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18mm Super Elmar


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Wanting now to purchase this lens can you tell me if the lens will fit into its case with the Leica filter ring 14 484 attached or does this have to be removed when returning it to its lens case? So this means the lens sits in its case with only the rubber lens cap for protection?. Will the E77 B+W yellow/orange filters be ok with the lens? Thank you for your help.  

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I don't have the filter holder and bought my 18 Super Elmar used, but virtually like new, complete in the box and the only cap was the one that fit over the lens hood. Without the hood fitted, the front lens element would bulge out beyond the outer ring of the lens and be exposed to damage so you'd always want either the hood or the filter setup attached to protect the front element.

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Thank you Gregm61, I want to use the filter holder. I shoot B/W film with an MP. I want to use the B+W Yellow and Orange E77 filters. The problem I can see is that the filter holder plus the filter would not fit into the lens case after use? Also I would need a E77 lens cap to fit over the E77 filter for protection.

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Love to to see some shots as well. This lens has been neglected in the forums compared to WATE, which must be more popular.

 

I love the big retro look of the hood and don’t mind the (minimal?) finder blockage. Yes I believe you have to remove the hood for pouch storage, but it’s not a big deal.

 

Some really beautiful stuff over on Flickr from this lens.

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I think the filter holder is quite unpractical because of its size. It is the one lens that I never use a filter on.

I fail, however, to see the problem of it fitting in its pouch. Don't you use a camera bag?

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Hello jaapv, my question is simple, will the 18mm with filter holder plus a filter attached fit into the lens pouch? I shoot B/W with a film MP and use yellow and orange filters on all my lens. I do use a camera bag but that's not the point.

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The lens pouch is made for holding the lens with the original hood and cap. If you want to put the lens with filter holder in the pouch, you will have to remove the insert which is made to fit to the hood. Then it will kind of be place for the lens with filter holder, but the fit will not be very good. Take a look at the attached picture, there you can se the lens with hood and cap (you see only the top as it is standing), the pouch open with insert visible, and the filter holder.

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Thank you adli. So are you using this lens for B/W photography with filters? Does the filter ring come with the lens? So when the lens is in a closed pouch the only protection to the lens is the lens cap as shown on the left of the picture. It seems to me that this lens has a few practical problems when wanting to use filters and the basic issue of the lens pouch. 

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Hello jaapv, my question is simple, will the 18mm with filter holder plus a filter attached fit into the lens pouch? I shoot B/W with a film MP and use yellow and orange filters on all my lens. I do use a camera bag but that's not the point.

Possibly it will after modifiation, but my question was as simple: why would one want it to fit? With me the pouch goes into the cupboard after unpacking the lens and has to be dug out should I decide to sell it. A completely redundant accessory IMO.

 

The filter ring is a separate purchase.

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If you need a "case" for an odd sized lens filter assembly, why not just use one of the Tenba Lens Wraps? Here is the link:

 

http://www.tenba.com/products/messenger-wrap-10-inch-black.aspx

 

What I actually do in more humid environments is pack a couple of desiccant cylinders together with the lens and then put it in a Billingham with less dividers if I'm stacking lenses.

 

Dessicant is here:

 

Dry-Packs 1gm Canister, Pack of 50 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00967JG5S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_cSILzb392V8J0

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Are you using the 77 mm wide-angle Lee adapter to connect the filter holder, or the regular one? And how many slots in the filter holder?

 

Is this using a hard edge or soft edge graduated filter?

Yes, i am using 77mm adapter ring with LEE adapter filter holder kit. 2 slots filter holder. With 100mm Cokin Soft 0.9 GND filter.

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I suggest you consider also a Tri-Elmar 16-18-21. I have this lens and use the designated Leica filter holder for my B&W work. The advantage is that the lens is more compact and the filter holder takes 67mm instead of 77mm filters.

 

The Tri-Elmar with filter holder will not fit into the Leica lens case either. However, it will more easily fit into a camera back as it is less bulky than the 18mm SEM. And you can protect the lens while carrying around with a regular 67mm lens cap.

 

In terms of IQ the Tri-Elmar is excellent. I cannot imagine that the 18mm SEM is better.

 

Kind regards

Andreas

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In terms of image quality the Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm Asph is excellent. I cannot imagine that the Super-Elmar-M 18 mm Asph is better.

I compared my copy of the Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm Asph, at 18 mm, to three different copies of the Super-Elmar-M 18 mm Asph. The result was a tie every time. When pixel-peeping carefully, you'll always find some areas within the frame where one lens is slightly better, and other areas where the other lens is slightly better. No lens can outperform the other.

 

I also compared the Tri-Elmar, at 21 mm, to the Super-Elmar-M 21 mm Asph. Here, the Super-Elmar has slightly better sharpness (insignificantly so at the frame's center but somewhat more obviously near the frame's edges) and less lateral chromatic aberration. On the other hand, the Tri-Elmar has significantly less vignetting, and the chromatic aberration is so low that the Super-Elmar's even lower aberration will make a difference only for pedants and pixel-peepers.

 

In the end, I prefer my Tri-Elmar over both the Super-Elmars. And unlike the Tri-Elmar-M 28-35-50 mm Asph which has a tendency to flare, the wide-angle Tri-Elmar is almost free from ghosts, veils, and flares even with the sun right inside the frame.

 

 

post-61824-14286931914036.jpg

Watzmann, 2013

Leica M (Typ 240); Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm Asph

18 mm; f/11; 1/350 s; ISO 200/24°; no filter

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