Leica SL buy or wait?

[ramarren]

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...

Please remain that way, for the sake of your mental health. I bought, used and lived with a Sony A7RII for a year. Happiest moment : when I sold it. Apart from the fact that it seems ( it won't ) that is a complete breakdown imminent, the menu's. I cannot stress this enough. I sold the camera, because I couldn't get into the menu logic. it is endless pages without ANY logic organisation whatsoever. stuff like setting the camera clock is two clicks. formatting the sd card ? 9 clicks and two pages. it seems that Sony employed a 4 year old to design the menu system. is apalling.

...

 

 

Proenca: been there, done that ... not again. Sold my A7 after a year and a half of fighting with it. One of the clumsiest cameras I ever owned. 

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[caissa]

I saw a 35/2 but I fear they somehow make it huge&heavy.

I mean they made an ~1100g+ 50/1.4 which takes 82mm filters ...  

http://www.reddotforum.com/content/2016/09/leica-releases-sl-lens-roadmap-highlighting-four-primes-and-one-zoom/

Not seen an update to the roadmap in 6 months.. the 35/2 looks to be at the tail end of 2017 as it was.

 

The roadmap states:      Summicron-SL 75           in summer 2017   (June/July  2017 ?)

                                       Summicron-SL 90           in autumn 2017    (September/October 2017 ?)

                                       VarioEl...-SL 16-35          in winter 2017    (Xmas 2017 ?)                                       

                                       Summicron-SL 35           in spring 2018    (March/April 2018 ?)

I hope that "as usual" they show the first lenses a little earlier, so I expect to see soon the first Summilux-SL 75 lenses in the hands of their favorite testers.

The three Summicrons are of identical size (probably with slightly different weight). They are not tiny, but much smaller than the SL 50.  The filter size will be 67mm, and so the length will be somewhere around 10 or 11 cm and diameter around 74mm. So they will be only slightly bigger than the corresponding R lens with the R to SL adapter. But their lens shades will be much bigger.

And the 16-35 will be very close in size to the SL 50 (maybe slightly longer, but identical diameter).

 

I would really like to hear of a completed roadmap for the next 4 or 5 lenses (places 8 to 12 on the roadmap).

Edited April 21, 2017 by caissa

[R3D-D0T]

 

The roadmap states:      Summicron-SL 75           in summer 2017   (June/July  2017 ?)

                                       Summicron-SL 90           in autumn 2017    (September/October 2017 ?)

                                       VarioEl...-SL 16-35          in winter 2017    (Xmas 2017 ?)                                       

                                       Summicron-SL 35           in spring 2018    (March/April 2018 ?)

I hope that "as usual" they show the first lenses a little earlier, so I expect to see soon the first Summilux-SL 75 lenses in the hands of their favorite testers.

The three Summicrons are of identical size (probably with slightly different weight). They are not tiny, but much smaller than the SL 50.  The filter size will be 67mm, and so the length will be somewhere around 10 or 11 cm and diameter around 74mm. So they will be only slightly bigger than the corresponding R lens with the R to SL adapter. But their lens shades will be much bigger.

And the 16-35 will be very close in size to the SL 50 (maybe slightly longer, but identical diameter).

 

I would really like to hear of a completed roadmap for the next 4 or 5 lenses (places 8 to 12 on the roadmap).

 

 

I almost got the SL until I saw this roadmap... yuck!

[ramarren]

 

The roadmap states:      Summicron-SL 75           in summer 2017   (June/July  2017 ?)

                                       Summicron-SL 90           in autumn 2017    (September/October 2017 ?)

                                       VarioEl...-SL 16-35          in winter 2017    (Xmas 2017 ?)                                       

                                       Summicron-SL 35           in spring 2018    (March/April 2018 ?)

I hope that "as usual" they show the first lenses a little earlier, so I expect to see soon the first Summilux-SL 75 lenses in the hands of their favorite testers.

The three Summicrons are of identical size (probably with slightly different weight). They are not tiny, but much smaller than the SL 50.  The filter size will be 67mm, and so the length will be somewhere around 10 or 11 cm and diameter around 74mm. So they will be only slightly bigger than the corresponding R lens with the R to SL adapter. But their lens shades will be much bigger.

And the 16-35 will be very close in size to the SL 50 (maybe slightly longer, but identical diameter).

 

I would really like to hear of a completed roadmap for the next 4 or 5 lenses (places 8 to 12 on the roadmap).

 

 

 

This seems like an excellent set of lenses to me, although the one that piques my interest most is the 16-35mm. I have R lenses in the prime focal lengths I use most already (15, 19, 50, 60m, 90, 100m, 135, and 180).

 

A 35mm f/2 with AF might prove handy, however; I sold off my 24 and 35mm R lenses. As would a 28mm f/2 with AF. 

[petermcwerner]

 

On 4/21/2017 at 5:09 AM, ramarren said:

Proenca: been there, done that ... not again. Sold my A7 after a year and a half of fighting with it. One of the clumsiest cameras I ever owned. 

I had a happy life with Leica gear: 3B,R8,R9 until I bought an SL. I used it and suffered with it. The IQ was good, but I felt like a pack mule carrying it. As a result I spent less and less time taking photos and more curing my back pain.

I am now a very happy Sony A7R2 user with a collection of Leica and Zeiss lenses. My productivity has skyrocked and I enjoy life again. 

[IkarusJohn]

You could try an M10 - it’s not much bigger or heavier than an A7 and the sensor plays better with your Leica and Zeiss glass ...

[bags27]

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41 minutes ago, petermcwerner said:

 

I had a happy life with Leica gear: 3B,R8,R9 until I bought an SL. I used it and suffered with it. The IQ was good, but I felt like a pack mule carrying it. As a result I spent less and less time taking photos and more curing my back pain.

I am now a very happy Sony A7R2 user with a collection of Leica and Zeiss lenses. My productivity has skyrocked and I enjoy life again. 

Last summer, I was at the Louisiana in Denmark with my Q. A guy walked by with the SL and the 24-90. I told him that he had a great kit. He looked pained and said it was so heavy and admired my Q. I'd love to have a FF mirrorless Leica, but it has to be smaller/lighter than the SL. A lot of folks think of it as a studio camera. 

But I love the lenses. The 16-34 produces the best photos short of MF that I know of. But they are all fabulous--if fabulously expensive.

Edited December 14, 2018 by bags27

[petermcwerner]

8 minutes ago, IkarusJohn said:

You could try an M10 - it’s not much bigger or heavier than an A7 and the sensor plays better with your Leica and Zeiss glass ...

Thanks for the suggestion. My Leica lenses are all "R" and the Zeiss from different cameras: Contax N, Contax C/Y, Contarex, Rollei

[IkarusJohn]

R lenses work fine (with the EVF), and there are adapters for the others, I'm sure.  Anyway, if the A7r2 works for you, that's great.  I think the M cameras are things that you gel with or you don't - it isn't compulsory.

I have tried a number of cameras and systems looking for a universal body, and the SL is the best I've found so far.  Having said that, I've sold down all my other lenses - Sony, Nikon, Leica R, Hassy, etc.  I've pretty much decided I'll stick with the Leica glass I have, and that makes the SL the perfect choice for AF, the Ms for manual and the TL2 for compact.  For some reason, the Sonys I had just baffled me, and my last Nikon was just too complicated - just showing my age, I think!