Leica R Lenses for Infrared: Hot Spot Ratings

These 41 Leica R lenses are rated for infrared photography from real-world tests by IR photographers. Ratings are Good (28 lenses), Maybe (9 lenses), Bad (4 lenses), and Unknown (0 lenses) for hot spots, the bright spot some lenses leave in the center of an infrared image, and follow the thresholds below.

Zooms

Wide Zooms

IR	Focal Length	Minimum Aperture	Lens	Filter	Weight	Notes
Maybe	21-35mm	ƒ/3.5-4	Leica Vario-Elmar-R 21-35mm ƒ/3.5-4 ASPH	⌀67mm	500 g	Hotspot starts at ƒ/5.6.
Good	28-70mm	ƒ/3.5-4.5	Leica Vario-Elmar-R 28-70mm ƒ/3.5-4.5	⌀60mm	450 g	No hotspot.
Bad	35-70mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Vario-Elmarit-R 35-70mm ƒ/2.8 ASPH KEH Adorama	⌀77mm	1050 g	Hotspot at all apertures.
Maybe	35-70mm	ƒ/3.5	Leica Vario-Elmar-R 35-70mm ƒ/3.5 Adorama B&H	⌀67mm	450 g	Hotspot starts at ƒ/8. The later E67 (3-Cam) version; an earlier E60 version also exists.
Good	35-70mm	ƒ/4	Leica Vario-Elmar-R 35-70mm ƒ/4	⌀60mm	505 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/11, but usable up to ƒ/16 at 70mm.
Maybe	45-90mm	ƒ/2.8	Angénieux Zoom 45-90mm ƒ/2.8	⌀67mm	790 g	Hotspot starts at ƒ/8. Uses a Series VIII filter mount rather than a front thread; the first zoom lens made for the Leica R system, built by Angénieux rather than Leitz.

Telephoto Zooms

IR	Focal Length	Minimum Aperture	Lens	Filter	Weight	Notes	Images
Good	70-210mm	ƒ/4	Leica Vario-Elmar-R 70-210mm ƒ/4 Adorama	⌀60mm	720 g	No hotspot.
Good	75-200mm	ƒ/4.5	Leica Vario-Elmar-R 75-200mm ƒ/4.5 B&H	⌀55mm	725 g	No hotspot.

Primes

Wide Primes

IR	Focal Length	Minimum Aperture	Lens	Filter	Weight	Notes
Good	15mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Super-Elmarit-R 15mm ƒ/2.8 ASPH	n/a	710 g	No hotspot. Uses a built-in filter turret rather than a front filter thread.
Maybe	15mm	ƒ/3.5	Leica Super-Elmar-R 15mm ƒ/3.5	n/a	815 g	Hotspot starts at ƒ/8. Uses a built-in filter turret rather than a front filter thread.
Maybe	16mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Fisheye-Elmarit-R 16mm ƒ/2.8	n/a	460 g	Hotspot starts at ƒ/5.6. Uses a built-in filter turret rather than a front filter thread.
Good	19mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 19mm ƒ/2.8 (I)	n/a	815 g	No hotspot. Uses a built-in filter turret rather than a front filter thread; the earlier of two distinct optical designs sold under this name (1975-1990).
Bad	19mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 19mm ƒ/2.8 (II)	n/a	560 g	Hotspot at all apertures. Uses a built-in filter turret rather than a front filter thread; the later, more compact redesign (1990-2009).
Good	21mm	ƒ/4	Leica Super-Angulon-R 21mm ƒ/4 KEH	⌀72mm	420 g	No hotspot.
Good	24mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 24mm ƒ/2.8 KEH	⌀60mm	420 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/11. Uses the Leica Series 8 filter mount.
Good	28mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 28mm ƒ/2.8 (I) KEH	⌀48mm	275 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/11. Uses a Series VII filter held by the lens hood rather than a plain front thread.
Good	28mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 28mm ƒ/2.8 (II)	⌀55mm	435 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/16.
Maybe	28mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica PC-Super-Angulon-R 28mm ƒ/2.8	⌀67mm	600 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/8. A perspective-control (shift) lens for architectural work.

Normal Primes

IR	Focal Length	Minimum Aperture	Lens	Filter	Weight	Notes
Bad	35mm	ƒ/1.4	Leica Summilux-R 35mm ƒ/1.4 KEH B&H	⌀67mm	685 g	Hotspot at all apertures.
Good	35mm	ƒ/2	Leica Summicron-R 35mm ƒ/2 (I)	⌀48mm	510 g	No hotspot. Uses a Series VII filter adapter rather than a plain front thread.
Good	35mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 35mm ƒ/2.8 (III)	⌀55mm	305 g	Light hotspot from ƒ/11.
Good	35mm	ƒ/4	Schneider-Kreuznach PA-Curtagon 35mm ƒ/4 B&H	⌀60mm	310 g	No hotspot. A third-party perspective-control (shift) lens for Leica R; uses a Series VIII filter mount.
Maybe	50mm	ƒ/1.4	Leica Summilux-R 50mm ƒ/1.4 (I)	⌀55mm	395 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/8.
Bad	50mm	ƒ/1.4	Leica Summilux-R 50mm ƒ/1.4 (II) B&H	⌀60mm	710 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/2.
Good	50mm	ƒ/2	Leica Summicron-R 50mm ƒ/2 (I) KEH Adorama	⌀44mm	680 g	No hotspot. Uses a Series VI filter adapter rather than a plain front thread.
Maybe	50mm	ƒ/2	Leica Summicron-R 50mm ƒ/2 (II) Adorama	⌀55mm	290 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/8.
Good	60mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm ƒ/2.8 KEH	⌀55mm	400 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/11.

Telephoto Primes

IR	Focal Length	Minimum Aperture	Lens	Filter	Weight	Notes
Good	80mm	ƒ/1.4	Leica Summilux-R 80mm ƒ/1.4 B&H	⌀67mm	700 g	No hotspot.
Good	90mm	ƒ/2	Leica Apo-Summicron-R 90mm ƒ/2 KEH	⌀60mm	520 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/16.
Good	90mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 90mm ƒ/2.8 (I)	⌀54mm	500 g	No hotspot. Uses a Series VII filter adapter rather than a plain front thread.
Good	90mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 90mm ƒ/2.8 (II)	⌀55mm	450 g	Hotspot visible at ƒ/11.
Good	100mm	ƒ/4	Leica Macro-Elmar-R 100mm ƒ/4 KEH	⌀55mm	540 g	Light hotspot at ƒ/16.
Good	135mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 135mm ƒ/2.8 KEH Adorama B&H	⌀55mm	730 g	No hotspot.
Good	180mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Elmarit-R 180mm ƒ/2.8 KEH B&H	⌀67mm	1325 g	No hotspot.
Good	180mm	ƒ/2.8	Leica Apo-Elmarit-R 180mm ƒ/2.8 KEH	⌀67mm	970 g	Very light hotspot at ƒ/22.
Good	180mm	ƒ/3.4	Leica APO-Telyt-R 180mm ƒ/3.4	⌀60mm	750 g	No hotspot.
Good	180mm	ƒ/4	Leica Elmar-R 180mm ƒ/4 B&H	⌀55mm	540 g	No hotspot.
Good	250mm	ƒ/4	Leica Telyt-R 250mm ƒ/4 (I)	⌀55mm	1380 g	No hotspot.
Good	250mm	ƒ/4	Leica Telyt-R 250mm ƒ/4 (II)	⌀67mm	1230 g	No hotspot.
Maybe	350mm	ƒ/4.8	Leica Telyt-R 350mm ƒ/4.8	⌀77mm	1820 g	A curious hotspot, but usable.
Good	500mm	ƒ/8	Leica MR-Telyt-R Miroir 500mm ƒ/8 KEH	⌀77mm	750 g	No hotspot. Fixed ƒ/8 mirror (reflex) lens; also takes 32mm rear drop-in filters.

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What the ratings mean. Hot spots usually appear as you increase the lens ƒ-number, so each rating depends on the lowest ƒ-stop where a hot spot shows and how severe it is, and the thresholds differ by sensor format.

Good: No hot spots, or one that starts at ƒ/11 or higher where diffraction impacts image sharpness.
Maybe: Contains a mild hot spot that starts at ƒ/5.6 or ƒ/8 and is correctable in editing.
Bad: A hot spot that starts at ƒ/4 or lower, or is hard to correct in editing.
Unknown: No data reported.

How reports are checked and rated

Leica R Lens Mount Adapters

Use an adapter to mount these lenses to many mirrorless cameras.

B&H - Leica R lens mount adapters

Adorama - Leica R lens mount adapters

Leica R Mount