Most 50mm lenses tend to show some degree of pincushion distortion depending on their optical design, but that's not the case with the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.9 Rigid-ZS6. Straight out of the camera, distortion is virtually nonexistent. I didn't need to apply any correction in Lightroom, which shows how well-controlled this lens really is. Distortion correction is definitely one of its standout strengths, especially given its compact form.
LEICA M10-PLight Lens Lab 50mm f/2 Rigid-ZS6 lens50mm1/640s100 ISO0.0 EV
Reading so far you may convince me to swap this lens for my (like yours) quite good copy of the vintage rigid that I also we term much beloved. Looking forward to the rest of the tests, I guess so far this is standard rather low contrast but I know that is coming.
Fred Miranda wrote: Distortion
Most 50mm lenses tend to show some degree of pincushion distortion depending on their optical design, but that's not the case with the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.9 Rigid-ZS6. Straight out of the camera, distortion is virtually nonexistent. I didn't need to apply any correction in Lightroom, which shows how well-controlled this lens really is. Distortion correction is definitely one of its standout strengths, especially given its compact form.
EMH2025 wrote:
Looking forward to your comparison of the standard v low contrast so to decide if I "need" a standard as well. So far it is looking like the standard may give a lot more of what I already have in the Leica rigid and perhaps other lenses. So I got the low contrast to extend into other character.
It's pretty obvious the "Low Contrast" version shows reduced contrast in some of my infinity distance resolution and contrast tests (not yet published). I'm not sure how Light Lens Lab achieves this, and it doesn't appear to be solely different coatings.
I'll compare both versions side by side in rendering tests to get a clearer idea of what's actually going on.
One thing is clear: both show the same "purplish" ghosting flare I've also seen in the original Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 SP II (not the Rigid SPII). While many prefer a warmer amber flare, I actually like the distinct character of this purple violet rendition. Have you seen this with your copy as well?
I would need Sun for that I am in Alaska at the moment and when I have been out light has been flat due to clouds
So flaring is off the table so far, cleared a bit today and I could have but didn't because engaged with other things. I will give it a shot when circumstances permit. With the light I have had low contrast outdoors is really low contrast at 1.9. I shot a few indoors and low contrast I think will be good at 1.9 indoors- good for tourist things. So far I am not thinking this is that good for more scenics wide open, but it improves a lot with one stop and with two it is really good. That might not be the case for street, I have not done that yet, need to visit a fishing village and get catch of the day and fishermen to test that idea. I am thinking low contrast and bright light scenic might not mesh well especially in color. Monochrome does seem better to me outdoors at 1.9. I'd like to get a moose but 50 mm is a bit wide for as close as I want to be to avoid an altercation, maybe the 75 SPII or a 90/135 would be better. Late spring moose always seem a bit grumpy. as they are in the fall. Float planes I posted on the flight line are nice and safe.
Fred Miranda wrote:
It's pretty obvious the "Low Contrast" version shows reduced contrast in some of my infinity distance resolution and contrast tests (not yet published). I'm not sure how Light Lens Lab achieves this, and it doesn't appear to be solely different coatings.
I'll compare both versions side by side in rendering tests to get a clearer idea of what's actually going on.
One thing is clear: both show the same "purplish" ghosting flare I've also seen in the original Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 SP II (not the Rigid SPII). While many prefer a warmer amber flare, I actually like the distinct character of this purple violet rendition. Have you seen this with your copy as well?...Show more →
The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.9 Rigid-ZS6 focuses down to 0.7m, allowing photographers to take full advantage of the rangefinder system's closest focusing capability.
Based on the classic Dallmeyer Super Six 2-inch f/1.9 optical formula, the lens stays true to its historical roots and does not employ floating elements. Conventional wisdom would suggest that a design optimized primarily for longer distances should show some compromise at close range. Surprisingly, that was not my experience. Even at the minimum focusing distance, IQ is already very strong wide open, with only small gains from stopping down.
For this evaluation, I tested the "Low Contrast" version at 0.7m using apertures from f/1.9 through f/4. Resolution and contrast are impressive straight from maximum aperture, and by f/2.8 the lens is already operating near its peak performance. The standard version should deliver an even higher level of contrast.
Focus shift is present, but only to a very minor degree. I confirmed this through ruler tests and by comparing images captured at f/4 after initially focusing at f/1.9. In practical use, the shift is small enough that it is unlikely to affect real-world images and overall IQ remains consistent throughout the aperture range tested.
The following image sequence illustrates the lens's behavior from f/1.9 to f/4. Focus was done at f/1.9, then the aperture was stopped down to f/2.8 and f/4 without refocusing, allowing any focus shift to be detected if any. I also include a comparison between images focused wide open and stopped down to f/4, versus images focused directly at f/4, to show the minimal impact of focus shift on final image quality.
At 0.7m MFD using LiveView
LEFT: f/1.9 | RIGHT: f/2.8
LEFT: f/2.8 | RIGHT: f/4
LEFT: Focused at f/2 and stopped down to f/4 | RIGHT: Focused and captured at f/4
Infinity Resolution and Contrast compared to Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 "SPII"(M11)
Here we have two Light Lens Lab recreations inspired by classic optical designs being compared for resolution and contrast. One is based on the Cooke 50mm f/2, while the other traces its roots to the Dallmeyer Super Six 50mm f/1.9. Since both lenses place a strong emphasis on rendering and character rather than maximizing optical correction, I think this comparison provides useful context for photographers considering either design.
One thing I noticed immediately is that both lenses produce a slightly warmer, more amber color rendition, likely influenced by their coatings. At f/2, the ZS6 has a noticeable advantage in the very center of the frame, particularly in contrast. The SP II, however, still resolves a surprising amount of fine detail beneath its lower-contrast rendering. By f/2.8, the gap largely disappears and center performance becomes quite similar. Stopped down further, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between the two in the central portion of the image.
Outside the center, performance is remarkably close even at wider apertures. That said, the SP II appears to pull ahead once both lenses are stopped down to f/4 through f/8, especially toward the extreme corners. Some of this behavior is likely related to the different field curvature shape of each design, which can influence how the subject is captured across the frame.
Overall, both lenses are highly capable performers. While neither was designed with modern optical perfection as the primary goal, both deliver excellent resolution and contrast when stopped down, making them more than capable for demanding applications such as travel, and street photography.
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Distance: Infinity
Focus: Center - Best of three shots at maximum magnification
White Balance: Daylight
Both lenses are perfectly centered, as verified with my decentering test.
Software used: Lightroom with FM Default Landscape Sharpening; all other settings are at default.
PS: Vignetting, Chromatic Aberration (CA), and distortion were not corrected either in post-processing or in-camera.
Center Resolution and Contrast Infinity Resolution and Contrast compared to Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 "SPII"(M11)
Beautiful day for a road trip to Talkeetna Alaska, a quaint town on the railway to Denali, can be overrun with cruisers dropped off for some hours but we got there early this morning. The super 6 rigid was a lens of the day, low contrast version, good 3D pop with environmental portrait, landscape is fine, not apo summicron 50, but stopped down to 5.6 can be pressed into service. Walking around town I mostly used F2.8 for a little stopdown contrast and thought that looked good through the M11 EV! view finder.
Very filmlike through the viewfinder, enhanced with Cobalt presets mostly kodachrome, and is in my opinion very good for this type of street/tourism photography. My impression is this would be a great lens with a character vintage scene- trip to Europe or something. I would have liked lower angle light, high in the sky Sun synergistic with the low contrast render.
Bright sun, I didn't think flaring was any issue.
I appreciate Fred's careful comparative reviews, I just go around try the lens in a lot of different circumstances and try to make mental notes of where I think lens will work well so I can edit my camera bag for an outing. For medium distance, film like, environmental portraits vintage character, three D pop, take it on the road to character scenes this is a lens to use in my "tests" so far.
The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.9 Rigid-ZS6 uses an 11-blade aperture, which results in 22-point sunstars. Because the blades are slightly concave and petal-shaped, the aperture remains fairly circular when stopped down but with a distinct scalloped outline. As a result, the sunstar rays are not perfectly uniform, which may not appeal to shooters who prefer very clean, symmetric sunstars.
The lens takes a more restrained approach to sunstars overall. From wide open up to around f/8, the effect is very subtle, soft and organic. From about f/11 to f/16, the sunstars become more defined, but still somewhat complex due to the 22-ray structure. At f/22, like most lenses, the pattern becomes more chaotic and I would generally avoid using it for sunstars at that aperture.
The lens also shows noticeable ghosting and veiling flare when a bright light source is in or near the frame, even when partially blocked, as seen in the samples below. This also gives a useful indication of the flare behavior, which some may actually find aesthetically pleasing.
Interestingly, the ghosting flare leans toward a purple-blue hue, which Light Lens Lab noted may be consistent with the original Dallmeyer Super Six 2-inch f/1.9. I can't personally verify that comparison since I do not have the original lens, but this same flare coloration is a characteristic shared by both the standard and low contrast versions.
Below is a sequence showing the transition from f/1.9 to f/22 in full-stop increments. With an 11-blade aperture, the lens produces 22-point sunstars.
Also included is an uncorrected view of vignetting across the full aperture range.
EMH2025 wrote:
Beautiful day for a road trip to Talkeetna Alaska, a quaint town on the railway to Denali, can be overrun with cruisers dropped off for some hours but we got there early this morning. The super 6 rigid was a lens of the day, low contrast version, good 3D pop with environmental portrait, landscape is fine, not apo summicron 50, but stopped down to 5.6 can be pressed into service. Walking around town I mostly used F2.8 for a little stopdown contrast and thought that looked good through the M11 EV! view finder.
Very filmlike through the viewfinder, enhanced with Cobalt presets mostly kodachrome, and is in my opinion very good for this type of street/tourism photography. My impression is this would be a great lens with a character vintage scene- trip to Europe or something. I would have liked lower angle light, high in the sky Sun synergistic with the low contrast render.
Bright sun, I didn't think flaring was any issue.
I appreciate Fred's careful comparative reviews, I just go around try the lens in a lot of different circumstances and try to make mental notes of where I think lens will work well so I can edit my camera bag for an outing. For medium distance, film like, environmental portraits vintage character, three D pop, take it on the road to character scenes this is a lens to use in my "tests" so far....Show more →
Lovely results! The only thing I don’t love is the hard vignetting on some of the images with the corners going almost full black and quite abruptly. Interestingly I don’t see that on Fred‘s samples and not on all of your images - could be focus distance dependent (but not seeing it in some infinity shots, so unlikely?) or maybe you were using a filter or lens hood that causes it?
The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.9 Rigid-ZS6 uses an 11-blade aperture, which results in 22-point sunstars. Because the blades are slightly concave and petal-shaped, the aperture remains fairly circular when stopped down but with a distinct scalloped outline. As a result, the sunstar rays are not perfectly uniform, which may not appeal to shooters who prefer very clean, symmetric sunstars.
The lens takes a more restrained approach to sunstars overall. From wide open up to around f/8, the effect is very subtle, soft and organic. From about f/11 to f/16, the sunstars become more defined, but still somewhat complex due to the 22-ray structure. At f/22, like most lenses, the pattern becomes more chaotic and I would generally avoid using it for sunstars at that aperture.
The lens also shows noticeable ghosting and veiling flare when a bright light source is in or near the frame, even when partially blocked, as seen in the samples below. This also gives a useful indication of the flare behavior, which some may actually find aesthetically pleasing.
Interestingly, the ghosting flare leans toward a purple-blue hue, which Light Lens Lab noted may be consistent with the original Dallmeyer Super Six 2-inch f/1.9. I can't personally verify that comparison since I do not have the original lens, but this same flare coloration is a characteristic shared by both the standard and low contrast versions.
Below is a sequence showing the transition from f/1.9 to f/22 in full-stop increments. With an 11-blade aperture, the lens produces 22-point sunstars.
Also included is an uncorrected view of vignetting across the full aperture range....Show more →
Imo the sunstar looks great at f11 and f16!
The typical 10-12 point highly symmetric, even length sunstars that CV lenses produce look good for artificial light sources but imo this more „chaotic“ rendering is more fitting for our beloved thermonuclear explosion aka the sun.
Thanks ! Yes there is fall off and with the images I shot I could easily crop but I left it in to show full frame. Some of my images are near wide open and one is 5.6 the scenic of Denali like any lens the fall off varies with how wide open. I almost automatically set up my shots to cropable (is that a word ?) anyways after some decades I generally do a walking zoom with the idea that I might want remove corners. So it really doesn't bother me because to is baked into my process. That is how I have worked for a long time and with 61 mp on a Leica cropping a bit isn't really an issue. Part of the reason I don't use external finders for 28 mm the finder on old Ms is almost 28 (or 35 if M3) and even in the film and darkroom days decades ago I had my crop in my mind. Also part of the reason I am usually not concerned much about far corner sharpness, I assume I might loose it anyways. No lens hood today, I have them, but didn't use today, it stayed in the bag. Everyone has preferences on how they work, I generally work on an 80% image basis and assume the outmost 20% is a variable and there is my falloff, except of course with a noct wide open then fall off starts very quickly from the center. I also didn't make a big effort to correct, wanting show what I got.
fjablo wrote:
Lovely results! The only thing I don’t love is the hard vignetting on some of the images with the corners going almost full black and quite abruptly. Interestingly I don’t see that on Fred‘s samples and not on all of your images - could be focus distance dependent (but not seeing it in some infinity shots, so unlikely?) or maybe you were using a filter or lens hood that causes it?
fjablo wrote:
Imo the sunstar looks great at f11 and f16!
The typical 10-12 point highly symmetric, even length sunstars that CV lenses produce look good for artificial light sources but imo this more „chaotic“ rendering is more fitting for our beloved thermonuclear explosion aka the sun.
Good point. I have changed my mind about this lately and now prefer a more organic look. Symmetrical sunstars may work well for some applications, but a slightly more unpredictable and asymmetric sunstar, especially when together with a bit of flare, feels more natural and appealing in most of my images these days.
