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I posted some comparison images from a selection of lenses here http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/267776-please-convince-me-the-sl-5014-is-better-than-summilux/page-2?do=findComment&comment=3176693 if anyone is interested ......

 

Happy New Year !

 

and here are the identities of the images:

 

My ranking:              Image No:                 Lens

1st                                 6                           SL 50/1.4

2nd                                2                           Apo 50/2

3rd                                 7                           Tri Elmar .... a bit of a cheat as I had to boost contrast a bit

4th                                 3                           50/1.4

5th                                 1                           Noctilux 0.95

6th                                 4                           50/2.8

7th                                 5                           Zeiss planar 50/2

 

I based my judgement on the details on the berries, the flower shaped gold bits on the glass ball mostly .... and the reflections.

The SL Summilux stands out as a much better 3d rendering and crisper image ..... as Karbe claims, the Apo 50/2 second, and the others as also-rans where you can quibble about the precise middle order. 

I'm surprised there is actually a clear difference, even in the central image, and with lenses that are already considered class leading .....  :)

Hats off to Karbe and his team. Their claims appear to be entirely justified. 

 

 

I have to admit I do not see such a huge difference, at least looking at those crops here on my office computer...and I suppose that's a good thing since it'll probably save me some money :p

Hats off to those guys who actually guessed what lenses those images were taken with! :o

 

One thing: what aperture did you use? I don't understand how come image taken with 50 SL seems to present a way thinner dof than others?

 

Anyway thank you very much for the effort!

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I have to admit I do not see such a huge difference, at least looking at those crops here on my office computer...and I suppose that's a good thing since it'll probably save me some money :p

Hats off to those guys who actually guessed what lenses those images were taken with! :o

 

One thing: what aperture did you use? I don't understand how come image taken with 50 SL seems to present a way thinner dof than others?

 

Anyway thank you very much for the effort!

 

All were used wide open except the Nocti - stopped down to 1.4 (sounds daft, doesn't it... ).

 

Read a transcript of Karbe's interview (it's linked to somewhere on the SL threads) where he says the lens is deliberately designed to create a steeper drop off either side of the 'in focus' part of the image. No idea how this works in the complex world of optics, but that's what he said and that's what the lens appears to do. 

 

There isn't a huge difference ...... and we are at pixel peeping levels, not viewing a full image ..... let alone any differences in A2 prints, which I suppose is what we should really be comparing.

 

The reason I did this was that some of the posted images elsewhere show differences of a degree that I frankly don't believe and think are probably due to other factors. 

 

The SL 50/1.4 is a better lens than the others ...... the real challenge would be taking photos where the difference is really noticeable .....  :rolleyes:

Edited by thighslapper
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This afternoon .... a selection ..... all at 1.4 .....

 

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There isn't a huge difference ...... and we are at pixel peeping levels, not viewing a full image ..... let alone any differences in A2 prints, which I suppose is what we should really be comparing.

 

The reason I did this was that some of the posted images elsewhere show differences of a degree that I frankly don't believe and think are probably due to other factors. 

 

The SL 50/1.4 is a better lens than the others ...... the real challenge would be taking photos where the difference is really noticeable .....  :rolleyes:

 

 

Glad to hear this. I was also wondering about the some other tests that showed a significant difference in a degree I wouldn't think was realistic

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Very nice... are these all shot with AF??

 AF and all at f1/4. 

 

AF hunts a bit on low contrast subjects much more so than the other lenses ........ and the focussing lens clearly moves either a great deal further than on the two zooms or the motor is slower, as it is quite noticeable compared to the others ...... which to be fair is almost instant.

 

I'd put AF speed performance at about the level of the Leica T AF lenses. It is very accurate though ...... which is mandatory at f1.4 ...... and may be the main reason why focussing is slower. 

Edited by thighslapper
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I think the lens is of very high quality. AF seems slower, but maybe this will change with a coming update - somehow I have the impression that this was promised, but maybe it was only imagination.

What I really would like to see is portraits. If possible very close and in very bad light. (candle light dinner) With highlights in the hair and on the pearls/jewels. Or on the sweat pearls of a sportsman. Or of a race horse. (head portrait of animals after an effort)

Or some wedding photos (behind the scenes) to compare them to similar photos taken with the Noctilux or the Apo50.

 

For "ordinary" 50mm photos I see no need for this new lens. It is perfect, but my older lenses are not far from it. And usually I do not take many 1.4 shots. I find the results usually not very interesting. And I like your photos (Thighslapper) with the 24-90 just as well or even better. Not because the lens is better, but because I often prefer to have more D0F.

 

I simply have no real use for this f/1.4 lens - only maybe for portraits, if it is as "lovely" as the Nocti or Apo50 or the simple 2/50.

At 28mm I love to have the sharpest possible images, also at 90/100mm. Strange enough at 50mm I am not so eager on it. I have currently the impression that the lens is a bit "unfriendly" and very cold (maybe only neutral). Maybe because it is winter ?!

Edited by steppenw0lf
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I have always been ambivalent about 50mm as a 'natural' focal length ...... I far prefer 75mm ... and then tend to drop down to 28mm and leave out 50 and 35. 

 

The 24-90 will stay on my SL as my standard lens ........ 50/1.4 for specific occasions and purposes.

 

I am also in two minds about my M gear ......... I think I may keep my Monochrom and liquidate the rest, including some lenses I virtually never use. Having used the SL almost exclusively for over a year I cannot see the new M having anything that will attract me ..... apart from size. 

Edited by thighslapper
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The AF of the 90-280mm is fast and accurate.  It has two linear stepper motors, while the 50mm SL has one. 

 

Hopefully Leica will improve AF of the Summilux. They advertise it as a lens with fast AF...

 

Microcontrast in the focus zone seems to be as good as it possibly gets, but I would like to see more how the lens draws in the oof areas wide open. How does it compare to the 50mm M lenses? My impression so far is that the bokeh is not so nice...

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Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

My impression so far is that the bokeh is not so nice...

That's obvious due to the size and weight of the bloody thing..........

when I look at the leicacS70 files which is smaller than the SL 50mm but if the same FL the bouquet is far superior on the S lens

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The AF of the 90-280mm is fast and accurate.  It has two linear stepper motors, while the 50mm SL has one. 

Fully true. The 90-280 is superb and fast.

 

Hopefully Leica will improve AF of the Summilux. They advertise it as a lens with fast AF...

No they will not. Talked to the Leica store manager, that's what it is.

It's a slow ugly beast.

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Guest NEIL-D-WILLIAMS

Fully true. The 90-280 is superb and fast.

 

 

No they will not. Talked to the Leica store manager, that's what it is.

It's a slow ugly beast.

:)
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I think that they were going to speed up the AF after Photokina, before the lens shipped, so we must presume that they have done so.  The lens comes with a sticker saying that you should use the latest firmware and the lens was released on the day that the firmware shipped.

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