Can’t settle on a 28mm? Here is the ultimate Leica 28mm lens comparison with searchable, sortable specifications like weight, size, aperture and more so that you can find your best choice.
Hi, I’m Sven the Leicaphile and since there are MANY 28mm available for M mount, I compiled them all into the Leica 28mm lens comparison chart. While every care has been made to have everything accurate to err is human and it is provided as-is.
Leica 28mm lens comparison table
| wdt_ID | Name | Manufacturer | Max aperture | Closest Focus | Model Number | Filter | Diamerer | Length | Weight (grams) | Release Date | Check best price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Manufacturer | Max aperture | Closest Focus | Model Number | Filter | Diamerer | Length | Weight (grams) | Release Date | Check best price |
Other comparisons: 21mm – 28mm – 35mm – 50mm – 90mm
What is the best 28mm?
The top 28mm is the Elmarit 28mm. While it is a tad slower then the Summicron, it is also a very small lens, perfect for an all around everyday lens. Second to that is the Summicron 28, that is extremely sharp and of course faster at f2. You can find more information and sample images in the list of the best Leica 28mm lenses.
How to use the Leica 28mm lens comparison table
Unlike the other Leica sites, this Leica 28mm lens comparison table is interactive and will let you sort by manufacturer, aperture and more. Here’s how to use it in more detail:
See only first party lenses
If you only want to display lenses made by Leica, put in “Leica” under the manufacturer column and it will only display lenses from Leica. You can also put Voigtlander, Zeiss, etc.
Lens versions and serial numbers
There’s been multiple versions of the same lenses and naming changes. For example the Summicron 28 has always been for M mount but when Leica introduced the same naming convention for their R line, they added a -M. Certain versions have minimal differences like the 11606 version has a plastic hood while the 11677 has a metal hood.
Fastest 28mm
If you are looking for speed and want to see the fastest 28mms, click on the little triangle above the “Maximum aperture” and it will display the lenses from fastest to slowest and vice versa.
Filters
If you want to see what filter the lenses support, check the filters column. You can put in your exact filter at the bottom of the column and see what matches come up. This is useful if you want to check what lenses support filters that you might already have.
Lightest and smallest 28mm
If you are looking for size and weight, you can click the triangle to sort the lenses. According to this the lightest Leica 28mm is the Minolta M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8.
The smallest Leica 28mm is the Summaron M 28mm f5.6 at a mere 18mm or 0.7 inches.
For both the lightest and smallest the original Summaron takes the first place but since this is a rare and old lens, it is dismissed.
28mm Bokeh
Most photographers don’t use wide angles for Bokeh. Their loss because some of them, while of course not as creamy as a telephoto lens, can blur the background VERY well. See for yourself:
Both the shot above and below are form the Summicron 28. But what if you want the BEST bokeh? There are 3 factors that determine this: Focal length, aperture and focus distance. Since this is a Leica 28mm lens comparison list, we are stuck with 28mm, next we have to find the fastest aperture AND the lens that focuses the closest.
With the table sorted the best 28mm Bokeh is the Summilux 28mm and the 7Artisan 28mm as both are tied with a fast aperture of f/1.4 and closest focus of 2.3.
Cheapest Leica 28mm lens option
Leica lenses aren’t particularly cheap, so if you are looking for the cheapest Leica 28mm this is the 7artisan 28mm. It’s sharp and pretty well built and rivals the Summilux in terms of speed, so it is quite a steal if you are in a budget.
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this Leica 28mm lens comparison article. The best one that balances size, weight and price is the Elmarit 28mm. If you need the speed then the Summicron 28, followed but the Summilux 28. If you are on a budget you cannot go wrong with the more than adequate 7Artisans.