p.1 #1 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
I thought it would be fun to start a thread inspired by something I saw on another board. The idea is simple: share the three M-mount lenses you would never sell or give up. They can be from any brand, but it has to be an M-mount lens.
What are your three "cold dead hands" lenses, and why? I'd love to hear not just the list, but also what makes each one special to you. You can also include one runner-up.
These are my favorites because I always find myself reaching for them, even though I have other lenses in the same focal lengths. They're not perfect by any means, but it's their imperfections that make me want to shoot with them.
p.1 #2 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
I'll start:
Summilux 50/1.4 pre-asph, wide open it's perfectly imperfect, and often yields at 3D appearance
Summilux 35/1.4 steel rim reissue. Same as above, but in addition, has that Leica "glow" so well
Summicron 35 APO: when I'm in the mood for razor sharp even wide open, this is it. Especially like to pair it with my M11M at dusk and evening. Also often renders almost 3D.
p.1 #3 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
Mine would probably be:
Summilux 35 FLE
Summilux 50 ASPH Black Chrome
Both of these I really love the output when I open up the files in Lightroom. I also genuinely love using them on my Leica.
I have trouble thinking of a 3rd. I have a Summicron 50 v5, Elmarit-M 90, and a Rokkor 40 as well, all of which I like and don’t plan to sell. However I think I could find alternatives I also liked.
p.1 #4 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
I go by my most often used M lenses:
Leica 35/2.4 Summarit M: excellent all-rounder lens especially for travel Leica 50/2.0 Summicron M dual range with goggles: prefer it over my Leica 50/2.0 Vers. V lens due to close focus ability and a bit of vintage look/bokeh. Cosina-Voigtlander 75/1.5 Nokton M: great short tele M lens also good for travel. Often I only use two lenses - 35 mm and this 75 mm lens, sometimes combined with Leica 21/2.8 Elmarit-M.
Sep 07, 2025 at 03:24 PM
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p.1 #5 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
I don't know that I should really offer mine, because I sold my M10 kit a couple years ago, but if I get a Leica M camera again the trio that I would want would be:
Leica M 21 SEM
Voigtlander 28 f/1.5
Leica M 50 f/1.4 Asph
The 21 SEM just performs exactly as I want an ultra wide to perform and is easy to use even on a rangefinder camera without frame lines
Awhile back I would have said the Leica M 28 lux, but the Voigtlander is so much like it and smaller and it has become one of my favorite lenses even though I don't shoot it on Leica M.
The 50 lux Asph was easily my favorite lens on Leica M and despite its flaws, which I didn't find it that hard to work around, it consistently produced images I loved.
p.1 #7 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
135/3.5 APO
One bookend of the available M lenses universe ... no option for longer tele on an M (although a couple other 135 versions). That, and it's just a great piece of glass for landscape work, etc. Imo, this is a legacy piece that gives expanded versatility to the M system.
I don't shoot it much (< 10%), but it has no replacement that I'm aware of, except that if you just want a different rendering of the older 135's. Stitches nice, too.
I don't foresee Leica making an update to it. 1) It's already APO. 2) Anything faster is gonna be bigger / more RF blockage, or non-APO. 3). 135mm is probably their least popular focal length in the M universe.
Although, if the M gets an EVF, then #2 and #3 could change a bit. Still, I don't see it high on Leica's priority list to update ... ummm, like "ever".
p.1 #8 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
I’ll second that on 135 I do mostly outdoors
So my three well two and a rotation
Apo summicron 50 2 Perfect lens way expensive a keeper
The 135 apo f3.4 I use mine a great deal
A 50 character is my rotator I favor the lll Elcan good character but not too much for outdoors it is character cousin for the 50 apo perfection
This group is fairly small and light
I do have a cs 28 apo on order could replace the Elcan tine will tell
RustyBug wrote:
135/3.5 APO
One bookend of the available M lenses universe ... no other option for longer tele on an M. That, and it's just a great piece of glass for landscape work, etc. Imo, this is a legacy piece that gives expanded versatility to the M system.
I don't shoot it much, but it has no replacement that I'm aware of. Stitches nice, too.
p.1 #15 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
For me, I have been trying lenses for a few years but always come back to these three. Now I'm not much of a 50mm guy, so I stay south of that.
Voigtlander 28mm f2 V2- I'm so happy I warmed up to this focal length. What a fantastic performer.
Voigtlander 35mm f2 Ultron V1- love the rendering, punchy but enough character to be a daily driver for me. Added a custom tab.
The odd one is the Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 MC, I like it for sentimental reasons as it was the very first lens I bought for the M/SL platform.
p.1 #18 · What's Your "Cold Dead Hands" Trio of M Lenses?
The Summilux 35 FLE appears often in these lists. I have this lens, which I bought, used, at a surprisingly low US dollar price from a Paris Leica dealer when the exchange rate was favorable. However, I rarely use it because I haven't liked its performance at f/1.4 and f/2.0 in bright, tropical light (or night shots) — particularly when shooting contre-jour or even with sidelight, in terms of the highlight look in the bokeh areas. I much prefer my Summicron-35v4 (pre-ASPH) in this respect. Am I missing something?
