p.1 #3 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
I was just about to ask about the 50 F/1.2...
I think I'm only interested in that one and the 35mm AA.
Jul 01, 2026 at 04:40 PM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Fred Miranda wrote:
Interestingly, they brought back the 28mm f/2.8 nine-element but not the 50mm f/1.2 double aspherical, which is one of my favorite lenses from LLL.
Hi Fred,
I don't think you ever did a review of the LLL 50 f/1.2 double aspherical. If I am wrong and you can point me to it that would be great. If you haven't done a review can you provide a brief summary of how you saw the performance of the lens?
p.1 #5 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Steve Spencer wrote:
Hi Fred,
I don't think you ever did a review of the LLL 50 f/1.2 double aspherical. If I am wrong and you can point me to it that would be great. If you haven't done a review can you provide a brief summary of how you saw the performance of the lens?
I also have this lens and I do like it, less perfect than my 0.95 noct and that is the point, my guess is like Leica and their 1.2 LLL has found the hand polishing overly challenging and expensive much as leica did in the 1960s so in their remake Leica went molded. The 35 1.4 LLL is molded and now that LLL has the tech this is where they are at. So my guess LLL has moved on to molded and the 1.2 if it ever comes back will be priced much higher considering the effort needed. The LLL 1.2 could well be the last of the hand polished lenses… I also have the 1970s Nikkor 58 1.2 noct that like the Leica is hand polished, a quite different lens from the Leicas and LLL, and it also adapts well to dig Leicas as well as Z nikons. I rather enjoy using it on my M11. LLL could bring back a molded ver of this lens although I am not sure what the point would be, it was exceptional and “better” in a character sense than the Leicas molded 1.2 50.
If LLL really wanted to be out there, do thorium glass, I know will never happen, that one is really obsolete, but as the owner of several thorium lenses I would like to see what a modern one would look like.
p.1 #6 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Steve Spencer wrote:
Hi Fred,
I don't think you ever did a review of the LLL 50 f/1.2 double aspherical. If I am wrong and you can point me to it that would be great. If you haven't done a review can you provide a brief summary of how you saw the performance of the lens?
I also have this lens and I do like it, less perfect than my 0.95 noct and that is the point, my guess is like Leica and their 1.2 LLL has found the hand polishing overly challenging and expensive much as leica did in the 1960s so in their remake Leica went molded. The 35 1.4 LLL is molded and now that LLL has the tech this is where they are at. So my guess LLL has moved on to molded and the 1.2 if it ever comes back will be priced much higher considering the effort needed. The LLL 1.2 could well be the last of the hand polished lenses… I also have the 1970s Nikkor 58 1.2 noct that like the Leica is hand polished, a quite different lens from the Leicas and LLL, and it also adapts well to dig Leicas as well as Z nikons. I rather enjoy using it on my M11. LLL could bring back a molded ver of this lens although I am not sure what the point would be, it was exceptional and “better” in a character sense than the Leicas molded 1.2 50.
If LLL really wanted to be out there, do thorium glass, I know will never happen, that one is really obsolete, but as the owner of several thorium lenses I would like to see what a modern one would look like.
p.1 #7 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Steve Spencer wrote:
Hi Fred,
I don't think you ever did a review of the LLL 50 f/1.2 double aspherical. If I am wrong and you can point me to it that would be great. If you haven't done a review can you provide a brief summary of how you saw the performance of the lens?
I haven't done a detailed review of it yet. It's soft wide open even at the center, but I enjoy its rendering. For a comparison of infinity resolution and contrast, I've tested it against the LLL 50mm f/1.5 Z21 here:
.... I also have some unpublished rendering comparisons between the 50mm f/1.5 Z21 and the 50mm f/1.2 '1966' that I haven't posted yet. I'll update the review with those soon.
p.1 #8 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
EMH2025 wrote:
I also have this lens and I do like it, less perfect than my 0.95 noct and that is the point, my guess is like Leica and their 1.2 LLL has found the hand polishing overly challenging and expensive much as leica did in the 1960s so in their remake Leica went molded. The 35 1.4 LLL is molded and now that LLL has the tech this is where they are at. So my guess LLL has moved on to molded and the 1.2 if it ever comes back will be priced much higher considering the effort needed. The LLL 1.2 could well be the last of the hand polished lenses… I also have the 1970s Nikkor 58 1.2 noct that like the Leica is hand polished, a quite different lens from the Leicas and LLL, and it also adapts well to dig Leicas as well as Z nikons. I rather enjoy using it on my M11. LLL could bring back a molded ver of this lens although I am not sure what the point would be, it was exceptional and “better” in a character sense than the Leicas molded 1.2 50.
If LLL really wanted to be out there, do thorium glass, I know will never happen, that one is really obsolete, but as the owner of several thorium lenses I would like to see what a modern one would look like....Show more →
Great summary and I think it's accurate. The LLL 35mm f/1.4 aspherical elements are indeed molded, and in my opinion this still needs improvement. Light Lens Lab has the technology, but the molding process leaves a distracting inner artifact that remains visible even in resized images.
Beyond that, although I'm a fan of its output, the rendering isn't particularly close to the original Leica AA...it actually leans more toward the pre-FLE smoother, more organic look.
p.1 #9 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
EMH2025 wrote:
I also have this lens and I do like it, less perfect than my 0.95 noct and that is the point, my guess is like Leica and their 1.2 LLL has found the hand polishing overly challenging and expensive much as leica did in the 1960s so in their remake Leica went molded. The 35 1.4 LLL is molded and now that LLL has the tech this is where they are at. So my guess LLL has moved on to molded and the 1.2 if it ever comes back will be priced much higher considering the effort needed. The LLL 1.2 could well be the last of the hand polished lenses… I also have the 1970s Nikkor 58 1.2 noct that like the Leica is hand polished, a quite different lens from the Leicas and LLL, and it also adapts well to dig Leicas as well as Z nikons. I rather enjoy using it on my M11. LLL could bring back a molded ver of this lens although I am not sure what the point would be, it was exceptional and “better” in a character sense than the Leicas molded 1.2 50.
If LLL really wanted to be out there, do thorium glass, I know will never happen, that one is really obsolete, but as the owner of several thorium lenses I would like to see what a modern one would look like....Show more →
LLL uses lanthanum glass for their lenses, which has the same benefits but without the radioactivity and yellowing of thorium.
p.1 #11 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Yup, it's pretty good. Biggest issue is apparently the grease they used is too loose but there's some fixes described online with a more grippy grease to use so it doesn't go out of wack.
p.1 #12 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Nick Dakota wrote:
Anyone ever use their vf magnifier?
I bought a couple of them. I like them they are useful for 90/135 on the rf with the .72. I think it is almost essentail for the 135 apo lens unless it is infinity scenery. Much cheaper the the Leica one, but it is another little thing to shake off like soft releases taking in and out of a case. I had to make a mental note to make sure it goes and out still attached to camea.
p.1 #13 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
I was thinking about it for the 90. My concern is the built in diopter not staying in place...but for the difference in price between the Leica and the adapter, it's a nuisance that might be worthwhile.
EMH2025 wrote:
I bought a couple of them. I like them they are useful for 90/135 on the rf with the .72. I think it is almost essentail for the 135 apo lens unless it is infinity scenery. Much cheaper the the Leica one, but it is another little thing to shake off like soft releases taking in and out of a case. I had to make a mental note to make sure it goes and out still attached to camea.
p.1 #15 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
I had an M3 a while ago. Sold it cause I wanted something with a light meter. Mistake. That has the best VF they ever made. From what I know it was the only Leica to basically let you see with two eyes.
The LLL will bring the M10/11 to 1.0. Guess the need for them to make 1.25 isn't there, but it would be nice for wider lenses. For $170 shipped it's a no brainer to try so just ordered one.
Fred Miranda wrote:
I like it when my digital M cameras can be magnified like my M3.
p.1 #16 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Nick Dakota wrote:
I had an M3 a while ago. Sold it cause I wanted something with a light meter. Mistake. That has the best VF they ever made. From what I know it was the only Leica to basically let you see with two eyes.
The LLL will bring the M10/11 to 1.0. Guess the need for them to make 1.25 isn't there, but it would be nice for wider lenses. For $170 shipped it's a no brainer to try so just ordered one.
Yes, the Leica M3's viewfinder isn't just great because of its higher magnification, it's also because the 50mm framelines are clean, with none of the digital distraction you get from internal meter readouts. It's a beautiful, unobtrusive and solid frameline that makes framing and focusing 50mm lenses easy and accurate.
p.1 #17 · Light Lens Lab Brings Its Best-Sellers Back to Production
Nick Dakota wrote:
I had an M3 a while ago. Sold it cause I wanted something with a light meter. Mistake. That has the best VF they ever made. From what I know it was the only Leica to basically let you see with two eyes.
0.91x, so slightly smaller than life-size. Of course, Leica cameras encompass decades of screwmount "Barnack" models, and most of them had actual 1.0x VFs.
