These are the best Leica macro lenses, chosen for how they deliver flat-field sharpness, apochromatic control, and smooth, repeatable focusing for product, beauty, botanical, and field macro across the modern SL/L systems and the classic M, R, and S platforms. Macro is about precision and working distance: optics that stay crisp at high magnification, neutral color that grades cleanly, long throws you can set by feel, and mechanics that leave room for lights, flags, and reflectors. On SL (L-Mount), the APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100mm f/2.8 is the native hero—clinical detail, beautiful micro-contrast, and a calm rendering that doubles for portraits; APS-C L users get the APO-Macro-Elmarit-TL 60mm f/2.8 ASPH for true life-size work in a compact body. If you want budget or specialty reach on L, third-party gems slot in seamlessly: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro (Art) brings fast AF, optical stabilization on some bodies, and crisp, neutral files; Laowa’s 90/100mm 2× APO macros add extended magnification and excellent CA discipline for jewelry, watch movements, and PCB detail. Classic R shooters—and SL owners via a simple adapter—have two legends: the APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100mm f/2.8 with its famously clean color and long, silky focus throw, and the Macro-Elmarit-R 60mm f/2.8, a versatile tabletop lens; both reach greater magnifications cleanly with the Macro-Adapter-R or ELPRO close-up lenses and remain studio workhorses for tethered sets. On M, the compact Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 plus the Macro-Adapter-M turns the rangefinder into a tidy macro rig for travel and product vignettes, while Visoflex-based classics (Elmar 65mm f/3.5, repro lenses on Bellows II/R) offer precise, rail-friendly focusing for copy and archival work; many modern M primes also pair well with the ELPRO-M close-up lens for quick, high-quality near focus without changing handling. Medium-format S users should reach for the APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 (CS) for graceful compression, leaf-shutter flash flexibility, and studio-clean rendering on reflective subjects. Image priorities across Leica macro are disciplined: apochromatic or near-APO behavior so chrome and porcelain don’t fringe, flat-field planes that keep labels and edges honest, coatings that resist veiling flare from softboxes and windows, and mechanics that make micro-tweaks repeatable on rails; leaf/central shutters on S and many adapted R solutions keep daylight flash sync easy, while IBIS on SL bodies steadies hand-styled adjustments between frames. Workflow multiplies results—shoot around f/5.6–f/11 for peak acuity and stack rather than choking to tiny apertures, use a focusing rail for parallax-safe stacks, cross-polarize (CPL on lens + gelled lights) to kill glare on glossy packaging and liquids, and standardize front diameters with step-up rings for diffusion/ND; for field insects and botanicals, work early or in shade, add soft diffusion, and let higher shutter speeds or strobe freeze motion. A practical kit recipe is clear: on SL, anchor with the APO-Macro-Elmarit-SL 100/2.8 and add Sigma 105/2.8 (or Laowa 90/100 2×) when you need AF value or extreme magnification; on R, run the APO-Macro-Elmarit-R 100/2.8 with a Macro-Adapter-R (plus the 60/2.8 for tabletop agility); on M, pair Macro-Elmar-M 90/4 + Macro-Adapter-M (and an ELPRO-M for quick close-ups); on S, the 120/2.5 macro is the studio standard. Whether you’re photographing gemstones and watch calibers, cosmetics and beverages with controlled speculars, fungi and insects at dawn, or filming tactile product reels with precise rack-to-detail moves, the best Leica macro lenses deliver magnification discipline, neutral color, and ergonomic control that make tiny worlds look immaculate and intentionally lit.