Fred Miranda wrote: _jim_ wrote:
Of the four LLL lenses that I own, the most challenging to use (especially on a rangefinder) is the 50mm f/1.2 '1966.' That being said, if I had to choose just one to keep, that would be the one. It creates a completely unique look wide-open - highish contrast, lots of glow, very small area of sharp focus, lots of swirl, lots of mechanical vignette, smooth/less structured blur. Their newer 50's Z21 and ZS6 seemingly do most of those things, but with a very structured/soap bubble draw that is not to my taste.
Dad by Jim Fischer, on Flickr
Nikon Zf, Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 '1966.'
I agree, the 50/1.2 1966 has a very unique rendering. It offers smooth transitions, yet at the same time doesn't look modern at all. I also like the cooler color cast from the coatings. We all have different tastes when it comes to rendering, but these days I have come to appreciate a wide range of looks, from structured to painterly, and also smooth and undistracting. It makes me pay more attention to the background and the intent behind the image, instead of only shooting a single rendering style.
The 1966 is my favorite lens that I own. While it has not a lot of structure in the bokeh that is quite smooth(I usually don’t like that at all), I love it in that lens, it draws still differently than other smooth bokeh lenses.
Regarding the cooler rendering, I would argue that it produces warm images as a Cinestill film can do even though it draws on the blue, the 1966 will always flare its warm cast if there any light touching the frame and while the tones and colors are colder, there is almost always a warm cast bringing the image to life, it’s really beautiful.
Jun 04, 2026 at 11:57 AM
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