Sigma 45mm

[jankojanko]

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21 hours ago, frickenet said:

I got my lens today. I am a little disappointed. I bought this lens mainly for the upcoming Sigma fp. I thought I could use the lens on my TL2 until the Sigma fp will be available. On my TL2, the aperture ring and the AF/MF switch does not work. And I also think in near distance the lens is on my TL2 not sharp.

Is it possible that it has something to do with the firmware? Does the TL2 use the same software as the CL? The SL firmware update is also available for the CL. The new firmware adds compatibility with new lenses. Or maybe your lens is broken?

[frickenet]

vor 19 Minuten schrieb jankojanko:

Is it possible that it has something to do with the firmware? Does the TL2 use the same software as the CL? The SL firmware update is also available for the CL. The new firmware adds compatibility with new lenses. Or maybe your lens is broken?

The newest firmware 1.5 for TL2 is installed. Anyone else has the same problems? This morning is sent an e-mail to leica support. Hope they will answer.

[MarkP]

So I borrowed one for my local dealer and shot with it outside for an hour or so on my SL. 

Excellent lens: size & weight, IQ & colour rendition, sharp to the corners (even wide open), fast & accurate AF, excellent  manual focus ring despite being fly-by-wire), nice hood, CHEAP!

Very annoying that aperture ring moves in the opposite direction to my Leica lenses and I prefer 1/2 stop aperture idents.

The only (considerable) advantage over my M lenses is AF.  It is not as fast, IQ good not as good, no IS, bulkier.

 

I was tempted but deferred buying it.......for the moment.

[Marac]

7 hours ago, frickenet said:

The newest firmware 1.5 for TL2 is installed. Anyone else has the same problems? This morning is sent an e-mail to leica support. Hope they will answer.

Works on a T, I put it into A mode left wheel becomes af/mf/afs, set to mf, works in manual focus even with zoom in focus..

[bcorton]

9 hours ago, frickenet said:

The newest firmware 1.5 for TL2 is installed. Anyone else has the same problems? This morning is sent an e-mail to leica support. Hope they will answer.

I also have the TL2 and have the lens coming tomorrow.  I'll report on my experience once I've had the chance to check out the lens.

[frickenet]

vor 12 Stunden schrieb Marac:

Works on a T, I put it into A mode left wheel becomes af/mf/afs, set to mf, works in manual focus even with zoom in focus..

Sorry, maybe it's my english. I am from germany. I meant the aperture ring and the AF/MF switch on the lens does not work. The focus ring works and I can change the aperture with the wheels on the camera.

After more testing I found out that the image in the near focus gets much better if I use f4-f5,6. At 2,8 it's soft. I am spoiled with the other native lens I have like the 35 1.4 which is very almost perfect at all apertures.

I also have to care about my shutter speed. It's a 45mm, so I should use 1/125 to 1/200 to avoid camera shake.

[colonel]

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Genuinely believe this is one of the best L lenses at the moment for quality/value/size mix for travel/street. I use it on the SL. Its more of a portrait lens for the CL.

(see my URL below for many pictures with the Sigma 45mm on the SL)

Check out the Sigma L roadmap:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/8499432688/sigma-updates-l-mount-lens-roadmap-through-2020

Very exciting!!!

Edited August 29, 2019 by colonel

[frickenet]

I got an answer from the Leica customer care support. He said that his colleagues from the R & D department are busy with the further development of the FW for the LEICA TL models. He can not say how far they are because the colleagues are very covered. He also said that the lenses of the L-Mount alliance are already supported by the current FW of the Leica CL, ergo, there will also be a FW for the Leica TL cameras.

 

[bcorton]

15 hours ago, frickenet said:

Sorry, maybe it's my english. I am from germany. I meant the aperture ring and the AF/MF switch on the lens does not work. The focus ring works and I can change the aperture with the wheels on the camera.

After more testing I found out that the image in the near focus gets much better if I use f4-f5,6. At 2,8 it's soft. I am spoiled with the other native lens I have like the 35 1.4 which is very almost perfect at all apertures.

I also have to care about my shutter speed. It's a 45mm, so I should use 1/125 to 1/200 to avoid camera shake.

Frickenet,

There's nothing wrong with your English.  

I just took delivery of the Sigma lens in question, and on my TL2 it behaves as you describe.  The aperture settings can only be made on the camera.  It is also the camera that determines whether it is in Auto- or Manual-focus mode: the switch on the lens seems to make no difference.

I have not noticed the softness you speak of, but as I say, I have only just gotten the lens.  I have yet to test it in this way.

Thanks for writing to Leica and for sharing their response.  It will be interesting to see if the next firmware further unlocks the manual aspects of the lens.

Brent

Edited August 29, 2019 by bcorton

[bcorton]

I just finished with some test shots, and I can see the softness at f/2.8--but it isn't bad.  By f/3/2—just one third stop down—the lens is already as sharp in the center as it is at f/8.  Amazing!

The f/2.8 softness doesn't bother me too much.  It might even be nice for portraits.  In any case, I find I can fix it just fine in post-processing.  Or maybe you're just used to sharper lenses than I am 😉.

 

[colonel]

On 8/29/2019 at 9:58 PM, bcorton said:

I just finished with some test shots, and I can see the softness at f/2.8--but it isn't bad.  By f/3/2—just one third stop down—the lens is already as sharp in the center as it is at f/8.  Amazing!

The f/2.8 softness doesn't bother me too much.  It might even be nice for portraits.  In any case, I find I can fix it just fine in post-processing.  Or maybe you're just used to sharper lenses than I am 😉.

 

I dont see a f2.8 absolute softness. I find it sharp at f2.8.

It is however softer relative to f4

For example this is f2.8 (I know its not a close up portrait but ...):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/haroldmiller/48595696431/in/dateposted/

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by colonel

[bcorton]

Hi Colonel,

I don't know what "absolute" softness would look like 😉, but after reading your post, I did some more tests.  (Well, I call them "tests"; true scientists would be frightened by my methods, I'm sure).  Anyway, before I was focusing at about 14" from the lens.  This time, I tried some medium distant shots and some at infinity.  So, here is what I learned from my sample of the lens.

I definitely notice some flare visible at f/2.8 that is gone by f/4.  When I say "flare," it could be spherochromatism, but it shows up as uncontrolled flare around details and effects the perception of sharpness.  This micro-contrast (?) issue is well controlled and invisible by f/4. 

Mind you, in most cases, the issue is minimal, tiny, and in some cases, almost at the edge of perception.  In others, it is more pronounced, which makes me think that it might sometimes be an artifact of imperfect focusing, as well as other things.  

 

Below are 100% crops of the focus point.

f/2.8                                                                                                                                

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f/4

     

Not much to say here.  The roses at f/4 seem just ever so slightly sharper, but how much of that is due to greater DoF?

 

at infinity f/2.8                                                                                                             

f/4

     

DoF shouldn't matter at infinity focus, but notice that there appears to be less micro-contrast at f/2.8.  Still, not bad for f/2.8.  If you have moments where you ask yourself if you really see it or if you're imagining it--then it really can't be at all bad.

 

f/2.8                                                                                                                f/4

           

Here, I can only assume that the lens focused on the backboard.  You can definitely see the flare surrounding the strands of the net in the sunlight at f/2.8, but not at f/4.  Now, maybe the strands of the net in the sun are far enough away from ideal focus to push the depth of field--but that shouldn't be the case with the subject 40-feet away.  Maybe that accounts for the flare.  But there is also definite flare on the bolts of the backboard.  I think this lens has some good old spherochromatism at f/2.8.  Notice how the flare on the edge of the vinyl fence shades to the green?  (But keep in mind that I am no optical expert.  Spherochromatism is just my best semi-educated guess.)

      f/2.8

   f/4

Now that's egregious.  All I can think is that poor focus must have played a part here.  

So, is the f/2.8 softness noticeable?  Sometimes, if I'm being a fussy pixel-peeper.  Does it bother me?  Emphatically, no.  

Do I consider the lens sharp?  Emphatically, yes.  I think you put it well: the lens is somewhat softer at f/2.8 relative to f/4.  I think this a crackin' lens.  Also, small, light, and quite handsome.  I wish Sigma offered something similar in a 35mm focal length, and a 60mm.  Or maybe some f/2 lenses in an exclusively TL mount.   I'd be way tempted.

Regards,

Brent

Edited September 4, 2019 by bcorton

[colonel]

I agree that 2.8 is softer the 4

however I think your are right about flare. It is notorious for softening images

in terms of close focus the lens does soften up under 1m, but I consider this macro anyway and it’s not a macro lens

beyond 1m with a hood (in sunshine) I consider this a sharp lens

rgds

 

[Tessar.]

Can anyone report whether the aperture ring works on the TL2 body?

Thanks,

Mike.

[Fran D]

I was researching this lens for my CL when I found this thread. As I awaited the delivery of the lens, I was concerned about the battery drain message and sure enough, I got it the first time I turned the CL on with the lens attached. Note that I did this with a full battery charge. I then followed the advice to remove the Sigma, turn off the OS, and then reinstall the lens and turn on.

I would prefer to leave OS on, but, as was already noted, OS is greyed out with this lens when  set to on.

So, is this all still a problem? Is it a firmware that we need from Leica? Anyone have the latest information on this?

 

As for the output, my first test image. I think I'm going to like this lens!

Thanks!

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Edited November 16, 2019 by Fran D
Added photo

[SonomaBear]

I just received my Sigma 2.8/45 for my SL.  It is nothing short of "delicious" -- it is may only AF lens for the SL, I shoot M glass.

Now I carry the 45mm on the SL with the M lenses in my pockets along with spare battery and cards.  No bag!  The 45mm will fit in an oversized pocket of my jacket...

No second thoughts!  Any CL/SL owner should buy this lens.

[Fran D]

Glad to read this SonomaBear. Unfortunately, I returned mine. Seems when I put it n my CL, the battery indicates a significant drain, and of course, I get that message indicating that the drain will happen. I also can't use image stabilization. And, when I remove the lens and put one of my Laice CL lenses back on, the lens firmware updates! But, it took a second installation for the Leica lens to even work! Interestingly, after putting a Leica lens back on, the battery levels returned to their higher-capcity indication. I could be wrong here, but it seems the CL needs a firmware update to support this lens properly. Hope someone else can correct me and explain how I can get the lens to function 100%. If that can be done (or when a firmware update occurs), I'll purchase the lens again.

[AZach]

There is a lens firmware update available from Sigma website. That should address this particular issue.

Works at least with SL, cannot confirm this with CL though (don't have access for the moment).

[michali]

22 hours ago, AZach said:

There is a lens firmware update available from Sigma website. That should address this particular issue.

Works at least with SL, cannot confirm this with CL though (don't have access for the moment).

It does work with the CL as well. I just upgraded the lens to FW vers. 1.1 and it no longer gives the "battery drain message" on either the SL or CL.

You can download it here: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/download/lenses/firmware/c019_45_28/

 

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by michali

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Hallo,

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[Fran D]

On 11/22/2019 at 12:35 PM, michali said:

It does work with the CL as well. I just upgraded the lens to FW vers. 1.1 and it no longer gives the "battery drain message" on either the SL or CL.

You can download it here: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/download/lenses/firmware/c019_45_28/

 

 

This is good news. Thanks AZach and michali. I assume that I can update the lens FW by using the same fw update procedure as I would if it was a Leica camera FW update. Is this the case?