The L within the L-mount was synonymous with Leica and luxurious, high-end optics that few photographers had the price range to purchase. But due to to Panasonic and Sigma becoming a member of the L-mount alliance, there at the moment are three first-party corporations making L-mount lenses, resulting in extra choices at a wide range of costs.
Between our personal hands-on expertise and consumer opinions, we’ve rounded up the very best L-mount lenses for Sigma, Panasonic, and Leica cameras. And, for the reason that L-mount can simply get costly, we’ve included a number of budget-friendly alternate options.
Best L-Mount wide-angle prime
Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art
Why you can purchase this: Excellent sharpness and bokeh makes this Sigma the most effective 35mm lenses round.
Who’s it for: Landscape, road, portrait — any photographer on the lookout for a brilliant wide-angle
Why we picked the Sigma 35mm F1.2 DG DN Art:
With glorious sharpness and gorgeous bokeh, the Sigma 35mm F1.2 Art is an distinctive lens — so distinctive, in reality that it could be overkill for the typical photographer. But, for the pixel peeper that has to have the most recent and biggest, few might beat the Sigma 35mm f/1.2 Art.
The lens is outstanding largely due to the picture high quality. Sharpness is among the many finest we’ve examined, and there’s little actual world distinction between f/1.2 and stopping right down to f/2.8. The bokeh is great — swirly and dreamy at f/1.2, and flatter at greater apertures. We couldn’t spot any chromatic aberration which, mixed with the sharpness, makes the lens splendid for the best decision L-Mount cameras on the market.
If there’s one thing to complain about, it’s the vignette at f/1.2, which is important sufficient to negate a few of that light-gathering energy of the vast aperture.
While a wide-angle prime, the Sigma 35mm f/1.2 Art isn’t all that transportable. The f/1.2 optics make for a big, heavy lens. The lens is weather-sealed, and, in a nod in direction of videographers, has an aperture de-click change and focus lock button.
Do you want the Sigma 35mm f/1.2 Art? Probably not, however you’re going to need it. It’s a lens value exhibiting off and, contemplating the f/1.2 aperture, can also be moderately priced relative to the f/1.4 competitors.
Budget various: The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens will not be fairly as brilliant, nor as sharp, and it’s not constructed particularly for mirrorless cameras, nevertheless it’s nonetheless obtainable in L mount and is a steal for lower than a grand.
Read our Sigma 35mm f/1.2 Art assessment
Best L-mount wide-angle zoom
Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DN Art
Why you can purchase this: A Compact, sharp lens that captures ultra-wide angles
Who’s it for: Travel, road, and panorama photographers
Why we picked the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8:
Designed particularly for mirrorless, the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DN Art is a feat of engineering, for the reason that ultra-wide zoom vary and brilliant aperture often calls for large and heavy optics. Nearly a pound lighter than Sigma’s older DSLR model, the lens is way simpler to hold round. It is the primary brilliant, 14-24mm for the L-mount.
Besides the smaller dimension, the design additionally sports activities weather-sealing. The wide-angle view requires a curved entrance component, so you possibly can’t use entrance filters, however the sheet filter holder in the back of the lens makes up for that.
Optically, the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DN Art delivers no surprises, dwelling as much as the excessive bar set by different Art-series lenses. Sharpness is stable and chromatic aberration is minor. The distortion that’s close to inconceivable to eradicate at such a wide-angle is refined and straightforward to appropriate in publish, with a vignette that’s additionally simple to take away both in publish or by stopping down previous f/4.
Budget various: The L-mount doesn’t actually have a less expensive ultra-wide zoom. If you possibly can’t spend the money, think about a chief just like the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art.
Read our Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DN Art assessment
Best L-mount lens for portraits
Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4
Daven Mathies/Digital Trends
Shot on the Lumix S1
Shot on the Lumix S1 Daven Mathies/Digital Trends
Why you can purchase this: Superb picture high quality and fast autofocus from a well-built lens
Who’s it for: Pro portrait photographers and severe fans
Why we picked the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4:
The value on the Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 approaches Leica territory, however the photographs from this lens are glorious. The brilliant f/1.4 aperture is right for low mild and defocused backgrounds, whereas superior sharpness permits the lens to seize glorious element, even when working with high-resolution our bodies. An 11-blade aperture helps create round bokeh even when not taking pictures wide-open.
As the Pro within the identify suggests, the development is top-notch, with weather-sealing and a really sturdy really feel. A guide focus clutch lets you possibly can change from auto to guide rapidly by pulling the main target ring. At 2.1 kilos with a size of over 5 inches, the lens is on the bigger facet for a 50mm, however that’s merely what’s required for such nice optics.
The L-Mount has a number of nice portrait choices — together with Sigma’s 85mm and 105mm F1.4 Art lenses, though these usually are not mirrorless-specific — however the picture high quality coming from the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4 is solely glorious, for those who can afford it.
Budget Alternative: At half the associated fee with an extended focal size, the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is a superb various.
See extra photographs in our Panasonic Lumix S1 assessment
Best mid-range L-mount zoom lens
Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH
Why you can purchase this: Zoom versatility meets the picture high quality of a chief lens
Who’s it for: Any photographer that wants a workhorse zoom — and has an enormous price range
Why we picked the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH:
Where lesser zooms sacrifice sharpness for versatility, the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH rivals the picture high quality of a chief lens. Photos are exceptionally sharp, and an optical stabilization system rated at 3.5 stops helps hold blur from obscuring these particulars.
While the lens is an f/4 on the lengthy finish, the f/2.8 on the vast finish is admirable for such a lens. Leica has balanced brightness and zoom vary to create a reasonably distinctive lens. It presents barely extra vary than the standard 24-70mm f/2.8 and barely lower than the usual 24-105mm f/4, whereas its variable most aperture spans the distinction between these two frequent lens varieties.
The lens’s autofocus is each fast and quiet, although the digital focusing system isn’t splendid for videographers seeking to pull focus manually.
Design-wise, the lens is weather-sealed and in addition makes use of water repellent coatings on the entrance and rear glass. It’s a little bit of a beast to hold round, although, at 2.5 kilos.
There’s no getting round the truth that that purple dot emblem means the lens prices greater than some used vehicles. And whereas it manages to do the seemingly inconceivable and provide prime-like picture high quality in a zoom, few will need to drop that a lot money on a lens, particularly now that the L-Mount alliance means there are extra choices than ever earlier than.
Budget various: If you die somewhat on the within once you see the value of the Leica, think about the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, attributable to be launched in February 2020, at a couple of fifth of the associated fee.
Best telephoto L-mount lens
Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/2.8 OIS
Why you can purchase this: This versatile telephoto captures some gorgeous photographs
Who’s it for: Serious photographers and professionals on the lookout for an extended workhorse lens
Why we picked the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/2.8 OIS:
The Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/2.8 OIS is a brand new launch, however preliminary opinions counsel this lens shall be a heavy hitter. It presents stable picture high quality with sharp particulars and good colour and distinction. Like Panasonic’s different Pro-series lenses, distortion and aberration ought to come at a minimal. An 11-blade aperture and an autofocus system designed to chop focus respiratory ought to assist it attraction videographers in addition to nonetheless photographers.
One of the lens’s largest options is the stabilization, which, when used with Dual IS 2.0 on the Panasonic S1 and S1R, is sweet for as much as a staggering 7 stops of stabilization. Combined with the intense f/2.8 fixed aperture, the S Pro 70-200mm ought to be a low mild beast.
Beast can also be an applicable time period as a result of 3.45-pound weight, which may make the lens more durable to make use of in an all-day shoot. That weight, fortunately, is indicative of high-end construct high quality, and the lens is absolutely weather-sealed. And lastly, whereas the value isn’t pocket change, it’s fairly much like what different manufacturers cost for a brilliant 70-200mm.
Budget various: Stepping right down to an f/4 lens creates quite a lot of wiggle room within the price range with optics just like the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/4 OIS.
Editors’ Recommendations