Help with Lens for SL

[Flyer]

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Hello

 

This is my first post so please be gentle!

 

I have been a photographer for over 30 years and have mainly used Nikon and Canon Full Frame DSLR's, however I am close to pull the trigger on an SL Body.

 

However most of my budget will go on the body and I need to buy a couple of cheap lenses just to get me going, my wife has promised me a nice lens for my 60th in April!

 

My budget would be around £1000 any advise on what to buy second hand would be much appreciated.

 

I know some may say well if you cant afford the lenses then you shouldn't buy the body, but owning a Leica has been a dream for me and I will add good lenses over the coming years.

 

Kind Regards

 

Flyer

[ropo54]

Hello

 

This is my first post so please be gentle!

 

I have been a photographer for over 30 years and have mainly used Nikon and Canon Full Frame DSLR's, however I am close to pull the trigger on an SL Body.

 

However most of my budget will go on the body and I need to buy a couple of cheap lenses just to get me going, my wife has promised me a nice lens for my 60th in April!

 

My budget would be around £1000 any advise on what to buy second hand would be much appreciated.

 

I know some may say well if you cant afford the lenses then you shouldn't buy the body, but owning a Leica has been a dream for me and I will add good lenses over the coming years.

 

Kind Regards

 

Flyer

 

You have a multitude of options, particularly if you would consider adapters for either M lenses and/or R lenses, and pre-owned lenses.

 

You might consider the following lenses:

 

Zeiss 50mm planar f2 and/or Zeiss 35mm f2 or f2.8 (around $600 USD)

Many R lenses including 35mm, 50mm, 60mm f2.8 macro ($500USD) 

Voigtlander 15mm f4.5 v3 

Voigtlander 21mm f1.8

Voigtlander 75 1.8 or 2.5 (around $400 USD)

Many other voigtlander lenses in 35mm or 50mm range

 

I have a wonderful 135mm f4 elmar from 1961, in excellent condition, that I had found pre-owned for $200.

 

TL lenses (10mp output, but will give you autofocus)

 

Lots of great choices. Have fun shopping.

 

Rob

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[mmradman]

Flyer, you say you have been shooting for some 30 years, do you have any existing full frame lenses, either manual of autofocus. If so, you just need simple lens adaptor to get you started with your new SL.

 

Also in your post you don't say which focal length you are thinking of using.

[Jared]

Until you can afford native SL lenses...

 

Do you care about autofocus?  If not, I'd look at adapting an 'M' mount lens or an 'R' mount lens.  Several of the Voigtlanders have a very good reputation, though I couldn't tell you which off hand.  Almost any of the 'R' lenses would work well, also.  That would let you use Leica glass without paying for the 'M' lenses (which tend to be available used only at a premium over their 'R' cousins).

 

If you DO need aotfocus, though, I would actually think about a used TL lens.  The 18-56 can be found within your budget. Or you might be able to find a 23mm within your budget.  These are both APS-C lenses intended for the T, TL, and TL2 cameras, but they work just fine on the SL.  They are just cropped down to 10 megapixels or so.  That is still ample for many/most purposes.  I own a bunch of 'M' glass that I use on my SL and on my M10.  I also on the 24-90 SL lens which is absolutely fantastic for when you need it.  But the TL 18-56 is actually a lot of fun on the SL, great for walking around and general use.  It's responsive and optically very good.  It's also much smaller and lighter than the native SL lenses.  Obviously, it's not a permanent solution to your problem--no point in paying all the money for an SL with its excellent and large sensor if you are just going to crop it down.  But as a stop gap, I would actually recommend the 18-56 quite highly.  I still use mine all the time for situations where I just don't need 24 megapixels (which is most situations, frankly).  I believe they go for a little under 1,000 USD on the used market here in the states.  In the UK, I'm sure you could find one for under 1,000 GBP.

 

As someone else mentioned, it is also possible you could adapt some of your current lenses.  I believe the results have been mixed in terms of autofocus performance with Canon glass, for example, but you get all the image quality.  Personally, that wouldn't be my first choice, but you may already have glass you like.  Just get the appropriate adapter(s).

 

- Jared

[antigallican]

Hello

 

This is my first post so please be gentle!

 

I have been a photographer for over 30 years and have mainly used Nikon and Canon Full Frame DSLR's, however I am close to pull the trigger on an SL Body.

 

However most of my budget will go on the body and I need to buy a couple of cheap lenses just to get me going, my wife has promised me a nice lens for my 60th in April!

 

My budget would be around £1000 any advise on what to buy second hand would be much appreciated.

 

I know some may say well if you cant afford the lenses then you shouldn't buy the body, but owning a Leica has been a dream for me and I will add good lenses over the coming years.

 

Kind Regards

 

Flyer

Wife sounds a keeper.

[ropo54]

Wife sounds a keeper.

 

Very true, will she come in at under $1000 going forward?

[Flyer]

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Cheers guys and thanks for the advise, I mainly shoot Landscapes and street and have so;d all my DSLR kit and lenses.  Can anyone recommend the Zeiss 28mm f2.8 Biogon M mount as I have found a mint used one for £600 and thought this would be ok for landscapes. Looks like there are a few options to tidy me over until I can afford the high quality stuff.

 

Thanks again for your advise 

 

Flyer

[MT0227]

I'll second the Voigtlander 15mm f4.5 v3  on the SL if you are looking for a wide angle lens.

[rafael_macia]

Cheers guys and thanks for the advise, I mainly shoot Landscapes and street and have so;d all my DSLR kit and lenses.  Can anyone recommend the Zeiss 28mm f2.8 Biogon M mount as I have found a mint used one for £600 and thought this would be ok for landscapes. Looks like there are a few options to tidy me over until I can afford the high quality stuff.

 

Thanks again for your advise 

 

Flyer

 

The Zeiss M lenses are fine lenses, but for the amount you are ready to spend you could pick up an older Leica Elmarit 2.8 M lens......?  

[Mute-on]

The Zeiss M lenses are fine lenses, but for the amount you are ready to spend you could pick up an older Leica Elmarit 2.8 M lens......?

 

Precisely. The Leica M 28 2.8 Elmarit V4 (pre ASPH) would handle very nicely on an SL and is reputed to be an excellent performer.

 

Equally, the Leica R 28 2.8 Elmarit V2 would also handle and perform admirably, whilst being cheaper to acquire.

 

Perhaps consider the cost of the Leica R to SL and M to SL adapters in your deliberations. The R version is more expensive.

 

Cheers

 

J

Edited August 19, 2017 by Mute-on

[robgo2]

Are you looking for a wide angle or "normal" lens? If the latter, I can highly recommend the CV 50 f1.5 Nokton VM. It performs splendidly on my SL. Some reviewers have described it as being 90% of the Summilux 50 ASPH for 25% of the cost. Having never tested the Lux, I cannot make such judgements, but I can tell you that the Nokton is an exceptionally fine lens and a tremendous value.

 

Rob

[Flyer]

Thanks everyone, I have bought a used Voightlander 35mm f1.2 for £500 in mint condition and collecting that and the SL today so I will have a play with that combo to start.

 

Many thanks for your advise and suggestions

 

Flyer

[geetee1972]

Thanks everyone, I have bought a used Voightlander 35mm f1.2 for £500 in mint condition and collecting that and the SL today so I will have a play with that combo to start.

 

Many thanks for your advise and suggestions

 

Flyer

 

I think you made a fine choice. Where did you get it from, it wasn't Aperture in London by any chance, or perhaps The Classic Camera?

[Lazytiger]

135 and 180 R f 2.8 are the  cheapest Leica lenses I ever bought and they are really superb. Paid 270 € for a quite used 135 and 350 € for a mint 180 about a year ago. Also, the Elmarit-M 90 f 2.8 second version draws wonderfully sharp with a beautiful Bokeh. You can get it for about 800 € right now. Like most older designs these lenses are a bit delicate when used against bright light, but other than that they perform absolutely beautiful.
 

[Jared]

Thanks everyone, I have bought a used Voightlander 35mm f1.2 for £500 in mint condition and collecting that and the SL today so I will have a play with that combo to start.

 

Many thanks for your advise and suggestions

 

Flyer

 

One thing to keep in mind when using 'M' lenses on the SL, whether they be Leica lenses or third party lenses... Many wide angle lenses, especially those that are not tele centric, do not perform as well in the corners on the SL as they do on film cameras or on the digital 'M' cameras.  This is due to smearing caused by the IR filter over the CCD.  On the 'M', it is thinned more than on other cameras to reduce this effect.  The SL does pretty well with most wide angles, and a 35mm is not as challenging as many other lenses, but if you see some softness in the extreme corners it may well be due to this effect rather than due to anything inherent in the lens.

 

I don't know how well the CV Nokton happens to do on the SL, but for any future 'M' lenses you are considering I would look for advice from someone who has already tried out the combo.  Just knowing the lens is a good lens on an 'M' body doesn't tell you for certain whether it's a good lens on the SL.  All that being said, I expect you will be very happy, and if there is an issue at all it will only be in the extreme corners.