Leica CL compact lens

[Nick De Marco]

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Hi - I recently acquired a Leica CL and I’m loving it - small & light enough to go anywhere but with excellent image quality and lovely to use. It reminds me of my film Contax T. Image quality often equals a bigger camera but can go anywhere.

I’ve only got one L lens so far - the 18mm pancake. Mainly due to size. I have the M adapter and have been using with many different small M lenses as well as some Contax C/Y lenses with additional adapter.

That’s great fun but I really want a good compact af walkabout lens in the 35-40mm range. The 23mm Summicron looks ideal size, but I haven’t heard great things about it. I’m thinking of the Signa L 24mm f3.5 DG DN. The size looks compact, it’s well reviewed, does close focus and I don’t mind the lower speed for a compact all purpose walk about. 
 

Has anyone tried it on the CL (or TL)? Would you recommend? Or any other compact walkabout?

thanks

Nick

[michali]

40 minutes ago, Nick De Marco said:

Hi - I recently acquired a Leica CL and I’m loving it - small & light enough to go anywhere but with excellent image quality and lovely to use. It reminds me of my film Contax T. Image quality often equals a bigger camera but can go anywhere.

I’ve only got one L lens so far - the 18mm pancake. Mainly due to size. I have the M adapter and have been using with many different small M lenses as well as some Contax C/Y lenses with additional adapter.

That’s great fun but I really want a good compact af walkabout lens in the 35-40mm range. The 23mm Summicron looks ideal size, but I haven’t heard great things about it. I’m thinking of the Signa L 24mm f3.5 DG DN. The size looks compact, it’s well reviewed, does close focus and I don’t mind the lower speed for a compact all purpose walk about. 
 

Has anyone tried it on the CL (or TL)? Would you recommend? Or any other compact walkabout?

thanks

Nick

Nick- I have the Sigma 24mm f3.5 L, it's an excellent lens. I use it on both the CL & SL2. Another one to consider is the Sigma 45mm f2.8 DG DN L. Some people complain that the 45mm is soft wide open, I haven't found that.

Both lenses are compact enough for the CL. I also love the fact that they have an aperture ring which works well with the CL & its smaller size, it minimises messing around with dials & buttons on the camera.

 

[Nick De Marco]

Thanks Michali that’s good to know. I also noted it has an aperture ring which is a big plus for me. 

[wda]

Nick, I have a CL  and 23 mm Summicron which fully lives up to its name. For me, it is a modern upgrade to my venerable, but still excellent Leica X1. Bulkier? Yes; but not a deterrent to walk-about photography. You will enjoy it.

[RM8]

3 hours ago, Nick De Marco said:

Thanks Michali that’s good to know. I also noted it has an aperture ring which is a big plus for me. 

If you want both AF and an A-ring, note (1) Leica L mount lenses don't have an A-ring (2) The M2L adapter only allows manual focus with Leica M mount lenses...

[tom0511]

I also like the 23CL lens.

[Le Chef]

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I have the TL23, use it regularly, and would not get rid of it.

[rob_w]

Another vote for the TL23.  Don't believe the internet chatter mill.  It is excellent.

[gfweir]

6 hours ago, rob_w said:

Another vote for the TL23.  Don't believe the internet chatter mill.  It is excellent.

Took the words right out of my mouth

 

[pthean]

Nick,  I have the TL 23mm lens and I use it on my CL and my SL2. It is an excellent lens. 

[Michael Markey]

Another fan of the TL 23 .

Use it on my CL and SL2S .

[dfdann]

Stays on my CL unless another lens is required.  Excellent lens as are the 18 and 55-135 TLs. 
Dan

[nicci78]

I will recommend the 18-56mm. It is the best TL lens in term of size, price and performance ratio. 
I love it so much, that I use more than my mighty Q2.

With CL crop (à la Q/Q2) it provides a nice 28-85mm + 105mm + 150mm range. 

TL 18-56 is just slightly longer than TL 23. You’ll gain versatility but lose 1 to 2 stops of light at 23mm position. 
TL 23mm is : 
f/2 most of its range. 
f/2.8 at close focus 
TL 18-56mm is : 
f/3.5 at 18mm. 
f/4 at 23mm. 
f/5 at 35mm. 
f/5.6 at 56mm.

So maybe just buy both lenses and sell TL 18mm. Then use the zoom for outdoors and the prime for indoors  

 

[Nick De Marco]

Thank you for your responses. I was originally thinking if the 23 Summicron but I’m leaning towards the Sigma. I wonder if anyone has done a comparison of image quality between the two on an Aps sensor?

Both seem very small and light, the Cron has the advantage here. The cron is also 1,5 stops faster of course, but I’d expect to use both lenses at f5.6 most of the time. 

Apart from being 1/3 of the price the Sigma has an A-ring and much closer minimum focus (11cm) both of which I would prefer.

I might go for the Sigma for the compromise small walkabout lens on the CL and use the savings towards a very special L lens which from reviews would appear to be either the 35 summilux or the 11-23 zoom.

Nick

[Nick De Marco]

Thanks Nicci- crossed messages. More food for thought....

Edited April 15, 2021 by Nick De Marco

[michali]

1 hour ago, Nick De Marco said:

Thank you for your responses. I was originally thinking if the 23 Summicron but I’m leaning towards the Sigma. I wonder if anyone has done a comparison of image quality between the two on an Aps sensor?

Both seem very small and light, the Cron has the advantage here. The cron is also 1,5 stops faster of course, but I’d expect to use both lenses at f5.6 most of the time. 

Apart from being 1/3 of the price the Sigma has an A-ring and much closer minimum focus (11cm) both of which I would prefer.

I might go for the Sigma for the compromise small walkabout lens on the CL and use the savings towards a very special L lens which from reviews would appear to be either the 35 summilux or the 11-23 zoom.

Nick

Since I bought the Sigma 24mm f3.5 my Leica 23mm has been sitting on the shelf.  As I mentioned earlier, I prefer the ergonomics of the Sigma -Aperture ring etc. I'll try & post some comparisons between the 2 lenses in the next day or 2. 

[Nick De Marco]

Thanks Michali - that would be most interesting 

[Nick De Marco]

So I ended up buying the Sigma 24mm f3.5 - and I am very happy with it. It turned out to be a bit of a 'gateway drug' into getting into full frame L-mount (from CL), and other Sigma lenses. I have now quit a few for L/CL cameras. I really like them, but the 24 is definitely one of my favourites and, I think, by far the smallest. I did a little review of it, and the 45mm which I bought at the same time, here: https://rangefinderchronicles.blogspot.com/2021/05/april-2021-2-south-bank-with-cl-and.html

[oldwino]

I am enjoying the Sigma 35/2 on my CL. Size and AF speed is perfect. 

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[tommonego@gmail.com]

i am also a 23 TL fan, but the 11-23 is better. For a small 35mm look at the 35 f1.4 TTArtisan L mount, I bought one just because it was $78 new, but it is a decent lens, Leica M mount sized. I also have a 35mm f1.4 preasph Summilux, but that stays mostly on my M cameras, a very small lens. The aperature business doesn't bother me, the aperture is very obvious in the CL's viewfinder. 

CL 35 f1.4 TTArtisan at f2

 

 

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