Long life lens ELMARIT R 28mm 1st
A review and sample photos using the ELMARIT R 28mm 1st with film and digital cameras.
- Please see the disclaimer regarding advertising here.
- Italicized links in the text are advertisement links that take you to other sites.
Table of contents
Gallery
The following cameras were used to take the sample photos:
- LEICA R8 +lomography lady gray BW 400
- LEICA SL Typ601
- SONY α7Sii
- SONY α7
- FUJIFILM X-Pro1 +SPEED BOOSTER R 0.71
Review
1．Overview
The ELMARIT R 28mm 1st lens has one of the longest model lives among R-mount lenses, with approximately 50,000 units produced continuously over a 22-year period from 1970 to 1992. While other lenses with long model lives are occasionally discontinued, perhaps because the inventory produced never runs out, this lens has enjoyed such long sales.
This lens was released in 1970, during the era of the LEICA FLEX film camera, and production ended in 1992, the same year the LEICA R7 was released, making it a lens that has existed alongside Leica SLR cameras.
The lens consists of eight elements in eight groups, with all elements independent and with no cemented surfaces. It has eight aperture blades and a minimum focusing distance of 0.3m.
2．Usability
The ELMARIT R 28mm 1st delivers crisp, clear images with excellent resolution all the way to the corners, with virtually no vignetting. This is evident in the example image captured with the HASSELBLAD X2D-100C below, and its performance is more than sufficient for use with the 35mm format.
This is a testament to the lens’s continued success, selling for over 20 years until it was replaced by the newer, later, or Type II lenses.
I have purchased this lens twice, repurchasing it in 2023 and using it with digital SLRs, mirrorless cameras, and a LEICA R8 loaded with film. It delivers excellent images with all cameras, but the results with black-and-white film suggest that it is a lens that suits the emotional feel of film well.
When used with a Canon digital SLR camera via a mount adapter, the EOS 1Ds Mk-III, which has a 35mm full-frame sensor, could not be used because the camera mirror interfered with the rear element of the lens. The Canon EOS 7D has an APS-C-size sensor and a small camera mirror, so it can be used without any problems. The 1.3x APS-H sensor seems to work well with most lenses, but since the larger EOS-1D series is the only option, I haven’t used it yet. The EOS-1D Mark-IV’s 16 megapixels would give me a lot of freedom, and since prices have dropped significantly as of 2025, I’m considering purchasing it as a replacement camera for my DMR (Digital Module R).
The link below contains a database that compiles results from using Leica R-mount lenses with EOS digital cameras.
The 35mm equivalent focal lengths for sensors other than 35mm full-frame sensors are as follows.
- APS-H = 28*1.3 = 36mm
- APS-C (CANON) = 28*1.6 = 45mm
- APS-C = 28*1.5 = 42mm
- APS-C + SPEED BOOSTER = 281.50.71 = 30mm
The compact body contains eight lenses in eight groups, giving it a heavy feel. The design is completed with a Leica 12509 plastic hood. Without the hood, the lens looks small and tapered, which isn’t very stylish.
Leica 12509 plastic hoods are reasonably cheap for a Leica hood on the used market, and they’re plentiful, so even if you buy the lens without the hood and then search for a hood, it won’t be too expensive.
When I repurchased the lens, the hood wasn’t included, so I searched for a used lens hood and bought one for about 7,000 yen.
The Leica 12509 plastic hood can also be used with the Elmarit-R 35mm II.
When used with the HASSELBLAD X2D-100C medium-format digital camera, vignetting was observed at the edges, but the image circle is wider than that of the 35mm format, and it is clear that there is plenty of room for it in the 35mm format. In scenes where cutting out the edges does not look unnatural, it is perfectly usable without cropping.
The photo below shows the results of a photo taken with the HASSELBLAD X2D-100C, using the sensor shutter (electronic shutter).
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the ELMARIT R 28mm 1st is a wide-angle lens from the film era. When shooting with a digital camera, the resolution and flatness are inferior to modern lenses, but if you enjoy that as a way of depicting something, then this is a good lens to have.
The 1-type Elmarit-R 28mm was produced over a period of 20 years, and although the design details have changed over the years, the basics of the lens have not changed. If you have any doubts about the image, we recommend having it overhauled as there is a possibility that the lens is cloudy or deteriorating.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
The ELMARIT R 28mm 1st has eight aperture blades, a slightly more generous number than the standard Elmarit series, which has six. This is likely because the Leica R-mount did not include the Summicron or Summilux, which have a higher-end focal length of 28mm.
The only other 28mm Leica R-mount lens, other than the Elmarit 28mm, is the PC-Super-Angulon 28mm, which features a special “Perspective Control” function.
When inserted into the Leica 12509 plastic hood, threadless drop-in Series 7 filters can be used, and 48mm diameter filters can also be screwed into the front of the lens. Screw-on 48mm filters are Leica’s proprietary filter diameter, making them rare, and even used ones in poor condition fetch high prices.
Regarding the Leica R-mount-specific lens CAM, I’ve confirmed that this lens has been officially released in 1-CAM, 2-CAM, 3-CAM, and R-Only-CAM versions.
As far as I know, there are no officially released lenses with ROM connectors. However, I previously thought that R-Only-CAM versions hadn’t been released, but I once acquired a 1987 Elmarit and it was an R-Only-CAM, so it’s possible that official versions with ROM connectors were also released. In any case, ELMARIT R 28mm 1st generation lenses with ROM connectors are rare, and when they appear on the used market, they tend to be more expensive than lenses without ROM.
The standard black lens was produced in large quantities—50,000 units in total—so several can always be found on the used market, making it a relatively readily available lens, even in the 2020s. Lenses can also sometimes be found modified for the Nikon F mount. The olive-colored version sold with the special Leica R3 Safari is rare and fetches a much higher price than the standard black lens barrel.
When using a LEICA R-mount lens with an L-mount camera such as the LEICA SL, TL, or CL digital camera, inexpensive third-party mount adapters can be used, but if the lens has a ROM, using the genuine LEICA “LEICA L to R Lens Adapter 16076” will allow information such as the lens name to be recorded in the EXIF of captured images.
The ELMARIT R 28mm 2nd was released around the same time as the new Leica-designed cameras, the LEICA R8 and R9, and it is presumed that this model change was made with digital compatibility in mind. This lens can also be used with high-resolution cameras such as the LEICA SL typ601.
| Items | I型 | II型 |
| Focal length(mm) | 28 | 28 |
| Max aperture | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 8 | 6 |
| Lens Construction | 8 elements in 8 groups | 8 elements in 7 groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Lens length(mm) | 40 | 48 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 63 | 67.5 |
| Filter Size(mm) | Series 7,48 mm | 55 |
| Hood | 12509 | Build in |
| Weight(g) | 390 | 435 |
| Release date | 1970 | 1993 |
Reference links
- All about R-type Leica / Author: Shinichi Nakamura / edited by Asahi Sonorama Ads by Amazon
- Canon Leica-R Compatibility Database
- Elmarit 28mm F2.8 Leica wiki
- ELMARIT R 28mm 2nd・Shige’s hobby
Affiliate links
- Leica R lens・Ads by ebay
- Leica M lens・Ads by ebay
- Leica TL・Ads by ebay
- Leica SL・Ads by ebay
Amazon Prime Sale
Update history
- 2025.9.19
- 2025.7.1
- 2025.5.31
- 2025.1.3
- 2024.03.09:Update article
- 2023.11.20:First draft
Leave a Reply