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 p.2 #16 · Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 Review | |
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Rendering Comparison: Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 vs 75mm f/2 SP II and MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar
This comparison looks at rendering differences in contrast, micro-contrast, and overall character between the Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21, MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar, and Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II, including how each behaves in terms of off-axis performance, field curvature, and wide-open rendering at f/1.5 and f/2 where applicable.
Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21, Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II and MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar
Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21:
The 75mm f/1.5 Z21 performs significantly better than its 50mm f/1.5 Z21 sibling when subjects are focused off-axis (away from center). Where the 50mm shows higher astigmatism and glow in those conditions, the 75mm Z21 maintains a rendering consistency much closer to the center of the frame. In some samples, I deliberately focused off-axis to highlight this behavior.
Like the 50mm Z21, the 75mm Z21 leans toward an amber color temperature rather than a cooler or neutral balance. At f/1.5, there is still residual spherical aberration (SA), and field curvature remains noticeable (see the review section on field curvature shape at various distances). When stopped down to f/2, the lens retains most of its character, but highlights become slightly rounder and outlining is reduced.
Overall, the lens has a very distinctive rendering signature, with pronounced highlight outlining and visible optical vignetting, producing cat’s-eye bokeh and swirl in the corners.
MS Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar:
The Sonnetar is very close to the Z21 in terms of warm color temperature. Compared to the Z21 at f/2, it shows lower optical vignetting, less extreme field curvature, and reduced outlining in out-of-focus highlights.
Its rendering is generally more controlled and less aggressive than the Z21. The focal length is slightly wider at 73mm versus 75mm, which also contributes to a subtly different spatial compression and perspective feel.
Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II:
The 75mm f/2 SP II renders with a more neutral color temperature, which many users may prefer. Its bokeh highlights show defined outlining, sitting somewhere between the Z21 and the Sonnetar in character.
Optically, it outputs lower optical vignetting than the Z21, resulting in less swirl and fewer cat’s-eye highlights toward the corners. However, the rendering is not as uniformly rounded as the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 SP II, which is expected given the longer focal length.
It resolves high detail well even off-center, but at f/2 it shows lower contrast than the other two lenses. This becomes particularly evident when shooting into the light, where stronger veiling flare reduces overall contrast and color saturation, giving images a softer, more organic look.
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I will present resized images for each scene (shot in 6:00pm lighting) in the following order, with each scene showing four lenses for direct comparison:
⦿ Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 at f/1.5
⦿ MS Optics 75mm f/1.5 Sonnetar at f/1.5
⦿ Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 at f/2
⦿ MS Optics 75mm f/1.5 Sonnetar at f/2
⦿ Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II at f/2
Each scene will follow the same sequence so rendering differences can be compared consistently under identical lighting and framing. All images were shot on a tripod, allowing for reliable comparison of field of view and uncorrected vignetting. The same sharpening settings (40, 0.7, 20, 50) were applied across all frames, and the Adobe Color profile was used for every image to keep processing consistent.
Scene 1 at 2 meters:
⦿ Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 at f/1.5
LEICA M10-P Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 lens 75mm f/1.4 1/400s 100 ISO 0.0 EV
⦿ MS Optics 75mm f/1.5 Sonnetar at f/1.5
LEICA M10-P MS-Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar lens 73mm f/2.0 1/250s 200 ISO 0.0 EV
⦿ Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 at f/2
LEICA M10-P Light Lens Lab 75mm f/1.5 Z21 lens 75mm f/2.0 1/320s 200 ISO 0.0 EV
⦿ MS Optics 75mm f/1.5 Sonnetar at f/2
LEICA M10-P MS-Optics 73mm f/1.5 Sonnetar lens 73mm f/1.4 1/400s 100 ISO 0.0 EV
⦿ Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II at f/2
LEICA M10-P Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II lens 75mm f/2.0 1/320s 200 ISO 0.0 EV
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