Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 vs. Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 | Are they the same?

This video compares the new Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 with the Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 Lens.
Presets - www.barrerastudios.com/presets
Instagram - @Barreraphoto
Affiliate Links
Leica Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 - bhpho.to/3JItqj7
Leica SL2s - bhpho.to/3YSTpJl
Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 - bhpho.to/3yO69WU
Image Samples - www.dropbox.com/sh/dlwu5am169...
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
1:56- Build Quality
3:30 - Autofocus
05:50 - Image Comparison
11:00 - Final Thoughts
#leica #leicasl2s #leica50mmsummicronsl

[@Reportageandart]

Your conclusion and thoughts were/are so well rounded and fair compared to so many other channels.

[@JET34568]

Agreed

[@sc1]

Telling it like it is. No BS. Thanks for the honesty!

[@pierpi8820]

An important video, which addresses and clarifies many doubts. Thanks for your revealing comparison. ❤

[@WilliamKingPhotography]

Hi Alex. Thank you for the time and effort you put in. Thanks also for making the files available for download. I did take a look at the corner sharpness using the first couple of downloaded files. To my eye in capture 1. The eyes are sharper on the Lumix also the top part of the wall indicating the the summicron was front focused slightly hence the impression of sharper corners on that section of wall.

[@peetje28021970]

Thanks for your review and comparison.

[@donjagoe]

Superb-good honest conclusions and reasoning.

[@eyosyastadesse9332]

Clear, fair review. Thanks for the breakdown. Really shows the value of the L Mount alliance

[@maxouterspace]

I was looking for this comparison and just discovered your channel Alex, excellent video, thanks very much! I just bought a Leica SL2-S and I'm very impressed with the quality of the camera. That said, I'm a little biased. The feeling of quality makes me really happy when going out to take some photos. However, in this case the price difference is huge and, as you showed so well, the differences in the fotos are minimal. In Berlin, where I live, the Leica costs exactly five times more than the Panasonic, that's a lot! When choosing a 85mm lens between Sigma and Panasonic, I took the Panasonic, even though Sigma has a better build quality. The Panasonic is lighter and seems to have a slightly better contrast, besides costing much less. In this case, though, I will have to think longer before deciding. Having the Leica camera with this Summicron would be obviously my first choice, but I would need to sell some gear. On the other hand, Panasonic is doing a really great job bringing foto quality for the L Mount Alliance at low prices. Oh dear, not an easy decision...

[@k.tanaka8979]

Well done, Alex. Fairly compared, honest conclusion, maturely open non-judgmental suggestions. Well done.

[@HatefYaminiOnline]

You're a badass. Love your Leica reviews. Thanks for this comparison. Update: I read a comparison between the Leica Summicron SL and the Leica APO Summicon-SL lenses. They also offered JPEG sample photo downloads. The astonishing result is that the differences are very slight. Effectively, the APO Summicrons are 10x the cost of the Panasonics, but only slightly better. That's crazy.

[@gerben4875]

I have the 50 1.8 of lumix on my s1 and i wouldnt call the build quality cheap. Yes metal is nicer, but this plastic does not feel cheap. And yes i do have old metal mf lenses as well as pro vintage zoom lenses (like tokina 28-70 2.8) which do feel better, so i know the feeling of metal. As for sharpness: I always drag the clarity slider down as i find it too sharp for portraits. Bonus: reducing clarity also reduces the outlining in the bokeh a bit, which results in both smoother skin tones (just dont overdo it) and a bit smoother bokeh :)

[@dell-tone6472]

Great video! I would have loved to see comparison shots at other apertures.

[@hyonkwon9322]

I hear a lot of "hair" & "slightly" in your video which means not much difference... I'm going with the Panasonic!

[@zenonbillings9008]

me too ! zen billings

[@jacobh5817]

Hi Alex, thanks for a thorough review. Your conclusions are more or less consistent with mine. See my comments on your earlier video about the Summicron. I purchased the Lumix 50 and 85 for my SL2-S. I already have a/o the Summilux-SL 50 and APO-SL 90 that I use in the studio on my SL2. I haven’t had the AF pulsing that you described, but I guess it’s very mild anyway. Perhaps also good to know that I’ve tried both Lumix lenses on my SL2 as well, and they do a similar fantastic job on a 47MP camera, considering their price. One remark though. You addressed the Lumix lenses as ‘plastic’, but I think it doesn’t do them justice. Of course, next to the full-metal Summicron they feel ‘cheaper’, but comparing to e.g. the Nikkor Z lenses, they feel very similar. Both are made of Thermal Stable Composite (TSC) which is often used in modern lenses to reduce weight while maintaining a rigid construction. My take-away, if you want to save $1,500 without much noticeable differences in IQ, get the Lumix. If you don’t mind the money and want that premium feel all day, take the Summicron. If you want no compromises whatsoever, take the APO Summicron. PS. Red Dot Forum did a similar video, and they noted that the Lumix actually was a bit faster in AF, than the Summicron (and esp. than the APO-Summicron). AF performance though, is very depending on the type of tests and can also vary a bit per copy of the lens. Esp. when you measure in millisec.

[@warrendupuyphotosvideos8540]

Totally agree. Also you’re right they don’t feel cheap at all. Especially when having a few of the lumix primes they feel like a great line

[@karikaru]

Between the 50 and 85 which do you think has the better rendering? Both seem really good for the money

[@jacobh5817]

@@karikaru color rendering is exactly the same for both, which is a great feature of all 5 Lumix 1.8 primes! Often overlooked, but a great advantage compared to i.e. Sigma lenses which tend to have differences in color rendering. In terms of contrast and sharpness, the 50 might have a small edge over the 85, but only noticeable when pixel peeping at 200% or so. With bokeh the 85 has an edge, but again minor differences. Overall, of the 5 Lumix S primes only the 24 falls a bit behind due to more softness in corners and edges. The others are very similar, with the 50 being exceptionally good considering the price.

[@karikaru]

@@jacobh5817 thanks! Right now I've got the 24-105 since I wanted a single lens solution since I live abroad and travel a lot with a small kid, but have been thinking of a adding a small light prime someday just to have the option for portraits and low-light.

[@jacobh5817]

@@karikaru my first thought would be the 50mm. Very suitable for portraits (compared to a 35) and still universal enough for general photography (unlike the 85).

[@lephotographinc]

VERY HONEST REVIEW AND ANALYSIS

[@jamescaldwell5]

I own the LUMIX 50 1.8 and 85 1.8. I use them on my 60mp sigma FPL and I love them. I paid more than that for my 50mm, but still worth every penny. Also if I am doing landscape photography where I need corner to corner sharpness I can always reduce the aperture, I normally shoot wide open in order to isolate my subject. Thanks for the honest review.

[@idolevi4309]

Great comparison! However, I am not surprised by the conclusion. This is because the SL2 was essentially Leica's version of the Panasonic S1, with both cameras being almost identical under the hood, and their main difference being the software. Therefore, it makes sense that Leica would create an equivalent line for the S-lenses line, which is once again almost identical. Recently, I used Leica's Summilux-M 50mm T1.4 on my S1 and noticed a significant difference in quality. It has so much character that the Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 and S 50mm seem too surgical and characterless in comparison. One little last remark, I believe that the same information could have been delivered in a much shorter video. Nevertheless, thank you for your dedication and for sharing your conclusions with us

[@jklphoto]

Well presented Alex. First time seeing your channel. Others have noted the precision assembly probably leads to better optical performance with the Leica lens, but we are not sure about AF module tweaks, lens coatings, etc. Wish Leica would be more forthcoming. If they are going to produce an L-mount alliance product, Leica should be straightforward and open about what sets it apart from the Lumix-S. Obviously build quality and assembly are superior. I do have to note that "people buy an f/2 lens to shoot at f/2" is a modern notion. We've always had fast 50s, but shooting at f/1.4 of even f/2 was only utilized when conditions dictated. Especially when we were shooting ISO 100/200/400 films. It would be interesting to see how the lenses compare at f/5.6 or f/8.

[@warrendupuyphotosvideos8540]

True would be nice to see

[@spec-productions5733]

Hi Alex! Been a sub for quite a while... you deserve more. 😎 The first side-by-side, after studying for a few minutes, shows ever so slight differences in bokeh and color; the Leica seems warmer on my 32" monitor. The bokeh is barely softer on the Leica. Did you use auto white balance? If so, that could explain the tiny variation. I didn't notice differences in bokeh on the other images without studying them. As for the chromatic aberration test, it's clearly more evident on the Leica. While I'm not a techie guru with this stuff, I have read that CA comes with sharpness; i.e., increasing sharpness increases CA as a side effect... which then requires more elements to get under control. And, you did find the Leica ever so slightly sharper around the edges. I'd have to research again to confirm this, but throwing it out there FWIW. I have the Lumix 50mm... which sits on the shelf in preference of old, vintage lenses. There's no way I'd ever consider spending $2K on an F2 Leica lens (though I have a rather large collection of R lenses). Anyway, thanks for another review. 😊

[@wolper2155]

Hallo Alex, sehr aufschlussreich. Für mich stellt sich da noch die Frage, inwiefern die Kamera Korrektur bei der Schärfe eingreift. Und 1.8 oder 2.0 ? Eingravieren kann man ja viel. Nachmessen ist da wohl schwieriger. Könnte es nicht auch sein, dass das Objektiv der Q in Portugal produziert wird. Wenn man einigen KZbinern Glauben schenkt, sind hier nur 24mm drin. Gruß

[@geirhammervik7498]

Godt utført teknisk, visuell og pedagogisk sammenligning. Hva med å ta steget opp med en test av de dyreste (f / 2) vs 50 APO-versjonen?

[@stephensears7483]

Given the choice between these two, I would opt for the one I don’t mind replacing after it falls out of my bag.

[@thanyawong]

I wish to see you compare this new Leica lens with Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG DN Art. Then your review will cover L mount universe.

[@videosuperhighway7655]

The Sigma 50mm 2.0 I series contemporary is superior in quality/sharpness vs the Leica 50mm 2.0 and it is made out of metal with a nice Aperture ring. The whole contemporary line is great they provide a consistent quality so they became the work standard line of lenses. The 17,24,45,50.

[@suptarsasudsud3735]

Thank you

[@RobberZhi]

Another helpful nail in the coffin of my Leica envy.

[@GastonShutters]

Interested to see how they both stack up on against the new SL3

[@slows728]

Perfect comparison, I have the 50mm Lumix f1.8 and I had the chance to get a perfect copy, extremely sharp in the center and almost as sharp in the corner, no softness at all even when cropping a lot. But I saw some people saying their copies were not very sharp and I think it's indeed because of the higher tolerance of Panasonic. With Leica, you are almost garanteed to get a perfect copy, not with Panasonic. I think if like me you can get a perfect Panasonic sample for about 400$, this lens is a steal.

[@Alexandrosflower]

Good review Alex with an objective conclusion ! I doubt that the manufacturing process and tolerances are much different. We want to believe that if we pay 6x more for basically the same outcome. Panasonic may even preproduce the complete optics module with Leica just making a final assembly wirh a more luxurious shell. It‘s all marketing my friend. If you sit in a Volkswagen, a Seat, a Skoda and an Audi you‘ll see how much is shared. But I agree that the Panasonic build is uninspiring. I‘d rather chose the Sigma f2 iseries dg dn lenses. There you get price and build. My 5c.

[@michaellee1500]

Would you do a comparisons with the new release Sigma 50mm f2 ?

[@ABarrera]

I am going to try :)

[@nickalot]

love your presentation!!!! ❤ panasonic lens is constantly more blue/magenta. slightly less favourable for skin, but definitely not $1500 a difference hahaha

[@warrendupuyphotosvideos8540]

Thanks for the test, would have loved that at the end you show side by side a few without saying which is which and makes us test. But it’s incredible how they’re the same. I would say it’s stupid to get this particular Leica line as for the price you can buy the lumix 50 + 24 + 85 +35 so pretty much the whole line for the price of one … much worth better to get the Apo if someone wants top quality

[@sylvaincherkaoui]

Hi Alex, thanks for this review, I was waiting for it, I have the Sl2-2 and the Lumix, I love the Leica design, but I prefer to have an 1.8 than a f2 lens and save my money. What about a review to compare the Apo vs the Non-Apo? Thanks again.

[@ABarrera]

That comparison is coming in a few weeks :)

[@sylvaincherkaoui]

@@ABarrera you are the best!

[@mikesch0815]

Ultimately, the decisive factor is that you can get a reasonable look for a fair price. And if you also want more haptic elegance, that is also available. Neither lens is a bad buy. And in the end you get great photos (only a pixel peeper can see into the corners...)

[@MattLeeMorgan]

I’ve had both, and the sigma f2. I found a leica 35mm for $900 and snatched it up. The difference in build quality makes the whole experience so much better. But would i pay retail… prob not, I would get the 35, 50 and 90mm sigma for around the same cost.

[@stargator4945]

the question is if you have more money to spend you have the choice between the Panasonic 50mm f/1.4, The Leica Summicron-SL 50 f/2 or the new Sigma 50mm f/1.4? and image quality wise the Leica Apo 50mm is another league but simply an f/2 lense for 5000 dollars.

[@marceldenhoed7469]

Thank you for a very nice video! I own and love the Leica SL 24-90. In lightroom, the lens profile for that lens is built in and the profile correction is automatically applied (and - as far as I am aware - unavoidable). I’m not sure if this is the case for this Leica SL 50 f/2 as well (?), but if so, and if the Panasonic images are either not automatically corrected or corrected using a different lens profile (e.g., one generated by Panasonic), then I guess this may also drive some of the differences you observe between images captured by the two lenses.

[@ABarrera]

Very good observation!!! Never even thought about that.

[@BRUNO-cj9wd]

Interesting that you didn't chose the Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4

[@slows728]

I have both the S and the S Pro, the S Pro is one of the best 50mm ...

[@patrickdeboer1377]

If I would be a pro : Leica. As a hobbyist : I love what panasonic is doing, and about the weight and feel : the lighter , the better for me.

[@videosuperhighway7655]

Wow Panasonic just announced the purchase of the Leica camera division.😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

[@mauricerijnders3507]

Hi thanks for the review. I do think that the analyses on the first picture that you compare may be not completely correct. When you compare the corner/edge sharpness you use the the small bricks on the left. At that point the Leica is sharper. Yet when you look at the differences in the grass on the right (earlier shot looking at flare) the Panasonic is clearly sharper. Could it be that the lenses are not exactly in 90 degrees to the subject? Or are both lenses not without flaws 🫣🥱 I went for the Leica based on my gut feeling it being sharper and focussing faster 😃 Again thanks for doing this 👍🏼

[@RivkiLocker]

So… I had tried the Panasonic and liked the iq but simply hated the build quality. It doesn’t seem like it would be worth an extra $1400 but for me it was the difference between actually wanting to own and use the lens vs not being able to tolerate it.

[@dlovisuals]

Great comparison Alex. I love that Leica is finally making “smaller” lenses for the SL system. I plan to pick this up sometime later this year. Just torn between the SL2 cuz I like the high res images I get out of Q2 or I pick up the SL2-S and save some change.

[@zenonbillings9008]

really appreciate this comparison ! I currently shoot with panasonic S5 full frame body with the panasonic 50mm f1.8 lens. was seriously considering purchasing the leica summicron 35mm f2 lens. BUT, after seeing your comparison I doubt I will go ahead with that. there just is nt that big an improvement in image quality. I also shoot with panasonic G9 micro 4/3 camera with the panasonic leica 15mm lens and this lens produces stunning image results. so I was hoping that the leica summicron 35mm f2 on my panasonic S5 would also have a similar bounce in quality, but after your comparison on the 50s I doubt that will be the case..... "me thinks" you have saved me a bundle of money....thx. zen billings ( in canada the price for the summicron is $3000.00).

[@michaellee1500]

Would you do a comparison between Sigma 50mm f2 vs Panasonic 50mm f1.8 ?

[@ABarrera]

It would essentially be the same thing. The Leica and Panasonic are pretty identical in the image quality department.

[@JericTamayo]

Basically just get the lumix

[@user-ms8qg2rz5s]

Is OK to make a twin bothers/sister lens. But at least make some difference, like MF zoom ring like the Q lens, aperture ring (with de-click) and square hood!

[@seokinchung]

Problem I see recent Leica is not really being expensive and hard to justify questionable "bang-for-buck" value because it was always that way. It is more about them aggressively expanding their lineup for their "relatively smaller capability of production" which is delaying their more higher end products and making them extremely hard to even find anything in stock. ....but, I am not able to get those higher end products anyways so.... yah.

[@spatnaspolecnost]

Brah 350 vs 1900 is a no brainer... nice video though.

[@cinegenies4651]

Good to remember the "Leica look" is a Panasonic one. 🙃

[@nick_a_pagan]

This is an old video, but I just saw it for the first time now. And I have to say, I was confused. Because the images didn't look the same. I even thought it might be my own screen, so I came to my office and played the video on my editing monitor.

[@geoffreybassett6741]

@6:24. Look , I'm not saying the difference is worth the price, but the skin tone absolutely is not identical between these two shots. The Leica is clearly warmer. Also look at the saturation of colors on her skirt. @8:17 look how the Leica renders the highlights in her hair.

[@harrymacdonald]

I think saying you would only shoot wide open is crazy, espeically cosniderign landscapes and even my portraits i like at 2.8 whete its sharp edge to edge thr the Panasonic... I think the 80/20 rule applies hetre and i definitely sit in the camp of pay 20% for 80% of the job done.. and thid case thoze margins are even more in facour of panasonic.

[@angusmackay7281]

Brilliant video, thanks for doing it. A couple of video related questions. Can the Leica do smooth aperture shifts? Also, what is breathing like on the Leica? Has anyone tried the Leicas on an S5ii? That seems a potentially great combination.

[@diceflawless9115]

1900 for a f/2???

[@harryvlogs7833]

The lumix 50mm doesn't feel cheap it is great lightweight and great

[@iammz81]

So all in all, that cheap lens lives up to the very expensive one.. :D Maybe the Panasonic one is also a really good lens? :D

[@sashachen8274]

Hi Alex, what is your opinion on Qthe compatisin of Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG DN Art lens and Leica 35mm f2 ASPH? I have a hard time deviding between the 3 ~ Leica, Sigma and the Lumix. Thank you.

[@ABarrera]

I haven’t tried the Leica F2 but the Sigma 1.4 is an incredible lens.

[@videosuperhighway7655]

The Sigma 50mm 2.0 I series Contemporary lens is what you want(made in Japan) 5:46 . Its better than the overpriced Leica Panasonic rebadge. Leica gets the same elements from China partially assembled what they do is assemble the internal elements into a nicer metal case. Sigma is all and all a Japanese glass and assembled there and its all metal with a proper Aperture ring, even the hood is metal as well.

[@Guillaume9]

Well it is not very much a plastic but a polymer one which is a lot better, and if you experiment how the two lens will age over an extensive period of time with not a lot of care, the panasonic will look as good as new and the leica wouldn't because one is made to cheap and durable and the the other to just feel better. Don't say that the leica isn't durable but after some time the cheper looking would be the metal one

[@JusThoughtZ]

The Leica keeps its sharpness on the sides of the images because it’s An aspherical lens

[@munkmegtube]

I’d pay more for the hood 😂

[@davidmurray5926]

The Panasonic does not feel ‘extremely cheap’ - weird that you and your wife think it does.

[@peetje28021970]

Yes it does.

[@davidmurray5926]

@@peetje28021970 Rubbish

[@AllCarsUnited]

Yes it does

[@game2572]

I run 3 systems and have the Panasonic 50 and the Canon RF50mm the Panasonic does not feel cheap compared to it. But everyone has a different frame of reference

[@cavb748]

How is it posible for you not to see the differences? The colors, the brightness and the shift from focus to out to focus areas are different, even after KZbin compression there are obvious differences...

[@cmchoo2]

In terms of lens sharpness, Leica lenses are known for their exceptional image quality, even at the corners of the frame, although they may still exhibit some softness compared to the center sharpness. Landscape photographers often prefer to stop down the aperture to achieve better sharpness across the frame, regardless of the lens they are using. In terms of aperture, the Lumix lens with an aperture of f/1.8 will allow more light to enter the camera compared to the Leica lens with an aperture of f/2. This means that the Lumix lens will generally perform better in low-light environments, as it can gather more light, potentially resulting in brighter and better-exposed images. When it comes to weight, lighter gear can be advantageous in terms of portability and ease of use, especially when traveling or shooting for extended periods. However, it's important to note that image quality is not solely determined by weight. Factors such as lens design, optical elements, and other technical specifications also play a significant role. Overall, it's important to consider the specific characteristics and performance of each lens and choose the one that best suits your needs and shooting preferences.

[@ytclod974]

Some difference about colour (I prefer Leica), and that small 3D effect with the Leica which make the sigma very good also but more flat. Finally the Leica is the better for me but after it is only a money question. It could be also interesting to get a comparison between that Leica lens and the Sigma 65 f2 (I own it and feel it pretty good on my SL2) and also to compare that Leica 50mm with the 50APO version (I own the APO35, excellent but so heavy, more than 1,6 kg ! with the SL2)

[@aramdavid]

I dont think the images look the same. It's subtle, for sure. But the Leica skin tones are different.

[@karinkooij2976]

Thanks Alex, for your honest review. I was watching it on my iPhone and must say that, before zooming in on the images, it seems as if the Leica files were showing sharper and with a more natural color than the Panasonic lens. Am I the only one noticing this or…? Have a good day and once again, cheers for your video!

[@Robin_Polarstern]

The 500€ lumix lens looks better than the Leica 😅😅😅

[@davidmultimedia2024]

Leica (like I) said 😂

[@thatsreallyamoon]

Absolutely not worth it, what the hell! Can you seriously tell me, people, that the differences shown in this video are worth $1500 worth of difference????

[@mnkwazi]

@thatsreallyamoon branding is the devil that seems to mark things up exponentially lol

[@redcoatcowboy]

lens breathing is the worst lol

[@Not-A-Woke-Liberal]

Panasonic lenses are made in China

[@DavidGBlair]

So？ China has the most sophisticated and extensive manufacturing sector in the world.

[@iustitiaepervenit]

Leica lenses and their prices are just a scam for rich people. Definitely there are better lenses on market for less price. Look at Sony 35 1.4 Zeiss and Leica 35 apo. Sony looks better in images and also on sheet the number is on Sony side.