23 TL vs 35 TL - best prime to start with?

[oldwino]

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Having previously owned the 23, and just recently got the 35...I hav eri say the 35 is in a different league. The 35 has a beautiful rendering. The 23 was, for me, just ok. (I much prefer the 24 Elmarit on my X2 to the 23-T lens).

 

I’ve just ordered a 18 and I hope it captures a bit of the X2’s magic.

[Guest VVJ]

Having previously owned the 23, and just recently got the 35...I hav eri say the 35 is in a different league. The 35 has a beautiful rendering. The 23 was, for me, just ok. (I much prefer the 24 Elmarit on my X2 to the 23-T lens).

 

I’ve just ordered a 18 and I hope it captures a bit of the X2’s magic.

 

The 35mm is almost continuously glued to my CL these days, and I have the other lenses as well.  I only reach for the 23mm or the 18mm when I really have to.  

 

The only lens that comes anywhere close as far as rendering is concerned IMO is the 60mm but it is a focal length that I use less.

 

Some people put the 11-23 in the same category as the 35mm and the 60mm but I personally kind of disagree with that...

 

How do you find the weight?  I found it a bit front heavy in the beginning but now I hardly notice it anymore.  

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[oldwino]

The 35mm is almost continuously glued to my CL these days, and I have the other lenses as well.  I only reach for the 23mm or the 18mm when I really have to.  

 

The only lens that comes anywhere close as far as rendering is concerned IMO is the 60mm but it is a focal length that I use less.

 

Some people put the 11-23 in the same category as the 35mm and the 60mm but I personally kind of disagree with that...

 

How do you find the weight?  I found it a bit front heavy in the beginning but now I hardly notice it anymore.

 

It’s not a small lens, but it’s really no bigger than the 18-56, and just a little heavier. Images make up for the added “burden”! I really like it, more than I thought I would.

 

The 18 is definitely an Elmarit - same rendering as the x2 and very similar to my M28. It’s a rendering style I have come to appreciate. Contrasty, sharp, bold colors, with character. Nice in the right sort of lighting.

 

I’m thinking of the 55-135 next, if only to make the 35 seem smaller.

[hector_jorge]

I´m planning to buy a CL and I already have several M lenses: Elmarit 1:2.8/28, Summicron 1:2/35, Summilux 1:2/50 and Elmarit 1:2,8/90 plus several R lenses that I think are very bulky  for travelling with the CL. My question is what will be the best lens to be used with the CL specially for traveling  light? Or perhaps an M adaptor and one of the lenses I already own will do the job?

Thanks for your advise.

[dfdann]

I got the 18 then added the 23 as I like 35mm equivalent. The 28mm M with adapter works well also but autofocus is

really nice with the TL lenses. You will love this camera. Haven’t picked up my M7 or M8 since CL came.

Cheers,Dan

[lct]

I´m planning to buy a CL and I already have several M lenses: Elmarit 1:2.8/28, Summicron 1:2/35, Summilux 1:2/50 and Elmarit 1:2,8/90 plus several R lenses that I think are very bulky  for travelling with the CL. My question is what will be the best lens to be used with the CL specially for traveling  light? Or perhaps an M adaptor and one of the lenses I already own will do the job?

Thanks for your advise.

 

I have no experience with TL lenses but a 28/35/50 M set is compact enough indeed. Maybe 28 is a bit too long a focal length though. Here's one of my favorite travel set: CV 21/4, Summarit 35/2.5 and Summarit 50/2.5. An Elmarit 28/2.8 asph would be compact enough (i have always a v1 in my luggage) and your Summi(cron?) 50/2 would fit very well also.

 

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Edited May 6, 2018 by lct

[Jacek.PL]

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I´m planning to buy a CL and I already have several M lenses: Elmarit 1:2.8/28, Summicron 1:2/35, Summilux 1:2/50 and Elmarit 1:2,8/90 plus several R lenses that I think are very bulky  for travelling with the CL. My question is what will be the best lens to be used with the CL specially for traveling  light? Or perhaps an M adaptor and one of the lenses I already own will do the job?

Thanks for your advise.

In my opinion a good traveler and light set will be CL+TL18-56 and TL35/1.4 for night photographs from the hand.

[Photon42]

I´m planning to buy a CL and I already have several M lenses: Elmarit 1:2.8/28, Summicron 1:2/35, Summilux 1:2/50 and Elmarit 1:2,8/90 plus several R lenses that I think are very bulky for travelling with the CL. My question is what will be the best lens to be used with the CL specially for traveling light? Or perhaps an M adaptor and one of the lenses I already own will do the job?

Thanks for your advise.

Try the M adapter and the 28/50 you have. Maybe add the 23 later

[grahamhoey]

Ijust got back from 3 weeks in Dubai, Sydney and Hong Kong from Canada. I have all the TL zooms as well as the 35 and 60. Used the 11-23 and the 18-56 the majority of the time but loved using the Almarit M 2.8/21 ASPH for street photography in Hong Kong. Thought I would use the TL 35 1.4 at night more but the high ISO capability of the CL allowed the more flexible slower zooms.

[photogray]

I'm not sure if this is an issue that's been discussed before, but I've had the 23 Summicron for a few weeks and note that in close focus the maximum f stop goes to 2.5 or even 2.8 at closest range. I have the 35 Summilux and it stays at f1.4 at its closest focus range. Is this a known issue with the 23?

[ramarren]

I'm not sure if this is an issue that's been discussed before, but I've had the 23 Summicron for a few weeks and note that in close focus the maximum f stop goes to 2.5 or even 2.8 at closest range. I have the 35 Summilux and it stays at f1.4 at its closest focus range. Is this a known issue with the 23?

 

 

Leica did this with the X typ 113's Summilux 23mm f/1.7 ASPH lens too, to maintain imaging quality in the close focus range. It was never a problem, and makes perfect sense to me: you need to stop down for enough DoF when working close up anyway, so I don't see what the issue is. 

 

I didn't buy any lenses when I bought the CL since I already had a full complement of both M and R mount lenses with focal length choices from 16mm to 180mm (360mm including the doubler on the 180mm). My usual working kit is comprised of R lenses because I like their ergonomics on the CL body: Elmarit-R 28mm f/2.8 and Summilux-R 50mm f/1.4 are my standard pair (a wide-normal and a short-portrait tele), supplemented by Elmarit-R 19mm f/2.8, Summicron-R 90mm, and Elmar-R 180mm. By and large, I'll carry mostly the 28 and 50 as my usual kit. The old R19mm is somewhat bulky; I might be tempted to buy the Elmarit-TL 18mm f/2.8 to be my wide for travel because it's so compact, but I'm in no rush at all to do it.

 

BTW: I realized I hadn't tested my ancient Hektor 135mm f/4.5 on the CL yet, so I pulled it out today to do some test shots. And I have to tell you: Although this lens is roundly criticized for its flare and poor sharpness by many, it seems to outperform its reputation on the CL handily. It's nice because the Hektor is a thin, light lens with a 200mm equivalent reach, a tripod mount on the lens barrel, and only cost me something like $180 a few years ago.

[JackRock20]

I've gone through decades of Olympus, Nikon and most recently Canon systems, finally landing at Leica (which is a decided relief).  I've had quite a few lenses in my day, so my choice for my first two bodies (TL2 and CL) has been the 18 / 2.8 and 35 / 1.4......the 23 /2 wouldn't have enough expansion from the 18, nor the spectacular functionality of the 35.....of course, I'm now waiting to receive my TL 60 / 2.8, because I'm a sucker for a decent Macro.  I can tell this arrival at Leica will mean I'll have to sell the farm (literally) to try every body, and most of the glass before I time out.  What a beautiful spot to land!

[tommonego@gmail.com]

Am 28.7.2018 um 01:10 schrieb photogray:

I'm not sure if this is an issue that's been discussed before, but I've had the 23 Summicron for a few weeks and note that in close focus the maximum f stop goes to 2.5 or even 2.8 at closest range. I have the 35 Summilux and it stays at f1.4 at its closest focus range. Is this a known issue with the 23?

This only happens under 24 inches, 61cm. The only effect would be losing a stop of light as was said before it would add a little DOF, but not much at that distance. I have had this lens for 3 years and have only had a few times I used it under 24 inches, I am not sure what the problem is. I do have other close focusing and macro lenses.  

[Chilternarts]

I can't speak for the TL 23 as I don't have it, but here are some snaps with the TL 35 if it helps: https://flic.kr/ps/3WX9P8

Sure the TL35 is big for a 35mm lens, but don't you consider it a 'pro level' lens anyway? Does size need to be a primary factor given its not a compact system? For me, a compact camera + lens is an iPhone. Personally I consider the CL + TL35 lens is a pro system (pro not necessarily meaning commercial). Therefore I don't mind or need the lens to be small. Besides, it's no biggy compared to my Nikon set-up where every lens except the 35 is double the size

Edited July 15, 2021 by Chilternarts

[rob_w]

I started this thread when I was first purchasing into the CL system.  Perhaps I should own up now, and say that I ended up with both the TL23 and the TL35. 

They fulfil different purposes.  The TL23 is great when you are headed out for an activity where photography is possible but not the main aim.   The CL + TL23 is not pocketable, but I don't think I have ever carried a camera in my pocket, not even the Ricoh GR when I owned it, and not even when I had big pockets.  I take a small camera bag which doubles as a man-bag (sunglasses, keys, wallet etc.) so no biggie to have the CL onboard as well.  The TL23 gives a 35mm EFOV which I like, is fast enough if the light is a challenge, and gives very good results in almost all situations.  The Leica Q2 would also fit into this usage scenario well.

The TL35 I use for specific purposes, mostly for portraits of individuals and small groups.  The wider aperture provides a shallower DOF and, of course, the lens is capable of very high performance in critical situations.  Usually it comes along in a larger camera bag, paired with the TL18-56, so that most situations are covered.  Again, the camera bag functions as a man-bag too, carrying in addition my passport and Kindle or iPad if I am travelling.  I agree the TL35 is biggish for an APS-C system but it is small by most other criteria, not least the SL equivalents!

Ultimately, I would be happy with a short telephoto lens in the 80 to 100 EFOV range that is specifically for portraits, but as we know Leica does not provide one for the CL.  I have been considering Sigma and CV options with the advice of friends on this forum, but it is hard to come to a final decision without the opportunity to try any of them in real shooting situations.

Edited July 15, 2021 by rob_w

[HuntingSand]

vor einer Stunde schrieb rob_w:

I started this thread when I was first purchasing into the CL system.  Perhaps I should own up now, and say that I ended up with both the TL23 and the TL35.
......................

The TL35 I use for specific purposes, mostly for portraits of individuals and small groups.  The wider aperture provides a shallower DOF and, of course, the lens is capable of very high performance in critical situations.  Usually it comes along in a larger camera bag, paired with the TL18-56, so that most situations are covered.  Again, the camera bag functions as a man-bag too, carrying in addition my passport and Kindle or iPad if I am travelling.  I agree the TL35 is biggish for an APS-C system but it is small by most other criteria, not least the SL equivalents!

Ultimately, I would be happy with a short telephoto lens in the 80 to 100 EFOV range that is specifically for portraits, but as we know Leica does not provide one for the CL.  I have been considering Sigma and CV options with the advice of friends on this forum, but it is hard to come to a final decision without the opportunity to try any of them in real shooting situations.

I also have the 35mm and consider it a very fine lens. Re your last point, I was unhappy with the performance of my 55-135mm APO Vario for people photography, and tried (rented, that is) the Voigtlander 75mm F1.5 Nokton. Now, THAT is a proper portraiture lens for the CL/TL (yes, you need a M-L adapter). I really liked the results I got from that combination. Its rendering at short to medium distances wide open-ish is very smooth. Skin tones are nice. It's sharp enough at F1.5, and tightens up nicely by f2. Stopped down a bit it is also useful for landscapes and such. Might be worth exploring, especially since this setup doesn't break the bank. One sample image attached (shot at f2 I believe).

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[Le Chef]

Surely the questions is not 23mm vs 35mm as your first lens, but what field of view do prefer to shoot with most often? As it currently stands the argument is which is better - bucket or spade. Which begs the true question: what are you going to use it for? Then pick the focal length.

[rob_w]

3 hours ago, HuntingSand said:

Re your last point, I was unhappy with the performance of my 55-135mm APO Vario for people photography, and tried (rented, that is) the Voigtlander 75mm F1.5 Nokton. Now, THAT is a proper portraiture lens for the CL/TL (yes, you need a M-L adapter). I really liked the results I got from that combination. Its rendering at short to medium distances wide open-ish is very smooth. Skin tones are nice. It's sharp enough at F1.5, and tightens up nicely by f2. Stopped down a bit it is also useful for landscapes and such. Might be worth exploring, especially since this setup doesn't break the bank. One sample image attached (shot at f2 I believe).

Thanks for this.  Great image.  I have had the Voigtlander 50 Lanthar also strongly recommended, also with excellent examples, by colleagues on this forum.  I would like to try the CVs and the Sigma DC DN 50 (APS-C) and maybe the recent Sigma 65/2.0 now that Covid rules are easing.  The two Sigma lenses are autofocus, which I would prefer, but not at the expense of getting the images I want.

However, I do not want to derail this thread!  I'm sure there is another thread about portrait lenses, it has been discussed several times.  Maybe I should resurrect it for some updates.

Edited July 15, 2021 by rob_w

[Shawn30]

I did some tests with the 23TL Sigma 30 1.4 and 35TL. I was really surprised at how sharp the Sigma was and wanted to see how it compared. What jumped out about the Sigma was that it was uber sharp in the center but pretty pore at the edges. You could see right away that Leica’s goal with the 23 was good IQ edge to edge. The 35 was the sharpest edge to edge but not a lot sharper than the Sigma in the center. 
So for me if I had to pick either the 23 or 35 Leica’s, I’d roll with the 35 even though it’s bigger and heavier than the 23. The  IQ, bokeh, and 1.4 aperture make it pretty useful. 

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Hallo,

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