LEICA APO MACRO ELMARIT R 100mm

Commonly known as AME, Leica R macro lens

A review and Photo example the APO MACRO ELMARIT 100mm for Leica R.

Gallery

Sample photos by LEICA SL (mirrorless digital camera)

Sample photos by LEICA R8 +KODAK GOLD200

Review

Usage
Lens overview
Comparison with competitors

1．Usage

The Apo Macro Elmarit 100mm is one of the most famous Leica R lenses, also known as AME, which is the acronym for APO MACRO ELMARIT.

The trend in lenses in the 2000s was not limited to macro lenses, but rather focused on resolution in line with the digital era, but this lens has a soft depiction that inherits the Leica macro lens lineage.

Turning the smooth focus ring with a sufficient width and looking at the focus position in the viewfinder while searching for the desired location gives you the pleasure of operating a manual lens. It is much more pleasant than watching the focus position slip out with a mediocre AF lens.

When used with a single-lens reflex camera, there can be concerns about the focus accuracy at full aperture depending on the viewfinder and the photographer’s skill, but in the digital age where EVFs can be used, there is no problem with focus as long as you take pictures carefully. Some models have image stabilization performed on the body, so it can be said that you are experiencing a process of camera evolution that was unimaginable in the film era.

Because the lens has no protruding parts at the rear, I was able to use it without any issues with the EOS-1Ds MK III, which is sensitive to lens attachment.

2．Lens overview

The APO-MACRO-ELMARIT 100mm is a macro lens with a Leica R mount.

It was released in 1986 and shipped 20,000 units. It comes in 3-CAM, R-CAM, and ROM versions, and all of these types are commonly seen on the used market.

The lens hood is built-in and is used by pulling out the hood attached to the tip of the lens. The hood has no stopper, giving the impression that it is loose, but this design is also appropriate because it is possible that the lens will be less damaged if it is not fixed when dropped.

As it is a macro lens, the focus ring is about 40mm wide, and the helicoid has a rotation angle of about 720 degrees. If the lens is in good condition, the helicoid has a moderate amount of tenacity, allowing for precise focusing.

The maximum shooting magnification is 1:2 (0.45m), which is called half macro, and in order to obtain a life-size shooting magnification (1:1), it is necessary to use a close-up lens named ELPRO, which screws onto the front of the lens. When this close-up lens ELPRO is attached, the hood cannot be pulled out.

3．Comparison with competitors

There are many excellent medium telephoto macro lenses released by various companies, such as the TMRON 90mm, ZEISS 100mm, NIKON 105mm, and others, so photographers have a lot of options for this focal length.

Personally, one 100mm class macro lens is enough for me, so since I found AME, I haven’t looked elsewhere. Before that, I used all three generations of Tamron’s 90mm manual focus macro lenses, the MINOLTA 100 macro, and others. All of them are good lenses, but I prefer the AME the most, including the styling.

Specification and Competitor

Item	AME	Macro Elmar
focal length(mm)	100	←
Maximum aperture	2.8	4
Minimum aperture	22	←
Leaf blade	7	8
Lens configuration	8elements in 6groups	4elements in 3groups
Minimum distance(m)	0.45	0.6
Lens length(mm)	104.5	92
Lens max diameter(mm)	73	67.5
Filter diameter(mm)	55	←
Weight(g)	760	540
Release date	1986	1968
Production number	20,000	16,254