Elmar (lens)


The name Elmar is used by Leica to designate camera lenses of four elements.

History

The Elmar lenses originally had a maximum aperture of f/3.5. These lenses were derived from a 50 mm f/3.5 Elmax lens first produced in 1925. The name is a combination of Ernst Leitz and Max Berek.

Description

Elmar lenses have a maximum aperture ranging between f/2.8 and f/4. Current Elmar lenses have a maximum aperture of f/3.8 or f/4, as in the Elmar-M 24 mm f/3.8 and Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm f/4. The term Elmar is sometimes combined with: Super, Tele, APO, Macro or Vario. Leica also uses the name Elmarit for some lenses.

Market positions

Elmar lenses are comparatively slow. As a result they tend to be smaller and lighter than faster lenses of the same focal length.

List of Elmar lenses

;For the M39 lens mount:
  • Elmar 35 mm
  • Elmar 50 mm collapsible
  • Elmar 50 mm collapsible
  • Elmar 90mm
;For the Leica M mount:
  • Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm ASPH.
  • Tri-Elmar-M 28–35–50 mm ASPH.
  • Super-Elmar-M 18 mm ASPH.
  • Super-Elmar-M 21 mm ASPH.
  • Elmar-M 50 mm
  • Elmar-M 50 mm
  • Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm
  • Elmar 135 mm
;For the Leica R mount:
  • Leica 15 mm Super-Elmar-R – 1980
  • Leica 100 mm Macro-Elmar-R bellows version
  • Leica 100 mm Macro-Elmar-R helical version
  • Leica 180 mm Elmar-R – 1976
  • Leica 21 mm–35 mm – Vario-Elmar-R zoom – 2002
  • Leica 28 mm–70 mm –4.5 Vario-Elmar-R zoom
  • Leica 35–70 Vario-Elmar-R zoom
  • Leica 35–70 mm Vario-Elmar-R zoom
  • Leica 70–210 mm Vario-Elmar-R zoom
  • Leica 75–200 mm Vario-Elmar-R – 1976–1984
  • Leica 80–200 mm Vario-Elmar-R zoom
  • Leica 80–200 mm Vario-Elmar-R zoom
  • Leica 105–280 mm Vario-Elmar-R zoom
;For the Leica S mount:
  • Super-Elmar-S 1:3.5/24 mm ASPH.
  • TS-APO-Elmar-S 1:5.6/120 mm ASPH.
  • Apo-Elmar-S 1:3.5/180 mm ASPH.
  • Apo-Elmar-S 1:3.5/180 mm ASPH. CS
  • Vario-Elmar-S 1:3.5-5.6/30–90 mm ASPH.
;For the Leica L Mount:
  • Super-Vario-Elmar-SL 1:3.5–4.5 / 16–35 ASPH.