Like some other photographers, as time has progressed and digital technology matured, I have become jaded of the megapixel race. I actually grew weary of it by the time 24 megapixel was considered normal. I never print images and, apart from those that are shared on PhotoArk, view them on high resolution monitors or TV’s up to 60 inch. So when 24mp was surpassed I found myself in a situation where new camera models didn’t interest me or fulfil my requirements. I had long planned to buy into Leica’s 35mm format L system but watched the original 24mp SL Typ 601 suceeded by the fantastic 47mp SL2. As good as it was, I could not bring myself to justify the enormous increase in resolution. I would simply be using up valuable resources storing huge RAW files with no purpose to hand. 

Along with the recent purchase of my SL2-S, I decided to split my L system off from the rest of my gear as the lenses and body had been acquired with specific purposes in mind. To me it made sense to have the robust, heavy and waterproof kit in one bag and my lighter, smaller CL/TL system in another, even though they share the same lens mount.

I took delivery of a Leica SL2-S a couple of weeks ago and felt that it’s austere design would benefit from some kind of case, to protect it from daily knocks and scuffs. The camera is solidly built so this was more of an aesthetic choice to protect the paintwork from damage. Leica do not offer a case for the SL camera line, so I had to look at the third party market to get an idea of what was available. There is a surprising amount, ranging from very cost effective solutions to more luxurious designs.

I have big clumsy hands. My fingers are large with similar dexterity to uncooked sausages on a fork. Try as I may to be careful, completing a delicate task without some kind of calamity is an alien concept to me. If I am completing a DIY task, I need lots of space and big tools. If I am working on a gardening project, I am suited to driving holes into the ground with a jackhammer rather than mincing around with secateurs. Strange then, that I have spent a lifetime using many of photography’s smaller tools, eschewing  Manufacturers such as Canon and Nikon and their behemoth product lines.

It was always my plan to build a small collection of SL primes, based around the focal lengths thatI consider most useful to me. In recent years I have preferred to keep my lens choice small, unlike around 20-30 years ago when I had a dozen or so for one system. Back then the number of lenses in my collection had grown out of trial and error as I experimented with different focal lengths and speeds. In retrospect I found it useful (if not a bit costly) to establish which angles of view I tended to operate with, as my personal taste has not really changed much since then. My core system comprised of 35, 50 and 100mm lenses, the latter occasionally being replaced with a 135, or even more occasionally a 180. It was these which saw most active use over many years, while others were used simply when I felt like a change (and to justify their existence).

My interest in 35mm lenses has remained unfettered since I first got into ‘serious’ photography more than four decades ago. I have written elsewhere of my fondness for this focal length and it’s ability to capture slightly wider angles with little in the way of distortion. It was a long time before I purchased my first 35mm, as before this I have used zooms and often composed images on or around this angle. Seeking a lighter alternative, I soon latched onto the fact that I could have a fast prime - much faster than a zoom - minus the heft. When I first discovered Leica Camera’s it was via the X1, as it had a 35mm equivalent lens built in, albeit not particularly fast. Not many years after this I was lured into purchasing the X Typ 113, thanks to its much faster 35mm prime. I still use that camera today and the results I can get from it are sublime.