Tl2+Lumix 35mm F1.8

[Matchasyrup]

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Just bought my first Leica Camera, still wonder which lens fit TL2 body to street shot. 

Since L mount fixed focal lense always takes higher price relative to Nikon/Canon DSLR system.

 

 

 

 

 

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[dpitt]

There are lots of alternatives from other brands for the L system. Any of them will mount. If you only want to use them on the TL2, it makes sense to choose for cropped lenses only. They will be smaller and in general cheaper than their full frame counterparts. But with full frame lenses, you get more options, and some future compatibility if you would buy a FF L mount camera one day.

If you like compact sizes, and do not mind manual focus, I can recommend buying an adapter for older MF lenses. The M adapter and M lens will give you the smallest form factor. Only a few native L lenses will be close in format. Buying new M lenses for the TL2 is a bit overkill if you do not own an M camera, but you can find lots of excellent used lenses for the M system (or M39 LTM which can be used with a simple extra adapter).

If you want to get the best IQ for a limited budget and want to use MF, then there are lots of options with all manual SLR lenses from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Zeiss, Leica R... They need a simple adapter to work on your TL2. I found URTH provides good value for money, and own the Leica M-L ,  Leica R-L and M42-L  but there are others too.

For using MF with the TL2, I always prefer the 6x magnification focusing aid over the focus peaking function. Focus peaking is not as accurate and will not be triggered in some situations. 6x magnifiaction is set as function on my left wheel, and always works for me.

[Matchasyrup]

 

9 hours ago, dpitt said:

There are lots of alternatives from other brands for the L system. Any of them will mount. If you only want to use them on the TL2, it makes sense to choose for cropped lenses only. They will be smaller and in general cheaper than their full frame counterparts. But with full frame lenses, you get more options, and some future compatibility if you would buy a FF L mount camera one day.

If you like compact sizes, and do not mind manual focus, I can recommend buying an adapter for older MF lenses. The M adapter and M lens will give you the smallest form factor. Only a few native L lenses will be close in format. Buying new M lenses for the TL2 is a bit overkill if you do not own an M camera, but you can find lots of excellent used lenses for the M system (or M39 LTM which can be used with a simple extra adapter).

If you want to get the best IQ for a limited budget and want to use MF, then there are lots of options with all manual SLR lenses from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Zeiss, Leica R... They need a simple adapter to work on your TL2. I found URTH provides good value for money, and own the Leica M-L ,  Leica R-L and M42-L  but there are others too.

For using MF with the TL2, I always prefer the 6x magnification focusing aid over the focus peaking function. Focus peaking is not as accurate and will not be triggered in some situations. 6x magnifiaction is set as function on my left wheel, and always works for me.

Thank you very much for your recommendations. I have also noticed that there are many affordable manual lenses with the old M mount that I can choose from. I will try adapting lenses to experience it; this will definitely be interesting. Additionally, I've been looking into lens adapters. When I use other brand SLRs, I often need to be cautious about flange distance issues that might prevent me from adapting and using lenses from different mounts. Could you please let me know if Leica M mount lenses can be used on the L mount TL2 with an adapter without causing any damage to the camera body?

[dpitt]

11 hours ago, Matchasyrup said:

 

Thank you very much for your recommendations. I have also noticed that there are many affordable manual lenses with the old M mount that I can choose from. I will try adapting lenses to experience it; this will definitely be interesting. Additionally, I've been looking into lens adapters. When I use other brand SLRs, I often need to be cautious about flange distance issues that might prevent me from adapting and using lenses from different mounts. Could you please let me know if Leica M mount lenses can be used on the L mount TL2 with an adapter without causing any damage to the camera body?

Almost any M or LTM lens can be used on the TL2 without issues. Some collapsibles will have to be kept extended all the time because you have less than 15 mm of depth around the sensor when the M adapter is in place. The TL2 sensor is surrounded by a mask that is quite high, so it is nicely protected against accidental touching.

Very few M lenses have rear lenses that enter too deep inside the mount.

Most of the oldies will actually perform better because of the crop. Their weakest points are cropped away by the APS-C format.

None of the R lenses poses a problem. Any mount works from 1-cam to ROM. The adapter is larger so your lens will never enter the TL2 body. I like to use them on my TL2 for macro and long tele shots, because the crop factor helps in this case. I think you might find some of the best value for money deals here. They are larger than the M lenses, but still far from the native L lenses in size, even with the larger adapter.

Old SLR lenses from any brand can be adapted, as long as they are MF only. AF lenses often need electronic contacts to drive the AF and even the MF option. Not sure what AF, non L adapters are out there to make those work. In case I really want AF, I have my Summilux TL 35 F1.4 and a Panasonic Lumix 20-60 mm FF L lens. For macro and long tele work, I prefer MF anyway.

[Matchasyrup]

39 minutes ago, dpitt said:

Almost any M or LTM lens can be used on the TL2 without issues. Some collapsibles will have to be kept extended all the time because you have less than 15 mm of depth around the sensor when the M adapter is in place. The TL2 sensor is surrounded by a mask that is quite high, so it is nicely protected against accidental touching.

Very few M lenses have rear lenses that enter too deep inside the mount.

Most of the oldies will actually perform better because of the crop. Their weakest points are cropped away by the APS-C format.

None of the R lenses poses a problem. Any mount works from 1-cam to ROM. The adapter is larger so your lens will never enter the TL2 body. I like to use them on my TL2 for macro and long tele shots, because the crop factor helps in this case. I think you might find some of the best value for money deals here. They are larger than the M lenses, but still far from the native L lenses in size, even with the larger adapter.

Old SLR lenses from any brand can be adapted, as long as they are MF only. AF lenses often need electronic contacts to drive the AF and even the MF option. Not sure what AF, non L adapters are out there to make those work. In case I really want AF, I have my Summilux TL 35 F1.4 and a Panasonic Lumix 20-60 mm FF L lens. For macro and long tele work, I prefer MF anyway.

Thank you very much for your response. I have already purchased an M to L adapter and tried using vintage lenses from Voigtlander, Contax, and even Zeiss. As for AF lenses, I am currently satisfied with the performance of the Lumix 35mm 1.8. In the future, I will also explore adding Sigma's L-mount AF lenses to cover different focal lengths, despite their larger size and weight.