The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

"NEW" Leica lenses announced..

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
The 28 Elmarit looks essentially identical to me?
I have seen some comparison shots taken last summer with late prototypes of the updated 28 Elmarit and Summicron. Unfortunately they can't be published because the lenses were prototypes, but there were improvements in overall resolution way out in the corners and improved contrast in the shadows, as the MTFs would suggest. I hope we will see some publishable comparisons eventually.

scott
 

airfrogusmc

Well-known member
Yes. I wouldn't call it "non-rangefinder", though; "non-still-camera" is more like it.

The M Edition 60 went even further in that direction. I'm still tempted by one of those, but having bought the SL there's no money in the pot for such an extravagance. The M-P does well enough, particularly if you disable the LV and video buttons.

G
Godfrey you should try an M 262. Love mine....

I was really hoping that Leica would put the M 60 into full production at a price point where the M 262 is.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Godfrey you should try an M 262. Love mine....

I was really hoping that Leica would put the M 60 into full production at a price point where the M 262 is.
There's no upside to selling my M-P240 and buying an M262: I'd lose money on the sale and spend more than I paid for the M-P to acquire the latter. A few grams less weight and the lack of video, Live View, and EVF are not that valuable to me.

If the SL and M262 had already been out when the M9 sensor went bad, I would have gone for an M262 ... because I know I'd have purchased the SL regardless. And I do actually like the M-P quite a lot. :)

G
 

dchew

Well-known member
Where are you all finding the technical sheets? I go to leica-camera.com (of course it redirects me to us.leica-camera.com), and the downloads page for the two 28's are empty. I try uk.leica-camera and de.leica-camera but same thing. Did they take them down or am I in the wrong place?

Dave
 

jffielde1

New member
I read that the new 28mm Cron is physically smaller than the old one. Can anyone confirm that? The specs I see listed are the same.
 

jffielde1

New member
I just got my new 28mm f/2.8 yesterday and show a few side-by-sides with my existing 28mm f/2.8. Despite the virtually unchanged MTFs (at least to my eyes), the new lens is quite improved. The new lens has less field curvature and is noticeably better at the edges of the frame at all apertures. The new lens is better enough in the corners to see the difference on my laptop at 100% (15" Macbook Pro Retina) from several feet away. It's quite remarkably improved, especially at wider apertures. I use the 28mm f/2.8 a lot, and the new lens looks the same in the way it draws - just more consistent across the frame, better at the edges, and a lot better in the corners.
 
Last edited:

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
Re: "NEW" Leica lenses compared with "old"

The updated 28 Elmarit-asph is slightly taller than its predecessor, which was the first current lens I purchased for my M8, back in about 2006. But the case it comes with is much bigger, since it also contains a ring to cover the threads for the rigid lens hood, plus a sizeable cap to cover the lens in "travel mode," when it is being used without a lens hood. If there is good light tomorrow I will try to post some comparison shots on M240 and SL.

L1010690 by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

The shot was taken with the SL and an APO-Macro Elmarit 100. I forgot and loaded the SL's current lens profile for this lens, which grossly overcorrects for vignetting with a sort of smoke ring at the edges. It works for this picture, but is normally pretty ugly.

scott
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
I've run a series of tests using my 2008 model 28/2.8 asph and the new version of that lens on both an M240 and an SL. As a baseline, I compare both with the results in the same setting from a 28 Summilux at the same f/stops. The test image is tilted so that the details along the horizon line run from the lower left corner to the upper right corner. Here's the gold standard, with the SX28 at ISO 50 and f/5.6 on the SL:

L1010698 by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

The results are that both 28 Elmarit-M lenses do well on the M240, with the new version of the lens slightly better. But the differences on the SL are quite dramatic. The original 28/2.8-asph has been reported elsewhere to have problems in the corners, and I see that as well. The new version does not. It is very nearly as sharp as the SX 28. Here are 100% crops taken at f/2.8 on all three lenses, from a portion in the lower left corner of the frame, ending only 90% of the way to the edges:

First the 28/2.8 version 1 on the SL at f/2.8:

L1010708 copy by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

then the 28/2.8 version 2 on the SL at f.2,8:

L1010701 copy by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

and the Summilux 28 version of the same portion on the SL at f/2.8:

L1010696 copy by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

Now let's do the reasonable thing, and shoot the scene at f/5.6. First the 28/2.8 version 1, on the SL:

L1010710 copy by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

and then version 2 at f/5.6 on the SL:

L1010703 copy by scott kirkpatrick, on Flickr

The older version Elmarit-asph does have a little trouble at the very edge of the frame even at f/5.6 (and the new version does not), but in this portion both perform very well.

The scene is the district of Nahlaot in Jerusalem, seen from below the Supreme Court building. This warren of old buildings and alleyways was settled in the 1870s when it was first safe to leave the overcrowded old city, got very run down and is now seeing some gentrification. I have a more detailed panorama here (50 MB file).

scott
 
Last edited:

JorisV

New member
The difference at 2.8 between version 1 and 2 on the SL is indeed very very significant... It would be interesting to know why and how it was solved...

And I believe I actually prefer the Elmarit-M to the Summilux... in any case I don't see a $4K difference... or perhaps the Summilux needs a version 2 as well... :)

Thanks for doing this!
 

jrp

Member
I was initially v sceptical about the bulk of the SL Zoom. But I am impressed with the image quality. I wonder how it would compare with the new 28mm, although it would make more sense to pair the zoom with Summiluxes, other than when discreteness is important.
 

helged

New member
Thanks to Scott for the 28 Lux/Elmarit comparison!

Anything known/any examples involving the updated 28 and 35 Crons?
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
Thanks to Scott for the 28 Lux/Elmarit comparison!

Anything known/any examples involving the updated 28 and 35 Crons?
Sorry, I like the 28 Elmarit and Summilux, one for travel and the other as an all-purpose lens, and I have a 35 SX-FLE,
so I haven't worried about upgrades to the Summicrons. I understand there are some reviews in progress for the other two upgraded lenses, but don't know when these will surface. My hunch is that the improvements to the Elmarit are the biggest change. And even with the 28 Elmarit, if you want to use it on the M240, I don't see a strong need to upgrade. The next M, due late this year (???) might be a different story.

scott
 

jonoslack

Active member
Re: "NEW" Leica lenses announced..

Sorry, I like the 28 Elmarit and Summilux, one for travel and the other as an all-purpose lens, and I have a 35 SX-FLE,
so I haven't worried about upgrades to the Summicrons. I understand there are some reviews in progress for the other two upgraded lenses, but don't know when these will surface. My hunch is that the improvements to the Elmarit are the biggest change. And even with the 28 Elmarit, if you want to use it on the M240, I don't see a strong need to upgrade. The next M, due late this year (???) might be a different story.

scott
Hi Scott
I think the changes to the 28 summicron are even more impressive - this time on the M240 as well as the SL.

- - - Updated - - -

No. It just needs the right pair of hands.
Couldn't agree more - I think the 28 'lux is almost perfect. . . . and those are great photos.
 

kuau

Workshop Member
I've run a series of tests using my 2008 model 28/2.8 asph and the new version of that lens on both an M240 and an SL. As a baseline, I compare both with the results in the same setting from a 28 Summilux at the same f/stops. The test image is tilted so that the details along the horizon line run from the lower left corner to the upper right corner. Here's the gold standard, with the SX28 at ISO 50 and f/5.6 on the SL

The results are that both 28 Elmarit-M lenses do well on the M240, with the new version of the lens slightly better. But the differences on the SL are quite dramatic. The original 28/2.8-asph has been reported elsewhere to have problems in the corners, and I see that as well. The new version does not. It is very nearly as sharp as the SX 28. Here are 100% crops taken at f/2.8 on all three lenses, from a portion in the lower left corner of the frame, ending only 90% of the way to the edges:

scott
Scott,
Just to verify for us M240 shooters you don't see much of a difference between the newer and older 28 Elmarit in terms of corner performance?

Thanks
Steven
 

D&A

Well-known member
Scott,
Just to verify for us M240 shooters you don't see much of a difference between the newer and older 28 Elmarit in terms of corner performance?

Thanks
Steven
From what I gather from Scotts postings, there isn't much "corner performance" differences between the old and new 28mm Elmarit versions when used on a M240 but it appears quite pronounced when these lenses are used on a SL body.

Dave (D&A)
 
Top