Battle of the Bulges: Sigma 24-70 versus Vario Elmarit 24-90

[aksclix]

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52 minutes ago, augustwest100 said:

For me, the price of a Leica L-mount prime is too much (for now). I guess the real question is: how likely is a smaller lighter standard L-mount zoom from Leica any time soon? I'm in no rush. I know I will probably go with Little Siggy most of the time (the Sigma 45mm 2.8) due to its size and weight. The question is for that other 20% of the time where a standard zoom becomes very flexible, would it be better to go with the relatively lighter Sigma 24-70, or wait for the Leica equivalent?

 

According to me, the second best thing and a very close one at that, would be a Panasonic s pro alternative.. most vendors give you a return window.. I’d suggest you try the Panasonic offerings and make a decision. All of the S pro lenses are superb and if you get them used, you’ll save quite a bit.. 

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[augustwest100]

3 hours ago, LD_50 said:

A standard zoom from Leica is not likely, and definitely not soon. If you need something soon and you don’t want the 24-90, the Sigma or Panasonic lenses are available. The Sigma 24-70 is fairly large (835 g, 82mm filter, similar dimensions to the Leica- same diameter and 16mm shorter). 

This becomes tougher if you assume there will be no Leica 24-70 or 27-70 in the near future. Then, it comes down to the 24-70 Sigma for the 2.8 through the full focal range, or the 24-90 from Leica, which is heavier, but also gives a little more range. Are both of these lenses about the same for macro in a pinch? I'm not talking 1:1 ratio, but more like 1:3 or thereabout. With the 24-90, I believe the weight of the camera and lens would then equal the weight of my old SLR plus zoom that started me down the path that led to leica originally (googling, light weight full frame digital camera resulted in me finding the soon to be released leica m9!)

[aksclix]

43 minutes ago, augustwest100 said:

This becomes tougher if you assume there will be no Leica 24-70 or 27-70 in the near future. Then, it comes down to the 24-70 Sigma for the 2.8 through the full focal range, or the 24-90 from Leica, which is heavier, but also gives a little more range. Are both of these lenses about the same for macro in a pinch? I'm not talking 1:1 ratio, but more like 1:3 or thereabout. With the 24-90, I believe the weight of the camera and lens would then equal the weight of my old SLR plus zoom that started me down the path that led to leica originally (googling, light weight full frame digital camera resulted in me finding the soon to be released leica m9!)

I am not a Panasonic fan boy or anything but it seems that you're not leaning towards Panasonic 24-70 S PRO.. any particular reason?

[augustwest100]

2 hours ago, aksclix said:

I am not a Panasonic fan boy or anything but it seems that you're not leaning towards Panasonic 24-70 S PRO.. any particular reason?

Just the goofy way my brain is wired - my thoughts go like this: The Panasonic is heavier than the Sigma and they are both similar in that they are NOT Leica

So, all things considered, I would either invest the big bucks and get the Leica and deal with the weight, or I would save the money and get the lightest of the other decent options, which would either be the Sigma 24-70 or the Sigma 28-70. The Panasonic looks like a solid option for someone who knows they don’t really care about the weight, but who does not want to spend Leicabucks.

 

[aksclix]

27 minutes ago, augustwest100 said:

Just the goofy way my brain is wired - my thoughts go like this: The Panasonic is heavier than the Sigma and they are both similar in that they are NOT Leica

So, all things considered, I would either invest the big bucks and get the Leica and deal with the weight, or I would save the money and get the lightest of the other decent options, which would either be the Sigma 24-70 or the Sigma 28-70. The Panasonic looks like a solid option for someone who knows they don’t really care about the weight, but who does not want to spend Leicabucks.

 

Makes sense! Sigma ART and Contemporary lenses are not average lenses.. they are superior in quality with some build quality compromises in the C versions. So, the newer 28-70 will be a pretty sweet one IMO.. btw, sigma 24-70 is only 100g lighter than Panasonic 24-70.. 

 

 

[V23]

On 2/27/2021 at 6:46 AM, beewee said:

Personally, I’m not opposed to the use of advanced composites for lens barrels. If it can make the package lighter and is just as stable, durable (if not more so) than a traditional metal lens barrel, and does not compromise the optical performance, etc. then I’ll be happy to take that over a metal lens barrel design.

Most people think of cheap thermal plastics when they hear/see the word ‘plastic’ but it’s completely the opposite of this for many advanced composites which may include such materials such as microscopic glass beads for abrasion resistance and rigidity, and other components to make the material more stable when exposed to harsh environments. The difference between cheap thermal plastic and advanced composite materials can be like comparing an unreinforced concrete block that will crumble easily when loaded and a rebar reinforced concrete structure that can support a sky scraper.

Good on you beewee. This is the most informative post regarding composite materials used in many industries. They even make aircraft bodies and wings out of this material. 

[LD_50]

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2 hours ago, V23 said:

 

Good on you beewee. This is the most informative post regarding composite materials used in many industries. They even make aircraft bodies and wings out of this material. 

I guess I get the point you’re trying to make but the fact that composites are used for aircraft is not at all relevant to camera lenses. They are completely different applications. Each material choice is an engineering trade off- weight, price, surface durability, thermal expansion, brittleness, etc.

I have a Sigma L mount Art series lens mounted to my SL2-S right now. Optical quality seems good though I’ve not shot enough to truly test this. Build quality feels decent but a step below my Leica lenses and even the higher end Nikon lenses I used to own. It’s light and it was cheap and I’m okay with the build quality compromise for those two attributes. It also fills a void in Leica and Panasonic’s lineup.

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by LD_50

[jaapv]

On 2/26/2021 at 8:46 PM, beewee said:

Personally, I’m not opposed to the use of advanced composites for lens barrels. If it can make the package lighter and is just as stable, durable (if not more so) than a traditional metal lens barrel, and does not compromise the optical performance, etc. then I’ll be happy to take that over a metal lens barrel design.

Most people think of cheap thermal plastics when they hear/see the word ‘plastic’ but it’s completely the opposite of this for many advanced composites which may include such materials such as microscopic glass beads for abrasion resistance and rigidity, and other components to make the material more stable when exposed to harsh environments. The difference between cheap thermal plastic and advanced composite materials can be like comparing an unreinforced concrete block that will crumble easily when loaded and a rebar reinforced concrete structure that can support a sky scraper.

Worth mentioning that the BMW i3 is built entirely out of Carbon Fiber plastic.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/crash-your-carbon-fiber-i3-ev-heres-how-bmw-will-fix-it/

 

[simon_hsn]

Can anyone comment whether the Sigma 24-70 also supports the new settings for Linear Manual Focus? (like the SL lenses with firmware 2.0)

Edited May 10, 2021 by simon_hsn