Editors' Note, October 14, 2025: With this update, we have moved some lenses that are no longer available into the Used Market section and added the TTArtisan 28mm F5.6. The other picks have been vetted for currency and availability.

The Leica M camera system offers a different way to capture the world than most other digital cameras. M cameras use a bright optical viewfinder with a fixed angle of view and a central focusing square, called a rangefinder patch. I've been using Leica M cameras for more than 17 years and always enjoy picking one up and looking at the world through a bright optical viewfinder. The M system has been around for around even longer, since the 1950s, and Leica's legacy goes back further. The company literally invented the full-frame 35mm format, that is an industry standard to this day.

With a few exceptions, a current-generation digital Leica M11 supports both M-mount and older Leica Thread Mount (LTM) lenses without any sacrifices in functionality, in large part thanks to their mechanical designs. Even better for longtime system owners, the M11, M11-P, and M11 Monochrom all look and handle just like the M3 film camera that kicked off the line back in 1954.

Which Brands Make M Lenses?

Leica, Voigtlander, and Zeiss are the oldest brands making M lenses today. They all share German roots, though a Japanese manufacturer, Cosina, now owns the Voigtlander imprint. Leica manufactures its M lenses in Europe, while Zeiss's ZM rangefinder lenses are made in Japan.

In recent years, a few boutique brands have joined them. Some, like the one-man shop MS Optics, concentrate on short production runs of lenses with ultra-slim designs or extra-bright apertures. Light Lens Lab also makes lenses with short production runs, but concentrates on remaking rare and collectible vintage lenses for reasonable prices.

Others concentrate on value alternatives to Leica. 7artisans, Kipon, TTArtisan, and Venus Laowa are newer names to photographers, but have all released M lens designs in recent memory. Their lenses tend to be less expensive than other brands. TTArtisan, for example, sells a 50mm F0.95 lens for $218—Leica's Noctilux-M 50mm F0.95, for comparison, costs $12,495.

Can You Use M Lenses on Mirrorless EVF Cameras?

Leica's M rangefinder cameras use specialized image sensors that are tuned to get the best results out of M-mount lenses. You can opt to use M lenses with mirrorless cameras from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, and Sony if you want via a simple mechanical adapter. With some, you'll see false color and vignetting in the corners, but this is only a real concern for lenses that have recessed rear elements that sit very close to the sensor plane.

We've even seen some adapters that add autofocus to purely manual lenses. The first-generation Techart Pro Leica M adapter is an interesting product, but a bit of a pain to use in practice. Its second-generation effort is more pleasing to use and is available for more brands of mirrorless cameras; we tested the version for Nikon Z bodies.

Although you can adapt almost any fully manual lens, M lenses are typically smaller and lighter than those for vintage SLRs, and adapters are shorter, too. These aspects and the Leica aesthetic make M rangefinder lenses more desirable for use on modern digitals compared with vintage SLR lenses.

Regardless of what type of camera you use, you have a wealth of M lenses to pick from, both new and old. We've highlighted some of our favorites that we've reviewed over the years here, along with some advice for shopping for vintage optics.