Another classic recreated.

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The Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 8 element Summicron clone on the M10.

Background:

I was so impressed with the manufactured quality of the Light Lens Lab 50mm S-P II lens, that it was impossible to resist the temptation of adding another LLL recreation to my lens collection. But, first, a few words about the background to this recreation.

The Leitz 35mm Summicron f/2 lens sprang from the fertile mind of Walter Mandler in 1958 from the optical workshops of E. Leitz, Midland, Ontario in Canada. While f/1.4, or even f/1.2, 35mm wide angle lenses are common today, f/2 in 1958 was a revolution in optical design. Mandler’s symmetrical 8-element double Gauss derivative optical design delivered near distortion-free results with high resolution in the center at full aperture, all of this in a tiny package, and tipped the scales at 5.3 ozs/150 grams. All of this contributed to the lens’s desirability and while some 23,000 were made in bayonet and Leica thread mount, they are rare as hen’s teeth today and command insane used prices. Reckon on $4,000 and up. A version with goggles for the Leica M3 was also manufactured, a rather clunky departure from the svelte regular design. Early production also included a Leica thread mount version. Good luck finding one of those.

Optical design:

The symmetrical optics of the 8 element design can be seen from this graphic:

8 elements in 6 groups.

Six versions over the years:

By my count Leica has produced five or six optical designs of the 35mm f/2 Summicron over the years:

• Type 1: The original 8 element of 1958, Midland and Wetzlar.
• Type 2: A 6-element in 1969, Midland and Wetzlar, with an ugly protruding tab for the aperture ring.
• Type 3: A 6-element in 1973 without the protruding tab, probably optically identical to Type 2.
• Type 4: A 7-element design with a larger exit pupil in 1979.
• Type 5: A 7-element ASPH with one aspherical surface in 1996, still current and crazy priced.
• Type 6: A 10-element APO ASPH with aspherical and apochromatic elements with a floating group. Current and looney priced.

In each iteration subsequent to the Type 1 8 element corner sharpness was steadily improved, but arguably none has the glow and warm color rendering of the original, which is why I bought the Light Lens Lab clone.

Light Lens Lab:

So this all time street snapper classic was a natural for the first lens to emerge from the engineers at China’s Light Lens Lab in 2019, and I snapped up a mint ‘open box’ late version for $850 from a US seller (no tariffs, thank you very much). Because I am not a collector and only need one 35mm lens in my little armory of optics for my Leica M10, I sold the 35mm f/2 Canon LTM and the 35mm f/3.5 Leitz Summaron lenses, making the net proposition free. I’m a believer in the dictum that has it that all collectors should be lined up against the proverbial brick wall, for they rob users of affordable classic lenses while getting off on the contents of their display cabinet. Sick.

“8 element” is the appropriately named LLL recreation. Performance, according to reviews, is identical to that of the Leitz original. Yes, the coatings may be more modern but your money gets you an unmolested, fresh original compared with an overpriced collectible which is at least 52 years old. The Leitz optic was marketed from 1958 through 1974.

Production quantities:

It’s unclear how many of these LLL has manufactured but you can find them engraved on the front ring with designations “V1”, “V2”, all the way through “V8”, each suggesting that the batch was limited to 998 units, so call it 8,000 or so. It’s also unclear whether changes were made between the versions, though I’m happy to report that mine is from the latest batch I have found, meaning “V8”. Given that the folks at LLL are compulsive tinkerers, if there were any improvements during the production run then I have convinced myself that I am one of the beneficiaries thereof.

My copy of the LLL 35mm f/2 8 element.

As with the 50mm LLL recreation, the lens came in a pretty box and a zippered lens pouch, both utterly useless if you actually take photographs. Still, it beats a poke in the eye with a stick, I suppose.

As delivered.

You get nice metal front (useless) and rear lens caps. Only a fool uses a front lens cap on a rangefinder lens, finding out he has forgotten to take it off when that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has passed. All that’s needed is an inexpensive UV filter. I have a bunch of these Fotasy multi-coated filters on my Leica lenses and can attest that the quality is such that there is no impact on optical performance. Nada, nothing, zilch. You can clean these with your less than pristine handkerchief or T shirt when they get dirty and, should they get scratched, why another $10 sees a brand new one in their place.

A near perfect recreation of the Summicron:

So perfect is the cloning of the Summicron that reviews disclose identical artifacts in challenging conditions when the two lenses are compared. So much so that the story has it that LLL, in a rare burst of guilt, made the glass elements 1mm wider in diameter to prevent crooks transplanting them to tired Leitz originals, eyes forever on the Almighty US Dollar. I’ll happily soldier on with the clone, comfortable in the knowledge that I have $3,000 more in the bank than the collector set. LLL made base versions of these in chrome or black, but for this aficionado of all things Leitz in the 1950s only chrome will do.

Finishes available:

LLL lists a large selection of finishes:

Many versions.

At the time of writing the Stainless Steel, “Time” and Safari Green (Ugh!) versions, all premium priced, remain available, but be prepared for those nasty 40% and up tariffs from the shakedown artist in the Oval Office. Add these on top of LLL’s price and the collectors’ original begins to almost look decently priced ….

While they are currently unavailable, the LLL HCB Special Edition versions are interesting as they delete the infinity lock, something Leitz did for HCB at his request. The infinity lock bothers some users, but I have never found it to be an issue.

The LLL focuses down to 0.7 meters (28″), identical to the specification for the non-goggles Leitz original.

There was also a LLL version in LTM screw thread or M bayonet mount with a collapsible barrel – not exactly attractive to look at – but that is no longer listed. That’s a shame for users of older Leica thread mount bodies longing for a high-performance fast 35mm lens. Given how small the non-collapsible lens is it’s hard to understand why LLL added a collapsible barrel feature. This version appears to have a built in protective filter – not such a great idea as you really want these to be easily replaceable.

The LLL LTM collapsible version.

Mr. Zhou:

Mr. Zhou created Light Lens Lab in 2018, reflecting a long time passion for all things Leica. A true enthusiast, you can see an interview with him by clicking here.

6-bit coding:

My Leica M10 makes provision for the following 35mm Leica lenses:

• f/1.4 Summilux, 11869/11870/11860
• f/1.4 ASPH Summilux 11663/11874/11883 (FLE I)
• f/1.4 ASPH 11873
• f/2 Summicron v4 11310/11311
• f/2 ASPH Summicron 11879/11882 (I)

The code table only includes codes for the 2nd, 4th and 5th entries, above, and after trying these on a clear sky at full aperture it was clear that the f/2 Summicron setting yielded the best result as regards corner vignetting, so I coded the lens ‘000110’ and it is now reported in EXIF data as a 35mm f/2 Summicron.

A quick check at all apertures disclosed visible glow at f/2 but with excellent corner detail and I can barely see the most minor definition loss due to diffraction at f/16. The rendering is pleasant, never clinical. Focus accuracy at f/2 and the minimum focus distance of 0.7m/28″ is perfect, as the image below shows. I focused on the location of the green line on the letter ‘c’ in ‘Gericault’:

Perfect rangefinder focus at 0.7m and f/2.
Click the image for a larger version.

Ergonomics:

It bears repeating almost verbatim what I wrote in my review of the LLL S-P II lens.

The classic design of the LLL lens mates well with the Leica M body, be it film or digital. The locking focus tab makes for easy insertion and removal, the focus rotation is butter smooth and the aperture click stops are just so. The focus throw at some 135 degrees from infinity to 0.7 meters works well for this user. Focus accuracy in my sample is perfect, and the overall look, feel and finish are truly Leica quality. Additionally, I have found the lens easy to operate with gloved hands, the aperture ring being readily grasped. All of this in a compact whole spells perfection. But, best of all, the lens is simply gorgeous to behold and I’m a member of the class which contends that beautiful hardware makes for better pictures. Now I’m feeling better about the financial outlay.

As regards intrusion on the 35mm finder frame, with a slim 39mm filter in place and no lens hood fitted, the lens starts to intrude on the lower right corner of the finder frame at 8 feet and below. Even at the minimum focus distance of 0.7m (28″) the intrusion is so minor as to be of no consequence.

The LLL 35mm f/2 weighs 8.1 ozs/229 grams compared with a scant 5.3 ozs/150 grams for the Leitz original, the difference attributable to the far more extensive use of brass in the LLL version. The heft balances perfectly on the M10 body.

In Part II I have published some early results snapped with this ultimate in street snappers.

Some early results.

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Part I appears here.

In each case clicking on the large image again will give you an enormous version, equivalent to a 70″ wide print when viewed on a 32″ monitor.

These were all taken in very poor, overcast light, and the lens’s warm rendering of colors shines through despite the poor light. If you want the sort of clinical, perfect resolution offered by modern aspherical lenses, look elsewhere. This optic is all about color rendering and charm.

At f/2. Glow galore. Compare with the next image.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/4. No glow at this aperture.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/2. Good central sharpness.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/2.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/2.8. Gorgeous, warm color rendering.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/5.6. Corner detail is crisp.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/4. Slight corner vignetting. Lovely colors.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/4. Good central resolution, so-so edges.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/4. No issues printing this huge.
Click the image for a larger version.

At f/2. Glow notwithstanding, micro-contrast and resolution are fine.
Check the printing on the PVC pipe in the enlarged version.
Click the image for a larger version.

All snapped on the Leica M10, the only processing in Lightroom was to correct leaning verticals in images 3, 6 and 10. Otherwise SOOC. The lens was coded 100001, as described in Part I.

A quick comparison with the 50mm f/1.4 Canon LTM:

I reviewed the bargain priced 50mm f/1.4 Canon LTM lens here, finding it to be excellent at all apertures with peak resolution at f/4 though f/11.

Here are the two lenses:

The f/1.4 Canon with M adapter alongside the LLL SP-II.

First, it’s instructive to compare weights. The Canon weighs 9.53ozs/270grams with filter and LTM-to-M adapter. The LLL weighs 9.42ozs/267grams with filter, despite being one stop slower. This is attributable to the use of alloys in the Canon compared with chrome plated brass in the LLL, which makes for a surprisingly hefty, if small, package.

I compared images taken with both optics at f/2, f/8 and f/16.

• At f/2 the Canon is considerably sharper in the center but loses out to the LLL at the edge, the LLL having excellent across the frame sharpness. The lower center resolution of the LLL image is attributable to the strong glow (spherical aberration) exhibited by this lens, its key character trait.
• At f/8, the peak for both lenses, the LLL is ever so slightly sharper across the frame, but there is so little in it it’s hard to distinguish.
• At f/16 diffraction affects the images from both lenses, with the LLL noticeably better across the frame.

The takeaway is just how good these 1950s era optical designs were. If you need f/1.4 or the best central definition at f/2, the Canon is the better choice, as well as being considerably cheaper. I paid $340 for mine with LTM-to-M adapter and shipping from Japan, but be prepared to look long and hard for a pristine copy. If it’s the character conferred by the LLL’s aberrations at f/2 (and, less, at f/2.8) then that is the lens of choice, albeit at a premium price. One other possible benefit is the closer minimum focus distance with the LLL – 0.7 meter compared with 1.0 meter for the Canon. However from f/4 through f/8 there is very little to choose definition wise between the two.

There is one other factor, the aesthetic one. The LLL just looks right on the Leica M body.

Acid flashback.

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Background:

Take a 1945 optical design from long time and still extant English cine lens manufacturer Cooke, mate the optics with the most beautiful housing made for any Leica lens in the 1950s (the Leitz Summicron v2), multicoat the glasses with modern rare earths, then recreate the whole in China and you end up with the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 “Rigid SP-II” lens for the Leica M.

Cooke:

Cooke of Leicester, England is still in business and continues to make cine lenses. They also make a revised version of their Speed Panchro which you can find at B&H, with Leica pricing to boot. This one is in Sony E mount and f/2.4.

Light Lens Lab:

Light Lens Lab is a small Chinese lens and accessory maker which specializes in small batch recreations of classic lens designs. Great effort is made to replicate the look and feel of the originals, with special emphasis on classic Leica optics from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In the case of this lens the innards are Cooke and the housing is Leitz, both imitations. The only nods to modernity include the use of multi-coatings to better control flare, half aperture click-stops and a closer minimum focus distance.

The Light Lens Lab clone of the 1940s Cooke Speed Panchro cine lens is set in a clone of the 1960s v2 Leitz Summicron mount, representing about as perfect an acid flashback as these things get. The Speed Panchro was used in many famous movies from late Chaplin through Godfather 2 and Midnight in Paris (in particular, check the opening sequence in the latter).

Two optical versions in the cloned Summicron housing:

LLL makes two lenses set in the Summicron housing – one has the Cooke Speed Panchro seven elements in five groups double Gauss optics, the other has eight elements in six groups from the original Leitz v2 Summicron. It’s pretty much impossible to find an unmolested original Speed Panchro or Summicron without a scratched front element (soft coatings back then), fungus, mold, dust, oil on the diaphragm blades, balsam separation, sticky focus action, you name it, and if you do you are looking at $2,000 for a perfect specimen. By contrast, this Light Lens Lab example is new, with modern coatings and greases. And it costs a lot less from a maker which has developed a high quality reputation. Considering that some 120,000 v2 Summicrons were manufactured it mystifies me that so few good ones survive.

The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 Cooke Speed Panchro clone.
The external appearance is identical to the LLL Summicron clone.

Compare. The Leitz original version of the v2 Summicron.

The lens reviewed here is the Cooke Speed Panchro II version. Here are the optical diagrams:

Cooke Speed Panchro optics.

Summicron v2 optics.

The original Cooke Speed Panchro II 50mm f/2 from LLL looks like this:

Ugly duckling. LLL’s first version of the Speed Panchro.

For its second attempt LLL installed the same optics in the classic 1960s Summicron mount and the result is gorgeous. Having used a 1960s v2 Summicron for some three plus decades – all my Leica film hardware was sold when the wonderful Canon 5D came along – I remain of the opinion that there has never been a more beautiful lens made for the Leica M body. As for performance both the Speed Panchro II and the v2 Summicron are renowned for the gentle way in which they render images, especially at larger apertures, with little to choose between the two optical designs. Now that I am well and truly back in nostalgia land with a Leica M10 and a bunch of lenses, it seems only right to complete the journey with an (almost) original Cooke lens in a v2 Summicron body. LLL offers a variety of finishes, including matte black, black with brassing and a kitsch all brass option, in addition to classic satin chrome on brass. For this devotee of classic Leica looks only satin chrome will do.

To distinguish the two LLL offerings, note the different front engravings:

LLL Speed Panchro and LLL Summicron engravings .

Cost and rendering:

Mine cost $800 from a US vendor (no tariffs) and was new, ‘open box’, and while that is a good deal less than a good used 1960s Summicron, it’s still the costliest lens I own for the M10, and that by a considerable margin. (The others range from $120 to $450, all used). I added a multicoated 39mm chrome UV filter for pennies. There’s no need to waste money on an original Leica filter, but no front element should be without a protective filter. It means that only a rear cap is required when you stash the lens in an overcoat pocket. A modern Summicron with all its clinical rendering of detail (like an over sharpened image straight out of the iPhone) will run you over $3,000. And it’s not exactly pretty in appearance or rendering.

By contrast, the Cooke optics, once set in the compact Summicron clone mount, are nothing short of a delight to the eye and the heft of the lens with its use of chrome coated brass is just right, small yet dense.

The Cooke lens in a Leitz clone Summicron mount.
‘S-P’ for Speed-Panchro, ‘R-C’ for ‘Replica-Cooke’.
Mine is #094 from a batch of 998 lenses.

How close is the clone to the original?

What are the differences between the original and the clone housings and glasses? This is rather a mixed comparison as I am comparing the Cooke optics in a modern Summicron clone mount with the Leitz optics in the original Summicron mount, but you get the idea:

• The closest focus distance of the clone is 0.7m compared with 1.0m, coupling with the rangefinder on later film bodies and all digital ones. (Earlier film M bodies only couple down to 1 meter).
• Half click stops compared with full. I would have preferred the latter.
• Minimum aperture is f/22 compared with f/16 for the Summicron. Definition at f/22 is surprisingly good – see below. Strangely, the depth-of-field markings on the lens’s barrel only go through f/16.
• Allegedly modern, tougher lens coatings, compared with soft single ones on the original. Use a protective filter and toughness is irrelevant.
• Multi-layer (greenish) coatings compared with single (blue). Should result in better flare control into light sources.
• 8 aperture blades compared with 10 in the original. The ugly duckling first LLL version had 11 aperture blades, and it’s a shame that this was reduced to 8 in the second version, the one reviewed here. More blades mean better sun stars and softer rendering of out of focus areas.
• No lens hood with the Cooke version, a thumb-screw lens hood with the Summicron version. (Bad – lose the screw and the hood is useless). The Leitz original accepts the 12585 ‘reverse cone’ clip on from Leitz (much better). Track down a used Leitz hood ($100) and it will fit the clone fine or save your money and get a screw-in knock-off from Amazon. The Leitz hood will also clip on in reverse mode for a more compact package – a solution looking for a problem. I don’t bother with lens hoods which is just as well as the Cooke version of the LLL lens comes without one.
• The lens head of the LLL is not removable. That of the Summicron – regular or dual-range version – is.
• A metal rear lens cap compared with the chintzy black plastic Leitz one for the Summicron. A high quality item made of chrome plated brass.
• The Cooke Speed Panchro II LLL variant has a focal length of 50mm whereas the typical Summicron was 51.9mm (they vary, and Leitz used to engrave the last two digits of the true focal length on the barrel to the right of the infinity mark. When they did not do this the true focal length could still be found scratched on the barrel of the removable lens head), meaning the LLL version will have a slightly wider field of view and will probably show sharper out-of-focus areas than the original Leitz optic at the same aperture. Not particularly significant, given the small difference. Click here for an example.
• The Leitz Summicron weighs 8.9ozs/251grams without filter, with the Dual Range version coming in at a chunky 12.0ozs/340 grams. The LLL without filter weighs 9.25oz/262grams.

Non-removable lens head:

The lens head of the LLL is non-removable. On the original Summicron v2 (and v3) you could unscrew the lens head for use with a close-up device or for use on a copying attachment. Decades ago I used the lens head with an adapter in my darkroom enlarger and at f/8 the Summicron was a fine optic for this purpose. As darkrooms are a thing of the past, and as the LLL clone focuses to a close 0.7m, the removable lens head is not missed. (The Leitz Summicron was also available in a heavy 340 gram dual-range focusing mount along with accessory ‘spectacles’ for use in the close focus range which spanned 0.45 – 1.0 meters. Sadly this version will not focus to infinity on digital M bodies without expert modification).

Removable head on the v3 6-element Summicron.

6-bit coding – why you need it and how to add:

Unlike Voigtländer optics whose rear flange comes with a nice recessed groove for 6-bit coding, (the groove precluding wear of the markings), the LLL Speed Panchro comes with a smooth rear flange. Code that with a black ink pen and the codes will eventually wear off, owing to friction between the lens’s flange and the camera’s mount. For now I have conferred the requisite 100001 coding using my coding template on the smooth rear mount, and will see how it wears. If it proves fragile I’ll consider machining code pits in the rear flange to preserve the code ink fills. The right pen for this job is the Uni-Ball. The ink in a Sharpie does not work. Coding the lens matches its characteristics to those of the digital sensor, especially as regards treatment of axial rays. Once done it’s automatic once the lens is mounted, so why not do it?

Smooth rear flange.

First it was necessary to determine the correct codes for the LLL Speed Panchro lens. My Leica M10 body makes provision for no fewer than six 50mm Leica lenses:

• 50mm f/1 Noctilux (11821/11822)
• 50mm f/1.4 Summilux (11868/11856/11114)
• 50mm f/1.4 Summilux Asph (11891/11892) *
• 50mm f/2 Summicron vIII (11817) *
• 50mm f/2 Summicron v5 (11819/11825/11826/11816) *
• 50mm f/2.8 Elmar-M (11831/11823/11824)

* The asterisked choices are also lens distortion correction options in the Develop module of the current version (v15.1) of Lightroom Classic. No LLL lens is currently listed as a lens correction option in Lightroom.

A few test snaps at full aperture disclosed that vignetting (it disappears by f/4) was best controlled using the code for the 50mm f/2 Summicron v5, and this table discloses that the 6-bit code for that optic is 100001 (#36 in the table), so that means that 2 ink codes would have to be added. (In practice the differences as regards vignetting between the 6 lens options are very small. Any one will do).

100001 code added.

Lens correction in Lightroom:

Applying the 50mm Summicron-M lens correction profile in Lightroom sees a very minor amount of barrel distortion corrected. The change is so minor that only the most critical correction of straight lines in, say, architectural photography, would be noticeable.

The lens correction profile in Lightroom v15.1.

The ‘glow’:

The key aspect of this lens is the glow it delivers (courtesy of lens aberrations) at full aperture. In the following two images you can see the effect at f/2 and at f/4. By f/4 the glow is gone and center definition is optimal. In the third image, taken at f/22, you can see definition-robbing diffraction setting in (though the corners are further improved over f/4) but given that these are pixel peeps from what would be 40″ wide prints, the result is perfectly useable:

At f/2. Click the image for a larger version.

At f/4. Click the image for a larger version.

At f/22. Click the image for a larger version.
Note the corners are further improved compared with f/4.
This is at ISO3200 so there’s some digital noise when pixel peeping.

Focus accuracy:

I was a tad concerned about lens centering and collimation given some reports that LLL’s QC was sub-optimal at the assembly stage. Maybe I got lucky because my sample focuses accurately at infinity (not that much of a test) but, more importantly, is beyond perfect at 0.7m, the minimum focus distance, at f/2. That is a critical test. Here’s the result. My focus, using the LLL 1.4x eyepiece magnifier, was on the green line. The result shows focus is totally accurate:

Perfect rangefinder focusing at 0.7m and f/2.

Before you go blaming the lens for poor focus alignment I suggest you check that your body’s rangefinder is properly adjusted, a process I illustrate here. It’s not unknown for even new bodies from the factory to be improperly adjusted in this regard, and it takes little time to get this right and all you need is an Allen wrench and some patience.

Ergonomics:

The classic design of the LLL lens mates well with the Leica M body, be it film or digital. The locking focus tab makes for easy insertion and removal, the generously wide focus collar is comfortable for those who prefer its use over that of the focus tab, the rotation is butter smooth and the aperture click stops are just so. The focus throw at some 180 degrees from infinity to 0.7 meters is long by modern standards but works well for this user. Focus accuracy in my sample is perfect, and the overall look, feel and finish are truly Leica quality. Additionally, I have found the lens easy to operate with gloved hands, the aperture ring being readily grasped. All of this in a compact whole spells perfection. But, best of all, the lens is simply gorgeous to behold and I’m a member of the class which contends that beautiful hardware makes for better pictures. Now I’m feeling better about the financial outlay.

As regards intrusion on the 50mm finder frame, with a slim 39mm filter in place and no lens hood fitted, the lens starts to intrude on the lower right corner of the finder frame at 6 feet and below. Even at the minimum focus distance of 0.7m (28″) the intrusion is so minor as to be of no consequence.

‘China’:

The front ring of the lens bears the word ‘China’ in fairly discreet red, in addition to silver paint filled descriptions of the lens. If that bothers you, fitting a UV filter makes everything disappear:

No more ‘China’

Availability:

It seems that LLL accepts orders for small batch production, informing the customer once a lens is manufactured. As I write this the Summicron version with hood is only available in brass (Ugh!) for $899 and the Cooke Speed-Panchro version without a hood is only available in chrome (yippee!), also for $899. Both come with front and rear caps. The ugly duckling original version of the Cooke is available in no fewer than five finishes for $849-$1149. Add import tariffs at 34% from China or 35% for Canadian vendors and things get expensive fast, so I recommend tracking down a lens from a US seller.

In Part II I have published some early results. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on this exercise in mechanical design and beauty:

With 39mm UV filter in place.
The label reminds me to turn on my iPhone for GPS recording.