I Swear This Makes Sense
I’ll kick this entry off with a disclaimer of sorts, in an attempt to hopefully help this post make sense, as it will jump around a little between past and present tense. This is due to the fact that I wrote different segments at different times. So, let’s carry on…
Whelp, I thought that this time around if I just ripped off the Band-Aid, as opposed to taking months to do so, that I would alleviate the symptoms that I encountered the last time that I put myself into a semi-difficult, albeit completely avoidable, situation. I was partially correct, I guess. I still have some nausea, but it is certainly nowhere near as bad as it was the last time. That still counts as a win, right? I mean, I could probably take some TUMS, wait a little while, and be good in about thirty minutes or so… (Hmm, that’s not a bad idea.) Anyway, I’ll just cut to the chase. I bought another camera.
Yeah, I get it, the optics on that aren’t great, no pun intended. Even more so when the date on which I placed the order for the new camera just so happens to be the 3rd of May, which is obviously not too far past the release of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. You know, the post in which I praise my Q2 after almost four years of it being my one and only camera… If it helps, I kept the Q2, and did not lie when I stated that it was here to stay. (Seriously, it is not going anywhere, and it is still my main camera.)
Why the sudden pivot? Well, that is a good question, and one that is actually very simple for me to answer. Before I get into that though, I will need to eat a heaping piece of humble pie. (Mmm, yum… Tastes like crow… Ha!) Anyway, to be blunt, I found myself in situations, repeatedly, where the Q2 just wasn’t enough camera. One or two instances I can understand, and make my peace with, as I have previously written about. Again, I knew the Q2 would have its shortcomings, no surprise there. What did surprise me though, was just how rapidly life can change, as well as my photographic needs.
No, I am not jumping back into the realm of being a full-time action sports photographer, nor, despite how great it sounds, dedicating my life to being a full-time bird photographer either. Rather, the decision to acquire another camera setup still largely comes from my desire to better document the world around me, and specifically speaking, to better capture moments of my kids as they grow and progress in their respective interests and activities. Who knew that the Q2 would not really make a great camera for soccer? I kid. I knew that. Again, though, I underestimated the speed of time, as well as how much my oldest has progressed with sports.
My kids are growing up, their interests are starting to overlap with my own, and there was no way in hell that I was going to miss another opportunity to capture the things that bring about the greatest amount of joy in my life and theirs.
So, what will be joining my Q2 and be utilized when I need something a little more? Well, it just so happens to be a Leica SL3 Reporter. I looked at other brands, to include Nikon, specifically the Z8, as well as the Hasselblad X2D 100C, but just kept finding myself coming back to the Leica ecosystem. I truly love the color science, the build quality, the easy menu navigation, and definitely the styling of the Reporter series. Ask those close to me, and they will attest to the fact that I have a strong affinity for anything OD green.
I have not really had the chance to put the new SL3 through its paces just yet. Actually, I almost had to wait a little longer to even get the camera thanks to the dumpster fire that is UPS customer support, which is an instance that I will not get into at this point. For now, this post serves more as an introduction than anything else. I will give a little more feedback at a later time, after I have spent more time with it, though will share a few random notes in the meantime.
Enjoy, and see you next time. Hopefully this brief bit of feedback will, at least, be mildly entertaining.
-Tyler
Oh, the TUMS did help by the way!
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The unboxing continues to be a very satisfying experience. I do very much like when a company like Leica puts effort into the smaller details, such as the packaging, and the materials and textures that make up the packaging itself. It makes the user feel special, and, as odd as it sounds, that they are also part of something bigger due to the experiential nature of just the unboxing. Far too many companies these days skimp on just about everything, so the more boutique approach is one that I appreciate.
Once unboxed, I was pleasantly surprised with the overall feel of the camera in my hands. It was lighter than I expected, though still felt incredibly solid and well-built. The design is clean, modern, and very simple. The only thing that I do feel is slightly off-putting is the power button. It feels out of place, and I do wish that it was a switch-style setup like on the Q2 and other products within the Leica lineup. With so many other buttons that lend to a more tactile experience, the power button, in my opinion, detracts from the overall experience.
After I mounted the lens, which seems to have sourced its materials from leftover tank armor, the full setup started to feel a little more balanced. The lens is definitely not the lightest, but it is not absurdly heavy either. The construction is incredible, and it has, thus far, been a joy to use. Needless to say, sharpness certainly isn’t an issue, even when shooting wide open. I feel as though this lens will be able to take an absolute beating and still perform perfectly. Which I hope is the case, as I will soon be putting it through its paces in a very remote area of Alaska in August.
The SL3 has made for a good road-trip camera thus far.
The overall use and functionality, so far, has been pleasant. The setup is not nearly as big as I was expecting, which means that it hasn’t caused my kiddos to become camera shy again, thank goodness. The camera was very easy to set up to my liking, and most of the menu options carry over from the Q2. The jump was actually easier than I was expecting, much to my delight. Honestly, everything on the SL3 has simply felt familiar, which has made getting started almost effortless and shooting with it a breeze. Now, I have not used it a ton yet, mostly documenting things around the house, as well as during another work trip to Corpus, but know that it will get plenty of use. I am really excited to try out the SL3’s video capabilities, and aim to incorporate more video into my workflow.
That’s really all for now. Again, just some basic notes, but I will certainly have more to share later on. Well, probably, as the SL3 would make for one hell of an expensive paperweight.
