Just because of focal length is overlooked doesn’t mean it isn’t wonderful. Here are the best Leica 24mm lenses for the field of view that stands between the 21mm and 28mm lenses.
Introduction
First things first, the 24mm is quite the odd duck when it comes to focal length. There isn’t many of them so this will be a small list of lenses. Also, there are no 24mm frame lines built in your Leica’s viewfinder. So you will need to either use the 28mm built-in frame lines and eyeball it OR you need to get a 24mm viewfinder, but they are not as common as the other frame lines.
If you have a digital Leica, you might want to get the Visoflex EVF so that you have one viewfinder for all the focall lengths. With that being said, let’s dig right in.
Best Leica 24mm lens list
| Name | Max aperture | Size (inches) | Get it here: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Leica Summilux 24mm f1.4 | 1.4 | 2.3 | Check on ebay |
| 2. Leica Elmarit 24mm f2.8 | 2.8 | 1.8 | Check on ebay |
| 3. Leica Elmar 24mm f3.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | Check Price |
Like I said previously, when it comes to the best Leica 24mm lenses there aren’t that many, only 3, here’s each in more details including some sample images where available.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Summilux quality & Speed + Can blur the background + Fastest 24mm | – Priciest |
Let’s start of with a bang. The Summilux 24mm is sharp, full of contrast even wide open 1.4. This is a very good lens for wide angle genres like street photography and landscape photography. If you are into reportage, the 1.4 aperture is enough to blur the background (it is a myth that short focal lengths can do this, just not as much as longer lenses) so it’s great for environmental street portraits.
In any case if you are into night photography, the fast speed is extremely useful under these conditions. It’s great for architectural work too because there is also very little distortion, you will only notice a slight little bloat on straight lines if you are looking for it.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Reasonably fast + Adequate max aperture + Great price/speed/size balance | – Not the fastest |
The Summilux is the most recommended 24mm but if you do not care about having the fastest lens, or the asking price is too high, the best option is the Elmarit 24mm 2.8. It’s pretty small compared to the others on this list and the 2.8 aperture strikes the balance of being fast enough while keeping the price and size down.
The other lenses on this list measure 2.3 inches while this one is a smaller 1.8 so it’s less hefty then the rest to carry for a long time.
It’s a great lens for everything, just it might be a tad slow if we are talking about night photography. Besides this it makes a great all around lens for travel, street or whatever. It renders beautiful colors and contrasts, what’s not to love for a small lens?
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Sharp + Contrasty | – Slow – A bit larger |
This is the last option as the best Leica 24mm lens. If you are into street photography, reportage or landscape photography this lens is surely the one to get. f3.8 is not recommended for night time shooting because it is simply too slow. But for street photography where there’s zone focusing and landscape photography where there’s hyperfocal focusing, this lens is a dream.
It is absolutely razor sharp with everything rendering in absolute detail. The only downside to this lens is simply the size. For some reason this is 2.3 inches, it’s just a bit puzzling that such a slow lens is that big, but in the flipside if you are looking for sharpness and are doing a genre that doesn’t require speed, this lens is excellent.
Conclusion
There you have it, the list of the best Leica 24mm lens. There aren’t that many, so if what you want is speed, the Summilux is the one to get. If speed is not paramount, you cannot go wrong with the Elmarit 24mm. Lastly if speed is really not an issue, the sharpness of the Elmar might be the one to draw you in. Happy shooting.
Leica lenses by focal length:
Leica lenses > 21mm – 24mm – 28 mm – 35mm – 50mm – 75mm – 90mm