Which is Better, Sony A7R V vs Leica SL3?
Related: apochromatic, coin-operated product review, gear, Leica, Leica M, Leica SL3, Sony, Sony A7R, Sony A7R II, Sony A7R III, Sony A7R IV, Sony A7R V, Sony mirrorless
re: Leica SL3
re: Sony A7R V
The Leica SL3 should be here Monday for review. Lenses might take a few more days though, so coverage likely end of week.
I am not all that keen on reviewing the non-APO 35mm and 50mm lenses but I have requested those, along with a lens I am keen to review, the Leica 21mm f/2 Super-APO-Summicron-SL ASPH.
If you already own Leica SL L-Mount lenses, particularly the fabulous reference-grade APO-Summicron wonders, then the Leica SL3 is the camera that will give you more for the same effort.
As for Zeiss ZM or Leica M lenses, these are nearly all turds on the SL3 or SL2 (or even M11)—they were never designed for the sensor cover glass, and M-lens performance is generally tapped-out around 24 megapixels*.
* A very few lenses do OK, like the Leica 35mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH and the Voigtlander VM 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar, and the Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon (stopped down). Most others show ridiculously poor performance and are unacceptable even at f/8.
Camera Infomercials
Recent video “reviews” of the Leica SL3 by coin-operated talking heads (soon to be replaced by AI?) are laughable entertainment worthy of mockery. But to be expected when 'coin' is involved, as in all-expenses-paid trips to Germany and/or early loaner gear which will not be forthcoming next go-round if the Right Things are not gushingly emitted.
That is, the things you could have been using for years now with the Other Brands.
That is the seamy underworld of the biz, and has been for as long as I’ve been reviewing photo gear. In my 15 years of experience, only one company is an exception to that. And it’s why I rarely if ever (for years now) get any loaner gear from camera companies in any timely manner or at all. It’s for the best.
As for usability/haptics/functionality: some photographers shoot differently than I do, obviously. But that is not an argument for general usefulness of a camera, it’s an N=1 anecdote. No logic can ruffle that “works for my limited needs” cognitive commitment.
When a camera does something particularly well and better than all the others, then that is an argument. Which is my point. But achieving parity is not much of an argument.
Sony A7R V vs Leica SL3
In diglloyd Mirrorless /diglloyd L-Mount:
Leica SL3: Feature Comparison vs vs Sony A7R V
Leica SL3: Value Proposition vs Sony A7R V, Fujifilm GFX100 II, Hasselblad X2D
Leica SL3 vs Sony A7R V: Lens Options
