Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. I

Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. I

Among the most compact wide-angle lenses Leica has made for the M system, the Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. marked the point at which the long-running 28mm Elmarit line adopted an aspherical optical design [1]. Built around eight elements in six groups with one aspherical surface, it pairs a modest f/2.8 maximum aperture with a barrel only about 30 mm long and roughly 180 g in weight, making it one of the smallest M-mount lenses in regular production. The lens is widely associated with discreet documentary, street, and travel work, where its size and the wide 28mm field of view suit the rangefinder ethos of carrying a small, capable kit rather than a fast and bulky one.

The lens is fully manual, with rangefinder coupling and a focusing helicoid that turns smoothly down to a minimum focus distance of 0.7 m. The aperture is set by a clicked ring running from f/2.8 to f/22, built around a ten-blade diaphragm, and users describe the controls as ergonomic with clear, well-defined detents despite the lens's small dimensions. The filter thread is 39 mm. Mounted on a Leica M body, the 28mm frame leaves only minor viewfinder intrusion: reviewers note that with the dedicated hood fitted there is slight blockage at the lower right corner of the finder, while without the hood there is effectively none, an advantage over physically larger 28mm Leica lenses.

This aspherical Elmarit-M followed several earlier non-aspherical 28mm Elmarit designs and is generally described as the fifth iteration of the 28mm Elmarit family, the first to carry the ASPH designation. It was produced under model number 11606 from 2006, and was succeeded by a revised version, model 11677, which adopted a metal hood. The two share the same basic optical concept and compact form, and both can be found in collector and used markets; the model number and the style of the supplied hood are the simplest points of differentiation.

Optical qualities

Rendering The 28mm Elmarit-M ASPH. is generally characterized as a high-resolution, high-contrast wide-angle optimized for sharpness and geometric accuracy rather than shallow-depth-of-field effects. At f/2.8 it is not intended as a subject-isolation or bokeh lens, and its rendering is most often described as crisp and clean, suiting black-and-white and reportage use.

Sharpness Reviewers report strong sharpness even wide open, with the lens performing well from its maximum aperture and holding up across the frame as it is stopped down.

Distortion and vignetting Distortion is reported as essentially negligible for a 28mm design. Some slight vignetting can appear at f/2.8 on full-frame digital bodies; users note it is mild and easily corrected in post-processing, and that cropped-sensor cameras largely avoid it.

Flare resistance Flare control is considered very good; at least one reviewer reported being unable to induce significant flare even when shooting directly into the sun.

Digital use The lens is used regularly on Leica digital M bodies, including monochrome models, where its contrasty and detailed output is well regarded for street and documentary photography.

History

Development and Launch The aspherical Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 continued a 28mm Elmarit lineage that had been refined through several earlier non-aspherical versions. Its introduction brought an aspherical element to the line, allowing a compact, well-corrected wide-angle with strong sharpness and low distortion in a very small package, in keeping with Leica's emphasis on portable M optics.

Production Evolution Produced as model 11606 from 2006, the lens was later updated to model 11677, which is distinguished principally by a metal hood. The optical character and compact dimensions carried over between the versions.

Collector Notes The clearest identifier between the two production variants is the model number, 11606 for the earlier run and 11677 for the later one, together with the style of hood supplied. Because the lens is small and lightweight, buyers should confirm smooth focusing and clean, click-defined aperture action, check the front element and internal optics for haze, and verify that the correct hood and caps are present, as these are easily separated from the lens over time.