VARIO-ELMAR-R 105-280 / 4.2

Review and Photo example of the LEICA VARIO-ELMAR-R 105-280 / 4.2

Gallery

The example photo was taken using a HASSELBLAD X2D.

Review

The Vario-Elmar 105-280 F4.2 is a telephoto zoom lens released at the end of the R-mount era.

My first impression of this lens is that it is heavy. It is about the same weight as the Apo-Telephoto, which is being compared based on lens specifications, but the large, heavy lens elements are concentrated at the front of the lens, and the zoom ring and focus ring in the center of the lens are almost the same width, resulting in a cramped layout and limited hold points when shooting.

The ring layout is a bit problematic, but the zoom ring has a moderate weight in terms of operation, and the focal length does not change inadvertently. The left end is the wide-angle end of 105mm, and when turned to the right, it moves in the telephoto direction and the right end is the telephoto end of 280mm.
This lens is not internally focused, and the lens length changes depending on the focus.
The focus ring is lighter and easier to operate than the zoom ring, but it has a rotation angle of about 330 degrees, so it feels like it takes quite a bit of turning from infinity to the minimum focus. The left end is infinity, and turning it to the right shortens the shooting distance and extends the lens. The right end is the shortest shooting distance and the lens is at its longest. I wish the focus ring was a little wider.

And, for a zoom lens of this size, you would want an autofocus (AF) mechanism that automatically changes the focus as the focal length changes. Especially when shooting moving subjects outdoors, you have no choice but to fix the focal length and concentrate on focusing.

The shortest shooting distance is 1.7m for all focal lengths, and the 280mm focal length gives the impression of being able to get quite close.
When shooting with the X2D’s 44mm x 33mm sensor, vignetting can be seen in the corners when shooting a blue sky with a focal length of 105mm, but this will not be a concern for general shooting. And as you zoom in, the vignetting gradually disappears and at the 280mm position you can use almost the entire surface.

As you can see, the image circle is generous compared to the 35mm format, so when used with a mirrorless 35mm full-frame camera, you can expect good image quality across the entire surface.
There is no problem with using the lens when using the APO-EXTENDER x2, a teleconverter that increases the shooting magnification. The APO-EXTENDER x1.4 seems like it could be attached based on the position of the rear lens, but I don’t have an APO-EXTENDER x1.4 on hand so I can’t confirm this, but according to information on LENS-DB.com, it seems like it can be used without any problems.

The lens hood is built-in and can be simply pulled out forward, with no hood lock mechanism.

In terms of focal length, this lens overlaps with the APO-TELYT 280mm F4. Checking the differences in lens specifications, the maximum lens diameter and filter diameter are the same, but the Vario-Elmar lens length is 20mm longer, it weighs about 100g heavier, and the F-number at full aperture is 4.2, which is slightly darker.

As with the APO-TELYT 280mm, there is no significant degradation in the results when the APO-EXTENDER x2 is attached. The moon below is the result of cropping out the center and reducing the size.

This Vario-Elmar 105-280 is in the same category as the F4 100-300mm lens (SsangYong zoom) that was made popular by Japanese manufacturers. I feel the manufacturer’s sincerity in the fact that the F value is dutifully listed as 4.2. From a marketing perspective, it would definitely sell better if they falsified the number and listed it as F4. The Sigma 100-300mm F4 I previously owned weighed about 1400g, and this lens is about 500g heavier.

About 1500 units were made over the two years from 1996 to 1997, and although the number produced is not that large, this lens is often seen on the Japanese second-hand market. I assume this is because a fair number were sold in Japan, where zoom lenses are popular.

I have seen it about five times in the past 10 years, and this time I was lucky enough to catch it. Prices vary depending on the condition, but the cheapest one I saw was around 150,000 yen around 2015. Even in 2022, they can still be found for between 200,000 and 300,000 yen, giving the impression that they are being sold for much cheaper in Japan compared to the selling price on overseas markets such as eBay.

Specification

Item	VARIO ELMAR	APO TELYT	note
focal length(mm)	105-280	280
Maximum aperture	4.2	4
Minimum aperture	22	22
Lens configuration	13elements in 10groups	7elements in 6groups
Leaf blade	8	8
Minimum distance(m)	1.7	1.7
Lens length(mm)	236	208	Distance from mount flange
Lens max diameter(mm)	88	88
Filter diameter(mm)	77	77
Weight(g)	1950	1875
Production number	1500	2000
Release Year	1996-1997	1993-1997