LEICA APO VARIO ELAMR TL 55-135
Review and Photo example of the APO VARIO ELAMR TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Sample photo taken with the LEICA T typ701.
Review
Apo Vario Elmar TL 55-135mm F3.5-4.5 is a zoom lens that covers a focal length of 80mm to 200mm in 35mm format. The lens length is the shortest at 55mm at the wide-angle end, and the 43mm lens lengthens at 135mm at the telephoto end. This is the longest focal length lens in the Leica APS-C line.
F3.5 at the wide-angle end of 55mm is barely acceptable, but the F-number at the telephoto end of 135mm is F4.5, which is a dark lens, so I suffered from camera shake when using slow shutter speeds.
When I took the camera out to take photos of the autumn leaves at Kuwayama Shrine in Kyoto, I had to contend with camera shake and subject blur while shooting from dusk to night. In particular, with a Leica T that does not have an EVF attached, you will be looking at the rear LCD screen while taking pictures, so holding it with just your arm is likely to produce a lot of blurry photos, which is dangerous. In addition, the results of the shots looked fine when viewed on the rear LCD screen, but there were some photos that were a little blurry when viewed on a PC monitor.
An APS-C body with in-body image stabilization is desired, but since the Leica TL/CL series has already been discontinued, future prospects are bleak. This is also a problem with the camera body, but as long as I used it with the LEICA T, the art focus (hereinafter referred to as AF) focusing speed was slow, and the focusing accuracy was not that good.
The AF performance of this lens was a good match with the Apo Macro Elmarito 60mm.
My personal experience with AF speed is as follows: The higher the AF speed, the faster the AF speed will be.
- ELMARIT-TL 18mm =SUMMILUX-TL 23mm
- SUMMILUX-TL 35mm
- APO MACRO ELMARIT 60mm= APO-VARIO-ELAMR-TL 55-135
The image has a good resolution compared to a zoom lens, and the 135mm lens can produce a fair amount of blur. Although it is called an APO lens, I think it is worth the price because it does not cause false colors on leaves etc. I think it would have been a more practical lens if it were F2.8-F3.5 or F3.5.
I’ve heard rumors that this lens is made in Japan (marked with the Made in Japan stamp) by KM, a company that has already withdrawn from the consumer camera business.
Product images are taken from the official page.
Specification
| Item | Value | note |
| focal length(mm) | 55-135 | |
| Maximum aperture | 3.5-4.5 | |
| Minimum aperture | 16 | |
| Lens configuration | 10groups 12elements | |
| Minimum distance(m) | 1.0 | |
| Lens length(mm) | 110〜153 | Distance from mount flange |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 68 | |
| Filter diameter(mm) | E60 | |
| Weight(g) | 500 | |
| Release Year | March 1.2015 |
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
Update history
- 2024.03.06
- 2022.11.25
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