The Right Tool
Nov 24, 2015About twenty three years ago my father placed my grandfather’s beloved Leica SL2 film camera in my hands. I affectionately call that camera my greatest teacher. Through its viewfinder I learned about composition, light and shadow patterns, luminance and how different the world is when we pause to focus our attention as well as a camera. The minimal controls and metal-loop light meter forced me to make correct exposure choices at an age when I could have cruised along with auto-everything. Those early years learning from the venerable SL2 left me feeling uninspired by the fifty or so whiz-bang cameras I’ve worked with since. Until now……. Leica’s latest release is the SL, a digital version that evokes the classic SL2 and fills the space between the S and M system cameras. The new SL offers auto-everything but pros will appreciate the old-school simplicity. Photographing with the SL is a return to capturing what YOU see from within, not what or how the camera thinks you see. Those are two very different things and the SL gets it right.
In Light,
Cira
