Leica Summicron-SL 35mm and 50mm Lenses.

Leica has two new Summicron-SL lenses with identical focal lengths - 35mm and 50mm - to two other SL lenses in the line-up. These older lenses are an Apochromatic design, the new ones are not. Nick Rains looks at the features and benefits of these new lenses and explains the differences.
Addendum: I show the APO-Summicron-M 50mm but not the results. They are, to all intents and purposes, identical to the results from the APO-Summicron-SL 50mm. I did say this verbally, but it got missed out in the edit.

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Thanks so much for this benchmark comparison. these 2 nearly announced little gems seem to perform as good as the zoom indeed, which a real master in its class. I own the zoom and paired with a Lumix S5 on vacation is the perfect companion to be sure I bring back perfect images. Big and heavy but damn efficient.

[@onedotless]

Thanks for explaining the differences in detail.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

No problem!

[@rolandrickphotography]

Thanks for testing this. Subscribed to the channel 👍. Nick, doing comparisons like at 8:26 , it would be a great help to have those images available for download to follow along. 😊

[@williamwinecoff1779]

My patients is truly challenged. I have waited ad nauseum for release of the SL APO 20 mm and 18 mm lenses as they continue to release inferior lenses. Does anybody know when they will release the wide angle APO's?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

A 21mm APO has been on the roadmap for a while, but I have not seen any hint of an 18 mm. However, I can’t comment on release dates, if any. I’m sure you understand.

[@sakavouras]

Well said. Thank you

[@Richardsumilang]

How does the M variant stack up?

[@howardkastner5843]

Have you compared the new Summicron-SL lenses to the APO Summicron-M 50? You have it there on the table, but, unless I missed something, you didn’t present photos made with it on the monitor.

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

That bit got left on the cutting room floor, so to speak. The results were indistinguishable from the APO-Summicron-SL 50mm and it seemed redundant to show the same pic. I did say this verbally, but it got missed out in the final edit. It's a pity YT videos cannot be edited, they can only be fully deleted and reposted.

[@peetje28021970]

This was pretty much what I experienced myself, thanks for confirming it.

[@howardkastner5843]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia So, to be clear, the results from the APO Summicron-M 50 and the APO Summicron-SL 50 were indistinguishable one from the other?

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

In my limited series of tests, yes. I did not test for differences in bokeh, just IQ.

[@MultiPabloe]

Epaaaaaaaaaaaaa🎉

[@noenken]

Of the 13 full frame lenses Leica sells today 4 are definitely not developed by in house. That is almost a third. ... Not good. If Leica can take Lumix lens designs and use those to make more compact lenses, why can they not just use their own lens designs from the M-mount and build around those? They clearly work just fine optically on SL cameras when adapted.

[@rolandrickphotography]

The Red Dot Forum of the Leica Store Miami has addressed exactly this in a YT video, there are some differences between the Lumix and non APO versions. I’m not sure if is also in the homepage as blog. I tried the Lumix S18 1.8. The optical quality is acceptable but not close up to an APO lens, you are immediately aware of this even without zooming to 100 or 200%. The plastic barrel has also some unexpected other problems, in comparison to the metal barrels of the Leica lenses it is a dust magnet. I mainly use a SL2-S and had never problems with dust spots - since I had the first time the S18 mounted to the camera. I was filming something, 2 hrs of work, of course you don’t see it in the EVF because it’s too tiny, bad surprise at the big screen in office editing it.

[@jameskirk2579]

Why paying so much money while PANASONIC does the SAME lenses far less expensive ?????????

[@LeicaCameraAustralia]

Leica lenses are labelled as Made in Germany, Made in Portugal or Made in Japan. These lenses are labelled Made in Portugal. That means that they are made at Leica's own factory in Portugal by Leica staff to Leica specifications. It is a little known fact that there has been a Leica factory in Portugal for over 50 years.

[@mauriceschoenen]

They are also made from metal instead of plastic.

[@aiseurnae5976]

The difference is you're almost sure to get a good copy with the SL Summicron, not with the Lumix. If you are ok with plastic and you can manage get a good copy of the Lumix 35 and 50mm, you will essentialy get the same performance for much less indeed.

[@suptarsasudsud3735]

@@LeicaCameraAustralia Made in Japan by Sigma????