15 F3.5 SUPER ELMAR R (IN-BUILT) MANUAL FOCUS SUPER WIDE ANGLE LENS

Similar to condition as the above, except no box and non rom version.

" The Super-Elmar-R 15mm f/3.5 is the most extreme of the Leica wide-angle lenses (110¡ã viewing angle). It was designed and manufactured by Carl Zeiss in Oberkochen, Germany and its optical configuration and mechanical engineering are identical to the Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm f/3.5, except for the special Leica element coatings, the built-in filters and the barrel finish.

The lens consists of 13 elements in 12 groups. The correction of optical errors is very good for this type of super wide-angle lens. Stopping down to f/8.0 delivers best quality. There is some fall-off in illumination towards the corners, but this can be almost fully reduced when stopping down slightly. Thanks to a floating element the lens maintains a high resolution at close range (minimum range is an amazing 16 cm).

The lens fills the complete frame and thus produces a rectilinear image. Filters are built-in. The incorporated lens hood is mainly intended for protection of the big front lens.

Use of this lens requires special care in order to avoid an impression of distortion when the lens is not on the theoretical central axis of an object. An ideal lens for picture-taking in confined spaces such as inside churches and buildings. Landscape and architectural photography can get a new meaning with this lens as objects close to the camera appear much larger than in reality, thus creating an impression of great spatial depth. An extreme depth-of-field makes it possible to render both near and distant objects in sharp focus.


An especially creative use of the Super-Elmar-R 15mm f/3.5 can be obtained by exploiting the exaggerated close-up perspective. The minimum focusing distance of 16 cm can render scale models as if they were life-like. A type of lens much used in advertising.

The French photo magazine Chasseur d'Images awarded this lens 3 stars for optical performance (their test system penalizes lenses with large f-stops; star results can only be compared among lenses within the same f-stop category). The German photo magazine ColorFoto awarded this lens 67.1 points (2 stars), the best lens in this category of super wide-angle lenses.

Weight: 910 gr, length from bayonet flange: 92,5 mm, built-in lens hood. Built-in filter turret (UVa, yellow, orange, blue correction).

Its Leica catalog number is 11213 or 11325 (with ROM). First introduced in 1980, discontinued in 2000 and replaced in November 2001 by the Super-Elmarit-R 15mm f/2.8 ASPH (made by Schneider in Germany). A rare lens. Only about 450 samples of this lens have been ordered from Zeiss. The inscription on the barrel says "Leitz Wetzlar". A ROM strip was added with the arrival of the R8 camera in 1996. "

The Leica 15mm, this is the WIDEST in the leica R range. Image quality is fantastic. Making use of a Carl Zeiss design, this lens gives excellent micro contrast, very nice deep saturated colours in combination to give that very nice magical "pop" in images take. This lens is probably not "value for money" but for a piece of history, for the fact its a LEICA, not a canon or nikon. It is worth the money. Like the Zeiss design, this lens has UV and 3 other colour filters built into the lens, switched by rotating a ring on the lens.

Image taken with lens by LENS.sg staff:

Sample recently taken using this lens on the 5D mark2 via adaptor.