The newly announced Leitz ELSIE lenses were designed from the ground up as premium cine lenses with full-frame performance and consistency in size and speed to serve a broad range of productions. The set consists of 13 lenses and ranges from 15mm to 150mm, all at T2.1. According to Leitz, the new bokeh design was developed in conjunction with Leica Camera in order to create “out-of-focus elements that are painterly while still being recognizable”. More details (and questions) are below.

Leitz ELSIE

The ELSIE is Leitz’s newly developed line of cinema prime lenses. Manufactured in Germany, consistent T-Stop 2.1, and with a new bokeh design, the set includes 13 primes in the range of 15mm to 150mm.  The Leitz ELSIE lenses are designed for full-frame performance with a consistency in size and speed to serve a broad range of productions. Furthermore, the ELSIE lenses are available in LPL mount. “Designing for the shallower flange depth of the LPL standard allows for more design flexibility and higher performance without pushing the mechanical or optical characteristics to the extreme” Leitz adds.

The Leitz Primes being extremely well corrected with high and even illumination and resolution across the frame from edge to edge. The Elsie lenses are designed to allow some falloff character to differentiate between our more performance-driven lenses like Leitz Prime and Summilux-C.

Leitz

Imagery characteristics

Leitz emphasizes that the ELSIE lenses incorporate the warmth and resolution that Leitz lenses are known for. “The lenses feature a noticeable but gradual falloff of resolution and illumination as the image approaches the corners to create a dimensional pop that gently draws the viewer‘s eye toward the center of the frame”, Leitz says. Also, a new bokeh design developed in conjunction with Leica Camera more closely mimics their M lenses by creating out-of-focus elements that are painterly while still being recognizable.

We have never believed in offering only one kind of look to the market. Our M 0.8 and Thalia lines of lenses offer a completely different look using still photo glass. Today’s market demands choices and we are offering a new choice with Elsie lenses.

Leitz

Leitz ELSIE general tech spec

• Lens Mount: LPL with Cooke/i and LDS-2
• Front Diameter: 95 mm: 25 mm – 100 mm; 114 mm: 18 mm, 21 mm, 125 mm
• Front Filter: M 92 mm x 1 mm screw-in: 25 mm – 100 mm; M 112 x 1.5 mm screw-in: 125 mm
• Rear Filter: Via net holder
• Matched Focus/Iris Ring Locations: All focal lengths
• Focus Rotation: 270°
• Iris Rotation: 51.45°
• Focus Scales: Turnable scales, easy change from imperial to metric
• Iris Blades: The number of blades varies to match the look through all focal lengths
• Iris Shape: Circular through all stops
  

Explore the table below for a comparison between the primes in the series:

Price and availability

Nada. No info about pricing, nor availability, nor sample footage. We’ll update the article when this info comes out. Nevertheless, for comparison, the price of a complete Leitz Cine Primes set is €500,000. So expect a set of ELSIE to be at that range.

Update: Regarding the price, Leitz has announced that the lenses will be around 19K euros each, which is significantly lower than the price of the Leitz Primes.

Final thoughts

It’s hard to tell more about the ELSIE, since other than marketing stuff and a picture of Zack Snyder, there’s not much to explore. For instance, what’s the difference between the Leitz primes released two years ago? I mean, the Cine Primes are sharp, with natural-looking bokeh and round, out-of-focus highlights, and they cover the VistaVision sensor, and they’re even faster than the newly announced ELSIE. The Leitz Cine Primes were a natural development following the acclaimed Summicron-C lenses designed for the Super35mm format. However, the ELSIE is dedicated to large sensors as well. If so, what’s the reason for developing a whole new set of cine-primes? You are welcome to try and answer that. 

Update: Leitz added more info and stated: “In regards to the differences between the lenses, there is a difference in their appearance with the Leitz Primes being extremely well corrected with high and even illumination and resolution across the frame from edge to edge. The Elsie lenses are designed to allow some falloff character to differentiate between our more performance-driven lenses like Leitz Prime and Summilux-C. We have never believed in offering only one kind of look to the market. Our M 0.8 and Thalia lines of lenses offer a completely different look using still photo glass. Today’s market demands choices and we are offering a new choice with Elsie lenses”.

Product List

Here’re the products mentioned in the article, and the links to purchase them from authorized dealers. 

• Leitz Summicron-C Lenses
  • BUY on B&H
• Leitz Cine M 0.8 
  • BUY on B&H