Leica announces Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 F5-6.3 and 1.4x extender
Leica expands the SL-System lens portfolio with a compact 100- 400mm telephoto zoom lens and a new 1.4x extender allowing a focal length increase up to 560mm.
Teaneck, March 9th, 2023. For over 150 years, Leica Camera AG has been crafting lenses that stand as pioneering precision tools, continuously pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible. Creative people rely on Leica cameras and lenses to capture their view of the world in outstanding image quality with the unmistakable Leica look. Now, the new Leica Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 f/5-6.3 telephoto zoom lens and the new Leica Extender L 1.4x once again expand the freedom and flexibility of photography and videography with the SL-System.
The new Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 f/5-6.3 offers the widest and longest zoom range of the SL-System and combines high-end technology with all the advantages of a particularly compact and lightweight design. Its range of applications is extremely versatile. Above all, it shines in nature, wildlife, sports and action photography. It is characterized by its high performance and high image quality over the entire zoom and aperture range. The optical image stabilizer ensures blur-free images and the autofocus focuses precisely on moving objects.
The Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 f/5-6.3 has an ARCA-SWISS compatible, detachable tripod base that can be inserted directly into a suitable coupling system without a quick-release plate. This provides a secure hold at all times when photographing or filming with a tripod. A lockable tripod clamp also allows the lens to be fixed securely at any angle. The clamp locks every 90 degrees for quick changes between landscape and portrait formats.
As an additional option, the new Leica Extender L 1.4x extends the focal length of the Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 f/5-6.3 even further to a range of 140-560mm. With its compact dimensions, it fits in any bag to quickly and flexibly form a powerful unit with the lens. Both the extended focal length and the aperture are written into the image data as usual, to ensure that they show the actual settings used.
The new SL lens, whether on its own or in combination with the Leica Extender L 1.4, complements the SL-System, as well as the L-Mount portfolio, with a versatile, powerful and compact lens that captures images and videos in unique quality.
The retail price for the new Leica Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 f/5-6.3 is $2,195 and the retail price for the new Leica Extender L 1.4x is $875. Both products are available globally at Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store and authorized dealers starting March 9th 2023.
Leica has been developing, designing and manufacturing lenses for over 150 years. Thanks to this expertise, Leica has gained an undisputable reputation for high-quality, reliable and precise lenses that retain their value and capture images and videos in outstanding quality. Our constant pursuit of perfection in optical performance and ease of use is also reflected in the ever-expanding portfolio of SL-System prime- and zoom lenses.
The SL lenses with the L-Mount bayonet deliver unsurpassed image quality for photo and film, with a conveniently compact design. Their sophisticated technologies are always based on a simple, yet fundamental idea: supporting the work of creatives with the highest level of quality. Consistently perfect sharpness and colour reproduction at every focal length, as well as beautiful bokeh, are the hallmarks of all Leica SL lenses.
The APO lenses in the SL-System in particular stand for the highest standards of image quality and robustness. The SL lenses without apochromatic correction also impress with their lightweight and compact design.
The perfect ratio of size to weight is expertly balanced when it comes to the centre of gravity of SL cameras. The outstanding grip and feel, as well as the fast, precise manual and automatic focus are specially designed for versatility in all your photographic and cinematic endeavours. And for finding your own personal way of achieving that unmistakable Leica look.
Leica L-Mount
The Leica L-Mount is a bayonet mount developed by Leica Camera AG for interchangeable-lens autofocus digital cameras.
The L-Mount has an inner diameter of 51.6 mm and a flange depth of 20.0 mm. The L-mount exists in two versions, an APS-C version (TL) and a full-frame version (SL). The two versions are mechanically and electronically compatible. TL lenses mounted on full-frame cameras will cause the camera to use a crop mode from the center of the sensor, corresponding to the APS-C coverage of the lens. SL lenses mounted on TL cameras function normally, providing a 1.5x crop field of view, as is typical with APS-C cameras.
In 2018 Leica formed the L-Mount Alliance, licensing Sigma, Panasonic in the same year, and DJI in 2022, to use an upgraded version of the mount for their own products, opening the way for a more extensive system of fully compatible cameras and lenses.
T-Mount to L-Mount
It was introduced in April 2014 with the Leica T (Typ 701) camera. At the time of introduction, it was called the "T-mount", but this was changed to "L-mount" with the release of the Leica SL, a full-frame sensor camera using the same mount. The Leica T was renamed to the Leica TL at this time, to permit marketing clarity for the L-mount lens line: TL lenses would cover APS-C sensors, while SL lenses would cover full-frame sensors.
The mount is used by the Leica TL (discontinued), TL2, Leica CL (2017) and Leica SL systems. The L-Mount is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
L-Mount Alliance
On 25 September 2018, the L-Mount Alliance between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma was announced, enabling the partners "to make use of the L-Mount standard developed by Leica for their own developments and to offer both cameras and lenses utilising this lens mount" with full compatibility between the three companies' products.
According to Sigma CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, the "L-mount system is not exactly the same as the existing one. We updated it a little bit to work better with such lenses through lens adapters."
On the same day, Panasonic announced its S1R and S1 full-frame L-Mount cameras and three L-Mount lenses, with seven more lenses to be launched by 2020.
Sigma announced that it will launch a full-frame camera in 2019, using the L-Mount and the company's Foveon sensor, as well as a range of L-mount lenses and adapters for Sigma SA and Canon EF lenses.
Six cameras and 39 native lenses are confirmed for the L-Mount by 2020.
