Best 75mm lens for Leica M (2026)
Searching for the best 75mm lens for Leica M cameras? This articles compares most 75mm lenses made for Leica M mount including sample photos (mostly portraits as a model photographer) and embed YouTube video reviews.
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75mm is the new 85mm
If your coming to Leica from other full frame cameras you might find 75mm an unusual focal length. For SLR and DSLR cameras 85mm is much more common. I came from Nikon to Leica so I was used to fast 85mm lenses for Nikon F mount for my portraits like the Samyang 85mm f1.4 lens.
75mm is quite a modern focal length
When Leica made the first Leica M rangefinder camera back in 1953, the Leica M3 was designed with 50mm, 90mm and 135mm framelines. Cameras like the like Leica M2 and Leica M4 also didn’t have 75mm framelines in the viewfinder window. It wasn’t until the launch of the Leica M4-P in 1980 that Leica M cameras started to come with 75mm framelines. (Great camera – I’ve shot many Leica M4-P portraits over the years, with various lenses).
First 75mm lens made for Leica M?
The first 75mm lens ever made for the Leica M system was the Leica Summilux-M 75mm f1.4, introduced at Photokina in 1980 (together with the mentioned Leica M4-P camera). (We’ll talk more about this lens as we get into the article).
How many 75mm lenses were made for Leica M?
Leica has produced 4 different types of 75mm lenses and five different optical designs –
- Leica Summilux-M 75mm f1.4 (1980–2007) – 2 versions (Mandler design)
- Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm f2 ASPH (2005–Present)(Peter Karbe design)
- Leica Summarit-M 75mm f2.5 (2007–2014) – Affordable option
- Leica Summarit-M 75mm f2.4 (2014–2020) – Improved version
- Leica Noctilux-M 75mm f1.25 ASPH (2017–Present)
I’ll cover these lenses in more detail below.
Third party 75mm lenses for Leica M mount
In addition to 75mm lenses made by Leica we also have third party 75mm lenses for Leica M mount. The first of these was Cosina Voigtlander who’ve made four 75mm lenses. The Voigtlander Heliar Classic 75mm f1.8 was discontinued but we still have three current production lenses. (Get money off Voigtlander lenses at Robertwhite.co.uk using the MRLEICA discount code)(See all discount codes).
- Voigtlander Nokton Classic 75mm f1.5
- Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9
- Voigtlander APO Skopar 75mm f2.8 (brand new)
We also have third party 75mm lenses from companies like 7Artisans, Thypoch and Light Lens Lab. We’ll cover these in more detail below.
Best 75mm for Leica M?
So if you’re looking to buy a 75mm lens you might be wondering, what is the best 75mm for Leica M mount? The word “best” means different things to different people. What is important to you? Are you looking for maximum sharpness and resolution, painterly rendering, swirly bokeh, shallow depth of field or perhaps just a small lens?
Let me share some sample photos from most of the 75mm lenses made for Leica M mount to help you decide. For full details and more example images click the embedded articles or YouTube videos below. I’ll also do a wrap-up at the end and give my reasons to using each lens.
Leica Noctilux 75mm f1.25
If you looking for the fastest aperture 75mm lens plus maximum performance you need the Leica Noctilux 75mm f1.25. This lens is perhaps the largest, heaviest 75mm lens made for Leica and comes with an equally oversized price tag. There’s no doubt the photos can be stunning from this lens but could you tell the difference compares to similar fast lenses?
Check out the YouTube video below which includes a Leica Noctilux 75mm verses Voigtlander Nokton 75mm head to head shoutout.
7Artisans 75mm f1.25 II (& I)
If you love the idea of a f1.25 maximum aperture but can’t quite afford the $15K price tag of the 75mm Leica Noctilux, you might want to consider the budget friendly 7Artisans 75mm f1.25 lens. In 2025 they released the version II lens which is what I have. Excellent for portraits and sharp enough wide open even on film (to my amazement). See the mirror selfie test shot below for prove.
Thanks to the fast maximum aperture this is a big heavy lens but the v2 is smaller and lighter than the v1. I still need to make a YouTube video for this lens. (I’ll embed it here once I do, or see my lens reviews list page).
Thypoch Simera 75mm f1.4
A new lens in 2025, the Thypoch Simera 75mm f1.4 became direct competition to the popular Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 VM lens (below). Both are good lenses. The Simera has the benefit of being able to focus closer but see the photos to see which rendering you might prefer.
Leica Summilux 75mm f1.4
Perhaps THE most highly regarded Leica M lens for portraits, this Mandler design lens is a classic. Rendering is softer and more forgiving than the Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 and the lower contrast adds to this. One of the most expensive 75mm lenses for M mount but if nothing else can give the same look perhaps it’s worth it for you.
Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5
The go to 75mm lens for many Leica M users, this for me sets the benchmark that I compare other lenses too. Impressively sharp even wide open and good contrast makes it a viable option for both film and digital users. My copy of the lens pairs perfectly with my film cameras so i’ve used it a lot on my Leica M7 and Leica MP especially.
Light Lens Lab 75mm f1.5 “Z21”
If you’re looking for something softer with more swirl the 75mm “Z21” from Light Lens Lab might be your lens. Designed more as a creative lens than chasing perfection, if you likely swirly bokeh this is a strong contender.
Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f1.9
Another fast lens from Voigtlander released a few yeara go was their f1.9 lens. For me it wasn’t as good as the f1.5 Nokton so I stayed with the lens I had but that said it did help me capture some really nice images. The Ultron is available in “SC” and “MC” versions, single coated and multi-coated, but from my YouTube testing I didn’t see much difference in the results.
Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO
Probably the sharpest 75mm lens for Leica M mount is the Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO M lens. I owned this lens for multple year during my Leica M9 days. With a close focus of 0.7m the 75mm gave me a greater magnification than most other lenses I had at the time. 0.7m later became the norm so when the Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 came out I sold the APO and replaced it with the smaller, lighter, faster, more affordable Nokton lens. I’ve never regretted my choice.
As reminder to some users, Leica isn’t always better. I learnt this from buying the Leica lenses then going back to cheaper non-Leica lenses for some focal lengths. Note, I love Leica but other lenses can be great too so don’t reule them out.
Light Lens Lab 75mm f2 “SPII”
If you find your Leica digital sensor sterile and lifeless perhaps consider the Light Lens Lab 75mm f2 “SPII”. Excuse the flowery wording but this is the soft paint brush compared the Leica APO above which etching the details into your image. Different tools for different tastes.
The SPII is inspired by the classic Cooke Speed Pancro lenses, known for their forgiving cinematic rendering. The SPII is softer with lower contrast, especially when pointed towards points of light. (I found the 50mm SPII too soft wide open for film but I think these lenses are great on digital wide open or stopped down for film).
SPII YouTube video review – Out Soon! (SUBSCRIBE)
Leica Summarit 75mm f2.4 (& f2.5)
Two lenses i’ve never owned are the Leica Summarit 75mm f2.4 and f2.5. These offer a smaller more budget friendly version of a Leica Summicron lens. I did own a 50mm Summarit lens for multiple years and i’d describe these lenses as more affordable with excellent image quality (just with a slower maximum aperture).
I’ve never shot with 75mm Summarit lenses but if I ever do I’ll embed the YouTube review and sample images below.
Voigtlander APO-Skopar 75mm f2.8
Lastly, the newest 75mm lens for Leica M mount, the compact, lightweight but very capable Voigtlander APO-Skopar 75mm f2.8 APO lens. This is the new sibling to the compact 90mm f2.8 APO-Skopar lens that is also excellent. Great for travel thanks to the size, an excellent performer from wide open.
Recap Best 75mm for Leica M mount?
Let’s catagorise the standout lenses from the list above based on need –
- Most unique look (premium shallow DOF) – Leica Noctilux 75mm f1.25
- Best budget shallow DOF – 7Artisans 75mm f1.25 II
- Best 75mm for digital portraits (lower contrast) – Leica Summilux 75mm f1.4
- Best 75mm for film portraits (higher contrast/ sharper) – Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5
- Sharpest 75mm for maximum detail (from wide open) – Leica Summicron 75mm f2 APO
- Best 75mm for travel (smallest/ lightest) – Voigtlander APO-Skopar 75mm f2.8
- Best 75mm for close focus – Thypoch Simera 75mm f1.4
- Softest 75mm – Light Lens Lab 75mm f2 SPII
- Most swirly bokeh – Light Lens Lab 75mm f1.5 “Z21”
My favourite 75mm lenses for Leica M mount
My most used 75mm lens is by far the Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 but i’ve been really impressed by the smaller size (and reduced weight) of the Voigtlander 75mm f2.8 APO-Skopar. Both are great.
Leica M film cameras less suited to 75mm
If I paste an extract below from my Leica Film Cameras Buyer’s Guide you can see which Leica film cameras have 75mm framelines. (All Leica M digital cameras have 75mm framelines) –
Leica M camera viewfinder frame lines
- Leica M3 – 50,90,135 (individual framelines)
- Leica M2 – 35,50,90 (individual framelines)
- Leica M4 – 35/135 pair, 50, 90 (Individual & pair)
- Leica M5 – 35/135 pair, 50, 90 (Individual & pair)
- Leica M4-2 – 35/135 pair, 50, 90 (Individual & pair)
- Leica M4-P – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
- Leica M6 Classic – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
- Leica M6 TTL – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
- Leica M7 – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
- Leica MP – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
- Leica M-A – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
- Leica M6 Re-issue – 28/90, 35/135, 50/75 (pairs)
Accuracy tips for Leica M users
Using a 75mm lens with a fast maximum aperture like the Voigtlander Nokton 75mm f1.5 gives a very shallow depth of field. Using these lenses on a Leica rangefinder camera can be difficult to nail focus. I would highly recommend using a 1.4x viewfinder magnifier to aid accurate focusing. I have Leica branded versions but my preference is the one from Light Lens Lab as it includes a +3/-3 diopter. I have these pretty much glued to my cameras (unless I use a wide lens).
Leica L mount users
If you use Leica L mount cameras whether Leica SL series cameras, Lumix or Sigma (or the APS-C Leica CL) you have a few options for lenses. My preference is to invest in the mentioned M mount lenses and use them on my Leica SL2-S via a M-L adapter. (M lenses are brilliant as they fit Leica M film camera, Leica M digital cameras and can be adapted to L mount).
The most popular option for L mount cameras is likely native autofocus L mount lenses from the L-Mount Alliance brands. A third approach which is starting to become more common is manual focus lenses designed specifically for L mount. One example of this is the 7Artisans 75mm f1.4 L mount lens. See example photos below and more in the YouTube video.
Need autofocus?
If you adapt your M mount lenses to Leica L mount cameras such as my Leica SL2-S you might enjoy native autofocus L mount lenses like the TTArtisan 75mm f2 AF lens. Normally I prefer “proper” manual focus lenses but this focus-by-wire lens really impressed me. You might have seen these photos already in my recent TTArtisan lenses for Leica article.
Want more swirl?
If you’re looking for maximum bokeh swirl and perhaps more than any of the above lenses, you’ll likely want to get yourself a Zeiss Biotar 75mm f1.5 vintage lens. See the example photos below. These lenses can be both rare and expense in M mount (or LTM mount) if you can find one on eBay.
- CHECK EBAY: (US) https://ebay.to/2F0HoxY (UK) https://ebay.to/3ijzle2
An easier option might be the modern Biotar homage lens from TTArtisan. The TTArtisan 75mm f1.5 M42 mount lens can be adapted to both Leica M mount and Leica L mount. The caveat is this lens unlike the modified Zeiss M mount original above, the TTArtisan lens is not rangefinder coupled so Leica M camera users will need to focus via LiveView.
Two lens setup – 75mm + 35mm
If you like to use a 2 lens setup, 75mm pairs nicely with 35mm. If you’re not sure what 35mm lens might suit you the best check out my big 28 lens comparison review (all 35mm lenses for Leica M mount!)
You may also like
Are you planning to use a 75mm lens for portraits? You might find my lighting article of interest. Fun fact. I tried to do a 3x 75mm lens comparison test for YouTube but the winner ended up being the light not a specific lens. I’ve embedded the video below if you want to see that too.
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