Why only one Summilux in the SL line up?

[tjphoto]

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I love Leica lenses , they are all fantastic. But, I like the 50mm Summilux the most. It seems strange that Leica hasn’t added more to the SL line. I know they are big and expensive, but all major brands have a full set of 1.4 primes.

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[LD_50]

It’s clear they chose to go the Summicron route instead. I’d appreciate a portrait length Summilux but likely wouldn’t choose anything wider than the 50 SL Summilux. I own it and a 35 SL APO and a 35 M Summilux. The M was appealing because it’s small, even if the f/1.4 doesn’t offer me a lot at that focal length. An SL version would be large enough I wouldn’t buy it over the APO Summicron. 

[IkarusJohn]

The SL lenses were designed largely without compromise.

When the 50 Summilux was released, it was Leica’s reference 50 - the very best they could make, and they made no compromises to size and weight.  Despite how fantastic it is, it didn’t seem to be received well.  Too big, too heavy, AF too slow and too expensive.  It was a shame, because I thought it was fantastic.  But I sold mine, along with all of my SL lenses, apart from the 24-90.  Too much gear.

Back to the 50 Summillux, I decided that I liked my 0.95 Noctilux almost as much and could use it on my SL (it works very well).  And some one offered me good money for the Summillux.

I suspect that Leica hasn’t had the traction with the L system it wanted, and it probably couldn’t improve on the SL APO lenses in an affordable and usable package.  Had the L system expanded as hoped, with might have seen more L mount Summiluxes and maybe a 35, 50, 75 or 90 Noctilux.

We have the fantastic choices with the M system because it continues to sell well.

[Olaf_ZG]

The SL lux is for now the only reason I still hang on to the SL system…. 

[hansvons]

1 hour ago, Olaf_ZG said:

The SL lux is for now the only reason I still hang on to the SL system…. 

Then try the 35mm APO. 
 

6 hours ago, tjphoto said:

It seems strange that Leica hasn’t added more to the SL line. I know they are big and expensive, but all major brands have a full set of 1.4 primes.

It’s all about the numbers and marketing. The usual f/2.8 zooms don’t make much sense from an engineer point of view (short end sacrifices aperture, long end ramps), but marketing tells buyers that having a constant f-stop is "pro". Similar things can be said about f/1.4 wide angle lenses (shorter than 50mm) that cover full frame. Proper correction at that aperture must lead to either enormous size or mediocre performance. The result is an unsatisfactory compromise. Leica understands that, and thus their FF SL primes are designed for f/2. Try the 35mm APO at f/2 or f/2.4 and you‘ll understand in an instance that Summiluxes for the SL system don‘t add anything meaningful. If you look for character and soul (the 35mm APO has soul, though) use the usual suspects from the M-System. 

[LocalHero1953]

In hindsight it may have been a mistake to release the Summilux as the first prime for the SL. It was greeted by considerable puzzlement, as to why the first prime on a new advanced system should be so large and have such slow AF, while recognising its image quality. If it had come after the Summicrons it might have been easier to place in the SL lens market.

If you treat this forum as a sounding board for lens demand, the calls (this thread excepted) are for smaller and lighter L-mount lenses, and welcome for the Sigma and Panasonic versions, either branded or in Leica versions. Since I don't see the SL as a carry around camera for street or holiday travel, I am firmly in the 'no compromise in IQ' camp. I have two Sigma primes: the 85/1.4, which is also large and heavy, and the 70 macro, only used for negative scanning. I would have liked a Summilux-L 75 or 90, but the Sigma now does all I need at that FL.

[Olaf_ZG]

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1 hour ago, hansvons said:

Then try the 35mm APO. 

I had it and sold it. For me the Lux is the lens…

[jaapv]

I am in the opposite camp but also Sigma. My travel combo is SL2S and 28-70 + 70-200. 

[Steven Lane]

I still have my SL 50 Summilux, along with 35 APO, 16-35 and 90-280 and it remains my favourite of all SL lenses I have tried. There is something about the way it draws images that sets it apart from the others I own and, indeed, the ones I have sold (28 APO & 75 APO). I am considering downsizing my SL system but the Summilux is likely to be the one that stays.

[250swb]

18 hours ago, tjphoto said:

I love Leica lenses , they are all fantastic. But, I like the 50mm Summilux the most. It seems strange that Leica hasn’t added more to the SL line. I know they are big and expensive, but all major brands have a full set of 1.4 primes.

If you take the low light performance of Summilux lenses aside (for which they were designed but now used for all that 'creamy bokeh') the way I think about it is the wider you go the less 'Summilux' creamy bokeh you get because of the inherent DOF cancelling, and the longer you go beyond 75mm and you get the constant whine of people who can't focus them accurately wide open. So why would Leica extend a range of lenses that are nowadays pointless for the low light performance and pointless for usability?

[LocalHero1953]

In SL form, people would have to be fairly incompetent to fail to focus a longer Summilux by AF*. The Summilux 50 is slow, but it appears to be accurate. The Sigma 85/1.4 is faster (it won't set records....) but is also accurate.

 

*Though there are some incompetent people around. 

[Photoworks]

16 hours ago, hansvons said:

Leica understands that, and thus their FF SL primes are designed for f/2. Try the 35mm APO at f/2 or f/2.4 and you‘ll understand in an instance that Summiluxes for the SL system don‘t add anything meaningful. If you look for character and soul (the 35mm APO has soul, though) use the usual suspects from the M-System. 

I have to point out that Summilux is like two lenses in one, and that is why I like it.
at 1.4 they are soft and creamy and not overly sharp by micro contrast.
at 2.+ they become as good as an apo lens.

I don't think the SL 35 APO can do that, even wide open the micro-contrast is too much for portraits.
I still have the SL28,35,50,75 but I used them for other shoots, like products and locations.
But I love my set of M summilux wide open.

In the alternative, the Sigma 50 1.2 is very nice.

btw, unfortunately, all the APO-SL lenses are terrible for video, they can be focused manually correctly, and there is an initial force that makes a magnet resistance. they squick. and in AF you can hear the motors too much.

[tjphoto]

8 hours ago, LocalHero1953 said:

In SL form, people would have to be fairly incompetent to fail to focus a longer Summilux by AF*. The Summilux 50 is slow, but it appears to be accurate. The Sigma 85/1.4 is faster (it won't set records....) but is also accurate.

 

*Though there are some incompetent people around. 

I find the Summilux focuses much better on the SL3.

[Simone_DF]

On 6/29/2025 at 10:03 AM, hansvons said:

Leica understands that, and thus their FF SL primes are designed for f/2.

Nah, I think you're reading too much into it. Perhaps I'm too cynical, but IMHO the main reason why the SL primes are all F2 is because Leica can use the same body shell for all lenses, reducing cost at source for the APO series. Which is not a bad thing, actually.

[Oxfordian]

1 hour ago, Simone_DF said:

Nah, I think you're reading too much into it. Perhaps I'm too cynical, but IMHO the main reason why the SL primes are all F2 is because Leica can use the same body shell for all lenses, reducing cost at source for the APO series. Which is not a bad thing, actually.

I would have to agree, it makes perfect sense for Leica to do this, it helps them to keep costs down 🤣

[LocalHero1953]

I don't follow the logic. By that argument they could just make all the Summiluxes in the same body shell. There's nothing special about f/2 that makes them easier to design in identical bodies.

No cynicism needed about the lens sizes. Leica said at the launch of the Apo-Summicron range that identical bodies helped keep costs down, and, for users, meant common filter sizes, balance and handling. There may have been a bit of marketing involved as well: suites of high end (much more expensive) cine lenses also come in identical or similar body shells, and a common optical 'look'.

Edited June 30 by LocalHero1953

[Simone_DF]

24 minutes ago, LocalHero1953 said:

I don't follow the logic. By that argument they could just make all the Summiluxes in the same body shell. There's nothing special about f/2 that makes them easier to design in identical bodies.

Sure, and perhaps that was the original plan, who knows? but as you said a few posts above, the initial impression to the 50mm Lux was less than enthusiastic. Honestly I don’t think it sold well, and no sales = no investment. 
Maybe Leica will surprise us with a revamped Summilux line housed in the same APO shells, that would be nice. 

[carlosgavina]

20 hours ago, Simone_DF said:

Sure, and perhaps that was the original plan, who knows? but as you said a few posts above, the initial impression to the 50mm Lux was less than enthusiastic. Honestly I don’t think it sold well, and no sales = no investment. 
Maybe Leica will surprise us with a revamped Summilux line housed in the same APO shells, that would be nice. 

A few Summilux lenses in a similar size of the APOs would be a dream, the only thing the SL still misses. 

That and a few super compact Summarits 😃 

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[Simone_DF]

1 hour ago, carlosgavina said:

That and a few super compact Summarits 😃 

Why even bother with a slow summarit, unless it’s a pancake lens. Everybody else seems to be quite capable at producing high performance F2 small-ish lenses, starting from Sigma and all the way down to other brands

[Leicaboy Norway]

It's strange and as you day most systems have this and need to have this. Some prefer the clinically sharp summicrons and others prefer the faster dreamier lenses.

Canon has a 85 mm 1.2 that is TACK sharp wide open. I used to own it 

I haven't used the 90 apo f2 but let's be honest there's a huge difference between the two