Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8

Wide AngleMount: Leica M28mmf/2.8 – f/22
Introduced: 1979

Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 is the standard Leica M wide-angle — the wide companion to the 35mm and 50mm Leica M classical kit. Multiple optical generations span 1965 (v1) through 2006 (v4 ASPH), with the ASPH version (1993+) bringing aspherical-element correction and the modern reference for Leica wide-angle quality.

Key features

  • Leica M bayonet mount — bright-line viewfinder framelines on M3/M4/M6/M6 TTL/M7/M-A bodies
  • Pre-ASPH (1965-1993): 8-element/6-group; ASPH (1993+): 8-element/7-group with one aspheric surface
  • 39mm filter thread (pre-ASPH); 39mm or 46mm (ASPH variants)
  • Manual aperture + manual focus
  • Built-in lens hood (pull-out, ASPH variant)

Use case + rendering

The Elmarit-M 28 is the reportage + environmental + landscape Leica M wide. Compact enough to vanish in a jacket pocket — typical M-system size advantage. ASPH versions are notably sharper at wider apertures than pre-ASPH; the difference is most visible in corners at f/2.8-f/4.

The 28mm focal length is the widest framing the M3 viewfinder can reasonably support (and only with auxiliary finders or by using the full viewfinder area as a 28mm crop guide). M4-and-later bodies have integrated 28mm framelines.

Compatible bodies

Related lenses