The Megadap M2RF makes a tantalizing promise: to enable manual focus Leica M lenses, designed for rangefinders with their magical rendering, to be used on Canon RF cameras with full support for Dual Pixel Autofocus – including eye tracking and subject detection.

Well, it's tantalizing and it's also true: the Megadap M2RF transforms Leica's gorgeous rangefinder glass into autofocus EOS R optics. Something for which, as a Canon shooter, I'm doubly grateful, given how closed the RF mount is to full-frame AF lenses from other manufacturers.

I had a blast using ultra-refined M-mount lenses to capture images with their unique character on my Canon EOS R5, though there are definitely a few asterisks that potential buyers should be aware of.

Megadap M2RF: Price & availability

The Megadap M2RF adapter is available for pre-order now, priced $399 / £429 (Australian pricing to follow).

For comparison, Megadap currently produces two other cross-mount autofocus adapters: the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ (Sony E to Nikon Z) for $249 / £259 and Megadap EFTZ21 (Canon EF to Nikon Z) for $299 / 299.

Megadap M2RF: Build & handling

The build quality on the Megadap M2RF is first class. This isn't one of those flimsy adapters you get on eBay; it's a reassuringly heavy, substantially constructed device, beautifully machined and with thick, solid gold-plated contacts.

It has a custom coreless motor, with dual-hall (using two magnetic sensors) and optical sensing, using an electronic helicoid driver system for steady and precise control of the attached lens.

All the controls are likewise exquisitely made, from the aperture switch to the AF / MF selection button to the lens release. This feels every inch a premium product, befitting the luxury Leica glass that will be mounted to it.

As I'll explain in the Performance section below, the aperture switch is used to select the aperture from the preset positions that sync with your camera's aperture setting.

The AF / MF button gives you a one-touch toggle between auto and manual focus (whereupon M2RF retracts back to infinity). You can also double-tap the button in manual mode to engage manual macro mode, which fully extends the lens to its maximum focus position.

As a bonus, because the adapter extends the lens by up to 4.5mm beyond its original position, this reduces the 0.7m standard minimum focus distance of M lenses – enabling you to get close-up shots without accessories like extension tubes, unlocking new creative opportunities.

I also want to shout out the front and back caps, which are so often an afterthought from third-party manufacturers. These are handsome-looking transparent caps, bearing the Megadap logo, and like the rest of the unit feel very premium.

Even so, while it's an impressively robust product, there is one key limitation to the lenses you can mount to the Megadap: how much they weigh.

While every make of M-mount glass is supported, whether it's made by Leica, Voigtländer, Zeiss or anyone else, it only plays nicely with lenses that are 500g or less – which means that bigger, heavier M glass won't be well suited, as they put too much strain on the mount and motor.

And of course, if you're feeling brave, you can double-stack almost any other vintage lens (such as M42 glass) via an M-mount adapter and then attach that to the M2RF for even more creative possibilities.

Megadap M2RF: Performance

I primarily tested the Megadap M2RF with the Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Classic and Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 Asph. Overall, it delivers pretty astonishing performance for specific genres of photography – or, perhaps more accurately, for a specific pace of photography.

For portraiture, still life, landscape, travel, street and everyday shooting – in other words, shooting at a fairly soft pace or with a gently moving subject – it's absolutely brilliant.

For example, the autofocus keeps up with people absolutely wonderfully during a portrait session. The eye tracking is particularly impressive, and it's also steady and reliable for head and full-body tracking when your subject moves around. Using the Megadap for the first time is really quite a magical experience.

However, other genres and paces of photography are definitely not well suited to what the Megadap does. If you're hoping to shoot fast action like sports or wildlife, that's not what this adapter is for. Nor are most forms of video, where multi-axis movement overwhelms the device.

More than just the capabilities of the device itself, though, it's important to understand that there is a lot expected of the user that may surprise someone expecting a plug-and-play, fully automatic experience.

The Megadap M2RF is a "push-pull" adapter that uses a helical drive to move the lens forward and backward in order to shift the plane of focus. As such, you must remember to turn the focus ring of your adapted lens to infinity or performance will be substantially impeded.

It's definitely something that takes some getting used to – and especially if you're somebody who whips your camera in and out of a bag, you need to be mindful of knocking the focus ring too far.

In addition, when mounting the lens, you need to synchronize its aperture value to your camera's by setting it to a specific aperture value – f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8 or f/4 – corresponding to the values on the aperture switch on the side of the adapter.

Again, if you don't do this then the performance will be significantly degraded. Getting your muscle memory used to these steps each time you use the adapter or switch lenses is crucial, otherwise you'll likely experience hunting or complete focus failure.

Obviously different lenses are going to have different focal length and aperture combinations, which is a further point to factor in.

The adapter comes with four factory presets (Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Asph, Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 Asph, Zeiss Biogon T* 25mm f/2.8 ZM and Voigtländer 50mm f/1.2 Nokton Aspherical II), but it can be customized for any four lenses via the Megadap M2RF Custom Tool.

While it's brilliant to be able to add your own lens data (which is then helpfully written to your EXIF), it's fair to say that Megadap's expertise is in optics and not software. The Custom Tool is certainly usable, but it's a bit clunky and doesn't have the same premium feel as the M2RF itself.

Megadap M2RF: Samples

Megadap M2RF: Verdict

I've always been skeptical about cross-system adapters, but I was pretty blown away by the Megadap M2RF… once I'd mastered its setup intricacies! Setting infinity focus and syncing the aperture before shooting is an extra step when mounting a lens, but once it becomes part of your muscle memory you can enjoy seamless shooting.

I love the magical rendering of Leica's M lenses, but rangefinder focus gets harder as my eyes get worse with age. So it's nothing short of liberating to be able to use them on an RF-mount camera – and the ability to make use of Canon's Dual Pixel AF and algorithmic subject detection is a truly transformative experience.

It's obviously important to be aware of the Megadap's limitations. While it offers fairly fast focus that can keep up with gently moving genres, it's not designed for fast action – which limits its usefulness for wildlife, sports and video. But then, I don't believe anyone is really interested in adapting M lenses for any of those.

The Megadap M2RF is ideally suited for the intended purposes of M glass, like portraiture or street photography. It replicates rangefinder results on your RF camera but supercharges them with the power of Canon's autofocus. If you've ever wanted to add a touch of class to your EOS R camera, this might be the best way to do it!

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Take a look at the best Leica M lenses to adapt and, if you get a taste for the finer things, check out the best Leica cameras.

I have a confession to make: I was wrong about the Leica M EV1.

Before I had the opportunity to use one, I made no secret of my concerns about Leica replacing the traditional optical rangefinder with a built-in electronic viewfinder. I worried that an M-System camera without a rangefinder might no longer feel like a proper M.

Worse still, I thought removing that beautifully-engineered mechanical system could leave the camera feeling strangely hollow, as though Leica had retained the familiar shell while removing part of its soul.

Well, after finally getting my hands on the Leica M EV1, I think it is time to serve myself a generous slice of humble pie. I was wrong. The Leica M EV1 absolutely is an M camera – and it might be precisely the kind of M camera that many photographers have been waiting for.

I have used every digital M camera the company has produced since the Leica M9, so I have watched Leica’s full-frame digital journey develop almost from the beginning.

I know where the modern M-System started, how it has evolved and, to some extent, where it might be going next. I have seen resolutions increase, batteries improve, screens become more useful and sensors become far more capable, but the basic M experience has always remained remarkably consistent.

That is why the M EV1 seemed like such a risk. The rangefinder is not merely another component inside an M camera. For many photographers, it is the defining component. Remove it and, on paper at least, you appear to remove the very thing that makes an M an M.

Except that is not what has happened.

The first surprise is how familiar the Leica M EV1 feels in the hands. It does not feel like an imitation of an M camera, nor does it feel like a Leica Q3 that has somehow been modified to accept interchangeable lenses. It feels like an M because, in almost every physical sense, that is exactly what it is.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that the M EV1 feels better balanced than the Leica M11-P. It sits beautifully in the hand and retains that reassuring sense of solidity that Leica does so well. Leica currently lists the M EV1 at approximately 495g with its battery, compared with 530g for the black M11-P.

That difference is noticeable, but it does not make the EV1 feel cheap or insubstantial. Attach a lens, and the camera's entire character changes. It becomes balanced, purposeful, and every bit as satisfying to hold as an M should be.

Whether I mounted a compact Summicron, a faster Summilux or something considerably larger, the camera maintained that sense of balance. I had worried that the reduced weight might make it feel like a paperweight with a heavy lens hanging from the front, but that simply was not the case. Once a lens is attached, the M EV1 feels complete.

Then we come to the most controversial part of the camera: the electronic viewfinder.

I have plenty of history of criticizing EVFs. I have argued that they cannot reproduce the clarity, depth and almost three-dimensional “pop” of an optical finder. I have found some electronic viewfinders slow, unresponsive and uncomfortable, and prolonged use has occasionally left me with eye strain or a headache.

The EVF inside the Leica M EV1 gave me none of those problems.

It activates incredibly quickly when I raise the camera to my eye, even when I have previously been composing via the rear screen. Movement looks natural, too. I did not experience that unpleasant, Jell-O-like effect where the image appears to smear or distort until the camera stops moving.

The 5.76-million-dot OLED finder refreshes at 60fps, offers 100% frame coverage and includes a sensor that automatically switches to and from the rear display. More importantly, it feels responsive in actual use rather than merely impressive on a specification sheet.

The ability to magnify the live image is also genuinely useful, particularly when working with some of my more unusual lenses.

Something like the Leitz 135mm Elmarit-M f/2.8 can be challenging to focus critically through a traditional rangefinder, but the M EV1 enables me to punch directly into the sensor image and confirm focus with far greater confidence.

That does not necessarily make the experience better than using an optical rangefinder, but it does make it different – and in certain situations, it is unquestionably easier. Long lenses, ultra-wides, close-focus designs and extremely fast glass all become more practical because you are seeing the image through the lens itself.

Quite frankly, after using the M EV1 properly, I struggled to find the major problem with its viewfinder that I had expected to encounter.

Even battery life has been excellent during my time with it, enabling me to concentrate on taking photographs rather than watching the remaining percentage disappear.

I particularly like what Leica has done with the traditional frameline selector. On a rangefinder-equipped M, that lever previews the different frameline pairs. On the M EV1, it can be configured to control focusing assistance and digital zoom.

With the camera I used, pushing the lever one way allowed me to toggle focus peaking, while moving it in the opposite direction activated the 1.3x or 1.8x digital crop. Those produce approximately 39MP and 18MP images, respectively, giving the old mechanical control a genuinely useful new purpose.

One complaint among some members of the Leica community is that this camera should not carry the M name at all. Without the rangefinder, the argument goes, Leica should have created an entirely separate product category.

From a marketing perspective, I understand that position. The M name has always been closely associated with rangefinder photography – and Leica buyers tend to care deeply about tradition.

But make no mistake: the M EV1 is an M-System camera through and through. It has the body, controls, sensor philosophy, manual focusing experience and direct connection to the catalog of M lenses. It simply places an EVF in front of your eye instead of a mechanical rangefinder.

That does not mean I have no complaints, though.

My first is the internal storage. The M EV1 provides 64GB, matching the original Leica M11, while the Leica M11-P offers a much more generous 256GB. In practice, 64GB is plenty for the way I shoot – and an SD card can always be inserted when more space is required.

Even so, considering where the M EV1 sits within Leica’s current lineup, I would have preferred to see the 256GB capacity carried across.

My second complaint could potentially be addressed through firmware. I frequently shoot DNG+JPEG, with the JPEG set to black-and-white. When that configuration is selected on the M EV1, both the LCD and EVF display the monochrome preview.

I would love the option to show the black-and-white preview on the rear screen while retaining a color image in the EVF. That would enable me to assess the monochrome interpretation when reviewing on the LCD, while the finder could provide a more natural, optical-style color view when the camera is raised to my eye.

It would be a small change, but one that could make the EV1 feel even closer to the traditional rangefinder experience.

Those are relatively minor complaints, however. The bigger question is whether replacing the optical rangefinder has taken away the spirit of the M-System.

No, it has not.

In some respects, I think the M EV1 strengthens the system. It creates a more accessible route into M photography for people who may be intimidated by rangefinder focusing. It also offers a natural next step for existing Q-series users who love the compact body, manual controls and EVF experience but want access to a wider range of lenses.

Would I buy one instead of my optical rangefinder-equipped Leica? Put it this way: if Leica releases the M EV1 in silver, the answer could very easily be yes.

I adore my Leica M Typ 240, and I am not ready to abandon the optical rangefinder. But when that camera eventually becomes too long in the tooth, the M EV1 may well be in my sights.

I have been genuinely blown away by how well its EVF performs and by how little the camera compromises the feeling of shooting with an M.

I thought removing the rangefinder would leave the Leica M EV1 feeling hollow. Instead, it has shown me that the soul of the M-System may not be contained in one mechanical component after all.

Perhaps it was hiding in the lenses, the proportions, the simplicity and the act of slowing down to focus for yourself.

Whatever it is, the M EV1 still has it.

Shop the Leica M EV1

DJI recently released a new video which both highlights a striking technical achievement – the DJI Flycart 30 thermal drone being used in the unforgiving conditions of Mount Everest – and really begs some serious questions about the fact it's doing it at all.

The film shows how the drone is helping Sherpas clear the staggering amounts of garbage that climbers simply abandon on the sides of 'the top of the world'. It also tells of the lives Sherpas have lost doing this largely uncredited work in the past, and watching it might just give you a new perspective on mountaineers.

The film begins with the striking fact that, as of last year, 6664 people had summited the famous mountain, leaving behind an average of 17.6 pounds / 8kg of garbage on the hillside. That attitude might have been acceptable in an adventurous first, but imagine what a national parks authority would have to say about it?

The math will tell you that's about 53 family-sized cars worth of junk lying on the side of the mountain, much of that air cylinders, left for local Sherpas – and they're not immune to the danger. In 2014 16 were killed in a single ice fall on the Kuhumbu glacier.

In April 2024, DJI began drone delivery tests with 8KRAW and a local company to establish whether the drones could handle the conditions, and it turns out the enormous 42.5Kg (93 pound) drone – and that's without batteries – was up to the challenge.

The drone is able to handle a payload of around 30Kg in ideal circumstances, and tested in the low temperatures of  -20 degrees (-4F), high cross winds and relatively thin air of Everest it was still able to successfully make deliveries between camps.

This meant it can be programmed to do so with a simple press of a button to follow the route using GPS, so multiple return and drops could replace many potential life-threatening Sherpa journeys, while the drone can also be used in S&R situations.

The drone tech is undoubtedly amazing, but I also couldn't help but ask myself how many people really need to climb Everest? Am I wrong? Perhaps the video a concern I should have had and showed me it was being solved all at once though!

Our guides to the best camera drones and the best thermal drones might not be for devices quite so hefty, but you'll find some to help with most situations.

The Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar P-Type II is a Leica M-mount rangefinder lens that can also be used on a host of mirrorless cameras via inexpensive ‘dumb’ mount adaptors. It was tested on a Sony A7 II and a Canon EOS R8, and the results were very different – more on that later!

The Voigtländer name is well known in photography, and Voigtländer lenses are now made by Cosina in Japan. They are not budget lenses. They are high-quality optics made for modern cameras. This one comes in a Leica M mount and would make a great lower-cost alternative to Leica lenses for fans of the red dot.

But the narrower lens mount and slightly longer flange distance of the M mount means you can get adaptors for today’s mirrorless bodies. We used adaptors from Urth. This 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar P-Type II is a fully manual lens with no electronic connections, so it doesn’t need complex lens adaptors and works in just the same way on a mirrorless body as it would on a rangefinder.

The f/2.5 maximum aperture might seem a handicap, but how often do you need anything faster? Where the Color Skopar excels is its small size, the quality of its controls, and its manual focus and depth of field control – though there is one niggle to be aware of here.

It's not likely to make it onto our list of the best Sony lenses because it's both specialized and an acquired taste, but if you're looking for the best 35mm lenses with a real retro vibe, then it's right up there.

Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar: specifications

Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar: price and availability

At the time of writing, the Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar P-Type II is on sale for around $429 / £398, which makes it rather cheaper than own-brand 35mm f/1.8 lenses but also, of course, rather slower in maximum aperture. It’s certainly not a cheap lens, but it does cost less than regular 35mm primes and is substantially smaller. It seems pretty widely available in the US, but while it's carried by many UK retailers, it may not always be in stock.

Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar: design and handling

This is such a compact lens that it’s almost a little fiddly to handle. The manual aperture ring is at the front of the lens, whereas on most digital lenses, or those that have aperture rings, it’s closer to the camera body. The Voigtländer’s focus ring is where your fingers might be expecting to find the aperture ring, so it does need a little acclimatization. 

The aperture ring is perhaps a little light but has very positive click stops in half-stop increments – not the one-third stops of modern systems – while the focus ring is beautifully smooth and has a focus lever on the base. It is rangefinder coupled for use on genuine rangefinder-focused cameras, but this coupling is redundant when used on mirrorless cameras.

It is wonderful to have a long focus travel and a detailed focus scale, together with depth of field index marks for apertures from f/4 to f/22, as these make hyperfocal focusing and zone focusing a breeze. These are forgotten arts well worth rediscovering in the modern era.

But there is a problem. We did not test this lens on a Leica rangefinder body which is, perhaps, what it is mainly designed for, but using three different adaptors on two different bodies we did find a discrepancy between the infinity mark and infinity focus. You can’t just turn the focus ring to its hard stop at infinity and expect the lens to be focused at infinity. In practice, ‘real’ infinity is somewhere between the infinity and 5m marks.

Whether you blame lens adapters or the lens, if you intend using the Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar P-Type II on a mirrorless camera, you should check the focus using the EVF or rear screen, ideally with magnification, or make allowances for any discrepancy in the distance scale.

Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar: performance

This is a relatively simple lens in optical terms, but its performance proved surprisingly good. There is some softening of detail at the edges, even after stopping down, and our sample was a little softer on the right side than the left, which could be annoying.

But while there is some visible vignetting, you might want to leave it in because it’s part of this lens’s very interesting character and can often improve the picture. We were expecting some chromatic aberration and perhaps distortion, but there’s precious little of either.

That was using a Sony A7 II body. We also tried this lens on a Canon EOS R8, this time via a Leica M to Canon RF adapter, and got a very different outcome. 

One of the issues with vintage lens designs is that they were originally made for film, which is very tolerant of high angles of incidence where the image strikes the edges of the frame. It turns out our EOS R8’s sensor is not. Towards the edges of the frame it produced a strong magenta shift that effectively makes the images from this lens unusable for color work – though you might get away with it if you use the Voigtländer on an APS-C Canon RF mount camera.

We didn’t expect to see a difference like that between two full frame mirrorless cameras. On this showing, we would certainly try out other older lens designs on a Sony body (and have done), but we won’t rush to repeat this experiment with the Canon.

So there are some drawbacks and pitfalls with this lens, and it can take a little while to get the hang of it and get the most from it.

But it’s worth it. The edge definition might not be great and there is some moderate corner shading, but the center sharpness is pretty spectacular, and the relatively simple optics give a level of contrast and punchiness you don’t normally see with a modern lens. If you want to recreate the look of old transparency film, maybe you should forget about so-called film simulations but look at what lenses like this do instead.

Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar: verdict

The Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar P-Type II is about as different as you can get to a modern digital lens, though for photographers who started out in film it will also be a reminder about how simple and effective lenses used to be.

You can zone focus perfectly well with this lens, though do check and make allowances for any discrepancies in the distance scale if you’re using it with an adapter. It’s also capable of extremely sharp results if you focus precisely – though this takes a little more time and effort than autofocus, so this is not exactly a point and shoot lens.

What this lens lacks in edge to edge sharpness it makes up for with superb centre sharpness, high contrast and a character that you don’t really see with modern lenses. With the Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar P-Type II, the handling and the look of the images are everything.

Voigtländer 35 mm/1:2.5 Color Skopar: alternatives

It wasn't long ago that Leica was selling just 500 film cameras per year and thinking about scrapping analog bodies altogether. In 2023, though, it racked up 5,000 film camera sales – heralding what the company called "the return of analog".

Not only did film camera sales increase tenfold from 2015 to 2023, they now account for 30% of all Leica rangefinder sales – driven, no doubt, by the release of the new Leica M6 in late 2022, which was so popular that it's been out of stock almost since it launched (only becoming widely available again in December). 

To put things into perspective, as pointed out by film specialist Kosmo Foto, Leica sold about 11,000 digital M-mount bodies – which really throws the 5,000 film camera sales into sharp relief.

"In our factories, you can still see old machines dedicated to film cameras in operation," Leica head honcho, Dr Andreas Kaufmann, told Phototrend in September. 

"But in 2015, we thought about throwing everything away because we were only producing 500 film cameras per year… We really appreciate the return of analog. And we will do more."

To casual observers, the resurgence of analogue photography might amount to little more than Millennials and Gen Zers buying second-hand film cameras and making it harder to get Fujifilm and Kodak stock. However, these figures show that there is something potentially quite seismic occurring. 

Indeed, Ricoh's eagerly anticipated Pentax film camera project could yield as many as four new cameras (which might ruffle Kaufmann's feathers, after he crowed that, "We are quite satisfied because we are still the only ones who can produce film cameras").

There have also been rumblings that Leica might resurrect more film cameras – perhaps the "we will do more" to which the good doctor was referring.

Either way, it's fantastic to see such signs of life in what was a virtually dead medium – particularly with yet more news that digital camera sales have slumped. 

Take a look at the best film cameras and the best Leica cameras, along with the best Leica M lenses. 

Venus Optics has revealed a Leica M-mount of its super-wide Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D LM, allow Leica rangefinder cameras to take breathtaking 110° ultra-wide-angle with a wide maximum aperture of f/2.

This isn't the first time this lens has appeared on Digital Camera World, in fact, we recently reviewed the Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D in a different mount and we found that The Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D is a fantastic optic, offering a fast, superwide lens at an affordable price – making it a bit of a unicorn lens for architectural and landscape photographers. 

For videographers, the ability to de-click the aperture by sliding a switch makes this an essential lens for shooting wide. It's an all-manual lens, but the image quality and distortion control are impressive.

But now in the Leica M-mount and with a custom 6-bit coding option for photographers to do their own code marking. The lens can then be recognized by Leica M cameras and recorded in the EXIF information of your images, this lens will also allow Leica users to take vast landscapes, interiors of abandoned buildings, and everything else in between. However, you will have to pick up an external viewfinder for your Leica to use this lens, or at least see what you might be capturing on your camera. 

The lens comprises 12 elements in 9 groups with 2 aspherical elements, controlling distortion to the minimum for photographers to do satisfying architecture and landscape shootings. It also comes with a lens hood that is equipped with a 72mm filter thread, this brings convenience and places less burden on outdoor shooting.

Filters can be directly screwed on the lens for photographers to shoot in extreme situations. Images can be captured with specific effects effortlessly, which is often quite a challenge with Leica-branded lenses.

If this has been helpful why not take a look at our best wide-angle lens guide, or why not take a look at our Leica M11 review if you're in the market for a new Leica camera.

UPDATE: Cosina has officially announced the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1 and the Voigtländer Super-Weide Heliar 15mm f/4.5 Aspherical lens for Nikon Z mount, as well as the Voigtländer Ultron 75mm f/1.9 SC and MC versions for Leica M Mount. 

Both the new 75mm lenses are comprised of 7 elements in 5 groups, 3 of which use anomalous partial dispersion glass. For a 75mm lens it's pretty compact at just 54.1mm in length, making it super portable and great for traveling or hiking with. An all-metal helicoid unit is processed and adjusted with high precision and high-quality grease to achieve just the right amount of torque. Both lenses have an RRP of ¥100,000 (approximately $779 / £637 / AU$1,117).

The Nokton 50mm f/1 aspherical lens is the brightest f/1 lens in the Voigtländer range of full-frame interchangeable lenses. Manufactured in-house, it uses a GA (grinded aspherical) lens to achieve a tighter style, it has electronic contacts to communicate between the lens and camera body, a 12-bladed diaphragm, and a price of ¥240,000 ($1,869 / £1,530 / AU$2,683).

Finally, the Heliar 15mm f/4.5 lens will have a 110° angle of view with very little distortion, ensuring sharp images from corner to corner. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.13m and despite being so wide is still compatible with square filters. With a filter thread of 58mm, filters can be attached without a special adapter and the flower-shaped hood is removable with a flat-head screwdriver. It's priced at ¥118,000 ($918 / £752 / AU$1,318).

…

ORIGINAL STORY (Jan 15 2023): Japanese lens manufacturer Cosina is set to announce four new Voigtländer lenses for Nikon Z and Leica M mount – including a super fast 50mm f/1 prime for Nikon shooters. 

While there are a couple of slightly faster lenses available for the Nikon Z mount, including the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 and the 7Artisans 50mm f/0.95, we have a sneaking suspicion that the Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1 Aspherical lens will perform much better, if the Voigtländer 50mm f/1.1 VM is anything to go by. 

• Check out the best 50mm lenses for Nikon, Leica, Canon, Sony et al

The second Nikon lens to be announced, according to a report by Asobinet, will be a super-wide angle Voigtländer Heliar 15mm f/4.5 Aspherical lens. Previous Heliar lenses, such as the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 for Leica M mount, have benefitted from a retro-looking design, a single-coated front element designed to reproduce classic color tones, and a knurled diamond pattern etched into the focus ring for easy holding – so we could expect to see these features in the latest wide angle. 

For those who shoot with a Leica M system, such as the Leica M11 or Leica M6, there are two lenses of the same focal length but in two different versions: a Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f/1.9 SC VM and a Voigtlander Ultron 75mm f/1.9 MC VM. 

You might be thinking, "Wait, they're the same lens!" They are slightly different; while the SC variant has a single coating on the front element, the MC version has a multi-coating that gives a neutral color rendering that we are used to from most model lenses. Which you go for is entirely down to the look you personally like the most. 

If you're looking for tip-top glass for your camera, check out our guides to the best Nikon Z lenses and the best Leica M lenses.

Japanese lens manufacturer Tokina has just announced it is launching a 33mm f/1.2 fully manual prime lens for Sony E mount and Fujifilm X mount. 

Until recently, if you owned one of the best Fujifilm cameras, the only lenses you could buy were Fujifilm branded. Since the company decided to make its X-series mount available to third-party brands such as Tokina, the number of lenses available to Fujifilm users has massively increased. This announcement is also good news for Sony users as Tokina is known for making lenses that are more affordable than own-brand lenses but they still deliver excellent image quality. 

• Read more: Discover the best Sony cameras

Coming in at 605g, it’s not too heavy considering it’s made up of 9 elements in 7 groups and has 11 aperture blades. It has a maximum aperture of f/16, a 48° angle of view and it comes with a lens hood and front and rear caps. 

The Tokina SZ 33mm f/1.2 has been designed for use in both photography and videography. Its super bright maximum aperture should provide excellent low-light performance and aesthetically pleasing bokeh, especially when shooting wide open. Its 33mm focal length is equivalent to a 50mm lens when shooting in full-frame so it looks to be a versatile prime for shooting portraits, street photos or even landscapes if you don’t want to shoot super wide. 

The main difference between the existing Tokina atx-m 33m f/1.4 is that it’s much faster and uses a manual focus and aperture – both of which help to keep costs down. If you’re someone who likes to have total control over your focus point, especially when shooting video, it would be worth saving the money and buying this version instead.

It features a click-less aperture ring which sets it up to be the perfect tool for videographers and the wide aperture will enable you to shoot beautifully blurred backgrounds (though you will need one of the best ND filters if you’re shooting video!). It also has a long focus throw to be extremely precise when focusing. 

With a recommended RRP of $399/€449, which is pretty great value for such a fast prime – the Fujifilm 56mm f/1.2 would set you back around £800 if bought brand new, so Tokina has definitely got the edge when it comes to price. 

It’s not on sale just yet but Tokina has said it will be on sale from June 17, 2022.

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Japanese lens company Cosina recently announced the release of the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Heliar Classic for VM Mount. Built with a classic design in mind, this modern lens is made to feature the optic quality of a retro lens with purposeful aberrations and beautiful bokeh. 

Made up of six elements in three groups, this Heliar derived lens features a maximum aperture of f/1.5 and a minimum aperture of f/16, making it the perfect choice for Leica M users who want something a little different. The Heliar lens was developed in 1900 for Voigtlander by Dr. Hans Harting. Originally it consisted of five elements in a symmetrical pattern but in 1902 the design was updated to reduce astigmatism, the curvature of field, and coma flare.

Read More: Leica M-10 review 

The modern Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 produces various aberrations and abstract bokeh you would not expect to see from a contemporary lens. Cosina says “The remaining coma flare and the single coating finish on the lens give an extremely unique aperture-opening depiction.”

The vintage appearance of this lens includes an all-metal focus ring, knurled with a diamond pattern made using a special cutting tool to improve operability. This is designed to help prevent slipping in the rotation and optical axis while adding to its high-end appearance.

The Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 is a manual focus lens that adopts an all-metal helicoid unit that has been processed and adjusted with high precision. This results in an appropriate amount of torque and a smooth focus ring that enables the user to make fine focus adjustments. 

Unlike most modern lenses, the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f/1.5 doesn’t have a multi-coated front element. Instead, Cosina opted for a single-coated lens that is designed to reproduce the classic color tone that was popular before multi-coating became the norm. Single-coated lenses filter out less of the reflected light which is why we end up seeing a different tone than in lenses that have multi-coatings for different wavelengths of light.

This latest addition to the Leica M mount lineup also supports full-frame 35mm format with its generous image circle and bayonet mount. It will be available to buy from September for approximately: £595 / $818 / AU$1131 (converted from Yen). 

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The Voigtlander Ultron Vintage Line 28mm f/2 Aspherical VM lens for Leica M-mount is now available for preorder, giving Leica M users a wide angle option one fifth of the price of the Leica alternative! It looks just as stylish as the Leica lens and is available in three different color versions. 

Although priced at $899 / £740 / AU$1,195, the Voigtlander Ultron Vintage Line 28mm f/2 Aspherical VM boasts a similar specification to Leica’s own Summicron M 28mm f2 ASPH lens (minus the metal lens hood), and won’t set you back the same princely sum of $4,995 / £3,700 / AU$6,888.

• Read more: Best Leica cameras

The lens is designed for use on digital M-series cameras such as the Leica M10 and Leica M-E rangefinder mirrorless bodies, but is also compatible with older Leica M film cameras.

The redesigned compact Ultron lens features improved aspherical optical performance using 10 lens elements in seven groups, which features one aspherical element and two abnormal partial dispersion elements for corner to corner sharpness and realistic color rendering. 

The Voigtlander 28mm f/2 lens features a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m or 0.7m when rangefinder coupled. It has a filter thread of 39mm and weighs 189g (6.7oz). It also features a focusing knob in addition to the distance ring, which is ideal for taking snapshots.

The lens uses a VM mount, which is compatible with Leica M mount cameras. Not only can it be used with rangefinder-linked cameras, it easily adapts to other popular mirrorless lens mounts via Voigtländer’s close focus VM-mount adapters to Sony E, Fujifilm X and Nikon Z-mount APS-C cameras, giving a 35mm equivalent of 42mm.

It will be available in two versions and three colors – a retro black and chrome (type I) and black and silver versions with a brass lens barrel (type II).

Though released on 10 June according to Leica Rumors, retailers such as PopFlash Photo suggest pre-orders will be delivered in late May.

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The new TTArtisan 90mm f/1.25 lens for M-mount cameras is now available for pre-order, providing Leica M-mount full-frame camera owners with an ideal manual portrait lens.

The lens is designed for use on digital M-series cameras such as the Leica M10 and Leica M-E rangefinder mirrorless bodies, but is also compatible with older Leica M film cameras. This new piece of glass promises dreamy bokeh with its fast maximum f/1.25 aperture.

• Read more: Best Leica cameras

The TTArtisan 90mm f/1.25 is quite a weighty lens at 1.01kg (35.63oz). To compensate for this, it incorporates a tripod mount in the lens body for steadier shot composition. The lens is constructed of 11 elements in seven groups, uses a 10-blade aperture diaphragm and has a minimum focusing distance of 1m (39.37in). It measures 97mm (3.82in) long and 82mm (3.23in) in diameter and has a front filter thread of 77mm.

The TTArtisan 90mm f/1.25 should be available for $770 with immediate dispatch from the TTArtisan online store from 14 May. No UK price has been announced yet.

Chinese company TTArtisan also has five other lenses available for the Leica M-mount: the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95, the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4, the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4, the TTArtisan 21mm f/1.5 and the TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye. 

Considering the hefty price of Leica digital cameras and lenses, these reasonably priced TTArtisan lenses are a great way to experiment with unusual pieces of glass without having to pay premium Leica prices. Even at $770, the TTArtisan 90mm f/1.25 costs looks extremely good value when you consider that Leica's slower Summilux-M 90mm f/1.5 ASPH would set you back $5,195 / £3,825!

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The Funleader 18mm F8.0 for Leica M is sold alongside the regular Funleader 18mm F8.0 for mirrorless cameras that we’ve already reviewed. This one, however, is made to fit cameras that use the Leica M bayonet mount. That includes old Leica film-based rangefinders and the latest digital versions.

You might wonder why someone with enough money to buy a Leica would want a lens as cheap as this, but there are lots of Leica M mount cameras in circulation, and lots of analog experimenters looking for a different kind of visual rendering.

What’s different about the M mount lens compared to the mirrorless version is that it has a focus lever, while its stablemate is fixed focus only. The focus lever on this lens is another nod towards Leica lenses.

Specifications

Format: 35mm Full-frame
Mount: Leica M-mount (adaptors for other cameras available)
Focal length: 18mm
Aperture: f/8.0 fixed
Field of view: 100°
Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Coating: Multi-coated
Closest focusing distance: 1.48ft (0.45m)
Body material: Aluminium
Size: 51 × 14mm
Weight: 40g

Key features

Although this lens comes with a Leica M mount, Funleader can supply adapters for use on other cameras. We used a Sony FE adapter to try it out on a Sony A7R II (we don’t have a Leica).

The availability of adaptors means that even if you don’t have a Leica, you can get the extra versatility of the focus lever compared to the fixed focus ‘mirrorless’ version.

There are five marked focus positions, from 0.45m through 0.7m, 1m, 2m and then infinity. The 0.45m and infinity settings have hard stops so that you can find them easily by touch, and the middle 1m setting has a firm detent to make that easy to find too – it’s probably closest to a ‘hyperfocal’ distance for this lens.

Build and handling

Attaching the lens to our Sony FE adaptor proved fiddly, but that’s more to do with the adaptor than the lens, we suspect.

The lens itself feels really nice to use. The aluminium barrel feels classy and hard-wearing and reassuringly heavy too, even though this lens actually weighs just 40g.

The focus lever is extremely smooth with no play or vagueness and just the right amount of ‘weight’. The looks indicate that this is clearly an experimental ‘novelty’ lens, but it has the handling and feel of a quality lens.

Performance

Unfortunately, its performance lets it down. We remarked on the heavy vignetting and average sharpness of the ‘mirrorless’ version of this Funleader lens, both of which proved correctable in software – though that ‘look’ is arguably part of this lens’s character.

This lens has exactly the same characteristics, but our sample was noticeably softer towards the left edge of the frame than the right. We don’t know if that’s just random sample variation or just a side effect of the focus movement – either way, it feels like one aberration too many.

Verdict

The Funleader 18mm F8.0 for Leica M mount is a great lens to look at and to use. The build quality feels a couple of steps higher than you would expect at this price, and the shooting experience is both disorientating and rewarding at the same time.

However, the optical quality does let it down. The vignetting, you could argue, is part of the ‘look’, as is the relatively low contrast. But it was the asymmetric left-side softness of our sample that grated the most. It is a fun lens, to be sure, but there’s probably more fun to be had from using it than from the pictures themselves.

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We already reviewed the Funleader Cap Lens 18mm f/8 and found it limited but actually rather appealing, and now Funleader has produced a new, updated version with a classic retro Leica-esque design... and we think it looks amazing.

The new lens comes with a Leica M bayonet mount, but you don’t have to use a Leica because Funleader is also selling it with adapters for L-mount, E-mount, Canon RF, Nikon Z and even Fujifilm X mounts – you just specify the adapter you need when you order.

The Funleader CAPLENS 18mm F8.0 is a ‘dumb’ lens (in the nicest possible way) that has a fixed f/8 aperture and a manual zone focus lever, so apart from the physical connection, there is no need for any electronic connections with the camera at all. 

Funleader CAPLENS 18mm F8.0 features

Where the Funleader Cap Lens we tested was fixed focus, this new version has a focus ‘stick’ which you can operate by touch, with four settings for distances from 0.8m to infinity. The short focal length and f/8 aperture means focusing won’t be that critical (except close up) and zone focusing is easy.

It’s still a very slim lens, but it is a little thicker than the previous fixed focus Funleader lens we tested, though still only 14mm thick and with a weight of just 40g. It’s no plastic novelty, either, with a one-piece aluminium alloy barrel and a lens construction of 6 elements in 5 groups.

The previous Funleader 18mm f/8 showed strong corner shading in our tests and a little softness, both correctable to a surprising degree in software, so we look forward to seeing what this new lens can do.

Funleader CAPLENS 18mm F8.0 specifications

Focal length: 18mm
Frame: 35mm Full-frame
Mount: Leica M-mount
Aperture: f/8.0
Field of view: 100°
Closest focusing distance: 1.48ft (0.45m)
Lens construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Coating: Multi-coated
Body material: Aluminium
Weight: Approx. 40g
Dimensions: 51×14mm

Price and availability

The Funleader CAPLENS 18mm F8.0 0.45m-∞ for M-mount costs $198 with free worldwide shipping, and the adapter is another $29 when bought at the same time. It's available now, though Funleader is quoting 2-4 weeks shipping time.

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TTArtisan is due to announce a new 50mm f/0.95 lens for the Leica M-mount. This mount was primarily designed for Leica film cameras, but it has also been used for digital M-series bodies as well, such as the Leica M10. 

Chinese company TTArtisan also currently have three other lenses available for the Leica M-mount, which include the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4, the TTArtisan 11mm f/2.8 Fisheye and TTArtisan 21mm f/1.5. Considering the hefty price of Leica digital cameras, these reasonably priced TTArtisan lenses are a great way to experiment with unusual pieces of glass without having to pay premium Leica prices.

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Rumor website Leica Rumors posted a few sample photos taken with a pre-production version of the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95 lens and the results look pretty dreamy. 

We've recently seen a flurry of 50mm-or-similar f/0.95 lenses after the announcement of the Nikon Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens. When this monstrous piece of glass (with an equally monstrous price tag of £8,000 / $8,000) was first announced, there was some healthy skepticism that anyone would even want to buy it. 

However, these commentators will surely have eaten their words, as Nikon recently announced that it was suspending pre-orders on the Noct due to an overwhelming amount of interest. Meanwhile, smaller companies such as TTArtisan will likely be looking to capitalize on this surge of attention on super wide aperture lenses with their own far more affordable f/0.95 offerings. 

While we don't have any further information on the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95 lens (including pricing), we'll be keeping a keen eye out for more details as soon as they drop. 

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