Light Lens Lab 50mm f1.5 "Z21" - Angenieux S21 redux

[Miles.]

Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 "Z21" in Production Stage

Hello Everyone, We are excited to announce that the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 "Z21" is now in production stage. A prototype has been completed and has arrived in North America for testing. This prototype is also available for reviewers worldwide. After several iterations, the current version...

lightlenslab.com

Looks like Light Lens Lab is taking on a new lens project -- a "new" 50mm f1.5 "Z21" that's inspired by the Angenieux S21 50mm f1.5.

Original LTM S21 lenses are $30,000-$60,000 USD so this makes sense!

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Now if they could only remake the Summar 5cm f2 I could die happy...

 

[kiemchacsu]

Wow, LLL has become a reputated Optics Manufacturer in such a short time period, just less than 5 years since they first released the 35/2 Replica.

 

[Freakscene]

Original LTM S21 lenses are $30,000-$60,000 USD so this makes sense!

Really!?

Wow. I gotta raid the lens swamp.

I am sure that one of these that I have came from an Antique store with a very gummy iiic for $80. Edit: it was 1990-something.

 

[Miles.]

Really!?

Wow. I gotta raid the lens swamp.

😅😅😅

 

[Freakscene]

I should pay more attention to those auctions.

 

[Ororaro]

Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 "Z21" in Production Stage

Hello Everyone, We are excited to announce that the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 "Z21" is now in production stage. A prototype has been completed and has arrived in North America for testing. This prototype is also available for reviewers worldwide. After several iterations, the current version...

lightlenslab.com

Looks like Light Lens Lab is taking on a new lens project -- a "new" 50mm f1.5 "Z21" that's inspired by the Angeniuex S21 50mm f1.5.

Original LTM S21 lenses are $30,000-$60,000 USD so this makes sense!

------

Now if they could only remake the Summar 5cm f2 I could die happy...

You wish for a CHEAP chinese COPY in order to die happy??

Arrono man… I will never touch those chinese copies, not even with a ten foot pole. Not even a hundred foot pole.

 

[Miles.]

You wish for a CHEAP chinese COPY in order to die happy??

Arrono man… I will never touch those chinese copies, not even with a ten foot pole. Not even a hundred foot pole.

No need for elitism here. Come on in, the water's fine!

 

[Ororaro]

No need for elitism here. Come on in, the water's fine!

An original summar can be found for very cheap. Elitism?

 

[yossi]

Haha the Chinese will continue to copy anything that can make money, happily. How many bitter souls would die of stroke or heart attack because of that is the least of their concern. 😉

 

[Bradford]

I don't think anyone forbids Europeans from making their own copies.

 

[Ororaro]

I don't think anyone forbids Europeans from making their own copies.

The Europeans find no pride in copying. There’s a sense of pride over the easy money grab.

Whereas, for the chinese, the money grab is the pride.

The problematic is philosophical.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Cult lenses. Light Lens Labs is basically reverse-engineering these lenses, adapting the design, and implementing them using modern manufacturing techniques. The result- people being able to buy the LLL version of lenses that are selling for more than 10x what they used to go for 30 years ago. The prices being paid- are for the scarcity of the lens, not that they perform better than others made at the same time. At some point- will the bubble for these scarce lenses pop? I've been buying the less common Japanese lenses in Leica mount for a fraction of what they sold for 10 years ago. The Chinese lenses- prices on used TTartisans lenses are down about 1/3rd from new, after 2 years. The 7Artisans- prices on the 50/1.1 Sonnar are up after it being discontinued. LLL lenses- wait a year or two, then look for them on Ebay.

This lens is a

• Six elements in a four-group design

SO- the lens that a reviewer should compare it with is the Canon 50mm F1.4 in LTM. It's another 6 element in 4 group design. Most F1.5 and F1.4 50mm lenses split one of the elements of that design to give a 7 element in 5 group design. Looking at the example photos on the LLL web-page, the Summarit 5cm F1.5 gives near-identical results, IF you can find on with clean glass.

 

[Ororaro]

It is a philosophical question with philosophical answers.

I could never be contempt by lusting for a Original Steel Rim and ending up with a chinese lens called “Peace lens optics atelier”, and somehow (even remotely) feel satisfied.

There are indeed people who would gladly eat a porc Chop disguised as Japanese A7 Wagyu, and finding immense joy into believing it is indeed an A7 wagyu for the low sum of 1.99$… so…

 

[splitimageview]

Derogatory posts are not welcome here, @Ororaro, mkay ? Thanks.

 

[Duofold RF]

If LLL sends the design to DJ Optical, like other artisans do, the price would be much lower. Anything associated with a luxury brand or rarity tends to command a higher price—it’s psychological, part of human nature. If wearing a fake Rolex makes someone happy, so be it. In this era of De-DEI, we should be open to different opinions, even the ones that seem extreme or “derogatory.”

 

[Coldkennels]

In this era of De-DEI, we should be open to different opinions, even the ones that seem extreme or “derogatory.”

I refer you to the Paradox of Tolerance. Or, alternatively, the Nazi bar story.

I'm not saying Orararo is a nazi, before anyone misunderstands. But attacking something purely because of its place of origin, or deriding an entire nation and culture with unfounded criticisms, is very much the thin end of a wedge that shouldn't be tolerated.

As I've said before on LLL-related threads: it wasn't that long ago that "made in Japan" was considered a sign of low quality in "the West". Times change. China has changed. We shouldn't be casually throwing around derisory nonsense more suited to the McCarthy era than the 2020s.

 

[ddutchison2]

An original summar can be found for very cheap. Elitism?

With clean glass? I'm afraid not

 

[Sonnar Brian]

With clean glass? I'm afraid not

It's relative. Compared with the price of a new Summicron 50/2, it's cheap.
Summars are another lens that is better than the reputation gained from people using lenses with bad glass.

The "best" (again relative) classic 6/4 lens I've used is the Topcon. In terms of sharpness and contrast: the lossless Jpegs took more space to store than all of the other 6 element lenses tested. The Rigid Summicron, 7 elements- took slightly more space. This is an indication of the resolution of the image captured by the lens.

Topcor-S 5cm F2, 6 element in 4 group 1-2-2-1 Planar

I read one site that stated the Topcor-S 5cm F2 is a 1-2-2-1 double Gauss, like the Summar, Amotal, and Ektar 47/2 that I did a comparison between. I'll have to shoot a new comparison. Looking at this quick test, it certainly has the swirly Bokeh of the classic Double-Gauss. Prices are way...

rangefinderforum.com

 

[Coldkennels]

Summars are another lens that is better than the reputation gained from people using lenses with bad glass.

100%. I bought a Summar for £85 in 2013, and it's easily the best photographic purchase I've ever made. I think it's actually better edge-to-edge at f/2 than my collapsible Summicron is. Really underrated lens.

 

[Miles.]

100%. I bought a Summar for £85 in 2013, and it's easily the best photographic purchase I've ever made. I think it's actually better edge-to-edge at f/2 than my collapsible Summicron is. Really underrated lens.

It might be my favorite lens. Between f2 and f3.5 you can have all the lovely swirlies you desire, and above that it's an absolute killer general use lens on both film and digital. Size and ergonomics are perfect. I prefer using it with the post-war FOOKH hood.

At F2 on the M10


At f8 on the M10.