After owning and shooting Leica “M’s and R’s for over 55 years, I can wholeheartedly say, THE 35mm f/2 Summicron!!!

Hi Jonathan! Thank you so much for this recommendation of lenses. It was the best I have watched so far. Having experience from digital cameras I just purchased a M4P and now I am looking for lenses and advice. Cheers! Helmut

Cleaning lenses the right way is an important topic. Thumbs up for these lens recommendations.

what an interesting video! there is so many great options out there! i love Leicas! there is just something magical about them! thanks for sharing this with us :)

Great video. I'm saving up money for a Leica M6 and 50mm summicron. I've owned the Leica Q now for a year and it's my favorite camera I've ever owned. Agree with thoughts on 28mm lens.

If you can't afford a Noctilux, the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.1 is a great lens. I'm very happy with that one. It's sharper than my Leica 90mm, so it's definitely no slouch. The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.4 is very good, love that one. Very small and easy to carry around too.

Invest in Leica glass or good glass, I didnt understand the importance of glass at first but its where the money is. All my lenses have held their value or have gained value so look as it as an investment like a stock but you are able to enjoy. I have learned that sharpness matters but really ask yourself what you are going for. I have found that style and "look" is the most important thing when it comes to lenses. The only way I have found this is from trying out lenses and seeing what I like. I have bought fast lenses just to find that I use them at f8 most of the time so fast lenses really are not too important. I have found f2-f2.8 to be enough in 90% of situations, just adjust your shutter and shooting style accordingly. 28mm Elmarit asph is the best lens I have used, super sharp and the contrast and rendering is just nice on Trix. Personally I prefer 35mm and found that from using other focal lengths, 28mm taught me it is not a versatile lens, as much as the 35mm. I personally despised the 40mm Leica/Minolta Rokkor as well as the 35mm 1.4 Nokton. 35mm summicron asph is amazing and almost too sharp for personal preference. I almost prefer the Canadian summicron v3, cheapest 35mm summicron but has a beautiful rendering. I have used the 50mm summicron rigid and found it to be the only 50mm you would need. 7artisans 50mm 1.1 I found to be very sharp for the price and contrast and rendering to look very nice, I was very surprised, I hot rid of it because it just was too big. I am trying the 50mm 3.5 elmar currently, cant say anything about the pictures yet but the form and size factor is amazing, collapsable and pocketable, I did not expect to enjoy that factor. Also I got it for almost nothing and it is in great shape. In summary: I personally would not waste time and money with the 40mm Leica/Minolta or the Voig 35mm 1.4. I have not tested but the reviews on the 7artisans 35mm f2 look very promising for the price. You cant go wrong with Leica and only until you try the lenses for yourself will you be able to decide, so just enjoy it and find something that fits your style.

There's a super budget category now too! The Chinese manufacturers are on a roll. I had to test a M240 and picked up the cheapest local sale I could find-- 7Artisans 35/2, $150. It's shockingly good. So good I haven't even replaced it yet. Great video. Kinda confirms what I've found, which makes it perfect for people who haven't the time to research. Nice work 👌👌

The 50mm Elmar 2.8 collapsible is an underrated lens. Has no distortion whatsoever, great resolution and plenty sharp. I think they're about £300 in very good condition. The best 50mm I ever used (I've tried about a dozen) is the 50mm Summicron Rigid (£500-£1000). Voigtländer has released a 50mm f/1.2 available for pre-order if you're into fast lenses.

The Minolta 40 f2 is sooo good. And it's really tiny so it was a good traveling companion on both my A7II and my CLE.

Jonathan! Great video, I pretty much just binge watched everything you produced. I love the natural and "smooth" way in which you deliver your presentation and bring people in to the film family. I am just starting now myself and I really appreciate the knowledge. Is that redecorating materials in the background or are you setting up a studio? :) Looking forward to your next video.

I love my Elmarit 28, I even made a video about it. Smooth tones and sharp as any

Very good video. Just wanted to mention Avenon (also selling as Pasoptik or Bolex for some markets) 28mm f3.5 Ltm lens. Can be found for 200 and it is little nice thing with render similar to cosina voigtlander 35mm 2.5 in terms of image quality.

Canon 50mm 1.4 Ltm!! Awesome deal and great lens.

For the god sake, I really love your tone in this video.

Considering the price of Leica lenses, the one you should buy first is the one which is the most versatile for the kind of picture you love. Personally it was the Summilux 50. I never dare using other lenses than Leica on my M6 or M240. But it may be a good option too.

If you're shooting a Leica body, your first lens should be some kind of a Leica lens IMHO. I'd say if you're shooting a digital Leica, get some kind of a Summicron. Save the money - if you can't make f2 work at ISO 6400, you need to re-think what you're doing ;-) If film, then invest in some kind of a Summilux. With film, that extra stop is worth the money. As for _what_ kind of a Summicron or Summilux - 35mm or 50mm etc. - if you are buying a Leica and you don't know which focal length works best for you yet, you shouldn't be buying a Leica. Stick with what you got until you figure it out.

I picked up a Canon Vt rangefinder with a 50mm f1.2 LTM fairly cheaply. The 50mm f1.2 is just magic.

Slightly more expensive, but the Voigtlander 35mm 1.2 Asph ii is excellent (albeit a bit heavy), definitely worth the money.

Thanks for the video. I'm due to collect an MP shortly. It's either 50mm or 35mm for me. I like the idea of the APO Summicron. * update.. I purchased the Summilux 35mm . APO was a bit much for Film.

Bold of you to assume I can afford more than one Leica lens (wahhh)

Would be nice to see a video where you explain which Leica from M series to buy.

Buy both. Great lenses. Great film cameras in general. RS. Canada

I have 21, 24, 28, 35, 50, 75, 90, and 135 mm lenses for my M6 TTL and they are all stunning performers.

Summaron is a great option too.

i can finally see affording an m6/m8 but the lenses terrify me would likely need to try voigtlander or zeiss initially

Weldone video. I'm on a M240, so framelines aren't a problem. There's the Voigtländer 40/1.4 Nokton Classic too. It's for aprox 400-500 GBP new. I use it frequently. The Voigtländer 50/1.1 Nokton is great too and it's aprox 900 GBP new (I paid 7.500 DKK). The 21/1.8 Ultron is superb and about 1.000 GBP new. The 50 is my prefered tool for press photography. Oh, yes: for portraits the 75/1.8 Heliar is a great performer too. The Voigtländer 50/1.1 is a bit heavy to carry around. I've the Zeiss 50/1.5 too and it's a tick better then the Voigtländer - and lighter ! But the Leica M lenses are outstanding...

I bought a new $850 M4-P back in the early 1980's. After I finished paying that off, I bought a new $464 35mm f/2 Summicron, finished paying it off, then a new $464 90mm f/2 Summicron. All new from Canada because I didn't want used. The 75mm was my second lens choice because the focal length was 2X the 35mm, but it was unavailable because it was being re-designed, so I went with the 90mm. I favor the 35mm over the 90mm, probably because I favor wide angle lenses. The M4-P is fine, although using the MR-2 meter can be a little annoying. The rangefinder went out of wack once, sent it to Leica (NJ) and they responded by saying: Just stop down the lens. I returned it for a re-fixed with letter indicating my irritation. Problem fixed. A piece of internal backening showed up on an element in the 35mm, but a fix by Leica (NJ). After that, no incidents. I bought the winder, just to get it but realy like it, despite the noise. I also bought the table top tripod with large head, that I rarely use, but is built like a tank. I have a full blown tripod with the Leica seal, which is OK. All of the above are nice equipment. When I travel in sketchy Venezueala, I carry my Nikkormat with a 35mm f/2 Nikkor. The Nikkor is an amazingly sharp lens, BTW.

i just bought my first leica. precisely the m4-p and I chose the Nocton 35mm f2 Voigtlander VM II

I'm quite happy with my 35mm Cron as a first lens, but somehow I'm missing the 50 focal length after using one almost all the time for 4 years.

Can you do a review on the 28mm Elmarit ASPH? Been temped to get one for about a year now.

Great video, but your space is Amazing. That is exactly the kind of house I want, lots of windows and S P A C E 😍

i wish more Leica purists would talk more about the lenses than that of the legacy and legend of the of the company . in all honesty , the lenses are want make the experience worth it . i own an M6 and discovered this on my own . and too, save up and/or buy whichever lens you can afford for where you are . those things are NOT cheap

10:45 up until now I wanted to ask if you were using a Sony to film this. Great video (THANK YOU) but that sony color science is like nails on a chalkboard to my eyes. Have they corrected that with a firmware update?

Leica M7 with the Zeiss 50mm 1.5 is a great combination.

very good video

Speaking only pf more affordable vintage it depends on your use. Environmental concerns (beach for example) aside, unless you are shooting at F/2 or F/1.4 then the modern voigtlander at F/8 or F/16 will match the older Leica lens. Truely hate that I sold my M7/28mm Elmarit combo before prices went higher. Thank you for the video. Screwmounts are a hoot and cheaper. Avoid the exotics... 135mm for example

To me, the greatest deal for 50mm is the Jupiter-3 in Ltm mount. It's a copy of Zeiss 50/1.5 in Zeiss Contax/Nikon S mount. Russia robbed many design and specialists from Zeiss during WW2, so it's kind of a real Zeiss.😂 The great thing about it is it has aperture from 1.5 to 22! Most fast lens can only stops down to 16, which limits the stops you can push if you shoots monochrome films. And it's super cheap, a little cheaper than VM35/2.5. But a good condition one is a bit rare to find due to the age of the lens. Although Jupiter is reproducing it nowadays, but the price is not worth for sure.

There is a new kid on the block as well, which is small, fast and cheap: Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f/2 Aspherical

50mm rigid v2 for me 👌

Great video, I’m just a couple of years late. My M6 and my 50mm Summicron is my go to combo. They have been serving me well for over 55 years. That strap you had on your M6 looks very interesting. Can you send me the name of the manufacturer that makes it ? Thanks, Rick…..

I just bought Leica glass. 28mm f2,8 Elmarit IV E46 from 1997. 969 Euro or 1184 Dollars. Not too expansive i think. The E46 is a lot better then version III E49. And I just bought a Leica summicron C 40mm f 2.0 too for around 590 Dollars in very good condition. Unbelievable: Both lenses are not more expensive than 2010. There are still bargains out in 2021. But there are many crazy prices in 2021 too. For the M6, M4, M3 or the 35mm summicron king of bokeh as you all know. Affordable Leica lenses at f2,4 well built and sharp! Leica 90mm f/2,4 Summarit-M - Nr. 11684 LEICA SUMMARIT-M 1:2,4/75MM - Nr. 11683 Leica Summarit-M 50 mm/f2.4 - Nr. 11680 Leica M 35mm 2.4 Summarit - Nr. 11679

I advice you all to try a Voigtlander Ultron 35mm 1.7 ASPH....awesome lens for an affordable price.

Canon 50mm LTM. Depending on your budged either f1.8 or f1.4. You can get the f1.8 for under $200. The f1.4 can be had for around $400 and it’s so versatile.

What about the Carl Zeiss 28mm 2.8 it is as good as the voigtlander 28mm? Thanks

5:15 - I have one of these lenses on my Leica IIIc, would you recommend a colored filter or clear?

Many thanks.

For STREET, out of the following list of 35 & 50mm lenses, which 2 would you suggest for M10-P considering it's frame-lines : Leica 35mm f/2 Cron (11 blades) Leica 35mm f/1.4 FLE Lux (has vignetting) Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 ZM Distagon T* (it's big) Zeiss 35mm f/2 Biogon T* ZM Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 C Biogon T* ZM (slow f/stop) Voigtlander Nokton Asph 35mm f/1.2 II (it's huge) Voigtlander VM 35mm f/1.7 Ultron Asph Leica 50mm f/1.4 ASPH Lux Leica 50mm f/2.0 Summicron M (classic) Leica 50mm f/2.0 APO ASPH Cron Leica 50mm f/0.95 ASPH Noctilux Leica 50mm f/2.4 Summarit (slow) Zeiss 50mm f/1.5 C Sonnar T* (MFD is bad) Zeiss 50mm f/2 Planar T* (MFD is good, half-macro) Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.1 Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 Asph Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f/2.0 7Artisans & Meike M-lenses i liked the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 that you showed but it is big & may block 1/3rd of the VF. Thanks for this best video ever, on leica lens choice.

noticed you missed the new summarit line of lenses (f 2.4/ 2.5 version dependent), but these are a great option too, small, ish and their hoods DON'T obstruct the finder, and if they do Leica puts a slit in the cone of the hood where obstruction occurs. cost still $1,500 Australian or so, but better than the $4,000 or 7,500 a summilux(f 1.4) or noctilux (F 1.1 old version) would cost you!, and still gets yo into the high F-stop ball park.

@Jonathan: which camera strap is this that you’re using?

I had a 35 f2 on my M6 for years and couldn’t fault it

good video.

Which finder magnification do you recomend if I want to buy de M6 and use the 28, 35 and 50 lenses? the 0.72 or the 0.85? Thanks for your videos!

Nice & Thanks :)

SO WHAT IF i go for a 28mm on my m4 ? and don't use an external vf, how accurate will be if i use the entire finder of the m4 as a reference to a 28mm lens ? Also Leica Elmarit 28mm f2.8 ASPH? 1000 GBP don't think so :), Excellent video

I'd go for the Voigtlander 50mm 1.2 (faster, cheaper and focuses at 0.7) as a mid range. 2nd hand around 500 quid

Jonathan: better than what? If you had an f2 Apo Summicron could you take better pictures than Cartier-Bresson, etc.? I often use my original f2 eight element 35mm Summicron, but my finest studio ready enlargements were taken with a three element Cooke tripplet worth $100 or so. "Excellence in photography is determined by practice, not by purchase," but most people believe that because they spend more money they will take better pictures. Follow the money...

I think buying the Voigtlander 35/2.5 is a super great deal. It's just a copy of Zeiss 35/2.8 with a Japanese coating. Same optical design, same factory, much smaller, much cheaper, and has a Leica style focusing tab. But coating means a lot, Zeiss renders in a German way, warm and solemn, Voigtlander's copy is definitely Japanese style, cold and greenery.

Jonathan! You have asked which Leica lens I should buy first. I infer from this that I sould think of buying another one. From this i suspect that you think I'm an heir of the Sultan of Brunei.

THANKYOU...

I don't know how people can afford to buy a Leica camera....the only ones that's within my price range are the post WW2 models that's on display in museums. You must be very rich or a successful photographer, or both. Congratulations to you.

Every time some KZfaqr mentions a price... they're always more expensive wherever I'm looking for them! :)

good your video 👍

Where did you get that strap from!?

50mm-Asph Summilux is a good choice

I got 35mm f/1.4 FLE once for all. I think 35mm f/2.0 is a better buy however.

I’ve never understood the bit about 50mm being roughly equivalent to a person’s natural FOV. It’s so much tighter than I actually see things. Am I an alien or do you guys just not factor in a large portion of vision that lies beyond dead center? 40mm or even 35mm feels more like EVERYTHING.

If you want to buy the best M-system lens mount camera body, buy a Konica Hexar RF. The only reason to buy a Leica is to use the Leica lenses. With the lapse of Leitz's patent years ago, others have done it better. The Konica is better featured and has better use perfornance than the Leica bodies; the Minolta CLE is the camera Leitz should have built instead of the CL, but they didn't want to price compete with themselves.

What make of camera strap is that? Good video, by the way.

I always think that 35mm lens is the standard lens for Leica M.

BTW 35 Nokton is a toy for people who want to try out the vintage lens rendering. The optical design is copied from the oldest 35 summicron (the famous 9 elements OG). And the lens looks very alike to the oldest 35 summilux. The distortion and image quality is bad but worth to try and have somr fun with it, especially it's a 1.4 in such a low price.

What about the Voigtlander 35 mm Nokton 1.2 ASPH?

What about the limited edition Elmar collapsible 50mm lens?

You seem very picky about having accurate frame lines... when shooting street, at lot of people zone focus at f/8 and hip shoot anyways. I shot 40mm on my M3 for years and now shoot 24mm on my M240 without an external viewfinder. You get good at seeing in your focal length anyways.

peace and prosperity

If you are serious about investing into Leica, I implore you to not buy any lenses other than Leica. They are damn expensive yes. But they are the heart and soul of getting involved with Leica. The camera bodies will come and go, but the lenses are theoretically lifetime investments. A much different purchase than say a different brand system where lenses get superseded by newer "better" versions every year or so. Not the case with Leica. They are so well made that the lenses from way back in the early 20th century are still relevant and desirable. If there are any improvements, they come so seldomly and at much greater intervals. So well regarded Leica lenses are, they usually appreciate in value over the years. But regardless of the monetary value, the lens quality is superb. It is THE reason to get into Leica. Don't spend money on 3rd party lenses just so you can afford the body. Rather, save up for Leica lenses and adapt them to your other system until you can afford the Leica body down the road. People say adapting Leica lenses is the same as using them on a Leica body. This is false. Leica bodies (matched to the same series glass) contain custom profiles to optimize the color and exposure across the frame for each type of lens. While they will still provide great results on non-Leica bodies, they are fully optimized on Leica bodies. It's true Zeiss and Voigtlander make lenses for the M system that are less expensive, while good, there is just no comparison to how Leica lenses create an image. Perhaps ignorance is bliss: don't try Leica lenses unless you are in a position to afford one...because once you do, you'll be heartbroken if you can't take it home.

and I suppose the licc finds its way everywhere

50 mm is the longest focal length that one can still practically focus accurately with the M system and it can also be used for casual portrait photography.

Buy the the only one you could afford. The chances are it will probably be the only one you need, a 35mm Summicron perhaps?

I’ve the Nokton 1.4 classic SC and some times it just doesn’t get me the results I want in general it’s good enough for me and I love it’s size

35mm f/2!

Which classic Leica M lenses can be used on the Leica M10-P? What are the shortcomings if those classic lenses are not “coded” by Leica? Thanks.

what about the leica cl

35mm or 50mm. F/2.0 or f/1.4

40 mm works on the leicas. And if you dont know how the 40 frames compared to a 50 is your problem. Shot a 35 sumicron on early m3. No frame. The popup frame was 50. Never used the separate vie3finder

I got a friend of mine who want to sale his Leica M6 NONO TTL to me for £1.000 and has has it for over 20 years and he never used it

leica lens? summicron 35mm. one and only lens you will ever need

A Zeiss Lens

Jonathan, where are you buying your 50 crons for a 1000 quid from?? (-;

Time for Leica to offer M lenses in L Mount.

If you buy a 35mm lens then get a 75mm lens and if you get a 50mm lens then get a 90mm lens and If you get a 28mm lens then get a 50mm or the 75mm lens

Zeiss planar!

Wider lenses are offered 'as standard' with modern digital cameras mostly because of the crop. So with the most common cropped APS-C size (1.6x crop) - 35mm lens will be equivalent of full-frame 56mm. And to get to the actual 50mm-like field of view - you'll need 31.25mm

The APO-Summicron 50mm is a good start

sad that you haven't shown any photos from these jewels

Love your videos, but you do have any videos on non- Tory cameras?

I notice you dont show any manual focus examples shot at ultra shallow depth of field..... mainly because they'd be fucking blurry ! 😂

Why do people buy Leica bodies before Leica glass?

good information but I wish he had killed the music after the intro. I was a constant distraction.

Holy cow, this video was def not shot on a Leica lens, soft, blurry and no contrast