Leica R Lenses vs SL Lenses

[otto.f]

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2 hours ago, ramarren said:

the simplicity of manual focus

Now we’re talking 👍

[AZN]

... and don't forget the compact lens size.

FWIW, personally, from my point of view, based purely and subjectively upon my opinion and it alone... (sheesh)

I wouldn't touch SL lenses with a very long barge pole.

R lenses can still be serviced and the results they give are astounding.  Focus is smooth and mechanical.  Aperture rings can be set to the value you want and it stays there until you change your mind.  Aside from the ROM chip, there are no electronics in them to fail or go haywire, necessitating a 4 month round trip to Germany for service, repairs.

They can also easily be adapted to other camera systems.  And - obviously - they last for decades.

If you desperately need AF, well that's something different

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[PeterGA]

Found this snap I made of some of my R system back in the day -  loved it then - don't miss any of it today. Autofocus is an option I don't care to give up - whilst manual only is a limitation I don't care to live with.

 

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[Leicaiste]

Nice APO Summicron 180/2 😉

[PeterGA]

10 hours ago, Leicaiste said:

Nice APO Summicron 180/2 😉

On film and DMR days - the R lenses were peerless, I had the 35-70| 2.8 and of course the 70-180 | 2.8 and I cried truck loads of tears when Leica discontinued the R series.....as legendary and good these and others were - the L series lenses and zooms are much better performers - and manually focusing these old school zoom lenses to get critical focus on a 24-47MP body - not for this fella.

[james.liam]

On 1/4/2020 at 4:22 AM, PeterGA said:

Found this snap I made of some of my R system back in the day -  loved it then - don't miss any of it today. Autofocus is an option I don't care to give up - whilst manual only is a limitation I don't care to live with.

 

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I still love to drive stick shift cars. Everyone has their preference. My eyes are still 20/20.

Played with an SL and the 28-90. The output was eye-popping but the size was absurd. Why I left Nikon DSLRs and those burdensome (but excellent) zooms. Still have my R primes and an R9.

Pure Fun.

[PeterGA]

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9 hours ago, james.liam said:

I still love to drive stick shift cars. Everyone has their preference. My eyes are still 20/20.

Played with an SL and the 28-90. The output was eye-popping but the size was absurd. Why I left Nikon DSLRs and those burdensome (but excellent) zooms. Still have my R primes and an R9.

Pure Fun.

totally agree with you regarding the most important thing about 'gear' - and that is - use what makes you feel happy - it is a word few use to describe what their preferences are and yet I believe it is the most important factor of all.

[bags27]

Normally:

• Keep the R lenses for the SL2--they will reduce the overall weight, and the peak focusing on the camera is fantastic.
• Buy the Sigma 45 f/2.8. It's quite good for the price (~$600), gives you autofocus, is somewhat weather resistant, and will shoot in reasonable low light with the camera's IBIS.
• this will give you time to see whether you want to trade in some of your other glass for an L lens.

Trump Tariff Times:

• If you live in the States and the SL2 is coming bundled with an L lens (I was offered it bundled with the 24-90, which I declined; a friend bought one bundled with the L75), and you are pretty sure you want the lens anyway, well....that becomes a different consideration that only you can know.

 

[Per P.]

When I bought the SL it was bundled with the 24-90 zoom. I already had a good set of M-lenses but then got interested in trying R-lenses as well. Soon I found myself with the classic trio of 21-35, 35-70 and 80-200 zooms. And a 50mm Summicron-R just for the fun of it. I sold them again but nobody have looked at my photos from this period and asked why I weren't using a proper lens. Recently I have added a vintage Olympus 100mm and people love the look it creates. This has caused me to rebuy the 21-35mm I sold last year, but that's another story.

My point is that each and every lens comes with one or more compromises: Technical limitations, size, cost, max aperture, closest focusing distance - you name it. Whether the compromise of any given lens is a real constraint for your use depends entirely on your needs. There can be very good and valid reasons for the highest resolution, the best MTF curves, auto focus, compact size, the flexibility of a zoom, etc. But pretty much any lens you can stick on an SL or SL2 will allow you to create strong, meaningful photos so don't lose to much sleep over it.