Philip Rigby's Work - Leica CL and 24-70 SL
10th October 2025
In: News, Members' Articles
Being relatively new to the Leica CL clan, l am still in the early days of exploring and experimenting with the Leica lenses available to the system. My original kit consisted of the 18mm TL, 35mm TL and the 60mm macro TL.
Being a fully paid up member of the GAS club, l soon acquired a yearning for something with a longer reach and initially flirted with the 55-150mm TL and in all honesty was on the cusp of sealing the deal so to speak, when l alighted upon the Leica 24-70mm SL. OK, l hear you say, big heavy beast, and it somewhat dwarfs the CL body. How it looks on the body is not of any particular concern to me, what l am really interested in, is what it produces, with a caveat concerning the weight. I also hear you say, but at the long end it is a 70mm not a 155mm, but having looked long and hard at the type of images l take, it became obvious that a rarely shoot at the 100-155mm range. Again l hear the argument that l already have the 60mm, the counter to that being that my method of shooting is that l only ever leave the house with one lens, and enjoy the challenge of making that lens work for the day. The 24-70mm SL makes the task somewhat easier.
At that stage a bonus appeared on the scene in that l got the opportunity of having free access to a lens for a few weeks, and so the journey with the 24-70mm commenced.
There is no getting away from it - yes it is heavier than l would like, but the trade off is in the quality of the images it produces and the bokeh it renders - at least to my eyes. Within days l was convinced that this lens was for me, despite the weight, and the borrowed Leica 24-70 SL, is borrowed no more, but resides in my bag. To assist with the comfort in carrying the rig, l have invested in a Peak Design Slide camera sling strap, and that does make a difference in comfort, over my existing much thinner leather sling strap.
I have included a selection of images taken with the 24-70mm and hope you enjoy them.
Being a fully paid up member of the GAS club, l soon acquired a yearning for something with a longer reach and initially flirted with the 55-150mm TL and in all honesty was on the cusp of sealing the deal so to speak, when l alighted upon the Leica 24-70mm SL. OK, l hear you say, big heavy beast, and it somewhat dwarfs the CL body. How it looks on the body is not of any particular concern to me, what l am really interested in, is what it produces, with a caveat concerning the weight. I also hear you say, but at the long end it is a 70mm not a 155mm, but having looked long and hard at the type of images l take, it became obvious that a rarely shoot at the 100-155mm range. Again l hear the argument that l already have the 60mm, the counter to that being that my method of shooting is that l only ever leave the house with one lens, and enjoy the challenge of making that lens work for the day. The 24-70mm SL makes the task somewhat easier.
At that stage a bonus appeared on the scene in that l got the opportunity of having free access to a lens for a few weeks, and so the journey with the 24-70mm commenced.
There is no getting away from it - yes it is heavier than l would like, but the trade off is in the quality of the images it produces and the bokeh it renders - at least to my eyes. Within days l was convinced that this lens was for me, despite the weight, and the borrowed Leica 24-70 SL, is borrowed no more, but resides in my bag. To assist with the comfort in carrying the rig, l have invested in a Peak Design Slide camera sling strap, and that does make a difference in comfort, over my existing much thinner leather sling strap.
I have included a selection of images taken with the 24-70mm and hope you enjoy them.
Comments
By Pam: Wow Philip these pictures are right up my street. I think there is something really beautiful in flower photography
On the subject of weight I used to use a Leica R9 with the DMR which became too heavy for me so I am now on the Panasonic G9 2 plus Leica lenses of course
Well done your pics are great. By Keith Walker: Isn't nature wonderful! So complex yet so delicate. Well illustrated by a lovely set of images. By David Askham: Philip, what a feast for the eyes! You are a master photographer of botanical subjects. If i was for ed to find a favourite. No. 2 would be high on my list. Choice of lens? Whatever 'floats your boat'. There is no simple answer. Well done! By Ken Davis: Your compositions and use of limited depth of field work well Philip. By Don Morley: Loved your pictures Philip, and if I may say so, your very obvious skill level and artistic talents. keep up the good work and keep showing us more please. Best wishes, Don