Small survey - To SL and SL2 owners

[Archiver]

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9 hours ago, matted said:

That plan is incredibly close to my plan, save for the 35 Summicron due to the price as Hans alluded to. Unfortunately the local 50 Summicron-R I was eyeballing was pulled before the auction ended. There is an abundance of these around though so I'm not worried.

Thanks Hans for putting the 60 Macro on my radar. I think I will be picking up the 60 and 100 Macros as they will be useful for both stills and video, and then adding the 28 Elmarit, 50 Summicron, and 90 Elmarit strictly for video work.

This video got me on to Leica R lenses. Cinematographer for this project Ed David has a set of Leica R's which include the 19, 24, 35 Cron, 50 Cron, 90 Cron, 100/2.8 Macro, 135 and 185. He said that for this job, he used the 19, 24, 35 50 and 100 Macro.

Here is some more work by Ed David with Leica R glass. There's something about it, it's just so organic and crisp at the same time. Of course, part of that is from the RED One MX, but the lenses have their own character.

 

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[matted]

14 hours ago, Archiver said:

This video got me on to Leica R lenses. Cinematographer for this project Ed David has a set of Leica R's which include the 19, 24, 35 Cron, 50 Cron, 90 Cron, 100/2.8 Macro, 135 and 185. He said that for this job, he used the 19, 24, 35 50 and 100 Macro.

Here is some more work by Ed David with Leica R glass. There's something about it, it's just so organic and crisp at the same time. Of course, part of that is from the RED One MX, but the lenses have their own character.

Thanks for the videos! Really nice smooth, organic images as you say. No doubt the light, cinematographer, grading, and RED played big parts as well, but the lenses do look like they have a lovely rendering.

The last thing my wallet needs is another lens system to buy into, but at least they don't start at ~$2k and go up steeply from there like Leica branded M and SL lenses do!

[MakinMemories]

After a very long hiatus from the wonderful world of photography, I jumped back in by purchasing an SL2 bundled with the VE24-70mm and ordered the VE90-280mm at the same time. In the short time since, I have added the SL50mm 1.4 and the VE16-35mm. I really like all these lenses a lot, weight does not bother me but if I have one little nit it would be the reverse operation of the VE24-70mm compared to the VE16-35mm and VE90-280mm...As for new SL lenses, really hoping for a super wide TS, won't 'need' one till late next year so there's always hope! 

However, I now find myself looking not only at the large and wonderful selection of past and current M lenses but also some of the past Leica super telephoto R lenses...Yup, this photography hobby for some / profession for others, is just as addictive today as in years past! 

[FMB]

On 3/26/2022 at 11:54 AM, masjah said:

I have a substantial investment in R lenses. Originally an M240 served me as an adequate digital solution (didn't need autofocus or a rapidly responding EVF for my style of photography, and focus confirmation works well). However, a worsening benign essential tremor meant that I now need image stabilisation for non-tripod work, and an SL2 + Leica R-L adapter was the ideal solution. I now use my M240 as a rangefinder M-camera with the nice little Summarit 35/2.4. Of course, I could still use it as a back-up with my R-M adapter + EVF2 should the need arise.

 

Like MASJH, for many years I’ve been using M Leica, starting with the M3. Also, since fourteen, against “my“ essential tremor fighting with all the possible means and looking for acceptable images. As him, I’ve a lot of selected M lenses (Apo Cron 50 mm, Apo Cron 90 mm, .…) and two reliquial  R  lenses ( Ap Macro-Elmarit 100 mmm and Apo Telyt 180 mm). All of them used with its own adapter  first on SL and afterwards on SL2 with very good results, but….”however, a worsening benign essential tremor”,  not only to avoid shake but to  achieve a better and quick focusing  I end up buying  Apo Cron 35  mm SL and Apo Cron 90mm SL lenses and I’m not sorry.

Francisco.

[masjah]

26 minutes ago, FMB said:

Like MASJH, for many years I’ve been using M Leica, starting with the M3. Also, since fourteen, against “my“ essential tremor fighting with all the possible means and looking for acceptable images. As him, I’ve a lot of selected M lenses (Apo Cron 50 mm, Apo Cron 90 mm, .…) and two reliquial  R  lenses ( Ap Macro-Elmarit 100 mmm and Apo Telyt 180 mm). All of them used with its own adapter  first on SL and afterwards on SL2 with very good results, but….”however, a worsening benign essential tremor”,  not only to avoid shake but to  achieve a better and quick focusing  I end up buying  Apo Cron 35  mm SL and Apo Cron 90mm SL lenses and I’m not sorry.

Francisco.

Francisco, indeed so - buying dedicated SL lenses is my fall-back position should the need arise.

[chris_tribble]

On 3/29/2022 at 7:28 PM, matted said:

 

For SL glass, I'm absolutely torn on which lens to make my first... the 24-90 likely makes the most sense as it is by far the most versatile, and I already have a decent set of M primes for prime lens situations. That being said, the siren call of the 35 APO is very hard to resist. I generally lean on primes more than zooms (actually I do not currently own any zooms!). If you all could only own 1 SL lens, which would it be?

The L 24-90 is a WONDERFUL lens.  I bought into the SL2 think I would use my M lenses on it a lot - but I don't.  SL2 + 24-90 covers almost all the fields for me.  I have the luxury of the 90-280 and it's close to perfect (when I need it), as are the APO 35 and 75.  The M 28-35-50 trinity stay on the M10-R. I'm debating whether I keep the L APO 35 - however wondrous it is.  The L APO 75 though - that's a keeper.  The best portrait lens + body I've ever owned (and I had Canon 5D4 + L 85 1.2 which were stellar (though heavier than the SL combo!)  

[robb]

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I agree with Chris.

24-90 can really do it all.  90-280 not needed as much for most things with the 24-90 reach.  It only comes out of the bag or goes with me for specific needs.

I agree the 75 replaces need for crazy fast 85’s.  I haven’t missed 1.4 or 1.2 at all.

35 apo or 50 apo is a great lighter alternative to 24-90 if you go that route.

No issues shooting any of these wide open all the time even in brighter conditions.  
I just wish Leica would put the 21 and 24 apo’s out.

Robb

 

[MakinMemories]

3 hours ago, robb said:

I agree with Chris.

24-90 can really do it all.  90-280 not needed as much for most things with the 24-90 reach.  It only comes out of the bag or goes with me for specific needs.

I agree the 75 replaces need for crazy fast 85’s.  I haven’t missed 1.4 or 1.2 at all.

35 apo or 50 apo is a great lighter alternative to 24-90 if you go that route.

No issues shooting any of these wide open all the time even in brighter conditions.  
I just wish Leica would put the 21 and 24 apo’s out.

Robb

Let's also keep wishing for a Leica SL Tilt & Shift!

 

3 hours ago, robb said:

 

 

[chris_tribble]

6 hours ago, MakinMemories said:

Let's also keep wishing for a Leica SL Tilt & Shift!

 

 

Agreed - though modern software and a good wide angle lens covers some of the issues for architecture…

[jrp]

The problem with the SL2 + 24-90mm is that it is so capable that shooting becomes almost boring.

Like several others here, I bought the SL to use with M lenses, thinking that the 24-90 was ridiculously big, but my M lenses are now so costly that I hardly dare go out with them and I find the SL lenses to be a leap forward in image quality, at the expense of weight/bulk.  (The SL primes are a notch above pretty much anything else on the market, although the latest lenses from other manufacturers come close.)

For example, the SL Summilux 50mm f1.4 has a signature rendering that puts it ahead the rest of the pack, but Sony has a 50mm f1.2 that is more compact, 3/4 of the weight, closer focusing, etc, which means that it would get more use.  Sony has also taken the plunge and implemented next gen processors and sensors, but the rendering of the photos, including absence of aberrations, keeps Leica in the game for now, at least if your are not shooting anything that moves much,

[IkarusJohn]

3 hours ago, jrp said:

The problem with the SL2 + 24-90mm is that it is so capable that shooting becomes almost boring.

Like several others here, I bought the SL to use with M lenses, thinking that the 24-90 was ridiculously big, but my M lenses are now so costly that I hardly dare go out with them and I find the SL lenses to be a leap forward in image quality, at the expense of weight/bulk.  (The SL primes are a notch above pretty much anything else on the market, although the latest lenses from other manufacturers come close.)

For example, the SL Summilux 50mm f1.4 has a signature rendering that puts it ahead the rest of the pack, but Sony has a 50mm f1.2 that is more compact, 3/4 of the weight, closer focusing, etc, which means that it would get more use.  Sony has also taken the plunge and implemented next gen processors and sensors, but the rendering of the photos, including absence of aberrations, keeps Leica in the game for now, at least if your are not shooting anything that moves much,

Surely the problem is, you then have a Sony!

Seriously, is your photography about the process and the images you end up with?  If you want or like Sony images, then a Sony is the right camera.  Size and weight will impact on my use of a lens (I sold the 90-280 lens for that reason, primarily - also, unlike the busy days of the Canon AE-1, 70-210 zoom combination everyone wanted back in the day, long zooms aren’t my thing), they aren’t drivers of my photography.  The image is, ultimately.

I don’t use Leica gear because it’s big or small.  I like the process and I like the images.  No other system does this for me - I say that having only explored the alternatives when I bought my M9.  I haven’t seen the need to since.

[jrp]

In my case I had Sony before preferring Leica for reasons similar to yours. Following a recent injury I needed to reduce my load and went back to Sony, at least until I am fully recovered. 

[Photoworks]

On 7/9/2022 at 9:51 AM, jrp said:

In my case I had Sony before preferring Leica for reasons similar to yours. Following a recent injury I needed to reduce my load and went back to Sony, at least until I am fully recovered. 

I have a full set of SL2 and lenses, but I go back to Sony or canon set when I need flash photography and AF that does not miss.

Fast offering from Leica are not great to say the lest. Old battery option, not wireless in the flash to use as a flash plus wireless trigger, overheating in regular use.

hope that Godox and Profoto will have some offering next year.