Best Leica M Lens for Travel? (My Top 10 Lenses)

What is the best Leica M lens for travel? Here I cover 10 of my favourite travel lenses for Leica, all M mount but not limited to the Leica brand. This covers a range of prices for all budgets, example photos from various trips and links to YouTube reviews.

Leica M mount lenses for travel

As you’re here looking for the best Leica M mount lens for travel I guess there is a high chance you use a Leica M camera? Are you a digital photographer or do you prefer film? I enjoy both mediums and the example photos coming up in this article are a mix of digital and analogue travel photography.

If you’re new to Leica or haven’t yet picked up your free Leica welcome pack yet just complete the form below and select your specific camera.

Adapt Leica M lenses to Fuji, Nikon, etc

Thanks to digital mirrorless cameras we can now enjoy Leica M mount lenses on non-Leica cameras too. I teach Leica workshops and sometimes students also bring a Fuji-X camera, Lumix S5 or perhaps a Nikon Zf. One of my Patreons loves using small Leica M mount lenses on their compact Sony cameras via the autofocus Tech-Art adapter. You can adapt the mentioned lenses in this article to most digital cameras via a Leica M adapter.

My Leica travel photography

Before we look at the top 10 best Leica M mount lenses for your next expidition I must point out that I am primarily a model photographer. I would say 95% of the images I take are of models so what you see below are a small selection of the photos I capture when I don’t have a model.

*If you are interested in portraiture check out my Model Photography Handbook eBook.

Two trips away per month

After I quit my Corporate day job / finance career and became a full time YouTuber/ blogger / tutor I can now work from anywhere so I try to fly overseas twice a month. The goal of the trips is usually model photography but as a keen runner I like to get out and explore with my cameras too.

*If you’ve seen my Patreon travel videos you’ll know it’s easy to travel cheap!

Top 10 Leica M lenses for travel

I’ve been using Leica cameras and Leica M lenses since founding this blog back in 2013. If you see my full list of lens reviews you’ll know I’ve tested over 100 lenses. Coming up are my top 10 lenses that I think of when it comes to travel photography. A common features is these lenses tend to be more compact, even for a Leica M lens which are already smaller than most other lenses. In no particular order let’s start.

1. Leica Summicron 35mm f2

If you know your Leica lenses, you’ll be aware that there are currently 7 different Leica M mount 35mm f2 Summicron lenses. My preference for travel would be the version 2, version 3 or a metal constructed Leica Summicron v4. These pre-ASPH Summicron lenses are smaller in size to the modern aspherical options. See the full article for sample photos and linked YouTube video.

2. Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2

If you are happy with non-Leica branded lenses this open up a whole world of opportunities. The first of those listed here is the Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2. Sharper than a pre-ASPH Leica Summicron lens above and around 50% cheaper on the used market. The latest f2 Ultron is much smaller than the Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7 I reviewed (left in the photo below) which makes it perfect for trips away.

3. Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8

If you are looking for a compact 28mm lens from Leica, the smallest is the Leica Summaron 28mm f5.6 (TTArtisan did a copy, see below). If f5.6 is too slow the next smallest is the Leica Elmarit 28mm f2.8 ASPH lens.

In the photo below you can see the size of the 28mm Elmarit (left) next to the larger Leica Summicron 28mm f2 ASPH (middle). I don’t use this lens as much as I used to but check out the full Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f2.8 review for sample photos and linked YouTube video.

4. Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f2.8

This is the 28mm lens that replaced the Leica Elmarit 28mm for me. The fantastic Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f2.8. I love this lens so much I own it in Type I and Type II versions. Type I lenses are a classic design and I got that in LTM mount (before it was discontinued in screw mount). Later I picked up the 28mm Skopar Type II which is a modern tab design, lightweight aluminium build and focuses to 0.5m.

If you live in the UK enjoy a discount on Voigtlander lenses at robertwhite.co.uk

5. Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element

If you’ve heard of the Light Lens Lab brand you’ll know that they do remakes of the most sought after vintage Leica lenses. The Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element lens is a homage of the Leica Summicron 35mm f2 v1.

Optically the v1 is a better performer than the v2, v3, v4 lenses until Leica developed their aspherical lens design. As such you get amazing optics with the v1. This lens was made in both LTM and M mount version and I’ve owned both. I miss the compactness of the LTM copy for travel but I swapped it for the rigid M mount version which has a modern focus tab design.

Small lenses means easy to carry for travel so this lens has been with me to the US twice when teaching workshops in addition to many countries in Europe. Great lens though sadly to be discontinued. If you want one check availability on the Light Lens Lab website.

6. Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4

Funleader are perhaps not known for high quality optics. For their latest collaboration with Artizlab however you are in for a treat. The Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4 lens is a copy of the Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 Pre-ASPH. It looks and feels exactly like a Leica lens but comes in at a fraction of the price. I use the lens at f2 for travel and have been loving the results. Check out the recent Funleader Artizlab 35mm f1.4 review as it only landed at the start of this year.

7. TTArtisan 28mm f5.6

If you love 28mm lenses and don’t need a fast lens, I enjoy the TTArtisan 28mm f5.6 M mount lens. The lens is roughly designed around the Leica Summaron 28mm f5.6 and gives the same “less-digital” looking images. I appreciate the small size and they even made it in LTM mount for a short period. This is one of my favourite TTArtisan lenses for Leica but they have made some nice portrait lenses too. See the full TTArtisan 28mm f5.6 review and linked YouTube video.

8. Thypoch Eureka 50mm f2

Thypoch is a new lens brand to the Leica camp that landed in 2024. The Thypoch brand are perhaps best known for their fast Thypoch Simera lenses, 28mm f1.4, 35mm f1.4, 50mm f1.4 and most recently, the new 75mm f1.4 Simera. (Check out those YouTube reviews in the lens review list).

The lens I use the most is their smaller Thypoch Eureka 50mm f2 which I’m very fond of. Again it is designed loosely around a vintage 50mm f2 collapsible lens so this gives you the best of both in terms of size and rendering but with modern coatings. Perfect for travel AND my portraits. (See photo below when I was using it during a workshop I was teaching in Italy).

9. Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 APO-Skopar

When you are traveling it’s nice to carry at least one longer lens. Of all the lenses I’ve used for Leica M mount (which is most of them) my favourite is the Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 APO-Skopar.

*Note for Nikon users – You can buy this lens in Nikon F mount too and it has identical optics. I often use the F mount version with my Nikon FE2 or Nikon FM3a.

For completeness, if you want the smallest option, look at the Leica Macro-Elmar 90mm f4 lens that I used to use. See the size difference below – Leica 90mm f4 Macro left, Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 APO middle, vintage Leica 90mm f4 LTM right. Check out the full Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 APO-Skopar review for more details and a linked YouTube video.

10. Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8

Last but not least, and without doubt my most used lens for travel is the lesser known Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8. The 40mm focal length is not as popular for Leica M mount users as Leica M cameras lack 40mm framelines.

Personally, I often use a screw mount version of this modern lens (you can find them but now discontinued in LTM mount) on my 1930s Leica I film camera. The camera has no rangefinder so I zone focus and I approximate the 40mm composition with the fixed 50mm viewfinder.

If you are using a Leica M camera, the lens is rangefinder coupled so you just need to approximate your composition. If you want to be more exact with your framing, you can buy a 40mm Voigtlander viewfinder that fits on your camera hotshoe.

Update! Two perfect pocket-sized EDC travel lenses

These are now my two smallest true pocket-sized lenses. The first is new from Voigtlander, just released, and is now the lightest high performance 35mm lens on the market. The second has been around a few years but I only just got it. The ultimate 28mm pancake lens from Brightin Star.

Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f3.5 VM

This is the new lens from Voigtlander. I’m going to order a copy, it’s that good! UK residents can save money at RobertWhite.co.uk with the MRLEICA/MRLEICACOM discount code! (Long term lens review to come once i’ve used it for a few months – follow so not to miss).

Brightin Star 28mm f2.8 pancake lens

The Brightin Star 28mm f2.8 lens for Leica M mount is probably best seen as a fun lens. Yes it is softer in the corners than most 28mm lenses for Leica M mount but it can still take great photos. The fact that it is a body cap lens or pancake lens, you can carry this everywhere in your pocket.

For me the 28mm Brightin Star is the perfect vacation lens (as seen in the YouTube video below) where it doesn’t take up much space in your bag and doubles as a body cap. You can pack more serious lenses too if you need edge to edge sharpness.

Bonus! Wide angle lenses for travel

When it comes to the best Leica M lens for travel I tend to think of 35mm and 28mm lenses. Those might be on the camera the most and then perhaps a longer lens for those “out of reach” compositions. I aim to select my travel lenses based on the location I will visit so one lens will not suit all excursions.

If I know I will be visiting a busy city such as teaching workshops in New York I like to pack something wider. Perhaps 21mm or even 15mm. Let’s give these a quick mention for anyone that loves wide angle lenses for travel.

B1. Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f4.5

My favourite ultra-wide lens for travel is the Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f4.5. Available in 3 version the earlier models do give magenta cast at the edge of your Leica M camera images. The v3 lens corrects this issue but I still prefer the v1 as it is the smallest. v1 is screw mount and zone focus only. V2 is M mount, rangefinder coupled and with filter threads and the v3 is similar.

Everything is in focus most of the time with a 15mm lens so it’s perfect for zone focusing. Note, you will need a 15mm viewfinder to compose your images (unless using LiveView). See the full Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f4.5 review for more images and the YouTube video.

B2. Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21mm f4

Another wide angle lens I’ve used a lot for travel is the older Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21mm f4. (The current version is the f3.5 model). This is another super compact, rangefinder coupled lens which is great to keep in your kit bag. My lens has been all over the world with me. Check out the full Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21mm f4 review for images and the YouTube video.

Honorary Mentions

I have to give a shout out to a few more lenses which are perfect for travel but didn’t make my top 10.

• Voigtlander Snapshot Skopar 25mm f4 – Compact lens for travel. I’ve used mine a lot for both film and digital. (Watch on YouTube).
• Leica Elmar 5cm f3.5 – The smallest 50mm Leica lens that collapses flat onto your camera. (Watch on YouTube).
• Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm 2.5 – This was the smallest 35mm lens for Leica at one stage. Still a good lens and cheaper than most.
• Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4 – If you need a fast yet compact lens the 35mm Nokton is very popular amongst Leica users, especially for film.

Who makes the best lenses for Leica?

I covered this topic recently on YouTube. Companies that make Leica M mount lenses and how each brand differs –

My personal favourites

Of all the lenses I could choose from my top 5 most used Leica M lenses for travel in order are as follows. (Comment below, what is your favourite Leica M lens for travel?)

1. Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8
2. Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f2.8
3. Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element
4. Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4
5. TTArtisan 28mm f5.6

Best digital Leica camera for travel?

What is your favourite Leica camera for travel? If you are happy with a fixed lens you have the Leica Q series cameras. The smallest option with a viewfinder is the compact APS-C Leica CL that I use. For most people you have Leica M cameras like my Leica M10-P which are both full frame and compact. Finally you have Leica SL series cameras. SL cameras are robust but for me too big for travel photography.

Favourite film Leica cameras for travel?

For fellow film lovers, what is your favourite analogue Leica for travel? The Leica CL film camera gives you the smallest M mount setup. I love using cameras like the Leica MDa which has no rangefinder so can be knocked without worrying. Normal Leica M camera like my Leica M-A are probably what most people use. The cameras I use the most for travel are Leica iii cameras but the limitation is you can’t use Leica iii cameras with Leica M mount lenses.

Best camera bag for travel? (for Leica)

What is the best camera bag for travel if you use a Leica camera? If you’re a regular reader you’ll know that my go-to bags for travel are the 18L Wotancraft Pilot backpack with a pull out Wotancraft 3.5L shoulder bag (Either the Wotancraft EDC Canteener or Pilot series). I use Wotancraft camera straps too for travel with Peak Design attachments. See these in action in most of my YouTube videos.

Top European cities for photography?

I’m limited to the cities that I’ve visited but when people ask me what are my favourite cities to photograph in Europe you’ll normally here me mention some of the following –

• Gdansk, Poland – See this YouTube video from Gdansk
• Budapest, Hungary – See this YouTube video from Budapest
• Lisbon, Portugal – See this YouTube video from Lisbon
• Valencia, Spain – See this YouTube video from Valencia
• Porto, Portugal – See this YouTube video from Porto

I’m sure I’ve likely missed some and then you have obvious choices like London and Paris. Porto is my most recent discovery so you’ll see a new YouTube video shot there soon.

What are the small Leica M lenses?

If you are looking for the smallest Leica M mount lenses for travel check out my article on the smallest Leica M lenses.

Point and shoot travel camera

Finally, I know some people want the smallest possible setup even if this means a fixed lens. The closest I’ve come to this is using the Contax T2. Great optics for a fixed lens film camera but eventually I went back to Leica iii cameras so I can select the right lens for the trip. See the full Contax T2 article if you are interested.

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