SL Just Arrived

[Flyer]

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After weeks of contemplating wheather or not to buy this camera I pushed the button yesterday and it arrived about a couple of hours ago.

 

Battery now charged I was super excited I put on the Novaflex adaptor for Canon and connected the Sigma art 24mm f1.4.

 

The my frown needed to be turned upside down

 

It started off well, with good rather than blazing fast AF but after a dozen or so shots it stopped focusing and the only way I could get AF to work was to switch the camera off and on again. Then again it took a dozen or so shots with AF and then stopped focusing again.

 

So it doesn't look like thats a good option,  I have the Canon 24-70 F4 arriving tomorrow so will see if I have any more joy.

 

Either way I absolutely love the camera so its a keeper, just need to think about lens options. I am really very very reluctant to buy the 24-90 just tooooooooooooo  heavy!

 

I dont think theirs anything not set correct in camera, settings:

 

Af single point

 

Focus mode    AFs

 

Number of steps    5

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Flyer

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[LD_50]

Strange decision to buy this camera with the 24-90 deemed too heavy (Canon 24-70 is not a light lens) and a plan to only use unsupported Canon mount lenses.

[Leicaiste]

Some reading from this forum :

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/269686-novoflex-canon-ef-lens-to-leica-sl-adapter-list-of-compatibletested-lenses/

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/264942-do-not-buy-the-novoflex-ef-sl-adapter/

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/274009-firmware-30-and-novoflex-canon-adapter-no-longer-works/

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/275942-confused-by-novoflex/

[ropo54]

If you choose to buy the 24-90 VE - it is heavy - make certain to switch out your SL strap to a peak design strap. The lens will become 'much lighter' to carry about. (The strap disperses the weight much better than the stock Leica strap).

[scott kirkpatrick]

I have used only R and M lenses on my SL for the first 18 months, adding a 90-280 SL lens only recently.  The M lenses I had already, and R lenses purchased around the time of the SL's first appearance, were not expensive and readily available.  Some of these still are.  You will find people on this forum who love all combinations of the three types of lenses on their SLs, and a few who didn't.  Se what you can rent or borrow and just try them.

[Flyer]

Strange decision to buy this camera with the 24-90 deemed too heavy (Canon 24-70 is not a light lens) and a plan to only use unsupported Canon mount lenses.

Canon 600g

 

Leica 1140g

[Donzo98]

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Canon 600g

 

Leica 1140g

 

Leica 24-90... AF excellent.

 

Canon 24-70... Not so much

 

Nikon 24-70...Not so much

 

I am a happy 24-90 owner

[steppenw0lf]

I think you have the misunderstanding, that the SL with a Canon lens (any lens) is a good system.

Well for some topics it is actually an excellent system - for example with the Canon T/S lenses. Or I heard people being excited about using the 11-24 attached to the SL.

But generally native lenses (with their sophisticated AF programs) belong to their native cameras.

 

I can only recommend to you to buy at least one or two native lenses for the SL - do not buy the 24-90 if you don't like it.

And use some R lenses or Contax lenses if SLR style photos are your business. (manual but often fantastic results)

 

Use the attachment of modern AF lenses only carefully - I have (for me ) only a very small list of lenses that I regard as acceptable. And I know that they are not as reliable and responsive as their native oounterparts. And they can have a "hickup" any time and need a reboot in the worst case.

 

Sigma Art  2.0/24-35    (one of the best)

Canon 1.8/50 STM     cheap but small and well usable in daylight - a decent 50mm despite the price

Sigma Art  1.4/85

Sigma Art  1.8/135   but strange enough better with Nikon AF adapter (not Canon adapter)

 

An interesting/great lens is also the Nikon 1.4/105

and potentially the new 1.4/28   (I have not tried it, yet).

[steppenw0lf]

If you like to shoot a mass of photos, then use native lenses.

The AF attached lenses are rather slowish (max. 3 fps) and tend to freeze, when you use them a lot.  (Give them a rest between shots, then they are more reliable).

But if you use them mainly as lenses that are not available in SL mount, and use them in a thoughtful way, then they can be very useful.

The mechanically attached lenses are also very reliable and can be used at much higher speeds.

[Vieri]

Canon 600g

 

Leica 1140g

 

Optical quality and speed of AF aside (where the Leica wins hands down), the 24-90mm goes to 90mm, which is often a life-saver and enough to leave home the 70-200mm or a 100-something lens. As well, the 90-280mm is long enough to save you bringing a 300 f/4. I think that Leica made a great choice with their range of lenses for the SL. Not as much with the 16-35mm, on the other hand, which for my work would have been much better as a 12-24mm and it would have made much more sense too in the range: 12-24, 24-90, 90-280 without overlapping and giving you a real wide option.

 

Best,

 

Vieri

[Flyer]

If you like to shoot a mass of photos, then use native lenses.

The AF attached lenses are rather slowish (max. 3 fps) and tend to freeze, when you use them a lot.  (Give them a rest between shots, then they are more reliable).

But if you use them mainly as lenses that are not available in SL mount, and use them in a thoughtful way, then they can be very useful.

The mechanically attached lenses are also very reliable and can be used at much higher speeds

 

 

Information much appreciated, looks like no full replacement for native but others can fill gaps.  Cheers

[Flyer]

Information much appreciated, looks like no full replacement for native but others can fill gaps.  Cheers

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[LD_50]

Canon 600g

 

Leica 1140g

Canon 24-70 f2.8 ii is 805g, 82mm filter, 3.5x4.5 inches. Add another 1.4 inches and 23g with the Novoflex adapter.

 

Leica 24-90 is 1140g, 82mm filter, 3.5x5.4 inches.

 

It's not substantially different in my opinion. Maybe you were comparing to the 24-70 f4, at which point I don't see the performance as comparable. Even the high end Canon is not comparable when mounted to an SL. You just don't get native lens AF performance.

[lanetomlane]

When I bought the SL I said I would never buy the 24-90 because of its size and bulk and only use M lenses. However, after reading the positive reviews for the 24-90 I gave in and bought one. Best thing I ever did, the performance is magnificent and I don't notice the size and weight anymore. Strangely, since buying it I've never used an M lens on the SL. Not having the 24-90 is like having a Porsche and driving it at 30mph.

 

This is just my opinion of course.

[tom0511]

I agree, for me the 24-90 is one of the best reasons to buy an SL.

Its big and heavy but very flexible range, fast, weatherproof, and after using it for some time I prefer a little heavier lens which goes to 90 over a little less heavy (still heavy) lens which goes to 70.

[Vieri]

Exactly right, for me the extra 20mm range means I can leave home a longer lens for 80-90% of my work, whereas with a 24-70 I needed a second lens to get to about 100mm. Of course, everyone needs and solutions are different. Best,

 

Vieri

[antigallican]

When I bought the SL I said I would never buy the 24-90 because of its size and bulk and only use M lenses. However, after reading the positive reviews for the 24-90 I gave in and bought one. Best thing I ever did, the performance is magnificent and I don't notice the size and weight anymore. Strangely, since buying it I've never used an M lens on the SL. Not having the 24-90 is like having a Porsche and driving it at 30mph.

 

This is just my opinion of course.

Exactly my experience too

[mumu]

When I bought the SL I said I would never buy the 24-90 because of its size and bulk and only use M lenses. However, after reading the positive reviews for the 24-90 I gave in and bought one. Best thing I ever did, the performance is magnificent and I don't notice the size and weight anymore. Strangely, since buying it I've never used an M lens on the SL. Not having the 24-90 is like having a Porsche and driving it at 30mph.

 

This is just my opinion of course.

That´s exactly my story as well.

Since i have the 24-90, i only used one time my M -lenses, and next day switched back to the 24-90.

in this focal range, i do not have any need for other lenses, at the moment.

i am completely satisfied.

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[thighslapper]

That´s exactly my story as well.

Since i have the 24-90, i only used one time my M -lenses, and next day switched back to the 24-90.

in this focal range, i do not have any need for other lenses, at the moment.

i am completely satisfied.

 yes ..... and I have lost count of how many times I have said this on the forum in the last 2 years.

 

endless moans about the size and weight and preferring M & R lenses ...... until they actually stick one on the camera and use it .... 

[ModernMan]

When I bought the SL I said I would never buy the 24-90 because of its size and bulk and only use M lenses. However, after reading the positive reviews for the 24-90 I gave in and bought one. Best thing I ever did, the performance is magnificent and I don't notice the size and weight anymore. Strangely, since buying it I've never used an M lens on the SL. Not having the 24-90 is like having a Porsche and driving it at 30mph.

 

This is just my opinion of course.

 

 

Same here as well. And based on the remarkable experience with the 24-90 came the 90-280, which I had forsworn in favor of my now-idle telyts and vario-elmar etc.

 

Still use some M lenses like the WATE, but that may change with the new wide-angle SL zoom.

 

 

I wonder if SL primes will be as convincing.