SL Summicron 35mm ASPH (non-APO)

[Cobram]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Dear forum members,

After few years of owning only M cameras and lenses I decided to again purchase a SL camera, this time SL2s.

My wife was not confident using rangefinder so in last years I'm absent from family photos 🙂

I plan to use M lenses, but my wife needs an AF lens so she can enjoy taking photos, not thinking about F stop, ISO,.. 

My plan is to buy SL Summicron 35mm ASPH (non-APO) due to near focus capability and lower price as well as size.

What is the consensus regarding this lens? Is an OK/good allarounder? I don't expect APO results but on the other hand I really want Leica colors (look) and 3d pop.

Can any forum member give feedback. Any photos, especially environmental portraits will be helpful.

I'm planing to pair Summicron SL35mm with Sigma 65mm.

Thanks in advance

[Advertisement]

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

[ropo54]

15 hours ago, Cobram said:

Dear forum members,

After few years of owning only M cameras and lenses I decided to again purchase a SL camera, this time SL2s.

My wife was not confident using rangefinder so in last years I'm absent from family photos 🙂

I plan to use M lenses, but my wife needs an AF lens so she can enjoy taking photos, not thinking about F stop, ISO,.. 

My plan is to buy SL Summicron 35mm ASPH (non-APO) due to near focus capability and lower price as well as size.

What is the consensus regarding this lens? Is an OK/good allarounder? I don't expect APO results but on the other hand I really want Leica colors (look) and 3d pop.

Can any forum member give feedback. Any photos, especially environmental portraits will be helpful.

I'm planing to pair Summicron SL35mm with Sigma 65mm.

Thanks in advance

I cannot give you feedback on the SL 35mm, but if your wife would like a simple, compact, all purpose, easy to use AF camera, perhaps consider a Leica Q2. With 47 mp there's plenty of room to crop the terrific 28mm lens (or use the in camera guidelines). There are some very decently priced pre-owned ones available now that the Q3 has arrived.

Rob

[LeicaR10]

Cobram,  The SL 35 Summicron Asph renders and performs exceptionally well.  Its also lighter in weight than the Apo version and there are photographs in the SL2/SL2-S Image threads that were created by this lens.  Based on what you wrote concerning your wife's photography interest, Ropo's above idea is a very sound one IMO.  You will find both new and previously owned Q2s that would be ideal for someone who has budding interests; easy to use, wants to take family and travel photographs. IMO, the Q3 is a little better and photographers like it, but the Q2 IMO, might well be a far better option.  r/ Mark

Edited July 8, 2023 by LeicaR10

[Jeff S]

Jeff

[Simone_DF]

On 7/7/2023 at 12:53 PM, Cobram said:

What is the consensus regarding this lens? Is an OK/good allarounder? I don't expect APO results but on the other hand I really want Leica colors (look) and 3d pop.

It’s a rebadged Panasonic lens. The only Leica color it has is the red dot, imho. 
Unless you need or want the metal housing, save your money and get the original or a Sigma

[huwm]

I prefer mine, which I got with the kit, to the Sigma f2

Personal taste really

I didn't have the Panasonic to compare but I would expect me to prefer that to the Sigma also

I found the f1.4 a bit too bulky despite being very good indeed

I have the 50 APO and I use the Panasonic 50 more due to size and weight but haven't used either of the 50mm Sigmas 

The SL is fabulous but a bit too big tbh, again this is a personal thing

As a 35mm shooter I would prefer my Leica SL lenses the other way around 35 APO, 50 ASPH

 

[Cobram]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

@ropo54 and @LeicaR10: indeed Q2 is an interesting option. I used to own Q, but was not really happy with rendering. To my taste a little bit too similar to Smartphones (rendering, not resolution, bookeh,...). Maybe it is just my (false) feeling after owning the camera for a little bit too short time (few months).

 

@Simone_DF Exactly my worries. I don't want to spend too much money for a lens that is 99% similar to Panasonic 35mm (rendering wise).

@huwm Apo lenses seems indeed great (judging from photos posted online). But new SL ASPH lenses are appealing due to the size and price. 

I'm really wondering if there is at least 90% of Leica "magic" mounted in them.😅

Thank you all for valuable replies.

[LeicaR10]

Cobram,   With the Q2 as you know, the DNGs and JPEGs can be manipulated on import with presets or in camera with JPEG settings.  IMO, it all gets down to what works best for your wife's intended and frequency of use of any camera based on your initial OP thread.  The good news you have choices to consider for your wife's camera, your lens and of course, how much pain you wish to inflict on your wallet.  IMO, it a great time to be a photographer with choices that can only be made by you.  r/ Mark

Edited July 11, 2023 by LeicaR10

[Abenteueranalog]

The 35/1.8 Panasonic, the 35/2 Asph SL are optical the same construction. The Sigma 35/2 is different.

So the Panasonic is 11 Elements in 9 Groups, the Sigma is 10 Elements in 9 Groups, the SL is 11 Elements in 9 Groups.

The key difference is the quality of the materials and a test of the final product.

Same goes for the 50mm 1.8 Panasonic and the 50mm f2 Asph SL. Which are 9 Elements in 8 Groups. The Sigma 50/2 is 11 Elements in 9 Groups.

I own the Sigma 50/2 and its a no-brainer for the price and what you get from it. On the 35mm i'm not sure which to pick. Neither the Panasonic or the Leica are mindblowing, most negative points I was reading online are CA-Problems. The Sigma on the other hand is good - but has less glass in it. So I stick with the 24-70/2.8 Sigma for the moment.

[Cobram]

23 hours ago, Abenteueranalog said:

The 35/1.8 Panasonic, the 35/2 Asph SL are optical the same construction. The Sigma 35/2 is different.

So the Panasonic is 11 Elements in 9 Groups, the Sigma is 10 Elements in 9 Groups, the SL is 11 Elements in 9 Groups.

The key difference is the quality of the materials and a test of the final product.

Same goes for the 50mm 1.8 Panasonic and the 50mm f2 Asph SL. Which are 9 Elements in 8 Groups. The Sigma 50/2 is 11 Elements in 9 Groups.

I own the Sigma 50/2 and its a no-brainer for the price and what you get from it. On the 35mm i'm not sure which to pick. Neither the Panasonic or the Leica are mindblowing, most negative points I was reading online are CA-Problems. The Sigma on the other hand is good - but has less glass in it. So I stick with the 24-70/2.8 Sigma for the moment.

Indeed it seems 35mm options are vast, but still not balanced enough. APO 35 is expensive and big, Panasonic/Leica seems good but still behind Nikkor Z 35 for example, Sigma 35/2 is cheap and small but the image quality is nothing to rave about...🤔

Need to sleep over. 

A 35mm version of Lumix 50 PRO will tick all the boxes. But there is nothing on the horizont yet.

[huwm]

2 hours ago, Cobram said:

Indeed it seems 35mm options are vast, but still not balanced enough. APO 35 is expensive and big, Panasonic/Leica seems good but still behind Nikkor Z 35 for example, Sigma 35/2 is cheap and small but the image quality is nothing to rave about...🤔

Need to sleep over. 

A 35mm version of Lumix 50 PRO will tick all the boxes. But there is nothing on the horizont yet.

The sigma 35mm f1.4 Art DG DN really is very good, about the same size as the APO and likely smaller than any potential Lumix pro 35

 

[wolffm5]

Hi,

I used the SL Apo and now switched to the much lighter SL 35 Summicron. Please have a look at my website or here for some examples, it is an outstanding combination with Leica SL2-S:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/174755485/Fashion-in-Geneva

http://marco-wolff-photography.com (first 14 pictures made with the SL 35 Summicron)

Cheers from Zuerich, Marco

[BernardC]

5 hours ago, Cobram said:

Indeed it seems 35mm options are vast, but still not balanced enough. APO 35 is expensive and big, Panasonic/Leica seems good but still behind Nikkor Z 35 for example, Sigma 35/2 is cheap and small but the image quality is nothing to rave about...🤔

Need to sleep over. 

A 35mm version of Lumix 50 PRO will tick all the boxes. But there is nothing on the horizont yet.

It's funny how the conversation about L-Mount has switched from "not enough lens selection" to "so many choices!"

One way to look at this choice is via their respective design philosophies.

Leica APO-Summicron-SL: it's a no-compromise lens, designed to be great at every aperture and distance. It also matches perfectly every other Leica APO-Summicron-SL. Downsides: bulk and price.

Sigma Art: these lenses are known for being "too sharp for their own good" in the cine world. That's great for many use cases (landscape, anything with lots of post-processing), but less so in others (portrait, atmospheric shots). Downsides: weight and bulk.

Sigma Contemporary: Sigma deliberately left-in some aberrations in order to add character, and to reduce size/price. They are still extremely sharp when you need them to be (mid-apertures). Downsides: see description. They are downsides if "the shoe doesn't fit."

Panasonic (1.8 series): great values series, offering a consistent look in a wide range of focal lengths. Downsides: same as any other budget lens. Also, they don't have the focus clutch feature found in Panasonic's Pro lenses.

Leica ASPH (presumably Panasonic-derived): A step-up in build quality, and probably optical quality, compared to the Panasonics, but still small and relatively affordable (for Leica). In many ways similar in philosophy to the 50mm Summicron M: not Leica's "best," but surprisingly great all-rounders. Downsides: people would rather discuss their provenance than their image quality.

Nikon Z: from what I read, it's good but not great (not like a Leica APO or Sigma Art). Downside: it's a completely different system, and one that offers a single choice of "look." Great if that's what you want, but very constraining otherwise.

Personally I would rate the Canon RF 35mm macro highest of "the lenses we don't have access to." It's compact, cheap, focuses very close, and image quality is good enough for almost any use.

[Luta13]

Its an excellent lens. Have it and love it. 

[Ken Abrahams]

I have the SL Summicron 50 Asph. I chose the 50 over the SL 35 when purchasing the SL2 kit back in April. I already have several 35' mm lenses including two M Summicrons  and Apo SL Summicron.

I find this lens (50 Summicron SL) quite fun to use. It's very quick to focus and sharp. The main benefit is that is small and light. I also have the 35 Sigma DG DN f 2.0 which was a free lens thrown into the deal when purchasing the SL2S Reporter. I dint really like this lens after trying it out a few times. It's a pleasure to use, quick and light however it seems to be lacking resolution on both SL2 and SL2S. Maybe I will give it another go in a few weeks or so?

Best

Ken  

[Simone_DF]

On 7/14/2023 at 9:15 AM, Cobram said:

Indeed it seems 35mm options are vast, but still not balanced enough. APO 35 is expensive and big, Panasonic/Leica seems good but still behind Nikkor Z 35 for example, Sigma 35/2 is cheap and small but the image quality is nothing to rave about...🤔

I had the same problem. I didn’t want to lug around yet another 700g Apo, I didn’t like the rendering of the Sigma f/2, the Panasonic seemed ok but nothing special and the PanaLeica is the same mediocre lens but at 5x the price with no other advantage except the metal body. 
In the end I went for a Voigtlander Nokton II because I like its rendering, sacrificed autofocus and called it a day. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Simone_DF

[Planetwide]

Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG DN

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Planetwide]

 

The Sigma weighs in at approx the same weight as the APO Summicron, but has a one stop advantage. Relatively inexpensive and good AF. Shot on S1R.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited July 15, 2023 by Planetwide

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica L-Mount

[Planetwide]

S1R & SL APO Summicron 35mm

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Planetwide]

Same Combo

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!