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Wish list for future TL lenses


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With the launch of the TL2 and the CL this year, Leica has boldly put its weight behind its APSC systems. The cameras look and feel great, though they would undoubtedly benefit from a richer selection of fast lenses to partner with. 

 

Personally, I see the TL / CL cameras filling an important void for M shooters. With rangefinders, lengths between 24-50mm tend to hit the sweet spot, and while the fast telephoto lenses render beautifully, manual focusing a 90mm Summicron on a rangefinder for candid street or action is borderline masochistic. In this respect, it would be great to see TL Summicron or Summarit prime equivalents of either the 75, 90, or 135 focal lengths, all with fast auto focus. I know we have the 55mm - 135mm zoom, but F 4.5 is not workable in low light, and the 60mm F2.8 Macro, while gorgeous, is a little too slow to auto focus. 

 

I would love to know what other people want to see on the TL lens roadmap. Let us build a little public pressure to ensure that these smart systems get the lenses they deserve. 

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As the APS-C sensor is a 1.5x crop, I don't really have a problem with the longer end as I can use my fast M lenses (50mm gives me 75 fov, and 75mm gives me 112.5 fov).  If you're looking for AF, though, I would agree.

 

I'd like a nice wide prime - something to rival the 21-24-28 Summiluxes.  I know there's the 18mm pancake and the 11-23 zoom (which I have), but a nice prime to pair with my 25 Summilux-TL would be great. 

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I would like to see a smaller 14mm (21mm eq), similar to the SEM 21mm for M-lenses.

 

In addition to the already existing 23mm I wouldn't mind seeing a reference lens for that focal length, similar to the 35mm reference lens, which obviously would be larger.

 

A true portrait lens (in addition to the 60mm macro) certainly would not hurt either.

 

Besides that what I really really would like to see is IBIS.  None of the (slow) zooms has OIS.  It would make them so much more valuable, especially when shooting inside.

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I would like to see a smaller 14mm (21mm eq), similar to the SEM 21mm for M-lenses.

 

In addition to the already existing 23mm I wouldn't mind seeing a reference lens for that focal length, similar to the 35mm reference lens, which obviously would be larger.

 

A true portrait lens (in addition to the 60mm macro) certainly would not hurt either.

 

Besides that what I really really would like to see is IBIS.  None of the (slow) zooms has OIS.  It would make them so much more valuable, especially when shooting inside.

Yes for OIS! Though how much impact would this have on the size of the lens?

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There is a very nice DG Vario-Elmar 100-400 4.0-6.3 for MFT, which could probably be redesigned for APS-C.

However, I think that we will have to wait for the next iteration of the CL, hopefully  with IBIS and Dual OIS.

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Yes for OIS! Though how much impact would this have on the size of the lens?

 

It should not be too much I believe... The Leica 18-56mm (without OIS) weighs 255g.  The Fuji 18-55g (with OIS) weighs 310g... (and is $900 cheaper but that's another story...).

 

From what I can see 8 out of 9 Fuji zoom lenses have OIS... Only one of their primes has OIS.

 

I personally would sell my zooms in a heartbeat and buy the OIS version if Leica were to release one.  Obviously IBIS would have solved that as well. 

 

I guess we have to wait another 3-4 years for that till we get the CL2 or the TL3... IMHO a huge missed opportunity for Leica...

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There is a very nice DG Vario-Elmar 100-400 4.0-6.3 for MFT, which could probably be redesigned for APS-C.

However, I think that we will have to wait for the next iteration of the CL, hopefully  with IBIS and Dual OIS.

 

As both that and (reportedly) the 90-280 are Panasonic designs,  both capable of capturing spectacular images, I hold high hopes that someday relatively soon there will be a 'tweener, f/5.6 at the long end, for APS-C. 

 

With many wildlife and nature photographers dumping their old, heavy, expensive fast glass in favor of slower but much lighter lenses that concede little to nothing in terms of IQ, one would hope that Leica will come up with something longer than 200mm AOV for APS-C.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

The 55-135 should have gotten OIS. Now the next body iteration will finally hopefully add IBIS, so maybe not so important anymore.I would love a fast 18/16mm lens, f/1.4 or 1.7. Physically not too large, please. the 1.4/35 is already borderline in size. A proper portrait lens like a 2/90 or a 1.4/60 would be great, but then they don't even have one for the SL. M lenses, yes. But face/eye detection is convenient.

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Now the next body iteration will finally hopefully add IBIS, so maybe not so important anymore.

 

The next body iteration is unfortunately probably 3 years away though.  That is a long time...  I would probably prefer them to bring out a second version of the zooms but keep the first one on the market as well for people who don't require OIS.  

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Wish list :

16mm f1.4 prime lens

23mm f1.4 prime lens

100-400mm f4.5-6.3 telefoto lens

The last might not be too hard - the Panasonic micro 4/3rds system already has a Vario-Elmar 100-400 of superior quality (and OIS ;) ). Redesign with a slightly larger image circle, and there you have it...

The same goes for the DG Summilux 15/1.7 BTW.

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The current offerings in the TL lenses are very good, it seems to me. I have only the 11-23 zoom and the 35 Summilux, and I’m very happy with this combination, but it has to be said that is paired with the SL system and a few M lenses..

 

The issue it seems to me is that each system has sweet spots, and that simply replicating focal lengths and speeds is not the answer. The M system is best (for me) 28-75 as this enables me to use the rangefinder to its best without needing an external view finder. This means fine, fast primes suit the M best. This makes the M great as a walk about camera where I am thinking about what I’m photographing with, perhaps more care. This is exacerbated by the fact that I only take B&W images with my Ms, generally. This means I will take little more than 28-50 and perhaps 75.

 

The SL is a big system, so I tend to use this camera when I’m on a mission. This has tended to be landscape, travel and that sort of thing. I don’t mind taking it out for a stroll, but I have to have the menu set up, have the right lens ... the zooms and the 50 suit this style of photography well.

 

The TL2 then is more of a simple and convenient alternative to my cellphone. That may seem dismissive, as it is a very fine system, but it is a less complex system than the SL and is far more satisfying than a cellphone. It offers the basics well, but not much more. So, it’s the camera I grab when heading out on my bike or for a walk, when I’m not necessarily looking to take photos.

 

The lenses therefore fill a different role. 11-23, giving an 18-35 equivalent, the 28 Summaron with adapater giving a compact 42mm equivalent and the excellent 35 Summillux-TL giving me he 50mm equivalent, I’m not sure what other lenses I would add. I see no point in Leica adding a telephoto prime, though I’m sure they will one day. If anything, I’d like an APO Elmarit-SL 2.8/180, but I see no point in such a lens in the TL system. Its purpose is to be compact and relatively stripped down in its functionality.

 

Similarly, I’d like a 28 Summilux-SL.

 

Every time I consider an additional focal length for the TL system, I realise it is already well covered by existing M lenses. A Summicron-TL 2/16 might be useful, I guess. But that is already covered by the zoom ...

Edited by IkarusJohn
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[...]

 

I see no point in Leica adding a telephoto prime, though I’m sure they will one day. If anything, I’d like an APO Elmarit-SL 2.8/180, but I see no point in such a lens in the TL system. Its purpose is to be compact and relatively stripped down in its functionality.

 

Similarly, I’d like a 28 Summilux-SL.

 

Every time I consider an additional focal length for the TL system, I realise it is already well covered by existing M lenses. A Summicron-TL 2/16 might be useful, I guess. But that is already covered by the zoom ...

 

The 16mm TL focal length is covered, but not at f/2. As for telephoto lenses on a TL/CL: Have you ever used a Nocticron 1.2/42.5 or comparable on a m43 body with face and closest eye detection and focusing? This is really, really useful. Not to mention IOS / IBIS again ...

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The 16mm TL focal length is covered, but not at f/2. As for telephoto lenses on a TL/CL: Have you ever used a Nocticron 1.2/42.5 or comparable on a m43 body with face and closest eye detection and focusing? This is really, really useful. Not to mention IOS / IBIS again ...

No, I’ve never used m43

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  • 1 month later...

I am not sure I need anything as long as 100-400 (EFOV 150 - 600mm) but if Leica brought out a TL version of 55-200 (EFOV on CL 82.5 - 300) they do in MFT/Panasonic with OIS, I would put my name down right away for it. Until Leica bring out a TL tele lens with OIS, I will make do with my 80-200/f4 Vario-Elmar R. I know there is the 90-280 SL with OIS but I sold mine as I found it too heavy to use without a monopod. The only other lens I would quite like would be a Summilux or even Noctilux/Noctiron version of the 23mm (35mm EFOV), currently made in an f2 Summicron version but I suspect that is vanishingly unlikely ever to arrive. 

 

Wilson

Edited by wlaidlaw
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