LEICA SUPER VARIO ELMAR-TL 11-23
Review and Photo example of the Super Vario Elmar TL 11-23mm f3.5-4.5.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Sample photos taken with the LEICA T typ701.
Review
1．Overview
The Super Vario-Elmar TL 11-23mm was released in 2015 and is a zoom lens that covers a 35mm equivalent of 16.5mm to 34.5mm.
The lens covers the APS-C image circle, so the lens body is compact and easy to carry. It can be used as a wide-angle lens of about 17mm in 35mm equivalent, so if you attach this lens to a full-size camera such as a Leica SL, you can use it as a compact wide-angle zoom camera.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Maximum aperture: 3.5~4.5
- Lens construction: 14 elements in 11 groups
- Aspheric lens: 2 elements with 4 surfaces
- Aperture blades: Unknown
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.2
- Hood: Dedicated bayonet hood
- Lens color variations: Black
2．Usability
The Super Vario-Elmar TL 11-23mm is the lens with the shortest focal length among the three zoom lenses for the Leica T series.
The widest angle of the prime lenses for the LEICA T series is 18mm, making it the widest angle lens in the series.
A modern lens that also uses aspherical lenses. Leica L-mount lenses control the aperture value on the camera side, so the lens barrel has a simple design with only a zoom ring and a focus ring. The barrel design, which flares out at the tip like a trumpet, resembles the design of old wide-angle lenses and stimulates the desire to take pictures. The large hood can be attached in reverse using a bayonet system. The large hood enhances the presence of the lens.
The JPEG images are well corrected. However, when taking a grid-like object, the Raw images show distortion at wide angles. The autofocus (AF) focusing speed is slow. This lens is likely to be used mainly for shooting landscapes, so there are few situations where rapid or continuous shooting is required, and the AF focusing speed is unlikely to be a concern. The focusing accuracy is deep, so unless the subject is very difficult, there will be no confusion.
The F-number is not very bright, and the zoom range is about 2x, so the specs are not particularly noteworthy.
And the price is high for a lens of this class. It can’t be helped, as it is the only wide-angle zoom lens in the TL lens series. However, the Contemporary 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN released by Sigma in 2023 has made the Super-Elmar a questionable lens. Sigma’s 10-18mm starts at 10mm, 1mm wider than the Super-Elmar, and 18mm on the telephoto side, but the focal length of a standard zoom lens with continuous focal lengths starts at 18mm, so it’s not a problem if you don’t mind changing lenses. In addition, the lens length is short and compact, and the maximum aperture F value is F2.8 throughout the entire range, so the lens specifications completely surpass those of the Super-Elmar.
3．Summary
In conclusion, the Super Vario-Elmar TL 11-23mm is a lens whose position has been slightly changed by the SIGMA Contemporary 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN.
The advantage of the Super-Elmar is that the telephoto end is 23mm equivalent to 35mm, so this one lens can handle a certain number of situations, and there is no need to carry multiple lenses when you want to reduce your luggage, such as when traveling.
In contrast, the Sigma is 10-18mm and the telephoto end is equivalent to 27mm, so you will want to carry both the 10-18mm and the 18-50mm to get closer to the subject. Using multiple lenses can make it difficult to change lenses outdoors, so it is likely that you will use one lens more intensively. In that case, there is a possibility that one of the two lenses you have will just be a burden.
Specification and Competitor
| Items | SUPER VARIO ELMAR | SIGMA C 10-18mm DC DN |
| focal length(mm) | 11-23 | 10-18 |
| Maximum aperture | 16.5-34.5 | 15-27 |
| Minimum aperture | 3.5-4.5 | 2,8 |
| Aperture blade | 16 | 16 |
| Lens configuration | ? | 7 |
| Minimum distance(m) | 14 elements in 11 groups | 13 elements in 10 groups |
| Lens length(mm) | 0.2〜 (11〜23) | 0.12~0.19 |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 77-92 23mm is the shortest 11mm is the longest | 62 |
| Filter type | 73 | 72.2 |
| Image stabilizer | E67(67mm) | 67 |
| Weight(g) | 386 | 260 |
| Release date | 2015.3.1 | 2023 |
| Price | ¥230,000 | ¥100,000 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.07.01
- 2024.03.06
- 2023.07.27
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