LEICA APO VARIO ELAMR TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5

A review and photo examples of the Leica APO-Vario-Elmar TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5.

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Table of contents

Gallery

• Sample photo taken with the LEICA T typ701.

Review

1．Overview

The APO-Vario-Elmar TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 is a zoom lens released in 2015 that covers a focal length of 80mm to 200mm in 35mm format. The lens length is shortest at 55mm at the wide-angle end and extends to 43mm at 135mm at the telephoto end. It is the longest focal length lens in the Leica APS-C line.

2．Usability

For a zoom lens, the LEICA APO VARIO ELAMR TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 delivers impressive resolution and a decent amount of bokeh at a focal length of 135mm. It truly lives up to its name as an APO lens, with little false color in leaves and other subjects, making it well worth the price.

However, it’s not particularly fast for a zoom lens, and while F3.5 at the wide-angle end of 55mm is barely acceptable, the F-stop at the telephoto end of 135mm is F4.5. Since I didn’t have a camera body with image stabilization, I struggled with camera shake when using slow shutter speeds.

When I took the camera to photograph the autumn leaves at Kuwayama Shrine in Kyoto, shooting from twilight into the night, it was a constant battle against camera shake and subject blur. Since the Leica T doesn’t have an EVF, I had to look at the rear LCD screen while shooting, which resulted in a lot of blurry photos when holding it with just my arm.

Also, while the photographs looked fine in terms of focus and blur when viewed on the rear LCD screen, there were many photos that were out of focus or blurred when viewed on a PC monitor.

I would like to have an APS-C body with in-body image stabilization, but the future looks bleak as the Leica TL / CL series has already been discontinued. There are also problems with the camera body, and the autofocus speed is slow and the focusing accuracy is not good when used with the LEICA T. The AF performance of this lens is about the same as the APO Macro Elmarit 60mm.

In terms of AF speed, the top has faster autofocus operation and better focusing accuracy in the following order.

1. ELMARIT-TL 18mm =SUMMILUX-TL 23mm
2. SUMMILUX-TL 35mm
3. APO MACRO ELMARIT 60mm= APO-VARIO-ELAMR-TL 55-135

It’s a bit of a disappointing lens, and I feel it would be a more practical lens if the maximum aperture were variable from F2 to F2.8, or constant at F2.8.

It might be practical for lenses with image stabilization from the Leica SL2 or later, but I have not tried it with those bodies.

3．Summary

In conclusion, to sum up the LEICA APO VARIO ELAMR TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 is a valuable mid-telephoto zoom lens in the LEICA TL series. However, for its price, it’s a bit slow at F4.5 at the telephoto end and prone to camera shake.

If you use a telephoto lens with a Leica T APS-C sensor body, the lens will be larger, but it’s cheaper and more practical to use a Sigma full-frame telephoto zoom.

Specification ・LEICA T/TL Zoom lens Variations

Lens name	SUPER VARIO ELMAR	VARIO ELMAR	APO VARIO ELMAR
Focal length(mm)	11-23	18-56	55-135
35mm equivalent focal length	16.5-34.5	27-84	82.5-202.5
Max aperture	3.5-4.5	3.5-5.6	3.5-4.5
Min aperture	16	16	16
Lens Construction	14elements 10group	10elements 7group	12elements 10group
Min distance(m)	0.2〜 (11〜23)	0.3〜0.45 (18〜56)	1.0〜 (55〜135)
Lens length(mm)	77〜92	60〜80	110〜153
Lens diameter(mm)	73	63	68
Filter Size(mm)	E67(67mm)	E52(52mm)	E60(60mm)
Weight(g)	386 (Lens only)	256 (Lens only)	500 (Lens only)
Release date	2015.3.1	2014.4	2015.3.1
List Price(Yen)	230,000-	200,000−	230,000-

Reference links

• LEICA lens official page
• LEICA TL・Shige’s hobby

Update history

• 2024.07.01
• 2024.03.06
• 2022.11.25

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