For over a decade I've provided my own curated list of lenses to help photographers in choosing lenses for their needs, for the Sony E-mount camera system. For the first time I'm sharing a list for those of the Leica M-mount, as I've been photographing since November with a new camera system for the first time in my career. This is probably the most exciting article I've written, being sort of a head to head of these two incredible German optical companies.

Leica's M lenses are quite expensive lenses, just as well as the camera bodies themselves (but I can't deny that their equipment is some of the most incredible crafting I've ever seen and held in my hands). For those who may not have as much expendable cash around and want to break into the Leica ecosystem may have second thoughts. ZEISS happens to manufacture lenses for the M mount, ZM lenses. They don't carry nearly the heft in price as a Leica, but don't compromise in image quality and provide the quality you've come to know and love about a ZEISS.

A great lens trio I feel is all most photographers ever really need in their camera bag, so here's a look into 3 full frame ZEISS ZM lenses that I think would be great selections for a Leica M user to consider (shared in no particular order). If you happen to be a Leica SL user then you too can take advantage of this selection as well (you'll just need an adapter to utilize them, but you have the added advantage of an image stabilized camera body to use these with).

Leica M10-P, ZEISS ZM 1.4/35mm

1. ZEISS ZM 1.4/35mm

This is the most recent lens in the ZM lineup, released in 2014 and designed for usage on both film and digital Leica M cameras. Initially, I used this lens on my Sony Alpha 7C II with an adapter, before obtaining a loaner Leica M10-P camera from ZEISS and it was a stellar lens choice on that camera system. While it may be manual only, you couldn't help but love this lens for being extremely compact f/1.4 aperture lens.

If you're researching for the perfect walk around lens for a Leica, this is the lens for you! The quality is spectacular edge to edge and throughout the full aperture range. With its 10 aperture blades you're able to obtain a beautiful star effect when stopping down the aperture. Whether you're going from street to portraits or architecture to landscapes it's a great all around lens selection.

Unlike its Leica counterpart this lens is drastically more affordable than the Summilux 1.4/35mm at $6,400 USD new, at $2,390 USD new for the ZEISS. If that's still out of range then ZEISS does offer a 2/35mm ZM ($1,240 USD) and 2.8/35mm ZM ($999 USD).

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Leica M10-P, ZEISS ZM 2.8/28mm

2. ZEISS ZM 2.8/28mm

My first encounter with a 28mm focal length was in the ZEISS Otus family, 1.4/28mm for Canon EF and Nikon F mounts. Originally thought to be such an unusual focal length and why I would want to photograph with this I decided to try it and wow, it became an instant favorite!

The 28mm in the ZM is the only other 28mm ZEISS has produced and was one I had to have in this family. It's a lens that doesn't feel too wide or tight, where my 35mm sometimes is a bit too tight in some situations. This would be my second option for a single lens choice to keep attached to your lens for a day of photographing. I happened to do just that during the 2025 Christmas holiday in Boston, Massachusetts.

Unlike the ZM 1.4/35mm that does wonderfully on film and digital, the ZM 28mm isn't quite as fortunate. You'll notice quite a bit of fall off on the edges in sharpness and light, with the latter being corrected with a lens correction in post. Because of this you'll find the Leica version to have better results, being that their current version is optimized for digital camera sensors.

At just 220 grams this is the lightest of the three lenses mentioned here, but none of the ZM lenses are significant in size and weight to begin with (the beauty of the rangefinder). At $1,361 USD it's less than half the price of the equivalent Leica Elmarit-M 2.8/28mm at $3,100 USD new. The ZEISS overall isn't as strong as the Leica, but if you can live with the limitations or photograph on film then this lens is still a great grab! Let's hope for an update of the ZM one day in the future.

B&H Photo | Additional Gallery Images

Leica M10-P, ZEISS ZM 1.5/50mm

3. ZEISS ZM 1.5/50mm

The ZEISS ZM C Sonnar 1.5/50mm is the most unique of the three lenses here. The aperture at f/1.5 is quite "unusual" to most. Leica once had such a lens but that has long been replaced with the Leica Summilux-M 1.4/50mm. The "C" in this lens signifies it's designed being inspired from its predecessors classic design.

50mm focal length isn't a favorite of mine, but in the limited available options for the M-mount I thought I'd try this lens. I haven't spent nearly as much time with this lens compared to the others, but for the moments when I need a longer focal length this lens comes in handy (as was the case in the above image).

In situations with low light on an M camera I do find this lens more difficult to manage. You'll need to have a fast enough shutter speed to eliminate any camera shake (there's no stabilization in the lens or camera). Stabilization hasn't ever been something I "must" have, but does limit you when lighting is limited.

At the time of writing this article my insight to this lens is quite premature and will update the info here as I photograph with this more. In the meantime I'm including as it's a lens that might be of interest to others. The Leica 1.4/50mm is $5,025 USD new and the ZEISS ZM is $1,361 USD new, quite a difference.

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Leica M10-P, ZEISS ZM 2.8/28mm

I hope this article was informative and gives you some additional choices in lenses to consider for your Leica M camera. Whether you choose to acquire a Leica or a ZEISS know that you're obtaining the best of the best in optics. These two German companies are the pinnacle of optical quality in my opinion and either selection will provide you with excellent imagery.

What lenses do you presently use or have considered? Share with us in the comments below. If you have any more questions, leave a comment below as well.

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Leica M10-P, ZEISS ZM 2.8/28mm

Leica M10-P, ZEISS ZM 1.4/35mm