Best 35mm lens for Leica M cameras? (28 lenses compared!)
To help you decide what is the best 35mm lens for Leica M cameras (based on your needs) I’ve made this 35mm lens comparison review. I’ve tested most of the popular 35mm lenses for Leica cameras on YouTube, 28 M lenses + LTM lenses (Links below).
This article covers 28 of 40+ 35mm lenses for Leica. I will add more soon!

35mm lenses for Leica review
Topics covered include –
- LEICA 35mm lenses for M mount
- 35mm VOIGTLANDER lenses for Leica M
- ZEISS 35mm ZM lenses for Leica
- 35mm CHINESE lenses for Leica M
- 35mm LTM lenses for Leica
- SMALLEST 35mm lens for Leica
- Best 35mm lenses for a LEICA M3
- LENS FLARE test for 35mm lenses
- Best 35mm lens for SUNSTARS
- SHARPEST 35mm lens for Leica
- FASTEST 35mm lens for Leica M
- Best 35mm Leica lens for CLOSE FOCUS
35mm lenses for Leica M
For many Leica photographers, a 35mm lens is the perfect walk around lens. 28mm can be a little too wide at times and 50mm too tight. If you plan to use a one-lens, one-camera setup it’s important to have the right lens for your needs.

What is the best 35mm lenses for Leica M
I often receive DMs and emails asking, “Hey Matt, I just bought a Leica M camera. What is the best 35mm lens if I’ve got a budget of £1000? etc”. My answer is always the same so now I can now direct you to this blog post. (Request a Zoom call if you’re still unsure).
Lens criteria
To determine what is the best 35mm lens for you we must understand what you need from the lens. First, what is the slowest maximum aperture you will be happy with? Do you need f1.4 (perhaps a film shooter) or is f2 sufficient (and just crank up your ISO). Does the lens size matter or do you want the best optics regardless of the size? Do you need a focus tab? What are you planning to photograph?
Lens characteristics
When you are thinking about a new lens consider the answers to these criteria –
- Maximum aperture
- Lens size
- Lens design with/ without focus tab
- Filter size
- MFD (Close focus <0.7m)
- Lens coating (will it flare)
- Lens weight
- Brand of the lens
- Click aperture or de-clicked
- Colour and finish of the lens
- Lens sharpness
- Rendering and colours

Branding on your lens
For some photographers the branding of the lens is really important. If they are paying top dollar for their dream Leica camera they likely want a Leica lens to go with it. Equally if you buy a Leica camera from a Leica store they will always try to upsell you a Leica lens so you are all set to take photos when you walk out the door.
Remove your blinkers
As someone that devotes their life to reviewing cameras and lenses in the Leica ecosystem I would say just keep your options open. I own many 35mm lenses for Leica M mount from all brands mentioned in this article. Do I use the Leica branded lenses the most? Actually no. I pick the best ‘tool for the job”. Sometimes it might be a Leica lens but often it isn’t.

Leica is better?
New photographers coming to Leica often assume Leica lenses are the best performers. If you have an unlimited budget you can buy the latest and greatest say Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2 lens. This lens really is one of the best performers but at $8.5K it should be. If you only have perhaps a budget of $1K to spend then you are limited to vintage Leica lenses.
Comparing apples to oranges
Where I think photographers go wrong is they compare vintage 35mm Leica lenses to modern third party 35mm lenses. It will be no surprise that new lenses from the likes of Voigtlander and some Chinese brands outperform 40+ year old Leica lenses. Lens coatings technology, advanced manufacturing methods and tighter tolerances all mean it costs much less to make high performing optics today. Keep this in the back of your mind as you read this article.
If you appreciate these reviews please support me on Patreon

New Leica owner?
If you’re new to Leica just complete the form below to get your free welcome pack

Leica 35mm lenses for M mount
If you are new to Leicaland, firstly welcome, and second, let me explain the lingo Leica use to name their 35mm lenses. For the 35mm focal length Leica made the following optics –
- Summilux f1.4 lenses (pre-ASPH and ASPH)
- Summicron f2 lenses (pre-ASPH, ASPH & APO)
- Summarit f2.4/ f2.5 lenses
- Summaron f2.8/ f3.5 lenses
- Elmar f3.5/ f4.5 lenses (oldest)
Reviews of 35mm Leica lenses
Older Leica lenses are called pre-aspherical and early lenses were first made in screw mount (LTM) and then later M mount. Here are the 35mm Leica lenses I’ve reviewed so far –
- Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 ASPH – YouTube
- Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2 vs Summilux FLE II – YT
- Leica Summicron 35mm f2 (v1) 8E – YouTube
- Leica Summicron 35mm f2 (v2) – YouTube
- Leica Summicron 35mm f2 (v3) – YouTube1 YouTube2
- Leica Summicron 35mm f2 (v1,v2,v3,v4,v5,v6,v7)
- Leica Summaron 35mm f3.5

35mm Voigtlander lenses for Leica M
If you own a Leica camera you likely know the brand Cosina Voigtlander. For years Voigtlander have been the main alternative to Leica when it comes to Leica M mount lenses.
Voigtlander lenses cost less than Leica glass and offer fantastic performance. Voigtlander really does make a lens for everyone’s needs. Choose from ultra fast 35mm f1.2 lenses, 35mm APO right through to super compact 35mm glass.
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 ASPH v2
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 III – YouTube
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4 (II) vs Summicron – YT
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4 lens
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.5 – YouTube
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7 ASPH – YouTube
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 ASPH – YouTube
- Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 35mm f2 – YouTube
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5 pancake – YouTube
Zeiss 35mm ZM lenses for Leica
Carl Zeiss made three 35mm lenses for Leica M mount. Zeiss 35mm lenses for Leica M mount are called ZM lenses. Zeiss has not released any new lenses for Leica M mount for many years but you can still buy their ZM optics.
- Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM – YouTube
- Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2 (Not yet reviewed)
- Zeiss Biogon C 35mm f2.8 – YouTube
The Zeiss Look
The rendering of Zeiss lenses tends to look sharper due to higher contrast. This results in more punchy saturated colours and the Zeiss 3D pop look. If you saw this YouTube video on the 35mm Biogon lenses I cover this topic but the results were less obvious with the lens I tested.
35mm Chinese lenses for Leica M
In recent years, new brands have come to market offering 35mm lenses. It just so happens that all the companies I’m aware of are based in China but each brand offers something different. 7Artisans and TTArtisan lenses tend to be more affordable. Funleader Artizlab made a remake of the Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Pre-ASPH. Light Lens Lab made a remake of the original Leica Summicron 35mm f2 8-Element. Thypoch designed their own Simera lens line and are perhaps on a par with Voigtlander lenses.
- 7Artisans 35mm f1.4 lens – YouTube
- 7Artisans 35mm f2 Mark II – YouTube
- 7Artisans 35mm f5.6 lens – YouTube
- Funleader 35mm f1.4 (Artizlab)
- Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element – YouTube
- Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element (Rigid) – YT
- Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 lens
- TTArtisan 35mm f2 APO-M lens – YouTube

35mm LTM lenses for Leica
You can also adapt 35mm Leica screw mount lenses to M mount via a L39-M adapter. Check out some of the 35mm LTM lenses I have reviewed so far –
- Canon 35mm f1.8 LTM lens – YouTube
- Jupiter-12 35mm f2.8 LTM lens (Biogon Clone) – YouTube
- Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 Collapsible LTM – YouTube1 YT2
- W-Nikkor-C 3.5cm f2.5 LTM/Nikon-S lens – YouTube
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 LTM – M Mount
Smallest 35mm lens for Leica M mount
The two smallest current production 35mm lenses for Leica M mount are both Skopar lenses made by Voigtlander. Light Lens Lab made a collapsible 35mm f2 LTM but it was sadly discontinued. If we consider vintage Leica lenses, the smallest 35mm lens made by Leica is the Leica Elmar 35mm (there were f3.5 and f4.5 version).
The classic Leica Elmar lenses weight 105-130g (vs. 99g for the Voigtlander Skopar f3.5). Elmar f3.5 uses A36 push on filters whereas the new Skopar f3.5 uses 34mm filters (screw in)(so a slightly larger diameter). Length of both lenses looks similar.
- Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 Collapsible LTM (Discontinued)
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5 VM (NEW!)
- Leica Elmar 35mm f3.5 LTM (Discontinued)
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 VM
Other small 35mm lenses include the MS-Optics 35mm 1.4 Apoqualia, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v4, Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4. Next you have lenses like the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element rigid, Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v3, Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 VM and Zeiss Biogon C 35mm f2.8 ZM.
Best 35mm lenses for a Leica M3
Are you a Leica M3 owner that loves the idea of owning a 35mm lens? The problem with Leica M3 cameras is they have no 35mm frameline. Thankfully Leica made a solution. You can buy some of the older Leica 35mm lenses with goggles attached. These goggles convert your 50mm frameline into a 35mm field of view. See the video below that includes the original Leica Summicron 35mm f2 8-Element as an example.
35mm lenses for Leica – Lens flare
As a photographer that takes photos towards light as much as possible lens flare is an interesting topic for me. When I use a digital Leica camera I enjoy lens flare and it makes the photo more arty and less digital. This also looks great for soft dreamy portraits. If you plan to use a lens that flares then selecting a Leica SL camera or Leica M camera with EVF will allow you to see the flare real time and adjust accordingly. The problem with Leica M cameras is what you see is not what you get so then I find lenses that flare to be a liability.
Lens flare test for 35mm lenses
A grabbed a pile of 35mm lenses for Leica M mount and did a quick test to see how each of the 8 lenses compared. Click the image below to view larger. From the results it shows that modern lenses tend to perform better (ie. less lens flare) than older lenses (to the most part). Voigtlander lenses seem to be best in class from the small selection of lenses I tested.
Most colourful lens flare from a 35mm lens
Of all the 35mm lenses I’ve reviewed so far the lens that has the most wild lens flare must be the Leica screw mount FSU Jupiter-12 35mm f2.8. The Jupiter 12 has a large protruding rear element so won’t fit all cameras. See the review below for me using it on my digital Leica M240 camera in Poland.
Best 35mm lens for sunstars for Leica M
Of the 27 35mm lenses I’ve reviewed so far, what is the best 35mm lens for sunstars for Leica? I am limited a little by my memory during my 4-5 years of making YouTube videos but lenses that always come to mind as great performs include –
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7 ASPH
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 VM
- New Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5
Perhaps one of the worst lenses for sunstars is the Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 35mm f2 thanks to the rounded aperture blade design.
Sharpest 35mm lens for Leica M mount
I’ve not tested these three lenses side by side but the sharpest 35mm lens for Leica M mount are likely –
- Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2
- Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 35mm f2
- Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM
Until I’d tested these above 3 lenses, the lens that had impressed me the most to date was the Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7 ASPH.
35mm lens sharpness test
Here are a few test images from when I reviewed the Voigtlander 35mm APO-Lanthar f2 against some of my other 35mm lenses. The Voigtlander APO lens will out perform most.
Corner sharpness at infinity test – 8 lenses
I wanted to compare the lens sharpness of 8 35mm lenses I had out for the recent YouTube video. All lenses were shot on the digital Leica M10-P at f5.6. I took a 400% corner crop (top left) to check the results. (Most lenses are sharp in the centre).
Results – The new Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5 performed well for its size. Summicron v3 improves a lot as you stop down and Light Lens Lab 8-Element remake did well as to be expected. The surprise was the Zeiss Biogon C 35mm f2.8 which seems to perform worse on digital vs. film. (Modern lenses are often optimised for digital sensors whereas the ZM Biogon lenses are earlier than that).
Leica M film photographers – Does the lens really matter?
As an ex-auditor and with a BSc Honours degree in science, my mind always wants to know the answers! This results in lots of lens testing as I need to know the answers so I can sleep at night. Luckily YouTube and reviewing camera gear became my full time job so here is another test.
I like to use sharper lenses on film so I’m always keen to see how different lenses compare. Leica vs Voigtlander vs Zeiss Vs Chinese. I had some film to finish in a camera so I photographed this structure with 4 lenses to compare the results.
35mm lens sharpness – Film test
All images were captured with my Leica M7 at f5.6 and I compare a corner crop (top left) of each film scan in Lightroom. The results might surprise you. The cheap Chinese lens seems to perform the best at first glance. The Zeiss Biogon now looks sharper compared to the digital results shared above. You can see a spot of lens flare on both the Funleader and Summicron image but if you didn’t pixel peep I think all 4 lenses would give more than satisfactory results.
(Note. The Funleader often looks brighter in my testing compared to other lenses and I need to correct before comparing. Good news if you shoot in low light).
Soft and dreamy 35mm lenses
The least sharp 35mm lens I’ve used is the re-released Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Steel Rim (Pre-ASPH). If you like soft and dreamy this lens is for you. Any fast vintage 35mm lens should give you a soft glow look wide open. The Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4 is a remake of the 35mm f1.4 Summilux Pre-ASPH lens and is soft at f1.4 (sharp from f2).
If you are looking at f2 lenses perhaps consider the Leica Summicron 35mm f2 Pre-ASPH v2 or v3 lenses. Skip the version 1, “8-Element” (as remade by Light Lens Lab) as this is a strong performer. I bought the v3 Summicron for a less perfect look on digital and often use the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8E on film.

Sharp vs soft character lenses
Soft lenses are often called “art lenses” or “character lenses”. These optics are often less corrected leading to more flaws in the lens performance. It could be lens glow or blooming, vignetting, distortion, lens flare, unusual bokeh or chromatic aberrations. In contrast, sharp modern lenses are very well corrected to give an as-perfect-as-possible true representation of the scene you are photographing.
Digital has become boring (too perfect)
The funny thing is as technologies advanced, companies were able to make more and more perfect lens optics and digital camera sensors with 60MP+. This lead to the issue we have today where digital is now too perfect and therefore boring. Some lens companies have noticed this trend and are now trying to replicate vintage lenses to give customers what they want.
Modern vintage 35mm lenses
If you want to buy a new 35mm lens but with that vintage character, consider these lenses –
- Leica re-issue of the Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Pre-ASPH “Steel Rim”
- Light Lens Lab remake of the original Leica Summicron 35mm f2 8E v1 Pre-ASPH
- Funleader Artizab homage of the Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Pre-ASPH
- Voigtlander “Vintage Line” lenses with the Ultron and Nokton Classics
Sharp doesn’t mean bad
If you are a regular reader (follow here) you may know my philosophy when it comes to choose the right lens. I like to use softer imperfect lenses on digital sensors and sharp lenses with Leica film cameras. Using a vintage lens or (modern lens with classic rendering) on my Leica M10-P helps to create less digital looking images. I enjoy the classic Leica Summicron 35mm f2 Pre-ASPH v3 in this regard as it has a built-in mist filter kind of look to it.
I then use sharper 35mm lenses on film cameras such as my Leica M-A to help me capture more details. For this I want less flare and sharp enough performance at wider apertures. (I’ll cover my favourite 35mm lenses at the end).
Fast 35mm lenses for Leica M
If you can’t afford the high price tag for a Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 ASPH lens there are lots of third party lenses with fast maximum apertures –
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 VM v2 + v3
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4
- Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4
- Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM
- 7Artisans 35mm f1.4
- Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.5
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7
The Fastest 35mm lens for Leica M
To my knowledge the fastest 35mm lens for Leica M is the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2. This lens is available in 3 versions. I own the v2 and the v3 is smaller and lighter. If you don’t mind a larger lens these are great optics for portraits and in low light. I tend to prefer smaller lenses so I often opt for a f1.4 lens instead.
Best 35mm Leica lens for close focus
When it comes to Leica M rangefinder cameras the biggest limitation is the 0.7m close focus of the rangefinder system. In recent years digital Leica M cameras were given LiveView so now you can focus without the rangefinder. This lead to lens companies make closer focusing 35mm lenses. Lenses focus via the Leica M rangefinder down to 0.7m and then the rangefinder decouples and you focus via an EVF or LiveView on the rear LCD display to focus closer than 0.7m.
The closest focusing Leica M mount lens is also the most expensive. The Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2 will focus down to 0.3m which is fantastic. For portraits 0.3m looks like this –
More 35mm close focus lenses for Leica
In the last few years, many of the new 35mm lenses for Leica M mount now focus closer than 0.7m. Some of those that come to mind include –
- Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 ASPH (2022) (0.4m with soft stop)
- Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 (0.45m and soft stop at 0.7m)
- Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 ASPH v2 (0.5m)
- Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 35mm f2 (0.5m)
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 ASPH (0.58m)

Leica M-L close focus adapter
Great news for Leica SL series camera users (and those with the Leica CL/ TL bodies. With L mount cameras you can get the Light Lens Lab close focus M-L helicoid adapter which allows you to close focus ALL M mount lenses (and still have infinity focus too*). Game changer. This is particularly useful when used with older 35mm lenses that have a MFD of 1m.

Best 35mm lens for bokeh
When it comes to great lens bokeh you probably don’t consider 35mm lenses. Actually if you get close to your subject with a fast 35mm lenses you can create some nice bokeh. If you are looking for the most lens bokeh consider the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 v2 or v3 and shoot them at 0.5m. Other lenses to consider are the Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f1.4 and the Steel Rim Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux re-issue. (To name a few).
35mm lenses for Leica with focus tab
When it comes to finding your perfect 35mm lens, the design of the lens matters. Street photographers often prefer a dedicated focus tab and I do too. Some lenses have focus tabs and others not. Here is a quick summary –
- Leica 35mm lenses – normally have a modern focus tab
- Zeiss ZM 35mm lenses – don’t have a tab but a bump instead
- Voigtlander 35mm lenses with a tab – mid size lenses often have a tab – Ultron, f1.4
- 35mm Voigtlander lenses without a tab – Larger lenses don’t have tabs – f1.2 & APO
- Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 – has a vintage tab with infinity lock
- Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4 – has modern focus tab

35mm lenses with infinity lock
A lens infinity lock is often a vintage style lens tab (not always) that locks out at the infinity position. This can be a frustration for photographers working around the infinity focus position as you lens locks out just at the wrong moment. This is a classic lens design but it is used for some modern lenses too. The following lenses have infinity locks –
- Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f3.5 VM
- Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4
- Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element
- Steel Rim Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Re-issue

Best 35mm viewfinders
Perhaps you love the idea of 35mm lenses but your camera does have 35mm framelines? Leica M3 users can buy vintage Leica 35mm lenses with built in goggles but what about everyone else. If your camera doesn’t have 35mm framelines you can add a 35mm viewfinder to your hotshoe/ cold shoe.

All Leica M cameras except the Leica M3 have 35mm framelines if the camera has a viewfinder. I use a range of cameras so here are my recommendations for the best 35mm viewfinders.
- Light Lens Lab 35mm metal finder – By far the smallest you can buy
- Voigtlander 35mm Brightline viewfinder – Big and bright
- Leica 35mm viewfinder – the Leica 36mm finder is cheaper!

Most expensive 35mm lenses for Leica
It will be no shock to you that the top 3 most expensive 35mm lenses for Leica M mount are made by Leica –
- Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f2 – $8.5K
- Leica Summilux-M 35mm f1.4 (2022) – $6K
- Steel Rim Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Reissue – $4K
Cheapest 35mm lenses for Leica
I found a store in the UK where I was able to filter by 35mm lenses and by price. The cheapest 35mm lenses for Leica you can buy new are –
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 P – £350
- Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4 – £375
- Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f1.4 VM – £550
- Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5 VM – £600
- Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 – £660
- Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 VM – £700
Save 5% on Voigtlander lenses at Robertwhite.co.uk (MRLEICA / MRLEICACOM)
Used price for 35mm lenses
If you are happy to buy used the list of 35mm lenses available is much larger. You can find used 35mm Leica lenses for under $1500 for an f2 lens and cheaper if you look at the vintage lenses. I buy almost all of my lenses used and you can find some great deals on websites likes MBP (Save £20 off your first order) and eBay.
Check prices on eBay
- (US) https://ebay.to/2F0HoxY
- (UK) https://ebay.to/3ijzle2
- (DE) https://ebay.to/3iqDNYs
- (FR) https://ebay.to/2ZJ3E75
- (HK) https://ebay.to/32A8xBu
Blind test
To have some fun, below is a selection of photos shot with 35mm lenses on Leica cameras. Both film and digital cameras. Can you identify images captured with Leica lenses vs Voigtlander vs third party Chinese lenses? Click any image to see the equipment used and to full in full resolution. (All images were edited with MrLeica presets).

35mm portraits with Leica cameras


35mm lens travel photos

Landscapes with 35mm lenses

What is your favourite 35mm lens?
Please comment below your favourite 35mm lens for Leica M mount. From teaching Leica workshops over the last 10+ years and chatting with Patreons, here are some of the most popular 35mm lenses I see Leica photographers use.
- Students with Leica M11/P: Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 ASPH or f2 ASPH
- Patreons using film and digital: Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2
- Photographers shooting film: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f1.4
- Leica SL series users: Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4
- Photographers that enjoy compact: Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f2.5
Best 35mm lens for Leica M mount?
There really is a 35mm lens to suit all needs. Here are some of the best in class for different criteria from those I recommend –
- Best 35mm lens for sunstars – Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7
- Great for mirrorless users – Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4
- 35mm for portraits – Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 v3
- Best 35mm for architecture – Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM
- Great 35mm EDC (more modern) – Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2
- New EDC/ Smallest 35mm lens – Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5
- Favourite compact lightweight EDC 2025 – Funleader 35mm f1.4
- Best filmic look EDC – Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v3
- LTM best 35mm – Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8E LTM
- Best 35mm lens for Leica M3 – Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v1
- Ultimate + most expensive 35mm – Leica Summicron-M 35mm f2 APO
Chinese lens takeover
Check out my new article on the rise of Chinese lenses for Leica.

Enjoyed this article? Add your email to receive the next post



































impressive blog, some holes yes , but on the whole impressive and comprehensive,, favorite 35mm well only used the 3 the voightlander 35 1.4 nokton hated.. currently have the 35mm summaron f2.8 love it always on the m2.. and a ltm canon f1.8 , growing on me don’t use it enough to be honest was bought for low light.. interested in the funleader. but would love a steel rim re issue or a summicron v4 just to see what all the fuss is about .. well done to sum up!!
Thanks! Yes I’ve not used every 35mm lenses for Leica yet so I just tried to cover the 27 that I have used. Yes the Funleader is surprising me. I added a film test and it was no different to Zeiss, Leica and Voigtlander lenses. The Steel rim looks nice but is way too soft. I’ve used it a few times. The metal v4 is a nice size! Cheers
I just looked at your review of the LTM Canon 35mm f/1.8 (since I own one) and found it very interesting. I have a question though; have you ever compared the Canon 1.8 to the Nikkor 35mm 1.8 (I own one of those as well)? I noticed you did look at the f/2.5 version of the Nikkor. I have had the Nikkor for a very long time; 1964 or so and have always been pleased with it’s performance even at 1.8 but have never done a head-to-head comparison (same time, same film, same place, etc.)
Hi Paul, thanks! No I’ve not used the Nikkor 35mm f1.8 yet. Maybe a review for the future. The little Canon was great on the CL. Matt
Hello Matt
Thank you for your extensive and well considered comparison of lenses. Could I please ask which M to L adapter you use?
I shoot with an SL
Hi Stephen,
No problem. Yes I use (and highly recommend) the Light Lens Lab M-L adapter. (I own the Leica adapter but stopped using it since I got the LLL as now I can close focus EVERY M lens. Brilliant piece of kit. (Gives closer focus to infinity*). See the Gear/Kit/Discount code tab for a link. Cheers Matt