Buying TL2 in 2022, A good idea?

[Robert Newcomb]

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Hello,

Since I'm thinking of buying a new TL2 I 'm looking for advice and opinions from you who have had one for all these years since it was introduced.  I realize that it is human nature to talk about issues when they have problems and less so when things are working well but there sure are a lot of issues mentioned here and across the web.

Did the the TL2 finally get its problems worked out and should I feel that I'd be getting a reasonably good working and reliable camera?

Do they seem to have more problems (errors, freeze ups) when using non coded M mount lenses?

I have read complaints from the touch screen coating wearing off, touch screen not working, frequent freeze ups etc.  I figured you folks can give the real feedback on the TL2.

Thank you very much, I appreciate the help.

Robert

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[LocalHero1953]

I've owned the TL2 twice, and never had any problems with it. I loved it as a concept, including the interface, but just found the EVF of the CL more practical. 

[oldwino]

I've owned the T, then the TL2, and now a TL which I had converted to infrared.

The T was not ready when it was released - my X2 worked better. The TL2 was much much better, then became even better with a few firmware updates. I never had any issues with mine.  Like @LocalHero1953, I sold mine to buy the CL. 

I am now enjoying the TL as a special use camera. 

[Daedalus2000]

1 hour ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I've owned the TL2 twice, and never had any problems with it. I loved it as a concept, including the interface, but just found the EVF of the CL more practical. 

51 minutes ago, oldwino said:

I've owned the T, then the TL2, and now a TL which I had converted to infrared.

The T was not ready when it was released - my X2 worked better. The TL2 was much much better, then became even better with a few firmware updates. I never had any issues with mine.  Like @LocalHero1953, I sold mine to buy the CL. 

I am now enjoying the TL as a special use camera. 

I did exactly the same, i.e. sold the TL2 and bought the CL. Also, in some of my tests I found the files from TL2 to be less sharp than I expected, maybe I could not hold it steady enough, but I dont have this problem with the CL. I think the CL holds its value much better as well in the second hand market if that is important to you.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Daedalus2000

[Kim Dahl]

I have TL2 with 3 zoom and 35 summilux.  I an happy with that - but I would probably choose CL today.  
I would not buy leica apsc - today - at all if there is not a very good reason for it.  

But there are some great deals around.  
But be aware that your apsc lenses in the future and there,  probably,  will not come a new leica apsc

And AF and more are already not up too date.  (TL2 from 2017) So there will be a significant loss on the purchase.

[Robert Newcomb]

Thank you for your advice and help.

I hope that Leica will continue to make an APSC camera in the future, keeping the size of the camera and lenses small goes back to the original idea of the Barnack cameras which I like.

Robert

[Dopaco]

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I love TL2, because when I bought it I liked it better than CL

It is important that you choose the one you like the most, if you do it like this, you will surely get the most out of it. Both cameras are similar, they have the same sensor.

The TL2 with the optional viewfinder is just as expensive as the CL.

[Reggie]

I’m a bit late to this thread but would like to add there is no other camera in 2022 which does what the TL2 does. So if it meets your needs then there’s no reason not to get one. 
 

In use, I have suffered no lock ups, no firmware or software issues of any sort and it works well with the Leica Fotos app. The touchscreen remains as responsive as the day I bought it (I have a glass screen protector). The menu system is intuitive and I love the relative absence of buttons or dials on the body. 
 

I could’ve bought the CL and tried both it and the the TL2 side by side but I wear glasses and couldn’t get on with the CL’s EVF plus I wanted a more compact form factor and a minimal number of buttons or dials. 
 

I have focused on buying FF sigma lenses to build out my kit of primes as I realise that Leica is no longer supporting the APSC format and my one frustration is that the aperture rings on the lenses are disabled so I still have to use the top plate dial. 

[eobet]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:18 AM, Robert Newcomb said:

touch screen not working

I guess technically I bought mine last year, and I had that but I got to send it back and the replacement unit has worked perfectly ever since (knock on wood).

 

1 hour ago, Reggie said:

there is no other camera in 2022 which does what the TL2 does

I must admit I bought it 95% for the industrial design (5% because it's a Leica) which really no other camera has (apart from a poorly reviewed Chinese imitation), so I'm curious as to what does it do that no other camera does? 🙂

[Life By Stills]

On 2/9/2022 at 11:18 PM, Robert Newcomb said:

Hello,

Since I'm thinking of buying a new TL2 I 'm looking for advice and opinions from you who have had one for all these years since it was introduced.  I realize that it is human nature to talk about issues when they have problems and less so when things are working well but there sure are a lot of issues mentioned here and across the web.

Did the the TL2 finally get its problems worked out and should I feel that I'd be getting a reasonably good working and reliable camera?

Do they seem to have more problems (errors, freeze ups) when using non coded M mount lenses?

I have read complaints from the touch screen coating wearing off, touch screen not working, frequent freeze ups etc.  I figured you folks can give the real feedback on the TL2.

Thank you very much, I appreciate the help.

Robert

I just picked up a TL2 as a backup / for fun piece of kit compared to my Q2 and A7R IV which I use for professional photojournalism.

At the moment, I'm playing with it with uncoded M-mount lenses. So far it seems okay, although I keep moving my eye towards the camera, forgetting it does not have an EVF haha. Probably just something to get used to though since with both Q2 and Sony, I have an EVF.

It's not frozen on me yet, touch wood.

One thing I have noticed so far is that I need to get used to no IBIS again LOL.

I guess one thing I would suggest you ask yourself when you ask if it's worth getting the TL2 in 2002 is what's your main reason / usage for getting a TL2 at the moment? So you have a selection of L-mount lenses / M-mount lenses at the moment?

Edited February 24, 2022 by Life By Stills

[Reggie]

8 hours ago, eobet said:

I must admit I bought it 95% for the industrial design (5% because it's a Leica) which really no other camera has (apart from a poorly reviewed Chinese imitation), so I'm curious as to what does it do that no other camera does? 🙂

You hit the nail on the head. It’s a combination of the physical industrial design and the user interface which makes it unarguably unique. 
 

Then there’s the more subjective area of IQ and the DNG and JPEGs which the camera produces (which I won’t get into an argument about!). 

[jrh68uk]

I bought my TL2 in 2022 and thought it was a good idea  . That opinion hasn't changed. It's a beautiful piece of kit that makes me want to pick it up and use it - and that's the point, isn't it? 

Unfortunately, as I was using it yesterday, I had the first lock-up. It's connected to using the Visoflex (which I only bought last week for those times I'd prefer it to the rear screen) where it would not respond to a power-on at all. Just appeared dead. Yes, the camera was off when the VF was mounted and it was secured in its rightful place, but no amount of power switch fiddling or VF re-mounting would help. Still dead with the VF totally removed. Fearing the worst (although it does have FW v1.5) I pulled and re-inserted the battery and it sprang back into life. It was then fine with the VF, with several re-tries to make sure. Without the VF it's been problem-free, apart from a few minor, buggy quirks that are never apparent with the TL (which I also own). I get the impression that the firmware needs a bit more work to iron out minor glitches (cf. TL) but there appears to be fat chance of any update as there's been nothing since 2018. Incidentally, not a single problem with the VF on the TL.

When the T / TL / TL2 were announced I thought I'd hate them. Why on Earth would Leica produce a system aimed squarely at rich smartphone lovers, I wondered - surely it's not a "proper" camera. One great deal after another recently enticed me in, though, and I realise they are so much more than this. So, yes, it's a good idea as long as you bear in mind two main caveats: 1. it's effectively abandoned (as is, quite possibly, Leica's entire APSC line); 2. you need to find a deal good enough to warrant disregarding caveat 1.

[HuntingSand]

Am 24.2.2022 um 02:02 schrieb jrh68uk:

When the T / TL / TL2 were announced I thought I'd hate them. Why on Earth would Leica produce a system aimed squarely at rich smartphone lovers, I wondered

My take on this really totally Leica-unlike design is that it was meant for women, in other words, to draw in a large segment of the population that wouldn't want to put an M plus fifty Cron in a handbag. The T with the 18mm does fit that bill. And starting with the X-Vario, for the first time, Leica actually was able to put out some respectable JPGs, which then could be transferred to a smartphone and sent off into the ether with minimal fuss. Anyway, that's my take on the design (now deceased of course). I've owned the original T, which I enjoyed tremendously (great 16MP sensor, that!), and now own the TL2 and a CL in the APS-C class. They actually produce slightly different files, but that's a different story.

If I were the OP,  with an eye to design and simplicity and functionality, I wouldn't hesitate to get any of the three Leica T. What lenses to use, that's where things get interesting.

[LocalHero1953]

I have bought and sold the TL2 twice, for much the same reasons each time: I love the design and touch menu system, but in the end the 'carryability' and usability don't quite satisfy.

Carryability: the sleek design of the T series is wonderful, and I look at it thinking of a Barnack or M with a collapsible lens, that I could slide into a jacket pocket. Unfortunately there is only one native lens, the 18mm, that allows you to do that. There are small M lenses, but aside from having to start with a 10mm adapter, this leads to the usability issue. 

Usability: I don't mind the smartphone way of using the camera held away from the eyes, but I never found manual focusing M lenses on the LCD that easy. Yes, I could use the Visoflex (which is low res and laggy), but that detracts from the sleek style of the camera that attracted me in the first instance. If you carry it attached, it catches on clothing, straps and bags; if you carry it loose, it's always in the wrong pocket - or at home.

I fully admit these are all very personal reactions, and what irritates me may leave others totally unaffected. As to the questions you actually asked, I never had anything but totally well-behaved performance from my TL2 - no lockups, touch screen failures or wear etc. 

[nicci78]

That’s why I will never buy a camera or a lens twice. It will ultimately be sold for the very first reasons. 
 

I have fond memory of Summicron-M 35mm sold and bought 3x. 
I will never buy it again, because we don’t belong to each other. 

[graphlex]

Do we know whether the new EVF will work on the TL2? Not without a firmware update, I suppose. 

[nicci78]

Leica said that only M10 will support Visoflex 2 in an lesser mode : 2.4 M dots instead of 3.6. 
 

No word about TL2 nor X. 
TL2 did not get any update since 2018, I guess that it will never be compatible with Visoflex 2. 

[aj55]

Although I prefer my SL2-s I do find the tilting evf on my T very handy when shooting low.....

I also really like the form factor, the cl is just too small in my hands for my liking...

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[J12]

I use the TL2 with the EVF attached. With the latest firmware I’ve found the camera to be very reliable. If you look you can find the camera brand new for a very good price. The camera is extremely light and compact. Making it very easy to carry as a back up to larger system cameras like the SL. The design is great and the menu system intuitive and easy to navigate.

 

I don’t own any T lenses, but use the camera with L, M & R mount lenses in manual mode. (AF performance isn’t a concern in my case.) When using as backup to a full frame 24mp camera and lenses, the extra reach provided by the crop factor of the TL2’s 24mp APS-C sensor often proves useful.

 

As the post above mentions, the tilting EVF is another handy tool adding versatility. A better EVF with reduced lag and higher resolution would greatly improve the usefulness of the TL2. But it’s still possible to work around those limitations with the existing EVF.

 

I would also consider a CL for the improved EVF. But it’s a trade off between the CL’s built in EVF performance and versatility of the TL2’s tilting EVF. So a decision to be made on use case / priorities.

 

Until something else appears to replace the TL2 it remains a useful camera in 2022. Especially as an extra body if complimenting a full frame camera and lenses. It adds versatility and is excellent value when good deals can be found.

[MJB]

I don't really understand the mentality that these cameras suddenly become useless once they're discontinued. 🤷‍♂️