The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH and the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH is the longer of the two lenses at 102mm. The Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 with a length of 60mm, is 42mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH also has a larger diameter of 73mm compared to the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6's 63mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 weighs 256g, 65% (484g) lighter than the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH's weight of 740g.
Filter Threads
The Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 has a 52mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6:
Lens Mounts
Both the Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH and the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 has the same Leica L lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Leica L lenses are Leica SL3-P, Panasonic S1 II and Panasonic S1 IIE.
Focal Range
Leica APO-SL 50mm F2 ASPH is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 50mm.
On the other hand, the Leica 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 has a focal range of 18-56mm and 3.1X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 27-84mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
