Unimpressed with 24-70 - Other options? Help needed please

[hansvons]

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On 6/18/2024 at 10:01 PM, JTLeica said:

I have a feeling that the 24-70 (the second Leica version I had) was fine, but I just wasn't happy with it.

Any standard 24-70 zoom of any brand is underwhelming.

The marketing idea that a 24-70 must be an f/2.8 lens throughout the full focal range and as small and light as possible means a lot of design compromises with varying results on various focal lengths. Add to that unavoidable tolerances in the manufacturing process and you'll see issues all over the place that primes don't show at that extent. 

Leica made with the 24-90 the best standard zoom in the market by bypassing the worst compromise which is the constant f/2.8 plus not caring too much about weight. But, alas, even this lens isn't overwhelming when compared to good primes. And it’s not the corners alone. Zooms always have focal lengths that work ok and others that are at best so so. The 24-90 draws better than good at 35mm and 50mm (albeit too dimensional for my taste) but is too soft at 90 for its potential. It relies heavily on digital correction, with the short end being affected the most. When you switch that off in your editor, you’ll see the optic’s reality. And it tells a story of heavy compromises and fixing in the post.

Leica’s Q optics are also designed with strong digital correction helpers in mind, and so are many/most digital AF lenses today, with the remarkable exception of all M lenses and the APO SL lenses. On digital bodies, even these lenses rely a bit on digital vignetting control, but when you switch that off in your editor, the differencee isn't day and night as with the zooms.

Coming from the film industry I never had to deal with digital in-camera lens correction as lenses were properly made. A few years ago I purchased a Fuji camera with a 35mm prime. One day I found that button in Capture One for switching off the lens correction. What a revelation and what a cheat. 

Edited June 20, 2024 by hansvons