LEICA ELMARIT R 19mm 1st

Review and Photo example of the LEICA ELMARIT R 19mm 1st.

Gallery

The example photo was taken using a LEICA SL typ601.

Review

Elmarit 19mm is a wide-angle lens for Leica R mount released in 1975.

The Type 1 lens introduced here is a lens that has been around for 50 years, and has a splendid front element that looks just like an old-fashioned wide-angle lens. The appearance is very similar to the early model of the Russian-made Mir-20M (20mm/F3.5), but since this lens is also a minor lens, I don’t think many people will be able to picture it.

Designed and manufactured by LEICA, this is one of the first wide-angle lenses designed in-house, and the hood is a bayonet type that is secured with two pins, which is typical of LEICA lenses of this era. This lens becomes very large when the hood is attached, and if you are used to the compact size of the 19mm II type, you may hesitate to take it with you. When attached to the LEICA SL typ006, the balance between the body and lens is good, but it creates a strong and powerful appearance.

Although it is a rare lens that is rarely seen on the market, the depiction is that of an old wide-angle lens, and the distortion peculiar to wide-angle lenses may be a concern. The lens I owned was old and the glass had deteriorated, so it didn’t provide very high contrast even when it was in front light, and when it was backlit, there was a mysterious reflection of light due to ghosts or flares and a decrease in contrast. .

You can fully enjoy the characteristics of a wide-angle lens that wraps around the subject while getting closer to the subject, and the depiction can be improved with digital correction.If the second-hand price is low, I think it’s worth trying out.
When considering only practical performance, it seems safe to choose something like Carl Zeiss’ Z series Distagon 18mm.

There are 1-CAM, 2-CAM, and 3-CAM lenses available; regular ROM cams are not manufactured, and I have never seen a modified ROM cam on the market. It is one of the rare lenses that is rarely seen on the market despite its long manufacturing history and a total of 8,200 pieces.

I acquired this lens in exchange for my own Summilux R 80mm/3CAM, which was left unsold at a second-hand store. I already had the new 19mm, so it wasn’t really necessary for me to own one, but my curiosity to try it out got the better of me and I got it. However, as mentioned above, there was nothing noteworthy about the depiction, so I sold it quickly.

ELAMRIT 19mm I type, exterior photo, link from Leica Wiki

仕様

Items	Type-I	Type-II	note
Focal length(mm)	19	19
Max aperture	2.8	2.8
Min aperture	16	22
Lens Construction	7群9枚	10群12枚
Leaf blade	6	6
Min distance(m)	0.3	0.3
Lens length(mm)	58	60	マウント面からの距離
Max diameter(mm)	88	71
Filter Size(mm)	82	–
Weight(g)	815	560
Production number	8,200	5,900
Release date	1975-1987	1990-2003