{"id":7842,"date":"2017-05-21T15:40:56","date_gmt":"2017-05-21T14:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=7842"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:35:10","slug":"review-leica-135mm-4-0-tele-elmar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-leica-135mm-4-0-tele-elmar\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Introduction<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8106\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8106\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8106 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_title.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review build quality handling\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_title.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_title-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_title-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8106\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar via Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter on Sony A7rII<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Leica rangefinder lenses are very expensive? Most of them are, but the Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar in its earlier versions can be found for less than 200$ used, so what is the catch with this lens? Read on to find out&#8230;<\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8144\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8144\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8144\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample11.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample11.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample11-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample11-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8144\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8146\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8146\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8146\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample14.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample14.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample14-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample14-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8146\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8202\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8202\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8202\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_Sample_portrait.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_Sample_portrait.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_Sample_portrait-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_Sample_portrait-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8202\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>You can find most of the shots in this review in full resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/albums\/72157681707572871\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1>Specifications \/ Version History<\/h1>\n<p>There are <strong>three different versions with Leica M-Mount<\/strong> that have been produced in meaningful quantities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Leica 135mm 4.0 Elma<\/strong>r (4\/4 design, 405g, 12 blades)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar<\/strong> (5\/3 design, 505g, 10 blades)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar-M<\/strong> (5\/3 design, 550g, 10 blades)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The latter two have the same optics but a different casing. I am reviewing the Tele-Elmar version here which has the following specifications:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Diameter: 59 mm<\/li>\n<li>Field of view: 18\u00b0 (diagonally)<\/li>\n<li>Length:&nbsp; 112 mm + adapter<\/li>\n<li>Weight: 505g + adapter<\/li>\n<li>Filter Diameter: 39mm<\/li>\n<li>Number of Aperture Blades: 10 (slightly inwardly curved)<\/li>\n<li>Elements\/Groups: 5\/3<\/li>\n<li>Close Focusing Distance: 1.5 m (~1.25 m with <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-vm-e-close-focus-adapter\/\">VM-E helicoid adapter<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Maximum Magnification: 1:8 (~1:6.8 with <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-vm-e-close-focus-adapter\/\">VM-E helicoid adapter<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Mount: Leica-M<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>You can try getting one of these used from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_nkw=leica+tele+elmar+135+4&amp;_sacat=0&amp;LH_TitleDesc=0&amp;_osacat=0&amp;_odkw=samyang+14mm+2.8&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\">ebay.com<\/a>&nbsp;starting at <strong>200$\/200\u20ac<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0;\" src=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/roverimp\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?ff3=9&amp;pub=5575156171&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;customid=&amp;uq=canon+ef+135mm+2.0+l&amp;mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]\"> (advertisement\/affiliate link).<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Handling \/ Build Quality<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8092\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8092\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8092 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_build_quality.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_build_quality.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_build_quality-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_build_quality-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8092\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The lens is certainly somewhat<strong> strange looking<\/strong>, one might be even tempted to call it ugly. Considering the small diameter of the lens elements the barrel is actually quite thick towards the mount and as <strong>everything is made from metal<\/strong> the lens is also<strong> a little<\/strong> on the<strong> heavy<\/strong> side.<br \/>\nThe <strong>focusing ring travels 180\u00b0<\/strong> from infinity to the minimum focus distance of 1.5m and has exactly the right resistance. The aperture ring travels ~100\u00b0 from f\/4.0 to f\/22 and offers<strong> half-stop click-stops<\/strong> across the whole range.<br \/>\nMarkings are engraved and filled with paint and there are even DoF markings available. The small 39mm filter thread is non rotating.<br \/>\nThe <strong>minimum focus distance of 1.5m is a bit lacking<\/strong> compared to more modern designs but comparable to older SLR lenses like the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-nfd-2-8135\/\">Canon FD 135mm 2.8<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h1>Vignetting<\/h1>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8112 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/vignetting_leica_135mm_4.0.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review vignetting vignette shading\" width=\"800\" height=\"651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/vignetting_leica_135mm_4.0.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/vignetting_leica_135mm_4.0-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/vignetting_leica_135mm_4.0-768x625.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Despite the very small front element vignetting wide open<\/strong> is <strong>only 1.1 EV<\/strong>, stopped down to f\/5.6 this improves to 0.3 EV which isn&#8217;t field relevant anymore.<\/p>\n<h1>Sharpness<\/h1>\n<p><em>infinity<\/em><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8111 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar2.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review sharpness close resolution contrast close\" width=\"800\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar2-141x300.jpg 141w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar2-768x1640.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar2-600x1280.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8110\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review sharpness close resolution contrast close\" width=\"800\" height=\"1708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar-141x300.jpg 141w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar-768x1640.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_leica_135mm_4.0_tele_elmar-600x1280.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In case you wonder why I am presenting two charts in this review: I already had some issues with heat haze when doing my <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/180mm200mm-prime-comparison\/\">180\/200mm comparison<\/a> and in the first chart it is visible again. Nevertheless I think this scene is very good at showing the differences in contrast on stopping down. The other chart shows no heat haze issues but isn&#8217;t as contrasty in general.<br \/>\nThe lens is<strong> fully usable wide open across the whole frame<\/strong> for most applications. If possible I would still recommend stopping down to <strong>f\/5.6<\/strong> which mainly <strong>improves edge acuity and the corners<\/strong> a bit.<\/p>\n<p><em>close focus (150 cm)<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8108 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.5m.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review sharpness close resolution contrast close\" width=\"800\" height=\"1734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.5m.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.5m-138x300.jpg 138w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.5m-768x1665.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.5m-591x1280.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>close focus (125 cm with VM-E helicoid adapter)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8109 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.25m.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review sharpness close resolution contrast close\" width=\"800\" height=\"1734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.25m.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.25m-138x300.jpg 138w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.25m-768x1665.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Sharpness_close_leica_135mm_4.0_1.25m-591x1280.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The close focus performance is pretty <strong>decent, especially stopped down to f\/5.6<\/strong>, but the <strong>maximum magnification isn&#8217;t very high,<\/strong> not even with the <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-vm-e-close-focus-adapter\/\">Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1>Flare resistance<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8095\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8095\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8095 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review flare contralight contralit\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8095\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As is the case with many tele lenses the <strong>sun just outside the frame may lead to serious flare across the whole frame<\/strong>. Contrast is also significantly lowered. I didn&#8217;t get a hood with this lens but tried shading the lens with my hand which didn&#8217;t really help. <strong>Ghosting<\/strong> with the sun inside the frame <strong>isn&#8217;t a problem<\/strong> though.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8096\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8096\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8096 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare_contrast.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review flare contralight contralit\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare_contrast.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare_contrast-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_flare_contrast-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8096\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Distortion<\/h2>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 800px; height: 534px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_distortion_uncorrected.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_distortion_corrected.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0 | before: no correction, after: corrected (-1)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The lens exhibits only <strong>minimal pincushion distortion. <\/strong>You can correct this by dialing in -1 in Lightroom or Photoshop.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Bokeh<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8090\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8090\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8090 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh1.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8090\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A maximum aperture of f\/4.0 at 135mm isn&#8217;t exactly breathtaking when talking about the ability to separate subjects from the background.<strong> I am used to shooting the<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-ef-135mm-2-0l\/\">Canon EF 135mm 2.0 L <\/a>and the <strong>differences are really huge<\/strong> here.<br \/>\nThe <strong>quality of the bokeh is quite alright<\/strong> though, maybe a little nervous depending on the background but no significant outlining around highlights or structures in the light discs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8101\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8101\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8101 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_bokeh.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_bokeh.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_bokeh-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_bokeh-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8101\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8143\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8143\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8143\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample10.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample10.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample10-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample10-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8143\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8091\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8091\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8091 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh2.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_bokeh2-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8091\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Sunstars<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8135\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8135\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8135\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sunstars.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sunstars.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sunstars-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sunstars-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8135\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/11 | 100% crop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This lens features <strong>10 inwardly curved aperture blades which will yield 10-pointed sunstars<\/strong> around point light sources. They are very well defined (similar to the Loxia and newer Voigtlander lenses) and I like them, but as this is a highly subjective topic you might want to have a look at <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/best-lenses-for-sunstars\/\">this article<\/a> and decide for yourself what you prefer.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Chromatic aberrations<\/h1>\n<p><em>longitudinal<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8099\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8099\" style=\"width: 1041px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8099\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_loca.png\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review ca lateral chromatic abberation loca longitudinal axial purple fringing\" width=\"1041\" height=\"703\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_loca.png 1041w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_loca-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_loca-768x519.png 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_loca-800x540.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8099\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0 | 50% crop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The shot above is certainly a real stress test and the<strong> performance<\/strong> actually<strong> isn&#8217;t so bad for a non-Apo lens<\/strong>. If you want better take a look at the newer Apo-Telyt 135mm 3.4 or the <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-samyang\/\">Samyang 135mm 2.0<\/a>. <strong>Purple fringing is also present<\/strong>, as can be seen in this crop:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8100\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8100\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8100\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_purple_fringing.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review ca lateral chromatic abberation loca longitudinal axial purple fringing\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_purple_fringing.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_purple_fringing-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_purple_fringing-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8100\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0 | 100% crop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>lateral<\/em><\/p>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 800px; height: 515px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_lateral_ca_uncorrected.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_lateral_ca_corrected.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | 100% crop from corner | before: no correction, after: corrected<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Correction of lateral CAs is pretty good. <\/strong>There are only small traces visible and this can be<strong> easily corrected<\/strong> e.g. in Lightroom.<\/p>\n<h1>Alternatives<\/h1>\n<p>In the analogue era almost every manufacturer was offering one or even several 135mm prime lenses ranging from f\/2.0 to f\/4.0. With the considerable rise in quality of 70-200mm zooms it seems there is a little less demand for the slower 135mm prime lenses today.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-ef-135mm-2-0l\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>Canon EF 135mm 2.0L USM:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThis is still one of my most favorite portrait lenses on the A7 cameras. This is a much better lens in almost every regard, but it is also considerably bigger, a little heavier and more expensive.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-samyang\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Samyang 135mm 2.0 ED UMC:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThis might even be a bit better optically than the aforementioned Canon lens, but it is even bigger and heavier.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-nfd-2-8135\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Canon FD 135mm 2.8:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nBuild quality, resolution and correction of CA seem to be inferior, but for portraiture this is probably the better choice.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Zeiss Batis 135mm 2.8 APO Sonnar:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nThis lens has just hit the shelves. It seems to be an extremely well corrected but also very expensive lens.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Leica 135mm 3.4 APO-Telyt-M:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nThis is the successor of the lens reviewed here. It is a bit faster and better corrected for aberrations but also much more expensive and I haven&#8217;t tested it myself yet.<\/p>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">across frame sharpness already at f\/4.0<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">sunstars<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">build quality<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">correction of lateral CA<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">distortion<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">vignetting<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">price<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>average<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>bokeh<\/li>\n<li>correction of longitudinal CA<\/li>\n<li>flare resistance<\/li>\n<li>size<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>not good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">maximum magnification<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">weight<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Sharpness across frame is absolutely usable wide open<\/strong> and even better at f\/5.6. The sunstars are comparable to the newer Loxia and Voigtlander lenses and I quite like them. <strong>Build quality is nice<\/strong> but unfortunately <strong>comes with some heft<\/strong>. Distortion is almost non existent as are lateral CA. Vignetting is much lower than I would have expected considering the small front element.<br \/>\nBecause of the specs the simply is <strong>not as much<\/strong> <strong>bokeh as there is with faster lenses<\/strong>, but doesn&#8217;t show major outlining or even onion rings. Flare resistance, correction of longitudinal CA and size are a bit of a mixed bag.<br \/>\nThere are <strong>no real weaknesses<\/strong>, but considering there are 135mm 2.8 lenses which are ligthter I think the <strong>weight is still to name<\/strong> here. Same goes for the <strong>minimum focus distance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Despite being a good lens from a technical point of view I always felt like something was missing<\/strong>. And while trying to collect some decent sample shots it occurred to me: <strong>this lens does not serve me a real purpose.<\/strong><br \/>\nFor portraiture I want a faster lens. For close up shots of small things the maximum magnification often isn&#8217;t sufficient. For my architecture photography it is too long. For hiking it could be a little lighter. On street photography I am no expert, but would also prefer a faster lens.<\/p>\n<p>So in the end the <strong>Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar is a decently priced, nice allround lens<\/strong> that does neither really excel nor fail in any category. If you always wanted to try a Leica lens, but couldn&#8217;t or didn&#8217;t want to afford one, this lens might be for you \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><em>You can try getting one of these used from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?_from=R40&amp;_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&amp;_nkw=leica+tele+elmar+135+4&amp;_sacat=0&amp;LH_TitleDesc=0&amp;_osacat=0&amp;_odkw=samyang+14mm+2.8&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=20008&amp;mkevt=1\">ebay.com<\/a>&nbsp;starting at <strong>200$\/200\u20ac<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0;\" src=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/roverimp\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?ff3=9&amp;pub=5575156171&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;customid=&amp;uq=canon+ef+135mm+2.0+l&amp;mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]\"> (advertisement\/affiliate link).<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8145\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8145\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8145\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample13.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample13.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample13-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample13-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8145\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8134\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8134\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8134\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample8.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample8-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample8-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8134\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8149\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8149\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8149\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample15.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample15.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample15-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample15-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8149\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8102\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8102\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8102 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample1.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8121\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8121\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8121\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample5.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample5.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample5-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8121\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8201\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8201\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8201\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_architecture.jpg\" alt=\"leica 135mm 4.0 f\/4.0 tele-elmar teleelmar elmar-m sony a7 a7rii a7r2 review architecture sharpness\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_architecture.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_architecture-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/leica_135mm_4.0_tele-elmar_sample_architecture-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8201\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can find most of the shots in this review in full resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/albums\/72157681707572871\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1>Further Reading<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-jupiter-9-85mm-2-0\/\">Review: Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/lenses\/\">Overview: Lens Reviews<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/olympus-om-100mm-12-0\/\">Review: Olympus OM Zuiko Auto-T 100mm 1:2<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Support Us<\/h1>\n<p>Did you find this article useful or just liked reading it? Treat us to a coffee!<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=3K9EJRRQVXT4J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-40345 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/donate2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"103\" height=\"29\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"> <span style=\"color: #999999;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"><em>via Paypal<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This site contains advertisement\/affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as advertisement\/affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Leica rangefinder lenses are very expensive? Most of them are, but the Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar in its earlier versions can be found for less than 200$ used, so what is the catch with this lens? Read on to find out&#8230; Sample Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4708,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,7,18,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leica-m","category-lenses","category-review","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Review: Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Leica 135mm 4.0 Tele-Elmar is one of the cheapest Leica lenses. Is it up to speed on modern digital cameras? 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