LEICA SUMMILUX TL 35mm
A review and photo examples of using the Leica Summilux TL 35mm F1.4 with the LEIA T typ701, LEICA TL, LEICA TL2, and LEICA SL typ601.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Sample photo taken with the LEICA T typ701.
Review
1．Overview
The Summilux TL 35mm is a large aperture lens for APS-C size sensors released in 2016 for Leica L-mount.
The Summilux TL 35mm is a lens whose image quality is a little slow at full aperture, but becomes crisp when stopped down to around F2.8.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Aperture F value: 1.4
- Lens construction: 12 elements in 8 groups
- Aspheric lens: 2 pieces, 4 surfaces
- Number of aperture blades: Unknown
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.4m
- Hood: Lens hood for TL 1.4/35 2.8/60 12430 Silver / Lens hood for TL 1.4/35 2.8/60 12429 Black
- Lens color variations: Silver and black
2．Usability
The Summilux TL 35mm is a modern lens that is a little slow at full aperture, but becomes crisp when stopped down to around F2.8.
The autofocus (AF) focusing speed is slow when used with the contrast AF of the LEICA T series (T / TL / TL2). The focusing accuracy varies depending on the subject, but in any case, it is not very accurate.
When comparing the autofocus speed with other TL lenses, it can focus faster than the APO Macro Elmarit TL 60mm, but is slower than the Summicron TL 23mm.
I also used it with the LEICA SL typ601, which is equipped with a 35mm full-frame sensor, but I could not feel any difference in AF performance, so I assume that the AF performance is limited by the lens.
When shooting with the rear LCD of the Leica T series, you need to hold the camera with both hands, zoom in on the focus position with your right hand, and operate the focus with your left hand, so you need to be careful of camera shake as your camera tends to be unstable.
The VISOFLEX external EVF that can be attached to the Leica T series has excellent specs such as the number of pixels displayed.
However, the response speed of the displayed image is slow, probably due to the CPU performance of the camera.
The LEICA CL has a built-in EVF and the display is improved, but I gave up this lens when I got the CL.
In the case of the LEICA SL typ601, which is equipped with a 35mm full-size sensor, the recorded image size is forcibly cropped to APS-C size. The newer the LEICA SL series, the higher the pixel count, so even if you crop to APS-C, the following number of pixels remains, so it can be used as a lens equivalent to the SUMMILUX 50mm F1.4.
- 35mm full size > APS-C size
- 24 megapixels > 10.3 megapixels (LEICA SL Typ601、LEICA SL2-S、LEICA SL3-S)
- 42 megapixels > 18 megapixels (LEICA SL2)
- 60 megapixels > 25.75 megapixels (LEICA SL3)
The LEICA SL typ601 also uses direct manual focus to adjust the focus position, while zooming in on the focus position with the dial. In this case, you hold the camera with both arms and the eyepiece, so it is easy to shoot without shaking.
The advantage of using it with the LEICA SL is that the eyeless finder of the SL Typ601 is very easy to see, which is a big advantage when it comes to adjusting the focus position. When attached to an SL series camera, the size balance is just right.
The lens design is the same as Leica L-mount lenses, and the aperture value is controlled by the camera, so the lens only has a focus ring, which is a simple specification. A bayonet hood that can be attached in reverse is included. The hood is also large, so when attached, the lens, which is already voluminous, becomes even larger and more noticeable.
This lens is smaller than the APO-Summicron-SL 35mm and Summilux-SL 50mm, which are designed for 35mm full-frame sensors, so when attached to a LEICA SL the camera system becomes compact and fits easily in a camera bag, so I sometimes used it with it attached.
The filter diameter is E60, 60mm, which is a Leica-specific size, so photographers who make extensive use of filters will need to use step-up and step-down rings as there are only a few types of filters that can be attached directly.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the Summilux TL 35mm, it is a rare large-aperture 50mm-equivalent lens for a Leica L-mount lens.
It probably depends on the camera used, but on some of the cameras I’ve used, the autofocus speed was slow and the focusing accuracy was poor. Direct manual focus is available, so you can manually fine-tune the focus position.
I also recommend mounting it on a 35mm full-frame sensor camera and using it with an APS-C crop.
Specification and TL series lens
Leica APS single focal length lens
| Lens name | ELMARIT | SUMMICRON | SUMMILUX | APO MACRO ELMARIT |
| Focal length(mm) | 18 | 23 | 35 | 60 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | 27 | 35 | 50 | 90 |
| Max aperture | 2.8 | 2 | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 |
| Aperture blade | – | 9 | – | – |
| Lens Construction | 8elements 6groups | 9elements 6groups | 12elements 8groups | 10elements 9groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.3 | 0.35 | 0.4 | 0.16 |
| Lens length(mm) | 21 | 37 | 77 | 134 |
| Lens diameter(mm) | 62 | 63 | 70 | 70 |
| Filter Size(mm) | E39 | E52 | E60 | E60 |
| Weight(g) | 80 | 154 | 428 | 320 |
| Release date | 2017.12 | 2014.5.26 | 2016.3.31 | 2016.9.24 |
| List Price | ¥142,500 | ¥230,000 | ¥310,000 | ¥320,000 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.07.01
- 2024.03.06
- 2023.07.25
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