Leica Lenses Archives

Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2 v4/v5 Review: The Eternal Classic—Where Walter Mandler’s Legacy Meets Timeless Craftsmanship

The Mandler Miracle

In Leica’s constellation of 50mm lenses, the Summicron-M 50mm f/2 v4 (1979–present) shines as Polaris—unchanging, reliable, and eternally luminous. Designed by the legendary Walter Mandler in 1979 and still in production today, this 240g aluminum oracle blends Bauhaus pragmatism with optical sorcery. Priced at 1,800–1,800–2,500 (used), it’s the “gateway drug” to Leica addiction—and often the final destination.

Voigtländer VM 28mm f/2 Review: The People’s Lux—Where Budget Meets Bauhaus Ambition

The Rebel’s Bargain

In the kingdom of M-mount optics, where Leica’s 28mm f/1.4 ASPH reigns at 6,000+,Voigtla¨nder’sVM28mmf/2emergesastheRobinHoodofrangefinders.This6,000+,Voigtla¨nder’sVM28mmf/2emergesastheRobinHoodofrangefinders.This500 aluminum haiku—crafted by Cosina’s optical samurais—delivers 85% Leica performance at 20% cost. For digital shooters craving f/2 drama without M-Aspherical tax, it’s the ultimate gateway drug to wide-angle addiction.

Leica Elmar 35mm f/3.5 Review: The Pocket-Sized Time Traveler—Where Vintage Minimalism Meets Modern Grit

The Berek Legacy

Born in 1930 under the genius of Max Berek—Leica’s founding optical shaman—the Elmar 35mm f/3.5 is a 30g brass haiku that predates WWII, color film, and the concept of “GAS.” This uncoated Tessar-design relic (1930-1960) proves great photography demands neither megapixels nor f/1.4 bravado. At 400–400–800 (well-loved), it’s a gateway drug to analog purity.

“This is Elmar.”

“This is cookie.”

“This is a Cookie Elmar.”

“You may think I’m small, but I have a big world inside me.”

Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH E46 Review: The Forgotten Virtuoso—Where Vintage Soul Meets Modern Pragmatism

The Pre-ASPH Enigma

In the shadow of its legendary E43 predecessor and the clinical ASPH successor, the Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH E46 (1995–2004) carves its niche as photography’s unsung antihero. This 335g brass-and-glass relic—Leica’s last gasp of Mandler-era design—bridges analog romance and modern utility. Priced at 2,400–2,400–3,500 (used), it whispers forgotten truths: “Character isn’t engineered—it’s inherited.”

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M II Pre-ASPH Review: The Alchemist of Light—Where Flaws Transform Into Ethereal Magic

The Ghost in the Aluminum

Born in 1972, the Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 II Pre-ASPH is a lens that defies modern optics’ obsession with perfection. This 245g aluminum relic—discontinued in 1993—doesn’t just capture light; it interprets it through a veil of chromatic whispers and mechanical poetry. At 2,500–2,500–4,000 (used), it’s not a tool, but a collaborator in crafting visual sonnets.

Leica Hektor 28mm f/6.3 Review: The Forgotten Minimalist—Where Less Aperture Meets More Soul

I. The Grandfather of Leica Lenses

Born in 1933 as Leica’s first 28mm offering, the Hektor f/6.3 predates the Summicron, Elmarit, and even World War II. This 85g brass relic—discontinued by 1960—whispers tales of analog austerity. With no modern equivalent, it’s photography’s answer to a typewriter: slow, deliberate, and stubbornly poetic. At 300–300–500 (well-loved), it’s the cheapest ticket to Leica’s pre-war optical legacy.

Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 v1 (E43) Review: The Poet’s First Light—Where Vintage Flaws Dance with Unreplicable Soul

The Birth of a Legend

Born in 1959 as Leica’s answer to postwar optimism, the Summilux 50mm f/1.4 v1 (E43) straddles eras like Berlin’s fractured Wall. Its 7-element design—an evolution of the Summarit f/1.5’s dreamy haze—offers photographers a foot in two worlds: the romantic swirl of 1950s optics and the crisp demands of modern film stocks. At 1,200–1,200–1,800 (well-loved), it whispers, “Character over clinical perfection.”

Leica 40mm f/2.4 Review: The Franken-Lens That Defies Convention——When Salvaging a Point-and-Shoot Gem Becomes an Act of Rebellion

The Sacrilegious Resurrection

In the pantheon of Leica optics, the Summarit 40mm f/2.4 occupies a heretical throne—a lens born in the Minilux/CM compacts, now reborn as an M-mount rogue. While purists decry “camera murder,” this 400Frankenstein(bodybutchery+400Frankenstein(bodybutchery+200 adaption fee) delivers 90% of a Summicron’s soul at 30% the cost. Your moral dilemma? Let’s call it creative recycling.

Optical Autopsy

1. Heritage DNA

Design: 6 elements/4 groups, cloned from 1973’s Summicron-C 40mm f/2
Aperture: f/2.4—Leica’s cheeky nod to non-conformity
Coatings: 1990s-era anti-flare witchcraft (pre-ASPH mystique)

2. Size Matters

Dimensions: 45mm x 35mm—smaller than a Summicron collapsible
Weight: 180g (lighter than your smartphone)

Leica M6 Review: The People’s Leica with Split Personalities——Where Pragmatism Meets Prestige

The Democratization of Luxury

Born in 1984, the Leica M6 was the brand’s first “everyman” rangefinder. Gone were the brass top plates of the M3/M4; in came zinc alloy, plastic counters, and TTL metering. Purists howled, but photographers voted with their wallets – 20 years of production (1984-2003) cemented its status as Leica’s best-selling M. The genius of the M6? It made the unattainable attainable by wrapping professional-grade optics in a blue-collar shell.