LEICA ELMARIT TL 18mm
A review and Photo example of the Elmarit TL 18mm with the LEICA TL.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Sample photo taken with the LEICA TL.
Review
1．Overview
The Elmarit TL 18mm F2.8 was released in 2017 and is the last genuine Leica L-mount lens for APS-C size sensors.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Aperture value: 2.8
- Lens construction: 8 elements in 6 groups
- 2 aspherical lenses with 2 surfaces
- Aperture blades: Unknown
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.3m
- Hood: None
- Lens color variations: Silver and black
2．Usability
The Elmarit TL 18mm F2.8 is a very thin and compact pancake lens, available in two colors, black and silver, and is a lens that suits the compact bodies of the T/TL series and CL.
It is a standard design for the digital era, with only the focus ring and focal length display on the lens barrel.
It is compact and has little lens movement, so AF works quickly, and the lens operation sound when focusing is very quiet, so there is no problem with the operation sound when shooting video. If you set it to P mode/ISO auto on the Leica T, you can get the appropriate shooting settings according to the amount of light, so it is easy to do.
The focal length is 18mm, and since it is a lens for APS-C size sensors, the focal length is 27mm in 35mm format. Perhaps due to the compact lens body design, the disadvantages are reflected in the image, and the image is not as sharp as the Summicron 23mm.
It is also suitable for wide-angle snapshots because it has less bokeh and a wider focal plane than the Summicron. In addition, the minimum shooting distance of 30cm can be used for table photos such as meals.
The raw images without correction have noticeable distortion in the shooting results. However, when shooting in JPEG, the camera corrects it.
The backlight resistance is not bad, but a hood is not included, so as shown in the photo below, a UN Square Hood 39mm (P0.5) UNX-8133 is attached.
This lens is on the inexpensive side among Leica lenses, but as of 2024 it has already been discontinued, and it is becoming less common on the used market, and the price is rising.
3．Summary
In conclusion, the Elmarit TL 18mm F2.8 is pancake-sized and easy to handle, and the image quality is satisfactory for normal use. However, it is regrettable that there is no Leica L-mount APS-C sensor camera anymore.
The body size is too large to use as a full-frame crop, making it look unbalanced.
Specification and Series lens
Leica APS single focal length lens
| Lens name | ELMARIT | SUMMICRON | SUMMILUX | APO MACRO ELMARIT |
| Focal length(mm) | 18 | 23 | 35 | 60 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | 27 | 35 | 50 | 90 |
| Max aperture | 2.8 | 2 | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 16 | 16 | 32 |
| Aperture blade | – | 9 | – | – |
| Lens Construction | 8elements 6groups | 9elements 6groups | 12elements 8groups | 10elements 9groups |
| Min distance(m) | 0.3 | 0.35 | 0.4 | 0.16 |
| Lens length(mm) | 21 | 37 | 77 | 134 |
| Lens diameter(mm) | 62 | 63 | 70 | 70 |
| Filter Size(mm) | E39 | E52 | E60 | E60 |
| Weight(g) | 80 | 154 | 428 | 320 |
| Release date | 2017.12 | 2014.5.26 | 2016.3.31 | 2016.9.24 |
| List Price | ¥142,500 | ¥230,000 | ¥310,000 | ¥320,000 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.07.01
- 2024.03.06
- 2023.07.24
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