Leica has been slowly expanding its lineup of SL lenses—though the brand does benefit from being part of the L-Mount Alliance—and the reason is likely that Leica glass has always been some of the best you can get. Today, you'll have a few more options that sport Leica's renowned image quality, yet come in a smaller, lighter (and more affordable) package: the Summicron-SL 35mm and 50mm f/2 ASPH. Lenses.
If you are familiar with Leica's current full-frame mirrorless offerings, you might be wondering why the company is releasing another set of 35mm and 50mm lenses with an f/2 aperture. I was too, until I looked at the specs. The current lineup features pricey and bulky APO versions of the Summicron 35mm and 50mm. At 13 oz., these new Summicron-SL lenses debuting today are half the weight.
These focal lengths are staples of many photographers' kits, since the 35mm is a perfect everyday carry lens with its wide-angle—but not too wide!—perspective, and the 50mm is the classic, standard choice with its natural field of view. Leica assures us that it is keeping the famous Summicron look with outstanding contrast and beautiful colors. Plus, that f/2 aperture will allow photographers to create imagery with a shallow depth of field.
Operationally, these are simple lenses because they only have a large, rubberized focus ring for manual control. The linear direct drive AF motors are fast and silent, making them useful for still photography and video. They are both also weather-sealed and feature an AquaDura coating on the front element for easy cleaning.
If you are a heavy video shooter, you might appreciate that the 35mm and 50mm are the same size, at 2.9 x 3.3". For swapping out your lenses from a rig or a gimbal, this should make it incredibly easy since you won't have to adjust anything to continue shooting.
There isn't much more to say about these lenses. They are high-quality primes from Leica with a more appealing size that is ideal for modern mirrorless camera systems. You might even want to consider them for your Panasonic or Sigma L-Mount camera.
What do you think about Leica's latest releases? Tell us in the Comments section, below.
5 Comments
I would love to see how the 35mm compares to its Lumix counterpart. The Panasonic is a third stop faster, 4 ounces lighter, and one third of the price.
Where are these lenses manufactured? Thanks
The Leica Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH. Lens (L-Mount) is currently manufactured in Portugal by Leica, which is subject to change. The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. Lens is currently manufactured in Germany by Leica, which is also subject to change.
Are these re-badged Sigma lenses?
At this time Sigma doesn't appear to have any lenses of similar design in their portfolio. Though, you can always pick up Panasonic and Sigma lenses to use on an L-Mount Leica camera as all three companies are part of the L-Mount Alliance.