Longer focal length than 90-280 for wildlife

[fotoschrott]

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Für Wildtierfotografie würde ich gerne die Brennweite des Apo 90-280mm Objektives verlängern. Die Leica CL wars nicht, habe ich besessen und wieder verkauft. Gibt es eine Möglichkeit mit Panasonic oder Sigma Adaptern an der SL mit diesem Objektiv. zu arbeiten?

Besten Dank für Hinweise wie ihr das macht. Ich denke es müßten ja einige Wildtierfotgrafen unter der Leica Riege sein.

[Photoworks]

here is you only option at this time

https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/s021_150_600_5_63/

 

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[jaapv]

Quote

For wildlife photography, I would like to extend the focal length of the Apo 90-280mm lens. It wasn't the Leica CL, I owned it and sold it again. Is there a possibility with Panasonic or Sigma adapters on the SL with this lens work? Thank you very much for hints on how to do this. I think there would have to be some wildlife photographers under the Leica squad.

For international users... I translated the title too.

[jaapv]

For L mount there is the excellent 150-600 by Sigma, probably your most cost-effective high-quality option.

See the L Mount forum for numerous examples.

There are plenty of options using Canon AF lenses too, again see the relevant forum.

There is no functioning extender for the 90-280 L. The 105-280 R will take the 1.4x and 2.0x Apo-extenders, but is a manual lens.

Come to think of it, Leica has very little to no interest in wildlife and sports photography these days, leaving the field wide open for competitors like Sigma and Panasonic, who offer long zooms that rival the 90-280. That lens, good as it is, is a bit of a white elephant in the Leica stable.

[darylgo]

2 hours ago, jaapv said:t lens, good as it is, is a bit of a white elephant in the Leica stable.

Curious, why a white elephant?

[beewee]

3 hours ago, jaapv said:

Come to think of it, Leica has very little to no interest in wildlife and sports photography these days, leaving the field wide open for competitors like Sigma and Panasonic, who offer long zooms that rival the 90-280.

I’m not sure if I would consider Panasonic being competitive with lenses either. They have 70-200 with a 2x extender which makes it 140-400mm. It’s more than 280mm but it’s not a huge amount more and if I had to make a wild guess/bet, I would expect a SL2 + 90-280 cropped and enlarged to 400m would be similar or sharper than the same shot taken with the Panasonic 70-200 + 2x extender. Tele-extenders, especially at 2x, always incur a cost in image quality because it adds additional aberrations to the system. Cropping does not add any aberrations so if you’re looking for a 1.4x enlargement to get an equivalent 400mm focal length and have the sensor resolution to do it, it’ll be better than relying on an extender.

In terms of wildlife and sports, I think that would require Panasonic and Leica to up their AF capabilities. It’s one thing to ‘live with’ the limitations when using a $1500 Sigma 150-600 DG DN and accept the AF limitations. I think people would be a lot less tolerant of the limitations of AF if they are paying $8k for an SL2 and $12-20k for a Leica super-tele photo and they can’t get good AF for birds in flight or sports. People wouldn’t pay money for that and it would just be a giant money pit for Leica to develop such a lens without the necessary AF to support it. Also, recall that when Panasonic and Sigma announced that they are joining the L-mount alliance and provided a lens roadmap, Panasonic did mention that a super-telephoto lens was planned but after a while, they dropped any mention of it.

Maybe the next generation of FF mirrorless bodies from Panasonic and Leica will adopt phase detect AF to help. I recall review of the GH6 mentioned that, the GH6 uses contrast detect because it was already too far into development when the GH5 was released and people complained about the contrast detect AF and it was too late to add phase detect to the GH6. Because of this, they decided the only way to improve the GH6 AF was to increase the processing power for AF to make it more responsive.

36 minutes ago, darylgo said:

Curious, why a white elephant?

Me too.

[jaapv]

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High quality, expensive, but limited in use by its solitary position in the lens lineup. Too long and heavy for casual use but too short in focal length for serious wildlife and sports (except chess ) without support of extenders. Not supported by long lens alternatives. Compare Panasonic and Sigma: 100-400 & 150-600 and converters 1.4x and 2x. Panasonic: 70-200 (twice) 70-300, 1.4x and 2x extender. Leica: 90-280 - period.

 

The AF of the 150-600 is adjustable through the USB dock in firmware, although the standard setting is close to flawless on my S5 (as reviewers note). I think the problem lies more in Leica's AF implementation.

 

 

 

[Stuart Richardson]

7 minutes ago, jaapv said:

High quality, expensive, but limited in use by its solitary position in the lens lineup. Too long and heavy for casual use but too short in focal length for serious wildlife and sports (except chess :lol:) without support of extenders. Not supported by long lens alternatives. Compare Panasonic and Sigma: 100-400 & 150-600 and converters 1.4x and 2x. Panasonic: 70-200 (twice) 70-300, 1.4x and 2x extender. Leica: 90-280 - period.

 

 

 

 

 

It is only solitary in its position in the lens lineup if you don't consider the Sigma and Panasonic lenses as part of the same system. They are...they are native L mount lenses that work more or less seamlessly on the Leica bodies. Leica seems to view Sigma and Panasonic as adding value to the L mount because they make lenses that would not be practical for Leica to make. I remember when the SL2 was announced at a Leica event at Paris Photo (I was lucky enough to be there), that right alongside the Leica lenses the Leica store had the Panasonic and Sigma lenses there in the store. Talking with Stephan Schulz, that seemed to be very much on purpose. Leica makes the lenses they think they can sell, but they have left the door open for Sigma and Panasonic to fill the gaps that they cannot readily fill. In the case of very long lenses, Sigma makes a lot of sense, as they have designs ready that can be used on L mount and offer excellent results. Clearly for people who are shooting wildlife and sports professionally, Canon, Nikon and Sony in particular have a more compelling range of super telephotos and superior AF performance.

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by Stuart Richardson

[jaapv]

31 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

It is only solitary in its position in the lens lineup if you don't consider the Sigma and Panasonic lenses as part of the same system. They are...they are native L mount lenses that work more or less seamlessly on the Leica bodies

Not if people go into "if it ain't Leica it's junk" mode...

[robb]

I’d recommend using a canon 400 / 600 / or 800 mm ef lens with the Sigma MC-21 adapter with the SL2 or SL2-s

great quality with all functions.  Focuses fine although likely slower than using a canon body.  I probably would not choose this combo for fast flying birds but for anything stationary, no problem.

Robb

[ardbeg]

As others have mentioned, the aforementioned Sigma is nice. The Canons via Sigma adapter are slow. Otherwise, you go real old school with 280, 400, or 560 manual R lenses (which I’ve done but ultimately I caved and got the Sigma).

[ropo54]

SL 601 w Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm. As compared to the Leica 90-280, it is larger/longer, a tad heavier and a bit more unwieldy, but certainly less expensive.

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Edited May 31, 2022 by ropo54

[SonomaBear]

I have a Canon 70-200/2.8 which works quite acceptably on the Sigma MC-21 adapter.

But I just started using the Sigma 100-400/6.3 on a SL2s -- instant focus PLUS optical stabilization PLUS in-body stabilization = hand held water polo images with extremely high keeper rate.

I think that I'll sell the 70-200...

Now do I keep using my Canon 20mm/2.8 with MC-21 or should I get (with the sale proceeds) Sigma's L mount 20mm?

[Manicouagan1]

The SL2 and the Sigma 150-600 Sport lens yields good enough images for me.

1. America White Pelican on piling:  SL2,  1/2000 sec, f 9, ISO 500  840 mm using  Sigma 1.4x extender,

2.  Brown Pelican diving (red dot is buoy in background):  SL2, 1/2000 sec,  f 7.1,  ISO 400,  600mm 

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[darylgo]

On 5/29/2022 at 12:17 PM, jaapv said:

High quality, expensive, but limited in use by its solitary position in the lens lineup. Too long and heavy for casual use but too short in focal length for serious wildlife and sports (except chess ) without support of extenders. Not supported by long lens alternatives. Compare Panasonic and Sigma: 100-400 & 150-600 and converters 1.4x and 2x. Panasonic: 70-200 (twice) 70-300, 1.4x and 2x extender. Leica: 90-280 - period.

 

The AF of the 150-600 is adjustable through the USB dock in firmware, although the standard setting is close to flawless on my S5 (as reviewers note). I think the problem lies more in Leica's AF implementation.

 

 

 

So, a tele-converter would make this a different color elephant?  

[jaapv]

Pink 

[Uli M.]

I tried that Sigma 150-600 DG DN out, image quality was fine, but mechanical quality (at least at my copy of that lens) not: different sounds like squeazing depending on "speed" of zooming. Loud and with high frequence if zooming fast (you could here it in 5 meter distance),  quieter and with lower frequency and  "changing timbre" if zooming slower. Very annoying....

My german dealer took it back (luckily after 6 weeks of use - thanks a lot!)  letting me know, that this is not the first new copy of  that 150-600 DN DG with the same issue....

Staying with my 90-280 which never disappointed (!) except the limited reach for my wildlife photography of shy mammals (no BIF).

Best, Uli

 

[Photo.JLG]

The recently announced Sigma 60-600 has been redesigned especially for mirrorless and has better stabilization than the 150-600. It is also sharper. Although it is heavier, people I have spoken with say it balances better than the 150-600 because it is not as front heavy (although heavier overall). Plus it is a very versatile one lens solutions for both close up and far away wildlife photography or sports. 

 

https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/s023_60_600_45_63/