Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 rigid review

Light Lens Lab is now a pretty established player in the third party Leica lens manufacturer, specialized in the “replica” genre. They successfully released beautiful options for various focal lengths (28mm, 35mm) with always a good amount of character, nostalgia and, mostly, high build quality. I recently was given the opportunity to try their newest 50mm lens that uses the same optics and mechanics than the cult and legendary Leica Summicron 50mm v2 aka “rigid” summicron. Let’s see what this is all about and if this 750€ lens can rival with the original Summicron name.

Mechanics and Haptics

Unfortunately, I don’t have on hand the original rigid Summicron to compare this Light Lens Lab 50mm rigid with. But, I do own a Leica Summicron 50mm v4 and Leica Summilux 50mm v2. Simply put, this new LLL lens is very well made. The silver finish I have is pretty matte looking-which I like compared with the more common satin finish.

Also, what really strikes you straight ahead is how dense this lens is. This is because, as usual, Light Lens Lab likes their lenses in nothing less than brass for the whole assembly. It actually feels much better than the aluminium made Summicron that I have on hand. Aperture rings is firm and f-stops are well defined, focus ring is very smooth, as expected with a lens of this class, and actually still better than the Summicron v4. There is an infinity lock on the classical style focus tab. Some like it, some don’t, but it is actually borrowed from the original design.

Surprisingly, I discovered the minimum focus distance has been improved compared with the original Summicron. This is a nice improvement that actually doesn’t ruin the replica concept. Well done.

The lens is shipped with a compact lens hood that uses a pressure screw to attach on the lens front barrel. Unfortunately I received mine without the screw as the previous reviewer lost it. I can’t comment how well it holds on. But I could also validate that this lens is well compatible with original Leica hoods like the clamp on style 12585. Size wise, this lens is conform with the original and almost identical with the Leica Summicron v4 I own. I like such tiny lenses.

This is a very well build and nicely made piece of brass and glass. Light Lens Lab stays true to their reputation with that one. Bravo.

Optical performances

The Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 rigid isn’t trying to win MTF chart battles against the latest aspherical giants, but that’s not the point. What it delivers is character and decent sharpness if used adequately.

Center sharpness from the Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 rigid is very good straight from f/2, but there definitely is some glow. You can confidently shoot wide open and get crisp results, particularly for portraits or dim lit scenes. Edges and corners improve gradually and peak around f/5.6, which is typical for a classic design.

Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 rigid bokeh is smooth but characterful, with slight swirl and a touch of edge outlining in some conditions. At the same time, there’s none of the haze that can plague older lenses because of bad lens cement or internal fogging. Contrast is slightly lower than modern ASPH lenses, this is part of the original draw, but stop it down a bit and it gets all the micro-contrast you will ever need. Flare resistance is decent, though not on par with modern offering. Shoot into the sun and you’ll get some veiling and a bit of ghosting, similarly to my previously reviewed Light Lens Lab 28mm f2.8.

Distortion and chromatic aberration are very well controlled. Vignetting is present at f/2, mostly gone by f/4, and contributes positively to the lens’s classic rendering.

In short: the Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 rigid delivers a classic, slightly romantic image with just enough sharpness and control wide open to be used in most situations. Close it down a bit and it becomes a peak performer. This lens behaves actually a lot like their first release, the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 reviewed here too. It will be a good match for a coherent combo.

Price and value

At 750€ euros, the Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 rigid is placed under most “serious” new 50mm offering in M mount. But it is also pretty close to the second hand market price of the original Rigid Summicron. It has been a little bit confusing for me to understand why this replica even exists in the beginning because, so far, Light Lens Lab tried to replicate lens that are actually out of reach financially for most of us. This time, for the first time, they replicate a lens that most Leica M camera owner could actually get (in silver. Original Black Paint Rigid fetches sky high prices). So what is it about? Well, straight answer is that you get a newly made product, with modernized mechanics bringing more flexibility (close focus), new greases that offer butter smooth operation, newly made glass and modern cement. That means you won’t need to service this lens anytime soon and its performance will peak for quite some years before showing signs of aging. The original Rigid Summicron can be had for rather “cheap” compared with other Leica lenses, but most of them will have coating damages, fog, and other nasty symptoms of time and long use and abuse.

Competition is also quite hard in this focal length and price segment, but none of them offer this kind of mechanical refinement. That being said a lot of them will offer more modern performances and rendering. But again, this lens design aims to replicate something that isn’t modern. It’s up to you to see while this lens is for you or not, but I can see a bit more how this one could polarize opinions a bit more.

Light Lens Lab 50mm f2 Rigid Summary and Conclusions

Pros:

• Excellent build quality; truly premium feel
• Sharp in the center from f/2
• Beautiful character and natural rendering that will match their already existing 35mm f2
• Compact and balanced on M bodies
• Compact hood
• Close focus to 0.7m

Cons:

• Price may get close with that of a genuine Leica Summicron v2
• Not optimized for edge-to-edge sharpness at wide apertures (by design)
• Some flare and veiling under harsh light

The Light Lens Lab 50mm f/2 Rigid is a love letter to one of Leica’s most beloved lenses, and in many ways, it improves upon the original. Mechanically, it’s a marvel. Optically, it walks the line between vintage charm and modern performance with remarkable finesse. And they even pushed this work to the point they replicated the glass chemical structure used in the original Summicron (known as LaK-9 lanthanide glass). This is quite some dedication.

If it doesn’t undercut the Summicron v2 rigid on price, it still offers something appreciable: the reliability and precision of a modern lens with the soul of a vintage classic. And that’s all Light Lens Lab has been working on these last years. If you’re someone who values that combination, it’s hard to fault this lens. For those who want the look and feel of a classic Leica without the maintenance worries or optical compromises of aging glass, the LLL Rigid is one of the most compelling 50mm options on the market while those looking for a simply modern and sharp lens, that might not be it, but you already know that.

Thank you for reading my thoughts one more time. Don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

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