C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Leicaflex SL (1968) is the second generation of Leica's Leicaflex SLR line, introducing the defining feature the original 1964 Leicaflex had lacked: through-the-lens metering at full aperture (open-aperture TTL). With the original Leicaflex, photographers had to stop the lens down manually to meter accurately — an awkward and slow procedure compared to Japanese SLRs that had offered open-aperture metering since the mid-1960s. The Leicaflex SL corrected this with a redesigned metering system that read light through a central spot in the viewfinder at the working aperture as set on the lens ring, without requiring stop-down.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The first Leica SLR with true open-aperture TTL metering — the Leicaflex SL resolved the key weakness of the original Leicaflex and established the Leica R system as a credible contender against Nikon and Canon's professional 35mm SLRs.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica R bayonet (2-cam for open-aperture metering) |
| Years | 1968–1974 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/2000s + B, horizontal-travel titanium blades |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL spot, open-aperture, EV 4–18 |
| Modes | Manual |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, 1.0× magnification |
| Weight | ~1,000 g |
| Battery | 1× PX625 mercury (or silver oxide equivalent) |
Leica's entry into the SLR market came late and hesitantly. The company's reputation rested entirely on the M-series rangefinder line, and the 35mm SLR segment was already dominated by Nikon, Canon, and Asahi (Pentax) when the original Leicaflex appeared in 1964. The original model's stop-down metering was an embarrassing limitation at the time of release; by 1968 open-aperture TTL metering was standard in Japanese professional SLRs.
The Leicaflex SL fixed this deficit comprehensively. Leica engineers developed a spot-metering system that read from a central circle in the viewfinder and coupled to the lens aperture via the 2-cam system. The metering accuracy was considered excellent for the era, and the spot-metering characteristic (rather than the centre-weighted averaging used by most contemporaries) was preferred by studio and technical photographers.
The Leicaflex SL was replaced in 1974 by the SL2, which improved the metering sensitivity and modified the finder display. From the R3 (1976) onward, Leica co-developed bodies with Minolta, but the Leicaflex SL remains the last independently designed German Leica SLR before the Minolta partnerships.
The Leicaflex SL has historical significance as the camera that established the Leica R system as a serious professional SLR platform. The 2-cam lens mount, introduced with the SL, became the foundation for the 3-cam and ROM systems that carried the R lineup through the R9 in 2002 — a single mount lineage spanning 34 years.
For contemporary users, the Leicaflex SL is the most affordable entry into the Leica R system. The 2-cam lenses it requires (Summicron-R 50/2, Elmarit-R 90/2.8, and others) are inexpensive relative to later 3-cam and ROM versions. The body is entirely mechanical with a battery-independent shutter at 1/60s (or in some accounts, any speed — varies by serial number); the meter requires a working PX625 equivalent battery.
The heavy brass body and 1/2000s shutter speed reflect Leica's commitment to durability over portability — a body that, if properly maintained, will outlast virtually any contemporary camera.
Leica R bayonet (2-cam required for open-aperture metering; 1-cam lenses mount but require stop-down metering). Compatible lenses include: Summicron-R 50/2 (2-cam), Elmarit-R 90/2.8, Summicron-R 90/2, Elmarit-R 135/2.8, Elmarit-R 28/2.8, Summilux-R 50/1.4 (some versions). Accessories: Motor Drive 1 (early R-series winder), cable release, lens hood for each lens.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Leica Leicaflex SL
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