You can only choose one lens…

For me if would be something like a pre-aspherical Summilux in 35mm of course. It's like having two lenses in one -- stopped down vs wide open. Limited to only one lens the rest of your career, you would want the variety. Or one of the early Summicrons and travel a lot for the variety of scenes.
I think you've tempted me to change back to the very same Summilux 35 again! But I'll stick it out rather than abort the mission...
 
I was day dreaming on a recent bike ride, and for some reason or another this thought crossed my mind:

Strictly speaking of rangefinder lenses (including lenses permanently affixed to RF cameras.) Not mirrorless, not SLR or DSLR, only glass for RF cameras qualifies. (Contax G is considered an RF for this exercise.)

You can only choose one lens for the rest of your photographic life.

Which single lens would be your choice?
Very simple: the Hexanon 50 1.8 on my Konica IIIA! Nothing beats it. Not even the Summicron of its day 😂
 

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Me? If we're really talking one lens..... 50 mm doesn't work for me....nor 40mm. As many decades as I've used a Summicron 35, there was something just something about the Summaron 35 2.8 LTM I had. But since this is of course all hypothetical, i'd settle for the re-issue steel rim Summilux & just my old black M4.IMG_6407.jpg
 
In a similar thread awhile back I chose a 28, but as I read the musings in this thread and reflect on all of the lenses I've owned over the years, if I could only pick one to carry for the rest of my life it'd have to be a 50mm Noctilux f/1. I've never enjoyed a lens more and I've always regretted selling it. Leica M3 & Noctilux.jpg
 
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