[Leica] SL redux, day1

[Ted Grant]

Hi Doug,
Absolutely beautiful! The crispness and sharpness is quite amazing even for
an old time LEICA LENS USER like me!
I mean these birds in sharpness and detail are quite amazing.
But then if the camera were not being made to work by a "MASTER WILD LIFE"
photographer as yourself ! They just wouldn't have the sharpness and sharp
details as you capture!
GOOD ON YOU DOUG!"  :-) WELL DONE!
cheers,
ted. 

-----Original Message-----
From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Doug Herr
Sent: January-07-17 9:29 AM
To: lug at leica-users.org
Subject: [Leica] SL redux, day1

Yesterday was my first full day with the SL and 90-280mm zoom.  The SL is
unchanged since I first tried it a year ago, what's new (for me) is the
lens.  Given the storms and family obligations for the next several days it
will probably be another week or more before I can use the camera more.

Recapping my initial thoughts about the SL: the solid construction,
responsiveness, file richness, the simple, configurable, no-nonsense control
layout, and viewfinder (with one exception) continue to delight me.

I'm still annoyed by the inability to make the viewfinder's exposure preview
mode permanent; it's enabled by a half-press of the shutter switch or can be
configured to be activated by the fn button (where the DOF preview button is
on Leicaflexes).  The viewfinder reverts to automatic brightness after each
exposure.  If the subject and background are similar tones, no big deal.
OTOH if there's much difference between the subject and background tones it
can be very distracting particularly when using spot metering and the
subject is dancing around the field of view, as avian subjects often do.

The 90-280 is spectacular, nearly as good as the 280/4 APO.  I haven't seen
any color fringes either spherochromatic (color fringes in OOF high-contrast
objects) or laterally.  This lens would do well with a higher-resolution
sensor.  Much higher.  Which brings up a problem: aliasing and moire.

Feather detail, a very sharp lens and a sensor without AA filter can be a
difficult combination to work with.  Moire-reducing software and occasional
cloning out scrambled pixels become necessary for the best quality files.
This is less a problem with the Sony a7II which has a similar-sized sensor
and an AA filter.  I still see some color aliasing when using the 280/4 APO
on the Sony but not nearly as much as the 90-280 on the SL.  Combine the
Sony with the Canon FD 500mm f/4.5 L and color aliasing is never a problem,
in part because the lens has some lateral chromatic aberration, correctable
with software.

My test subjects were familiar birds in my yard, lured within range of a
280mm lens with seed, water and fruit.  This was my first opportunity to try
the SL's AF in the field.  I found that the most reliable use of this
feature was single-point manual focus, which means that a touch of the
joystick focusses the lens at the focussing point.  The SL's AF is quick and
quiet and assuming it locks onto the right target its accuracy leaves
nothing to be desired.  No micro-adjustment ever required.

As I expected, the AF system focuses on the nearest point within its AF area
meaning the bird's shoulder or wing and not necessarily its eye.  Manual
fine-focus is possible by pressing the lower-left key on the camera's back,
with brings up 3x or 5x magnification in the viewfinder in two steps.  I
find that 3x is an excellent compromise that allows critical focus over a
significant area of the image.  I wish the Sony offered this option instead
of jumping directly to 5x.  I also wish the SL would offer the 3x option
with the joystick button when using non-electronic lenses.

When using a native lens the lower-left key is the only option for bringing
up viewfinder magnification, so I have to take my left hand away from the
focussing ring, move it to the camera's back to press the key, then back to
the focussing ring.  Not the most effective technique.  Maybe I can train my
nose to press the key.  The 90-280 is a focus-by-wire lens; the zoom is
mechanical.  Both rings rotate smoothly and the resistance of the two rings
is identical.  When using manual focus the focusing ring is sensitive to the
rate of turning the ring: quick rotation = large changes, slow rotation =
small changes.  Very nice.

The lens's optical stabilization works well, probably better than the Sony's
sensor stabilization, but subject motion is the limiting factor more often
than the stabilization technology.  In practical use the Sony's
stabilization would have done just as well.

Enough words, show some pictures!

http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000046_crop.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000065_crop.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000091_crop.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000108_crop.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000116.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000131_crop.jpg
http://www.wildlightphoto.com/temp/L1000206_crop.jpg

Doug Herr
Birdman of Sacramento
http://www.wildlightphoto.com
http://doug-herr.fineartamerica.com

_______________________________________________
Leica Users Group.
See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus