Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. III

Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH. III

Announced on 26 October 2023, this is the third generation of Leica's fast 28mm wide-angle for the M system, and its headline feature is something rare among rangefinder-coupled M lenses: it focuses closer than the usual 0.7 m limit [1][2]. Where almost all M lenses are constrained to a 0.7 m minimum, set by the physical reach of the optical rangefinder, this lens can decouple and continue down to 0.4 m, a range separated from the standard coupled travel by a light detent and marked with subtle gray distance engravings. Carrying Leica reference 11618, it follows the first version of 2000 (11604) and the second of 2016 (11672), and it arrived alongside the close-focusing reissues of the 35mm and 50mm Summilux lenses, sharing their design philosophy.

The optical formula is unchanged from the previous generation, with nine elements in six groups, one aspherical surface, and a ten-blade diaphragm that stops down to f/16 with half-stop lock settings. For the new version the rear element was adjusted to work better with modern M and SL sensors, notably the M11. The screw-on metal hood of the earlier lens has been replaced by a built-in pull-out circular shade that twists out and locks gently in place, a mechanism in the spirit of the 50mm APO-Summicron-M. The lens stays compact, at about 55 mm long and 58 mm in diameter, takes 46 mm filters, and weighs roughly 275 g; it mounts on the Leica M bayonet with six-bit encoding for the coupled infinity-to-0.7 m range. Using the close-focus portion requires composing without the optical rangefinder: on an M body this means Live View, the FOTOS app, or the Visoflex 2, while on SL bodies the electronic viewfinder handles it directly.

Compared with the version II of 2016, the body grew about 5 mm in diameter and 1 mm in length, yet the new lens is lighter, dropping from roughly 289 g to about 275 g, and its maximum reproduction ratio improves from 1:21.9 to 1:11.3 thanks to the close-focus helical. The 46 mm filter thread and ten-blade aperture carry over unchanged, so the most visible identifiers of the third version are the retractable hood and the gray close-focus scale below 0.7 m. The lens is offered in black.

Optical qualities

Rendering Because the optical design is shared with the previous version, reviewers expect comparable image quality, with the revised rear element intended to improve definition on current digital M cameras. One reviewer who used the lens on the M11 and M11-P described its out-of-focus rendering favorably, noting good bokeh, particularly useful now that the lens can isolate close subjects against a distant background. Detailed independent comparative resolution testing of the third version was limited at the time of its release, so claims beyond these points should be treated with caution.

History

Development and Launch The 28mm Summicron-M has been a long-running part of the M lineup, with its fast f/2 aperture and nine-element, six-group layout established at the first version's introduction in 2000. The second version of 2016 was released together with revised versions of the 28mm Elmarit and 35mm Summilux, gaining a metal screw-in hood and an optical revision aimed at flatter field and better edge and corner resolution. The third version, 11618, continued this evolution by focusing on digital sensor compatibility and close-range usability rather than a new optical formula.

Production Evolution Across the three generations the core optical design and ten-blade diaphragm were retained, while the lens hood changed substantially: a bulky clip-on plastic shade on the first version, a flared screw-on rectangular metal hood on the second, and a built-in twist-out circular shade on the third. The third version also revised the rear element for modern M and SL sensors and added the decoupled close-focus helical to reach 0.4 m.

Special editions No major factory special editions of the third version are widely documented at the time of writing; it is cataloged as the standard black 11618 lens.

Collector Notes The clearest way to distinguish the third version from earlier ones is the retractable built-in hood and the gray sub-0.7 m close-focus markings, together with reference number 11618 versus 11604 (2000) and 11672 (2016). Buyers should note that the close-focus range only functions on Live View-capable or SL bodies; on older non-Live View cameras such as the M9 or M7 the lens still works as a normal rangefinder-coupled 28mm but without access to the 0.4 m range. The lens ships with front and rear caps and a case, and as a current production item supply was reported to be limited for some months after launch.