Any weather sealed alternative to the CL 18mm?

[vielhilftviel]

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Looking for a compact weather sealed wide angle prime or zoom to take hiking. Cant find anything other then the CL lenses but those aren’t weather sealed and when hiking I got way to used to carelessly shoot in the rain to switch back to something not weather sealed. Even considered switching to the Q2 for the size/weathersealing combination but I do mostly video so not sure if that would feel like a downgrade?

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[Stef63]

Hi welcome to this forum.  
 

Since you posted in the SL subforum I guess you currently have either a SL, SL2 or SL2-S?  May I ask you what  lens setup you are using now on the SL?  Also it would help us if you went more into detail what kind of video you are making during your hikes (in the rain)?

 

I’m not so sure a Leica SL or Q2 is the best choice for wide angle video captures where body/lens combination must be weather sealed and must be compact at the same time.  If the brand Leica is a must then the Q2 is the only option, it seems to me.  Otherwise Canon, Nikon and Sony offer a better choice for these constraints.

An SL is not a compact, lightweight camera.  And SL lenses aren’t either.  But I guess you knew that when you stepped into the SL system?

 

[Daedalus2000]

1 hour ago, vielhilftviel said:

Looking for a compact weather sealed wide angle prime or zoom to take hiking. Cant find anything other then the CL lenses but those aren’t weather sealed and when hiking I got way to used to carelessly shoot in the rain to switch back to something not weather sealed. Even considered switching to the Q2 for the size/weathersealing combination but I do mostly video so not sure if that would feel like a downgrade?

Sigma 16mm for L mount? It is not very compact though....

https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens-item/16mm-f1-4-dc-dn-c/

more compact is the 24mm which is full frame

https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens-item/24mm-f3-5-dg-dn/

Edited March 29, 2021 by Daedalus2000

[vielhilftviel]

Oh my bad I forgot to mention I have the SL2 and I am using the 24-90 almost exclusively. 
I don’t mind the weight and size of the camera itself since I find the grip extremely comfortable and I have carried it in my hand for over 30km in one go before but a smaller lense would make it so much more comfortable in hand and compact when in the bag.

Yes I want to stay with Leica since I love using it overall and the video quality and colors straight out of camera look amazing. That’s why I was eying the Q2 because  as far as I know it has the exact same Cine 4K 30p as the SL2.

For what I shoot it’s basically just shots of the landscape, the people and whatever is happening. Yes zoom never hurts but I don’t need it so I think I would trade it for weight but none of the SL lenses are significantly smaller/lighter same with the weather sealed options from lumix and sigma.

I don’t shoot in the rain all the time so for a good weather dayhike the 18mm would be fine but in long distance hikes it does rain sometime and i want to keep documenting what’s happening and i love that I can just stand there with my camera and my rain jacket with no worries.

[Slender]

I have the SL2+24-90 and thought (think) hard about that 18mm... charming little lens - I like the Idea of the big zoom next to the smallest prime in the same ecosystme - and combo (looks cool in silve on black SL2)... I tested it shortly and liked the images.

Having shot and used non-sealed Leica lenses for years before that (R+M) even in a freaking hurricane (Sandy, NYC, Oct 2012...M4+35f2 "kob"... all night out)... I wouldn't worry to much about that particular combo... I mean I would make sure water doesnt pool for unecessary long time on the camera+lens... but this lens is so small that is much less surface for the water to accumulate on/around than the top-plate (and microphones) of the SL2 alone.

Has anyone noticed a "breathing" of air when using a SL2+zoom... you can feel with your face air being pushed out of the camera body near the USB-C port as you zoom-in/out. So... weather sealed....yeah sure, but I wouldn't push it tooooo hard regardless what lens is on it.

[vielhilftviel]

vor 38 Minuten schrieb Daedalus2000:

Sigma 16mm for L mount? It is not very compact though....

https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens-item/16mm-f1-4-dc-dn-c/

more compact is the 24mm which is full frame

https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens-item/24mm-f3-5-dg-dn/

They say it has a „mount with a splash and dust proof structure“ but sounds like a fancy way of avoiding to admit it has no full weather sealing?

[Stef63]

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39 minutes ago, vielhilftviel said:

I don’t shoot in the rain all the time so for a good weather dayhike the 18mm would be fine but in long distance hikes it does rain sometime and i want to keep documenting what’s happening and i love that I can just stand there with my camera and my rain jacket with no worries.

Then you should not worry at all with a compact wide angle lens.  It is not because a lens is not weather sealed you cannot use it in the rain.  Just keep it away from the elements when walking and not taking pictures. And have a cloth available to wipe the rain drops.

If you look at the Leica M it is not weather sealed nor are the M lenses.  But believe me the M’s have been used in very wet conditions.  Of course they are not meant to be used like some Canon or Nikon camera’s that are put on a tripod for 90 minutes during a soccer game in pouring rain.

Maybe you should have a look at the M wide angle lenses or LTM’s.  Mostly very compact, reasonably usable in damp conditions... oh and yes... manual focus.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Stef63

[vielhilftviel]

vor 11 Minuten schrieb Slender:

I have the SL2+24-90 and thought (think) hard about that 18mm... charming little lens - I like the Idea of the big zoom next to the smallest prime in the same ecosystme - and combo (looks cool in silve on black SL2)... I tested it shortly and liked the images.

Having shot and used non-sealed Leica lenses for years before that (R+M) even in a freaking hurricane (Sandy, NYC, Oct 2012...M4+35f2 "kob"... all night out)... I wouldn't worry to much about that particular combo... I mean I would make sure water doesnt pool for unecessary long time on the camera+lens... but this lens is so small that is much less surface for the water to accumulate on/around than the top-plate (and microphones) of the SL2 alone.

Has anyone noticed a "breathing" of air when using a SL2+zoom... you can feel with your face air being pushed out of the camera body near the USB-C port as you zoom-in/out. So... weather sealed....yeah sure, but I wouldn't push it tooooo hard regardless what lens is on it.

Maybe it just how I think but I would be so mad at myself if I destroyed a weather sealed camera because I used a non sealed lense and I just wouldn’t be as relaxed while using it.
I took my SL2 and 24-90 on a shoot in nonstop heavy rain and everything worked perfectly. 
i mean the camera does have a IP54 rating and the 18mm doesn’t even say anything about whether sealing so not really comparable.

[vielhilftviel]

vor 3 Minuten schrieb Stef63:

Then you should not worry at al with a compact wide angle lens.  It is not because a lens is not weather sealed you cannot use it in the rain.  Just keep it away from the elements when walking and not taking pictures. And have a cloth available to wipe the rain drops.

If you look at the Leica M it is not weather sealed nor are the M lenses.  But believe me the M’s have been used in very wet conditions.  Of course they are not meant to be used like some Canon or Nikon camera’s that are put on a tripod for 90 minutes during a soccer game in pouring rain.

Maybe you should have a look at the M wide angle lenses or LTM’s.  Mostly very compact, reasonably usable in damp conditions... oh and yes... manual focus.

Sounds reasonable but are you saying the M lenses would be better for the rain then the CL ones or did you just mention them because of the comparable size?

[Stef63]

Comparable size and weight and more choices, but no autofocus.  Weather sealing I cannot tell.  I have the CL18 as well as many M lenses.  The CL seems so compact that even in heavy rain (and properly stored when not in use) it should be no problem.

 

It seems to me that you are a little bit over sensitive to the rain or weather sealing thing.  I understand, Leica equipment is expensive.  But besides rain there is dust, heat, the possibility to scratch your body or lens... But it is a tool, not more or less than that.   On the other hand I must confess that I baby my equipment, but rain is not my top priority to be scared about. 

[vielhilftviel]

vor 28 Minuten schrieb Stef63:

Comparable size and weight and more choices, but no autofocus.  Weather sealing I cannot tell.  I have the CL18 as well as many M lenses.  The CL seems so compact that even in heavy rain (and properly stored when not in use) it should be no problem.

 

It seems to me that you are a little bit over sensitive to the rain or weather sealing thing.  I understand, Leica equipment is expensive.  But besides rain there is dust, heat, the possibility to scratch your body or lens... But it is a tool, not more or less than that.   On the other hand I must confess that I baby my equipment, but rain is not my top priority to be scared about. 

Understand why you would think that but it’s actually the opposite. My SL2 has been in the rain, covered in dirt and received it’s fair share of scratches and bumps and that’s the reason why I love it and use it that way I do because I trust it not failing on me. That’s also why I wanted to stick with weather sealed lenses so I don’t have to start babying it in the future but yes I guess I’m overthinking the whole sealing thing. It’s just I haven’t used a non sealed combo in so long so I’m just used to it that way. I’ll look at the 18mm next time I’m in the Leica store.

[beewee]

The Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN is a very nice compact and lightweight lens. It’s not weather sealed but at its price, relative to Leica alternatives, it’s almost disposable. 

[BernardC]

The Panasonic 16-35 and 20-60 are relatively compact and light zooms (350g and 500g, respectively). They are rated as "splash proof," which should be good enough for rain and snow. The 16-35 is one of their "Pro" lenses, so it has better manual focus, and might be sharper. The 20-60 is a kit lens, but it has received favourable reviews.

[Daedalus2000]

On 3/29/2021 at 10:28 PM, vielhilftviel said:

They say it has a „mount with a splash and dust proof structure“ but sounds like a fancy way of avoiding to admit it has no full weather sealing?

I think it is a standard way of saying it is splash proof and it should be good enough for surviving rain etc. The sony lenses say the same for example