The Leica M9 moves like a silent minstrel through this maze of photons, capturing moments veiled by time’s relentless drift. At first glance, the image seems swallowed by night—an underexposed frame resembling an unopened tome of secrets.
Yet with three gentle stops lifted in post-processing, life surges into the dormant dream. The yellow bicycle awakens from shadows like the first amber rays of dawn, its radiance spilling across the scene. Surrounding foliage unfurls from the gloom, revealing hues steeped in the CCD’s chromatic alchemy—as if nature herself dipped her finest brush into twilight to paint this elegy.
CCD’s palette carries the warmth of aged bourbon, its tones ripened into velvety resonance. Every leaf, every gradient of light becomes a vessel of memory, whispering tales forgotten in dusty corners. Within this small rectangle of captured time, light and color unite in chorus—a hymn to moments resurrected from oblivion.
In an age of gargantuan mirrorless zooms, the Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH (2006–present) whispers its manifesto. At 180g—lighter than a Fuji X100V—this anodized aluminum haiku cuts through photographic dogma. Born not from passion but pragmatism (often bundled with M bodies), it defies expectations: a wallflower lens that somehow waltzes with light.
Leica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPH
Design
Pocket Geometry
Dimensions: 39mm filter thread, slimmer than a subway ticket
Weight: 180g (6.3oz)—featherweight champion of M-mount
Aesthetic: Matte black finish absorbing light like a black hole
Mechanical Precision
Focus Throw: 90° from 0.7m to ∞—street sniper’s quickdraw
Aperture: 10-blade iris painting bokeh like watercolor smudges
Digital Symbiosis
6-bit Coding: Flawless EXIF handshake with M10/M11
Realists’ Joy: 100% consistency across 10 rental copies tested
Bloodline Wars
Aspect
Elmarit 28mm f/2.8 ASPH
Summicron 28mm f/2 ASPH
Weight
180g (6.3oz)
330g (11.6oz)
Price (2023)
2,300–2,300–2,800
4,500–4,500–5,200
Bokeh
Watercolor whispers
Oil painting strokes
Soul
Woolf’s depth
Hemingway’s precision
Street Cred
Phantom agility
Knightly valor
Leica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPH
The Q Paradox
Leica Q’s shadow looms large—why buy this modest f/2.8 when Q2 offers f/1.7? The answer whispers through back alleys:
M System Loyalty: For those wedded to optical viewfinders
Weight Watchers: Q2 (734g) vs Elmarit+M11 (958g)—math favors modularity
Upgrade Path: Pair with Noctilux for night ops, swap to Elmarit for day
Pro Tips for Digital Mavericks
Film Simulation: Mimic Provia 100F via M11’s B&W high-contrast profile
UV Filter Hack: Use B+W 39mm clear as sacrificial lamb
Zone Focus Preset: Mark 2m/6.5ft on barrel with red nail polish
Who Should Buy This?
✓ Urban Haiku Masters: Crafting visual poetry in tight spaces ✓ M System Minimalists: Building lean, mean travel kits ✓ Q Curious: Testing 28mm waters before full commitment
Avoid If: You romanticize focus shift or need f/1.4 bragging rights.
Final Verdict: The Quiet Revolutionary
The Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH is Leica’s Black Widow lens—seen only when it wants to be. For $2,500, you get:
90% Summicron performance at 50% weight
Permission to photograph unnoticed
Proof that greatness needn’t shout
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (for pragmatists) | ⭐⭐✨/5 (for character fetishists) “A lens that murmurs: ‘The best camera is the one that’s actually in your bag.’”
Leica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPHLeica M8 with Elmarit-m 28mm f2.8 ASPH
In an era obsessed with megapixels, the 1965–1972 Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 9-Element (v1) feels like unearthing a Stradivarius at a garage sale. Crafted when Apollo missions still dazzled the world, this 280g brass relic—priced at 1,800–1,800–2,500 (2025 USD)—offers something modern glass cannot: optical soul. Forget specs; this lens is a jazz improvisation in a world of autotune.
In Leica’s pantheon of 28mm lenses—from the Depression-era Hektor f/6.3 to the cult-classic Elmarit v4—the Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH (2016–present) stands as Olympus among mortals. This 254g aluminum oracle merges Walter Mandler’s optical philosophy with 21st-century aspherical sorcery, delivering f/2 brilliance at $4,500. Forget “versatile”; this lens is photographic divinity incarnate.
Photography is about using your eyes and your mind together. But is it better to think first, then take a picture, or to take a picture first, then think? I don’t always have time to think, just like a dog owner who doesn’t always have time to control their dog. My shutter always runs before my brain.
I enjoy eating lotus seeds, some are bitter, some are sweet, some are cold, I like the feeling, the feeling of fall. I took a picture while eating lotus seeds. I don’t just eat lotus seeds, I chew the fall one bite at a time. I don’t just take pictures, I take pictures of fall one by one.
Light is just so dramatic and can make everything around you feel fresh. Photography can make life like a movie, giving full scope to the imagination without leaving the human realm.
A memory card is lined up with many photos, not every photo can be taken clearly. What is the point of having blurry photos? They can only exist for the sake of a clear photo. Just like the words we say or the things we do, only a few can be preserved. That’s the law of the world and the law of photography, I guess.
The graininess of film is beautiful and mesmerizing. I like to add a film grain filter to blurry shots. I’m not making it look more real. I’m making it look more mesmerizing.
Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3
