate info displays for stills and video (or, if you want, cine). More on this shortly.
A favourite Leica party trick with its 35mm SLRs – from R4 to R7 – was to park a car on the pentaprism housing to illustrate the strength of the bodyshell. You could probably do the same thing with the SL2 as its top plate is milled from a solid lump of aluminium, and so is the baseplate.
