Used SL question

[kuau]

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I am thinking about purchasing a used SL with the 24-90 zoom and also includes an extra battery for $8500 USD the whole system has never be registered and when I contacted Leica USA they looked up the serial numbers and I was told i could register the body and lens and be would be covered by the Leica USA warranty.

 

All sounds good to me but with the release of the Leica R-L adaptor I was wondering if I would be better served with just purchasing the SL body for $5900 and purchase a R 28, R 35-70/4 and a R 135.

 

I really don't need AF and wanted to ask the sL community if they had to do it again would one just purchase the SL and then adapt either M or R glass or is the 24-90 that good even though the size / weight it's the way to go.

 

The SL for me will compliment my S006 system

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[ramarren]

Even though I use the SL mostly with R lenses, I would be the first to say that if modern lens performance, never mind AF, OIS, and all focusing/exposure modes/etc of the camera are important to you, get the SL24-90. There are only a couple of M and R lenses in the focal length range that actually out-perform it (none that I have) on a technical basis.

 

So why do I use R lenses mostly? Because I have them too and I like them. Nothing deeper than that.

[Guest]

I really don't need AF and wanted to ask the sL community if they had to do it again would one just purchase the SL and then adapt either M or R glass or is the 24-90 that good even though the size / weight it's the way to go.

 

What I can say from my experience is that I had a T and later the SL, with the TL zooms. I then tried the SL with a 21mm Super Elmar in the Leica Zürich store and the showed me how to easily focus...... I was sold. I now have a mix of R and M glass and I am happily manually focussing after 2 decades or more of AF! I can focus manually much faster than I could get AF to lock on sometimes. The whole feel of having the camera in Manual or Aperture-priority in conjunction with manual focussing is a pleasure. Zone fcussing a lot too. I am practising judging with my eye first the distance, and then when I bring the camera to my eye, already I see the focus peaking indicating that my guess was pretty good.

 

I considered for a short whole the 24-90, but as weight, size were concerns, I decided against. I like the discreet M glass in particular. The R glass is for my studio use mainly and the M glass too to a lesser degree.

[LocalHero1953]

It depends on what you want to use the SL for.

 

I added the SL + both zooms to my M system - it wasn't a replacement.

 

I use the SL and AF zooms mainly for people photography (portraits, events, music, dance), when I don't want to be thinking about the mechanics of photography - I want to interact with the subjects. 

 

If I want a simple, lightweight, manual experience, then I take the M. For documentary/street, the small M system retains an advantage in discretion, and I always carry it while hiking (clipped on my backpack shoulder strap where the SL would be too heavy, even with a M lens).

 

If I was starting with nothing, then, as my eyesight is still reasonable, I would go for the M system again.

 

For my current usage, or if my eyesight struggled with manual focus, I would go for the AF zooms with the SL. Personally I would get no joy out of photography with the SL with just manual focus: it's too much of a half way house between the back-to-basics and the all-the-benefits-of-digital approaches. Undoubtedly the SL is excellent with manual lenses, but every time I use them I know the AF zooms on the SL do it better. The speed of operation of the SL+AF brings its own joy in use.

[scott kirkpatrick]

Picking up a used SL which can be put under warranty, from a shop that you can trust at the prices you cite, seem like a good deal to me.  On the question of spending $2100 more for the 24-90 lens, that is an exceptional deal.  Godfrey acquired his R lenses several years back, when they were at a historic low price.  Mine (15, 21-35, 35-70, 80, 90, 100) were acquired starting when the M[240] announcement made it appear that R lenses might be usable again, so the prices had risen.  Now the really nice R lenses are becoming extremely rare, so I think you will find it difficult to exceed the quality and convenience of the 24-90 with R equivalents that cover or slightly extend its range.  

 

My suggestion -- buy the SL+24-90 combo and see how it works for you.  Wait just a bit for the R with ROM to L adapter and then try some late model R telephotos or wide angles.  In each stage your resale value will hold up pretty well, and these are lovely lenses to work with.

 

scott 

[steppenw0lf]

I have a lot of R (and some M) lenses - that is the main reason I wanted an SL.

But I have to confess that the new SL 24-90 zoom delivers high IQ, definitely higher than the 4/35-70 Macro. The difference is mainly visible at the edges. and gets smaller when stopping down.

I do not like the SL 24-90 - too bulky for everyday use - and use mainly R and M lenses and the SL 90-280. I wait for more and "better" SL lenses in the future.

 

So it depends if you like the SL 24-90. Optically it is high class, so you should buy it. But if it is just sitting at home, because you do prefer smaller lenses, then it is pointless.

So it really depends how much you like the SL 24-90. The difference is 2600$, that sounds like a bargain.

 

Many used R lenses are not far from that, the three you mentioned could be more in total, especially if you choose the latest R 28 V2 which has become quite expensive. Or do you already own these lenses ? You can see in my icon that I use a M 28, that is an alternative.

You could also adapt your older lenses in the meantime until the desired lenses are available in SL mount, as a mirrorless camera the SL is very flexible.

[kuau]

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Thanks for all the replies.

I mostly shoot landscapee. As I mentioned I have a pretty complete S system but wanted something I can use when I don't want to lug around my S and 4 primes. I was a M9 and M 240 shooter yet my eyes are not what they use to be so having either AF or EVF or combo of both is what I am looking for.

 

Since I am mostly shooting at F8-F11 and yes corner performance is important which R prime / zoom lenses should I be looking at if I decide not to go with the SL zoom. For primes I would want either a 24/28, 35, 50 and 90/135.

 

My other question is how is the performance of the SL zoom at 90mmm in general I always thought that with zooms at the long end is usually the weakest performance.

[steppenw0lf]

Coming from S you probably want the best IQ available.

So buy the SL 24-90 and the SL 90-280. The 90mm in the 90-280 is stronger as it is apo.

Wait for the SL primes to arrive in a year or two.

The older zooms are good enough for most, but not for someone coming from S.

If you cannot wait for primes, buy the three Otus lenses (28, 55, 85 all with 1.4) and adapt them via Novoflex adapter.

I would prefer the Nikon mount, but many like the EOS mount - you have the choice.

 

Regarding IQ this is the optimal choice. Not regarding weight or flexibility - but for you weight is definitely no problem.

 

I do not know which M lenses you have. So I do not know how useful they are for landscape. Instead of the Otus you could adapt them with equal IQ and with the added benefit of a very light combo. The camera (EVF) offers 10x enlargement and focus peaking, so it is a breeze to use the M lenses manually, even if your eyes grow older. (I am wearing glasses and LOVE using manual focus with the SL.)

The WATE and the M 28 lenses are great for landscape, but also others.  

[chris_tribble]

At that price, buy the set and sell the lens if you don't like out.. You won't lose

[scott kirkpatrick]

At that price, buy the set and sell the lens if you don't like it.. You won't lose

That's the no-brainer part of the advice you're getting here.  Don't let that deal get away.  At the 90 end of the 24-90, I'm pretty sure that for edge to edge landscape details, you can do a bit better with the R's APO SC 90.  Or the APO Macro Elmarit 100 is a wonderful lens.  Both of them are long-throw.  You can focus extremely accurately with either one using 5X or 10X focus magnification or the more impressionistic focus peaking.  At the 24 end of the Vario-Elmarit SL, there is some strong software correction for distortion going on, but you will not notice it unless you turn it off when no straight lines require it, and gain a tiny amount of edge sharpness. 

 

scott

[kuau]

Decision made I'm going to pull the trigger on the SL 24-90 kit.

Thanks everyone

[chris_tribble]

Enjoy

[Bill W]

Decision made I'm going to pull the trigger on the SL 24-90 kit.

Thanks everyone

Can I ask where you are getting the SL kit? You can PM me if you wish. I am interested.