Leica SL3 Setup Tutorial | 50+ Tips & Tricks

This video is my Leica SL3 setup guide. I will explain in detail how I setup my Leica SL3 for a smooth workflow via camera settings, button and dial customisations, info and user profiles. In the course of the tutorial I cover every important setting in the Leica SL3 menu and in this way make your shooting experience with the Leica SL3 smooth and easy. There are more than 50 tips & tricks embedded in this video :)

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Content:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:42 Camera reset for starting customization from scratch
00:03:53 Switching the camera on again
00:04:12 Setting up timezone, date and time
00:05:20 Customization of the control screen for a smooth workflow
00:13:04 Going through settings in the menu Part I
00:13:56 Customizing a function button for ISO settings Part I
00:14:42 Shortening the list of functions assignable to a function button
00:17:58 Customizing a function button for ISO settings Part II
00:19:28 Customizing the FN button for centering the focus field
00:21:18 Adjusting the size of the focus field
00:21:34 Assigning magnification to a function button
00:21:59 Back-button functions which can be assigned to the joystick
00:23:59 The menu button and the play button cannot be customized
00:24:24 Customizing the two buttons on the front side of the camera
00:25:39 Customizing the three control wheels
00:35:39 Alternative setup for ISO control
00:40:29 Setting up the top left dial for exposure compensation
00:42:39 Control wheel lock function
00:45:09 Going through settings in the menu Part II
00:48:25 Noise Reduction on or off
00:48:44 Example for Noise Reduction off: star trails timelapse
00:50:00 Going through settings in the menu Part III
00:51:50 Capture Assistants and Info Profiles
01:01:39 Going through settings in the menu Part IV
01:07:00 Enhanced Live View demonstration
01:08:39 Going through settings in the menu Part V
01:14:29 Understanding User Profiles and setting them up
01:21:24 Connecting the Leica SL3 with the Leica Fotos app
01:23:38 Transfer of all Leica Looks to the Leica SL3
01:24:47 Remote shooting with the Leica Fotos app
01:25:13 Applying the Leica Looks on the Leica SL3 in live shooting
01:27:22 Some remarks on Autofocus settings
01:29:25 Some remarks on video shooting and the video mode
01:31:22 Conclusions

NEW Leica Q3 | 15 Tips & Tricks for Videography | LUTs, Gamut, L-Log EASILY EXPLAINED:

NEW Leica Q3 ISO-Invariance, Dynamic Range, High ISO & OIS:

Music & Video Clips (if applicable):

#Leica #LeicaSL #LeicaSL3

[rolandrick]

Another Leica nerd here! - Hint: The perspective control information shown at 19:03 is stored into the raw dng files also when perspective control is deactivated, what is honestly a quite convenient thing, because you have the data available also if you forgot to activate perspective control. - I don’t have the SL3 yet (waiting for the SL3-S with 33 megapixel or so 😉), on my SL2-S, M11 Monochrom and Q3 that is like so. - If you activate it, it is of course a great help to frame your composition correctly.

What I really am missing is a limiter field for face and eye detection like it is available e.g. in my Sony 1M2 and 9M3. You can limit the detection to e.g. the Extended Spot field, target the face you want to have in focus, as soon as you half press the shutter, it locks on to the face and is tracking across the whole sensor area the same face.

If it’s a planned shooting, you can store multiple faces in the 1M2 and 3M9 and the camera will automatically prioritise them also in wider AF-C modes. The Leicas automatically always check the whole sensor area for faces, you can switch between them by joystick, buy it remains kinda non-deterministic (1) lottery. You never know if it’s occasionally jumps back to another face. - I don’t expect Leica keeps up to Sony’s AF capabilities by the next firmware update, but a solution similar or even like the one from Sony would be much more convenient and reliable.

(1) Sorry for using terminology like a physicist, originally I studied mechanical engineering, physics and math were my most beloved subjects and for that I suffer of severe nerdiness. 😅

[FlashPoGo]

Thank you! I've had this wonderful camera for 3 months, but it's been all too easy to get lost in the maze of settings and end up in a "challenging" state where I can't get it to do what I need in the moment. I've followed your video to establish, save, and backup to my computer a "General" user profile that I'll now modify to create people, action, and macro profiles. I'm very much looking forward to your focus settings tutorial, especially for an action profile.

[madtom]

Liked, subscribed and very thankful for the invaluable information you always provide in your videos! Watching the video SL3 in hands, tweaking the settings! Cheers!

[salvatoreventura]

Excellent tutorial. Helpful tips. Thank you!

[louis]

Lots of good information to learn. Thanks. My SL3 just came back from Leica USA after a sensor cleaning and removal of top cap for inspection. One of your suggestions was to set up the FN button to center the focus point. I liked that idea and I followed what you did, but my FN button will not accept that input and instead shows the grid and other items when tapped. What am I doing wrong or is there a problem with my camera? Thanks.

[wolfgangdunkler]

Einmal ansehen reicht nicht! Wahnsinnig viele Infos. War kurz in Wetzlar beim Customer Care mit meiner SL3 - nun kann ich wieder mitmachen 🙂
Wolfgang 18~11~2024

[jayocotube]

I love your videos and have watched many of them multiple times because they are educational and instructive. I really like my SL3 and images I create with the system but I have a comment about the SL3 autofocus. It's not a complex subject. It's easy. The SL3 AF system sucks for most anything that is moving. I'd love to sell my Canon R5 kit and use the SL3 for my sport and wildlife shooting. Not a chance. True story. I went to see a representative at a Leica store and asked for some some assistance with settings that might help with birds. His answer: "Don't sell your R5." Again, I adore the camera. It's just that the AF is truly lacking. I'm hoping firmware updates will improve the performance but I'm not holding my breath.

[johnjury]

Another great video thank you. I imported the Yennefer figure from USA, she makes a great model.

[davidkilber]

When will your SL3 Autofocus Video be available?

[rolandrick]

The joystick 22:25 is a multiple design flaw. 1. Quick re-center the focus point is a must. - 2. Back button focussing functionality and moving the joystick around should be separated or at least the friction left-right-up-down 10 times higher. Due to an autoimmune condition, I have numb fingertips and when pressing that joystick, I always shift also the focus point accidentally into a random direction. - I am quite surprised, the designers at Leica didn’t take that possibility even into consideration. 3. For the same reason, I have the same problems with the shutter button. It’s surface is identical to the one of the body and I never know do I press the shutter button or the surface of the body. - Dear mathphotographer, you might have a quite good connection directly to Wetzlar. Maybe you can address this to the board or even Dr. Andreas Kaufmann directly.

[tobiashupf]

Is there going to be a video about the new SL3 update? 😍

[AlbeckJacques]

Hi Chris, thank you so much for this content. If ou don't mind it would be great if you could put the setup /userfile here into your channel, that would help reducing the work

[louis]

Hello Math, Do you have any data/experience on using high quality R lenses on the SL3?

[jaycoffsky]

I really enjoy your YouTube, I have the q3 and now the SL3. Often when I turn the camera off, it will go back to the factory resets even though I have my profile set as user #! and shoot in that profile but then (not ever time) when I turn the camera on I notice I am back to factory resets. any idea what I might be doing wrong. thanks

[joostvanengers]

Very good tutorial; very helpfull. Just bought an SL3. One question: the automatic ISO function on the left dial in M-mode does not work on my SL3. It still showing me the little screen for ISO when turning the left dial. Does this setting needs another amendement in the menu some where else? Manu thanks for a short feedback!

[tresey]

where did you get that matt display protector from?

[snarkytadpole]

The Thumb Wheel is apparently now customizable. When I press and hold it I get a menu of available functions.

[joostvanengers]

Dear Math,
I would be very gratefull of you can react on my question.
Many thanks!
Best regards,
Joost van Engers

[webersteve]

Please tell us how we can tilt the useless screen vertically 😂😂😂

[paulchan]

The SL3 is the most expensive camera that can’t do back-button focus. That is annoying. Leica must do better.