So basically the consensus is the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron Vintage Line Type II VM beats the Nokton for sharpness, plus the 28mm for street. For more value, check these: * Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton Vintage Line Aspherical II VM - solid all-rounder.
* Voigtlander 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar VM - tiny and cheap! Ngl, just definetly test that focus coupling early... stay safe! Love the M10 choice!! 👍

In my experience, i had issues with the Voigtlander 35mm f/1.4 Nokton Classic VM II focus shift... honestly, just get the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron Vintage Line Type II VM, the resolution is wayyy better!!

TL;DR: Honestly same, I have been stuck in this exact research loop for months and it is just exhausting. I had the same realization after getting my M10... thought I could just find one or two reliable lenses and be done with it. Unfortunately, I have been dealing with the same overwhelming feeling for a long time now. Ngl, every time I think i have a handle on the difference between the versions, I find another thread saying one is soft or has bad focus shift. It is so frustrating because I just want to go out and shoot street photos but instead I am just refreshing tabs and getting more confused. I have had my camera sitting there for weeks without a lens because I am terrified of making the wrong choice with my limited budget... honestly just feels like a maze at this point and I still dont have a clue what to do.

Oh man, welcome to the Leica family!! In my experience, Voigtlander is where the real fun is at for value. I remember that sticker shock... it literally hurts your soul lol. Had a second to think about this and for street/travel, I HIGHLY recommend checking out their 28mm f2. It’s super compact and the rendering is beautiful... very punchy with great contrast and basically zero distortion, right? It's basically a street photography cheat code cuz the focus tab is so snappy. These lenses are the sweet spot for the M10 sensor. Here's what I'd grab: * The 28mm f2 - amazing for zone focusing on the street.
* The 50mm f1.5 - it has way more soul than the clinical lenses and its way cheaper.
* The 21mm f4 - tiny and perfect for architecture. Seriously, you dont need to spend 5k for amazing results. Just get out there and shoot!! Are you planning on doing more color or B&W? peace

ngl, been there with that sticker shock... it's brutal. I've been in the Leica game for over a decade now, and I've learned that "value" can be a trap if the lens doesnt hold up mechanically. I once had a lens where the rangefinder coupling arm just... stopped being accurate mid-trip in Italy. Super frustrating when your shots come back blurry and you can't trust your gear. Before I give my full list of advice, can you clarify if you're planning on using an external viewfinder for wider shots, or if you're sticking strictly to what the M10 frame lines show? Also, are you doing mostly daytime street stuff or a lot of low-light? It really matters for which apertures are actually "safe" and reliable for your specific shooting style. If you're worried about reliability and build, I reallyyy suggest looking at the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Aspherical VM Type II. It’s tiny and solid—way safer than the faster f/2 versions if you want consistent sharpness and zero focus shift. For travel, the Voigtlander 21mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar Vintage Line Aspherical VM is basically a masterpiece of build quality; it actually feels more "Leica" than some actual Leica lenses I own. I know the others mentioned the 35mm and 50mm staples, but if you want a reliable long lens that wont break the bank, the Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar VM is a total sleeper. It’s incredibly sharp and the mechanical tolerances are super tight. Just be careful with older second-hand Voigtlanders... some of the early ones develop "haze" or loose barrels over time. Stick to the newer releases to be safe! gl!

Honestly, the Leica tax is getting completely ridiculous. Ive been shooting M-mounts for a long time and the price hiking just feels like a scam at this point. It drives me crazy that a simple prime lens now costs as much as a used car. Leica has basically become a luxury jewelry company that happens to sell cameras. If you want to see the real technical gap between the brands, check out:

• The Fred Miranda M-mount subforum
• Phillip Reeve's manual lens reviews
• CameraQuest for the history on why there are so many versions Its such a scam that we even have to hunt for value like this because the standard glass is priced into the stratosphere. Companies just dont care about photographers anymore, they only care about collectors and people with too much money. It really is a joke.

Re: In my experience, i had issues with the...

• yeah i totally agree with that, focus shift is a massive headache when you just want a reliable tool. honestly if you want the best breakdown of which ones are actually built to last i would just check out some of the dedicated gear review sites or youtube. i saw a really solid video once that showed how to test the rangefinder coupling yourself at home using a focus chart... just search for 'leica m lens calibration test' and you can find guides on how to make sure any lens you buy is actually working right. its way better than just taking someones word for it imo. there are also tons of threads on reddit about this if you search for 'voigtlander m mount longevity' and you'll find a lot of data. basically just do a bit of digging on there and youll see which ones people are actually keeping in their bags long term... good luck with the kit tho!