Leica 35/2 and 50/2 SL ASPH lenses?

[Virob]

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https://leicarumors.com/2023/02/06/coming-soon-new-leica-summicron-sl-35mm-f-2-asph-and-leica-summicron-sl-50mm-f-2-asph-lenses.aspx/
 

A rumoured budget line of non APO lenses, based on currently available Sigma lenses. Images look more like rebadged Panasonic lenses? Also, Sigma doesn’t make a 50/2, but then neither does Panasonic. Kind of hard to believe this rumour based on the inconsistencies, but I like the idea of a smaller, lighter, more affordable line. For the price, I hope the are more than just rebadged Sigma lenses.

 

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[robb]

I think it’s great to have options and the lower price point and smaller size / weight will def help sell more cameras.  Once you shoot with the apo’s it would be hard to go back to “regular” lenses.

Robb

 

[SrMi]

While I love the APOs and the Summilux, those lenses are often too heavy to carry along. It is good to have an option when the APOs are not possible financially or because of size/weight.

[Stuart Richardson]

Always good to see some new lenses, but I feel like the L mount is quite over catered to in the normal range while still having few Leica wide angles or telephotos. Sigma has some good ones, but would be nice to see Leica get in the game. This will be the ninth or tenth lens between 40 and 65mm, right? There is the Leica 50mm Summilux and APO Summicron, the Sigma 40mm and 45mm and the new 50mm 1.4 art, the 65mm DG DN, the Panasonic 50mm 1.4 and the Panasonic 50mm 1.8. I wish they would get the 21mm Summicron released and perhaps a 100mm Macro or 135mm etc. I know there is the 90-280, which is great, but it is also huge and a bit slow. There is no Leica prime wide angle wider than 28mm. Same goes for things like tilt shift lenses (which I would love, but will almost certainly never happen). I would even like to see a bellows or even a collaboration with Sinar (who they own) to make a technical camera or at least a mounting plate to mount the SL2 on a Sinar monorail. They did it for the S, but the SL2 is much more suitable since it is a mirrorless camera and has an electronic shutter.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stuart Richardson

[thatkatmat]

3 hours ago, Virob said:

https://leicarumors.com/2023/02/06/coming-soon-new-leica-summicron-sl-35mm-f-2-asph-and-leica-summicron-sl-50mm-f-2-asph-lenses.aspx/
 

A rumoured budget line of non APO lenses, based on currently available Sigma lenses. Images look more like rebadged Panasonic lenses? Also, Sigma doesn’t make a 50/2, but then neither does Panasonic. Kind of hard to believe this rumour based on the inconsistencies, but I like the idea of a smaller, lighter, more affordable line. For the price, I hope the are more than just rebadged Sigma lenses.

 

Looks feasible to me. I mean, they did it with the 24-70 (Sigma). Seems crazy to buy the 35mm for $2100 when the Panasonic is $550 though. On the other hand...All I own anymore is Leica, so, if I was to buy an AF non APO, it'd certainly be the Leica's...lol 

Interesting post, thanks!

[SPR]

I think there was a typo on the original rumours post in that the lenses are based on the Panasonic versions - not Sigma 

 

Simon

Edited February 7, 2023 by SPR

[MediaFotografie]

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a very interesting rumour; even peter Karbe spoke several times last year about upcoming smaller and lighter lenses - it all makes sense.

Looks like an interesting addition to the APOs, now let's see if it's true and how similar they are to the Panasonics in the end (they will definitely be a bit heavier).

Think it's good for now!

[Jon Warwick]

7 hours ago, Stuart Richardson said:

Same goes for things like tilt shift lenses (which I would love, but will almost certainly never happen). I would even like to see a bellows or even a collaboration with Sinar (who they own) to make a technical camera or at least a mounting plate to mount the SL2 on a Sinar monorail. They did it for the S, but the SL2 is much more suitable since it is a mirrorless camera and has an electronic shutter.

Same here re wishing there was a Leica-made tilt-shift in L Mount. I’m waiting for the GFX wide angle tilt-shift instead, the size of that lens to cover the medium format sensor is apparently a beast in size!

[Stuart Richardson]

It is strange that it necessarily needs to be so big...there is no longer really the issue of the mirror getting in the way to require a very retrofocal wide angle. I can't help but think of the Fuji 450mm C, which is a tiny lens in a copal 1 shutter with a 52mm filter thread, but is super sharp and covers at least 11x14 inches. Anyway, off topic!

[rtai]

1 hour ago, Stuart Richardson said:

It is strange that it necessarily needs to be so big...there is no longer really the issue of the mirror getting in the way to require a very retrofocal wide angle. I can't help but think of the Fuji 450mm C, which is a tiny lens in a copal 1 shutter with a 52mm filter thread, but is super sharp and covers at least 11x14 inches. Anyway, off topic!

If you are referring to T/S then it can be small if Leica made it manual focus without auto aperture neither necessary for tripod mounted architectural use. Design it without the micro motors inside.

[dem331]

I think it is a mistake. 

Small but “not as good as” is not going to cut it. That is the Summitar experience. Brilliant but worse.
 

It needs to be small and different, not directly comparable. Like the Summilux M 50mm Asph, which is different to the, Noctilux, the M 50 APO and the M 50 Summicron. Different but not worse. 

What could you do to make attractive small SL lenses? 
 

 

[hdmesa]

We haven't yet seen a modern Leica M or SL non-APO 50mm f/2 ASPH lens have we?

[Virob]

5 hours ago, hdmesa said:

We haven't yet seen a modern Leica M or SL non-APO 50mm f/2 ASPH lens have we?

Yes we have, the Leica Summilux-SL 50 f/1.4 ASPH.

I’m not familiar with various versions on the M lenses, but there are both Apo and nonApo, asph lenses, so why not for the SL line?  I just hope they are not repackaged Panasonic lenses. Using the common size format of the Panasonic primes, would allow Leica to economize on the casing, much like they have done with the APO primes. If they are F2 lenses instead of F1.8 like the Panasonic primes, it suggests they are not a direct repackage. 

I agree with others, while this is nice, if true, wish Leica would concentrate on the wide primes that were promised years ago.

[gotium]

Given that they are the same size and shape as the Panasonic equivalents, is it not likely that they are in fact just rebranded?

[Guest]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:03 PM, Stuart Richardson said:

and perhaps a 100mm Macro

I find this omission from the SL lens menu really puzzling. Leica's 100mm Apo-Macro-Elmarit-R had such a great reputation. Not sure why they are not offering an SL successor.

[SrMi]

15 minutes ago, gotium said:

Given that they are the same size and shape as the Panasonic equivalents, is it not likely that they are in fact just rebranded?

Leica's lenses seem to be a bit longer and are f/2 instead of f/1.8. AFAIK, we do not know that they are based on Panasonic lenses (the rumor site reported first that they are based on Sigma lenses).

[hdmesa]

1 hour ago, Virob said:

Yes we have, the Leica Summilux-SL 50 f/1.4 ASPH.

I’m not familiar with various versions on the M lenses, but there are both Apo and nonApo, asph lenses, so why not for the SL line?  I just hope they are not repackaged Panasonic lenses. Using the common size format of the Panasonic primes, would allow Leica to economize on the casing, much like they have done with the APO primes. If they are F2 lenses instead of F1.8 like the Panasonic primes, it suggests they are not a direct repackage. 

I agree with others, while this is nice, if true, wish Leica would concentrate on the wide primes that were promised years ago.

I'd said f/2 but I should have said Summicron for better visibility. I wasn't saying why not, just thought it was an interesting fact and asking for confirmation that this would be the first modern 50mm Summicron f/2 ASPH for either M or SL that wasn't APO. That means we finally get a more affordable 50mm with ASPH performance.

Current 50mm Summicron-M lenses:

• Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (V5) – not ASPH
• APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2

Current 50mm Summicron-SL lenses:

• APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2

[hdmesa]

1 hour ago, gotium said:

Given that they are the same size and shape as the Panasonic equivalents, is it not likely that they are in fact just rebranded?

Likely rebranded and changed in some ways:

• f/1.8 becomes f/2 to keep it up to Leica standards
• possibly better weather sealing
• More durable construction
• Potentially faster AF on the SL bodies similar to how the Leica version of the 24-70 2.8 is faster to focus on the SL cameras than the Sigma version

 

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[Virob]

1 hour ago, hdmesa said:

I'd said f/2 but I should have said Summicron for better visibility. I wasn't saying why not, just thought it was an interesting fact and asking for confirmation that this would be the first modern 50mm Summicron f/2 ASPH for either M or SL that wasn't APO. That means we finally get a more affordable 50mm with ASPH performance.

Current 50mm Summicron-M lenses:

• Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (V5) – not ASPH
• APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2

Current 50mm Summicron-SL lenses:

• APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2

Sorry, didn’t catch the f/2 part. 

[LocalHero1953]

The 24-70 zoom is reportedly not a straight rebrand of the Sigma equivalent, but with one element made from a different glass, and possibly different coatings. Leica might do the same with these. A number of people here seem to have chosen the lighter 24-70 over the 24-90.

I was puzzled at first, reading the rumours, but I guess Leica can see a benefit in getting punters hooked on the Leica habit: (1) making a decent margin on whatever they pay Sigma/Panasonic and (2) a stepping stone to the more expensive in-house apo versions. It keeps the Leica lens release programme going while they work out whether they are going to issue the wide angle primes or not.

I would also be interested in a longer prime than 90 - I use the 90-280 a lot. Whether a fast 135 or 180 apo lighter or smaller than the 90-280 is feasible is another matter. The Apo-Summicron-R 180 was 2.5kg! But a 135mm Apo-Summicron under a kilogram would be interesting.

Edited February 8, 2023 by LocalHero1953