Four months ago I decided that Leica’s APS-C system deserved another look. There were rumours about a new TL — which materialised last months as the TL2 rather than an all-new mirrorless camera with built-in viewfinder — and the original T bodies were becoming available at an attractive price. What’s more, I reasoned, if there is going to be a resurgence in the fortunes of the T/TL then the lenses will be in demand.
As a result I bought up the three excellent TL zooms — the 11-23mm, the 18-56mm and the 55-135mm. I also acquired, by chance, a nice example of the 23mm prime which gives me a 35mm-equivalent for general work. I’d really like the 35mm Summilux-TL, despite its rather large size, but so far that has eluded me. To go with this I bought a really clean and tidy T body in black, my favourite of the two colours. I already had the Visoflex to go with the M10.
I see the lens line up as keepers; the body might go if I decide to invest in a TL2 or whatever comes next. Or, maybe, it would service well as a second body.
It seems that I’m not the only one having these thoughts. Leica Rumours directed me to this YouTube video by Mattias Burling. The Leica T isn’t the new Fuji, as he says, but it is definitely an alternative for those who want something different. He thinks it deserves to be bought again, even by those who tried it out first time round.
I agree. The original T body is now to be had for around £600 and at that price it brings a lot to the party. It’s slow, without a doubt, although successive firmware updates have vastly improved responsiveness and autofocus speeds. Yet while the T is way behind the TL2 in speed (and, of course, it makes do with the original 16MP sensor) it is a fun camera to own. What’s more, if you want to use it with M lenses — where it does a great job — then you are hardly worried about autofocus speeds.
Work with M lenses and concentrate on the exposure triangle — aperture, speed, sensitivity — and you will be surprised how much fun there is to be had. The only downside, as with all cropped sensors, is that the lens focal length has to be multiplied by 1.5. Still and all, buy 35 ‘Cron for your M and you have a 52mm “standard” lens for use with your T. Two bodies, one lens, two focal lengths.
I am still waiting to get my hands on a loan TL from Leica but I hope to have it next week or the week after.
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My TL2 has today commenced the return journey to Wetzlar – to hopefully be replaced by another TL2 body which does not have the Viso live view image ‘cut off’ / ‘not available on start up’ anomaly. The replacement was offered 2 days ago but before opting for same I read and re-read the TL2 instruction manual again to ensure the problem was not due to me misunderstanding the Viso’s/TL2’s workings and settings. Additionally I’m not happy with the fact that several Leica Forum members including myself have experienced ‘focus peaking not available’ with the TL2 … but not all TL2 bodies are affected by this shortcoming. Hopefully this additional anomaly can be remedied by another firmware fix. My dealer has been very cooperative in arranging the replacement option but I’m not happy that the TL2 appears not to have been quite so thoroughly tested as it should have been prior to release. Anytime a camera is beta tested it should be very thoroughly tested so that all possible performance anomalies are identified and remedied … and more note should be taken of the fact that mirrorless cameras are likely to be used with legacy and third party lenses. Some say ‘Oh you don’t really need focus peaking … because the image magnification option is much better … and the unofficial ‘in focus shimmer’ aid is just as useful’ However, with my current wildlife project I have seen what focus peaking offers on a colleague’s Sony A series camera. And when all’s said and done, a camera should perform and offer the functions documented/offered ‘on its tin’. I bought the TL2 following what seemed to be beta testers’ excellent reviews … but I immediately experienced Viso problems plus the disappointing news that others’ TL2s were immediately dying when used with Visoflexes. Leica Camera AG could do, and should do, much better. The TL2 is a relatively inexpensive Leica camera but £1700 is not mere pocket money and I’ve made sacrifices to be able to afford the purchase.
Dunk, I sympathise with your predicament and agree that following the Visoflex issue and the resulting firmware update you would expect everything to be working perfectly. £1,700 (plus viewfinder) certainly isn’t a small amount of money. As it happens, I pick up a press review TL2 on Monday and morning and will have it for a week. It will be interesting to see if I have any similar problems. I will certainly be looking out for them.
If, as rumoured, Leica Camera AG plans to release yet another TL series body later this year but with a built-in EVF, those who’ve invested in a TL2 or a TL will be questioning Leica’s decision making and marketing … and not for the first time. But maybe they had and still have a load of unused TL aluminium bricks to machine into TL2 bodies? What we do not know is what style of body the rumoured TL3? will have … it will have a TL lens mount but may not necessarily conform to the established aluminium brick shape or sport its hand polished finish. I bought a TL2 on July 6 and it’s been a very disappointing experience. Although mine survived the VIso’s tendency to exterminate part of the TL2’s electronics prior to the firmware 1.1 update , my VIso has never stayed ‘on’ for more than a few minutes – and requires no end of persuasion via camera restarts, lens changes, and battery reinsertions before it decides to resume ‘normal service’ (the camera defaulting to monitor live view only after Viso cut-out). Furthermore the focus peaking has never worked and there is one report on TLF of another TL2’s focus peaking failing after installing firmware 1.1. I have approached my dealer and he has approached Leica Camera AG to try and find a solution/remedy for my TL2’s anomalies … but I’ve lost faith in it after several very frustrating days trying to use the VISO but experiencing it cutting out when composing the image. I’ve requested a credit for the £1700 purchase price but have been advised to ‘wait and see what Leica say’ … so I’m waiting … but do not have any high hopes … and feel I may have bought a short lived interim model which will likely depreciate substantially as soon as the rumoured TL3 is available. And I’ve no doubt that if the TL3 is to be announced later this year, then the beta testers (who’ve only recently finished beta testing the TL2 when they did not identify the VISO problem) will be busy right now using TL3 prototypes. If anyone sees any strange looking disguised cameras sporting TL lenses being used by stealthily prancing photographers please try and grab a few photos and post them on the Leica Forum … or send them to Macfilos.
Hi Dunk,
I’m sorry to hear of these additional problems. Strangely, I have had similar issues with the Visoflex on my Mk I T. It doesn’t fit securely and invariably pulls back a little when the camera is in the bag. Quite often I bring the camera to my eye and see a white screen which prompts me to push the finder forward so that it makes proper contact. I put this down to the age of the camera and assumed any such issues would have been ironed out in the TL and TL2. I don’t remember such problems with the original T which I tested in 2014.
As for the form of any future models, you could be right on the possibility of the factory using up the aluminium blocks! The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that any new model will be based on a Q-style body. Many might wonder that, if this is the case, why not simply produce a full-frame Q with lens mount — a sort of X-Pro to the SL’s X-T. The problem, clearly, is the size of the full-frame lenses. They’re a handful on the SL, never mind a Q. No, I think the sensible course of action would be to produce a slightly smaller Q with the same excellent viewfinder but with an APS-C sensor.
I agree that if such a camera is introduced before the end of the year you and others might feel a little miffed. I do think, however, that there is a market for the existing TL2 among those who like to shoot without a viewfinder and I see it continuing alongside any new model. It’s a pretty little thing and will still attract customers.
All true of course, and I also still have and love my original model Leica T, however the rest of the camera manufacturing world also have moved on, but in several of there instances much further and much faster than Leica have with the TL in development terms, and hence now offer far superior camera systems, virtually all with built in EVF’s, and which in every case as far as I can see are also easier and quicker to use AND cost less money .
I will not be adding a TL to my collection as this particular camera just does not make sense to me though I have no immediate plans to sell my old T outfit either as I can use my M lenses with it as Mike says, but have instead put my own hard earned cash into what I regard as a wonderful, fault and foible free Fuji X-Pro 2 outfit whose lenses so easily rival my T lenses for optical quality and focus faster automatically than I can even see. Don Morley.
Sadly, Don, you are not alone in finding an alternative home at Fuji. Others, too, have found a similar welcome in the micro four-thirds camp.
There are persistent rumours of a more traditional T camera to be launched later this year. Reading between the lines, it likely to have a Q or X style body with built-in finder. It is something Leica should have done years ago, perhaps instead of sailing off Into uncharted waters with the T which some feel was too clever for its own clogs. The clogs have been resoled for the TL but let’s wait to see what appears in the winter.