Decline in prices for used SL 24-90?

[LocalHero1953]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I bought the SL at launch and the 24-90 to go with it. IIRC I already had the CL, but I took the SL on a short holiday to Bologna as a trial, and carried it around all day. That was all the trial I needed: just too heavy, large and frankly just too obvious for travel, casual and street use - people notice you when you hold a black brick in front of your face.

Thereafter it was the CL, and now just the Q2 for travel and walking around. But for deliberate, purposeful photography sessions, I wouldn't be without the SL2-S and its lenses - with the 24-90 most commonly used, plus the Summicron-SL 90 for headshot portraits. 

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Einst_Stein]

4 hours ago, Luke_Miller said:

And if you are also a Nikon D5/D850 shooter the L Mount bodies seem ... normal. 🙂

I have contax 645!
doesn’t  L stand for “Light and Little”? 

[thatkatmat]

I believe the cost of all used SL glass came down because a lot of folks bought into the system kept it for a time like me and really loved the glass but the ergonomics and AF of the bodies just couldn't compete with the competition. I decided I'd rather have a more capable AF system for my AF system  After all, I can use my Leica m glass on my Sony if I want to. 

Just my .02

[Virob]

15 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

I think a lot of this stems from the fact that a lot of photographers, especially amateurs, only want to have one major system camera, rather than choosing systems on the basis of the particular usage case. Certainly from a cost perspective that is understandable with Leica. But the purpose of the SL within the Leica ecosystem is not to be compact. If you want a compact, high image quality camera, clearly that is what the M system is for (and the CL, Q and X systems are/were). The SL and S cameras are designed to be professional systems for photo specific tasks, rather than something you just have along with you while you vacation etc. People can certainly do that, but that is not really how they were designed. Sure, maybe you can use them as a travel camera, but more when you are "on assignment" to photograph, rather than just a casual camera you have along with you. In that sense, Leica has prioritized capability, handling and optical performance over size and weight. I agree with Paul that if you are used to an M, then anything in L mount is going to be big and heavy. Similarly, coming from the S system, the SL2 and summicrons in particular are svelte. The 90-280 certainly is big and heavy, but there are few lenses that encompass that range and speed with such high image quality. The 24-90 is indeed big and heavy, but its range and capabilities are a good trade-off for a lot of professional work. For my own work, I prefer primes, but in faster moving situations or ones where it is difficult to change lenses, the 24-90 makes a great case for itself.

My own choice would be one extreme or the other: I would likely look at the Panasonic 20-60 as an extremely inexpensive and light lens for those situations when I really just wanted a useful zoom range and a lens that is easy to carry, or I would look to the 24-90 to have a zoom lens that could stand in better for a prime. The 24-70mm is more of an in between lens to my eyes, and not one I would really look at. It is neither truly compact and light nor as optically capable as the 24-90mm.

I’m one of those amateurs. While the SL system, may be targeted to professionals, the L alliance opens up the system to amateurs that can’t afford a full compliment of SL lenses. What appeals to me is that I can be selective with 1 or 2 SL lenses, and supplement with sigma or Panasonic. For me, zooms, including the Leicas, are a compromise. Since I’m already making a compromise, price/weight becomes a higher priority, which makes the Panasonic and Sigma zooms more appealing (to me). I’d rather put my limited resources to a special SL prime. 

[satijntje]

There is competition from Panasonic and Sigma nowadays that puts the price of a 24-90 under pressure.
I saw a mint boxed SL 24-90 here in Germany for only 2500€ and the owner (a shop that sells Leica) told me that it was laying in his vitrine as a brick.
Myself got a Panasonic 20-60mm and I must say that I’m very pleased with this little lens.
Together with the 50mm f1.8 Panasonic it is a nice combo in your photo bag!