Lens suggestions for a Leica M3?

[FlashAndPoof]

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Would love to get a 50mm Leica lens of some sort and possibly even a 35mm goggled lens. Would love to hear suggestions. Seems like both the Rigid and the DR are highly loved and recommended for 50mm. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to either? I know the DR allows for even closer focus when used with the goggles, but are there any advantages to the Rigid over it?

 

And any experiences with goggled 35mm lenses on the M3? Seems like the Summicrons are at least double if not triple the price of the 2.8 Summarons. Is there any difference in build quality or lens quality? Or just an extra stop of light?

[TomB_tx]

Rigid & DR have identical optics, handling is a bit different. I have both but prefer the Rigid on M3. If you add a Digital M, most advise not to try the DR with them as it can damage the inside of the body - which has less side clearance than the film M. When Leica came out with the v3 Summicron (my first 50 M lens in 1969) it focused down to .7M so they felt the DR wasn't needed anymore. However, the M3 RF was only designed for 1 meter minimum. I think the Rigid just feels right on an M3. (Light Lens Labs now has a copy of the Rigid that looks and feels identical, but focuses to .7 M and has half stops on the aperture. The original Rigid & DR were full stops.

I have a 35 goggled Summicron for the M3, and also a plain 2.8 Summaron for my M2. I prefer the images from the Summaron: equivalent sharpness but higher contrast - more snap. The VF with goggled lens isn't as clear either, so I seldom use the goggled Summicron on any camera.

[lct]

Rigid 50 + Summaron 35. Similar IQ. Great lenses. DR is perfect in LV mode w/o goggles but it is on the M11. Never used it on my M3 DS. Happy snaps 🙂

[Siriusone59]

My M3 pretty much always wears a 50mm Summicron collapsible, it seems happy.  I found a near mint copy at a reasonable price.

[lct]

+1 for the Summicron 50/2 collapsible. Also for the Summicron 35/2 v1 but it is an expensive lens.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello FlashAndPoof,

Welcome to the Forum.

Either the 35mm f2.8 Summaron, or the 35mm f2 Summicron, both with goggles, will focus to 0.65 meters/26 inches on an "M" camera. Even tho most other "M" mount lenses will only focus to 1 meter/40 inches on that same camera. This is the approximate close focus limit of the rangefinder built into an M3 body.

The focus MOUNT of some other lenses allow closer than 1 meter/40 inches focus WITHOUT rangefinder coupling.

The 2 lenses with "goggles" attached were created by the Wizards Of Wetzlar. They are 2 of the reasons the people who designed & built them are called "Wizards". Both are good lenses.

The lenses with attached "goggles" were designed for the "goggles" to NEVER be removed.

NEVER means never. There are a number of Threads on this Fourm dealing with, why, NEVER should be taken to mean never.

If the goggles themselves are not very clear they might need cleaning by a COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL familiar with their specific technology.

They will give you a 0.6X magnification when mounted on an M3. An M3 range/viewfinder has a 0.91X magnification without the "goggles".

 

Having written the above: Another good lens to use with an M3 camera is a 90mm lens.

1 of the advantages of using "M" cameras is being able to see in & near the fields of view of some longer lenses in the range/viewfinder window.

A 90mm lens has a perspecive similar to a 50mm lens. But with its narrower angle of coverage it can be used to cut out unwanted foreground. It can also remove extra material on either, or both sides. And remove unwanted sky or ceiling. Or, to seem to be a little closer to the subject. All this without effecting perspective much. A nice angle of coverage.

If you go to a museum near you, featuring people who paint in a Classical Style, you will notice that many artists used this angle of coverage when they were doing portraits, still lifes & landscapes.

A nice angle of coverage. And you get to see what is near the subject of interest. But is outside of the angle of coverage of that lens. Which can sometimes help with framing & dealing with extra "this & that".

Best Regards,

Michael

Edited May 30 by Michael Geschlecht

[raizans]

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Light Lens Lab 50mm Summicron Rigid and 35mm Summicron 8-element with WEISU viewfinder would be an easy recommendation.

[Carlos cruz]

 

6 hours ago, FlashAndPoof said:

And any experiences with goggled 35mm lenses on the M3? Seems like the Summicrons are at least double if not triple the price of the 2.8 Summarons. Is there any difference in build quality or lens quality? Or just an extra stop of light?

Just yesterday had similar problem to solve. I am a 50 mm person, but somehow ended up with two 35 lenses a summaron and summicron asph, I decided to sell summicron and leave the old summaron in my herd. In terms of build quality i liked summaron better and  iq is not far enough to justify extra cost. As to main difference it’s extra stop and two elements more on cron side.

[KFo]

I have the googled 35 Summicron (8e) on my M3 99% of the time.  I am completely happy with that combination. I intend to pickup the 50 DR summicron when I get a whim for it but I am not desperate in any measure given my satisfaction with the 35.  

My interest in the 50DR vs the rigid is that I am just curious and interested in the close focus mechanics and use of that lens.  So there it is.

[jankap]

8 hours ago, FlashAndPoof said:

Seems like the Summicrons are at least double if not triple the price of the 2.8 Summarons. Is there any difference in build quality or lens quality? Or just an extra stop of light?

Perhaps the idea of an investment for collectors. These lenses are around 70 years old and can be of excellent quality still. An f/2.0 lens of this age and no aspherical bokeh.

[lct]

On 5/30/2025 at 9:21 AM, jankap said:

[...] These lenses are around 70 years old and can be of excellent quality still. An f/2.0 lens of this age and no aspherical bokeh.

+1. No color fringing either and no misty results i'm seeing here and there on the web provided the lens is in good shape. More flare than modern lenses TBH but it is predictable while modern lenses can surprise you with nasty results from time to time.