Disappointed with SL3

[laowai_]

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On 4/18/2024 at 7:45 PM, jaapv said:

The SL series has double seals and in theory is completely waterproof ( don’t try this at home) Both Leica and Olympus are quite careful with the IP rating. The have a very wide safety margin buitin. 

When I had my SL in repair the application engineer told me that Leica did not go through the IP certification process because they didn't want to delay the product release. So it should be pretty good but we'll never know.

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[SrMi]

1 hour ago, laowai_ said:

When I had my SL in repair the application engineer told me that Leica did not go through the IP certification process because they didn't want to delay the product release. So it should be pretty good but we'll never know.

I doubt that Leica can specify an IP rating without using an IP certification process.

[oculaii]

On 3/15/2024 at 3:18 PM, goodbokeh said:

eab, I also have the Sony 35 GM and the A1 & A7R5. I don't know what your lens testing protocols were, but unless the SL3 was on a tripod and using ES your APO SL 35 may not be showing you everything it's got in the tank.

Do you have both the Sony 35mm GM and the 35mm APO SL, which one do you prefer and which one is sharper ? I have the 35mm GM and this lens is extremely sharp at f1.4, as sharp as my 50mm S Pro, it also has excellent microcontrast.
 

[goodbokeh]

5 hours ago, oculaii said:

Do you have both the Sony 35mm GM and the 35mm APO SL, which one do you prefer and which one is sharper ? I have the 35mm GM and this lens is extremely sharp at f1.4, as sharp as my 50mm S Pro, it also has excellent microcontrast.
 

Oculaii no I don't own the 35 SL APO, I have the Sony 35 GM and the 90 SL APO. The Leica 35mm prime I use and really enjoy is the M 35/1.4 FLE (Mark 1) with the M to L mount adapter on my silver SL2. The M lens has its own "look" which I like because it's different but is hard to describe. I guess it's a more gentle and less hard digital look. The FLE still performs very well with resolution and microcontrast but doesn't equal the 35GM in sharpness overall.

I've been following lens specialists for modern movies. Their preferences for optics often goes in a different direction than preferring maximum resolution and contrast. Rehousing older still camera lenses or preferring cinema lenses of the 1950s & 60s is actively considered. Probably the companies that best capture that spirit in still photography today would be Light Lens Lab and Leica with its own Classic line of "new-old" formula M lenses that have been reintroduced.

BTW, my original comment to eab was to establish the best practice to use for doing his lens testing. My own experience with my 90 SL APO (SL2 mounted) is that the resolution and contrast is solidly superior to any other medium telephoto lens I've owned, it dethroned my Zeiss Batis 85/1.8 (A1 mounted). My Sony 35GM is the best performing 35mm lens in "sharpness" I've ever owned but the "pixie dust" at 200% does not have the same sparkle as my 90 APO, that is all I can say given how different the focal lengths are.

Is it worth it for either of us to buy the 35 SL APO since we both own the 35 GM? Well, given my experience with the 90 SL APO I think about purchasing the 35 SL APO from time to time, mostly because I enjoy using my silver SL2 more than my A1 on trips. I use the Sony setup for photos of my rambunctious grandson and similar faster action settings where the A1 excels. For me though the 35 FLE has held me back because of its more unique rendering, its looks, and its diminutive size and weight vs the 35 SL APO.

 

 

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[FlashGordonPhotography]

10 hours ago, oculaii said:

Do you have both the Sony 35mm GM and the 35mm APO SL, which one do you prefer and which one is sharper ? I have the 35mm GM and this lens is extremely sharp at f1.4, as sharp as my 50mm S Pro, it also has excellent microcontrast.
 

I have a bunch of GM's and APO's. Not the 35's as that's not my focal length. So I'll compare the 50's (or 21 vs 24). I have the Canon's as well. There's no doubt the Sony is superb and if you're thinking the Leica is demonstrably better, you're living in la la land. They're a bit different. But better? No. Well, maybe the SL50APO is marginally better in the corners than the 50mm GM siblings (1.2 and 1.4) wide open. But at f2 there's little in it that matters in the real world.

However, the Leica is the best matched set of prime lenses for stills photography ever made. All spectacular optically. Consistent colours and handling. Same filters and aperture. Your 35GM is great. But the 85 is weak (new one coming apparently) and they don't share size weight, colour etc. No one makes a 28 at this level except Leica. Or a 20/21mm. All the top glass is super fast with Canikony. So generally, they're bigger and heavier, generally (there are exceptions). It seems only Leica realise that we want great optics that aren't f1.2.

Individually you'll find comparable glass from various manufacturers. But as a matched set. No.

Also, right now, I think Leica are digging a fraction more from the 60MP sensor in the SL3 than Sony. Canon and Nikon are further back in resolution and DR in their high res sensors. By a small margin I think currently the highest IQ available in small format comes from the SL3 with an AO Summicron strapped to it.

Oh. A sharper lens doesn't mean a better lens. Just sayin'. Try the SL Summilux 50.

Gordon

[Jeff S]

On 4/23/2024 at 12:47 AM, SrMi said:

I doubt that Leica can specify an IP rating without using an IP certification process.

Leica specifically uses the term “IP54 certification” for the SL2 and SL3.

Jeff

[oculaii]

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8 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

I have a bunch of GM's and APO's. Not the 35's as that's not my focal length. So I'll compare the 50's (or 21 vs 24). I have the Canon's as well. There's no doubt the Sony is superb and if you're thinking the Leica is demonstrably better, you're living in la la land. They're a bit different. But better? No. Well, maybe the SL50APO is marginally better in the corners than the 50mm GM siblings (1.2 and 1.4) wide open. But at f2 there's little in it that matters in the real world.

However, the Leica is the best matched set of prime lenses for stills photography ever made. All spectacular optically. Consistent colours and handling. Same filters and aperture. Your 35GM is great. But the 85 is weak (new one coming apparently) and they don't share size weight, colour etc. No one makes a 28 at this level except Leica. Or a 20/21mm. All the top glass is super fast with Canikony. So generally, they're bigger and heavier, generally (there are exceptions). It seems only Leica realise that we want great optics that aren't f1.2.

Individually you'll find comparable glass from various manufacturers. But as a matched set. No.

Also, right now, I think Leica are digging a fraction more from the 60MP sensor in the SL3 than Sony. Canon and Nikon are further back in resolution and DR in their high res sensors. By a small margin I think currently the highest IQ available in small format comes from the SL3 with an AO Summicron strapped to it.

Oh. A sharper lens doesn't mean a better lens. Just sayin'. Try the SL Summilux 50.

Gordon

I agree about the sharpness, I also prefer the rendering/character of a lens before sharpness. It is why the 85mm GM is the lens I prefer on Sony, It is "weak" yes but it has a beautiful drawing, and I will likely not buy the new GMII, I bet it will have very clinical rendering, it is not my choice for portraits.

I had the Summilux 50mm SL in the same time than the Lumix S Pro, the SL is really a great lens, very sharp but with character. I only kept the 50mm S Pro in the end, not only because the huge price difference but because I liked the punchy rendering of the Lumix, both are very close and among the best lens I have ever used.

[randman]

I am firmly planted in the SL system for the menu system and APO lenses.   

I tolerate other issues because the top two reasons are so strong.  

 

 

[Photoworks]

Yesterday I was shooting for a few hours on the SL2 with Summicron Apo 35, I had already shot 600pix and I was shooting a few frames, recomposing, and ...

LENS FIRMWARE UPDATE IN PROGRESS!!! 🫣

in the middle of shooting. what is going on, this has to change!

Keep in mind that all lenses were updated to the latest version already,  remember the failed update of 50 APO?

BTW that lens came back quicker than anticipated, 3 months instead of 7 months 👍.  With the LSHA discount, it was $550 🤌

[Carrot]

Had the same happen to me a month ago with the SL 50 APO attached. It ran for a good 10 minutes then the camera died, took three attempts ejecting and reinserting the battery to restore life. The lens was ok afterwards thankfully.