Leica Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3

This is a forgotten Leica lens that is rarely mentioned specifically. The first generation Leica Elmarit 28mm f2.8 was favored by collectors and photographers for its exceptional style, solid workmanship, and sparse production. The current version of the Leica Elmarit 28mm ASPH is again recommended by more photographers because of its compact size. That’s how the third generation version is rarely recommended, and that’s why it’s so reasonably priced. In fact the third generation is still in Leica’s style with excellent optical performance.

I love using this lens for close up street snaps, it does a great job at close range with great sharpness. It has high color contrast, which gives me the illusion that it was designed for digital cameras. But it is indeed a lens from 1980.

In fact, I prefer the v3 version to the ASPH version, because the colors of v3 seem to be a little warmer and belong to the classic Leica. More importantly, v3 seems to have more depth of field, making it easier to capture clear photos, especially at close range. I think this is because the classic Leica bokeh blur is a gradual pattern from clear to blurry. The ASPH version does not have this gradual blurring process. Therefore, once the ASPH version makes a slight mistake in blind shooting at close range (about one meter), the entire picture will be blurry.

But V3 also has a fatal shortcoming, that is, it is relatively large, especially with the lens hood installed. Compared to the ASPH version, V3 is easier to spot in street shots, which is where it is inferior to the ASPH version. Overall I love it, the V3 is probably the cheapest Leica lens with the best optical quality.