Leica L-Mount

The Leica L-Mount is a bayonet mount developed by Leica Camera AG for interchangeable-lens autofocus digital cameras.

Not to be confused with Canon L lens.
Leica L-Mount
Logo of the L-mount alliance
TypeBayonet, digital interface
Inner diameter51.6 mm
Tabs4
Flange20 mm
Connectors10 electrical pins

The L-Mount has an inner diameter of 51.6 mm[1] and a flange depth of 20.0 mm.[2] The L-mount exists in two versions, an APS-C version (TL) and a full-frame version (SL). The two versions are mechanically and electronically compatible. TL lenses mounted on full-frame cameras will cause the camera to use a crop mode from the center of the sensor, corresponding to the APS-C coverage of the lens. SL lenses mounted on TL cameras function normally, providing a 1.5x crop field of view, as is typical with APS-C cameras.

In 2018 Leica formed the L-Mount Alliance, licensing Sigma and Panasonic to use an upgraded version of the mount for their own products, opening the way for a more extensive system of fully compatible cameras and lenses.[3]

T-Mount to L-Mount

It was introduced in April 2014 with the Leica T (Typ 701) camera. At the time of introduction, it was called the "T-mount", but this was changed to "L-mount" with the release of the Leica SL, a full-frame sensor camera using the same mount. The Leica T was renamed to the Leica TL at this time[4], to permit marketing clarity for the L-mount lens line: TL lenses would cover APS-C sensors, while SL lenses would cover full-frame sensors.

The mount is used by the Leica TL (discontinued), TL2, Leica CL (2017) and Leica SL systems. The L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.

Leica T (701), the first L-Mount camera
Kazuto Yamaki (Sigma), Andreas Kaufmann (Leica Camera) and Junichiro Kitagawa (Panasonic) after the announcement of the L-Mount Alliance on 25 September 2018 at photokina in Cologne
Panasonic Lumix S1R with prime lens 50 mm f/1.4 at photokina in September 2018

L-Mount Alliance
Main article: L-Mount Alliance

On 25 September 2018, the L-Mount Alliance between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma was announced, enabling the partners "to make use of the L-Mount standard developed by Leica for their own developments and to offer both cameras and lenses utilising this lens mount" with full compatibility between the three companies' products.[5]

According to Sigma CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, the "L-mount system is not exactly the same as the existing one. We updated it a little bit to work better with such lenses through lens adapters."[3]

On the same day, Panasonic announced its S1R and S1 full-frame L-Mount cameras and three L-Mount lenses, with seven more lenses to be launched by 2020.[6][3]

Sigma announced that it will launch a full-frame camera in 2019, using the L-Mount and the company's Foveon sensor, as well as a range of L-mount lenses and adapters for Sigma SA and Canon EF lenses.[7]

Six cameras and 39 native lenses are confirmed for the L-Mount by 2020.

Cameras

APS-C

Leica T/TL cameras use APS-C sensors. The TL mount version is not dust- or splashproof.

Superseded

Current

Full-frame

Leica SL cameras use full-frame sensors. The SL version is dust- and splashproof.

Current

Forthcoming
  • Unspecified Foveon-based full-frame Sigma[3]

Lenses

Leica has an existing range of fifteen L-Mount lenses.[10]

Panasonic committed to releasing a total of ten lenses for the L-mount by the end of 2020, beginning with the 50mm F/1.4 prime and the two zooms listed below; stating that they would provide details at Photokina 2019. [11]

Sigma plans to release a wide range of lenses. 14 primes from Sigma's 'Global Vision' range, primarily designed for reflex cameras with short flange depths and currently available for the mirrorless Sony E-mount, will also be released in L-Mount from 2019.[3][12] These will be followed by a range designed specifically for mirrorless parameters.

APS-C

Prime
  • Leica APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL 1:2.8 / 60 ASPH
  • Leica Summilux-TL 1:1.4 / 35 ASPH
  • Leica Summicron-TL 1:2 / 23 ASPH
  • Leica Elmarit-TL 1:2.8 / 18 ASPH

Prime (forthcoming)
  • Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary[3]
  • Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary[3]
  • Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary[3]

Zoom
  • Leica Super-Vario-Elmar-TL 1:3.5-4.5 / 11-23 ASPH
  • Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 1:3.5-5.6 / 18-56 ASPH
  • Leica APO-Vario-Elmar-TL 1:3.5-4.5 / 55-135 ASPH

Full-frame
Panasonic Lumix S full-frame L-mount lenses: 50 mm f/1,4, 70-200 mm and 24-105 mm

Prime
  • Leica Summilux-SL 1:1.4 / 50 ASPH
  • Leica APO-Summicron-SL 1:2 / 75 ASPH
  • Leica APO-Summicron-SL 1:2 / 90 ASPH
  • Leica APO-Summicron-SL 1:2 / 35 ASPH
  • Leica APO-Summicron-SL 1:2 / 50 ASPH
  • Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 50mm f/1.4[13][14]
  • Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary
  • Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG DN Art
  • Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 28mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art[3]
  • Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art[3]

Prime (forthcoming)
  • Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG MACRO Art[3]

Zoom
  • Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 1:2.8-4 / 24-90 ASPH
  • Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 1:2.8-4 / 90-280
  • Leica Super-Vario-Elmar-SL 1:3.5-4.5 / 16-35 ASPH
  • Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm f/4 MACRO O.I.S.
  • Panasonic LUMIX S Pro 70-200mm f/4 O.I.S.
  • Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
  • Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

Zoom (forthcoming)
  • Panasonic LUMIX S 24-70mm f/2.8 [13][14]
  • Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 70-200mm f/2.8 [13][14]
  • Panasonic LUMIX S PRO 16-35mm f/4 [13][14]

Third-party

Manual third-party lenses are being produced in L-mount by 7Artisans (Photoelectric series), Meyer-Optik (Gorlitz series), and Kipon HandeVision (IBELUX and IBERIT series').

Lens adapters
  • Leica R-Adapter L
  • Leica S-Adapter L
  • Leica M-Adapter L
  • Leica PL-Adapter L
  • Novoflex SL-EOS Adapter [15]
  • Novoflex SL/NIK Adapter

Forthcoming
  • Sigma SA-L adapter
  • Sigma EF-L adapter Sigma-manufactured 'Global Vision' EF-mount lenses are fully supported and compatible; although non-Sigma EF-mount lenses remain unguaranteed.[3]

Notes
  1. https://l-mount.com/en/Q-and-A
  2. Leica SL Details. Manufacturer's website. Visited 2 June 2017.
  3. Etchells, Dave (2 October 2018). "Sigma interview at Photokina 2018: CEO Kazuto Yamaki gives us a peek inside the L-mount alliance". Imaging Resource. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  4. "New Leica TL System announced". Leica Forum Blog. 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  5. Goldstein, Mark. "L-Mount Alliance Between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma Officially Announced". Photography Blog. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  6. Goldstein, Mark. "Panasonic S1R and Panasonic S1 35mm Full-frame Mirrorless Cameras". Photography Blog. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  7. Butler, Richard. "Sigma to take Foveon full frame and adopt L mount". DPReview. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  8. "LUMIX S series". Panasonic. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  9. "Sigma announces ultra-compact 'fp' L-mount camera, teases full-frame Foveon sensor". DPReview.
  10. "Leica SL lenses". Leica Company Website. Leica Camera AG. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  11. PanasonicLumixVideo channel
  12. "Sigma Photokina 2018 Press Event (live streaming) by pttl.gr" on YouTube
  13. Keller, Jeff (September 25, 2018). "Panasonic developing two full-frame mirrorless cameras with Leica L-mount". DPReview. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  14. "Panasonic Launches Three L-Mount Interchangeable Lensesfor the LUMIX SSeries Full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera" (PDF). Panasonic Global Website. Panasonic Corporation. February 1, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  15. "Adapter-Finder of Novoflex". Novoflex Company Website. Novoflex. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2017.


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