Leica has Lost Its Way — Dead-End on the M Series, Heavy and Expensive Leica SL
Related: Leica, Leica M, Leica SL3, Nikon, Nikon mirrorless, Nikon NIKKOR Z, Other World Computing
It’s curious and disappointing that Leica with its long and storied rangefinder history is unable to muster any lenses similar to the Voigtlander FE 35mm f/2 APO Distagon and Voigtlander FE 50mm f/2 APO Distagon and Voigtlander FE 65mm f/2 APO.
Stuck in a rut with M lenses which suck at 60MP (or half that) on Leica M11 and Leica SL3... and with only one lens (the 35/2 APO) remotely approaching the reference grade Voigtlander VM APO lenses, and nothing of similar caliber for SL at less than 5X the price + 4X the size.
And yet Cosina Voigtlander can deliver the 35/2 and 50/2 and more for Nikon Z, for Sony FE, for Leica M. Maybe Voigtlander can do an L-Mount version. Did I mention that to my hands, the Voigtlander haptics are way better Leica’s, and I prefer the build quality too?
If you want large and heavy and exceptional, Nikon gets the job done with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct and Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S and Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena. You do not need a Leica SL3 for that style shooting, and those Nikon lenses produce gorgeous images (as do many Sony lenses).
So on the Leica SL3 we’re left with large heavy expensive lenses, and the non APO ones are not likely to be standouts vs the Voigtlander offerings and they are larger and heavier. All for autofocus and maybe that’s worth it for the red dot mystique.
I see NO POINT to buying Leica non APO SL lenses for $2K when you can do better with Sony lenses for less. SL APO or hang up your jock strap: why would you buy a $7K camera so you can shoot entry-level lenses that any comparable Sony or Voigtlander lens can match or beat for a fraction or the price?
What happened to Leica? The M series has failed to evolve to what could be a seriously interesting camera usable by those with aging eyes and with far more accurate focusing eg an M-mount with EVF instead of rangefinder, plus modern lens designs to match à la Voigtlander.
Alas. Wandering aimlessly in bygone days on the M-front, while producing buffalo scrotum leather special editions for dilettantes when so many good ideas could be implemented.
Meanwhile, for 1/5 to 1/8 the cost the Voigtlander VM APO lenses mostly trounce the derelict Leica M designs (one exception, the Leica 35/2APO, the Leica 50/2 APO sucks though).
You either get a throwback rangefinder with its error-prone focusing or you get huge and heavy SL stuff. I think Leica is missing two boats here.
