LEICA VARIO ELAMR TL 18-56mm
Review and Photo example of the Vario Elmar TL F3.5-5.6 18-56mm.
Table of contents
Gallery
- Photo example taken by LEICA T typ701
Review
1．Usage
The Leica Vario-Elmar TL 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. was released at the same time as the Leica T typ701, and at the time of its release, the choice of L-mount lenses for APS-C size sensors was this lens or the Summicron 23mm.
It is a lightweight zoom lens that covers a standard focal length, so it was useful when traveling and wanted to carry less luggage. It is a very ordinary zoom lens that can be adjusted from F3.5 to 5.6, and does not have an image stabilization mechanism, so you need to be careful of camera shake when using low shutter speeds in dark places.
2．Lens overview
The Leica Vario-Elmar TL 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. is a zoom lens for the Leica T, TL, and CL series with APS-C sensors released in 2014. The lens barrel length is shortest at 18mm and longest at 56mm. The minimum shooting distance is 0.3m at 18mm and 0.45m at 56mm, so the telephoto end is slightly closer.
Comes with a flower-shaped bayonet hood that can be reversed when stored.
Since this lens is designed for APS-C sensors, the image circle is insufficient for cameras with 35mm full-size sensors such as the LEICA SL, so the camera automatically crops the image to record the results.
The lens nameplate is written as VARIO ELMAR T for the lot manufactured at the same time as the LEICA T typ701, and VARIO ELMAR TL for the lot manufactured when the LEICA TL was released. There is no difference in lens performance between the two.
3．Comparison with competitors
The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary, released in 2021, is a compact lens with a constant F2.8 aperture, and its better specifications than the Vario-Elmar, the refined Sigma design since the late 2010s, and its price make it a lens worth choosing. Unfortunately, if you don’t care about the Leica brand, the Vario-Elmar has already outlived its usefulness.
This lens has a list price of about 200,000 yen, but the list price is clearly Leica price, and if a Japanese manufacturer were to sell it, it would likely have a lens specification of about 30,000 yen.
Specification and Competitor
| Item | lens1 | lens2 |
| Lens name | VARIO ELMAR-TL | 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | Contemporary |
| Local length(mm) | 18-56 | 18-50 |
| Max aperture | 3.5-5.6 | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | – | 7 |
| Lens Construction | 10elements in 7group | 13elements in 10group |
| Min distance(m) | 0.3 | 0.12-0.31 |
| Lens length(mm) | 60 | 74.5(L-Mount) |
| Lens Max diameter(mm) | 63 | φ65.4(L-Mount) |
| Filter Size(mm) | 52 | 55 |
| Weight(g) | 256 | 290 |
| Release date | 2014 | 2022 |
| Price | ¥200,000- | Open Price(About ¥65,000) |
LEICA T/TL Zoom lens Variations
| Lens name | SUPER VARIO ELMAR | VARIO ELMAR | APO VARIO ELMAR |
| Focal length(mm) | 11-23 | 18-56 | 55-135 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | 16.5-34.5 | 27-84 | 82.5-202.5 |
| Max aperture | 3.5-4.5 | 3.5-5.6 | 3.5-4.5 |
| Min aperture | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Lens Construction | 14elements 10group | 10elements 7group | 12elements 10group |
| Min distance(m) | 0.2〜 (11〜23) | 0.3〜0.45 (18〜56) | 1.0〜 (55〜135) |
| Lens length(mm) | 77〜92 | 60〜80 | 110〜153 |
| Lens diameter(mm) | 73 | 63 | 68 |
| Filter Size(mm) | E67(67mm) | E52(52mm) | E60(60mm) |
| Weight(g) | 386 (Lens only) | 256 (Lens only) | 500 (Lens only) |
| Release date | 2015.3.1 | 2014.4 | 2015.3.1 |
| List Price(Yen) | 230,000- | 200,000− | 230,000- |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.07.01
- 2024.03.06
- 2023.06.11
Affiliate links
- Amazon Affiliate link / Leica lens
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- Amazon Affiliate link / Leica camera body
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