“A year with the Leica SL” by Jonathan Slack (website, Facebook, see also the original Leica SL article here):
Triumvirate. Leica SL with 24-90 Vario Elmarit SL Asph.
On June 23rd 2015 a big box arrived at my door. It contained a prototype SL together with the 24-90 Vario Elmarit. There were no instructions and no clue on the body itself (apart from Leica on the front, and On/Off on the back). I had two different test cameras, one from June to July, and another for September.
The HandeVision Iberit 50mm f/2.4 and 75mm f/2.4 lenses for Leica M mount are now available for sale on eBay:
HandeVision Iberit 50mm f/2.4 lens specifications:
HandeVision Iberit 75mm f/2.4 lens specifications:
Additional information on the HandeVision Iberit lenses is available here and here.
A new Leica camera under the code name “8854” was already registered at the Indonesian Communication Agency and was recently also spotted at the Taiwan Radio Certification Authority (NCC).
The interesting part in the second listing is that the new camera will use the Leica BP-DC13 battery and the Leica BC-DC13 battery charger – both are currently used by the Leica T Typ 701 camera. This is a pretty good indication that a new T model will most likely be announced at Photokina in September. The price of the Leica T Typ 701 is reduced to $1,099 which is another indication for an upcoming replacement.
The previously rumored firmware update version 2.1 for the Leica SL camera is now officially announced. The new features are:
Update: the Windows version of the new Image Shuttle & LR plugin for Windows is being developed and will be released soon.
List of bug fixes:
Leica also released Image Shuttle version 3.4 and Tethered Plug-in version 1.1.0. Everything can be downloaded from Leica Owner’s Area.
Press release:
The world-famous Turkish photographer Ara Güler has been named as recipient of the 2016 Leica Hall of Fame Award. Known for his black-and-white images of the Bosporus metropolis during the 1950s and 1960s, Güler’s impressive portrayal of life in Istanbul has earned him the nickname “The Eye of Istanbul”. The 2016 Leica Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Güler in Istanbul at the end of this year and visitors to Photokina will have the opportunity to view the exhibition celebrating the photographer. The exhibit will be open to the public from 10 AM – 6 PM from September 20 – 25, 2016.
Here is the full press release:
As I already reported last week, Leica released firmware update version 2.0 for the Leica Q Typ 116 camera. The firmware and the instructions can be downloaded here.
New features:
1. DNG-only mode added
2. EVF extended mode added
3. Extended low shutter speed range
4. User Profile menu item directly accessible
5. Level Gauge display changed
6. Size of 1 Point AF metering area now selectable (Small / Standard / Large)
7. One Point AF movement in digital zoom mode restricted to cropped frame
8. Improved Face Detection AF mode function
9. Additional information display screen added
10. Image playback touch zoom function changed
11. Long exposure / Noise reduction countdown added
12. Three modes available for the thumbwheel (Off / AUTO / Exp. Comp.)
13. Mode Lock of the video record button implemented
14. Wi-Fi Password setting changed
15. Flash unit compatibility extended
Official press release:
