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Choosing the right Leica M lens can be a daunting and challenging thing, given the very rich variety in M focal lengths, lens character, maximum apertures, size, optical design etc. M lenses span many decades of evolution, with major milestone designs from two influential eras: Mandler’s classic, filmic look, and Karbe’s modern, technically optimized designs. There is also a huge variety of other choices. This guide highlights some of the key aspects of choosing the right M lenses - focal length, character, speed, form factor, price and rarity, helping you find the ideal lens for your style and needs (hopefully). I have created a checklist of five questions to ask before the purchase: WHAT FOCAL LENGTH DO I WANT? Current M lenses offer a range of focal lengths from 16mm super-wide to 135mm telephoto, with classic street photography favorites being 28mm, 35mm, and 50mm for their versatility. Portrait and telephoto options like 75mm, 90mm, and 135mm bring subjects closer and tighter, though focusing accuracy can be challenging with a rangefinder (EVF to the rescue where applicable). Of course some prefer wide and ultra wide lenses as their daily driver and many good and useful combinations between focal lengths have been suggested - 35mm + 75mm, 24mm + 50mm + 90mm, 21mm + 35mm etc. WHAT CHARACTER SHOULD THE LENS HAVE? Leica M lens character differs significantly between two major milestones - the Mandler era and the Karbe era. Walter Mandler designed lenses, known for their softer pre-aspherical "character" rendering and sometimes signature glow, emphasize color rendition and tonal transitions, often using classic glass types to create a unique 'Leica look.' Mandler’s lenses (like the Pre-ASPH 35mm Summilux) are loved for their dreamy, filmic qualities. Peter Karbe’s lenses later introduced APO (Apochromatic) and ASPH (Aspherical) technologies, delivering sharpness across the frame and reducing aberrations, like in the 35mm and 50mm APO-Summicron. These lenses prioritize technical perfection and "clinical" sharpness with minimal optical flaws and are (as per their designer) supposed to be used even wide open without any major quality loss issues. WHAT MAXIMUM SPEED DO I NEED? Usually the hustle is between f/2 and f/1.4 as common choices for their balance between light-gathering and size, keeping in mind that every f/1.4 lens is also a f/2 lens, but not vice versa. Fast lenses like the Noctiluxes (f/0.95 or f/1.25) offer ultra-shallow depth of field and excel in low light but are generally larger, bulkier, heavier, and more challenging to focus. Summilux (f/1.4) lenses balance high speed and portability, while Summicron (f/2) lenses prioritize compactness and are versatile enough for most lighting conditions. Some users do not need the speed at all and are happy with f/2.8 or even f/4. IS FORM FACTOR AND SIZE IMPORTANT TO ME? The size of Leica M lenses ranges from ultra compact (such as the 28 summaron, 40 summicron, 28 elmarit, 35mm Summicrons I- IV or collapsible 50mm Elmar) to larger, heavier options. Mandler-era (and earlier) lenses are often more compact due to simpler optical formulas, while modern ASPH and APO lenses can be bulkier due to their complex elements, but this is not a particular rule. Many Leica M photographers favor compact lenses for the M system's signature light weight and unobtrusiveness and there are not that many choices of those in the latest modern line-up, which is a shame. HOW MUCH AM I PREPARED TO PAY? Prices of Leica M lenses have always been high. Used ones vary greatly depending on rarity, internet trends, special edition status and demand. Some have always been and others have just recently become collectibles, with prices rising through the roof. The rule of thumb for new lenses is the slower the lens, the cheaper it should be. If you are after a special, limited edition lens like a silver wide angle 28mm summicron, black paint 50mm noctilux or AA double aspherical 35mm summilux be prepared to pay the premium. No new lenses currently available as regular editions are rare and there are always some "sleepers" and bargains to be had. Please feel free to comment and add your observations. What are the perks you encountered when buying a M lens? Is the process confusing? Are they overpriced for what they offer?

Liebe Leicagemeinde, hat jemand Erfahrungen mit dem 35er Summarit auf einer Sony a7III? Ich besitze das Objektiv und suche eine Digitalkamera, mit der ich es nutzen kann, ohne unbedingt auf die Ms zurückgreifen zu müssen..:

Most of us seem to be photographers as well as collectors. Show me your favorite lenses, old and new alike. I like the Noctilux range for the extreme apertures, but I prefer the Summilux range for the best speed:size/weight ratio. Here’s a Summilux gathering of 21, 24, 28, 35, 50 and 75mm. All in black.

StayAtHomeWithLEICA SL 2 - Summarit-M 2,5/75

Hello everyone! I'm new to the leica film cameras but I came up a rather very nice iiif in great condition which comes with a summarit 50mm f1.5 going for about $550. This sounded like a pretty good deal to me, however, upon closer inspection the lens seemed to have a lot of haze (not sure about fungus) as when I performed the light test there were specks everywhere. It seemed to be internal and in the second glass?? Not sure how to fix it or if I even can, also the focus ring was pretty stiff (but that isn't a deal breaker or anything). Like I said, the body of the camera was in very good condition however the lens is my biggest concern. As most of you are owners/experts and such please help me out and let me know if this is a good deal or not. Thanks, Ashley

Hi to all owners of Leica CM Summarit. Let’s share experience and photos.

This extraordinary "Made in Canada" gem will be sold at Wetzlar Camera Auctions soon (courtesy of Jo Geier/Lars Netopil). It is most likely a prototype Summilux 35 f/1.4 for evaluation use.

Hello everybody Currently Im considering buying a 90mm M Lens. I tried the LEICA 90mm 2.8 ELMARIT M, which handles great (size and weight). The optical performance is fine. Does anybody know a comparison, review or something like it, between the LEICA 90mm 2.8 ELMARIT M and the Voigtländer 90MM 2.9 APO SKOPAR VM ? I wonder if the Voigtländer is optically that much better, since I tend to prefer the build of the leica 90 elmarit. The LEICA 90mm f/2 ASPH APO-SUMMICRON-M and the LEICA 90mm f/2.5 SUMMARIT-M are also contenders, yet I think the 90 APO summicron would be to large and heavy for my taste. the LEICA 90mm f/2.5 SUMMARIT-M is totally unknown to me. Does anybody know a direct comparison between the 90mm M lenses, particularly the ones I mentioned? Or a recommendation ? kind regards

Hi, i love my 35mm Summicron v2 (1970) but since i had to take pictures at my brothers wedding i bought the 35mm Summarit 2.5 second hand to have a lens that is more predictable than the Summicron. You can't beat the Summicrons handling and built quality in my opinion. I really love the Summicron on my M6, but on my M240 it is pretty unpredictable. Sometimes you get glowy edges / highlights, sometimes not. I didn't want to risk anything especially with the brides white wedding dress. The center is sharp on the Summicron, the corners and even the area around the center are / is pretty soft even at F8. Vignetting is kinda strong but this doesn't bother me. Backlight is it's biggest enemy - you can’t take pictures facing the sun because the whole image is gonna get completely white. The Summarit is an aspherical lens even if it wasn't marketed this way by Leica. Corners are sharp, not much vignetting and the focus throw is the shortest i've ever seen. It is only a 2.5 lens versus the Summicrons 2.0 (a half stop) but the subject isolation seems to be quite the same between the two lenses. I did a little comparison because maybe somebody is interested in buying a Leica lens in this price range. The Summarit costs about 1200€-1300€, just like the Summicron v2. The size and speed is almost the same, so in my eyes these two are pretty comparable in some aspects - even if they are almost 40 years apart. If you compare the images the Summicron looks pretty bad like it had some kind of cheap plastic lenses. The rendering is way different (Summarit warm, Summicron pretty cool). I’m using Mastin Labs presets in capture one and i really do like the Summicron images because the look some kind of analog. I can’t keep both lenses so i have to decide which one has to go. Summicron pro: - small - f2 - sharp in the center - a lot of character - 52 years old - it’s a Summicron, a piece of history and i own it now for almost 10 years Summicron con: - sometimes glowy - pretty bad with backlight / flares - sometimes „dull“ images Summarit pro: - sharp in the center and the corners - super fast focus throw - very nice flaring while shooting backlight scenes, you can shoot straight into the sun Summarit con: - f2.4 - images look really clean, maybe too clean - way less charakter I’ve considered selling them both including my 50mm Summicron v4 and getting a 35mm Summicron v4 to get the best compromise. Small, fast, maybe sharp corners, classic look - i don’t know about flaring and leica glow. The version 2 glow is the biggest issue in my eyes - what do you think? Here’s the link to the flickr-album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blacksciencelabs/albums/72177720301530475 (I hope it is okay to post a flickr link)

I have several of the Summarit lens hoods in black crinkle paint finish, code XOONS. But I have one in chrome that I have not seen reported before. Does anyone know if it is original? The engraving looks correct and I don't think it has had the black paint removed and then chromed after delivery. One other difference is shown in the last two photos. Two 1 cm disks are fixed with studs, to ensure the hood is not pushed too far onto the lens. I have not seen these disks on any other XOONS. Any information appreciated.