Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
Top 47%86 points
Top 47%
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH review: 21 facts and highlights
1. Can focus to infinity
Many lenses allow you to focus to infinity. This is essential when you wish to take photos including far off objects, such as when shooting landscapes, in order to make sure everything is sharp and in focus.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
63% have it
2. smallest aperture at maximum focal length
A smaller aperture reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. This is important in bright conditions where a wider aperture could result in your image being overexposed. Another advantage is that with a smaller aperture you get a greater depth of field, and can keep all of the image in focus.
16f
Sony E PZ 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS: 40f
3. widest aperture at maximum focal length
With a wider aperture the sensor can capture more light, helping to avoid blur by enabling a faster shutter speed. It also provides a shallow depth of field, allowing you to blur the background to focus attention on the subject.
5.6f
Leica Summilux-TL 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH: 1.4f
4. minimum focus distance
This is the closest distance that the lens can focus. A shorter minimum focus distance allows you to get closer to your subject, and is particularly important when doing macro photography.
0.45m
Samsung NX 10mm F3.5 Fisheye: 0.09m
5. has built-in optical image stabilization
Optical image stabilization uses gyroscopic sensors to detect the vibrations of the camera. The lens adjusts the optical path accordingly, ensuring that any type of motion blur is corrected before the sensor captures the image.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
39% have it
6. Weather sealed
Device is protected with extra seals to prevent failures due to any kind of weather.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
30% have it
7. widest aperture
With a wider aperture the sensor can capture more light, helping to avoid blur by enabling a faster shutter speed. It also provides a shallow depth of field, allowing you to blur the background to focus attention on the subject.
f/3.5
Leica Summilux-TL 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH: f/1.4
8. has a silent focus motor built into the lens
Lenses with built-in focus motor focus faster and more quietly than lenses without a focus motor which rely on the camera's body focus motor.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
40% have it
9. Has focus motor
Lenses with a built-in focus motor can autofocus even if the camera does not have its own focus motor.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
91% have it
10. minimum angle of view
At the longest end of the lens you get the narrowest angle of view. This allows you to fit a small portion of the scene into the photograph, such as when you are zooming in on a subject (based on APS-C format).
28°
Olympus M.Zuiko ED 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II: 4.1°
11. Lens hood is reversible
The lens hood can screw onto the lens in reverse so that you can keep it on your camera at all times, ready to use.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
23% have it
12. optical zoom
The zoom range is the ratio between the longest and shortest focal lengths. A higher zoom range means that the lens is more versatile.
3.1x
Samsung NX 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 ED OIS: 11x
13. magnification
A true macro lens has a magnification of 1:1. This means that the image produced is a life-size representation of the subject being photographed.
0.13x
Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm F2.8-4 ASPH: 14x
14. maximum focal length
A longer maximum focal length allows you to focus in on a small part of a scene, and offers a narrower angle of view than shorter focal lengths.
56mm
Olympus M.Zuiko ED 75-300mm F4.8-6.7 II: 300mm
mirrorless camera lens comparison
15. minimum focal length
A shorter minimum focal length allows you to get more of the scene in the photo, and offers a wider angle of view than longer focal lengths.
18mm
Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ: 0.25mm
16. smallest aperture at minimum focal length
A smaller aperture reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. This is important in bright conditions where a wider aperture could result in your image being overexposed. Another advantage is that with a smaller aperture you get a greater depth of field, and can keep all of the image in focus.
16f
Sony E 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 OSS LE: 40f
17. Includes lens hood
It comes with a lens hood so that you don’t have to buy it separately. These are used to block strong light sources, such as the sun, from the lens to prevent glare and lens flare.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
58% have it
18. Is a normal lens
A normal lens is one that doesn't fall into another category such as wide angle or telephoto, and typically has a focal length between 35mm and 70mm. These lenses aren't tailored towards a specific type of photography, and so are quite versatile.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
27% have it
19. Has a metal mount
A metal mount is generally superior to a plastic mount as it is more durable.
Leica Vario-Elmar-TL 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH
94% have it
20. weight
256g
Samsung NX-M 9mm F3.5 ED: 31g
21. maximum angle of view
At the shorter end of the lens you get the widest angle of view. This allows you to fit more of the scene into the photograph (based on APS-C format).
75°
Samyang 8mm F/2.8 UMC Fish-eye: 180°
Top 10 mirrorless camera lenses
Similar comparisons
This page is currently only available in English.