Leica is no stranger to collaborations with other camera makers. In recent years it’s partnered with Panasonic to create D-Lux and V-Lux compact cameras, and Fujifilm for Sofort instant models. For its Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm F2.8 ASPH. zoom ($2,795), Leica worked with L-Mount Alliance partner Sigma to repackage the optics from our Editors’ Choice-winning 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art ($1,099) lens in a housing that matches the aesthetics of Leica’s SL cameras. It’s certainly a splurge, but one you may find worthwhile.
Sigma Optics, Leica Looks
Make no mistake, the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm looks, feels, and handles just like the company’s made-in-Germany SL lenses. This one is made in Japan, though, like the Sigma lens from which it borrows its optical formula. It’s a full-frame lens, so it’s a better fit for the SL2 or SL2-S, but you can pair it with the Leica CL, an APS-C sensor model.
The Vario-Elmarit is finished in black and housed in a metal barrel, complete with dust, splash, and anti-smudge fluorine protection. A petal-style hood, also metal, is included. It’s in contrast with Sigma’s polycarbonate take. Because of this the two lenses are about the same size (4.8 by 3.5 inches), but the Vario-Elmarit is a little heavier, at 1.9 pounds versus 1.8 pounds. Both support 82mm front filters.
The zoom and focus rings are rubberized, with the typical ridge texture. The zoom turns with a little bit of torque, enough to extend the barrel. The focus ring is farther ahead and turns with a bit of resistance. Frame magnification and focus peaking are available in most L-mount cameras, helping you get focus perfect if you prefer to work manually.
Leica skips putting an AF/MF toggle switch on the barrel, so it’s not as easy to swap between focus modes as with the Sigma 24-70mm. There is a quick manual focus override function with the SL2 and SL2-S, so you don’t always need to dive into a menu to make the swap.
Autofocus is quiet, and reasonably quick. The SL2-S is able to drive the lens from distant to close focus in about a quarter-second, and focus is quick enough to keep up with a moving target at the camera’s medium 5fps drive speed. It can focus pretty close, too, good enough for 1:2.9 macro results at its closest distance.
I didn’t have the opportunity to try the Sigma 24-70mm with a Leica body, but a PetaPixel comparison shows the Vario-Elmarit lens focuses more quickly than on Leica bodies. That’s a selling point for SL2 system owners.
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As for optical performance, we paired it in the field with a 24MP model, the SL2-S, which doesn’t put much stress on the lens’ excellent optics. We’d previously tested the Sigma 24-70mm with a 60MP Sony a7R IV and found it to be a terrific performer.
It does skip stabilization, something Leica includes with the bigger Vario-Elmarit SL 24-90mm F2.8-4 ASPH. The 24-90mm costs about twice as much, $5,595, and while it has a bit more zoom power, it’s heavier by more than half a pound. Leica’s current-generation SL2 and SL2-S cameras use stabilized sensors, so you’ll still be able to handhold 24-70mm with ease. With the 24-70mm F2.8 around, spending more on the heftier 24-90mm doesn’t make much sense.
Worthy of the Leica Name
Some may dismiss the Vario-Elmarit 24-70mm F2.8 ASPH. as a basic rebrand, but that’s not quite true. Certainly, the optical formulas match up, and this is the rare Leica product to come off of a production line outside of Europe—but without spying the small engraved “Made in Japan” badge, you’d never know it.
The lens is well made. The sturdy metal barrel is sealed to prevent dust and splashes from getting inside, and the front glass has an anti-smudge fluorine coat, one that keeps thumbprints and raindrops away. And it focuses quickly, keeping pace with the SL2-S’s continuous drive, and only taking a beat to drive focus from near to far.
There’s certainly a tax associated with the Leica brand. The Vario-Elmarit costs $2,795 on its own, and adds $2,200 to the cost of the SL2 or SL2-S if you buy it in a kit, which is a lot more than the $1,100 Sigma charges for its 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art. Still, you might find the quality of materials and aesthetics that better match your Leica to be worth it.
