Senior Member Registered: December, 2018 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 113 | | Review Date: May 15, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $900.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Best zoom in class for a wide margin | | Cons: | Expensive | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 10
Value: 9
Camera Used: Sigma SD15 / EOS 5D
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This was the first Leica zoom I had. Bought it in Vienna in pristine condition some years ago.
The main reason I decided to buy it was goes back to when I bought a Sigma SD15 camera from Sigma. This camera uses a Foveon sensor and when I bought it, it came with a Sigma 18-50 2.8 Sigma lens and besides costing $480 this lens was a lemon, horrible at the corners.
I had a Leica R6 with three primes, a Sumicron-R 50/2, an Elmarit-R 28/2.8 and an Elmar-R 90/4, and since I used them before with my EOS 5D I decided do give them a try with the SD15. The result was a big WOW ! Perfect images, extremely sharp and very pleasant rendering. Then I decided to go for a Leica Zoom.
When I was in Vienna, I went to Leicashop and asked for the best zoom they had (used). The manager came with 3 lenses, the 35-70 F3.5, the 35-70 F4 and a 28-70 F-something.
I asked him about which one he would pick for himself, he smiled and pointed to the 35-70 F4. Then I bought it.
First I used it on the 5D. This lens is much better than the 24-70 F2.8 L in definition. On the Sigma SD15 the images were amazing, on par with the Leica primes I had at that time.
The building quality can't be better, no woobing, very precise. Manual focus was very easy with Haoda custom cut focusing screens. Too bad my K3-II and K5-II don't have decent focusing screens.
This zoom is an optical marvel.
P.S.
I used a Leica-R to Canon EF adapter first, then I ordered Leitax mounts for SA and K mount. Leitax adapters are expensive, about 70 Euro each, but they are perfect and extremely high quality.
The SD15 is an APS sensor size camera. Images were absolutely sharp from center to corners, even wide open. Same with the K3-II and K5-II
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Veteran Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: Sebastopol, California Posts: 2,020
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 13, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Leica "Look" | | Cons: | Short focus throw, only f4 | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 8
Handling: 8
Value: 8
Camera Used: K1
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I confess to being somewhat of a prime snob. When I'm using a zoom I can never get past the feeling I could take better pictures with a prime. But I've wanted one and have tried a great many zooms, yet sold them all (though I've reacquired the DA 60-250). So when I read this Erwin Puts' review of the Leica 35-70mm f/4 Vario-Elmar-R Zoom (taken from his compendium), it was difficult to believe the part of his summary that stated: "The LEICA VARIO-ELMAR-R 35-70 mm f/4 . . . covers three important focal lengths, the 35 mm, the 50 mm and the 70 mm. Its performance is as good, if not better than that of the comparable lenses with fixed focal length at the same apertures, the LEICA SUMMICRON-R 35 mm f/2, the LEICA SUMMILUX-R 35 mm f/1.4, the LEICA SUMMICRON-R 50 mm f/2 and the LEICA SUMMILUX-R 80 mm f/1.4."
Reservations aside, this is a zoom I'll keep. It breathes all-metal quality, weighs about 520g with the hood, and measures a mere 3" by 2.5" w/o the hood. It close focuses at under two feet, and has a handy macro mode which is selected by pushing the silver button that's above the aperture ring and turning the FL adjustment to just past 70mm. Leitax has an adapter for it, and Lightroom has a profile for it with individual settings for 35, 50, and 70mm focal lengths. There is an aspherical element in the lens, but for some reason Leica declined to include that in the lens' name.
I've so far done some down and dirty comparisons to my Zeiss 35 f2, Voigtlander 58 f1.4 and Voigtlander 75 f2.5 at the zoom's respective focal lengths. As expected the Leica Vario-Elmar-R 35-70mm isn't quite as sharp at f4 as those high-end primes, but by f5.6 it takes microscopic pixel peeping to see a difference. Very impressive.
As for the creamy Leica "look" of gently but richly resolving detail and color . . . the Vario certainly has it. Surprises are how sharp all edges are at F4, how well it captures micro contrast detail (similar to the Zeiss), and how superbly it resists fringing (better than the Zeiss, same as the Voigtlanders which are also real fringe fighters). Someone who judges lenses primarily by high acutance may not appreciate the Leica look, but if you are after a lens that highly resolves but does so with more relaxed edge acuity . . . (check out this interesting discussion of resolution, acuity, contrast and other factors that affect one's perception of "sharpness").
The overall 10 rating is because of the Vario's unique character and great performance as a zoom lens. In terms of image quality, it's the best zoom I've ever owned.
How the Vario looks on the K1:
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