Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
p.19 #1Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Question for those who got this - did you get any email notifications that it was being delivered or it just showed up?
Nov 12, 2026 at 07:03 AM
p.19 #2Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
LLL sends an email when it ships
Nov 12, 2026 at 09:40 AM
p.19 #3Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
lens_payoff_0l wrote:
Question for those who got this - did you get any email notifications that it was being delivered or it just showed up?
Not sure when you ordered but they will likely ship out in small batches over the next couple months because it seems like it is a slow lens for them to produce.
I ordered it within the first hour of it becoming available in August so I assume that was why mine shipped in the first batch. If you ordered mid to late Aug or early Sept I think you’ll likely still be a few weeks plus away from a shipping email.
You’ll get an email with a tracking number. I chose the pre pay the tariffs option and mine shipped via Fed Ex
Question for those who got this - did you get any email notifications that it was being delivered or it just showed up?
Not sure when you ordered but they will likely ship out in small batches over the next couple months because it seems like it is a slow lens for them to produce.
I ordered it within the first hour of it becoming available in August so I assume that was why mine shipped in the first batch. If you ordered mid to late Aug or early Sept I think you’ll likely still be a few weeks plus away from a shipping email.
You’ll get an email with a tracking number. I chose the pre pay the tariffs option and mine shipped via Fed Ex
Nov 12, 2026 at 10:10 AM
p.19 #4Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Fred Miranda wrote:
On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.That's frustrating, though I've been testing it today and I’m so glad my review copy is the knurled version. It really helps with close focusing, so it's not just for looks...there is an actual functional benefit to it. That's the exact reason the Leica version is knurled all the way around. Try it out, you might like it!
Yep. I'm in the camp that uses/likes the focus tab, but once you <.7m, the tab is upside down and the lack of knurling start to matter. On the note of minimum focus distance, I wish that the lens would focus down to .58m before hitting the soft stop. When shooting up close, I'm having to toggle to live-view at further distances than I'm used to shotting at MFD with voigtlander glass.
endergemini wrote
I received mine as well. They sent the knurled version even though I ordered and emailed confirming I wanted the non-knurled version. Disappointing; not sure if they made zero non-knurled ones even though they said they would be making them on a first-come first-serve basis or if they decided me emailing right after the blog update went live that I wasn't fast enough to contact them. Emailed to see what the situation is since technically this isn't what I ordered. If they had just outright said the non-knurled version had been canceled then that would be one thing, but no confirmation before shipping the product sucks from a consumer standpoint.On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.
Yep. I'm in the camp that uses/likes the focus tab, but once you <.7m, the tab is upside down and the lack of knurling start to matter. On the note of minimum focus distance, I wish that the lens would focus down to .58m before hitting the soft stop. When shooting up close, I'm having to toggle to live-view at further distances than I'm used to shotting at MFD with voigtlander glass.
Nov 12, 2026 at 12:58 PM
p.19 #5Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Fred Miranda wrote:
On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.That's frustrating, though I've been testing it today and I’m so glad my review copy is the knurled version. It really helps with close focusing, so it's not just for looks...there is an actual functional benefit to it. That's the exact reason the Leica version is knurled all the way around. Try it out, you might like it!
Well LLL got back to me and said that although I emailed within 24 hours of their email sent out pointing to the blog "announcing" non-knurled orders would need to be re-confirmed by customers, I was not one of the <10 customers who were allowed to get a non-knurled version. Extra confusing because they sent another email a day after that stating once again that customers could ask to keep their non-knurled order.
In the grand scheme of things it is not a big deal when it comes down to operation of the lens to me, but it is indicative of the level of customer service that LLL currently provides. I just think that when a customer spends thousands of dollars on a product that is listed as having options, they should receive the product with the options that they ordered. Especially when other customers were able to receive their order as originally submitted. Not to mention if orders are being changed it should not go out in a generic email blast that filters to promotion folders, but customers should be contacted directly. They basically said this is a "teachable moment" to improve their processes moving forward. Leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth and personally dampens my view on the brand (not necessarily the product).
endergemini wrote
I received mine as well. They sent the knurled version even though I ordered and emailed confirming I wanted the non-knurled version. Disappointing; not sure if they made zero non-knurled ones even though they said they would be making them on a first-come first-serve basis or if they decided me emailing right after the blog update went live that I wasn't fast enough to contact them. Emailed to see what the situation is since technically this isn't what I ordered. If they had just outright said the non-knurled version had been canceled then that would be one thing, but no confirmation before shipping the product sucks from a consumer standpoint.On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.
Well LLL got back to me and said that although I emailed within 24 hours of their email sent out pointing to the blog "announcing" non-knurled orders would need to be re-confirmed by customers, I was not one of the <10 customers who were allowed to get a non-knurled version. Extra confusing because they sent another email a day after that stating once again that customers could ask to keep their non-knurled order.
In the grand scheme of things it is not a big deal when it comes down to operation of the lens to me, but it is indicative of the level of customer service that LLL currently provides. I just think that when a customer spends thousands of dollars on a product that is listed as having options, they should receive the product with the options that they ordered. Especially when other customers were able to receive their order as originally submitted. Not to mention if orders are being changed it should not go out in a generic email blast that filters to promotion folders, but customers should be contacted directly. They basically said this is a "teachable moment" to improve their processes moving forward. Leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth and personally dampens my view on the brand (not necessarily the product).
Nov 12, 2026 at 01:36 PM
p.19 #6Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Mine still says "Arrives December 14th" on their site. I wonder if that was just generic or accurate at all? Guessing the former.
Nov 12, 2026 at 03:35 PM
p.19 #7Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
I'll have images tonight, comparing to the Cron APO, but one thing I like much more on the Cron is the thicker tab on the focus ring. The LLL version feels like the same size as the older 50 Cron IV
Nov 12, 2026 at 03:54 PM
p.19 #8Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Fred Miranda wrote:
On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.That's frustrating, though I've been testing it today and I’m so glad my review copy is the knurled version. It really helps with close focusing, so it's not just for looks...there is an actual functional benefit to it. That's the exact reason the Leica version is knurled all the way around. Try it out, you might like it!
It's baffling to me that Leica put the knurling on the 35 APO M but left it off their new close focus 28 Cron, 35 Lux, and 50 Lux. I had the 28 for a while, and I don't remember it being too big of an issue, but the 35 Lux when focusing close to MFD requires some contortions to reach the focus tab, made worse when shooting vertically. I've never tried the 50.
endergemini wrote
I received mine as well. They sent the knurled version even though I ordered and emailed confirming I wanted the non-knurled version. Disappointing; not sure if they made zero non-knurled ones even though they said they would be making them on a first-come first-serve basis or if they decided me emailing right after the blog update went live that I wasn't fast enough to contact them. Emailed to see what the situation is since technically this isn't what I ordered. If they had just outright said the non-knurled version had been canceled then that would be one thing, but no confirmation before shipping the product sucks from a consumer standpoint.On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.
It's baffling to me that Leica put the knurling on the 35 APO M but left it off their new close focus 28 Cron, 35 Lux, and 50 Lux. I had the 28 for a while, and I don't remember it being too big of an issue, but the 35 Lux when focusing close to MFD requires some contortions to reach the focus tab, made worse when shooting vertically. I've never tried the 50.
Nov 12, 2026 at 05:08 PM
p.19 #9Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
highdesertmesa wrote:
On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.That's frustrating, though I've been testing it today and I’m so glad my review copy is the knurled version. It really helps with close focusing, so it's not just for looks...there is an actual functional benefit to it. That's the exact reason the Leica version is knurled all the way around. Try it out, you might like it!It's baffling to me that Leica put the knurling on the 35 APO M but left it off their new close focus 28 Cron, 35 Lux, and 50 Lux. I had the 28 for a while, and I don't remember it being too big of an issue, but the 35 Lux when focusing close to MFD requires some contortions to reach the focus tab, made worse when shooting vertically. I've never tried the 50.
I agree that rotating that far with just a focus tab gets awkward. I just checked my LLL, and it takes around 100 degrees to reach 0.7m and about 280 degrees to hit 0.3m...that's a lot of throw and I'm glad there is knurling to help at close distances.
That comes down to optical physics: because required helicoid extension scales roughly with the square of the FL, wider lenses need very little physical travel to focus close. For example, focusing down to 0.4m on the new 28/2 Summicron requires very little extension (and actually gets you only slightly closer than the CV 28/1.5 Nokton's 0.5m MFD), whereas a 35mm (and especially a 50mm) requires significantly more extension and barrel rotation for close focusing. I haven't tried the new close-focus versions of the 35 or 50 Lux either, as I love the classic versions and the optical formulas remain unchanged.
Fred Miranda wrote
endergemini wrote
I received mine as well. They sent the knurled version even though I ordered and emailed confirming I wanted the non-knurled version. Disappointing; not sure if they made zero non-knurled ones even though they said they would be making them on a first-come first-serve basis or if they decided me emailing right after the blog update went live that I wasn't fast enough to contact them. Emailed to see what the situation is since technically this isn't what I ordered. If they had just outright said the non-knurled version had been canceled then that would be one thing, but no confirmation before shipping the product sucks from a consumer standpoint.On the plus side the quality seems high and quick focus tests inside at home show accurate focus and great sharpness.
I agree that rotating that far with just a focus tab gets awkward. I just checked my LLL, and it takes around 100 degrees to reach 0.7m and about 280 degrees to hit 0.3m...that's a lot of throw and I'm glad there is knurling to help at close distances.
That comes down to optical physics: because required helicoid extension scales roughly with the square of the FL, wider lenses need very little physical travel to focus close. For example, focusing down to 0.4m on the new 28/2 Summicron requires very little extension (and actually gets you only slightly closer than the CV 28/1.5 Nokton's 0.5m MFD), whereas a 35mm (and especially a 50mm) requires significantly more extension and barrel rotation for close focusing. I haven't tried the new close-focus versions of the 35 or 50 Lux either, as I love the classic versions and the optical formulas remain unchanged.
Nov 12, 2026 at 05:37 PM
p.19 #10Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
well....infinity focus on mine is off. I went through three separate 11873 copies and couldn't get a good one, may sit out trying again on this. Such a shame
100% crops, focused at infinity, Cron on the left, LLL on the right. You can clearly see LLL is focusing way prior to infinity
100% crops, focused at infinity, Cron on the left, LLL on the right. You can clearly see LLL is focusing way prior to infinity
Nov 12, 2026 at 05:43 PM
|
p.19 #11Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
rsolti13 wrote:
well....infinity focus on mine is off. I went through three separate 11873 copies and couldn't get a good one, may sit out trying again on this. Such a shame
100% crops, focused at infinity, Cron on the left, LLL on the right. You can clearly see LLL is focusing way prior to infinity
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zXvdL7X/0/LRgz7k79ZXfjhtn8qWBMPB8djZRcHqTVvDkLTrGrs/X5/i-zXvdL7X-X5.png">
Is it the LLL 35/1.4 11873 or LLL 352 APO?
well....infinity focus on mine is off. I went through three separate 11873 copies and couldn't get a good one, may sit out trying again on this. Such a shame
100% crops, focused at infinity, Cron on the left, LLL on the right. You can clearly see LLL is focusing way prior to infinity
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zXvdL7X/0/LRgz7k79ZXfjhtn8qWBMPB8djZRcHqTVvDkLTrGrs/X5/i-zXvdL7X-X5.png">Is it the LLL 35/1.4 11873 or LLL 352 APO?
Nov 12, 2026 at 06:18 PM
p.19 #12Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Fred Miranda wrote:
100% crops, focused at infinity, Cron on the left, LLL on the right. You can clearly see LLL is focusing way prior to infinity
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zXvdL7X/0/LRgz7k79ZXfjhtn8qWBMPB8djZRcHqTVvDkLTrGrs/X5/i-zXvdL7X-X5.png">
Is it the LLL 35/1.4 11873 or LLL 352 APO?
this is the LLL APO - just saying I had the same problem with the 11873. My whole test effort mostly wasted, though I'll put up some side by side on close up images where focus is ok
rsolti13 wrote
well....infinity focus on mine is off. I went through three separate 11873 copies and couldn't get a good one, may sit out trying again on this. Such a shame100% crops, focused at infinity, Cron on the left, LLL on the right. You can clearly see LLL is focusing way prior to infinity
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zXvdL7X/0/LRgz7k79ZXfjhtn8qWBMPB8djZRcHqTVvDkLTrGrs/X5/i-zXvdL7X-X5.png">this is the LLL APO - just saying I had the same problem with the 11873. My whole test effort mostly wasted, though I'll put up some side by side on close up images where focus is ok
Nov 12, 2026 at 06:26 PM
p.19 #13Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
LLL on left, Cron on right
100%
LLL left, Cron right
100%
100%
LLL left, Cron right
100%
Nov 12, 2026 at 06:30 PM
p.19 #14Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
this was a test for CA control - LLL beats the Cron by a wide margin. This is wide open. LLL on the left
Nov 12, 2026 at 06:32 PM
p.19 #15Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Flare better handled on the Cron, though not bad on the LLL. Here was about 5 ft away, so focus being off may have affected this one a bit. Cron shows slightly sharper 100%. Better contrast on Cron
100%
Out of focus comparison - very close rendering
100%
Out of focus comparison - very close rendering
Nov 12, 2026 at 06:34 PM
p.19 #17Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
I want to say this was f/11 - LLL on the left renders better to me, though unsure what happens if focus is accurate. At least gives you an idea as to how it handles the sun. Excuse the dust
Nov 12, 2026 at 06:36 PM
p.19 #18Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Thanks Ryan! That sucks about infinity.
There are aspects of each lens I like based on these photos. My impression is if veiling flare isn't affecting the LLL, it appears a little higher contrast than the Cron, which in turn makes the Cron's OOF background rendering slightly smoother. I'm a bit surprised by the Cron's LoCA.
Since you already have the Cron, do you see any reason to keep the LLL, considering the focus issue? Otherwise I'd say a trip to DAG, perhaps, if not wanting to roll the dice on an exchange or LLL service.
There are aspects of each lens I like based on these photos. My impression is if veiling flare isn't affecting the LLL, it appears a little higher contrast than the Cron, which in turn makes the Cron's OOF background rendering slightly smoother. I'm a bit surprised by the Cron's LoCA.
Since you already have the Cron, do you see any reason to keep the LLL, considering the focus issue? Otherwise I'd say a trip to DAG, perhaps, if not wanting to roll the dice on an exchange or LLL service.
Nov 12, 2026 at 07:31 PM
p.19 #19Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
Good to see this lens getting delivered to more people. It's in my daily rotation and I think it's excellent. The knurling situation is absurd and the way they've handled it is amateur hour stuff. It's still early days for LLL but they've got to improve on the operational & QA fronts.
Some "3d pOP" in NYC, 😂
Some "3d pOP" in NYC, 😂
Nov 13, 2026 at 02:01 AM
p.19 #20Official: Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 "Apochromatic"
rscheffler wrote:
Thanks Ryan! That sucks about infinity.
There are aspects of each lens I like based on these photos. My impression is if veiling flare isn't affecting the LLL, it appears a little higher contrast than the Cron, which in turn makes the Cron's OOF background rendering slightly smoother. I'm a bit surprised by the Cron's LoCA.
Since you already have the Cron, do you see any reason to keep the LLL, considering the focus issue? Otherwise I'd say a trip to DAG, perhaps, if not wanting to roll the dice on an exchange or LLL service.
I already reached out to David and was planning on just returning, not dealing with a return, but I will try one more copy. I’m with you, based on my good images I see very slight optical benefits in different areas of both lens. I do have several more comparisons that aren’t useful to post, but I do feel the rendering is extremely close to the Cron. One thing I see in some samples not posted is it looks like the LLL is actually sharper in the corners wide open when shooting a flat surface, but I’m not entirely sure. The oof area renders almost identical. I do like the handling much better on the Cron. Is it a $4,000 difference - absolutely not. I’m not tied to the Leica name and if it doesn’t make sense financially to own the Cron I’ll gladly swap, which is what I hope I can do
My feeling on potential for this lens based on what I see - if you asked me yesterday what my absolute favorite lens is, it would be a toss up between the 35 Cron APO and 35 Noctilux
Also, I like the Ti look better on my black bodies
Thanks Ryan! That sucks about infinity.
There are aspects of each lens I like based on these photos. My impression is if veiling flare isn't affecting the LLL, it appears a little higher contrast than the Cron, which in turn makes the Cron's OOF background rendering slightly smoother. I'm a bit surprised by the Cron's LoCA.
Since you already have the Cron, do you see any reason to keep the LLL, considering the focus issue? Otherwise I'd say a trip to DAG, perhaps, if not wanting to roll the dice on an exchange or LLL service.
I already reached out to David and was planning on just returning, not dealing with a return, but I will try one more copy. I’m with you, based on my good images I see very slight optical benefits in different areas of both lens. I do have several more comparisons that aren’t useful to post, but I do feel the rendering is extremely close to the Cron. One thing I see in some samples not posted is it looks like the LLL is actually sharper in the corners wide open when shooting a flat surface, but I’m not entirely sure. The oof area renders almost identical. I do like the handling much better on the Cron. Is it a $4,000 difference - absolutely not. I’m not tied to the Leica name and if it doesn’t make sense financially to own the Cron I’ll gladly swap, which is what I hope I can do
My feeling on potential for this lens based on what I see - if you asked me yesterday what my absolute favorite lens is, it would be a toss up between the 35 Cron APO and 35 Noctilux
Also, I like the Ti look better on my black bodies
Nov 13, 2026 at 05:35 AM