raizans wrote:
Picture this: LLL 50mm f/1.4 APO. I wouldnt be surprised if they did f/1.4. Thatd be exciting.
I'm pretty sure they're working on a 50mm f/2 APO lens right now, with plans for other focal lengths in APO designs. But developing an APO lens with an f/1.4 aperture means a very big lens, and the M platform likes small lenses. They could design a lens similar to the latest Leica 50mm f/1.4 Lux ASPH, which has great axial CA correction but isn't really APO by today's standards.
lens_payoff_0l wrote:
Yes I remember reading recently somewhere that LLL is working on 28mm/50mm/75mm and some other numbers but all f2 and apo lenses.
Fred Miranda wrote:
My all-time favorite is the 35 Lux FLE (0.7m MFD). If I could only keep one lens, that would be it.
I got the FLE recently and its really grown on me a lot. It has a touch of glow wide open than gives it a bit of character that I didn't technically appreciate off the bat because while its a pretty well corrected lens, there are 35s on Sony that have a lot more bite wide open. Also, f1.4 on a rangefinder is harder than F2 to focus than I thought. It wasn't till I mounted it on the a7rc with the LMEA9 that I realized how sharp it actually is wide open, but also how pleasing and interesting the character is outside being razor focused on the eye.
If I stayed away from forums I too could probably just happily live with the 35 lux FLE. It's pretty compact for what it is vs what I'm used to in fast 35's. But I couldn't ignore the allure of the 35 APO cron when researching 35's for M mount. The Leica is way more than I'm willing to spend for a lens but the LLL fits in the range where I'd give it a shot. My worry is that it might actually be too technically corrected in real world shooting for lifestyle and portrait type stuff.
Mystik wrote:
I got the FLE recently and its really grown on me a lot. It has a touch of glow wide open than gives it a bit of character that I didn't technically appreciate off the bat because while its a pretty well corrected lens, there are 35s on Sony that have a lot more bite wide open. Also, f1.4 on a rangefinder is harder than F2 to focus than I thought. It wasn't till I mounted it on the a7rc with the LMEA9 that I realized how sharp it actually is wide open, but also how pleasing and interesting the character is outside being razor focused on the eye.
If I stayed away from forums I too could probably just happily live with the 35 lux FLE. It's pretty compact for what it is vs what I'm used to in fast 35's. But I couldn't ignore the allure of the 35 APO cron when researching 35's for M mount. The Leica is way more than I'm willing to spend for a lens but the LLL fits in the range where I'd give it a shot. My worry is that it might actually be too technically corrected in real world shooting for lifestyle and portrait type stuff. ...Show more →
I actually secretly wish there was some glow on the FLE, but I don't detect much since it's corrected for SA. Yes, it's not as well corrected as a clinical APO lens, but it's far from being on the glow side like the Leica 35mm f/1.4 or f/2 "pre-ASPH" lenses or even the LLL 35/1.4 AA. I'd say for general use it's as "perfect" as it can be, just because I happen to like its imperfections in the rendering, like the noticeable outlining and more structured look. My second favorite on 35mm is actually the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron, which follows a similar signature but at f/2 and in a smaller package.
Ah - but that would just be the 50 Summilux ASPH then : )
The original 50 Lux ASPH (and its successor) is an Apochromatic design - as confirmed by Peter Karbe. It's just that they didn't market it as an APO-lens in 2004!
raizans wrote:
Picture this: LLL 50mm f/1.4 APO. I wouldnt be surprised if they did f/1.4. Thatd be exciting.
Mystik wrote:
I got the FLE recently and its really grown on me a lot. It has a touch of glow wide open than gives it a bit of character that I didn't technically appreciate off the bat because while its a pretty well corrected lens, there are 35s on Sony that have a lot more bite wide open. Also, f1.4 on a rangefinder is harder than F2 to focus than I thought. It wasn't till I mounted it on the a7rc with the LMEA9 that I realized how sharp it actually is wide open, but also how pleasing and interesting the character is outside being razor focused on the eye. ...Show more →
This is what I like so much about the 50 Lux ASPH. It's sharp wide open, but with a slight amount of SA to make it more flattering. Stopped down a touch, sharpness and contrast increase considerably.
but the LLL fits in the range where I'd give it a shot. My worry is that it might actually be too technically corrected in real world shooting for lifestyle and portrait type stuff.
That's what negative texture and clarity settings are for... With Lightroom you can easily have it create an auto mask of just face & skin and apply negative texture and clarity settings to de-tune the unflattering contrast and sharpness. This is my default approach for all event work now.
'High resolution does not mean sharp. Sharp is different, sharp is how you reproduce that resolution. And you can do that in different ways.' - Art Adams of ARRI
I scoured the web for images taken with the apo-summicron-m and almost no one uses it for people. The best I found was this one, with some Leica PR images of models:
They look a little artificial to me, but it's a job well done. It's a strident look, a 'statement' vibe. LLL will give users something quite different, skin tones are very important to the Chinese imaging aesthetic.
35mm is a bold beginning for a lens range. The 50mm will be very interesting and popular, then what next? Cosina have made big moves into portrait FL APOs, where quite a gap exists for this genre of lens. But Chinese glass feels quite different. They seem to have a house style, as Schott and the Japanese do as well. A 75/2 APO at good money, well that would do well IMO. F2 means it can be light.
This is where the Europeans are at:
'Raw Optical Glass Melting & Production SCHOTT AG (Mainz & Jena, Germany): The dominant and *virtually singular* European powerhouse melting specialized raw optical glass blocks, slabs, and strips used across high-end precision photography, aerospace, and medical engineering.' Well, they are good one, a real good one.
The Light Lens Lab Speed Panchro II 75mm f/2 is a vintage-inspired Leica M-mount lens designed for photographers who value character over clinical perfection.
a strong 75mm needs to remain compact, intuitive to use and offer a rendering that brings something more than just sharpness. Light Lens Lab has gradually evolved into a company that feels increasingly aligned with this philosophy.
they are bringing back something that is often missing today. Not just designs, but a way of rendering. Asian lens manufacturers have reached a very high level, both in build quality and optical performance. These lenses are no longer compromises. They are well-built, optically capable and offer a distinct visual identity.
They give photographers access to different rendering styles at a more accessible price point, without taking away from the experience.
In earlier conversations with Mr. Zhou from Light Lens Lab, one idea kept returning: ACDK.
Angnieux, Cooke, Dallmeyer and Kinoptik.
These are names that represent a different approach to lens design. Less focused on perfection, more focused on rendering and atmosphere. After years of working with Leica lenses, I found myself increasingly drawn towards these alternative optical philosophies. <end>
These are the kind of people they cater to. I'm pretty hopeful for the APOs. The company is getting there fast. cheers.
With Lightroom you can easily have it create an auto mask of just face & skin and apply negative texture and clarity settings to de-tune the unflattering contrast and sharpness. This is my default approach for all event work now.