I took my Z21 and M11P to Seward Alaska where the weather and light was great. On an annual salmon fishing trip the week before the salmon derby at Seward. I used several M lenses LLL and Leica on M11P and MP but did spend some time with the Z21. These four images are examples of the Z21 wide open with a ND filter on the M11P from portrait to scenic. I was curious to see what "French color" would do for a scenic, first image. A couple of portraits follow, one of the fishing boat captains I fish with with a weathered look half way through the season, Monica posing in front of the derby sign, she later caught a monster silver salmon that might have even won the derby, but was a week early, and finally a portrait of a sad fish, these are yellow rockfish, I wish people would not catch them, or it would be restricted, these fish grow slowly, are very old, and they will not easily rebound. It pains me to see them at the dock. Salmon are different, 100% die soon after spawning, they are not endangered and managed, and the sports anglers who put some in the freezer like me catch a tiny portion of the total catch.
I still have not decided if the Z21 gives me enough over my Rigid SP2 with make the extra size worth carrying or is my Elcan/Rigid pair with the Rigid Sp2 still my winning combo. I do see the illumination circle of the Z21 is clearly better.
I also shot quite a few with the LLL28, Elcan, and a Leica 135mm apo, but that is another story.
Fred Miranda wrote:
Thanks for posting some samples. Keeping them coming guys!
I'd treat the LLL 50mm f/1.5 Z21 like any other lens. No need to worry about keeping subjects in the center for the best image quality. In fact, I think shots look even better with subjects placed off-axis. It stays true to the original look, with slightly lower contrast and resolution that gives it more character.
Fred, I admit now that I've seen more samples from this lens, I'm warming up to it. Having had some time with this lens . . . if you could only have it or the lux 50/1.4 pre-asph v3, which would you choose?
brick33308 wrote:
Fred, I admit now that I've seen more samples from this lens, I'm warming up to it. Having had some time with this lens . . . if you could only have it or the lux 50/1.4 pre-asph v3, which would you choose?
brick33308 wrote:
Fred, I admit now that I've seen more samples from this lens, I'm warming up to it. Having had some time with this lens . . . if you could only have it or the lux 50/1.4 pre-asph v3, which would you choose?
I really like the Z21 but I don’t feel it replaces a pre-asph Summilux(never owned one, it is just based on what I have seen from the lens on the net), fact is I love my Z21 but would still love to have a Summilux.
I would like to share a LLL Z21 vignetting test on a medium format camera Fuji GFX. The test was performed with the focusing ring set to infinity at apertures from f/1.5 to f/11. The first image shows a lens test without attachments. The second image shows a step-up filter ring screwed onto the lens.
As you can see, there is non-removable vignetting and it increases if you screw on a filter. We can conclude that the vignetting is caused by the non-removable hood.
It would be good if LLL made a version of this lens in a different body without a built-in hood, like the Z21 rigid.
brick33308 wrote:
Fred, I admit now that I've seen more samples from this lens, I'm warming up to it. Having had some time with this lens . . . if you could only have it or the lux 50/1.4 pre-asph v3, which would you choose?
Honestly, they look quite different. The Z21 shows more swirling and outlining but is less corrected for coma. The Leica 50mm f/1.4 Summilux Pre-ASPH is a high-resolution lens and generally better corrected overall, except in color aberration, where it performs slightly worse.
Plzenaak wrote:
I like the photos from this lens. They just look a bit like I'm seeing the world while drunk.
Yes the lens wide open has its moments almost dizzy, I am trying to grasp its potential, there are times when it seems well controlled and other times it is simply wild. Has anyone else noticed it renders neon, and reflective sunglasses in a strong almost 60s thing. It was a beautiful day in Alaska, we went to Talkeetna and then took a Beaver plane flight around Denali, that I shot with a normal Voigtlander 1.2F Nokton (amazing sights and imagery but not for this forum, stopped down) but walking around town I used the Z21. shot the historic Fairview in at 1.5 and 4 F shown. But at historic Tom Weatherell's house down the street the lens did wild things wide open, at a coffee bar its neon sign seemed to jump out wide open, but then the downtown Talkeetna sign seemed well tamed wide open. Sometimes the Z21 is really off the rails, especially the Weatherell house .....
I think I need some quiet time with the 50 apo summicron collect my thoughts and figure out what is next, maybe shoot the SP2 or 1966 for a while to find firm photo ground under my feet.
EMH2025 wrote:
Yes the lens wide open has its moments almost dizzy, I am trying to grasp its potential, there are times when it seems well controlled and other times it is simply wild. Has anyone else noticed it renders neon, and reflective sunglasses in a strong almost 60s thing. It was a beautiful day in Alaska, we went to Talkeetna and then took a Beaver plane flight around Denali, that I shot with a normal Voigtlander 1.2F Nokton (amazing sights and imagery but not for this forum, stopped down) but walking around town I used the Z21. shot the historic Fairview in at 1.5 and 4 F shown. But at historic Tom Weatherell's house down the street the lens did wild things wide open, at a coffee bar its neon sign seemed to jump out wide open, but then the downtown Talkeetna sign seemed well tamed wide open. Sometimes the Z21 is really off the rails, especially the Weatherell house .....
I think I need some quiet time with the 50 apo summicron collect my thoughts and figure out what is next, maybe shoot the SP2 or 1966 for a while to find firm photo ground under my feet.
objectively, and I say this with no intention of being insulting, those pictures are much worse than simply not good. If any other lens shot those images, one would conclude that the lens was defective. I guess it's just me, but I don't get the positive accolades this lens this lens has garnered - and trust me, I'm all about vintage lenses, can't get enough of their images (like these I shot Sunday with the 35 steel rim reissue https://brick.smugmug.com/Photography/2025-8-10-Asheville-Biltmore-Estate) over those shot by modern coated well corrected APO lenses. Oh well, a chacun son gout.
I want ONE character lens to have a light carry 50 with a 50 apo summicron/M11P- maybe Z21 isn't it, 1966 is really heavy or feels that way- although the "noct" and the summicron would be sort of "traditional" pair, I still really like the elcan, vintage not too vintage, and advantage very light, or an original rigid V2, there are some ms optics 50s with a lot of character, maybe too much looking at their 50s. I seem happy and unhappy with the Z21 I have good outings and bad - The elcan is consistent and easy, The elcan/rigid has the advantage of also being E39 like the leica..... I'll play with the Z21, but I think I am going to give it a rest for a bit. I have a SP2 rigid, that one needs a good tryout as the second lens to the apo maybe instead of the eclan/rigid for character and fits the light size bin. The idea is a perfect lens, and a perfectly imperfect lens, both 50s, light carry.
brick33308 wrote:
objectively, and I say this with no intention of being insulting, those pictures are much worse than simply not good. If any other lens shot those images, one would conclude that the lens was defective. I guess it's just me, but I don't get the positive accolades this lens this lens has garnered - and trust me, I'm all about vintage lenses, can't get enough of their images (like these I shot Sunday with the 35 steel rim reissue https://brick.smugmug.com/Photography/2025-8-10-Asheville-Biltmore-Estate) over those shot by modern coated well corrected APO lenses. Oh well, a chacun son gout.
Mine arrived today. Shipped from Canada actually. I put it on the Voigtländer VM-Z Close Focus adapter and rushed out in the garden...
These are not SOOC as usual with me...
EMH2025 wrote:
I just got my Z21 via Japan, I ordered a day before LLL posted a direct order system, Oddly I was not charged a tariff, but not complaining. This is it mounted on M11P safari, they only had glossy rather than matte finish, looks fine I think and it is the silver accents that offset the safari anyways. Looks flashy- no way this will be ignored. I have a project for it next weeks where vintage will be good capturing vintage Alaska site.
I got an email from LLL last night, flashy glossy is out, production issues and will be limited edition to those already produced.
They do not say if they will offer any variants other than the flat black finish in the future as they have for the other lenses. The glossy is flashy, no stealth photography with it, people notice.
rollei35_warton wrote:
A reputable ebayer is selling this lens for $1000, shipped to LA with about 10% duty.
I did that a while ago with Elcan.
Thanks for letting me know. Just checked ebay and purchased the last one. Wish it was the piano black, but good price, so I'll take it.
Now, I also just purchased a Leica 90mm f2.8 elmarit lens... To cancel that order or not haha. Different lenses, but not sure if I need two lens orders in a month.
I, along with others who've shared in this thread, ordered directly from the LLL website and didn't pay any tariffs since the shipment came from Canada. That may have changed recently, but just an FYI.
Be careful.