CL as a M companion for 1,4/75 and 0,95/50

[didier]

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Dear all,

I had the opportunity to handle the CL for a few minutes this week.

I have been considering for some time now either :

. to add a SL to my M(240)

. replace my M(240) with a M10

in order to gain better high ISO IQ and easier use for my 2 favorite lenses (right) now, ie Noctilux 50 and Summilux 75 (I use the a lot to shoot pictures of my 6 week old daughter)

 

I like the way the CL handles, and wonder if another solution would not be to buy one for use with those lenses : I don't mind the crop factor for this, compact size is nice to take it with the M, and the EVF looks pretty good (although in my view nothing beats the M OVF as a window to the world and frame as I want - but to focus difficult lenses, EVF seems nice...).

 

Has anyone tried the Noct / CL combo, or at least the manual focus capabilities ?

 

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts

 

Didier

[jaapv]

If you don't mind the narrowing of the angle of view I would say: why not?

[Tobers]

I am going down a similar route - I am getting a CL to use with my M lenses, plus also getting the 18mm autofocus lens.

 

I have tried my 24 Lux and 50 Lux on the CL with the M adaptor and the results were very good. Using just focus peaking (red sparkles, you can change the colour), it is simple to get accurate focus at f/1.4. You can see the focus plane move as you turn the focus ring. If you want additional precision, you can turn the top right dial to zoom into the image.

 

The only problem I have noticed is that it is not possible (as far as I could see) to magnify any area other than the centre of the image, so you need to focus and recompose if your subject is off-centre if you are using the magnification function.

 

I imagine that it wil make using my 90 Cron far far easier as well.

 

From what I could see from my test shots, the smaller sensor format will be a relatively minor consideration. Image quality looks excellent, plenty of bokeh at f/1.4 anyway.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Tobers

[Jeff S]

You ought to at least try the M10. If it suits, you don't need to carry two cameras or deal with 2 control interfaces. Rent. demo or borrow. (And make sure your eyes are first fully corrected for RF viewing).

 

Jeff

[jonoslack]

Hi Didier

the 75 Summilux is a great portrait lens on the CL, I guess the Noctilux would be too  . but I don't have one to try!

best

[chris_tribble]

I’m still working out where the CL fits in, though it’s only day 2 and work has meant I’ve had not time to seriously evaluate. At the moment a bit of me is wishing it was full frame! That way I’d not feel as if I was back living with the dilemmas the M8 threw up... in general with M lenses the CL feels very good. It’s responsive, a delight to focus, very easy to manage, and the EVF is a real pleasure (first time for me).

 

Re companion lenses, experience thus far (but almost all taken with high ISO inside and at night) is that the overall feel of the camera with longer M lenses is remarkably good. 50 summilux and 75 summarit both feel like potentially great portrait lenses, and the 90 cron, 90 elmarit macro and 135 A-T are a real pleasure to work with, and the xtra reach will be a bonus I think. However, wide M lenses feel more problematic. Using the 35 cron asph as a 50 substitute is odd, the new series 28 cron asph feels betwixt and between (at 42 equivalent fov), and the 21 sem is a rather slow 35. The one wide lens that feels a bit right on the CL is the WATE. I clearly need to spend more time evaluating all this alongside the M10, and also see how iq stands up.f

 

What I’m not enjoying so much at the moment is the one TL lens I have. The 18-55 feels very odd to me - inconveniently protruberent and too slow. I am also finding AF frustrating compared with the experience of working with M lenses. With one of these attached the CL experience is surprisingly close to working with the M. With an AF zoom it’s just another point and shoot!

 

Early days as yet, so I reserve judgement, but the CL is certainly a companion camera of some kind. I just need to find out what kind it is. More thoughts and images as I have time.

Edited December 8, 2017 by chris_tribble

[jmahto]

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I’m still working out where the CL fits in, though it’s only day 2 and work has meant I’ve had not time to seriously evaluate. At the moment a bit of me is wishing it was full frame! That way I’d not feel as if I was back living with the dilemmas the M8 threw up... in general with M lenses the CL feels very good. It’s responsive, a delight to focus, very easy to manage, and the EVF is a real pleasure (first time for me).

 

Re companion lenses, experience thus far (but almost all taken with high ISO inside and at night) is that the overall feel of the camera with longer M lenses is remarkably good. 50 summilux and 75 summarit both feel like potentially great portrait lenses, and the 90 cron, 90 elmarit macro and 135 A-T are a real pleasure to work with, and the xtra reach will be a bonus I think. However, wide M lenses feel more problematic. Using the 35 cron asph as a 50 substitute is odd, the new series 28 cron asph feels betwixt and between (at 42 equivalent fov), and the 21 sem is a rather slow 35. The one wide lens that feels a bit right on the CL is the WATE. I clearly need to spend more time evaluating all this alongside the M10, and also see how iq stands up.f

 

What I’m not enjoying so much at the moment is the one TL lens I have. The 18-55 feels very odd to me - inconveniently protruberent and too slow. I am also finding AF frustrating compared with the experience of working with M lenses. With one of these attached the CL experience is surprisingly close to working with the M. With an AF zoom it’s just another point and shoot!

 

Early days as yet, so I reserve judgement, but the CL is certainly a companion camera of some kind. I just need to find out what kind it is. More thoughts and images as I have time.

Highlight mine... Can you please elaborate why is feels odd? Is IQ from 35cron on CL not the same as what you get from a decent 50 on FF M?

Edited December 9, 2017 by jmahto

[chris_tribble]

Highlight mine... Can you please elaborate why is feels odd? Is IQ from 35cron on CL not the same as what you get from a decent 50 on FF M?

It’s just the feel of things. I know how the 35 cron draws on full frame and love it. It just feels a bit pointless putting it on the CL as it offers no real weight or ease of use advantages. Longer lenses are another story, with the 135 A-T feeling particularly good as a 200.

At the moment I’m working out what combination I’ll use for which purposes. Early days as yet.

Edited December 9, 2017 by chris_tribble

[Photon42]

I’m planning to use the 35 Lux with it. Let’s see, then.

[LocalHero1953]

I think seeing the CL as an M-substitute or alternative is a mistake, or may lead to disappointment. I see it as a camera on its own terms, doing things I can't do with the M or SL: pocketing it with the 18mm (or shoving that lightweight combo in a briefcase), macro with the 60mm (yes, I could use the Elmarit-M 90 on the M, but, with its macro adapter and EVF that's not a simple alternative), as an extender for the SL zooms, or as a small silent camera.

 

Yes, I use M lenses on the CL, and they work well on it, but I will always be aware that I am losing something compared to on the M (a large part of their aperture for a start).

 

I agree that with the TL lenses it is just 'another' point and shoot, but it is a high quality P&S with a highly usable interface that also fits in with my M and SL bodies and lenses.

[thighslapper]

I'd take issue with 'point and shoot'...... 

 

That's a problem with the guy behind the viewfinder and not the camera/lens.

 

Zoom and AF assists in quick, thoughtless photography, but doesn't meant that's how you have to work. 

 

Coming from 2 years of the SL the CL just works as a smaller version of its big brother. 

[helged]

I'd take issue with 'point and shoot'......

 

That's a problem with the guy behind the viewfinder and not the camera/lens.

 

Zoom and AF assists in quick, thoughtless photography, but doesn't meant that's how you have to work.

 

Coming from 2 years of the SL the CL just works as a smaller version of its big brother.

+1.

[a.noctilux]

Didier,

 

The CL is very tempting, in my case just as stand alone (I don't have it yet), not to complement M.

 

I don't try to convince people here, only my experiences (or to convince myself not to buy CL ).

 

To be smart on using EVF, I tried some days ago to simulate "using only EVF" with my M10 plus some great lenses (Summilux 35/50/75 and Noctilux 1.0).

- Visoflex 020 on M10 is very nice to use on those "difficult lenses" and focussing is spot on and quick even with long throw focus Lux 75/Noct 50.

- Same experience with M(typ 240) is much less convincing , slow focus peaking and lack of resolution EVF may be usable but not great comparing to M10+020.

 

Continuing simulation with "crop x1.5" is another step:

- as long time Summilux 50/75 user, I can't see the "good and pleasing cropping" in my simulated photos, they all lack something

- catastrophic with Noctilux 1.0 results for me, I don't know why "simulated cropping" has lost the Noctilux look I'm used to

So, as tempting as is CL, I don't buy it now, maybe later if SL is not on it's route.

[jaapv]

If you would like to do such a comparison you should be using the CL or another brand with APS sensor. There is no way that the M10 with EVF can compare to an integrated EVF camera. Not in the least because the M10 EVF combo is not optimised for mid-range focal lengths.

Or just crop in the computer.

[Daedalus2000]

Didier,

 

The CL is very tempting, in my case just as stand alone (I don't have it yet), not to complement M.

 

I don't try to convince people here, only my experiences (or to convince myself not to buy CL ).

 

To be smart on using EVF, I tried some days ago to simulate "using only EVF" with my M10 plus some great lenses (Summilux 35/50/75 and Noctilux 1.0).

- Visoflex 020 on M10 is very nice to use on those "difficult lenses" and focussing is spot on and quick even with long throw focus Lux 75/Noct 50.

- Same experience with M(typ 240) is much less convincing , slow focus peaking and lack of resolution EVF may be usable but not great comparing to M10+020.

 

Continuing simulation with "crop x1.5" is another step:

- as long time Summilux 50/75 user, I can't see the "good and pleasing cropping" in my simulated photos, they all lack something

- catastrophic with Noctilux 1.0 results for me, I don't know why "simulated cropping" has lost the Noctilux look I'm used to

So, as tempting as is CL, I don't buy it now, maybe later if SL is not on it's route.

 

Noctilux on the CL should give you the same look (except sharpness etc) as the 75 lux on your M10. Is this not what you get?

[vikasmg]

If you don't mind the narrowing of the angle of view I would say: why not?

Though I’d say the M10image quality is the best of all.

 

- Vikas

[a.noctilux]

Noctilux on the CL should give you the same look (except sharpness etc) as the 75 lux on your M10. Is this not what you get?

 

In my post, just my feeling after "cheated CL simulating"...not "get".

Having M10 (and other M ), I'm not yet prepared to crop 1.5.

 

 

From my post #13

...

I don't try to convince people here, only my experiences (or to convince myself not to buy CL ).

Edited December 10, 2017 by a.noctilux

[schmolinski]

Hello Leicanians,

 

I own the M240 coming from the M8 (1,3 crop) form the early digital Leica time, I have to confess that the CL is really tempting. Although I am still not fully convinced. My 28mm lux performs outstandingly good. And my 135mm Apo works also very pleasing. Surprisingly with my 50mm lux asph I could not persuade myself using this lens as a portrait lens by now. And the most frustrating is that against the 28 and 135 lenses with my 50 lux I have problems with focusing.

 

The positive thing is the sensor quality and ist dynamic range together with the lovely grain. Even @ ISO3200 four steps pushed, the image quality is gorgeous!

 

So my first conclusion after 102 images shot with this camera: love and hate

 

Love for the size and lightweight. Hate for my aged eyes and lack of time to shoot the camera more intense. hahaha...

 

And I also have to confess, the crop is not an issue as long as one knows what he is doing.

 

Cheers

Edited December 10, 2017 by schmolinski

[didier]

Has anyone tested the CL + .95 noctilux combo in the field ?

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Hallo,

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[Jk1002]

So one thing that bugs me with using M lenses on SL and also CL that doesn’t come up much - maybe I misunderstood:

 

Is it correct that the screen/evf will be too dark on higher apertures and that people open it up to focus? bigheadtaco on youtube made a comment like that in his SL with M adapter review if I am not goofing.

 

If that is correct and you want to take a pic of a baby soon to be toddler I think you might be better of with the native autofocus lenses