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Technique
FIRST ANNOUNCED 2018 (as an alliance)
NUMBER OF CAMERAS CURRENTLY IN LINE-UP 9
NUMBER OF PROPRIETARY LENSES 18
CAN BE USED WITH EXISTING LENSES?
Via various adapters
THE L MOUNT was fi rst announced by
Leica back in 2014 when it fi rst appeared
on the Leica T, an APS-C camera. It was
initially called the T mount, but changed
to the L mount with the release of the
Leica SL, a full-frame model. Things got
really interesting in 2018 however with
the formation of the ‘L-Mount Alliance’.
Announced at that year’s Photokina, it
saw Leica team up with Panasonic and
Sigma, all using the same mount for their
cameras and lenses, so that photographers
could mix and match between the
systems. Panasonic was an early pioneer of
mirrorless, introducing the very fi rst
mirrorless camera all the way back in 2008
with the G1, a Micro Four Thirds model.
Panasonic kicked off its L-MountAlliance line with the S1 and the S1R
full-frame cameras, followed a few months
later by the video-orientated S1H. Its most
recent announcement is the Lumix S5, a
full-frame camera, but with a smaller body
size than one of its Micro Four Thirds
cameras, the popular GH5. Sigma,
meanwhile, introduced the Sigma fp –
billing it the world’s smallest and lightest
full-frame camera – in July 2019. Leica,
who of course already had cameras using
the L mount, introduced its last L-mount
model, the SL2 in November 2019. All
three manufacturers have introduced a
plethora of lenses, while there’s also a
range of lenses which existed prior to the
L-Mount Alliance launch. Adapters can
be used with a wide range of existing
mounts as well.
USESPanasonicS1R
Ross has been using Lumix cameras for a
while for his professional practice, working
with Panasonic’s range of Micro Four
Thirds models for some time. In his kit bag
alongside the full-frame S1R is a GH5, G9,
G100 and a GX9. For the S1R, he likes the
fact that he can choose between Lumix,
Leica and Sigma lenses. ‘I’m always a fan of
companies working together to give us
even more choice. It’s like being a kid in a
sweet shop,’ he says.
Before changing over to Lumix, Ross shot
Nikon for around 20 years. ‘But as
technology changed, I started looking atL Mount Alliance
Ross Grieve
Ross is a portrait, commercial and
street photographer as well as
working in partnership with a number
of companies including Lumix,
Adobe, Elinchrom and X-Rite. See
more of his work at rossgrieve.com.other brands and settled on Lumix,’ he
explains. ‘One of my reasons for
changing was the features a mirrorless
system offered. With 4K and 6K Photo
modes, this really excited me.’
He also likes the ergonomics of the
camera. ‘I am a strong believer that you
need to bond with your camera. It
needs to feel comfortable in the hand
and to hold to your face,’ he says.
With lots of competition in the
market, it could be hard for users to
have confi dence in one of the newer
systems. Ross doesn’t have any doubts,
though. ‘When companies like Leica,
Lumix and Sigma make an
announcement such as the L-Mount
Alliance, they will stick by it. Having
worked closely with Panasonic for the
past six years, I have complete
confi dence in them, Leica and Sigma
taking the L-Mount Alliance forward.’