3 Months With The Leica SL3

What more can I say about the Leica SL3 that hasn’t already been said online or on YouTube? Today marks 90 days since the camera's release, and I’ve been enjoying everything about it for my use case. This year, I decided to return to working in the studio. I picked up the SL2 late last year in preparation for this decision.

There were some issues with the SL2 in the studio. The camera would freeze up while tethering and trying to use autofocus. Right before I bought the SL2, I purchased the Lumix S5II because I wanted to be part of the L Mount Alliance. At this point, I’ve been using Leica M cameras for at least two years. A review is coming soon.

When I purchased the S5II, it gave me hope that the SL3 would be released soon, so I purchased a few lenses in preparation. When the camera was officially announced, I got on the phone with Sire (Projectroman) from the Leica New York City Store and purchased the camera. The next day, the camera was in my hands, and I took it to lunch. This was on March 8th.

I enjoyed what was coming out of the camera. The photo to the right had more than enough details in the shadow areas to edit the image easily. That Sunday, I had my first in-studio test with the SL3. I brought the SL2 just in case because the camera was new to me. I connected the SL3 to the computer, and everything worked amazingly. As many reviewers have noted, the autofocus eye/face detection improved significantly. For my needs, the SL3’s new autofocusing system is fantastic. It is still a bit behind the S5II, which I’m not sure why, considering both companies work closely together. I assume it has to do with the fact that the SL3 has 60 megapixels, while the S5II only has 24.

Here are some photos from the shoot. It was a photo shoot for a local thrift store called Noni. There were four models, and the goal was to capture product shots and styling shots.

When I got back home and saw that I only missed focus a handful of times, I was sold.

Here are some of my favorite frames from the first week of owning the camera:

Within the first week of the launch, the New York City Leica store also opened, and Jason (Stockezy) had a photo walk, which I made sure to attend. I got to meet some amazing photographers I’ve connected with on social media.

Here are a few of my favorite frames using the SL3 in the studio:

In short, the camera is great for my style of shooting. I know many like to bring up Leica heritage and history as reasons why they love shooting with Leica cameras. For me, it’s simple: I enjoy using equipment that brings me joy. I enjoy the conversations I have with other Leica shooters. Their passion motivates me to continue shooting as well. Leica is a brand that brings people together to create together. The camera is an amazing tool. There are some things I miss from the SL2, for example, the height and the shutter sound. I wish there was a way to lower the shutter sound outside of just turning on the electronic shutter. I can’t wait to see what additions they add to the SL3. For example, if you keep autofocus on when using a manual lens and the camera can still pick up a subject, it would be nice if the camera then zooms in to ensure we are hitting critical focus. That would be amazing.

If you have the opportunity to hold and test this camera, you should take the chance.

P.S - These are my own thoughts and no one from Leica asked me to create this blog post.

Hobolite

When I got back to the studio, the first thing I needed to figure out was what type of lighting I wanted to use. I started with the Westcott system, which works wonderfully. I was on YouTube and saw Joseph's review of the Hobolite. I was amazed by the build quality. Joe started talking about all the minor details Hobolite added to their creator kit, and I knew I needed to get my hands on their lights. I spoke to Joe online about it, and he said he would get me in contact with the team at Hobolite. That same week, I was at an event in NYC for Jason's photowalk at the new Leica Meatpacking location that had just opened up. The group decided to hang out afterward, and while we were hanging out, I was able to meet Kiran in person for the first time. I didn’t get to speak to her one-on-one, but I reached out via email, and later that week, I was able to get a Pro and Avant on loan to test out. I was so excited and opened everything that same day.

When it comes to new technology or products, I’m like a kid in a candy shop. The following week, I had a shoot at a speakeasy in Center City, Philadelphia. I thought it was the best time to test out the new lights because I needed powerful lights for a dark environment, and I needed lights that could last at least one hour. Both the Pro and Avant creator kits come with V-mount batteries. This was my first time using V-mount batteries, and they last for a very long time.

I used both the Avant and Pro for these photos.

Here are some photos from that night:

Here are some frames from the first time using the lights in the studio. I believe I used just the Pro. The first thing I noticed was that even the Pro 300w isn’t enough to light up a scene with a lot of daylight, which is fine when I’m in the studio because I can block out all the natural light coming in through the windows.

After using both the Avant and the Pro, I had a few questions. I had the opportunity to meet with the CEO of Hobolite, Helena. That alone made my year because it was the first time I ever had the chance to meet with a company’s CEO to discuss the things I liked and the things I was confused about. The conversation was about more than just light; it was about how the only thing that matters in this world is whether you can tell a story. She helped me redefine what it means to be a content creator. We also talked about the number one thing that matters after finding a great story: lighting. If you take enough photos, you realize light is the most important thing to a scene. While cameras are capable of going to high ISO, nothing will beat using the right lighting. I left the conversation inspired.

I then realized I should try to document life more, either in photo or video format. Here are some photos I took around the house with my fiancée hand modeling:

The next thing I realized is that my Lumix has been starting to collect dust. This was the next thing the Hobolite opened up for me during my studio shoots. I can now shoot video during my sessions. Here are some videos:

Here are some of my favorite photos taken with the Hobolite:

In conclusion, I’ve been enjoying using Hobolite. I now use the Avant for all my studio sessions. I don’t keep the Hobolites in the studio, so I travel with the Avant, which is the perfect size to carry around. I bought the Bowens mount adapter, and all the modifiers I have in the studio I can use easily. I do wish the Pro was a bit lighter, but I understand that with the type of build quality Hobolite is providing, the weight makes sense. I use the Pro whenever I have more than one subject in the frame. A few things I hope to see soon are more modifiers to help shape light, like an optical spot. I know because of the heat output they don’t sell any gels yet, but I hope to see some soon.

P.S. - I now own the new Iris and will have a review once I use it more. All Frames were taken with the Leica SL3.

If you are in the Philadelphia area and ever need a photographer you can reach out here or look at my rates here.

Hobolite X Adorama

I recently attended an event hosted by Hobolite & Adorama in New York City, and it was an incredible experience. I've been wanting to attend more events to meet people I've connected with on social media, and this event, hosted by Jim Sullivan, was the perfect opportunity. Jim's work is amazing. I've been using Hobolite lights in the studio for the last two months and love everything about them. I will be writing a detailed review of the Hobolite Pro and Avant lights soon.

The event took place at the Mulberry Bar in Soho, a venue I had heard about but never visited. Jim did an excellent job explaining his thought process on how he lights up scenes.

The first scene was set at the bar, featuring two models: one behind the bar and one at the bar pretending to order drinks (Daniela). The scene was illuminated with several Hobolite lights, including the Avant, Micro, and Mini.

The second scene showcased Mynxii , an amazing producer and photographer, modeling on the couch. This setup allowed us to capture more frames using the Hobolite Pro and Avant lights.

During the event, I had a fascinating conversation with Kiran, who asked if I had ever considered writing down my thoughts. I admitted that I always tell myself I should, but then I forget. Writing this, I realized I forgot most of our conversation, but it was impactful enough to inspire this blog post.

I plan to continue blogging regularly, sharing my thoughts and experiences. Blogging will also be a great way to showcase new work, as updating my website every month is time-consuming.

Talk soon!

All Photos were taken with a Leica Camera Sl3 with a 35mm Summilux