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 SL2 (1974) is the last of the Leicaflex series and the final Leica SLR designed entirely at Wetzlar without any Minolta collaboration. It refines the Leicaflex SL (1968) in several significant ways: the metering sensitivity range extends to EV 2 (vs. EV 4 on the SL), enabling usable metering in considerably lower light; the meter display in the viewfinder is revised to a more intuitive LED or pointer system depending on the production run; and the body received minor ergonomic improvements.
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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Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The final independently designed German Leica SLR — the Leicaflex SL2 refined its predecessor's spot-metering system and is today one of the most collectible cameras in the Leica catalogue.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Leica R bayonet (2-cam; 3-cam and ROM compatible) |
| Years | 1974–1976 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/2000s + B, horizontal-travel titanium |
| Flash sync | 1/100s |
| Meter | TTL spot, open-aperture, EV 2–20 |
| Modes | Manual |
| Viewfinder | Pentaprism, 1.0× magnification |
| Weight | ~1,040 g |
| Battery | 1× PX625 mercury (or silver oxide equivalent) |
The Leicaflex SL2 was introduced at Photokina 1974, shortly before Leica's announcement of the R3 (1976) — which would be co-developed with Minolta and would represent a fundamental break from the Leicaflex architecture. The SL2 thus occupies a narrow production window of just two years, though its short run has made it more desirable to collectors than the longer-produced SL.
A special variant, the Leicaflex SL2 MOT, was produced in small numbers with a connector for an early motor drive — one of the first Leica SLRs to accept a winding motor. The standard SL2 was offered in chrome and, rarely, in black chrome finish; the black SL2 commands a significant premium on the collector market.
The SL2 was followed by the R3 in 1976, which adopted a Minolta XE-based body design to reduce manufacturing costs and add aperture-priority automation. Many dedicated Leica photographers of the period considered the SL2 the last "true" German Leica SLR, and it retains that sentimental status today.
The Leicaflex SL2 is simultaneously the most refined Leicaflex and one of the most collectible 35mm SLRs in the Leica catalogue. Its historical position as the final independently designed Leica SLR gives it emotional significance to Leica devotees; its technical specification — extended metering range, 1/2000s, spot metering — gives it practical credibility.
For use with Leica R-mount lenses, the SL2 is fully capable with any 2-cam, 3-cam, or ROM lens (though ROM programme modes are not available, only aperture-metered manual). The body's mechanical shutter operates without battery at 1/60s on most units, making it one of the few Leica SLRs with partial battery independence.
The SL2 is rarer than the SL due to its shorter production run, and its used prices reflect that scarcity — particularly for black chrome and MOT versions.
Leica R bayonet (2-cam or better for open-aperture metering; 3-cam and ROM lenses fully compatible). Key R lenses: Summicron-R 50/2 (2-cam), Summilux-R 50/1.4, Elmarit-R 90/2.8, Summicron-R 90/2, Elmarit-R 28/2.8, Elmarit-R 135/2.8, Vario-Elmar-R 35–70/3.5. Accessories: Leicaflex Motor (early winder for MOT variant), cable release, lens hoods.
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 SL2
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