Lenses
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.
The Voigtlander 15mm F4.5 Super Wide-Heliar, a lens born in the age of analog photography, carries a timeless spirit. Paired with the Leica M8, it transforms black-and-white captures into something profoundly film-like—evoking the texture of nostalgia in every frame. Its brilliance lies not only in its sharpness and clarity but also in its compact form, making it a perfect companion for the streets.
Its ultra-wide embrace invites you to step closer, narrowing the distance between you and the scene, quietly erasing barriers. The closer you approach, the more invisible you seem to become. Freed from the need to compose with precision or raise the camera to my eye, I trust in instinct. With the focus set to 1.5 meters, I wait for the right moment and let the shutter whisper its story.
If Leica’s lens lineup were the Oscars, the Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH would be Meryl Streep—beloved, flawless, and eternally relevant. Priced between 4,500–4,500–7,000 (2025 USD), this 340g aluminum-and-glass virtuoso is the Rolex Daytona of optics: precise, luxurious, and engineered to outlive trends. Mount it on an M10-P, and you’re not just shooting—you’re directing a cinematic masterpiece.
| Aspect | Summilux 35mm ASPH | Zeiss Distagon 35mm f/1.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | Samurai sword at f/1.4 | Chainsaw at f/2.8 |
| Bokeh | Monet’s water lilies | Polyester bedsheets |
| Contrast | Ansel Adams’ zone system | Instagram filter |
| Soul | 🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻 | 🎧 |
✓ Portrait Poets: Who believe eyes > autofocus motors
✓ Film Noir Addicts: Chasing shadows in dim alleys
✓ Contrarians: Who’d choose a Leica over a Tesla
Avoid If: You pixel-peep for flaws or think “vintage” means “cheap.”
Leica’s 1990s Double ASPH version (11873) is the Holy Grail—hand-polished elements, mythical rarity, and a price tag rivaling a small yacht. But beware: its quirks (focus shift, collector premiums) make it the James Dean of lenses—iconic, flawed, and gone too soon.
The Summilux 35mm ASPH isn’t just a lens—it’s a lifelong companion. For the price of a week in Bora Bora, you gain:
Rating:
🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️ (film alchemists) | 📱📱🤍🤍🤍 (zoombies)
“A lens that whispers: ‘Perfection isn’t a destination—it’s the journey.’”
Pro Tips:
Epilogue: The Lens of No Regrets
Leica’s Summilux 35mm f/1.4 ASPH scoffs at shortcuts, whispering: “Greatness isn’t found in specs—it’s felt in the heart.” Like a Tang dynasty poem, its beauty lies in balance, not brute force. Now go frame your story—one click at a time. 📸
In an age of gargantuan mirrorless zooms, the Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH (2006–present) whispers its manifesto. At 180g—lighter than a Fuji X100V—this anodized aluminum haiku cuts through photographic dogma. Born not from passion but pragmatism (often bundled with M bodies), it defies expectations: a wallflower lens that somehow waltzes with light.
| Aspect | Elmarit 28mm f/2.8 ASPH | Summicron 28mm f/2 ASPH |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 180g (6.3oz) | 330g (11.6oz) |
| Price (2023) | 2,300–2,300–2,800 | 4,500–4,500–5,200 |
| Bokeh | Watercolor whispers | Oil painting strokes |
| Soul | Woolf’s depth | Hemingway’s precision |
| Street Cred | Phantom agility | Knightly valor |
Leica Q’s shadow looms large—why buy this modest f/2.8 when Q2 offers f/1.7? The answer whispers through back alleys:
✓ Urban Haiku Masters: Crafting visual poetry in tight spaces
✓ M System Minimalists: Building lean, mean travel kits
✓ Q Curious: Testing 28mm waters before full commitment
Avoid If: You romanticize focus shift or need f/1.4 bragging rights.
The Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH is Leica’s Black Widow lens—seen only when it wants to be. For $2,500, you get:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (for pragmatists) | ⭐⭐✨/5 (for character fetishists)
“A lens that murmurs: ‘The best camera is the one that’s actually in your bag.’”
In the shadow of its ASPH successor and the cult-favorite v1, the Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 v3 (1980-1993) lurks—a 230g brass-bound paradox. Too young to be “vintage,” too old to be “relevant,” this lens is photography’s equivalent of a Weimar-era cabaret singer: overlooked, undervalued, and dripping with more character than modern optics dare allow.
| Aspect | Elmarit v3 | ASPH (Current) |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 35mm film sweet spot | Digital perfection |
| Color Rendering | Honeyed tungsten warmth | Clinical accuracy |
| Bokeh Transition | Gradual as Brahms lullaby | Abrupt as text alert |
| Soul | Wim Wenders’ gaze | CAD algorithm |
Leica engineers’ cruel joke: The ASPH version out-resolves v3 by 30% yet loses the je ne sais quoi. Test charts crown ASPH; human eyes crave v3’s:
✓ Bargain Hunters: Sniffing Leica soul under $1.5k
✓ Film Purists: Building M6 kits without selling kidneys
Avoid If: You need corner-to-corner sharpness or AF.
The v3 Elmarit embodies optical perfection, blending vintage allure with modern performance. This $1,000 lens rivals today’s digital counterparts, offering superb clarity and character. For the price of an iPhone, you gain:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (for poets) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (for pixel peepers)
A lens that whispers: ‘Affordable magic, Leica-style—proof that excellence doesn’t always come at a high price.
In a world obsessed with gargantuan apertures, the Voigtländer 15mm f/4.5 ASPH (Gen 1) whispers heresy. At 150g—lighter than a roll of Tri-X—this L39-mounted David defies Goliath-sized expectations. Born in 2000 as Cosina’s love letter to analog guerrillas, it thrives where modern wides fear to tread: coat pockets, cramped alleys, and the restless hands of street shooters who value stealth over specs.
| Aspect | Gen 1 (2000) | Gen 3 (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Matchbox | Soup can |
| Coatings | Single-layer nostalgia | ASPH + 7-layer armor |
| Digital Friendliness | M8/M9: Edge chaos | Full-frame harmony |
| Soul | Kerouac’s beat poetry | GPT-4 generated sonnet |
Scene 1: Urban intersection with two elderly men on bikes
Scene 2: Pachinko parlor neon rain
Pairing this 15mm with a Leica M8 (≈21mm equivalent) is like teaching ballet to a rugby player—possible, but spiritually challenging. Yet therein lies the magic:
✓ Urban Poets: Framing chaos into 15mm snapshots
✓ Analog Minimalists: Building “fit-in-a-cigarette-pack” kits
✓ Distortion Fetishists: Who see leaning towers as features, not bugs
Avoid If: You pixel-peep edges or need autofocus training wheels.
The Gen 1 15mm f/4.5 is Cosina’s accidental masterpiece—a $400 ticket to optical anarchy. For the price of a Summicron hood, you get:
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (for poets) | ⭐⭐/5 (for lab rats)
“A lens that snickers: ‘Rules? I ate them for breakfast.’”
In 1925, a tiny collapsible lens named Elmar 50mm f/3.5 sprouted from Ernst Leitz’s workshop, fertilizing the soil for Leica’s global reign. Weighing less than a bar of Swiss chocolate (120g) and priced today between 400–400–1,200 (2025 USD), this “optical bonsai” remains the DNA of every Leica M lens. Think of it as the Model T Ford of photography—humble, revolutionary, and timeless.
| Aspect | Elmar 50mm f/3.5 | Modern Summicron 50mm |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | Hemingway’s typewriter—direct, unfussy | GPT-4 precision |
| Contrast | Morning tea with a dash of milk | Double espresso |
| Bokeh | Ripples on a tranquil pond | Butter churned by robots |
| Magic | 🕰️🕰️🕰️🕰️🕰️ | ⚡⚡⚡⚡🤍 |
✓ Minimalist Nomads: Who believe less gear = more vision
✓ History Buffs: Collecting tangible fragments of photography’s dawn
✓ Analog Purists: Who’d choose a typewriter over ChatGPT
Avoid If: You shoot sports, crave bokeh orgies, or think “vintage” means “obsolete.”
The Elmar 50mm f/3.5 is photography’s comfort food—humble, nourishing, and endlessly satisfying. For the price of a weekend in Napa Valley, you gain:
Rating:
🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️ (film poets) | 📸📸📸🤍🤍 (pixel peepers)
“A lens that whispers: ‘True greatness fits in the palm of your hand.’”
Pro Tips:
Epilogue: The Little Lens That Could
In an age of gargantuan f/1.2 monsters, the Elmar 50mm f/3.5 remains stubbornly, gloriously small. It’s a brass-clad rebuttal to excess, whispering: “You don’t need muscle to move mountains—just vision.” As Bresson might say, it’s not the arrow—it’s the archer. Now go shoot something timeless.
In a world obsessed with Leitz’s legacy, the 1950s Rodenstock-Heligon 35mm f/2.8 glides like a Bavarian black swan—rare, refined, and effortlessly regal. Priced today between 1,200–1,200–2,500 (2025 USD), this 220g chrome-and-brass relic bridges large-format grandeur and 35mm intimacy. Forget modern aspherical monsters—this lens is a Viennese waltz in a mosh pit of autofocus chaos.
| Aspect | Heligon 35mm f/2.8 | Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | Dürer’s etching needle | Instagram filter |
| Contrast | Bavarian chocolate—dark, complex | Milk chocolate—sweet, predictable |
| Bokeh | Van Gogh’s Starry Night | Hotel art |
| Magic | 🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢 | 🦆 |
With 10 aperture blades and a helical focus design, backgrounds dissolve into buttery swirls—like espresso art in a Munich café. Zone-focus street shots? Even misfires feel intentional, thanks to its 3D “pop” that predates TikTok filters by 70 years.
✓ Large-format Pilgrims: Craving Rodenstock’s magic in a pocketable form
✓ Leica Hipsters: Who’d rather explain “Heligon” at parties than drink
✓ B&W Alchemists: Chasing Ansel Adams’ ghost through Tri-X grain
Avoid If: You pixel-peep, shoot sports, or think “vintage” means “cheap.”
The Heligon 35mm f/2.8 is photography’s secret handshake—a wink to those who know. For the price of a weekend in Salzburg, you gain:
Rating:
🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️ (film poets) | 📱📱🤍🤍🤍 (phone snappers)
“A lens that whispers: ‘Elegance is not about shouting—it’s about singing in perfect pitch.’”
Pro Tips:
Epilogue: The Swan’s Song
Rodenstock made millions of lenses, but only this Heligon 35mm f/2.8 sings with large-format majesty in a Leica’s body. In a world chasing f/1.2 monsters, it whispers: “True artistry thrives in subtlety.” As the Chinese masters knew, perfection lies not in the dragon’s body, but in its eyes. Now go paint yours.
Below is an unofficial chronological list of all Rodenstock lenses from 1954 to 1961 2,000,000 ——1945 2,500,000 ——1952 3,000,000 ——1954 4,000,000 ——1957 4,500,000 ——1960 5,000,000 ——1961 Rodenstock-Heligon 35mm f/2.8 L39 NO： 22981xx, 23274xx, 23275xx, 23276xx, 23277xx, 23695xx, 23696xx, 23698xx, 23699xx, 23710xx, 23711xx, 23712xx, 24596xx, 24597xx, 24598xx, 35253xx
Imagine bench-pressing a Rolls-Royce engine block—if that engine were forged into a camera lens. The Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH (2025 price: 12,000–12,000–15,000) isn’t just a tool; it’s a 700g brass-and-glass flex of optical machismo. Born in 2008 to outshine its siblings (Noctilux f/1.0 and f/1.2), this “King of Bokeh” redefines excess. Forget gym memberships—carry this lens daily, and your biceps will thank you.
| Aspect | Noctilux 50mm f/0.95 | Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpness | Samurai sword at f/0.95 | Laser-etched titanium |
| Bokeh | Monet’s Water Lilies | IKEA lamp shade |
| Weight | Kettlebell workout | Featherweight boxer |
| Soul | ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ | 🌞🌞🌞🌞🤍 |
Forget Rollei twins or Hasselblad heft—this lens turns 35mm into 120-film theatrics. At f/0.95:
Leica claims this lens thrives in candlelight. Truth? It’s more diva than deity:
✓ Bokeh Hedonists: Who measure life in shallow depth-of-field
✓ Leica Collectors: Building shrines to Wetzlar’s glory
✓ Contrarians: Who’d choose a 700g lens over gym weights
Avoid If: You shoot landscapes, value portability, or fear credit card bills.
The Noctilux f/0.95 isn’t a lens—it’s a statement. For the price of a Tesla down payment, you gain:
Rating:
🌙🌙🌙🌙🌗 (nocturnal poets) | ☀️☀️🤍🤍🤍 (daylight realists)
“A lens that whispers: ‘Light bends to those who dare.’”
Pro Tips:
Epilogue: The Titan’s Whisper
Leica didn’t build the Noctilux f/0.95 to be useful. They built it because they could—a brass-clad “up yours” to optical physics. In a world chasing smaller, lighter, saner gear, this lens stands like a lighthouse: flawed, glorious, utterly unforgettable. As the Chinese collectors say, “玩镜头不归路”—there’s no return from the lens rabbit hole. With the Noctilux, you won’t want to climb out.
