Compare lenses

Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH vs Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH

The Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH and the Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH side by side, computed from this guide's catalogue.

Which to pick

Pick the Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH if you want a brighter f/2.8 (1.0 stops more light), for dim light and softer backgrounds and a single focal length, usually smaller and sharper wide open. Pick the Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH if you want a wider view (from 16mm equivalent) and the flexibility of a zoom.

Still torn? Ask the guide about the Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH and the Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH

Specs side by side

Rows that differ are in full colour; the better value is marked where one is better by any measure.
Spec	Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH	Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH
Maker	Leica	Leica
Focal length	21mm (prime)	16-21mm (zoom)
Full-frame equivalent	21mm	16-21mm
Maximum aperture	f/2.8brighter	f/4
Made for	Full frame	Full frame
Mounts	Leica M	Leica M
Stabilised	no	no
Autofocus	no, manual focus	no, manual focus
Zoom range	prime	1.3×
Cameras it fits	20 in this guide	20 in this guide

Focal range, in full-frame terms

Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH: 21mm.

Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH: 16-21mm.

Aperture

Leica Elmarit-M 21mm f/2.8 ASPH: f/2.8 wide open.

Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm f/4 ASPH: f/4 wide open.

Each opening drawn to scale against f/1.4: a smaller f-number lets in more light and blurs the background more.

Field of view

How wide each sees, at each end, on the sensor it was made for.

Cameras they fit

20 cameras in this guide take both, so either works on the same body.