New SL 24-70 or second hand SL 24-90 Glass, which one to choose?

[nucky]

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2 hours ago, beewee said:

From what I’ve gleaned from various sources, the Leica version is similar but not identical optically. Whether the differences are worth the higher price is for the buyer to decide.

The differences are as follows:

• Optically, the Leica version has one additional element that’s a partial anomalous dispersion glass as compared to Sigma (9 vs 8 elements)
• Electronically, the Leica version fully exposes/implements the L-mount communication protocol which allows Leica SL/SL2/SL2-S bodies to get extra information for additional corrections.
  • In contrast, Sigma L-mount lenses do not necessarily expose all elements in the L-mount communication standard
  • Panasonic supposedly does a bit better job than Sigma in this regard
  • With the Leica version, you get the benefit of setting your preferred amount of turning for manual focus by wire, just like other SL lenses with exceptions being the 16-35 and 50/1.4.
• Mechanically, the Leica version has an all metal exterior that shares the same aesthetic as other SL lenses. The Sigma version has some very high quality engineered composites for parts of the lens barrel.
• Manufacturing wise, the Leica version supposedly has more stringent requirements for manufacturing tolerances compared to the Sigma version and there are more stringent quality control elements in the production process.
• Functionally, at least based on the comparison performed by RedDotForum in one of their youtube videos, the Leica 24-70 is noticeably sharper compare to the Sigma in the corners but the Leica 24-90 is still sharper than the Leica 24-70.

All that being said, Leica is doing a terrible job marketing the Leica 24-70 and informing potential buyers why they should pay extra as compared to Sigma.

There's a board member here who has both Leica and Sigma 24-70 and he didn't find any differences in IQ, he posted samples as well. 

Bottom line, you buy the Leica version because it is more affordable, than the made in Germany Leica lenses,  it has the Leica name on it and it is going to have  better resale value. 

The Sigma is an exceptional lens: Leica put its name on it!

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[Simone_DF]

9 hours ago, beewee said:

All that being said, Leica is doing a terrible job marketing the Leica 24-70 and informing potential buyers why they should pay extra as compared to Sigma.

Maybe because potential buyers shouldn't pay more.

Or maybe because Sigma could reply with their own version of why customers shouldn't shell the extra €€€ for the same lens.

[BernardC]

13 hours ago, nucky said:

There's a board member here who has both Leica and Sigma 24-70 and he didn't find any differences in IQ, he posted samples as well.

Is there? The samples I saw were in the Red Dot Forum video, and they showed surprisingly large differences.

 

Leica is running a psychological experiment. The really interesting question is "who will buy all three 24-70 (or 90) lenses, and will they use them all at the same time?"

It's a game you can play at home: imagine three restaurants on the same street. One is the cheapest in town, one is average-priced, but the food looks better, and one charges three times as much, but is world-renowned. Now, try to figure-out which one your friends will choose!

If your friends are like mine, it's surprisingly easy to do.

There are no wrong answers, of course, but it's fun to hear the justifications.

[nucky]

2 hours ago, BernardC said:

Is there? The samples I saw were in the Red Dot Forum video, and they showed surprisingly large differences.

 

Leica is running a psychological experiment. The really interesting question is "who will buy all three 24-70 (or 90) lenses, and will they use them all at the same time?"

It's a game you can play at home: imagine three restaurants on the same street. One is the cheapest in town, one is average-priced, but the food looks better, and one charges three times as much, but is world-renowned. Now, try to figure-out which one your friends will choose!

If your friends are like mine, it's surprisingly easy to do.

There are no wrong answers, of course, but it's fun to hear the justifications.

samples are in this thread..

Leica 24-70 is a rebadged Sigma, and there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion 

[beewee]

Personally, I see a little more microcontrast on the 24-90 vs 24-70 based in the flower photo in the thread you shared. This was before even seeing which lens was used for which photo. Also, it’s such an uncontrolled comparison, it’s hard to draw any conclusions from it except for general impression.

Edited June 25, 2021 by beewee

[nucky]

3 hours ago, beewee said:

Personally, I see a little more microcontrast on the 24-90 vs 24-70 based in the flower photo in the thread you shared. This was before even seeing which lens was used for which photo. Also, it’s such an uncontrolled comparison, it’s hard to draw any conclusions from it except for general impression.

this is Sigma 24-70 vs Leica 24-70, not Leica 24-90

[beewee]

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1 hour ago, nucky said:

this is Sigma 24-70 vs Leica 24-70, not Leica 24-90

Sorry, I meant Leica 24-70 had more microcontrast than Sigma.

[Pixeleater]

5 hours ago, nucky said:

samples are in this thread..

Leica 24-70 is a rebadged Sigma, and there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion 

I think your characterization as “a rebadged Sigma” misses the mark. There are enough differences to say these lenses are very similar, but different. The SOOC image quality of each should be the measure. I’m still sorting through all the comments of user experiences.

[nucky]

3 hours ago, Pixeleater said:

I think your characterization as “a rebadged Sigma” misses the mark. There are enough differences to say these lenses are very similar, but different. The SOOC image quality of each should be the measure. I’m still sorting through all the comments of user experiences.

Yes, the "more correct"  conclusion would be, Leica 24-70 is a rebadged Sigma image quality...