When you think Leica, you don’t think cheap.

We even covered the Leica M11 recently and attempted to explain the “Leica difference”.

And while we concluded that there’s indeed a difference, we also conceded that you can buy a functionally superior camera at a quarter of a new M-series’ sticker price.

Leica has been one of the most prestigious brands in the photography industry for the longest time so we just sort of accepted any red-dotted things won’t come cheap.

Still, the M-series of cameras draw in droves of enthusiasts and professionals into their ecosystem, for whatever mysterious reason.

So we thought it’d be fun to see if we can find Leica cameras, or Leica-branded cameras, and even direct, very attainable Leica alternatives that won’t make a dent in your life’s savings.

Leica M3

If you want a true Leica rangefinder experience, there’s no better entry point than the Leica M3.

The M3 was the first M-series camera produced, and in many aspects is one of the most important M-series releases ever.

It was a roaring revolution from the get-go, starting with the bayonet mount. All Leica cameras before the M3 had the clumsy screw mount system which made switching lenses too fiddly.

The new M rangefinder featured a bigger, brighter and more accurate viewfinder than any previous Leica camera. But what made it truly special is the availability of three framelines: 50, 95 and 135mm, giving the photographer a more accurate focusing process.

Now you may want to save a bit of your budget for a light meter, but for what you’re getting, there are worse ways you can spend around $1,000. If you’re okay with a few “battle scars” on your M3, then you surely can find a better deal.

Leica CL (Leitz Minolta CL)

What makes the Leica CL so special, besides its sub-$1,000 price point, is the very interesting history behind it. Rumor has it that in the late 60s, Leica was facing serious pressure from the technically superior 35mm SLRs.

The Nikon F systems at the time were quickly becoming the go-to professional 35mm cameras, so Leica tried to swing back and struck up an unlikely alliance with Minolta. The Leica and Minolta partnership produced the Leica CL (released as Leitz Minolta CL in Japan).

Think of the Leica CL as a more advanced, if not more sophisticated Canonet. The CL was a compact, interchangeable rangefinder system with a built-in meter. It had three different framelines for 40mm, 50mm and 90mm focal lengths and can raise shutter speed up to 1/1000 – the Leica CL was the M3 Lite.

Unfortunately, the CL wasn’t the smash hit Leica hoped it to be and was discontinued by 1975. Still the Leica CL (not to be confused with the APS-C Leica CL Typ 7323) is a great camera and piece of Leica history rolled into one compact shooter.

Leica Sofort

We’ll get into digital Leicas in a second but I thought this roundup wouldn’t be complete without the Sofort, especially with Instant Cameras making a comeback.

The Sofort, or instant in German, was a sub-$300 instant camera from Leica released in 2016.

Now I say was because it’s now discontinued and a used Sofort can go up to $500 on eBay.

The Sofort takes Fujifilm Mini Film cartridges and boasts a whole host of fun features you’d expect from an instant camera like double exposure and bulb mode.

It’s also surprisingly compact and is barely larger than an adult’s palm. The unmissable red dot badge is proudly flashed upfront and “Designed by Leica Camera Germany” is stamped on the camera’s backside.

If you’re into big, bright, and bold colors, you can get the Sofort in many eye-popping flavors like the bright red and orange variants. Build is still plastic, but it’s at least good plastic.

It’s up to you if the $500 Leica tax is worth paying or not. Either way, the Sofort is still an important release from Leica, being the company’s first instant camera.

If you want to evaluate other options, see our post on our favorite Instant Film Cameras.

Leica D-Lux 7

Now if you want a digital Leica but can’t pony up the budget for any of the Leica M-series yet, the D-Lux 7 may be for you.

It’s a compact micro four thirds camera with a fixed 24-70mm f1.7-2.8 (equivalent) lens. The D-Lux features a 17-megapixel sensor, a good EVF, and a bright, versatile lens that can do everything from general photography, vlogging, up to street photography.

On the video side, the Leica D-Lux 7 shoots beautiful 4K files and sports good stabilization, making it great for run and gun shooting or selfie-style recording.

There’s also no mistaking the Leica design language incorporated into this very compact body – the dashing line of silver on the top end and matte black on everything else screams Leica premium. Of course, there’s also the unmistakable red dot displayed up front.

The D-Lux 7 is without a doubt the most capable camera we’ve mentioned so far in this round up. It can be had for around $1,400 brand new or a drop below a grand in the used market.

But here’s the clincher: the D-Lux 7 is a rebranded Panasonic LX100 II.

There’s no bait-n-switch going on here. Panasonic and Leica actually have a lot of history manufacturing stuff together, especially in the optics department, and the D-Lux 7 is only one of their more recent collaborations.

Try not to be as put off if you can, though. Leica did work on the very nice DC Vario-Summilux 24-75mm f/1.7-f/2.8 in front of the compact body, so it’s still deserving of that Leica badge as far as I’m concerned.

There’s a $400 difference between the Panasonic LX100 II and the Leica D-Lux 7, but if you want the Leica styling and the potentially higher resale value, then there should be no shame in getting the latter.

Fuji X100V – The Poor Man’s Leica

The Voightlander Bessa series of cameras were one of the most serious “poor man’s Leica” alternatives back in the day. It was, and still is, a very capable 35mm rangefinder system that could go toe-to-toe with the mighty M.

In the digital realm, it was the Fujifilm X100 that became the de facto everyday man’s Leica alternative almost overnight.

Never mind the unapologetic borrowing of the M’s iconic styling – the X100V, now on its fifth iteration, is a very special camera in its own right.

The latest update on the V gave the tried-and-true X100 formula a brand new 26MP X-Trans sensor and a sharper, more refined 35mm equivalent lens. Unlike any M, the X100V has a very capable AF system, making it a more practical choice for beginners.

The V also carried over and improved upon the very unique hybrid viewfinder of the original X100. You can move from a regular EVF to an optical finder with a flick of a switch. Because it’s got an EVF, manual focusing is a viable option with peaking and all the V’s assistive features.

But what makes the X100 series an awesome, more financially sensible Leica alternative is its superb image quality and unique shooting experience more than anything else.

Fujifilm has won over a huge chunk of the market because of how their X-Trans sensors beautifully render an image.

Add the Fujifilm camera-standard film emulation that mimics Fuji’s most popular film stocks into the mix, and you get a more practical everyday shooter that can rival cameras literally 10 times its sticker price.

At around $1,600, the Fujifilm X100V is my personal choice for a true Leica alternative.