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The Leica M11 answers the demands of many a photographer. It boasts image quality that looks like slide film while balancing the needs for both resolution and dynamic range. Plus, there’s a cool brass version. We reviewed the Leica M11 already and really loved working with it. So if you’re considering buying one, make sure you’ve got good lenses. Here are some of the best lenses for the Leica M11. And trust us, we’ve reviewed pretty much every Leica M-mount lens.
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The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Pro Tips on Using the Leica M11
If you’re going to buy the Leica M11, here’s what you should know first:
- The Leica M11 has a special sensor and processor. At the highest resolution of around 60MP, the dynamic range is 14 stops. But you get the highest resolution from your Leica lenses. At the lower resolutions, you get up to 15 stops of dynamic range.
- The best lenses for the Leica M11 have been reviewed by our staff independently. And you can see our entire guide to Leica M lenses right here.
- We’re choosing these lenses for a combination of their image quality, capabilities, and their size. Leica M cameras like the Leica M11 are best paired with smaller lenses.
- Just because you’ve got an older lens, doesn’t mean it won’t work on the Leica M11. But it won’t be able to resolve all of the different resolutions.
- In our minds, the best lenses for the Leica M11 are in the wide to normal range. Rangefinder lenses in general are much better with these types of optics.
Leica 35mm f2 Summicron APO
Best For: This lens is great for general photography, street photography, documentary work, etc. It’s especially great because of how closely it can focus without the Leica Macro adapter.
In our review, we state:
“Usually, lenses designed for Rangefinder cameras can only focus down to 0.7m (2.29ft). This is no fault of the lenses themselves. It is just to do with how Rangefinder cameras work. However, in the digital age, we have LCDs and EVFs that can help us focus Rangefinder cameras closer than ever before. The Leica APO Summicron f2 ASPH, with the help of LCDs and EVFs, can achieve focus at 0.3m, which is just 0.98ft.”
Leica 50mm f2 Summicron APO
Best For: This is genuinely considered to be one of the most popular Leica lenses for M-mount. It’s small, fairly affordable, lightweight, and gives that signature Leica-look that photographers crave.
In our review, we state:
“The Leica 50mm f2 Summicron APO lens offers a modern look without losing its Leica heritage. Images are superbly sharp with beautiful bokeh. It is the perfect size to take with you anywhere and versatile for a variety of shooting applications.”
Leica 28mm f1.4 Summilux
Best For: This is the lens you want when you want to shoot in super low light. You can shoot at the slowest shutter speed with the least camera shake. It also helps that the render is beautiful!
In our review, we state:
“The Leica 28mm f1.4 Summilux is quite honestly second to none. The closest thing you might compare it to is the Nikon 28mm f1.4, but that is a DSLR lens. Then there is Sony’s 28mm f2, but that is an autofocus lens and f2. There is seriously nothing like the Leica 28mm f1.4 Summilux. This applies to the quality of the bokeh, the colors, the ease of use, the sharpness, and the overall performance. Believe it or not, even though I was tempted to shoot with this lens wide open most of the time I resisted the urge and stopped it down. The choice was a good one, as I discovered just how incredibly sharp the Leica 28mm f1.4 Summilux is.”
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