LEICA ELMARIT R 19mm-II

The second generation R-mount Leica original wide-angle lens

A review and Photo example of ELMARIT-R 19mm type-2.

Gallery

LEICA R8 +DMR（Digital module R）

CANON EOS-1DsMKIII

Review

Lens overview
Usage
Mount adapter

1．Lens overview

The Elmarit 19mm-II is a Leica R mount wide-angle lens with a focal length of 19mm. The second generation Elmarit 19mm has a modern lens barrel and comes with a nice rectangular hood.

The Leica R mount wide-angle lenses are designed by Zeiss and Schneider for the two 15mm lenses, Minolta for the 16mm fisheye lens, and Schneider for the two 21mm lenses. However, both the first and second generation 19mm lenses are designed by Leica.

Like the Super-Elmar R 15mm, Super-Elmarit R 15mm, and Fisheye Elmarit R 16mm, the lens tip has a rotating filter change function (4 types: NDx1, Or, YG, KB12).

There is no screw groove on the lens tip, and it is not possible to insert a series filter inside the hood, so filters cannot be attached.

When used with DMR (Digital Module R), the focal length is equivalent to 19 x 1.37 = 26mm.

2．Usage

It is a well-corrected wide-angle lens and I have no complaints about it in normal use. Even with the hood, it can produce strange colors in backlit conditions, so you need to be careful about the lighting conditions. Also, there is vignetting at the maximum aperture.

The minimum shooting distance is 30cm, so you can get close enough.

When using this lens with an optical viewfinder, I feel the difficulty of focusing that is unique to wide-angle lenses, perhaps due to the synergistic effect of my weakened eyes and the EOS viewfinder. With the Leica SL that I used before, I was able to check the focus reliably by using the magnification function of the EVF. In terms of reliable focusing, EVFs surpass optical viewfinders.

The new model has better contrast and backlight resistance than the old 19mm F2.8 (Type-I). However, it seems to have a more subdued color overall compared to other lenses, so if you are using a digital camera to take photos, adjusting the colors a little brighter during development will make them look better.

As mentioned above, since filters cannot be attached, the bayonet cap attached to the hood is essential for protecting the lens when in use. This cap does not fit securely, so you need to be careful as it may fall off and get lost. If you want to prevent losing it, it is a good idea to attach a string to the cap and connect it to a strap, even though it is clumsy.

3．Mount adapter

For LEICA SL typ6012, LEICA T series, and LEICA CL, if you use the Leica genuine mount adapter, Leica R-Adapter L (16076) 34, you can transfer lens information to the camera if the lens has a ROM terminal.

When shooting with the CANON EOS-1Ds MKIII5, an error 20 (Err20) occurs every time you take a picture. As far as I can tell from my own cameras, this error occurs only with wide-angle lenses, such as ELMARIT-R 19mm-II, SUPER ANGULON-R 21mmF4, VARIO ELMAR-R 21-35mm, ELMARIT-R 28mm(I), ELMARIT-R 24mm, and SUMMILUX-R 35mm F1.4. Although I haven’t attached them to check, both the SUPER ELMARIT and SUPER ELMAR 15mm lenses probably cannot be used.

When used with the HASSELBLAD X2D6, the image circle has no room for anything more than a 35mm full-frame sensor, and only about 76% of the area of a 35mm full-frame sensor is usable. Anything beyond that will cause vignetting and image distortion, and will need to be cropped. The photo below was taken with the hood attached, so the periphery is completely black, but even if you remove the hood, the image outside the dotted line will be distorted, so the result will be the same.

Specification and Competitor

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