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Looking for the best Leica M lens? These are all the Leica-made rangefinder lenses for Leica cameras Cooled Thermal Imaging Camera Cores
If you are looking for the best Leica M lens for your rangefinder, there are a LOT to choose from. In this guide, we run through the full range, explain the benefits of each, and show you the best prices available today.
1. Best Zoom for M-mount 2. Best budget 21mm 3. Best 21mm prime 4. Best 24mm 5. Best 28mm overall 6. Best modern-day classic 7. Best compact 35mm 8. Best 35mm overall 9. Best budget 50mm 10. Best 50mm for travel 11. Best for clarity 12. Best 50mm overall 13. Best budget 75mm 14. Best for macro 15. Best budget 90mm 16. Best long lens Leica names explained How we test
Leica M cameras are an acquired taste and an expensive one. The design and focusing system are difficult to grasp for modern digital camera users but have been used successfully for decades by Leica fans.
What's more, it shows no signs of slowing up. The brand new Leica M11 is a stunning 61-megapixel full frame camera and follows on from the excellent Leica M10-R and black and white only M10 Monochrom.
The combined viewfinder and rangefinder of Leica M series cameras have made them the darlings of many discerning photographers, for over 60 years. Their compact, minimalist designs and almost silent operation make these cameras ideal for street photography, candid portraiture, and much more besides. The ethos of compact simplicity extends to Leica’s M-mount lenses, which are typically small and lightweight, yet go extra-large in terms of optical performance.
Leica M-mount lenses are designed to deliver outstanding resolution, contrast, color rendition, structure, and tonal depth. The current range is divided into four categories. Primes are split into ‘fast and compact’, ‘high speed’, and ‘classic’ sections, whereas the ‘zoom’ category is currently a class of one, the TRI-ELMAR-M 16-18-21mm.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in black and white.
Best Zoom for M-mount
Best wide-angle zoom for M-mount Think ultra-wide zooms and you’re probably thinking of big, hefty lenses. Typical of Leica M-mount optics, however, this one is refreshingly small and lightweight. Read more below
Best 28mm overall If you’ve been looking for the ultimate 28mm lens to fix onto your Leica for street, reportage, or even landscapes then this Summilux is the one to get, but be prepared to pay handsomely for it.
Best 50mm for travel
Best 50mm for travel As a Summicron 50mm, this lens has the same f/2 aperture rating as its APO sibling, but in a slightly smaller and lighter build. It’s also much lighter on the wallet, at only about half the cost.
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Think ultra-wide zooms and you’re probably thinking of big, hefty lenses. Typical of Leica M-mount optics, however, this one is refreshingly small and lightweight.
Especially useful for landscape photography, it also features an adapter which serves as a 67mm filter attachment thread. Minimal distortion and field curvature make it a great choice for architectural photography as well.
Compactness meets relative affordability in this Super-Elmar ultra-wide-angle prime. It’s a wonderfully small, lightweight lens for when you’re trekking across challenging terrain and will reward you with epic landscape images, thanks to its superb sharpness and contrast, along with minimal distortion and vignetting. A metal screw-in hood helps to fend off flare.
More than twice the weight and price of the Super-Elmar 21mm lens, this Summilux has a super-fast f/1.4 aperture and a more complex optical path.
With minimal distortion or vignetting, especially for such a wide-angle lens, it’s eminently suitable for landscape and architectural photography. The rectangular lens hood is highly effective as well as enabling the use of Series VIII filters.
Overall, the Leica 24mm Summilux-M f/1.4 lives up to its legendary status however, there are some caveats when choosing such a lens. The lack of a focus tab being one of them when the rest of the Leica wide-angle lineup features it is a bit of a mystery, yet once you get the hand of focusing normally, with its quarter turn from 0.7-infinity you will be able to achieve critical focus within an instant.
This lens is beautifully built, but it will cost you a fortune. However, if you are looking for this to be your one lens to rule them all, it is a wise investment and can give a unique look to your images.
Read our full Leica 24mm Summilux-M f/1.4 review for more details
If you’ve been looking for the ultimate 28mm lens to fix onto your Leica for street, reportage, or even landscapes then this Summilux is the one to get, but be prepared to pay handsomely for it.
The Leica 28mm Summilux-M f/1.4 ASPH. is built like a tank with only the best materials used, and functions as expected from the renowned German manufacturer. But it will cost you a small fortune to own such a legend of a lens; however, if you’re looking for this to be your one lens to use on every occasion and be strapped to your camera for the end of time, it is a wise investment.
A lens like this carries a lot of prestige with photographers around the world and if they own one they hold on to it, or if they find it, it's never in stock for long, so if you find one in stock then go for it!
Read our full Leica 28mm Summilux f/1.4 ASPH. review for more details
The Leica 28mm Summaron-M f/5.6 is one of those lenses that you think could be a bit of a gimmick, a recreation of an old lens for the modern day. But that is far from the case, as this is without a shadow of a doubt the most fun lens I have used within the Leica lens lineup.
It produces stunning images filled with the punchy contrast and clarity that make your images stand out from the crowd. It is a tiny marvel of lens engineering and allows for the most compact package that Leica has ever made.
The cost is rather high for a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6, but when you look past that and really see how this lens performs in the field, and how it renders images, I think it is worth every penny!
Read our full Leica Summaron-M-M 28mm f/5.6 review for more details
Weighing in at just 255g, this lens nevertheless packs in seven optical elements including an aspherical element. The 35mm focal length is a classic choice in street photography, for which handling is up to Leica’s typically impeccable standards. Image quality is razor-sharp, even when shooting wide-open, with a beautifully smooth bokeh that remains very good when stopping down a little, thanks to the well-rounded 11-blade diaphragm.
Although undercutting the Summicron 35mm f/2 lens for the price, this one has a faster f/1.4 aperture rating that makes it arguably more versatile in low-light photography and anytime you want a really tight depth of field.
It can’t focus as close as the f/2 lens but, even so, the floating elements behind the diaphragm blades ensure image quality remains outstanding at short focus distances.
Fixed Voc Gas Detection Camera The smallest new Summarit lens, this 50mm f/2.4 is just 33mm in length and weighs next to nothing at 105g. Optical highlights include great sharpness, contrast and color rendition, along with remarkably low field curvature and negligible color fringing or distortion. All in all, there’s no real need to go larger or pricier, unless you want a 50mm lens with a faster aperture.