[Leica] SL system forthcoming glass

Sat Jan 13 11:33:53 PST 2018

I love the concept of the SL, I do not like the actual implementation.... especially that there is no R to SL adapter that controls the iris functions... that was a deal breaker for me.....  I do not NEED AF.  I do NEED ( or want really badly) not to go back to 1967 when lenses were preset, and you had to fiddle the aperture ring to focus accurately and then shoot at working aperture.

But we need to be fair to Leica.... In the case of the SL lenses vs the M lenses.......  The M lenses were not AF lenses.  The SL lenses ARE.  >From a purely parts-to-go-into-the-design point of view, the Motor machinery in the SL lenses requires a rather substantial increase in the diameter of the lens.  ( Also true from a N or C  or anyone else company).  It is an inherent design issue that can not be gotten around.  This is why the Sl 50 Lux is huge compared to the M version....

>From the B+H spec pages.....

SL lens
Filter Thread 	Front: 82 mm
Dimensions (DxL) 	Approx. 3.46 x 4.88" (88 x 124 mm)
Weight 	2.34 lbs (1065 g)
11 elements

M Lens
Filter Thread 	46 mm
Dimensions 	2.1 x 2.1" / 52.5 x 53.5 mm
Weight 	11.8 oz / 335 g
8 elements

The AF motor is responsible for most of the difference in lens barrel diameter...   I suspect the difference in the filter ring, and therefore the size of the front element, is due mostly to ridding  the vignetting of these fast aperture lenses.

I will not comment about the obvious weight nor length issues of these lenses, but they are different designs... 
The newest trend in 50mm ( and others, like 85mm) is to use computer programs to produce the BEST lens possible ( Zeiss Otus, Sigma ART, others).  Compromises seem to be put aside, especially element count, weight, and size ( in this case, Length.. the Diameter issues come a lot from the AF motor components, plus optical design issues.   All of these lense tend to be heavy and BIG.
Mind you, the 50 ASPH Lux has been favorably compared to ehte Zeiss Otus ( Leica not being quite as good, but at 1/2 or less of the weight, length and diameter.  Neither has AF, so that is a null. Cost is about the same.)

If you do not NEED AF, which infers speed of use as well as convenience, the M lenses on a Sony body offer ... more resolution, IBIS, and some $$$ to put back in the bank.  If you want or need image stabiolization the Simga ART lens wil give you that, and put even more $$$ back in your wallet..

If you want the very best, at 50mm, it is a no brainer compared to a SL: Sony A7 series body, Leica glass, IBIS, half ( or is it 1/4 when you add up the lens costs?) the price, less weight.  Slower operation form no AF, and the need to fiddle the aperture ring for focusing then stopping down to taking aperture.  I have a 50 1.8 Sony AF lens to remove the AF issues, at the expense optical quality.  But I amswered this question>  Do you want an image that is in focus or one that is out of focus, but has bett image quality?  That is the choice, or get both with an SL and 50 SL lens, along with much increased weight and size.

I can not see an advantage to M lenses with the SL body, compared to M lenses with a A7 body.

YMMV

Frank Filippone

Red735i at verizon.net

-----Original Message-----
From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+red735i=verizon.net at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Mark Rabiner
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2018 10:43 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: [Leica] SL system forthcoming glass

It’s just frustrating to me Leica comes with a paradigm shifting, time warping, M system crunching SL system which reinvents everything and gets us all excited.
They promise forthcoming a trio of prime glass long time Leica users love and are used to a 35mm, 50mm and 75mm and then don’t come through with them. Oops sorry maybe next year!
They do somehow get around to having the time to come through with three zoom monsters, a 16-35mm, 24-90mm, and now 90-280mm.
The SL is about the same size and weight as an M and will take M glass so we make the mistake of thinking this will revolutionize our M style shooting. But all those years of having to make compact glass which stays out of the line of sight of the viewfinder has gotten them thinking and doing other things.
Leica seems to have R shooting in mind here not M shooting or M shooters.
They want big glass, zoom glass, long glass, hyper expensive glass, heavy glass with a million floating elements in them. 
Barnak needs to come back from the grave and kick some serious ass.
I just think it should have been handled differently. As in come out with the glass they say they are coming out with.

I think SL prospective buyers and shooters should go on SL lens buying strike and not buy those metal munching monsters but force Leica to come out with those juicy primes!
We get to see how good Leica can make an AF 35mm, 50mm, 75mm lens when they don’t have to keep keeping the size super small.
With a tro of sharper than M glass they M system itself will need to scramble. 

-- 

Mark William Rabiner
Photographer

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