Thanks for all your input. The Thalia lenses really do seem to be something special if you’re after that vintage character combined with modern performance. Unfortunately, they’re way out of reach price-wise — and, given their intended use, completely impractical on a small M.
The question remains: which lens delivers a comparable look (especially when stopped down)?
When it comes to consistently smooth bokeh, the only ones that come to mind are the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35 mm and 50 mm f/2. Their aperture blades are specifically shaped to keep the bokeh circles almost perfectly round throughout the range. However, I find their overall rendering a bit too modern — and the 50 mm even too sharp. The 50 mm APO-Summicron, on the other hand, has a nicer look, but its bokeh balls quickly become polygonal once you stop down 🙄
I don’t see anything wider than 35 mm in this scene. If it looks wider, it was most likely cropped in post.
I’ve always wanted the 24 mm Summilux, but I don’t think that’s it either — plus it’s insanely expensive and doesn’t even have a standard filter thread.
Nov 11, 2025 at 06:29 AM
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