50mm Summilux-SL ASPH Review

[AlexP]

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@Chaemono:  lol.. we've been using that Otus combo since 2014. There is no AF. So your sarcastic is too dry dude.

 

Edited March 21, 2017 by AlexP

[Chaemono]

@AlexP: Just keep holding it by the lens in order not to bend the lens mount.

[dancook]

Just tried the SL in C-AF with the 50mm 1.4, just walked around the house with field AF - and it was pretty damn good at being able to focus on things quickly and take photos, just constantly refocusing itself put it in the ballpark quickly

Need to try it in an environment with people, who move and where precise focus makes all the difference.

Edited March 21, 2017 by dancook

[thighslapper]

Ditto ..... never bothered to try this ..... surprised at how responsive and quick it is. 

 

Mildly confused by rather wildly blowing branches outside the window ..... but can handily be locked by activating MF when moving the barrel slightly.

 

I can see some useful tactics to increase hit rate with difficult subjects using this .......

[dancook]

I shot a car heading towards me at 20-30mph, using C-AF, field AF @ f1.4

 

I appreciate it's at a little range and I still want to try other tests - but AF kept up with the car to get 8 sequential shots in focus.

 

The focus is hard to appreciate with these small file sizes, the image is just so you get an idea of what I was attempting, and I can say the AF worked fine. The sharpness of the white car is clear, there is still subject 'isolation'

 

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Edited March 21, 2017 by dancook

[Chaemono]

Good. I almost sold mine because somebody told somebody that it's crappie slow.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Chaemono

[AlanJW]

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I am crappie slow.   I deliberately work deliberately.  The speed of my equipment is irrelevant as long as it can keep up with me, which is, at my age, not that hard.

[dancook]

Attempting to demonstrate AF speed

 

 

Whilst not the clearest video, I found that the left hand side of the piano was near instantaneous to get focus - and the right hand side took a moment longer.

[maqroll]

Attempting to demonstrate AF speed

 

 

Whilst not the clearest video, I found that the left hand side of the piano was near instantaneous to get focus - and the right hand side took a moment longer.

Thanks, Columbus' egg

[geetee1972]

Are there no limits to the size/weight/price premium that you're prepared to pay in the pursuit of that notional 'best optical quality'?

 

I've no doubt that this lens will resolve slightly more detail wide open than the majority of 50s, but I don't believe that this will translate into a leap forward in photographic terms.

 

Almoore I think you hit a raw nerve with your posts on this thread. I think you made some very valid points and I also can't wrap my head around how a lens can be that big and that expensive and yet still compromised in one area and not a game changer in others. I agree that there is only one compelling value proposition for it and that's the fact that it's an AF large aperture prime from Leica for the SL and that if IQ was the real issue, you'd be investing in a Phase One or Hasselblad system. And I agree with you that there is a great danger that the brand is becoming the camera equivalent of a Harley Davidson or a Porsche 911.But if it sells then form a business proposition perspective, that's what i would have signed off on also.

 

I love my SL but I have to say that every time I come here and see what people are using their SLs/Leicas for I really worry that someone might have surreptitiously removed my aesthetic gene when I bought it. Many of history's greatest photographs have been taken by Leicas, the problem is that none of them are on here.

[dancook]

If I want to continue using the SL, and I want a fast prime with AF and weather sealing, there is no other choice. If I could not get on with this 50 SL, I think I'd have to sell the SL.

 

I picked a camera I'd enjoy and still be usable for weddings/events, I considered the Hasselblad X1D but it lacks the same versatility as the SL.

[thighslapper]

 

 

I love my SL but I have to say that every time I come here and see what people are using their SLs/Leicas for I really worry that someone might have surreptitiously removed my aesthetic gene when I bought it. Many of history's greatest photographs have been taken by Leicas, the problem is that none of them are on here.

 

They are all on the Leica SL User Group on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/leica.sl.601/?ref=group_cover )

 

The amount of posted photographic activity on this forum seems to be inexorably declining...... and also increasingly fragmented. Ok for discussions but not for showing images ...... and the Facebook Forum allows bigger images as well. 

 

I'd give an SL 50/1.4 a go before writing it off ....... I don't think anyone would call it good value ...... but if you are in the market for Leica gear you have almost by definition given up on this as a criteria for buying .... 

Edited March 21, 2017 by thighslapper

[almoore]

Almoore I think you hit a raw nerve...I love my SL but I have to say that every time I come here and see what people are using their SLs/Leicas for I really worry....

Yes, the thread has oozed with insecurity and defensiveness. Anybody remotely confident about their choice of a 50mm lens that's larger than their head wouldn't give a toss about somebody else being unconvinced.

[LD_50]

...And I agree with you that there is a great danger that the brand is becoming the camera equivalent of a Harley Davidson or a Porsche 911.But if it sells then form a business proposition perspective, that's what i would have signed off on also.

 

I love my SL but I have to say that every time I come here and see what people are using their SLs/Leicas for I really worry that someone might have surreptitiously removed my aesthetic gene when I bought it. Many of history's greatest photographs have been taken by Leicas, the problem is that none of them are on here.

The automobile analogies are always so far off and meaningless.

 

A Porsche 911 is an iconic vehicle that also outperforms almost any other sports car. It also comes in a number of variants to suit an individual's taste. Also a 911 is 2-3x more expensive than most other cars, though not most other cars that offer similar performance. How is this individual car model similar to the Leica brand? Are you saying Leica is like Porsche? Would that be a bad thing in terms of product mix, reliability, performance, reputation, brand image and awareness, margins, and health of the company?

 

Harley Davidson motorcycles are reliable and now high tech (navigation, stereos, ABS, LED lighting, remote start, etc). There are a number of variants across the line, including touring and sportier models. All fall into a certain style that's different than something like Ducati (my current brand). You can customize to an individual's taste. These motorcycles are available with a wide price range, less than some competitors and more than others. How is this similar to Leica?

 

If you're trying to make some judgment of owners or fans of each of these brands, why? What's it have to do with the product itself?

[geetee1972]

 

If you're trying to make some judgment of owners or fans of each of these brands, why? What's it have to do with the product itself?

 

Because they're typically bought by people who choose them for their status rather than their performance. It's an indication of values; of what the person thinks is important. Is it truth, beauty and love (or goodness if you want to reference the original Greek transcendentals), or is it money, status and power?

 

It's not true in every instance of course and anyone who subscribes to the former would by definition give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but there are patterns you see in life (like how some groups typically have more priviledge than others or how we asign roles depending on gender) and the pattern of choosing the latter and ignoring the former is one of them.

 

All that said, I have not made a judgement on the 50SL, I'm only commenting based on what other people have said; it's a supposition that needs to be tested and I will be very happy to be proven wrong, i.e. that the AF performance on the 50SL does justify the price premium over the manual versions.

[Chaemono]

Interesting marketing strategy. Sow doubt and confusion about this product’s performance and try to influence the perception of Leica’s brand image and positioning. The first one clearly isn’t working so now it’s back to emphasizing the latter. Shows how much respect much larger competitors seem to have for Leica.

[profus]

I love my SL but I have to say that every time I come here and see what people are using their SLs/Leicas for I really worry that someone might have surreptitiously removed my aesthetic gene when I bought it. Many of history's greatest photographs have been taken by Leicas, the problem is that none of them are on here.

 

I have to admit, that I often wonder about the same thing. If you want to see some interesting images, this forum would probably be the last place to visit...

[wattsy]

Interesting marketing strategy. Sow doubt and confusion about this product’s performance and try to influence the perception of Leica’s brand image and positioning. The first one clearly isn’t working so now it’s back to emphasizing the latter.

 

 

Are you suggesting that geetee1972 is one of these professional forum agitators that you claim are "trolling" on behalf of Nikon or Sony? Am I one too? 

[dancook]

All that said, I have not made a judgement on the 50SL, I'm only commenting based on what other people have said; it's a supposition that needs to be tested and I will be very happy to be proven wrong, i.e. that the AF performance on the 50SL does justify the price premium over the manual versions.

That will never happen unless you actually try it for yourself, then you can form a informed opinion that is only relevant to yourself.

 

People's opinions can be relative to their other experiences and often overstated, if you're used to top of the range modern DSLRs (like I have been), the 50SL AF may seem slow by comparison.

 

I have a friend who shoots on wet plates who tried out my 50SL, and without prompt, the first thing he commented on was the AF being fast. (in a dimly lit pub)

 

 

So whilst I believe AF to be 'slow' in comparison to other experiences, it is still very capable - and I am working out how to make the best of it.

 

Sony RX1R I had to sell because of how slow I found the AF, but that is not the case here.

Edited March 22, 2017 by dancook

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[almoore]

Are you suggesting that geetee1972 is one of these professional forum agitators that you claim are "trolling" on behalf of Nikon or Sony? Am I one too?

 

I think we should be upfront about this. You're on the payroll of Nikon, geetee works for Canon and I'm owned by Sony.

 

There can be no other explanation for not being convinced by this wonderful and enormously practical lens.

Edited March 22, 2017 by almoore