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Recommendations for the best portrait lens on the Leica SL2?

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So Ive been shooting with the SL2 for about a year now mostly doing street and travel stuff with the 35mm APO which is basically perfect but Ive got this big portrait commission coming up in late October for a high-end engagement shoot in upstate New York and Im totally torn on what glass to bring. My logic was to just grab the 90mm APO-Summicron because everyone raves about it and the sharpness is unreal but then I saw some samples from the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN and for the price it looks almost as good? Or maybe it doesnt have that Leica look whatever that actually means anymore. I usually prefer a bit more character so I was thinking maybe I should just adapt my old 75mm Lux but the autofocus on the SL2 is so nice I dont know if I want to go back to manual for a fast-moving shoot. Budget is around 4k but I could stretch if the 90mm is really that much better than the Panasonic 85mm 1.8 which is like way cheaper. I just dont want the images to look too clinical or digital if that makes sense. Is the 50mm Lux-SL too short for headshots on this sensor? I feel like Im overthinking the compression but with 47 megapixels I can always crop... I just cant decide if I want the perfection of the SL primes or the soul of the adapted M glass. What are you guys actually using for client work where you need that wow factor?


3 Answers
12

Grab the Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL ASPH! Its MTF curves are technically perfect and it resolves that 47MP sensor with zero axial chromatic aberration. Absolutely amazing glass. Love it!


10

Honestly, I would be a bit cautious about dropping four grand on the 90mm APO right away without testing the alternatives first. If you are worried about images looking too clinical, that lens might actually be a bit too sharp for some portrait clients who want a softer look. I have found the Sigma 85mm f1.4 DG DN Art gives a really nice fall-off that works well for engagement sessions, and it saves you a ton of money. Before I can really give a solid recommendation tho, are you planning to shoot this engagement session mostly in natural light or are you bringing a full strobe setup? If you are staying wide open in natural light, the Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f1.8 is basically a steal and very light to carry around all day. You might want to consider renting both to see if that Leica brand name is actually worth the extra three thousand dollars for your specific workflow...


4

Love the Leica SL2! I once spent a fortune on glass but my back totally hated me after two hours tho!!

  • weight
  • grip Are you gonna be shooting handheld or...?


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