My Top 10 Photography Recommendations of 2023!

As a YouTuber/ blogger people often write to me. “Matt, what lens do you recommend for my Leica camera?”, “Matt what is the best camera bag for my Leica Q3?”, “Matt what filters, lights etc etc do you use?” So, in this article I list my favourite photography products of 2023. I’ll give you my top 10, a few bonus mentions and some extra honoree listings too. In no particular order let’s go!

First, my top 10 photography specific recommendations

Let’s start with my top ten most used, and therefore recommended photography products. I try to include YouTube reviews or blog post articles for each item so you can get more information/ see me using the product. You can also watch a shorter summary version of my 2023 top 10 on YouTube –

1. Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 Elcan Replica lens

The Light Lens Lab Elcan replica is perhaps by favourite lens of 2023. A combination of not too sharp for portraits, super compact and classic Leica Summicron 50mm f2 rendering makes it a win for me. I bought it first in Leica M mount but then bought it in Leica screw mount too so I can use it on my Leica iii Barnack cameras. I still need to finish writing my full article on this lens. Subscribe to the blog and I will share it soon!

You might wonder how the Light Lens Lab Elcan 50mm f2 compares to other 50mm lenses. I was interested too so I did a test. See this video –

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2. Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8 LTM

This lens is probably not on most people’s radar so I want to highlight it again. When the Voigtlander Heliar 40mm f2.8 lens was first announced I was excited and immediately got a copy purely for the small lens size. The Heliar design gives a sharper more modern rendering than the mentioned LLL Elcan 50m lens so I enjoy using it for street photography and travel photography.

When I completely feel in love with this lens was the day I mounted it on my newly refurbished 1931 Leica I Standard camera. I realised that I can estimate the 40mm field of view via the fixed 50mm viewfinder of the Leica Standard camera. This instantly became my new favourite travel camera set up. I zone focus the lens, shoot sunny 16 and estimate my 40mm composition. Life is awesome!

The Voigtlander 40mm Heliar is one of the lightest modern production lenses for Leica (and smallest) so it gives you the true Leica pocket camera set up. I use a pouch to carry my camera (mentioned below) and I couldn’t wish for a better camera lens bag combo. Highly recommended for this type of photography. (Less suited to Leica M users as you have no 40mm framelines in the viewfinder. You can estimate as I do).

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Bonus – Looking for a cheap creative lens? Jupiter-8 50mm f2

Not everyone can afford the latest and greatest Leica lenses (me included!) so what about something cheap and fun to help inspire you to take you camera out? Let me introduce you to the often overlooked Soviet Jupiter-8 50mm f2 lens. First, I think we need to be realistic as to who may enjoy this lens. If you are a Leica M11 user that loves getting the most resolution from your 60MP sensor, this lens is likely not for you.

If however, you do everything in your powers to obtain a less digital look in camera, then the Jupiter 8 Soviet vintage lens is definitely worth trying. As with all Soviet products from that era the quality controls were.. let’s say absent (as people document). Some copies of this lens may be excellent and others might be complete lemons. I have 3 copies of the Jupiter 8 lens and all of mine are good enough for my needs yet don’t blow me away with super sharpness/ wow factor. Check out the YouTube video below for lots of Jupiter-8 sample photos –

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While we are on the topic of cheap Soviet lenses I must give a well deserved mention to the Jupiter-8 sibling, the Jupiter-9 85mm f2 lens. If you enjoy shooting female portraits as I do then this lens is a dream to use. It’s soft and imperfect but it just works so well for flattering female portraits. If you need inspiration check out the Jupiter-9 video below –

If you are looking for vintage lenses for your Leica camera I normally look on eBay. Click the links below and search Jupiter 8 or Jupiter 9. (Bonus tip! The Jupiter 8 lens is often cheaper if you buy the lens with a camera included. Sometimes you can find cleaner/ better copies of the lens this way too). Check eBay –

3. Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f2.8 LTM

A new lens for 2023 is the Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm f2.8 which comes in both LTM and M mount AND two different versions. I got this lens as soon as it was available as I wanted a wider lens to zone focus on my Leica iii cameras. As you may have guessed by now I love LTM and small lenses so this ticked both boxes! The lens gives a modern rendering and the f2.8 maximum aperture is useful in low light. See this video with regards to the rise of LTM lenses –

If you are looking to buy the Voigtlander 28mm Color Skopar lens be sure to check out the full review and YouTube video as there are different versions available each with their strengths and weaknesses. See here –

Voigtlander 28mm 2.8 Skopar | New Leica EDC Lens

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Bonus! TTArtisan 28mm f5.6

If you enjoy small 28mm lenses and want something cheaper then definitely consider the TTArtisan 28mm f5.6 lens which is now available in both M mount and LTM mount. I own both! A really nicely made affordable lens. (I would say the best made TTArtisan lens to date). The Chinese lens is a copy of the Leica Summary 28mm f5.6 lens and has a less modern look than the Voigtlander Skopar 28mm f2.8. See this article for sample photos and more details –

TTArtisan 28mm f5.6 lens Leica

4. Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element Replica lens

My favourite 35mm lens of 2023 is without doubt the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element replica. I bought the lens in Leica screw mount but it’s also available in Leica M mount. The LLL 35mm f2 8-Element lens has all the character of the classic Leica Summicron 35mm f2 lens BUT they made it available in LTM mount too. This means you can also use the lens on your Leica iii camera (or any other L39 mount camera such as the Voigtlander Bessa R). This is the 35mm lens you can literally carry with you everywhere as it is so small. See the YouTube review for more info and the differences between the M mount and LTM versions –

For those of you on the fence between buying a true Leica Summicron 35mm f2 lens or the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element replica I did a comparison. See the YouTube video below for sample photos from both lenses. For me the LLL 35mm f2 lens was the overall winner a I can use it on my screw mount cameras too.

It must be mentioned that the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element lens is more than just a nice lens. The lens is now supplied with a beautifully made push on E39 metal lens hood AND the equally amazing WEISU 35mm metal viewfinder. See it here. The WEISU viewfinder is the smallest 35mm viewfinder I know of and works perfectly on a Leica M3 and vintage Leica iii Barnack cameras. Love it!

I emailed Light Lens Lab and said guys, you need to make the included new lens hood available on it’s own as it’s brilliant. It fits so many of my vintage 50mm lenses including the Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM, Leica Summitar 5cm f2 LTM, Jupiter-8 50mm f2, Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f1.5 and the LLL Elcan 50mm f2 (to name a few that I’ve tried). Click here and they said they will list the hood for sale once it becomes available – Light Lens Lab 

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Bonus – TTArtisan 50mm f0.95

So far I’ve listed multiple small LTM lenses. What about something bigger, more arty and ultra fast. I must give a special mention to my favourite TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 lens. I tend to prefer smaller lenses but if a lens gives me something special I’m happy to super size up. In Leica M mount terms the TTArtisan lens is on the big side but it makes up for it with its value proposition. What if you can get a Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.0 lens look (£5K lens) for under £1K? Now it sounds interesting right! I own both mentioned lenses and confirm that the TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 lens gives the most similar look to the older Noctilux lens. Both lens gives bags of character that are difficult to replicate. See the full article for more details, sample photos and the YouTube review video –

Chinese Noctilux! TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 Review

Another legend when it comes to fast lenses is the Canon 50mm f0.95 dream lens. Check out the YouTube video below where I use both the TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 lens and the Canon dream lens! Spoiler alert, my conclusion was get the TTArtisan lens as a cheaper alternative yet similar creative look –

CHECK PRICES: TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 M lens

5. Godox AD100 Pro flash

OK I know not all photographers appreciate flash photography but for those that do or those that want to dip their toes in the water, I highly recommend the Godox AD100 Pro unit. As an early adopter to Godox products when they first hit the UK shores I’ve always enjoyed the price performance ratio Godox offer. I enjoy the older Godox AD200 unit but often it is too big to pack for my overseas model photography trips. This is where the super compact Godox AD100 Pro unit ticks the boxes. The light unit itself is small and the charger is tiny too. The Godox AD100 unit is more powerful than a standard traditional speedlight and it comes with it’s own modelling light.

To wet your appetite, here is a YouTube video showing me using the Godox AD100 Pro on location for photoshoots in Lanzarote –

..and here is me showing what is possible with the Godox AD100 Pro in a studio / indoor environment –

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Bonus – Boling BL-P1 LED light

If you are a long time follower you will know how much I love the Boling BL-P1 LED light. It continues to be my LED light of choice for overseas model photoshoots. It comes with its own mount and is one of the most powerful LED light options available. It is also an RGB light so can be great for creative photography. Check out this YouTube video for more details –

6. K&F Concept Variable ND Filter

When I first bought my Leica Noctilux 50mm f1.0 v2 lens some years ago I needed ND filters to use the lens in daylight. I bought Heliopan neutral density filters, a -2 and a -3 stop. I then stacked them together when I was doing flash photography with the Noctilux lens. Years later technology has advanced and you can now get the more convenient variable ND filters. I bought the K&F Concept variable ND filter to fit my largest lens size (77mm filter size) and I then use step rings to fit the ND onto smaller lenses. A brilliant piece of kit if you enjoy fast lenses like the mentioned TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 and or if you use flash outside in daylight.

7. K&F Concept Black Mist Filter

I’m often late to the party when it comes to new products. One such example is the now popular “mist filters”. They come in various names and from multiple brands but in brief these filters take the digital edge off your photos for a more filmic / Hollywood look. After many hours of research the filter I settled on was the K&F Concept black mist filter 1/8 power. Again I first bought the filter to fit my largest lens and used step rings for smaller lenses. I later bought a second copy of the filter in a smaller size for a more convenient and compact set up. See this YouTube video for more details and sample photos –

If you are a portrait photographer and specialise in female models like me I find there are two easy approaches to taking nice photos. The first is to use vintage lenses or more dreamy lenses like the TTArtisan 50mm f0.95. The second option is use your modern ultra sharp lens but then add a mist filter to remove some of that digital sharpness. If you hate editing skin in post, buy this filter and thank me later! Now I retouch ZERO photos that I send to models (and I send models ALL photos). I just shoot RAW and apply my MrLeica Lightroom presets. Done.

Lightroom Presets – GAME CHANGING!
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8. Wotancraft 18L backpack for cameras

When it comes to photography, other than your camera(s) and lens(es), the most important component is arguably your camera bag. As a long time Lowepro backpack user my day bag had finally worn out (straps were ripping off) and I was on the market for a replacement. I was so happy when I discovered that Wotancraft had just released their new Wotancraft 18L camera backpack. It was everything I wanted and more. Let me explain!

By this I mean it holds my cameras, is fully waterproof for British weather and is comfortable to wear even fully loaded. Those were the tick box requirements for me. The backpack then goes above and beyond by 1) looking as good as a fashion backpack (I’ve never been cool so this was exciting!), 2) I loved the Khaki color option and general shape and design of the bag, and finally, 3) it accepts the modular Wotancraft pouches that I use with smaller Wotancraft Pilot bags. You can see me wearing the 18L Wotancraft backpack in many of my YouTube videos but here is a recent example –

For full details of the Wotancraft 18L backpack check out my best bag for Leica cameras article when you see photo illustrations of what cameras I fit into the bag.

Best Bag For Leica Q, M, SL, CL
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9. Wotancraft Pilot bags (2L and 3.5L)

For those of you that appreciate smaller camera bags (especially for our small Leica cameras!) you need to check out the Wotancraft Pilot bag series. I own and use the canvas 2L Wotancraft Pilot bag and the 3.5L Wotancraft Pilot bag. Depending on what Leica camera I am using that day I take either the 2L or 3.5L bag. When I travel I pack one of these smaller Pilot bags in the top compartment of the mention 18L Wotancraft backpack. I love to wear a small camera bag on my hip as as I like the easy access. As a Leica photographer that enjoys shooting both film and digital I almost always carry multiple cameras and a few small lenses. These Pilot bags are just perfect for this. See this YouTube video for a visual of the Wotancraft Pilot bags –

I’ve always been happy with the less flashy canvas material Pilot bags but sometimes it might be nice to have something smarter. As someone who is now fortunate enough to meet some very successful (and smart) people during my Leica workshops, I feel I now need to dress a little smarter to blend in more. Wotancraft came to my rescue when they just announced their new Wotancraft premium leather Pilot bags. I got the 2L and 3.5L black leather Pilot bags and they just ooze quality and luxury. I feel these new leather bags definitely suit the Leica brand and work really well when you want a smarter look. Please read the above linked article as the canvas bags do still offer some advantages over the leather bags. I use different bags for different occasions to suit my needs. You can see my wearing the new leather Wotancraft Pilot bag in the Jupiter 8 video linked above.

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Finally on the small bag topic, if you enjoy using a super compact Leica camera/ lens combo then you can make the most of the Wotancraft pouch. This was not designed as a camera bag but I repurposed it to carry either my Leica M240 (+ small lens) or Leica iii cameras (+ small lens). You can see me enjoying the stylish Wotancraft pouch in this YouTube video –

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10. Selfie stick ultra compact light stand setup

Finally in 10th place a reasonably recent acquisition for 2023. I wanted a smaller lighter way to mount either my LED light panel, GoPro or at a push the Godox AD100 Pro light. After some research I discovered you can use these extra long carbon fibre self sticks to get some height with your lights. I then stack two sticks together if I want 200cm+ height. You then need a stable base for your stand. Some selfie sticks come with a stand (foot) or you can buy them separately. I use both options. I believe I show my light stand setup in the above mentioned Godox AD100 Pro video but if not I often share lighting information on my Patreon. To view the exact products I use see the links below –

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Top 5 general product recommendations (that help improve my life)

While we are talking about products I recommend here are a few more quick shout outs. Each of these products really impressed me and now I couldn’t imagine daily life without them. In no particular order –

1. GoPro battery charger unit

For anyone that uses GoPro action cameras this device is fantastic. The charging device stores and charges 3 GoPro batteries (and gives a digital read out of how charged each battery is and it has slots to store 3 micro SD cards. For fellow YouTubers or anyone that uses GoPro cameras I can highly recommend them –

2. AKG Headphones

As someone that enjoys listening to music (and without upsetting the neighbours) and as a YouTuber, I needed some good quality headphones. It’s worth noting I am not an audiophile but I wanted music to sound good and to be able to accurately check my YouTube edit audio levels. I did lots of research and invested in some AKG K52 high performance lightweight closed-back monitoring headphones. I’ve been really happy with them so far and would highly recommend as fair priced wired headphones.

Is Leica Worth It/ Worth the Money?

3. Standing desk

OK, this one is probably the most important product on the list, potential in the whole article. As a guy that used to have a Corporate desk job, I sat down all day then I got home and sat at my home desk all evening and most of the weekend. Whether I was editing photos, blogging, editing YouTube videos I was always sitting at my desk. This eventually started to impact my health. As someone that has done Ironman endurance triathlons I still like to run when I can. Sitting for such extended periods of time lead to weak hip flexor muscles and as a results I was in pain when running.

Months kept rolling by and I told myself, when I move house I will get a standing desk. Finally after quitting my day job and moving to London (as a full time YouTuber) I got a small apartment to rent and I needed a desk. I did my usual many hours of research and finally settled on a Flexispot Essential Electric Standing Desk Height Adjustable. Since then I now stand more than I sit and my sitting related health issue have gone away. If you are the health conscious type and spend a lot of time sitting I highly recommend looking at getting a standing desk. I linked my “Quitting my job” video below if you are interested and a new reader!

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4. Adox XT3 film developer

Ok for fellow film photographers, you might like this one. As someone that has always developed my black and white film with Kodak Xtol developer (and or Rodinal*) I was at a loss when it was no longer available in the UK. Thankfully Adox came to our rescue with their Adox XT3 film developer (a very similar formula to Xtol). I now use Adox XT3 instead and I’ve been achieving some nice results. I will do a full article on this product when I get a chance. Here is a sample photo –

Fomapan 100 + ADOX XT-3 (1:1)

5. Affordable Swiss movement full mechanical chronograph watch

Last but not least, this recommendation is a bit of a wild card. It’s not related to photography BUT for those that like well engineered mechanical masterpieces (such as Leica cameras!) you might enjoy it. If you’ve ever looked to buy a Swiss mechanical chronograph watch you’ll know the prices start from around $3000. What if I tell you that you can get one new for around $200. Sounds interesting right!? For those of you that can’t yet afford a Rolex watch you might like the Seagull 1963!

The way I can tell the story of this watch is similar to that of Contax and Kiev rangefinder cameras. Kiev cameras were made with Contax machinery and processes after the Russians took the Carl Zeiss factory content to make their own cameras. This is a similar story when it comes to the Seagull 1963 watch. A Swiss watch manufacturer that made the Swiss Venus 175 calibre movement sold all of their kit to a Chinese buyer in the early 1960s. The company in Tianjin China started to produce watches for the Chinese military (pilots) in 1963 and hence the name Seagull 1963. The watch contains the Seagull ST19 movement which is now said to be the “best bang-for-buck chronograph movement available on the market today”.

If you love the idea of owning an affordable Swiss design chronograph watch movement treat yourself to a Seagull 1963. There are multiple variants available online but I can put a link below to the watch I use (which seemed to be the best from my research). See the Seagull 1963 watch featured in this YouTube video –

More recommended products that I normally carry

To finish, here are some additional products that I use day to day and can recommend –

**This is a small selection from my full recommended KIT LIST

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Wait! What about cameras? What Leica camera should I get?

Matt, you’ve not even mentioned cameras? Okay okay, I can give you a few pointers. (I have covered this before in previous articles). Firstly, if you are new to the Leica brand you will need to decide which Leica system you want to invest in. Leica M, Leica SL, Leica Q or the discontinued Leica CL. See this video for a comparison of each model –

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My personal favourite Leica camera when it comes to my model photography is the Leica SL. I still use the original Leica SL but I might be tempted to upgrade to the Leica SL2-S at some point for the video capabilities (as a YouTuber). Watch this video to see how each Leica SL camera compares –

Despite being discontinued, my favourite backup camera is the little APS-C Leica CL. I still carry it with me for important trips such as the workshop in Las Vegas this year. See below for more details –

If you are a Leica M kinda person I would own a black Leica M11 if I had the money. (Leica M11P to be exact). As I use M cameras less often with my model photography work I still keep my Leica M240 but I could be very tempted to get the Leica M10/ M10P for a slightly smaller lighter set up (and a better high ISO!).

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For those wanting a super simple fixed lens option look at Leica Q cameras. These cameras can take great photos, you just need to decide which model to get. See the video below to help you decide –

What about Leica film cameras?

If you are looking to purchase a Leica M film camera check out this article for comparison details –

Best Leica Film Camera Buyers Guide + Detailed Leica M Comparison

Did you know that Leica made more than just Leica M film cameras?

Leica M film cameras are perhaps the most well known with their iconic design but Leica made more affordable film cameras too. Take a look at these video for more cameras and check out the blog review tab above for a full list of all Leica cameras (Leica iii, Leica M, Leica R, Leica CL) –

Please note, many of the links above are affiliate links so if you buy an item via a link I will receive a small commission which helps support the channel at no additional cost to you. Thanks! Matt

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