ELMARIT R 28mm (1st old)
Good old wide-angle lens
A review and Photo Examples of the LEICA Elmarit 28mm Type I.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The sample photos were taken with the LEICA SL typ601
- The sample photos were taken with the LEICA R8 +lomography lady gray BW 400
Review
1．Overview
The Typ 1 Elmarit-R 28mm F2.8 is a wide-angle lens for the Leica R mount, of which about 50,000 were produced between 1970 and 1992.
The lens is made of 8 elements in 8 groups with no bonding surfaces. The diaphragm has 8 blades, which is a lot for the Elmarit series. This is thought to be because there were no other lenses with a focal length of 28mm, so it was made at a reasonable cost.
The minimum shooting distance is 0.3m, which is a standard distance for a single-lens reflex lens with a focal length of 28mm.
When inserting the filter into the 12509 hood, a Series 7 filter is used, and when screwed into the front of the lens, a 48mm filter is used.
2-CAM, 3-CAM, and R-Only-CAM were officially released, and the ROM-terminal-equipped version was a modified version from a different cam and was rare. I thought that the R-Only-CAM probably had not been released, but when I got the 1987 version of the Elmarit, it was an R-Only-CAM.
2．Usage
I used the Typ 1 Elmarit R 28mm for a short period of time until I got the 2-inch Elmarit 28mm, which had a changed barrel shape. I bought it again in 2023 and am using it with a LEICA R8 loaded with film. Looking at the black and white film shots, I feel that this lens suits the emotion of film well.
The image is neat, with satisfactory resolution even in the corners, and there is almost no vignetting. You can feel the power of the lens, which was sold for over 20 years until the later model.
It is a lens with a heavy feel, with 8 lenses in 8 groups packed into a compact body.
Without the hood, the small-mouthed barrel is a little hard to see, and the design is completed with the 12509 hood. Plastic hoods are relatively cheap, so even if you buy it without the hood, it doesn’t cost much extra.
In 2023, I repurchased a Typ 1 late versdion (11247) lens manufactured in 1987. When I bought an additional hood, it cost about 7,000 yen.
3．Add Info.
The 1-type Elmarit R 28mm, which was produced for 20 years, has different designs depending on the year, but the basics of the lens have not changed. If you have any doubts about the image, we recommend an overhaul as the lens may be cloudy or deteriorated.
The 2-type is a relatively new lens that began production in 1993.
The 1-type is cheaper than the 2-type, but the olive color sold with the R3 Safari is rare and is traded at a much higher price than the regular black lens barrel.
As the lens was produced in large quantities of 50,000 units, there are always several of them on the used market, and as of 2023, it is a lens that can be purchased at any time. You can also see lenses modified to the NIKON-F mount.
The type is suitable for high-resolution cameras such as the SL typ601.
The 48mm filter that screws into the tip is a Leica-specific filter diameter and there are few on the market, so even used ones that are not very clean are sold at a fairly high price. The lens hood is 12509 and is the same as that of the Elmarit R 35mm II.
Specification
| 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
- Elmarit 28mm F2.8 Leica wiki
Update history
- 2025.1.3
- 2024.03.09:Update article
- 2023.11.20:First draft
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