Best Mechanical Leica Lenses for the SL

[zeleny]

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I bought my SL with a Leica S and Novoflex Canon EF adapters to complement the lenses otherwise used on my S2 and RED cameras. I am looking to put together a range of the best M and R lenses, from wide angle such as the Super-Elmarit-R 15mm f/2.8 ASPH, to medium telephoto such as the APO-Telyt-R 280mm f/4. I am looking for recommendations based on first hand experience.

[antigallican]

"Best for what" will be the issue. I have a 50mm summicron from the 80s which I used to swear was the nicest lens I'd ever used until I bought a 1950s 35 summaron. But then I'm a lens colour and drawing priority person. I can understand why some people with other priorities need the most up to date lenses. Short dof? That will be a noctilux but I'd rather carry the summicron round all day. I think you'll have to specify the use a bit.

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[helged]

May I recommed the M-75mm Lux or the equivalent R-80mm Lux. At f1.4, the rendering is smooth, the colours somewaht cold and the look painterly. From about f4, the lenses get very sharp and get a 'modern' look. This duality is quite special. Apparently among Mandler's favorite (search "Mandler" on this site and you will understand...). I love the 75Lux!

[zeleny]

Yeah, best for what. My most used lens is the Leica APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 CS. Walking around with the S2, I mount the Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 CS and carry the Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH CS. I intend to relegate the S gear to indoors use, and exploit the focal length, speed, and ISO flexibility of the SL. I definitely need something in the 80mm to 100mm range, with macro capability a bonus. I would like a 50mm lens and a 280mm lens, and something wide; maybe also a T/S lens. I am tempted by the 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R ASPH f/2.8, but my preference is for primes, sharper rather than faster.

[jaapv]

If you are looking for the very best (but I cannot think of one Leica lens that is sub-par):

 

You cannot get past the Summilux 50-M asph and/or Apo-Summicron 50

Another one not to miss is the APO-Macro-Elmarit 100 R.

The Summiluxes 35 asph, 24 and 21 M are very special lenses.

The Super-Elmars M 18 and 21 are incredible lenses.

In the long lenses: Apo-Telyt 280- 4.0 and the modular APO-Telyt system

[geetee1972]

You could just buy one copy of every lense that Leica currently makes. That way you could be sure you had the best lens for everything.

[mmradman]

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On wide end

Elmarit R 15mm [*]

Elmarit R 19mm v2

Super Elmar M 21mm f3.4

Summilux M 28mm

Zeiss ZM 35mm f1.4 [*]

 

On normal end

APO Summicron M 50mm

Summilux M 75mm or R 80mm

 

On tele end

APO Elmarit R 100mm (as mentioned in post #5), if you need magnification between 1:2 and 1:1 than consider dedicated ELPRO Macro Attachment

Zeiss Milvus 135mm f2 (or earlier ZF/ZE APO Sonnar 135mm f2 equivalent)

APO Elmarit R 180mm

APO Summicron R 180mm [*]

APO Telyt R 280mm f4

 

[*] no first hand experience, base recommendation on word of mouth.

[jplomley]

21 SEM, 28 Cron Asph v2, 50 Lux Asph and 90 APO; all M mount,all superb. The new 28 Cron Asph is a knock-out lens.

[steppenw0lf]

Your question looks very theoretical to me.

First what is your budget? Second, what are your priorities ?

 

The SL is so seductive for me, because it promises support for "all" Leica lenses ever in use and also for almost all other lenses that a Leica user found exotic and wonderful, but that did not fit the R or M mount. (Contax, some old exotic Pentax, Nikkors of all generations etc.)

 

Assuming macro is your priority, you start with a perfect lens (the S 120), but I would still add the Apo Macro Elmarit-R 100 and the humble but excellent Elmarit-R 60mm Macro.

Then add some Contax/Zeiss macros (100, 60) and some Nikon lenses (200mm micro, 70-180 micro, 60mm 105mm).

 

For top quality it is also worth considering the Otus lenses - though it is in my eyes wiser to wait for the SL equivalents. (primes of 50, 28 and 90 mm). The SL 50 is big but a special choice (for the future - the longer you have it, the more you will like its qualities compered to other 50mm. At first you find it probably mainly too big.)

 

Or maybe you have a hunch for M lenses ?   The WATE 16-18-21 is much better than I expected and wonderfully small. There are famous M lenses - of which I prefer the Summilux-M 35 AA or Aspherical (now unfortunately rare). But you have a wide choice if it is your style (for me often the close focusing distance is a handicap). The Summilux-M 28mm is also a special buy. But the tiny Elmarit-M 28 is optically just as perfect.

 

The choice is now extremely wide. So I typically just use the selected few (e.g. Contax or Zeiss 21mm f2.8 that I like very much). And wait mainly for the native SL primes to arrive. It llooks as if they will have a small edge over other series.

Edited August 11, 2017 by steppenw0lf

[Jon Warwick]

For top quality it is also worth considering the Otus lenses - though it is in my eyes wiser to wait for the SL equivalents. (primes of 50, 28 and 90 mm). The SL 50 is big but a special choice (for the future - the longer you have it, the more you will like its qualities compered to other 50mm. At first you find it probably mainly too big.)

 

And wait mainly for the native SL primes to arrive. It llooks as if they will have a small edge over other series.

+1. Based only on what I've read here and there on the internet, i.e., the to-be-released "prime" SL Summicrons sound potentially amazing.

 

I'm an M user at the moment, but could see myself moving to an SL ..... keeping my mechanical M 50mm APO as a first and lightest lens on an SL. Perhaps worth the OP considering as about the best of the mechanical lenses?

 

They're naturally larger than M lenses, but I'm hoping the upcoming "prime" SL Summicrons will balance very well on the body. I'm also assuming their image quality will be potentially superior to anything we've seen from the M series to date - i will have to wait and see!

[jip]

There are many good Leica M and R lenses for sale, usually the later/newer ones are the better lenses...

 

I've got a few for sale currently feel free to PM me for details

 

Will post them in the classifieds section this week. 

[jip]

The 90mm APO-Summicron-R is amazing!

 

Also the Elmarit-R 28mm V2 is amazing.

 

and many more!

[thighslapper]

Personally I think you are mad to load up with a selection of nearly new and antique glass when you have the 24-90 and 90-280 zooms that cover most of the range you want and the 16-35 to be released later this year.

 

If you want the 'best' then these are what you want .... optically they are comparable or better than any of the prime lenses you can source. 

 

The exception is the apo 280/4 ...... if you can find one .... and in good condition ..... and it could set you back as much (or more) as the 90-280 to buy, with the only real advantage that you could use the apo extenders to get 400, 560 and 700mm. 

 

I have a safe full of M, R, Voigtlander and Zeiss lenses from 10 - 700mm(via the extenders) and the 24-90 zoom is on the camera 90% of the time with the WATE and 90-280 for the rest. Anything else gets an occasional try to keep the cobwebs off and for a bit of variety. 

 

A lot depends on how much you anticipate using the SL versus the other cameras ..... and whether you are indulging in photography as a hobby .... or collecting lenses .....  

Edited August 11, 2017 by thighslapper

[zeleny]

Thanks for all responses. To refine my inquiry, here are some points.

• My current setup is four S primes and two Canon zooms. The former are a 35 mm Summarit-S f/2.5 ASPH CS, a 70 mm Summarit-S f/2.5 ASPH CS, a 120 mm APO-Macro-Summarit-S f/2.5 CS, and a 120 mm TS-APO-Elmar-S f/5.6 ASPH. The latter are an EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM and an EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM.
• I don’t really have a budget. I have been shooting Leicas since the Nineties; since the Seventies, if we count the Soviet FED knockoffs. My outlook is that of a collector and a shooter, primarily of guns. Be it weapons or optics, the cost of initial acquisition is the least of my concerns. What matters the most is the total cost of ownership. Not so with my electronically laden photo kit. I have no problem with writing off its depreciation as a professional expense. But going forward, I am looking to assemble a collection worth bequeathing to my infant son. Hence my interest in the best Leica M and R lenses.
• I prefer primes. If and when I go for zooms, they would be a 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R ASPH f/2.8 ROM and a 70-180mm Vario-APO-Elmarit-R f/2.8 ROM. Go big or go home.

Edited August 11, 2017 by jaapv

[dkCambridgeshire]

Personally I think you are mad to load up with a selection of nearly new and antique glass when you have the 24-90 and 90-280 zooms that cover most of the range you want and the 16-35 to be released later this year.

 

If you want the 'best' then these are what you want .... optically they are comparable or better than any of the prime lenses you can source. 

 

The exception is the apo 280/4 ...... if you can find one .... and in good condition ..... and it could set you back as much (or more) as the 90-280 to buy, with the only real advantage that you could use the apo extenders to get 400, 560 and 700mm. 

 

I have a safe full of M, R, Voigtlander and Zeiss lenses from 10 - 700mm(via the extenders) and the 24-90 zoom is on the camera 90% of the time with the WATE and 90-280 for the rest. Anything else gets an occasional try to keep the cobwebs off and for a bit of variety. 

 

A lot depends on how much you anticipate using the SL versus the other cameras ..... and whether you are indulging in photography as a hobby .... or collecting lenses .....  

 

 

 

Three s/h Leica R 280/4 APO lenses have been listed by two London Leica dealers for many months and at c. £3K - £3.3K,  all are considerably less than the price of a new SL 90-280mm. Furthermore, there is no duty payable in the USA for UK photographic hardware imports. 

 

dunk 

[thighslapper]

Three s/h Leica R 280/4 APO lenses have been listed by two London Leica dealers for many months and at c. £3K - £3.3K,  all are considerably less than the price of a new SL 90-280mm. Furthermore, there is no duty payable in the USA for UK photographic hardware imports. 

 

dunk 

 

ebay pricing of as new s/h 90-280 is basically the same price as a very good condition 280/4 .....  .

Edited August 11, 2017 by thighslapper

[zeleny]

Thanks for all responses. I will clarify and sharpen my inquiry below.

1. I have been shooting Leicas since the mid-Nineties; counting Soviet FED knockoffs, since the early Seventies. I strongly prefer primes. The only Leica zoom lenses I am considering are the 35mm–70mm f/2.8 Vario-Elmarit-R ASPH and the 70mm–180mm f/2.8 Vario-APO-Elmarit-R. As a first priority, I want to get into the wider and longer optics, e.g. the 15mm f/2.8 Super-Elmarit-R ASPH and the 280mm f/4 APO-Telyt-R.
2. I own an S2P with an Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 ASPH, a Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH, an APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5, and a TS-APO-Elmar-S 120mm f/5.6 ASPH. I also have a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, mostly for use on a RED camera. I have and use SL adapters for all of the foregoing.
3. I don’t really have a budget. I paid full retail for almost all of the foregoing gear. All of it is fully depreciated. I don’t really need any more lenses for my work. But I always come out ahead by investing in durable, low maintenance goods. As a collector and shooter of classic firearms, most of the handguns I own incur a high negative cost of ownership. Looking at the price trends, I expect mechanical Leica lenses to perform likewise. I don’t care for putting the latest in digital technology ahead of the sensor. I am looking to collect classic optical gear worth bequeathing to my infant son.

[jaapv]

Well, in that case the thread is better off in the collector's forum. I'll move it there for you.

[zeleny]

Well, in that case the thread is better off in the collector's forum. I'll move it there for you.

Please don’t. My main interest is in optical performance. It helps that collector value correlates with it.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[jaapv]

In that case it will have to go into the general customer forum. It does not belong in the SL forum for sure.