No new TL lenses annouced at Photokina

[jaapv]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

  I am waiting for a REAL TL O.I.S tele-zoom..  The SL 90-280 is too big, too heavy, too expensive.

And an 10 mm Super-Elmar would be nice as well.

[alainD]

If rumors of Sigma adopting the L-mount are true, maybe we can hope for a 150-600mm in the not too distant future...

Anything >  400mm would be great, and even better if it were scale down to cover APS-C. 

 

Alain.

 

ps: also waiting for a fast wide angle. Like a 18mm f/1.4

[ayewing]

Panasonic are planning to release 10 L mount lenses though as they will be designed for their new FF cameras they will probably be quite large.

[jonatdonuts]

Yes, was hoping for a 23mm 1.4 prime for APSC. Hoping Sigma can fill in the gaps...

[scott kirkpatrick]

If the speculation about Sigma having played a role in the TL lenses that are made in Japan is true (I have no inside info, just the rumor mill, on this), they won't have much of a learning curve to come up and we'll see things happen fairly soon...

 

scott

[Le Chef]

As Photokina moves to a Spring date in 2019 I wonder if we will see more product then?

[caigy]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

It would have been nice to see some announcements of future TL lenses, but I'm pretty annoyed that they can't even supply the lenses in the current lineup. No 11-23mm to be had anywhere, and dealers don't know when they will get any. It's all great that Leica is teaming up with Panasonic and Sigma for the FF line, but it's very discouraging that they can't deliver the current TL lenses. I own CL with 18-56 (and also a Q), but have been unable to find lenses I want for the CL. I would really like to see Leica make some kind of announcement about stepped-up production rate for TL lenses, otherwise the L-mount announcement is, to me, just a dilution of Leica's resources that makes it less likely I'll see 11-23mm or fast ultrawide primes for TL anytime soon.

[Le Chef]

I wonder whether the new LPS partnership is the reason there are gaps in the TL lens supply? Will Sigma now supply all TL lenses to Leica’s specification?

[ramarren]

I just did a couple of quick google searches and found nearly every one of the T/TL lenses available at one dealer or another in the USA. Look a little harder if you can't find a lens you want. Supply is still out-stripped by demand, but there is product available for those with the patience to wait or the perseverance to look.

 

Beyond that, I haven't ordered any native lenses yet. I am still debating whether I want one at all, and if I do, whether I want the 11-23 or 35/1.4 first. There are a plenitude of Leica lenses already available for the L mount, from small and light to big and heavy ... While there could be a few more, particularly longish tele range that aren't too big, I don't see lenses as a particularly deficient part of the CL offering.

 

As long as the lenses perform as I expect Leica lenses to perform, and are built and styled the way Leica lenses are, I could care less who manufactures them. Despite my distrust of Sigma, they've been producing some very nice lenses of their own in recent years. And of course Panasonic has the money and engineering resources to make anything they want to, from cheap junk to ultra-professional quality lenses. Having more manufacturers using the L-mount as a standard for both FF and APS-C camera lines can only be advantageous to both Leica and to users.

[FrozenInTime]

I’m not really impressed by this trend for ever increasingly large lenses and camera bodies with SL, R, Z etc.

Even micro 4/3 was trending to massively complex large lenses.

Nothing I see today moves me towards becoming unhappy with M and TL.

[ruskkyle]

+1 on this. For high quality high portability camera systems Leica & Fuji seemingly have no competition.

 

I’m not really impressed by this trend for ever increasingly large lenses and camera bodies with SL, R, Z etc.

Even micro 4/3 was trending to massively complex large lenses.

Nothing I see today moves me towards becoming unhappy with M and TL.

[mdroe]

+1 CL plus M or TL lenses is the way to go for me, with maybe an M body one day too.

[Marcial]

I’m not really impressed by this trend for ever increasingly large lenses and camera bodies with SL, R, Z etc.

Even micro 4/3 was trending to massively complex large lenses.

Nothing I see today moves me towards becoming unhappy with M and TL.

 

+2 on this. The advantage of small camera bodies made null by beer-can lenses. Really wish there was more pancake size options for the CL besides the 18mm Elmarit TL. I'm hoping for  M style lenses- manual focus but c aperture mechanism allowing for wide open focusing and auto stop down (the old-school SLR lenses) designed for the smaller CL sensor. That would make the CL a real carry with you everyday camera.

[Marac]

I have a friend in Sigma (reliable) and I think we can say there will definitely be a few more options in the future for the Leica L mount. I am very excited, there are some stunning lenses in the Sigma line-up.

[caigy]

Ramarren, and any others with interest:

Regarding doing a continuing search for TL lenses (in my case, the 11-23mm in particular): I just got off the phone with a very reputable authorized dealer, who of course does not have stock. In my behalf, he called his Leica contact (who he says is very high up) for an update and was told that no 11-23mm has come into the US since December.

 

So that's 10 months. And the rep had no idea when there will be any (no reason given, but the dealer speculates production problem of some kind). Whatever the reason, I think it's inexcusable that Leica is marketing a line of cameras that can't be had with anything but one of the two kit lenses. That just isn't a way to build loyalty, and it can't be good for profitability. I don't know who actually builds the TL lenses for them (I suspect Panasonic because of design similarity to some of the Pana-Leica MFT lenses), but whoever it is they are not doing Leica any favors.

 

I think I've done a pretty thorough search coast-to-coast of Leica dealers, so if I've missed a dealer that has an 11-23, I would appreciate hearing about it so I can contact them and buy it.

[garypoon]

Actually I am holding my purchase of CL, while waiting for my back order with 11-23. If I don't get that before end of the year, I may need to consider other option to back up my SL for my trip to India on 2nd week of Jan.

 

..gary

[jaapv]

Hmmm... This webshop appears to have four 11-23+TL kits available.Disclaimer: I have never heard of them, but they do have a good Trustpilot rating.

 

https://www.rhinocamera.nl/product.aspx?ProductID=22069

 

However, it would mean persuading them to substitute a CL for a TL.

 

This lens is available in Belgium:

 

https://www.grobet.be/nl/product/detail/leica-11082-super-vario-elmar-tl-11-23-f-3-5-4-5-asph-/1404583?colour=120077&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5vK1hZjx3QIVzb3tCh0aIQhQEAQYCyABEgKQmvD_BwE

[Keith_W]

Way to go Leica. Show us how serious you are about your APS-C lineup by not releasing any new lenses for a system starved of lenses for a whole year. In the same time, the Sony Alpha system (which is already a much richer ecosystem) has released so many new lenses that I have lost count. You may as well take out a full page advertisement telling people not to bother with the TL2 and CL because you are not interested in growing the system. 

[ayewing]

Way to go Leica. Show us how serious you are about your APS-C lineup by not releasing any new lenses for a system starved of lenses for a whole year. In the same time, the Sony Alpha system (which is already a much richer ecosystem) has released so many new lenses that I have lost count. You may as well take out a full page advertisement telling people not to bother with the TL2 and CL because you are not interested in growing the system. 

 

 You seem to be ignoring the recent formation of the L-Mount Alliance which should lead to a greater diversity of lenses in the future though not all manufactured by Leica.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Tim B]

The reason I'm a Leica photographer is and always has been because of Leica lenses. For me it is the Leica lens that forms whatever is distinctive about the image, whatever body I'm using.

 

The new "alliance" is interesting and might give encouragement to the continuation of Leica APS-C cameras, although it might also ease the demand on Leica to produce more of their own lenses, which I think isn't necessarily a good idea. But I don't want Sigma, Panasonic or even Voigtlander lenses on my Leica cameras, only Leica. So whatever comes out of this development I hope that Leica will pull out the stops and meet the demand for L lenses.

 

Tim