Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ASPH "1966" 2024

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Duofold RF

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Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ASPH "1966"

A recreation of the mythical and highly sought-after 50mm f/1.2 ASPH from 1966. Down to the lanthanide-infused glass code named: "900403". We are proud of our development with the polishing aspherical process, using classic high-temperature grinding and polishing processes. There were several...
lightlenslab.myshopify.com lightlenslab.myshopify.com
 

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There are lenses that are bought due to their place in history, being the first of a type, pushing bleeding-edge of technology, being unique, owned by a famous individual, other reasons than outright performance. The novelty of an item to make it collectible. The Leica 50/1.2 Noctilux hits most of the marks for being valuable to collectors. As far as optical performance- the Voigtlander 50/1.2 Nokton is superior.

I suspect in 20 years after production ceases, the LLL lenses will be valuable to collectors. Many of these low-production lenses with fast-aperture will go up in value. The 7artisans 50/1.1 is getting more attention now, that it is out of production. At under $400, fun to own and shoot with.
With a price of over $2K: The LLL 50/1.2 is more expensive than the 50/1 Nokton, and not as good optically. Some high-cost production techniques are required to produce the lens, so it is not over-priced. Just that improvements in optics and manufacturing techniques have been made in the last 60 years.

Am I tempted? It's not a Sonnar. I've dropped more in Sonnars in the last year than this lens cost. But with those- I convert them to LTM and can always get an immediate increase in value. I was informed that one of my lenses was sold in Europe for about the price of this one.

www.popflash.com

Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ASPH. "1966" Aluminum/Black Paint Lens NEW

The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ASPH. "1966" Lens is a recreation of the mythical and highly sought-after 50mm f/1.2 ASPH from 1966.
www.popflash.com

So- in the US, visit Popflash to reserve a copy. Figure about a year for shipment, as per Popflash. $500 deposit, and only a 5% cancellation fee on the deposit, $25 to change your mind.
 
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I guess most viewers miss the point. In the hot/cold shoes, there is CCCP log. China is a place where mixed feudalism capitalism and communism. The LLL, the Polar are all profit on the name of Leica.
 
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Sonnar Brian said:
.......I suspect in 20 years after production ceases, the LLL lenses will be valuable to collectors.....
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Brain, life is short, while you can enjoy the real stuff. My kids have no interests in camera/photograph, so my stuff will be either end up in goodwill or dumpster.
 
I have several lenses from Brian, so I don't really need a lens by LLL that recreates lenses from the past. The first LLL lens was different for me. I used to own two Summicron V1 8-element lenses; one with goggles and one without. I traded off the one without goggles towards an M9 then, so I missed having that lens. The LLL lens was without goggles. I have since then bought a CV 50/1.1 and a CV 50/1.0 and a CV 50/2 APO. This is enough lens purchasing for me. I think, I skipped getting the CV 50/1.2. My 50/1.2 is the Canon ltm 50/1.2.
 
Duofold RF said:
Brain, life is short, while you can enjoy the real stuff. My kids have no interests in camera/photograph, so my stuff will be either end up in goodwill or dumpster.
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My investment Broker has instructions to sell off the collection using a shop that will sell on consignment.
My Bucket List of lenses- Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.5 from the same batch that DDD bought, and the first-batch CZJ Sonnar 5cm F1.5- done.
PopFlash and one other person are on the short list. I guess the day will come when the market is flooded with pre-war 5cm Sonnars and Jupiter-3s in LTM. Somebody will find out what decades of cherry picking Sonnars will have come to.
 
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Duofold RF said:
lightlenslab.myshopify.com

Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ASPH "1966"

A recreation of the mythical and highly sought-after 50mm f/1.2 ASPH from 1966. Down to the lanthanide-infused glass code named: "900403". We are proud of our development with the polishing aspherical process, using classic high-temperature grinding and polishing processes. There were several...
lightlenslab.myshopify.com lightlenslab.myshopify.com
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Gotta love the use of communist icons as a tool for peddling wares to the bourgeoisie.
 
Maybe politically incorrect, but I have too many fun conversations with Mr. Liam in here and other sites, I actually like some his point of views/opinions.
 
James Liam has not signed onto RFF for over 6 months now.

There is a more comprehensive thread on the LLL 50/1.2 on RFF already.

LLL 50mm f/1.2 ASPH "1966"

$2K to $2500 remake of the Leica 50mm f/1.2 1966 https://lightlenslab.myshopify.com/products/light-lens-lab-50mm-1-2-asph-1966-pre-order Review at
www.rangefinderforum.com www.rangefinderforum.com

It is an interesting 6/4 fast fifty, the idea that the aspheric surface basically allowed less elements to be used for the fast F1.2 aperture. BUT- sample-to-sample variation was high, and performance over the field varied wildly, according to tests. I've never shot with one, if I walk into one for cheap at an antique shop- would grab it. The pictures I've seen taken with it are not enough to make me want the $2K LLL version.

The LLL incarnation will be interesting to watch. About 1/4th the price of the new Leica version, which itself goes for about 1/4th the price of an original.
The modern Leica incarnation of this lens seems to get little attention here.
 
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Sonnar Brian said:
Am I tempted? It's not a Sonnar. I've dropped more in Sonnars in the last year than this lens cost. But with those- I convert them to LTM and can always get an immediate increase in value. I was informed that one of my lenses was sold in Europe for about the price of this one.
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Exquisite.
 
I have no interest in this lens. I was surprised the LLL ”official site” which is targeting western consumers is promoting CCCP/commu log. I guess there is no political correctness education in China.
 
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Duofold RF said:
I was surprised the LLL ”official site” which is targeting western consumers is promoting CCCP/commu log. I guess there is no political correctness education in China.
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To be fair, I imagine that if you're from a Communist nation, putting a hammer and sickle on something is no more controversial or tasteless than the American tendency to slap a stars-and-stripes on basically everything. "They're so proud of their nation; why can't we be proud of ours?", and so on.
 
Coldkennels said:
To be fair, I imagine that if you're from a Communist nation, putting a hammer and sickle on something is no more controversial or tasteless than the American tendency to slap a stars-and-stripes on basically everything. "They're so proud of their nation; why can't we be proud of ours?", and so on.
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LLL is targeting market outside China. I do not think western consumers like hammer and sickle log, only tovarisch like them. LLL is a very proud tovarisch from the front name ring red China to CCCP hammer/sickle log. LLL may needs to hire a publicist.
 
Coldkennels said:
To be fair, I imagine that if you're from a Communist nation, putting a hammer and sickle on something is no more controversial or tasteless than the American tendency to slap a stars-and-stripes on basically everything. "They're so proud of their nation; why can't we be proud of ours?", and so on.
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I know a few Chinese people and they are proud of their nation. The people I know are, unsurprisingly, open, friendly and kind - and in so being break down our western stereotypes of the country. The most wealthy are open and acknowledge both what we see as challenges and inconsistencies, but are also quick to point out our blind spots about our own culture.

Nothing to do with this thread of course😉
 
Where’s the hammer and sickle? On the lens? China is communist in the party name only. It’s purely capitalist not even a hint socialism. Call them a dictatorship if you want. I spent 30 years working in Asia mostly in China since the 90’s. If you see the photos I have posted all in various parts of Asia they were made when I snuck off from work.
 
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Duofold RF said:
LLL is targeting market outside China. I do not think western consumers like hammer and sickle log, only tovarisch like them. LLL is a very proud tovarisch from the front name ring red China to CCCP hammer/sickle log. LLL may needs to hire a publicist.
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To be fair, the people who will rage furiously at seeing a hammer and sickle on their website are the same people who furiously say they'll never buy a single thing from China anyway (even though they constantly do without realising). LLL will never get them "on side", no matter how much they spend on publicists; they'd have to move their entire operation to another country and be run by someone called John to win that crowd over.

Just look at the way people talk about LLL making nothing but "rip-offs" and "copies", while no one questions Cosina's modern Heliar reproductions or the fact that someone's producing a remake of the Rollei 35 (and yes, I know that now officially has the Rollei name on it... but still). The spectre of Mccarthy still looms large.
 
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