Leica R lenses

by Erwin Puts

May 2005
Chapter 13:
LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 1

LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8

__General considerations

Leica products are characterised by a fine balance between inno- technically the optical system with a variable magnification is bet-
vation and solid engineering with the most emphasis on enginee- ter designated as a variable power lens. The focal length of a lens
ring qualities and performance. Leica is at its best in the perfec- gives a certain magnification of the object and optically speaking
tion of novel ideas and the elegant integration of proven parts. we can interchange focal length with the power of the lens. Leica
The classical M3 camera was an excellent example of the integra- is therefore correct, if a bit strict, to use the word 'vario' to indica-
tion of available ideas and components, brilliantly executed. te a zoomlens.
Zoomlenses are a second example where Leica does improve on
the work of others. The Leitz company had for a long period resi- As said above, most vario systems are derivations of or improve-
sted the demands of working photographers to introduce zoom ments of the two-component mechanically compensated zoom-
lenses. lens. Let us recall briefly the main problem of zoomlenses: With
two components (lens groups) we can only achieve exact focus
The official statement during that period was quite firm, but a bit and magnification (or focal length) for two positions. At all other
short-sighted. Zoomlenses could never provide the image quality magnifications (powers) the image will be defocused. In the past it
of the fixed focal length lenses and certainly could not operate at was thought impossible to get the engineering precision to com-
the wider apertures that Leica users were habitually using. This pensate the defocus by mechanical means.
second part of the statement is still true, but the first part is not.
Modern zoomlenses are mostly based on the two-component The second type of compensation, the optical compensation, is
mechanically compensated variable-power system. The designa- much simpler to achieve, but has as big disadvantage its size,
tion 'zoom' for this type of lenses is now universally adopted, but which is significantly larger than with a mechanical compensated
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 2

system. The original first generation zoomlenses were optically talented young people around him and a new generation of
compensated, as can be derived form the large size of the lens. Leica lenses was about to se the daylight.
Once the engineering problem of the mechanical coupling of
the movement of the two lens groups was solved, designers all The first truly Leica designed vario lens was the LEICA VARIO-
over the world could focus on the improvement of the image APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8 and it was and it is still the
quality. This type of design, because of its promising perfor- lens that defied the claim that single focal length lenses could
mance, was extensively studied and optimum solutions were never be equalled by vario lenses. It is quite unique in its wide
offered in patent documents and during the many optical com- aperture of 1:2.8 that does not change during the full rage of
petitions all over the world. In many cases a third moving group focal lengths. This is quite an achievement for mechanically
has been introduced to optimise performance, but the basic compensated zoomlenses. This new zoomlens could not be
design still stands. designed overnight. Mr. Kölsch explained to me, when I asked
him about the secrets of this design, that the optical calcula-
Given the large amount of research into this single type of tions were secondary in designing a lens, but that the designer
design, it is no surprise that the performance generally is quite needs to understand the fundamental properties of a design
good. The first lens that Leica introduced in the longer focal type before it is possible to make significant progress. Once
length vario systems was the Minolta designed LEICA VARIO- you understand the character of a lens type and its possibilities
ELMAR-R 80-200 mm f/4.5 from 1974, quickly followed by the and impossibilities, you can exploit its potential. The making of
Minolta designed LEICA VARIO-ELMAR-R 75-200 mm f/4.5 and the LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8 took about
later by the LEICA VARIO- ELMAR-R 70-210 mm f/4 in 1984. one and a half year. But the result is a stunning lens.
The range of focal lengths is untypically Leica, and indicates its
foreign heritage, but optically the lens has a stronger injection The qualification of what is better optical performance must be
of Leica knowledge. This lens has a medium-high contrast and a seen always in context. Let us be more specific. Take the image
good delineation of fine detail, but distortion is quite visible and quality of the LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8
the critical medium frequencies (15 to 25 linepairs//mm) at its extreme position of 180 mm and compare this to the fixed
responsible for smooth gradation and crisp detail are weak. To focal length lenses of Leica. The vario lens is significantly better
improve on these aspects we had to wait for the availability of at all apertures than the LEICA ELMARIT-R 180 mm f/2.8, but
new glass types and new knowledge. The arrival of Lothar not as good as the superb LEICA APO-ELMARIT-R 180 mm
Kölsch as head of the optical design deparment gave the impe- f/2.8. The same relation holds for the 4/100mm and the
tus to create the breakthroughs in design and engineering to 2.8/100mm, but again this last lens can be trimmed to a very
catapult Leica out of the fishbowl there were swimming in till high level. Even the LEICA ELMARIT-R 135 mm f/2.8 is surpas-
that moment. Mr. Kölsch assembled a small group of very sed by the vario lens.

LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R
70-180 mm f/2.8
Photographer: Oliver Richter
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 3

__Size and handling of the lens that the shots at the end of the day were as crisp as at the
beginning, an indication that physical fatigue does not reduce
The optical performance is indeed quite impressive, and the the quality of the pictures. Current styles and trends in photo-
size of the lens has to be taken into consideration. There is no graphy favour the wide angle lens and wide angle zoomlens,
question that it is possible to stretch the focal length to 200 and the longer focal lengths are put in the cinderalla-corner.
mm, but then the front diameter will be excessively large. For Use of this zoomlens with its very interesting range from 70mm
the 180 mm focal length the diameter is now 88mm and the to 180mm shows the creative possibilities of this range in
extension to 200 mm would enlarge the diameter proportionally every-day shooting. Many subjects and objects will be enhan-
and this increase is not worth the limited gain in focal length. It ced visually by a selective focus and a selective composition.
is really imperative to understand that a lens design starts and Wide open the LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8
ends not with the optical internals, but with the given physical brings very crisp images and tight composition that visually
dimensions. Leica's choice for an all-metal focusing and com- draws the viewer into the picture. And for whom it is intere-
pensation mechanism implied weight and size. This is the sting, the bo-ke of this lens is very smooth and subdued. Perso-
strong side of the Leica competence. They have the expertise nally I am more interested in the solidity and plasticity of the
and knowledge to match mechanical engineering to optical per- drawing of round subjects, a topic that can be discussed more
formance.It is by the way not necessarily the case that metals objectively. The LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8
are always superior in manufacturing. The modern plastics or is an excellent choice if you need pictures with punch, crisp-
polymers (this name is to be preferred as 'plastics' bears a ness, clean colours and visually pleasing definition of round
cheap annotation) can be of very good quality. The choice bet- subjects. My favourite film for this lens is the Kodachrome 200
ween metal and polymers is a matter of batch size and cost. whose characteristics match the lens in a nice artistic way. But
The cost of moulding tools to create the shape of a polymer pictures with any good quality slide film will benefit from the
component is extremely high and only economically justified capabilities of this lens. I cannot wait to test this lens with the
with large production runs. There is no need to be negative new LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R for the R8/9 system.
about a product that has some plastic components incorpora- The closest focus of the lens is 170 cm. Good enough for the
ted into its assembly. range from 135 mm to 180 mm, but a bit limited when using the
70mm to 100mm. The throw of the focusing ring is quite large
It is evident that a lens with a complicated mount needs to be and a bit of pre-focussing will help to catch the correct focus
assembled with the utmost care to ensure a smooth movement with a short movement. Otherwise the focussing movement will
of all moving parts. The LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 destabilise the handholding.
mm f/2.8 has a weight of about 1900 grams a size of roughly
20 cm long by 10 cm thick. This is just the limit for handheld The performance of the lens is at its optimum when used on tri-
photography. The aperture of 2.8 is quite helpful as it is fully pod and the lens mount can be easily turned for horizontal and
useable and allows for higher shutter speeds. When testing the vertical pictures. It goes without saying that a heavy tripod and
lens, one of the aspects was to analyse its potential for hand- careful focussing and mirror lock up is necessary to extract
held shooting. I used the lens constantly for three hours with every ounce of performance from this lens. When you are able
ISO200 slide film (to get some extra speed) and have to say to use shutter speeds above 1/500, however, handheld shoo-
ting will bring exquisite results.

LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8

Photographer: Oliver Richter
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 4

__Optical considerations

Lens shape 70 mm

Lens shape 100 mm

Lens shape 180 mm

The design with 13 elements in 10 groups is a bit complicated

to analyse, but the drawing can be divided in two main groups:
the stationary group behind the aperture location and the
moving group before the aperture. Here we see the classical
two-component design, with the first component (Vario Gruppe
1) also functioning as an internal focussing movement.
It is not necessary (nor is it possible) to discuss every possible
focal length position and the behaviour at every aperture. It is
possible however to draw a larger picture.
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 5

Generally the lens is already outstandingly good at the wider MTF graph 180 mm
apertures over the whole range of focal lengths. The MTF Aperture Stop 8
Blende 8.0
[%]
graphs are quite clear in this respect. 100

80
MTF graph 70 mm
Blende 2.8
Aperture Stop 2.8 60
[%]
100
40
80
20
60
0
40 0 5 10 15 20
Y'[mm]
20

0
0 5 10 15 20 Note that there is hardly a difference in performance between
Y'[mm] the apertures and the focal lengths. The general behaviour on
stopping down is a crispening of the detail definition at the cor-
ners of the image and an improvement of micro contrast at the
MTF graph 70 mm rendition of very small detail. The 40 lp/mm are important for
Blende
Aperture8.0
Stop 8
stationary and tripod based photography. For most situations it
[%]
100
is best to look at the performance of the 20-30 lp/mm. This is
around 90% overall at all apertures and focal lengths.
80
If you wish to be very critical one can note that the range from
60 80mm to 110mm delivers optimum performance at a level only
equalled by the LEICA APO-MACRO-ELMARIT-R 100 mm f/2.8.
40 A verbal description of the performance would be as follows: at
full aperture overall contrast is very high with an even perfor-
20 mance over the whole image area, with the exception of the
extreme corners where contrast drops slightly. Very fine detail
0 is rendered with excellent micro contrast and is defined with
0 5 10 15 20 crisp edges and smooth gradation of subtle differences in hue
Y'[mm] and light intensity. Exceedingly fine structural elements are
captured till the limits of the recording capacity of the film
emulsions, where detail is mashed with the grain structure and
MTF graph 180 mm
becomes invisible.
Aperture Stop 2.8
Blende 2.8
[%]
100
For most intents and purposes the LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-
R 70-180 mm f/2.8 is free from flare and exhibits excellent
80
internal flare reduction. At the maximum extension (180mm) we
can detect some flare when strong light sources are obliquely
60
entering the front surface of the lens.

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20
Y'[mm]
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 6

Vignetting is acceptably low with a maximum of 1.5 aperture Distortion in the medium positions (focal lengths from 90 to
stops. In most situations a one stop difference is hardly visible 135mm) is very low, but inevitably in a zoomlens, the extreme
as long as the darkening in the corners is smoothly progres- positions show the familiar barrel and pincushion distortion
sing. For really critical work and with very evenly lit bak- figures. The photographer should be aware of these characteri-
kgrounds it may become visible. stics and act as needed or intended.

Vignetting 70 mm Effective Distortion 70 mm

[%]
100
Y'[mm]
80 8.0
5.6
2.8
12
60
9
40
6

20 3

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Y'[mm] X'[mm]

Vignetting 135 mm Effective Distortion 100 mm

[%]
100
Y'[mm]
80 8.0
5.6
2.8 12
60
9
40
6

20 3

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Y'[mm] X'[mm]

Vignetting 180 mm Effective Distortion 180 mm

[%]
100
Y'[mm]
80 8.0
5.6
2.8 12
60
9
40
6

20 3

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Y'[mm] X'[mm]
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 7

__Artistic considerations

The great danger of the zoomlens is its flexibility in changing The focal range from 70 to 180mm predestines the Vario LEICA
focal lengths. The selected focal length does not only define the VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8 for a large range of
magnification, but also the depth of field, the relative sizes of assignments in the world of nature, reportage and fashion/por-
background and foreground objects and the depth impression trait photography. You can still hear the claim that a lens may
of the scene. These aspects are different for every scene and be too sharp for portrait photography and the LEICA VARIO-
should be defined and considered before you start with the APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8 is indeed very exacting in its
actual shooting. The zoomlens allows for the fine-tuning of the reproduction behaviour. One should however not forget that it
composition and the framing of the scene. The zoomlens is the photographer who makes the picture, not the lens as is.
should not be used to try to improve a bad composition by vary- High definition is always accompanied by a very smooth grada-
ing the focal length over the whole range in the vain hope of fin- tion of subtle hues and illumination differences, characteristics
ding a good composition. that give a portrait a very good depth perspective. Photography
is drawing with light and sketching with the shadows and it is
The functional advantage of the zoomlens is the provision of a the direction and quality of the light that will define the impact
range of focal lengths in one package, thus reducing the need of the photograph. Here we can still learn much from studying
to travel with a number of individual lenses. In the case of sin- the paintings of old and current masters.
gle focal lengths, the photographer would decide on using only
one or two lenses that are appropriate for the shooting session
he has in mind. The same approach is best when employing a
zoomlens.

LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8

Photographer: Oliver Richter
 Chapter 13 Leica R lenses 8

__Conclusion

The LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8 is the first

zoom lens that can challenge the best single focal length lenses
in its zoom range and even today is still state of the art. It is a
fine example of the capabilities of the design team at Leica,
Solms. It delivers outstandingly good imagery when comman-
ding its performance profile and with knowledge of the photo-
graphic processes involved. The current Leica signature of
accurate colour rendition on the verge of creamy saturation,
clean and crisp definition of fine detail, a visible depth impres-
sion of solid objects and subtle gradation in highlights and sha-
dow areas is fully preserved in this lens. Slides and large-scale
prints in black and white and colour exhibit sparkle in high-
lights, forceful details in the shadows and extended tonality in
the mid range of luminance values or grey areas.

LEICA VARIO-APO-ELMARIT-R 70-180 mm f/2.8

Photographer: Oliver Richter