CL as a body with M lenses

[yst]

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Good day, 

 

in anticipating to have a CL body coming in sometime, although without any CL lenses, what do you think or your experience with it just with M lenses, e.g. with the range 21, 35, 50, 135?   Would a CL be a good partner with just M lenses?  Or points to be careful about or to know?

Edited June 25, 2018 by yst

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[scott kirkpatrick]

I presume you're getting the M to L adapter that has recently been thrown in at no extra cost?

 

There's a thread about this. Anyway, the CL is a good platform for use with M lenses, which typically have wider apertures than the CL's own autofocus zoom lenses.  Use focus magnification (with right hand wheel) to make manual focus quick and accurate.  I've been most satisfied with the M 50 1.4 and 2.0 lenses, which become a medium telephoto (not provided yet at these apertures in the CL lens line).  Others report being very happy with the 21/1.4 M lens (although I prefer the smaller 24/2.8).  Of course the 23/2.0 and the CL zooms are excellent lenses, and the CL's 35/1.4 and 60 macro 2.8 are outstanding.  You shouldn't have to wait very long for them.

[yst]

I presume you're getting the M to L adapter that has recently been thrown in at no extra cost?

 

There's a thread about this. Anyway, the CL is a good platform for use with M lenses, which typically have wider apertures than the CL's own autofocus zoom lenses.  Use focus magnification (with right hand wheel) to make manual focus quick and accurate.  I've been most satisfied with the M 50 1.4 and 2.0 lenses, which become a medium telephoto (not provided yet at these apertures in the CL lens line).  Others report being very happy with the 21/1.4 M lens (although I prefer the smaller 24/2.8).  Of course the 23/2.0 and the CL zooms are excellent lenses, and the CL's 35/1.4 and 60 macro 2.8 are outstanding.  You shouldn't have to wait very long for them.

 

Indeed trying to take advantage of the M-L adapter inclusion with the CL offer.   Yes, the CL own lenses while sounds good, but still too slow and too expensive as for non-Leica-made lenses...!

[lct]

I use my digital CL with M lenses only. Only con corners can be softer at fast apertures with M wides but no APS camera can do better with M lenses besides M8 and M8.2 anyway. I mean together with the M to L adapter which has no serious competitor either.

[yst]

I use my digital CL with M lenses only. Only con corners can be softer at fast apertures with M wides but no APS camera can do better with M lenses besides M8 and M8.2 anyway. I mean together with the M to L adapter which has no serious competitor either.

 

Thank you for the info.   Since the widest is my 21f2.8 ASPH, which is only 31mm on the CL...  I wonder how is that compared with the L 18mm lens.   Should just keep using the 21, rather than try to spend more on a 18mm CL lens...? 

Edited June 25, 2018 by yst

[jaapv]

The 18 is the least of the TL lenses, still good, but built for compactness with acceptable quality.

[jaapv]

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Indeed trying to take advantage of the M-L adapter inclusion with the CL offer.   Yes, the CL own lenses while sounds good, but still too slow and too expensive as for non-Leica-made lenses...!

Over the years there have been so many non-Leica made lenses branded Leica, at Leica prices. Nothing new there. Some of them superb, but all good.

[kentishrev]

Just two weeks into ownership of the CL.  Used M 50/1.4 Summilux and M 35/2.5 Summarit - both excellent and easily focused on this wonderful camera (although I still love the M9 too).  But now added the TL 23/2.  I didn't think I'd find the need for AF so compelling, but I think I've found my easily transported street set.  As an aside, I've found my Voigtländer 35/1.4 Nokton quite nasty on the CL.  Very happy with it on the M9, but just doesn't seem to look so good at APS-C.

Edited June 25, 2018 by kentishrev

[scott kirkpatrick]

I am repeating myself, but the only lens that I know that exceeds the quality of the CL's 11-23 in its range is the SL's 16-35.  And shooting with an f/3.5 lens is not nearly the handicap that it used to be, now that ISOs up to 6400 satisfy me (and up to 1600 satisfy the more fastidious among us).

[norm_snyder]

I have been extremely happy with the performance of 35mm v4 Summicron, as well as 28mm f2 ASPH Summicron, and the 75 Summicron ASPH is stellar.  The 21mm Cosina manufactured Zeiss 21mm f2.8 [31mm equivalent] is softer in the corners, but by f4.5 is terrific, as well.  In all, I'm extremely happy with this body which, in my case, is augmenting M cameras.  It has properties that make it, increasingly, the camera body I tend to grab first [with the 28mm mounted] on the way out the door.  I returned the 23mm Summicron autofocus lens which, while very good, doesn't have a focusing scale, or f-stops on the barrel, which makes prefocusing impracticable.

[kentishrev]

I agree with the comments on the TL23 - I can see I’ll be using this as one body, two systems.

[Jim-St]

I’ve had my CL for a couple of months now and am using it with M lenses exclusively, for now at least. Have used it most with Summarit-M 35 f/2.5, with excellent results and easy focusing at all apertures. Also very pleased with performance of the Zeiss 25 Biogon, and CV 90 Apo Lanthar. 50 Summicron Mk III makes a fine short tele, and I feel like I’m rediscovering the 75mm focal length that I never really enjoyed with the M9. Even the CV15 Mk I seems to render without the expected aberrations, though I haven’t done much with it yet.

 

Overall the CL has exceeded my expectations on all counts: it’s a tiny camera, and an excellent platform for M-mount lenses, even some that don’t perform too well on digital M’s, in my estimation. With the 18mm, and maybe even the 23mm mounted, it would probably be pocketable, and I expect I’ll have to get one or other of those before too long. But for now I’m well pleased with CL + M using the Leica M adapter L, and would echo what’s been said about using slower lenses and higher ISO’s.

 

YMMV of course, but I’d be surprised! Have fun with your CL

 

Jim

[JTLeica]

I recently bought a CL (basically this forum cost me £3000)    and have used a few M lenses on it. The one thing I noticed immediately with M lenses, is how quick the magnification works. On the A7RII I had, it took a second or so to zoom in, the CL is immediate.

 

So far its great.

 

I have a long list of M lenses but the best so far are:

 

21mm SE 3.4 - Super super sharp 32 equiv

28mm Elmarit APSH II - Super sharp 40 ish

50 Lux ASPH

90mm Macro Elmar (also purchased due to this forum - so actually you guys cost me 5k)   

 

PS - This with an M240 or M10 is a superb combo. Two lenses in one which is great for travel... You could take a 21 and a 50 and have coverage for 21, 32, 50, 75mm - And also the edge performance of some of the more tricky Leica lenses is almost wiped out due to APSC sensor.

[JTLeica]

...

Overall the CL has exceeded my expectations on all counts: it’s a tiny camera, and an excellent platform for M-mount lenses, even some that don’t perform too well on digital M’s, in my estimation. With the 18mm, and maybe even the 23mm mounted, it would probably be pocketable, and I expect I’ll have to get one or other of those before too long. But for now I’m well pleased with CL + M using the Leica M adapter L, and would echo what’s been said about using slower lenses and higher ISO’s....

Jim

 

Totally agree with this.