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Leica Lens Reviews
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September 2009 Leica Camera Reviews
12mm 15mm 18mm 21mm 24mm 28mm
35mm 40mm 50mm 75mm 90mm 135mm
Zoom Macro Leica Lens Names Explained
More information and articles
How to Afford Anything
NEW: Leica Lens Serial Numbers 04 November 2009
Specific Lens Recommendations for the LEICA 17 September 2009
LEICA M9 Lens Compatibility 01 October 2009
Cosina and Voigtländer Lenses
Click any image below to go to its review or more information.
12mm (requires external finder) top
Leica makes no 12mm lenses. Be sure to read How to Use Ultrawideangle Lenses. If you get a 12mm, you're crazy. Don't bother with a 15mm or 18mm as well; they are too similar to bother carrying them and their finders at the same time.
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Voigtländer 12mm f/5.6 ASPH
2000-today, filter adapter needed for 77mm filters, 173g.
It's a screw-mount lens, so be sure to get a screw-mount adapter for use on M cameras. It comes with a dedicated 12mm finder.
It comes in black as shown or silver.
It's sharp, and has plenty of falloff (darker corners) as expected. I'm a wide-angle junkie, and 12mm is too wide, even for me. It is not rangefinder coupled as all Leica brand lenses. No big deal, just guess. Its depth-of-field is just about unlimited.
TTL metering works great on all M cameras.
WARNING: Although wonderful on film, this lens sucks on the M9 because its rear nodal point is too close for the sensor. The left and right sides take on weird color shifts. For the M9, get the LEICA 16-18-21mm zoom instead.
enlarge image or more information (review coming) |
15mm (requires external finder) top
Leica makes no 15mm lenses. These Voigtländers are excellent, and very useful for ultrawide effects. Be sure to read How to Use Ultrawideangle Lenses. If you get a 15mm, don't bother with an 18mm or 21mm lens; they are too similar to bother carrying them and their finders as well.
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Voigtländer 15mm f/4.5 M II ASPH
2009-today, 52mm filters, 155g.
An excellent lens in every way. TTL metering works great on all M cameras.
WARNING: Although wonderful on film, this lens sucks on the M9 because its rear nodal point is too close for the sensor. The left and right sides take on weird color shifts. For the M9, get the LEICA 16-18-21mm zoom instead.
Full review. |
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Voigtländer 15mm f/4.5 ASPH
1999-today, no filters, 115g.
Same as the lens above, except that it's screw-thread, and has no rangefinder coupling or filter thread. Be sure to get an adapter to use it on M cameras.
TTL metering works great on all M cameras.
WARNING: Although wonderful on film, this lens sucks on the M9 because its rear nodal point is too close for the sensor. The left and right sides take on weird color shifts. For the M9, get the LEICA 16-18-21mm zoom instead.
Full review. |
18mm (requires external finder) top
Both these 18mm lenses are excellent, and very useful for ultrawide effects. Be sure to read How to Use Ultrawideangle Lenses. If you get one, don't bother getting any 15mm, 21mm or 24mm lens: they are too close to bother carrying all of them and their finders at the same time.
21mm (requires external finder) top
21mm has been the standard ultrawide angle for Leica since 1958. Everyone should have one of these. Don't bother carrying any of the 15mm, 18mm, 24mm or 28mm lenses at the same time.
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LEICA 21mm f/1.4 ASPH
2008-today, 82mm filters, 580g. 11 647.
A beast of a $6,000 lens, this is an ultrawide for very low light. It needs a special adapter to use 82mm filters, otherwise it takes series VIII. It is the world's fastest ultrawide lens, but for digital with its higher ISO's I'd not bother carrying this lens that weighs twice as much as the f/2.8, and probably blocks your viewfinder like crazy. I have not reviewed it yet.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet) |
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Voigtländer 21mm f/4
2009-today, 39mm filters, 132g.
The tiniest ultrawide ever for Leica. A great performer that fulfills Oskar Barnack's vision even better than Leica's own lenses today.
WARNING: Although wonderful on film, this lens sucks on the M9 because its rear nodal point is too close for the sensor. The left and right sides take on weird color shifts. For the M9, get the LEICA 21mm f/2.8 ASPH instead.
Full review. |
24mm (requires external finder) top
I'm not a fan of 24mm lenses on Leicas because they require an inconvenient external viewfinder. The widest lens supported with the camera's own finder on full-frame Leicas is 28mm. Since you need to use an external finder, I prefer to use a 28mm lens instead with the camera's own finder, or go all the way to 21mm if I have to use an external finder. Never attempt to swap finders at the same time you swap lenses: you will drop things and go insane. If you must use more than one wide lens with an external finder, use the Universal Wide Finder or the 21-24-28mm zoom finder.
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LEICA 24mm f/3.8 ASPH
2008-today, 46mm filters, 260g. 11 648.
This is Leica's smallest 24mm lens, and also Leica's most insanely sharp and least distorting 24mm lens. It is offered at a very reasonable $2,400. Per Leica's specs, it is super sharp even wide open in the farthest corners. I have no reason to doubt this, although I have yet to try it.
enlarge image or more information. (no review yet). |
28mm top
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LEICA 28mm f/2 ASPH
2000-today, 46mm filters, 256g. 11 604.
The world's sharpest wide-angle lens. It is the only 28mm f/2 lens ever made by Leica.
Full review. |
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LEICA 28mm f/2.8 ASPH
2008-today, 39mm filters 173g. 11 606.
Leica's tiniest current lens, and a stellar performer as well. If you can get only one wide lens, this is a great choice. Especially with digital, there is no need for the f/2 ASPH unless you just have to have it.
Full review. |
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Older LEICA 28mm f/2.8 lenses
1936-2008.
I would forget any older Leica 28mm lens. Today's 28mm f/2.8 ASPH is the highest-performance f/2.8 they've ever made, and it doesn't cost much more brand new than older 28mm lenses cost used! Today's f/2.8 is also the smallest 28mm f/2.8 ever made by Leica, so it's a no-brainer. |
35mm top
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LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35mm f/2 ASPH
1996-today, 39mm filters, 254g. 11 879 in black, 11 882 in chrome.
Leica's most practical wide-angle today. It comes in black aluminum (11 879) and chromed brass (11 882).
Full review. |
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LEICA 35mm f/2.5
2007-today, 39mm filters, 220g. 11 643.
I haven't used this new lens, but the other Summarit-M lens I used had superb optical quality with sub-par mechanical quality.
I wouldn't buy one of these. For less money you can get a used 35mm SUMMICRON lens of whatever vintage you like, including the current ASPH, or get a 1960's SUMMARON f/2.8 which ought to do about the same thing for a whole lot less.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |

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LEICA 35mm f/2 SUMMICRON
1958-1969, 39mm filters, 238g, 8-elements. 11 108; 11 308 without M3 auxilary finder optics; 11 008 in screw mount.
A stellar performer even today, and priced to match. Even with the auxiliary finder optics shown, weighs less than today's ASPH version and performs as well, with even less distortion.
enlarge image
(review coming) |
40mm top
40mm lenses are designed for the Leica CL and CLE, both of which have 40mm frame lines. It's a bit silly to use this lens on other cameras, on which it selects the 50mm frame lines
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LEICA 40mm f/2 SUMMICRON-C
1973-1977, 39 x 0.75mm filters, 126g. 11 542.
This may be the smallest and lightest M lens ever made by LEICA.
It works very well and is super-sharp, albeit a little less contrasty in the corners at f/2. Background bokeh is bad (foreground bokeh is great, but that doesn't count). Watch the filter thread: it's not a standard 39mm thread. Leica intends for this to be used with nonexistent series 5.5 filters held in place by the dedicated threaded hood. The lens' threads are the same diameter, but too coarse to receive standard filters.
I use regular 39mm filters, but I only screw them in to where they first stop. Force them and you destroy everything.
enlarge image and example photos (review coming). |
50mm top
All Leica 50mm lenses made since the 1950s have been superb. Older ones may be, too, just that I haven't used anything earlier than 1954.
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LEICA SUMMILUX-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH
2004-today, 46mm filters, 335g, built-in hood. 11 891 in black aluminum; 11 892 in chromed brass.
This, along with the f/2 lens below, is the best 50mm lens ever made.
This 50mm SUMMILUX ASPH is beyond all others. It is sharper and has less distortion. It is the only 50mm f/1.4 on the planet that uses aspherical optics for insane sharpness even at f/1.4 with no distortion, and it is also the only one that uses floating elements to retain this level of performance at every distance. Every other 50mm f/1.4 lens, even Nikon's newest 50mm f/1.4 AF-S of 2008, makes due with conventional spherical optics and fixed elements.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |
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LEICA SUMMICRON-M 50mm f/2
1995-today: 39mm filters, 240g, built-in hood, ring focus, 11 826 in black. (335g in chromed brass.)
1979-1995: 39mm filters, tab focus, round clip-on plastic hood, 195g, 11 817 or 11 819 in black.
Both of these versions use the same optics.
This is the third optical iteration of the 50mm SUMMICRON on which Leica has built its reputation since 1953. All versions are wonderful, and today's optical iteration is the world's standard for performance.
The street names for these two versions of 50mm SUMMICRON are "type 4" and "type 5," owing to the first optical design (1953-1968) coming in both collapsible and conventional mounts and taking up the "type 1 and "type 2" designations used by laypeople.
You could not go wrong with any 50mm SUMMICRON as your only Leica lens.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |
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LEICA 50mm f/0.95 NOCTILUX
2008-today, 60mm filters, 700g. 11 602.
Leica's show-off lens, this huge thing weighs a ton. It sells for a for a mere $10,000. It has very little distortion, and is a huge improvement over the older f/1 spherical lens.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |
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LEICA 50mm f/1 NOCTILUX
1976-2008, 60mm filters, 630g, made in Canada. 11 821. (the earliest version used 58mm filters, a baynet metal hood and weighed 580g.)
These sell for about $5,000 used. They use old-style spherical optics. They only recently were discontinued, and since many people buy them to try once, they are easy to find used.
enlarge image (no review yet). |
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LEICA 50mm f/2.5
2007-today, 39mm filters, 230g. 11 644.
I haven't used this new lens, but the other Summarit-M lens I used had superb optical quality with sub-par mechanical quality.
I wouldn't buy one of these. For less money you can get a used 50mm SUMMICRON lens of whatever vintage you like for one-quarter the price.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |
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LEICA 50mm f/2 SUMMICRON
1969-1979, 39mm filters, 200g. 11 817.
This is the second optical iteration of Leica's 50mm f/2 SUMMICRON, with six elements. It is one optical version before today's SUMMICRON-M optical design.
Street parlance for this version is "type 3," since laypeople use "type 1" and "type 2" to describe two mechanical variations of the same optical design which was used from 1953-1968.
You could not go wrong with this lens as your only Leica lens, for only about $400 used.
enlarge image. Example photos from Death Valley and Route 66. (review coming). |
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LEICA 5cm f/2 SUMMICRON
1953-1968, 39mm filters, 234g.
This is Leica's first 50mm SUMMICRON lens, with seven elements. It came in many versions, all with the same optics:
Collapsible screw mount (SOOIC, 1953-1960)
Collapsible M mount seen here (SOOIC-M, 1954-1957)
Standard non-collapsible "rigid" M mount (SOSIC or 11 818, 1956-1968.)
Rigid M mount, close-focusing "dual range" (SOMNI or 11 918, 1956-1968, close focus to 478 milimeters). (WARNING: This special dual-focus-range lens works perfectly on all Leica M cameras from M1 through M7, but a new internal obstruction in the M9 prevents this version from focusing beyond 4 meters.)
Rigid screw mount (SOSTA or 11 518 (meters), 11 018 (feet); 1960-1963, rare.)
Street names for these lenses are "type 1" for the collapsible lenses, and "type 2" for the non-collapsible ones. The optics are identical; its just the mechanics which differ.
A prototype with a leaf shutter was made for use at high flash sync speeds up to 1/200, but was never sold.
These are all great lenses, but be careful: it's front element is made of soft glass. Both samples I've seen show a lot of wear to the front element from 50 years of cleanings, and need to be repolished and recoated.
enlarge image (review coming).
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One of several cosmetic variations.
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LEICA SUMMILUX 50mm f/1.4
Identical optics and coatings 1961-2004.
1961-1991: 43mm filters, 300g. 11 114.
1992-2004: 46mm filters, 360g, and adds built-in hood. 11 868.
This was the world's highest performance 50mm f/1.4 lens for 43 years. Its performance is exceeded only by the newer LEICA SUMMILUX-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, introduced in 2004, and still exceeds the performance of Nikon and Canon 50mm f/1.4 lenses. Not bad for a lens designed in 1960!
Full review.
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NEW: LEITZ ELMAR 50mm f/2.8
1957-1974, 39mm filters, 207g, 11 112, 11 612 (meters), 11512 (screw).
Sample Image.
This is a perfectly good and inexpensive lens.
It's not up to current standards when shot at f/2.8, but at normal apertures, this lens is as good as current lenses.
Full review. |
75mm top
75mm is an odd focal length for Leica, as is 24mm. With Leicas made since 1980 the 75mm frame lines are merely vestigial tits inside the 50mm frame, and on older cameras, there are no 75mm framelines at all.
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LEICA 75mm f/2.5
2007-today, 46mm filters, 345g. 11 645.
I haven't used this new lens, but the other Summarit-M lens I used had superb optical quality with sub-par mechanical quality.
I wouldn't buy one of these. For less money you can get a used 90mm lens for a fraction of the price.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |

1980-1982

1983-2005 |
LEICA 75mm f/1.4
1980-1982 (to serial 3 223 300): 60mm filters, 490g, bayonet hood. 11 814
1982-2005: 60mm filters, 625g, built-in hood. 11 815.
I've not tried this one. It's a big fat lens that weighs as much as a camera.
The optics are all the same; the barrel was merely redesigned to include a hood in 1983.
Its performance lags behind the state-of-the-art LEICA 75mm f/2 APO-SUMMICRON-M ASPH.
enlarge 1980-1982 image
enlarge 1983-2005 image
(no review yet). |
90mm top
90mm f/2 SUMMICRON (1958-today):

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LEICA 90mm f/2 SUMMICRON-M
1980-1998, 55mm filters, 485g. 11 136. (earliest 1980-1981 version took 49mm filters and weighed 410g, also called 11 136.)
This fat 90mm f/2 replaced the first 90mm f/2 made from 1958-1980. This lens is made in Canada.
It looks almost exactly the same as today's 90mm f/2 APO ASPH, but shares none of today's lens' technology.
The first rarely seen version of this lens is a little smaller and lighter than the version seen here, which is most often found. The version shown here is a tad heavier than today's APO ASPH.
The only reason to get this lens is to save money versus the state-of-the-art 90mm f/2 APO ASPH.
enlarge image (review coming). |

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LEICA 90mm f/2 SUMMICRON
1958-1980, 48mm filters, 605g. 11 123.
This fat 90mm f/2 was made for decades in various colors and variations. This lens is made in Canada and is an excellent performer, but too darn big to make any sense as part of the M system.
This lens can be a bargain. The beater you see here was offered at $250, complete with a chip in the front element, and works great.
enlarge image (review coming). |
90mm f/2.8 ELMARIT and f/2.5 (1959-today):
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LEICA 90mm f/2.8 ELMARIT-M
1990-2008, 46mm filters, 395g, built-in hood. 11 807.
Leica's best 90mm f/2.8 lens ever; as good as the 90mm f/2 ASPH, and therefore a screaming bargain used for less than an f/2.5 Summarit-M new.
It also came in silver, titanium, and maybe even more colors.
Full review. |
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LEICA 90mm f/2.8 TELE-ELMARIT-M
1974-1990, 39mm filters, 226g. 11 800.
Leica's lightest 90mm ever and a swell performer; my favorite tele travel lens. Its small size and great performance allowed it to replace both the earlier TELE-ELMARIT and ELMARIT below at the same time. It's only limitation is that it's softer in the corners at f/2.8 than newer lenses, but so what: at f/2.8 in the corners with a tele, nothing usually is in focus anyway.
Full review. |
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LEICA 90mm f/2.8 TELE-ELMARIT
1964-1974, 39mm filters. 11 800.
I haven't tried this one. It was a smaller, lighter alternative to the premium ELMARIT below. It was replaced by the TELE-ELMARIT-M above.
This first version of the 90mm TELE-ELMARIT is nicknamed the "fat" Elmarit by casual users. |

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LEICA 90mm f/2.8 ELMARIT
1959-1974, 39mm filters, 333g 11 129.
Leica's first 90mm f/2.8. It's sharper in the corners wide-open than the Tele-Elmarit-M of 1974, but not quite as contrasty in the center wide-open. For a 50-year-old lens, it performs just fine.
enlarge image (review coming). |
90mm f/4 ELMAR (1931-1978):

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LEICA 90mm f/4 ELMAR-C
1973-1978, 39 x 0.75mm filters, 246g. 11 540; includes 12 517 hood and 14 543 pouch.
This compact 90mm lens came out for use with the LEICA CL. It works fine on other Leicas, especially the M7 with which I've used it. Focus is just fine.
Watch the filter thread: it's not a standard 39x 0.5mm thread. Leica intends for this to be used with nonexistent series 5.5 filters held in place by the dedicated threaded hood. The lens' threads are the same diameter, but too coarse to receive standard filters.
I use regular 39mm filters, but I only screw them in to where they first stop. Force them and you destroy everything.
This lens sells used for only about $100. Performance is swell, but watch for some obvious falloff (darkening) in the corners at f/4, gone by f/8. Bokeh is neutral to good.
I prefer the 90mm f/2.8 TELE-ELMARIT-M since it weighs slightly less with similar size and a stop extra speed, but if you're short on brains and cash, this is a great lens. (the crack about being short on brains means that you should never cheap-out on lenses, since they are a far better investment than cameras.)
enlarge image (review coming). |

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LEICA 90mm f4 ELMAR
1931-1964, 39mm filters, 337g. 11 131 (feet), ILNOO or 11 631 (meters)
This is Leica's first 90mm lens, designed in 1933 with four elements. It was sold in many different mounts, including this collapsible M mount seen here from 1955. It was coated since 1946. Another three-element design popped up from 1964 - 1969.
It's sharp and contrasty. It's a little softer in the corners at f/4 and f/5.6, but heck, so are Nikon lenses wide-open today. I'd have no problem shooting everything with this lens today.
It works great on everything including the M7, but look out: Leica specifically cautions not to try to mount this lens on the M9.
This version is solid chrome-plated brass. Its collapsible mount is a work of genius: Leica has it locked-out so you can't focus, and therefore accidentally shoot, unless you have it fully extended.
enlarge image (review coming). |
135mm top
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LEICA 135mm Lenses Compared
left to right:
1933-1960 HEKTOR f/4.5
1960-1965 ELMAR f/4
1965-1980 TELE-ELMAR f/4
1980-1998 TELE-ELMAR-M f/4
enlarge image |
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LEICA 135mm f/3.4 APO-TELYT
1998-today, 49mm filters, 453g, built-in hood. 11 889.
Today's 135mm f/3.4 replaces both earlier f/4 and f/2.8 lenses, for at least eight times the price. It should offer spectacular performance. The adjustment of your camera's rangefinder will be your biggest limitation in sharpness.
enlarge image or more information (no review yet). |
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LEICA 135mm f/4 TELE-ELMAR-M
1990-1998, 46mm filters, 550g, built-in hood. 11 861.
This TELE-ELMAR-M offers fantastic performance, for about 1/8 the price of the 135mm f/3.4 APO.
It has the same optics as the superb 1965 lens below. The biggest limitation to sharpness, as with all 135mm rangefinder lenses, is whether or not your camera's rangefinder and lenses are accurately adjusted to one another.
enlarge image
(review coming). |
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LEICA 135mm f/4 TELE-ELMAR
1965-1990, 39mm filters, 505g. 11 851.
This lens has the same optics as the TELE-ELMAR-M above, but in a smaller, lighter package.
Leica updated the styling to improve sales, therefore, this older lens is a top pick for fabulous optics in a smaller, lighter package for less money.
enlarge image (review coming). |

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LEICA 135mm f/2.8 ELMARIT
1963-1977, Series VII filters, 730g. 11 829.
LEICA 135mm f/2.8 ELMARIT-M
1977-1998, 55mm filters, 735g. 11 829.
(11 829 for both versions, -M version from serial number 2 788 927)
This is a big, fat lens. it was never popular because it is too big to make sense. It uses 1.5x magnifiers for the finder which key-in the 90mm frame lines and gives a life-size or bigger finder image, but don't do anything to alleviate the mechanical calibration errors which often give incorrect focus. Performance is fine, limited by your particular camera's calibration to focus with this lens.
enlarge image (review coming). |
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LEICA 135mm f/4 ELMAR
1960-1965, 39mm filters, 405g 11 850.
A swell performer, and a bargain today second-hand. It's a traditional non-tele design and therefore not marked as such, and its a little longer than the newer TELE-ELMARs which replace it.
It is the lightest 135mm ever sold by Leica, and seeing how inexpensive it is, along with high performance, this is the cheapskate's top pick.
enlarge image (review coming). |
Zooms (requires external finder) top
Zoom lenses don't really work on Leica because the finder of the Leica can't zoom. Thus Leica has only made two zooms, only one of which is made today. Because the finders have to be manually adjusted to the lens (unlike the Contax G whose finder does zoom), Leica's zoom lenses only adjust in three click-stops. Leica attempts to hide the fact that these are zooms, and limited to only three settings, by marketing these under the clever trade name "TRI-ELMAR."
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LEICA 28-35-50mm f/4 ASPH
1998 - ?, 55mm, later 49mm filters.
First black aluminum version (11 890) weighed 340g; first chromed brass version (11 894) weighed 460g. Latter version is 11 625.
Unlike the newer 16-21mm zoom, this older zoom was very handy because it automatically selected the correct finder frame as you zoomed.
(no review yet). |
Macro top
More Information top
Leica Lens Names 24 January 2009
Leica Summarit-M Lenses (2007 introduction)
Cosina, Voigtländer and other lenses for Leica 15 January 2009
Contax G Lenses for Leica M 26 February 2009
M Lenses (from Leica)
M Lens Technology and History (from Leica)
List of Current Lenses for 6-Spot Updates (from Leica)
Current Voigtländer lenses
Discontinued Voigtländer lenses
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Ken
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