[Mistral75]

I'll take the little one, thanks (even though it does appear from the aperture ring to only be an f/2). It even makes the camera it's being mounted on look smaller.
(...).

Indeed, it's f/2 like any and all Summicron lenses. My bad, that was precisely my point (better f/2 and tiny than f/1.4 and huge)...

[biz-engineer]

Well is there any online explanation coming from Ricoh-Imaging how to do that work proper? I don't think many owners of K-1 or K-3ii know how to do this.

It is not up to customers to promote cameras for Ricoh imaging, it is up to Ricoh imaging to manage it. It is not enough to do a couple of articles and reviews during the 3 weeks following a new product release and then nothing for the next 18 months.

[RonHendriks1966]

It is not up to customers to promote cameras for Ricoh imaging, it is up to Ricoh imaging to manage it. It is not enough to do a couple of articles and reviews during the 3 weeks following a new product release and then nothing for the next 18 months.

Well I agree to this.

[Uluru]

The problem with the Leica TL, for me, apart from the sheer expense is no integrated viewfinder = no sale. I know they do an external one but this is no solution, imho. It would fall off or I'd lose it in a matter of weeks.

It appears, or, it is quite possible, that the new TL model will have an integrated EVF. That was no. 1 request.
Judging from the past, Leica very carefully listens to their audience.

My educated opinion is that it will have a pop up EVF. (To preserve current and very sleek form factor with no extrusions on the back panel)

---------- Post added 06-27-2017 at 08:21 AM ----------

I preferred the smaller sets.

Who wouldn't? Regardless, the large Leica SL Summilux is one awesome lens, I think by far the best and most versatile 50mm on the planet right now. It is built for the SL system, so it is fully motorised, weather sealed, AF lens, and the image quality is incredible even at f1.4.


→ This reviewer wrote ← that SL 50mm Summilux out-resolves 50 APO Summicron wide open! That is, SL Summilux provides more details in the picture at f1.4 than the best M lens at f2!

That amount of glass is not there for no reason !

---

Last edited by Uluru; 06-26-2017 at 04:54 PM.

[ffking]

Leica very carefully listens to their audience.

Everybody listens to the rich

[Uluru]

Everybody listens to the rich

You can grab a new Leica T + 18-56 VariElmar (excellent lens!) for less that $2K AUD combo, which is around $1500 USD. I think that is a bargain, considering that a similar quality Japanese kit will cost more, and the Japanese camera looks and feels like a cheap crumble cookie compared to the solid quality and engineering of the Leica T.

[pathdoc]

Everybody listens to the rich

I haven't bought a Lenny Kravitz-edition Leica yet, so no, not everybody.

[BigMackCam]

the Japanese camera looks and feels like a cheap crumble cookie compared to the solid quality and engineering of the Leica T.

I'm never quite sure whether you say these things to try and get a rise from other members here, or if it's a social unawareness thing (it must be one or the other)... but do you realise how many camera owners you offend when you state opinions like this?

And in any case, the 18-56 Vario Elmar is made for Leica in... wait for it... Japan.

[photoptimist]

I'm never quite sure whether you say these things to try and get a rise from other members here, or if it's a social unawareness thing (it must be one or the other)... but do you realise how many camera owners you offend when you state opinions like this?

Dare we think that he's saying more about Leica owners than Leica cameras?

Personally, I'm always amused by any statements about the looks of a camera as if they were fashion accessories which is maybe what Leica owners want. Personally, I'm more concerned with the look of the images and how easy it is to obtain any of a wide range of image looks than the look of the camera. And from that functional perspective, Leica fails in my opinion -- it's too simplistic for usability.

[Mistral75]

(...)

And in any case, the 18-56 Vario Elmar is made for Leica in... wait for it... Japan.

...and its optical design was patented by Konica Minolta.

[BigMackCam]

Personally, I'm more concerned with the look of the images and how easy it is to obtain any of a wide range of image looks than the look of the camera.

Absolutely

To be fair, the Leica T seems like a nice mirrorless system camera, but it wouldn't be right for me. High ISO performance isn't particularly competitive, with more prevalent colour noise (at a given print size) than even my slightly-older K-3. The lenses may have stellar resolution, but I question the 16MP sensor's ability to make the most of that resolving power. If I remember correctly, there's no continuous AF (ouch!). And then there's the mostly-touch-screen control system... again, a no-no for me - I want buttons and knobs. The need for a separate viewfinder doesn't worry me too much, but of course it takes up the camera's hotshoe when fitted, which means a bracket is required if you intend to use on-camera flash. Lastly - and, somewhat bizarrely, given its heritage - it doesn't offer focus-peaking for manual focusing assistance. Generally, I prefer to use magnification for critical focusing of manual lenses, but there are plenty of times where focus peaking comes in very handy (maybe Leica has already added this to the T with a firmware update, but I don't think so).

So, whilst it may look nice, have beautiful build quality, and might be an excellent camera if it fits your use-cases, there are just too many things that wouldn't work for my shooting. As always, it depends very much on the individual and what they want.

I'm sure it's a good camera, though, and it's certainly a very nice objet d'art

[thibs]

Hey, you know it's the same in most markets, e.g. guitars.
Do you really thinks price and market share of Fender or Gibson guitars have anything with quality offered? No way.l

But 'hey you got a stray copy. Not a strat, it's not even a Fender'.

Brands are statements of some sort. But you pay the price. We all make statements one time or the other.

[RonHendriks1966]

Leica T has the same sensor as K-5, so that is very good. I have some prints made from K-01 with 16mp at the large end of 59 inch.

[Kunzite]

What? It has a Japanese sensor?

[photoptimist]

Yes, the Leica T looks nice but the lack of physical controls and viewfinder makes it non-viable for me. Even the shape of the camera shows a prioritization of appearance over performance. The Leica T seems shaped for Lego hands, not human hands:


And I don't think the Leica T has the same sensor as the K-5. The pixel dimensions are slightly different and the DXO score is much lower (75 for the Leica vs. 82 for the K-5).

I do agree that brands make personal statements. But that would seem to apply more to guitars which are meant to be used in front of audience than it does to cameras. Of course, I can see how pro photographers are also playing to an audience which is why giant Canikon and medium format cameras are so popular with pros and why mirrorless is very unlikely to take over. Most wedding, portrait, and corporate clients probably prefer a photographer with a "big camera with big lenses" to one that looks like they might be using a small consumer point-and-shoot model.