Perhaps one of the more exciting lenses to come from Leica in years isn’t a fast 50, but instead the Leica 28mm f5.6. Now, why is such a slow lens so fascinating? Well for starters, it all has to do with street photography and documentary photography. The Leica 28mm f5.6 is very small and slim. That low profile body lends itself to not giving the camera that it is mated to a “look at me” demeanor. In addition to that, it renders a very classic look. Want some controlled lens flare? You’ve got it. What about a low contrast and not super saturated look? That’s all right here. Additionally, most street photographers are just going to stop the lens down any way. So when you consider the unique look and the fact that you’re not going for beautiful bokeh here, you start to understand why it’s so appealing.
We’ve been shooting with the lens on the Leica CL, the Leica M Typ 240 and the Sony a7. So far, it’s pretty spectacular, but the lack of a depth of field scale can make things a bit difficult when you’re trying to zone focus. The lens locks itself at around 10 meters and you’d think in that case everything would be in focus. But that’s not really so; and when my film returns from the lab I honestly am fearing the worst. However, some of the photos may still prove to be very cool and fun.
However, I really like the look this lens gives off. In fact, the look of the images is making the Leica 28mm f5.6 one of my favorite Leica lenses to date.
More sample images are below. But for more, you can read our first impressions of the lens.
