Leica ELMARIT-R Camera Lenses

Buying Guide to Leica R Lenses

Leica R cameras and lenses were in production from 1965 to 2009. In this time frame, Leica made about 12 cameras and 50 lenses to go with them. On eBay, you can find a plethora of used Leica R lenses to choose from offered at affordable prices.

All Leica R mount lenses feature a manual focus. They are fast, which makes them suitable for different lighting situations. Here are a few basic lenses available on eBay:

• Leica Elmarit-R 35mm f/2.8 - This is a wide-angle lens weighing approx. 88 ounces. Its maximum and minimum apertures are f/2.8 and f/22 respectively (at half stops). Its minimum focusing range is 0.3 meters.
• Summicron-R 50mm f/2 - This is a normal lens weighting approx. 72 ounces. Its maximum and minimum apertures are f/2/ and f/16 respectively (at half stops). Its minimum focusing range is 0.5 meters.
• Leica Elmarit-R 135mm f/2.8 - This is a telephoto lens weighting approx. 1.45 pounds. Its maximum and mini,u, apertures are f/2.8 and f/22, respectively (at half stops). Its minimum focusing range is 1.5 meters.
• Leica Elmarit-R 180mm f/2.8 - This is a super-telephoto lens weighing approx. 2.92 pounds. Its maximum and minimum apertures are f/2.8 and f/16, respectively (at half stops). Its minimum focusing range is 1.8 meters..
• Leica 80-200mm Vario-Elmar-R f/4 - This is a zoom lens weighting approx. 2.24 pounds. Its maximum and minimum apertures are f/4 and f/22, respectively. Its minimum focusing range is 1.1 meters.

Here are general camera lens types categorized by their focal lengths:

• 21mm or less: This is a fish-eye lens. It's good for extreme cityscape and architectural photography.
• 21mm-35mm: This is a wide-angle lens, but it's not as extreme as the fish-eye. It's also suitable for landscape and architectural photography.
• 35mm-70mm: This is a normal, or standard, lens,, and 50 millimeters is the most popular focal length for this lens. It's good for almost any type of photography: street, portraits, landscapes, travel, or documentary.
• 70mm-135mm: This is a telephoto lens. It's used to capture subjects at a distance, which makes it suitable for nature and sports photography. Short telephotos are also used for portraits.
• 135mm+: This is a super telephoto lens. If you need a lens with a reach, this type will give you just that. They're used for wildlife, sports, and astronomy photography.

You can use a new or pre-owned Leica R-mount camera lens with any Leica R single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera. They can fit on other types of Leica cameras as well, but if it's not an R-mount camera, not all lens functions may be available. Check your camera's manual or the manufacturer website to confirm lens compatibility.