Auto focusing/stabilization lenses reliability...

[yst]

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In anticipation of eventually getting into CL lenses, wondering how is the reliability of those type of lenses e.g. the CL, the SL auto focusing/stabilization lenses?

 

With M lenses, completely mechanical, normally nothing much will go wrong, will the CL, SL type of lenses more easily to have problem?  e.g. with the electrical system etc...? 

 

Also when use manual focusing, does a CL or a SL lens use mechanical methods to turn and focus, or still is electronically? 

 

Anyone has encountered problems with the autofocusing lenses?  

[ramarren]

The oldest of these lenses is hardly old enough to show a test for durability over time yet, but the SL24-90mm lens I had never had the slightest problem whatever with either focusing servos or image stabilization mechanisms. Same for the SL90-280. Can't say much about the newer CL lenses, but I haven't heard of anyone complaining of a mechanical fault with the focusing or image stabilization on them yet. The APO Macro-Elmarit-TL 60mm f/2.8 ASPH that I experimented with up at the Leica Store last week sure felt just as robust and solid as the SL24-90 ... or my Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8 for that matter. 

 

The SL/CL/TL lenses are modern lens assemblies with electrically actuated iris and servo focusing systems. I recall the folks at Lensrentals.com did a strip down on the SL24-90 and remarked throughout the article how robust and well put together a lens it was. 

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[Jared]

In general, cameras and lenses do not have the same longevity as they did twenty or thirty years ago. That being said, there is no “problem” with modern AF/IS lenses. They are vastly more complicated than their mechanical predecessors. If you hope to get 10 years out of a modern lens or camera, I would say “no problem” in general. That’s a reasonable expectation. If you are hoping for thirty, not so much.