Based upon what I see on-line/YouTube with the new Zeiss ML Otus 50, Leica's SL APO tech seems like they might have the upper-hand by some margin with regards to modern APO design and results. ** Albeit large price difference might have something to do with the different APO results between these two systems.
My impression from Zeiss/Cosina literature around the ML Otus lenses is that they have deliberately not been as highly corrected as the previous generation Otus designs. Maybe it's a conscious performance choice, or it's a consequence of being half the price of the previous Otus designs. You can definitely find LoCA/fringing evidence in the sample images that have been posted, for example by Juha here on FM. But it's not obnoxious LoCA that is often the case, rather somewhere between 'ignored' and fully corrected, and by the looks of it, the ML Otus 50 is closer to the latter. My impression about its overall 'look' is that it's clean but slightly imperfect in order to create some character.
SlowDriver wrote:
Interesting discussions. I own both the Summicron-SL APO 35mm f2 and the Sony 35mm GM f1.4. The Leica is the better lens in my opinion but the Sony is faster, lighter, smaller, cheaper and auto focuses faster. The Sony has 187 reviews on B&H whereas the Leica has 6... If this supposedly is the best lens ever made (by Leica) why is it not more popular?
I'm guessing several reasons. Price is an obvious one. System popularity is another. Because it's confined to the L mount, which basically means having to use a Panasonic-derived body. If you value AF performance (subject detection/tracking/speed) in highly dynamic situations, it appears even after finally having started to include PDAF, Panasonic remains behind the mainstream alternatives.
From my POV, I'm not interested in adding yet another lens mount to my equipment collection. If these SL lenses were available in the mainstream mounts, it would be tempting to add to my existing system. I just don't expect Leica will entertain that option. Plus at least with Nikon and Canon, they would have to approve such lenses to be released for their mounts.
Jul 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
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