Leica Summicron-SL 35 f/2 ASPH VS NON APO for SL3

[Planetwide]

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On 4/29/2024 at 8:35 AM, Photoworks said:

I subscribe more to the notion of choosing the right lens for the job.

You pick a lens for the look and characteristics. to many photographers just want sharp, sharp, sharp, and missing the overall feeling of the image. The resolution is the same.

I stopped using the APO lenses on many shoots and picked alternatives, in many situations, the APO lenses bring out too much skin texture that would need to be retouched. Just like in the video, it is brutal. Retouching a few images can be done, but can take away to shock effect of the subject looking at all their defects, being distracted from it and not seeing the full image.
I tested diffusion filters on the APO, but ran into problems with AF and flare.

I would probably use Leica R lenses for this application. Mandler magic!

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[pf4eva]

On 5/18/2024 at 3:53 AM, FlashGordonPhotography said:

The Leica ASPH (non APO) is made by Leica, in Portugal. So it's a true Leica lens as well. Do you think this is the first time Leica has shared a lens design with another brand?

Gordon

Of course it is not a first time, and by the look of how it goes now, there will be more and more of that. But they're not just sharing the same lens design, this is in fact the same lens, just in different housing. 
In terms of Made in Portugal, unless we'll actually see a video from the factory there, I'd assume putting a sticker on a lens in Portugal would qualify to being "made in"

[BernardC]

2 minutes ago, pf4eva said:

In terms of Made in Portugal, unless we'll actually see a video from the factory there, I'd assume putting a sticker on a lens in Portugal would qualify to being "made in"

Last I heard, you can visit the Portugal factory, although they will not let you into all areas. It's quite a large facility with hundreds of employees, and it recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Here's an older article: https://www.fdtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/80FDTimes-LEICA-PortugalFactoryTour.pdf

It certainly looks like they do more than just apply stickers.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

6 hours ago, pf4eva said:

Of course it is not a first time, and by the look of how it goes now, there will be more and more of that. But they're not just sharing the same lens design, this is in fact the same lens, just in different housing. 
In terms of Made in Portugal, unless we'll actually see a video from the factory there, I'd assume putting a sticker on a lens in Portugal would qualify to being "made in"

30 seconds in Google would have shown you what you need. An independent article for starters.

Photos From Inside Leica's Expansive Portuguese Factory | PetaPixel

Gordon

[Kristofferpaulsen]

On 5/24/2024 at 8:04 AM, FlashGordonPhotography said:

30 seconds in Google would have shown you what you need. An independent article for starters.

Photos From Inside Leica's Expansive Portuguese Factory | PetaPixel

Gordon

this was great!

[Vrce]

On 5/16/2024 at 4:42 AM, oculaii said:

Sadly I can clearly see the difference.
Like I can see the difference between the 24-70mm S Pro/24-90mm SL over the 24-70mm Sigma/Leica.
The last time I've seen a microcontrast as good on a lens was on the 25-50mm Panasonic Leica. So far, it seems all the APO SL lenses have the same excellent microcontrast.
But for my wallet, I would like to not see the difference, really.

Would you say the 24-70 s pro is better than the 24-70 sigma/leica? I'm debating between the 2.8 as I need something for video work, but also for great portraits. 

Edited May 26, 2024 by Vrce

[oculaii]

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6 hours ago, Vrce said:

Would you say the 24-70 s pro is better than the 24-70 sigma/leica? I'm debating between the 2.8 as I need something for video work, but also for great portraits. 

Hard to say for multiple reasons.
I really like the rendering of the 24-70mm S Pro, more than the 24-70mm Sigma (I never used the 24-70mm Leica but I think they are more or less the same), but some people also like the rendering of the 24-70mm Sigma/Leica.
I think the S Pro has more depth in the pictures.

Also, even if my sample of the S Pro is sharper than the 24-70mm Sigma I had, I can't exclude copy to copy variation. What I can say is the last two 24-70mm S Pro sample I have used were really excellent.

And finally it depends of the camera you use, if you have a camera with PDAF like the S5II, the autofocus performance in video is not so different between the S Pro and the 24-70mm Sigma, but if you use a camera like the S5 or the SL2, the 24-70mm S Pro will perform better.

[Photoworks]

Panasonic has put a good effort into making the lenses better corrected for video, focus breathing is the main difference.

the 20-70 S Pro has a simple MF system, but you will lose the back button focus option from the Leica cameras. It is heavy

Simga came out with a new 24-70 this month and it promises better AF motors, 3x faster than before, and better flare resistance, otherwise same optic, and does not take in dust.

[BillCB]

I don't yet have an SL3 (ordered) but I do have the M APO 35mm. Anyone care to comment on its performance on the SL vs the SL Lens version? (I realize the M won't autofocus but I'm interested in resolution.)

[SJH]

10 hours ago, BillCB said:

I don't yet have an SL3 (ordered) but I do have the M APO 35mm. Anyone care to comment on its performance on the SL vs the SL Lens version? (I realize the M won't autofocus but I'm interested in resolution.)

I have both (M & SL 35mm APO's) as well as the SL 35mm ASPH and I'd say you could rank them out of 10 on the SL platform as follows:

SL 35 10 - Leica's reference lens in many ways.

M 35 9 to 9.25 - stunning on an M very marginally not quite as good on the SL3 but very hard to tell apart on the SL 35 in just about every scenario when you're not doing insane pixel peeping.

35 ASPH (non APO) 8 - still very very good and in many scenario's it works very well for travel (light weight, better autofocus) and not so sharp when using close in for people. Very good OOF rendering to.

However, recently Peter Karbe mentioned the following to a German publication:

"One last question: If you had to choose a combo, what would be your camera and your lens of choice?
Karbe: The M11 and APO-Summicron 35mm. But that's one of those questions... which of your children do you like best? If I had to choose, I would use this combination."

Equally I had a photo walk with him last December and I had my M11P and M 35 APO with me and he still held that view it would appear.

[WvE]

The SL 35 ASPH (non-APO) is underrated by many here, but it is indeed an excellent performer, you don't need an APO each an every time. 

 

 

[Markey]

Oscar Wilde once said that he had simple tastes. He was always satisfied with the best.

I think that its that sentiment which drives a lot of these high end purchases.

I less convinced that there is a real practical application or indeed if the majority of people would be able to discern any appreciable difference .

Appreciable being the key word.

I know longer print so its web use only and even this site requires you to reduce your image to quite a degree.

[BillCB]

Thanks to you all.

Bill

[tom0511]

Am 28.5.2024 um 09:46 schrieb SJH:

I have both (M & SL 35mm APO's) as well as the SL 35mm ASPH and I'd say you could rank them out of 10 on the SL platform as follows:

SL 35 10 - Leica's reference lens in many ways.

M 35 9 to 9.25 - stunning on an M very marginally not quite as good on the SL3 but very hard to tell apart on the SL 35 in just about every scenario when you're not doing insane pixel peeping.

35 ASPH (non APO) 8 - still very very good and in many scenario's it works very well for travel (light weight, better autofocus) and not so sharp when using close in for people. Very good OOF rendering to.

However, recently Peter Karbe mentioned the following to a German publication:

"One last question: If you had to choose a combo, what would be your camera and your lens of choice?
Karbe: The M11 and APO-Summicron 35mm. But that's one of those questions... which of your children do you like best? If I had to choose, I would use this combination."

Equally I had a photo walk with him last December and I had my M11P and M 35 APO with me and he still held that view it would appear.

Did he say it because he prefers the handling of an M or if he prefers the IQ of that combo or both?

 

[SJH]

On 6/1/2024 at 8:20 AM, tom0511 said:

Did he say it because he prefers the handling of an M or if he prefers the IQ of that combo or both?

 

I think it’s because of the combo overall compared to the SL & 35mm SL APO pairing. I can’t quite remember the discussion but it seems like it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between the M 35 APO on the SL series v the SL 35 APO unless you really are pixel peeping.

[tom0511]

vor 43 Minuten schrieb SJH:

I think it’s because of the combo overall compared to the SL & 35mm SL APO pairing. I can’t quite remember the discussion but it seems like it’s pretty hard to tell the difference between the M 35 APO on the SL series v the SL 35 APO unless you really are pixel peeping.

I agree and I would use the M lens on the M and the SL lens on the SL.

[pf4eva]

On 5/23/2024 at 11:04 PM, FlashGordonPhotography said:

30 seconds in Google would have shown you what you need. An independent article for starters.

Photos From Inside Leica's Expansive Portuguese Factory | PetaPixel

Gordon

And if you spend another 30s to read the article, it doesn't disclose much apart from that binoculars are assembled in Portugal, which we already know...

[FlashGordonPhotography]

3 hours ago, pf4eva said:

And if you spend another 30s to read the article, it doesn't disclose much apart from that binoculars are assembled in Portugal, which we already know...

Believe what you want to believe. I’m not trying to convince you.

Gordon

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[pf4eva]

19 minutes ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

Believe what you want to believe. I’m not trying to convince you.

Gordon

I didn't ask to convince me, it is you who is saying ASPH is "true leica lens", all factual data pointing to the opposite.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

10 hours ago, pf4eva said:

I didn't ask to convince me, it is you who is saying ASPH is "true leica lens", all factual data pointing to the opposite.

What factual data, exactly, points to the opposite?

The lens is engraved *made in Portugal*. So you think:

1. Leica is lying.

2. Leica is in breach of EU, Portuguese and German law regarding the labelling of products produced for the EU market which includes specific percentages related to manufacture as well as assembly. OK then…

And the binoculars and scopes are manufactured in Portugal, not just assembled.

 

http://www.fdtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/80FDTimes-LEICA-PortugalFactoryTour.pdf

https://kristiandowling.com/blog/2023/9/14/leica-summicron-sl-50mm-f2-asph-lens-review

https://www.reddotforum.com/content/2023/02/leica-introduces-lightweight-summicron-sl-35-and-50mm-f-2-asph-lenses/

https://www.leica.pt/optics/?lang=en

Gordon