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I Switched from Sony to Leica SL

Dave Herring

39,513 views

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0:00 - Why I Moved from Sony to Leica SL
4:35 - How I Moved from Sony to Leica SL
6:22 - Problems I Encountered from Sony to Leica SL
8:01 - What Cameras Actually Are

Changing camera systems can feel surprisingly personal. In this video, I talk about why photographers get emotionally attached to their cameras, what made me leave Sony for the Leica SL system, and why changing gear is about more than specs, autofocus, ergonomics, or image quality. After years of shooting Sony for professional work, YouTube, and documenting my kids’ childhood, moving to the Leica SL3-S and SL3-P came with a real learning curve — new color, new workflow, new limitations, and a lot of memories tied to the cameras I was letting go.

I also share why I made the switch, how Camera West helped me sell and trade my old gear, and what I learned about the relationship between photographers and their cameras. Cameras can absolutely matter to us. They can hold memories, represent seasons of life, and become part of how we experience photography. But ultimately, the camera is still an extension of the photographer — not the thing that makes the photograph meaningful.

If you’ve ever struggled to sell a camera, switch systems, or let go of gear that meant something to you, this one is for you.

#Photography #Leica #Sony #LeicaSL #CameraGear #PhotographyGear #LeicaSL3S #LeicaSL3P #SonyAlpha

DISCLAIMER: Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning that if you click it and buy the service or product, they give me a small commission for sending you. This is a small way I support this channel, and making videos like this one.

20 Comments

@davidherring Creator 2 weeks ago Pinned

What's the camera you'd have a hard time letting go of?

@loganarowland 8 days ago

I was thinking back on this video today as I found myself pining for my old Fujifilm XH2S.

I moved on from it because it didn’t match my needs anymore. The AF failed me in too many scenarios, and it often overheated in the Texas sun.

But I miss it. I miss the process of using it. And I’m attached to it because of the work I made with it, including a TON of photos and videos of my children.

Alas, it makes no sense to go back, and I’ve got my eyes on the SL system, but sometimes I wish I could have afforded to keep it on my shelf.

@brianadlersound 2 weeks ago

Came here to say two things -

1. This video is - yet again - awesome.

2. That Mae record is INSANE and is one of my favorites.

@lukasvanderlende 2 weeks ago

Thanks brother! Glad the conversion lut is working for you! 🤘

@MartinV. 2 weeks ago

Great Video!! I have used canon, sony, fuji, leica and I agree, once I got dialed in with the equipment, all the images had a similar look. regardless of the camera they were taken on, I still have a look I want the final images to have.

@AudioSoupNoggin 2 weeks ago

Was not expecting The Everglow to show up. 100% agree it’s an amazing album.

@thefrenchphotographer 1 day ago

I had a a7r iii fall in lake. Water damaged. Not under warranty… Sony repaired it for free. Amazing

@PeterHartland 2 weeks ago

Funny you posted this as I was going through the same problems, I have been shooting Leica now since 2020 with the M11 & M11M plus originally the SL2 now SL3 but decided I would add the Hasselblad X2D II & 35-100XCD lens. Last week I was on my annual trek for a photographic friend to Lake District in the UK & although I took the SL3 made decision to just go out with the Hasselblad. count although the menu system is different not to different from Leica. I also made sure I set up custom profiles to suit my photography. The hardest things were dealing with DOF, different shape of sensor & focal length difference but within a day the camera became a tool I slipped into . During the week did long exposure, tripod Panos etc. The one day when weather was predicted to be very wet took the SL3 as I know it performs well with its weather sealing & actually found myself cursing the in comparison poor LCD when doing panos . At the end of the week actually found the Hasselblad may replace the SL3 but not the M11's

@mikeyc7072 2 weeks ago

Great Video!! Helped me better understand why I’m not letting go of my Nikon D850👍! Spent years living at/near the beach shooting Surf, Sunsets, Sunrise. Shot 10’s of Thousands of pics of Shorebreaks at Newport Beach and Seal Beach. Moved to the Ozarks and needed to go smaller and lighter for walking in the woods - went Micro 4/3’s with Panasonic G9, and G9ii. Whenever the screensaver comes on my computer I see the best of those old D850 pics and can’t stop thinking how much better my old D850 pics look vs now😖!! There is a lot to be said for 45mp and Full Frame!! So much so that I’ve been using the D850 recently. Now I’m shopping for a return to Full Frame!!

@guidedvisionsmedia 2 weeks ago

SL2-S is still great for client work. The autofocus isn’t horrible. Just needs modern lenses.

@1513studios 2 weeks ago

Couldn’t agree more with this video. We definitely get attached to cameras but the more I do photography and filmmaking the more I realise that the camera we use is pretty much irrelevant really.
There are only slight differences between the brands, good lighting and composition can make all the difference

@c141charlie 2 weeks ago

I def see the difference in your skin tone with your new setup. More orange/red/pink. I only bring this up because I noticed the same thing when editing video from my SL3. It doesn’t look bad, just different.

@nelsonZeledon 2 weeks ago

Ohh I rem that Mae album that preceded that one. Good times in jr high.

@patrickquarles6960 2 weeks ago

Another great video; look forward to discussing your change challenges in Jackson this week!

@adam_kozlowski 2 weeks ago

So nice to watch your videos, always honest, always focused on expiernce!

@FlorevdotArt 2 weeks ago

First of all, no matter the camera system you use, you are an amazing photographer. I see beautiful frames you took on all of them.

@Jesus2026HEISVICTORY 2 weeks ago

Cameras are only formats. Each take photos but Leica has a unique build and format. Hasselblad also have a unique look and build. I personally like the Leica M format. I had the sl2-s. It was a tank of a camera. You knew that you just got a gem of a camera. It was much heavier than anything I had before. It was hard on my bad shoulder and I was thinking the M was ready for me. I had the years of savings. When I think about that it is so foolish to spend so much on a camera. But I loved the experience.

@SethRusackas 2 weeks ago

Camera West’s concierge service is the real deal. So incredibly helpful when I traded in a lot of my gear for a Hasselblad. The people there are amazing.

@udddiptasaikia 2 weeks ago (edited)

I totally agree with what you're saying, i was 15 when i first saw the Nikon d5's Inspired video, that video really inspired me a lot, after the Artemis ii mission i got myself a nikon d5 refurbished, just for that one memory to keep with me forever 😅

@bobdamico1099 2 weeks ago

I only have one camera that I have any emotional attachment to and it is my black Nikon F, the camera I started my long professional career with. Other than that over now some 50 plus years as a photographer , I have never related to the camera type or brand as one being more fun, inspiring or creative than another as a whole. The one exception would be a technique more than a camera, for a few years I did 4X5 and 8X10 live Polaroid transfers. What made them exciting was the unknown outcome of that single image until processed. Other than than that I shot with both film and digital cameras in different formats using multiple models from Canon, Nikon, Contax, Hasselblad, Leaf, Fuji, Mamiya, Sinar, Rollei, Toyo, Olympus, Panasonic, Leica, Sony, Ricoh and even Minox. Some were easier to use, some were more dependable, some were more difficult, some were workhorses, some were finicky, in the end they all were just tools. The creative part comes from the person using them, not the camera itself. Sort of like the woodworker saying this table saw over that one is more creative.
I have never related to this or that camera being more inspiring, I do relate though to not liking a camera that gets in the way. Back when I started I could focus more accurately with a ground glass screen in my Nikon than a split screen, I could hand hold at very slow shutter speeds with no aids, neither of those things are true anymore. Since I am now pretty much retired, other than my old film camera collection, I am now shooting just for myself with a Sony A1, A7RVI, Sony RX1RIII and Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, because they let do what I want with a camera.
I guess to each his own.