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This can be a lens that has had me scratching my head. Leica is hitting the ball out of the park in so some ways with this lens, however they’re additionally making one thing a bit odd. The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is a heavy lens with nice optics and exquisite picture high quality. And also you additionally simply can’t deny how nice the construct high quality is. Plus, there’s a really helpful focal vary connected with a fairly huge aperture. Although on the similar time, you’ll surprise who precisely would use a lens like this.
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Fashions
Too Lengthy; Didn’t Learn
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is an enormous, heavy lens that’s fairly able to doing all the things besides fast-moving sports activities pictures. It boasts stunning picture high quality and a really hefty price ticket as properly. For what it’s, it’s an amazing lens. It’s very helpful. However I’m nonetheless attempting to wrap my head round who the customer for this lens really is.
Execs and Cons
Execs
BigWeather sealingA very helpful focal size setIt’s form of a 70-200 and a 70-300mm all in oneOnly one cease of aperture changeFast to focusFantastic picture high quality.Inside zooming and focusingWork very properly with Leica’s picture stabilization
Cons
BigHeavyExpensiveLooking via Behance, it’s robust to search out what photographers are capturing with this apart from random stuffDoesn’t actually have the autofocus velocity for motion
Gear Used
We examined the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL with the:
Leica SL2SFlashpoint Zoom Lion R2
Improvements
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL isn’t notably progressive apart from just a few factors. It’s the one certainly one of a focal size like this made. And due to that, it suits the invoice someplace between a standard 70-200 and 70-300mm lens. Nevertheless it does that with a fairly quick aperture.
Tech Specs
These tech specs are taken from LensRentals.
Angle of View26° – 9°AutofocusAutofocusBrandLeicaCompatibilityCrop and Full FrameFocal Length90.0-280.0Hood IncludedYesImage StabilizationYesItem TypeLensLens TypeTelephotoMax Aperture2.8Minimum Aperture22.0MountL MountWeight4.08 lbs
Ergonomics
Right here’s the entrance of the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL lens. It’s huge. Actually, actually huge. However the good factor is that it doesn’t get any larger once you zoom all the best way in. That is an internally zooming optic. And that sometimes helps with construct high quality.
This lens has numerous metallic on the construct. Nevertheless it’s additionally characterised by the rubber rings on the surface. These are good for grip within the chilly climate. Realistically, you’ll in all probability simply maintain the zoom ring and never fear concerning the focusing ring in any respect.
The lens additionally boasts a tripod collar. Most of the time, it acts as a pleasant grip for those who’re capturing handheld. However more often than not you may not trouble with it.
Right here’s a bit extra of a view of this lens. It’s huge, black, sturdy, and heavy.
Construct High quality
Properly, there’s rather a lot to soak up right here. First off, the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL could be very solidly constructed. It’s climate sealed and there’s a metallic exterior. Plus, take into account that the Leica SL collection of cameras have IP scores for sturdiness. The lenses have to have the ability to sustain. So relating to reliability, I’ve received no qualms with the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL. Nevertheless, all of this comes at a value!
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is fairly heavy and enormous. Actually, I’d take into account it nearly unwieldy. You’ll want a big backpack to place this lens in. Plus, you’ll additionally must have a job that requires you to have a lens like this. As it’s, Leica’s zoom lenses for the SL mount are totally different from what different producers make. This one is extremely totally different. And I’d in all probability solely see an journey photographer wanting to make use of this lens constantly. Even then, I’d suggest that they’d use it with one other L-mount digicam that has animal and hen detection.
To provide you an concept of how heavy this lens is, I used to be utilizing a Vi Vante heavy-duty digicam strap on the Leica SL2s. If I let the digicam and lens dangle down, it actually weighed down. So I’d must tuck the tripod collar right into a entrance jacket pocket. It labored nearly like a holster, and even then I’d nonetheless maintain onto the digicam and lens.
Autofocus
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL is a little bit of a combination right here. With stagnant topics, it’s going to do very properly. Throughout a sundown shoot with Anthony on a rooftop in Manhattan, we had been capable of get stunning photographs. With face and eye detection, the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL and Leica SL2s nailed the photographs every time. It didn’t miss as soon as and was fairly superior.
Actually, that is in all probability the closest you’re going to get to have the ability to {photograph} birds with a Leica SL lens. The L system has different lens choices after all. And people choices will in all probability additionally focus sooner relating to monitoring transferring topics. If something, I’d in all probability need to use a teleconverter with this lens to get nearer. Within the state of affairs the place birds or your furry mates are stagnant, this lens will completely rock. However relating to monitoring, issues will change a bit.
The Leica SL2S doesn’t have animal autofocus, however it has an autofocus profile for monitoring wildlife. The closest I might get was our local people backyard cat. The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL and SL2s might maintain Kumra in focus as she was transferring in direction of the digicam at occasions. However total, it’s nonetheless not as I’ve seen from Sony and Canon. The complete monitoring sequence is under, and also you’ll be capable to see for your self.
Ease of Use
From a usability standpoint, the Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL could be very easy. You connect it to the digicam, level, focus, and shoot. It’s actually easy. There’s nothing very sophisticated about it because it’s going to make use of picture stabilization out of your digicam. Actually, just about all of the controls apart from zooming will likely be achieved from the digicam.
Picture High quality
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL offers off stunning picture high quality. General, we are able to’t discover a single fault with it. Leica colours at all times find yourself blowing our minds away. However then there are nice issues just like the bokeh, the sharpness, and extra. It’s exhausting to not prefer it once you take a look at the picture high quality.
Bokeh
The bokeh this lens creates is gorgeous. You’ll get one of the best on the longer finish when capturing huge open. In the event you’re capturing portraits with this lens, we expect that you simply’ll just like the bokeh and the little little bit of “pop” this lens may give. When the solar hits your topic excellent, the phrases “Magic Hour” ring true!
Shade Rendition
Right here’s the place I used to be actually pleasantly stunned. The colours that this lens may give off are actually vivid and beautiful. They’re totally different than a few of the SL prime lenses. However they’re additionally nonetheless very good to take a look at.
Lens Character
In our assessments, we didn’t discover any points with lens flaws like chomatic aberration, and so on. Any fringing we discovered was almost negligible. And it’s not something we’d fret over.
Sharpness
I’ve at all times believed that one of the best sharpness from a lens comes once you’re utilizing a flash. And that’s no exception right here. The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-f4 SL can exhibit tremendous sharp picture high quality with little hassle. So long as the main focus is nailed and the lighting is correct, you’ll have superbly sharp photographs.
Further Picture Samples
From day one, The Phoblographer has been large on transparency with our viewers. Nothing from this assessment is sponsored. Additional, a lot of people will put up evaluations and present a lot of modifying within the photographs. The issue then turns into that anybody and everybody can do the identical factor. They’re not exhibiting what the lens can do. So now we have a piece in our Further Picture Samples space to indicate edited and unedited photographs. From this, you can also make a call for your self.
Unedited
Edited
Conclusions
Likes
Sharpness is nice!Colours are fantastic!General picture high quality is fairly stellarPerformance for portraiture is fairly greatAmazingly versatile
Dislikes
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-4 SL is in a particular place. It may well carry out admirably relating to picture high quality and autofocus. It additionally offers you a really versatile focal size vary. However on the similar time, I’m unsure who would purchase it for just a few causes. It’s an amazing lens for photojournalism, however it’s manner too heavy. It’s lens for documentary work too for those who’re being gradual and don’t thoughts carrying round a mammoth lens. It’s positively stellar for portrait pictures. It’s received potential for wildlife, however it will be higher suited for use on a digicam just like the Panasonic S5 for certain. Can it take nice photographs? Completely. That’s not even a query in any respect. However virtually talking, you’d be higher served with a different lenses as a substitute.
So who would purchase this lens? Properly, I did some analysis round Behance and Instagram. It looks as if it’s principally capturing portraits, landscapes, and a little bit of sports activities. However take it from the man who’s reviewed each one of many Leica SL lenses; there are different lenses you’d be higher off reaching for on the shorter finish. Nonetheless, this lens has a ton of versatility, and that may’t be discounted. I simply assume that any photographer contemplating it will have a tricky time justifying the acquisition. I imply, might you actually make again $7,000+ in gigs after spending that a lot on this lens?
The Leica 90-280mm f2.8-4 SL receives 4 out of 5 stars. Need one? Test it out on Amazon or lease one from LensRentals.
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