LEICA ELMARIT TL 18mm

Review and Photo example of the Elmarit TL 18mm.

Gallery

Sample photo taken with the LEICA TL.

Review

The Elmarit TL 18mm F2.8 was released in 2017 and is the last genuine Leica L-mount lens for APS-C size sensors.

It 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 in the digital era, with only the focus ring and focal length display on the lens barrel.

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, this drawback is reflected in the depiction, and the depiction is not as sharp as the Summicron 23mm, but 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 that are not corrected have noticeable distortion in the shooting results, but when they are converted to JPEG, the camera corrects them.

The AF works quickly because it is compact and the lens movement is small, and the lens operation sound when focusing is very quiet, so the operation sound is not a problem when shooting video. If you set the Leica T to P mode/ISO auto, you can get the appropriate shooting settings according to the amount of light, so it is less troublesome.

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.

It is one of the cheaper Leica lenses, but as of 2024 it has already been discontinued, and it is rare to see them on the used market, and the price is rising.

Product photos are taken from Leica official page

Specification

Leica APS single focal length lens

Lens name	ELMARIT	SUMMICRON	SUMMILUX	APO MACRO ELMARIT
Focal length(mm)	18	27	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
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