ELMARIT-M 2.8/28 1st

This is a record of using the LEICA M mount, ELMARIT-M 28mm f/2.8(1st) with a Leica M digital camera.

Table of contents

Gallery
Impression
Lens specification
Reference links

Gallery
LEICA ELMARIT-M 28mm F2.8(1st) Photo Example

Impression
The first generation ELMARIT-M lens is already more than 50 years old, but there is no problem at all in its depiction.
The first generation had the back of the lens close to the film plane and the back of the lens was placed well inside the camera; the second and subsequent generations had a retrofocus design, with the back of the lens protruding less.
Although the position of the rear lens element is close to the film plane, there is no noticeable color cast when shooting with a digital M camera.
I have seen descriptions that the first and second generation barrels are exactly the same, but this is not true. The barrel of the second generation with the stopper is not identical to the first generation, and the barrel of the second generation with the stopper is about 3 mm longer.
The following comparison images have been processed because there were no photos taken from the side of the lens, but the scale has been maintained.

The one I have is 2197xxx and was manufactured in Canada in 1966. The lens barrel is a little rickety, but the lens is clear and the aperture is working properly. The lens stopper is silver in color.
I sold most of my M-type lenses when I collected R-type lenses, but I kept this lens.
I have used M-type 28mm lenses (2nd, 3rd, 5th, SUMMARON 5.6/28, HEKTOR 6.3/28) except ELMARIT-M (4th generation) and SUMMILUX 1.4/28mm, but I like this lens’s rendering the best.

Lens specification
Wide-angle lens for LEICA M-type.
Prior to this lens, there was a SUMMARON lens with a screw (L) mount and the same focal length, but it was a dark lens with a maximum aperture of 5.6. The maximum aperture of the lens was brightened to 2.8 and released as the ELMARIT series.
A total of 3,200 were produced over a two-year period from 1964 to 1966.
The lens hood was 12501 and was shared with the Super Angulon-M 21/3.4 and the second generation ELMARIT-M 2.8/28.
Due to the old construction of the lens mount, it is not compatible with Leica’s lens recognition 6-bit code modification.

Item	Value	note
focal length(mm)	28
Maximum aperture	2.8
Minimum aperture	22
Lens configuration	5groups 8elements
Minimum distance(m)	0.7
Lens length(mm)	42	Distance from lens mount surface
Lens max diameter(mm)	52.5
Filter diameter(mm)	48 or Series VII
Weight(g)	242	lens only(Actual measurement of owned units)