PHOTOKINA: So, you thought Leica was done with last week’s announcement of a consumer-level instant film camera? No way—this is Photokina, and this is their home territory. Of course, there was more to come, and here it is: Leica today announced five new premium lenses for their pro-level, mirrorless SL full-frame camera system, which was launched last October to rave reviews. The new lenses include four primes—50mm, 75mm, 90mm, 35mm, and a 16-35mm zoom. Leica also introduced a new handgrip for the SL.
The Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH is the first prime lens for the Leica SL system. It has a large maximum aperture for low-light photography and offers users shallow depth of field as a creative option. Leica says the combination of the lens’s resolving power and soft bokeh clearly isolates subjects from their surroundings. Contrast is uniform through the focusing range.
The Leica APO-Summicron SL 75mm f/2 ASPH, Leica APO-Summicron-SL 90mm f/2 ASPH, and Leica Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH all share high-quality construction and glass combined with large maximum apertures. However, Leica has employed new design methods to keep the lenses’ size and weight down. Leica claims the new lenses surpass lenses already available for the Leica SL in terms of resolution, color and contrast, as well as consistent center-to-edge sharpness at all aperture settings. The lenses also share a closer focus distance.
Finally, the Leica Super-Vario-Elmar-SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH is an ultra-wide zoom lens which will join the currently-available Leica SL 24-90mm zoom in the SL lineup. It is designed for landscape and architecture photography, as well as for wedding, event, and concert photography as well as reportage and documentation. It boasts typical high Leica quality, of course, but also is dust and rain sealed, so it can be used in unfavorable weather.
In addition to the lenses, Leica has launched the new Handgrip for the Leica SL. The handgrip is designed for more comfortable hand-holding for portraits. It has a shutter release button, two control dials and a joystick controller that access all of the Leica SL’s essential functions. The handgrip also holds an extra battery to extend shooting time between battery changes.
Launch schedule:
The Leica SL Handgrip is available now from Adorama for .
The Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH will be available from Adorama in January 2017. It will cost . Pre-orders are being accepted now and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Credit cards will not be charged until orders are shipped.
The Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm f/2 ASPH will be available in Summer 2017. The Leica APO-Summicron-SL90 will be launched in fall 2017, and Leica Super-Vario-Elmar SL 16-35mm f/3.5-4.5 ASPH will be available in winter 2017. The Leica Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH is scheduled to launch in Spring 2018. Prices to be announced.
