Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH (2006–Present)
A compact wide-angle lens for Leica M-series rangefinders, introduced in 2006 with aspherical correction.
Overview
The Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH is made for Leica's M-series rangefinder cameras. It began shipping in October 2006 as the typ 11606, which stayed in production until 2016. The revised typ 11677 has been made since January 2016. It has a metal lens hood instead of the earlier plastic one, and the optical and mechanical specs are the same on both. The lens is noted for street photography, since it gives a wider field of view than a standard 35mm or 50mm.
Specifications
| Focal length | 28mm (actual design focal length: 28.5mm) |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 |
| Optical formula | 8 elements in 6 groups, one aspheric surface |
| Diaphragm | 10 blades (straight at f/4, inwardly curved from f/5.6) |
| Filter size | E39 |
Reception & Use
The 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M ASPH is recommended for advanced street photographers who zone focus at small apertures (f/8-f/16), a technique historically used by photographers like Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz. The wide angle means you have to work close to your subjects, which may be hard for beginners. Glasses wearers may have trouble seeing the full frame lines in rangefinders with 0.72x magnification. A 0.58x viewfinder, available only on film M models, is suggested for better visibility.
Market
The original U.S. price was $1,495 in February 2007, rising to $2,000 by October 2011. The newer typ 11677 was priced at $2,297 in October 2017. Used typ 11606 lenses were estimated to sell for around $1,500, assuming savvy purchasing.
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