L-mount cameras

Xaviergut · May 26, 2025

I'm new to this forum, and this is my second post. I'm writing it because I see there's almost no information about the cameras and lenses from the L-mount alliance: Leica, Lumix FF, and Sigma.

I have gear for all three brands and I'm delighted with the quality and performance they offer, and not just for video. Is there anyone else who uses L-mount gear? Does anyone want information on this?

Ysarex · May 26, 2025

I have a Leica SL; it's the biggest and heaviest camera I own and as such often sits in it's bag while I use my smaller and lighter cameras. With my Zeiss 35mm Biogon mounted the SL takes exceptional photographs.

Xaviergut · May 26, 2025

Ysarex said:
I have a Leica SL; it's the biggest and heaviest camera I own and as such often sits in it's bag while I use my smaller and lighter cameras. With my Zeiss 35mm Biogon mounted the SL takes exceptional photographs.

Excellent combo! I have not used the SL yet, but I know people who are in love with the colors of that sensor.

One Leica engineer confessed to the cined.com podcast people that it is not applied any kind of noise reduction to the images produced by that sensor. That is not the case of the other SL Leica cameras (SL2, SL2-s, SL3 and SL3-s).

The Leica SLs are optimized for use with manual Leica M lenses. Perhaps that's why the EVF is so exceptionally good on all of them.

Ysarex · May 26, 2025

Xaviergut said:
Excellent combo! I have not used the SL yet, but I know people who are in love with the colors of that sensor.

It's just a Sony sensor like my Nikon and Fuji cameras.

Xaviergut said:
One Leica engineer confessed to the cined.com podcast people that it is not applied any kind of noise reduction to the images produced by that sensor. That is not the case of the other SL Leica cameras (SL2, SL2-s, SL3 and SL3-s).

The SL2 doesn't appear to have noise reduction applied to the sensor output, the SL3 does but only for ISOs above 6400.

Xaviergut said:
The Leica SLs are optimized for use with manual Leica M lenses. Perhaps that's why the EVF is so exceptionally good on all of them.

It's a nice camera but just too big and heavy. Most of the time when I'm taking photos I'm out walking and I don't want to carry it.

Don Fischer · Jun 6, 2025

I can't afford a Leica so that's out! Then again I haven't got any idea what an L mount is either? Tell you what, when I got my Panasonic I was really disappointed till someone had me format it. I only know how to use it in program mode but don't care. Takes great photo's. Has a Leica lens but a point and shoot camera!

Ozzie_Traveller · Jun 6, 2025

G'day Xavier

Like Don above - although I am not an "L" user, I have been a panasonic user for over 15yrs via their FZ series + Leica lenses. Excellent optics, great performance and great value for money

Phil

Xaviergut · Jun 19, 2025

Don Fischer said:
I can't afford a Leica so that's out! Then again I haven't got any idea what an L mount is either? Tell you what, when I got my Panasonic I was really disappointed till someone had me format it. I only know how to use it in program mode but don't care. Takes great photo's. Has a Leica lens but a point and shoot camera!

The L-mount alliance was made by Leica, Lumix and Sigma in 2018. It is full frame mount and they make excellent cameras and lenses. The weak point used to be the lack of phase detect autofocus, but it changed 3 years ago when Lumix announced the new Lumix S5ii camera. Since then all the L-mount cameras have hybrid phase detect autofocus plus contrast based autofocus.