No TL lens roadmap?

[rob_w]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Have I missed it?   There seems to be no roadmap from Leica for the TL lens line.  I have searched on the web, checked Leica rumours, etc. but cannot find anything.  We know some lenses are coming from Sigma next year.  Otherwise nothing as far as I can see.

Does this mean Leica does not care -- the CL is an orphan child?

Edited August 29, 2019 by rob_w

[ramarren]

It means that Leica is reluctant to tell the world what it's working on and what its plans are prematurely, that's all. It's also important to understand that the TL series lenses are part of a continuum of lenses that work natively on the CL/T/TL/TL2 series bodies, which includes the SL lenses as well. And also includes the M and R series lenses. 

There are more lens and lens accessory choices available from Leica for the CL than there are for most other cameras.  How many dozen lenses do you really need? I have two dozen Leica lenses that work very nicely on my CL, from 10mm up to 360mm. I can't imagine needing many more than that.

Edited August 29, 2019 by ramarren

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Le Chef]

Most manufacturers in just about any category you care to think of refuse to share their “roadmap” of future products: that’s giving away an advantage to your competitors.

I wonder whether you are looking for a specific lens for your camera and have yet to see it listed? If that’s the case look at the CL’s competitors and see how many of them have a lens with the spec you are looking for. If it’s most or all of them then it’s highly likely that Leica has that lens spec close to the top of their development priorities. If the competitors know this is a spec that people like to buy (a go-to lens) then Leica will run the risk of losing customers to other brands if they don’t offer one.

[kodachrome]

I would like something with f/1.4 in the 75mm - 120mm equivalent focal range that is a faster to focus than the 60mm (35mm focus speed) (50mm equivalent is too wide for me)

[kodachrome]

Usually without a roadmap, potential customers are likely to at other solutions and not consider instead of waiting. 

[cirke]

i'd like

TL 50 or 60 Summilux

TL 35 Noctilux 🙂

[ramarren]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

1 hour ago, kodachrome said:

Usually without a roadmap, potential customers are likely to at other solutions and not consider instead of waiting. 

That's some potential customers. I don't buy equipment based on what might come along—I buy equipment based on what is available at the time I'm buying so that it can do a job I have in mind. Roadmaps for future products mean very little to me.

I don't need much in terms of lenses that I don't already have, and didn't when I bought the CL either. I've bought two lenses since I got the CL (the Pentax-L 43/1.9 and VoigtIänder 10/5.6) which address new ideas that the CL enables since I bought it. I bought the CL based on its body design, features, the quality of its sensor, and its compatibility with my existing lenses. My M-mount and R-mount lenses works beautifully on it, and I couldn't care less about AF most of the time. 

YMMV.

[Le Chef]

6 hours ago, kodachrome said:

I would like something with f/1.4 in the 75mm - 120mm equivalent focal range that is a faster to focus than the 60mm (35mm focus speed) (50mm equivalent is too wide for me)

There’s a bit of a myth about the TL60’s focusing speed. That’s in part because the range is so great from 1:1 macro to infinity. With the CL you can abbreviate the range by using an option to focus close in or towards infinity. It speeds up focusing. Also I suspect that the software for this lens has changed (totally subjective assessment obviously) but a later TL60 I borrowed seemed faster than the first one I tried.  Maybe full time owners have a better perspective.

[rob_w]

On 8/29/2019 at 3:02 PM, Le Chef said:

Most manufacturers in just about any category you care to think of refuse to share their “roadmap” of future products

Not borne out by observation: Leica have a roadmap for SL lenses.  Panasonic, Sigma, Canon, Nikon, etc. likewise

[LocalHero1953]

18 hours ago, Le Chef said:

There’s a bit of a myth about the TL60’s focusing speed. That’s in part because the range is so great from 1:1 macro to infinity. With the CL you can abbreviate the range by using an option to focus close in or towards infinity. It speeds up focusing. Also I suspect that the software for this lens has changed (totally subjective assessment obviously) but a later TL60 I borrowed seemed faster than the first one I tried.  Maybe full time owners have a better perspective.

I find the 60mm TL fast to focus, as long as you set focusing to be within close-up or normal ranges. Given the whole range from infinity to 1 cm, the lens goes into panic mode. I don't have the 35mm TL to compare it with, but speed has never been a concern for me, and I use it mainly for people.

[cirke]

32 minutes ago, rob_w said:

Not borne out by observation: Leica have a roadmap for SL lenses.  Panasonic, Sigma, Canon, Nikon, etc. likewise

I have never seen a roadmap for the Leica M

[pico]

24 minutes ago, cirke said:

I have never seen a roadmap for the Leica M

Leica's historical roadmap is interesting. It begins on an ancient Roman road, to asphalt, the Autobahn,  then disappears into The Cloud. America's Kodak began on mud and dirt roads.

Edited August 31, 2019 by pico

[jaapv]

And ended in sheer cliff drop.

[nicci78]

Yes please a roadmap. SL lenses got their roadmap. TL lenses should also. But I guess it will look too lame, with only one lens every two years, to be published. 

Edited September 1, 2019 by nicci78

[FrozenInTime]

11 minutes ago, nicci78 said:

Yes please a roadmap. SL lenses got their roadmap. TL lenses should also. But I guess it will look to lame, with only one lens every two years, to be published. 

Just like the SL line, a few more TL Summicrons would be the business. 

[jaapv]

Not really; the TL line lacks both short wide-angles and long lenses. come to think of it, so does the SL.

[cirke]

+ a good portrait lens

[Jonathan Hodder]

23mm, 50mm, 75mm lux set. Either or all of those would be wonderful.

[nicci78]

What we know from Maike Harberts, Leica APS-C market leader, latest interview :

• TL line are pretty much complete : from 17 to 200mm equivalent focal length.
• Only made in Germany Summilux-TL are on the pipeline. Using same body as TL-35 and TL-60. Same industrial strategy as APO-Summicron-SL

In a distant future, we should be able to choose between a collection of small enough Summilux-TL line for APS-C or a collection of bigger APO-Summicron-SL for 24x36. What do you choose ? Quite small, fast lenses for half frame ? Or Quite big, not as fast lenses, but weathersealed for full frame ?

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[lct]

A compact 18/2 or 21/2 could interest me but i don't hold my breath.