Out with the SL2 and 50mm Summilux-SL today, I got a harsh reminder of what caused the setup to fall out of favor. Weird shutter cadences, shutter lag, missed focus on static objects, yeah, all of the above. The maddening thing is that when it nailed focus and fired properly, which was actually most of the time, the images were superb.

Trouble is, for a camera and lens at this level, “most of the time” is not acceptable. It reminded me of why I’m still reluctant to attempt portraiture with the lens: because last time I tried, it embarrassed me badly.

Almost anything inside two meters has to be ballparked first, then fine focused. It’s not that it misses; it’s that it balks/hangs and won’t move. To my eyes, the 50mm ‘lux ASPH M lens is optically just as good, maybe actually a touch better. And if I’m the one moving the focus ring, I have only myself to blame if I miss focus.

No wonder I spend so much time with R glass lately . . .

SL2/50mm Summilux-SL . . .