It can be hard to settle on a lens when there’s so many options available. Not anymore. Here is the ultimate Leica lens comparison with 148 lenses that you can sort by manufacturer, aperture, size and more.
Hi, Sven the Leicaphile here and since there are so many Leica lenses out there, I made this Leica lens comparison chart so that you can see all of the Leica lenses at a glance. While every care has been made to make this error free, it is provided as-is.
Leica lens comparison table
| wdt_ID | Name | Manufacturer | Focal Length | Max aperture | Closest Focus | Model Number | Filter | Diamerer | Length | Weight (grams) | Release Date | Check best price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Manufacturer | Focal Length | Max aperture | Closest Focus | Model Number | Filter | Diamerer | Length | Weight (grams) | Release Date | Check best price |
Comparison of focal length
If you want to compare specific focal lengths, check out these articles: 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 90mm.
How to use the Leica lens comparison table
Unlike every other tables online this one is interactive so you can sort the lenses to figure out what you want.
First Party only lenses
If you are only looking for first party lenses (Meaning Leica’s own) simply put “Leica” at the bottom of the manufacturer column and it will only show those. You can do the same for Zeiss and other manufactuers.
What is the widest Leica lens?
If you want to see the lenses ordered from widest to the longest in terms of focal length, press the little triangle neat the focal length and it will display them in that order.
The widest Leica lens is the Voigtlander Hyper Wide Heliar 10mm f/5.6 which provides a 10mm field of view. Check out the other Leica wide angle lenses.
What is the longest Leica lens?
If you are looking for telephoto lenses, click once again on the little triangle and it will display lenses from the longest focal length to the shortest.
The longest Leica lens is the Leica Elmarit-M 135mm f/2.8 at 135mm lens. Also check out this article about the best Leica telephoto lenses.
Find the heaviest or lightest lens
You can sort the lens from heaviest to lightest. Click on the triangle near the “weight” column for sorting from the lightest. Click again and it will sort from heaviest.
The lightest Leica lens is the Zeiss Hologon 15mm f/8 at 110 g
The heaviest Leica lens is the Noctilux 75mm f1.25 at 1055g or about a kilo.
Small lenses
If you want small lenses, click on the little triangle near the “length” column this will sort the lenses from smallest (in terms of size).
By far the smallest Leica lens is the Zeiss Hologon 15mm f/8 at an incredible 6mm size. You might also want to see a list of Leica pancake lenses.
Lenses with great Bokeh
If you want that creamy Bokeh Goodness, you need 3 factors: How close the lens can shoot, how fast it is and the focal length. The longer the focal length the better the Bokeh, the faster the lens and how close it can shoot, the better the Bokeh. There is also sensor size, but most Leicas save the M8 are full frame.
So the first thing is sorting by the focal length and determining how long you want your lens. Or if you already know, put in the amount under the “focal length” column. Then look for the fastest lenses there, from 2.8 and up. Then when determining the better lens for Bokeh, the closest focus one usually wins, but that has no bearing on how the lens renders Bokeh.
Best third party lens manufacturers
Leica lenses can be expensive. One of the best third party lens makers that can give Leica a run for their money is Voigtlander and also Zeiss. Their lenses are excellent and are only a fraction of the price of any Leica lens. What about the Chinese manufacturers like 7artisans?
You get what you pay for. Yes they are cheap even compared to other manufacturer lenses but it is like buying the store branded cereals vs the real thing. Most of them are not sharp but many of them have beautiful imperfections that is something you either like or don’t.
Just one lens, what would it be?
If you are looking at the Leica lens comparison chart for just one a lens, what would it be? Probably the Summicron 35mm f2. It is sharp as a knife, beautiful Bokeh and is small enough for every day carry. If you are looking for an alternative to that, then by far the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4. It is just as good and even faster.
Why 35mm? Because it is the goldilocks focal length that is good for everything from portraits to street photography.
Conclusion
This concludes the Leica Lens comparison article. There are many available to chose from so sort away and find the perfect one for you. If you are looking to shoot just one, it is either the Summicron 35 or the Nokton 35, both absolutely excellent lenses.