The Leica T is the lone APS-C interchangeable lens camera in the company’s lineup, but that hasn’t stopped Leica from producing a strong range of native lenses for the system. One notable absence, however, had been a macro lens, something Leica finally remedied yesterday with the announcement of the APO-MACRO-ELMARIT-TL 60mm f/2.8.
With an incredibly similar design to the TL 35mm f/1.4, the 60mm will be available in both black and silver finish. Also like the 35mm, it also uses Leica’s non-standard E60 60mm filter thread. At 3.5 inches long and weighing 320 grams (11.2 ounces), it should provide a good balance to the Leica T camera body.
As with all things Leica, the 60mm macro carries a rather staggering price tag: $3,000. Considering this is a crop-frame lens, that price seems particularly high, but it probably won’t stop T shooters and Leica fans from picking it up.
Crafted with the level of care and attention to detail that only Leica knows, the 60mm macro features 10 elements in nine groups with four aspherical elements. It achieves a 1:1 macro magnification ratio at a minimum focus distance of 6.3 inches. All focus is performed internally, and as a T lens, it does feature autofocus.
It lacks some of the higher-end features of Leica’s manual-focus M lenses, however, like the distance and depth of field scales.
Interestingly, Leica has also chosen this time to clarify its nomenclature, and will use TL to denote all lenses for the T system going forward. This is a result of the APS-C T and full-frame SL cameras using the same L-Bayonet mount.
The Leica T was announced back in 2014 and features a 16-megapixel sensor that lacks an anti-aliasing filter for improved sharpness. It is smaller and lighter than Leica’s M system, but still geared toward a high-end user (or someone with a lot of money to burn). And its incredibly minimalist design means it might be tempting to take as many pictures of it as you would with it.
The TL 60mm macro lens will ship sometime this fall and Leica T owners can place their orders now through authorized retailers.
