The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I and the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH 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 Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH is the longer of the two lenses at 43mm. The Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I with a length of 24mm, is 19mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH also has a larger diameter of 53mm compared to the Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I's 52mm 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. Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I weighs 143g, which means it is 136g (48%) lighter than the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH which has a weight of 279g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Wideangle Prime Lenses in Leica M Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Lenses in Leica M Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
The Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I has a filter size of 34mm whereas the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH has a 46mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 34mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I:
And these are the 46mm filters that we recommend for the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH:
Lens Mounts
Both the Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I and the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH has the same Leica M lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Leica M lenses are Leica M EV1, Leica M11-D and Pixii Max.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Type I is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 28mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
42mm.
On the other hand, the Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f3.4 ASPH is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 21mm.
