This holiday season, we’re looking at fun and affordable lenses for mirrorless systems. There will be both unique lenses and some overlap thanks to the vast number of third-party lenses hitting the market for all major brands. In this guide, we’re covering lenses for the L-Mount. From ultra-wide-angle lenses suited for landscapes and architectural images to super telephoto ones for sports and wildlife, we’ll be covering a variety of focal lengths are variety of uses. Of course, the L-Mount is shared across brands like Leica, Sigma, and Lumix, so feel free to use these lenses across the L-Mount Alliance.
7Artisans 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens
First up is a dynamically wide lens with the 7Artisans 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye. The fisheye design renders a 178° field of view, which produces a dramatic perspective. In addition, the minimum focus distance of just 6.7” means you can shoot close to your subject while capturing a wide scene in the background.
7Artisans 18mm f/5.6 MF Lens
Up next is a lens that packs a wide perspective to capture vast landscapes and scenic imagery. The 7Artisans 18mm f/5.6 manual focus lens is made for traveling at just over 5 oz. Two extra-low dispersion elements and one refraction element increase sharpness and reduce chromatic aberration. While this lens isn’t winning any low-light performance awards, it’s perfectly suitable for daylight shooting scenarios.
The 18mm focal length is ideal for landscape and scenic photography, and while this particular lens is not necessarily fast, it serves the user well in a field where stopping down to f/8 and beyond is the standard.
7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III Lens
When you want to slow down and appreciate everything involved in taking a photo, a manual lens like the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III is a great tool for the job. The longer effective focal length makes this a great option for portraiture and travel.
The aperture ring can be toggled between clicked or de-clicked operation for smooth control. This is an ideal feature for video shooters, making this a versatile option for any creator looking for a fun, everyday lens.
Lumix S 18-40mm f/4.5-6.3 Lens
Touted as the world’s most compact full-frame zoom lens, the Lumix S 18-40mm is just 1.6” long and weighs only 5.5 oz. Designed to pair well with Lumix’s S9, this lens feels right at home on any L-Mount camera. Its stellar image quality comes as the result of an optical design featuring three aspherical elements, two extra-low dispersion elements, and one ultra-high refractive element.
Even at its small size, the 18-40mm is dust, splash, and freeze resistant. A Fluorine coating makes the front element resistant to droplets and oils for easier cleaning.
Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG Contemporary Lens
The Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG is a compact, versatile prime with a focal length useful for everyday shooting and portraiture. The bright maximum aperture of f/2.8 can be dialed in with a dedicated aperture ring, keeping with the feel of classic Leica M glass.
The optical design of this lens features two aspherical elements to maximize sharpness and a Super Multi-Layer Coating that controls reflections and lens flare. Weather-resistant construction and a brass bayonet mount make for an incredibly durable lens.
Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 Lens
The Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 is a bright standard zoom and an excellent choice for both still photography and video. The f/1.8 aperture provides greater control over depth of field for smooth separation between your subject and the background.
For video shooters, focus breathing suppression when used on a Lumix S series camera. The focus ring can also be customized to match the user’s needs. Additionally, the dust-, splash-, and freeze-resistant design will keep you shooting in even the toughest conditions.
Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens
A standard zoom is essential in any photographer’s bag. The Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary is a versatile, portable option that features the same bright maximum f/2.8 aperture found in top-of-the-line zooms. To make things more interesting, this lens maintains the f/2.8 aperture while being smaller and lighter than similar 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses.
An oil and water repellent coating on the front element keeps the lens free of droplets and smudges, while the weather sealed design keeps the entire lens protected.
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art Lens
A 105mm macro lens at this price point is hard to come by any of the big camera manufacturers, let alone on for the L-mount. As an art lens, the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN is exceptional in its ability to deliver sharp, beautifully rendered images both up close and afar, as the 105mm focal length doubles as an excellent portrait lens. That said, for our purposes, let’s focus on the close-ups.
The lens offers a true to life 1:1 magnification ratio with a minimum focusing distance of 11.6”. that extra working distance allows users to more easily photograph insects, arachnids, and other critters without fear of spooking them. Additionally, the included focus limiter switch can be toggled to constrain focusing range within three zones for faster, more responsive AF. The only thing that could be better would be a longer macro lens.
Venus Optics Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO Lens
Would you look at that, a longer macro lens. The Laowa 180mm f/4.5 1.5x Ultra Macro APO Lens provides a stunningly close 1.5:1 magnification ratio at 180mm with a similar 11.8” minimum focusing distance and 5.8” working distance to the Sigma offering above. The catch, this lens is completely manual, relying on the photographer to dial in focus.
For stationary subject matter, this is a no-brainer. With nearly double the focal length of its contemporaries, the 180mm Laowa is an excellent choice. This is especially true when you consider portability. The f/4.5 maximum aperture aids the lens in striking a perfect balance between brightness and portability.
Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens
Super-telephoto reach in a relatively compact design, the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS is a versatile, hand-holdable zoom perfect for sports, wildlife, and even some portrait applications. Fast, silent autofocus driven by a stepping motor solidifies this lenses place as in your bag for fast action.
When mounted on an APS-C camera, you’ll get an effective focal length range of 150-600mm, perfect for capturing frame filling shots of distant wildlife. A brass bayonet and rubber sealing provide a rigid build and render the mount dust and splash resistant.
While this list encompasses some of our picks for fun, affordable lenses for the L-Mount system, there are just too many options to list them all. Many of the lenses in this article are just one of many in a series featuring many focal lengths. If you’re interested in learning more about photography, read more on the B&H Explora page!
