The Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH. is a sharp, compact rangefinder lens, but it requires huge 77mm filters.
Compact; Ultra-wide field of view; Sharp through most of the frame; Minimal distortion
Expensive; Requires accessory holder for filter use; Corners a bit muddy at wider apertures
Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH 11 649 and 77mm filter ring 14 484 (10.9oz/310g). enlarge . I'd get it at Adorama ; you also can get it at Amazon . It helps me keep adding to this site when you use these links to get your goodies. Thanks! Ken.
The quality of Leica lenses is superb and this is no exception. The focus is silky smooth and the aperture ring has a perfect balance of ease/resistance. The lens is sharp, more than I expected, fine detail is rendered beautifully all the way to the edges.
Probably no better 18mm on the market today, but performs well only on Leica M bodies (must be stopped well down for Sony A7/A7R and mirrorless in general-ray angle degrades sharpness at wider apertures). High brilliance, some lateral chromatic aberration outside central 2/3 area.
The Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH. ($3,250) is a compact lens that covers an ultra-wide field of view when paired with a full-frame rangefinder or mirrorless camera. It's expensive, but its compact design and sharp optics don't disappoint. There are some drawbacks, especially if you often use filters, but on a whole, it delivers the quality that you expect from a Leica lens. It's not the absolute best value in this focal length, as the Zeiss Distagon T* 4/18 ZM ( at Amazon) offers most of the performance at less than half the price. But the Zeiss lags behind the Leica in performance, especially at the edges of the frame. If you're willing to pay for it, the Super-Elmar-M is a solid wide-angle option. The lens measures 2.3 by 2.4 inches (HD) and weighs 10.9 ounces. It includes a compact lens hood, but you'll need to remove that to mount the optional filter holder ($99.95), and then use big 77mm filters. The reason for this is the curved front element of the lens; it extends...
The Leica Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH. is a sharp, compact rangefinder lens, but it requires huge 77mm filters.
Compact; Ultra-wide field of view; Sharp through most of the frame; Minimal distortion
Expensive; Requires accessory holder for filter use; Corners a bit muddy at wider apertures
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