My Alternative to RX1RIII: Sony A7Cii and Mandler 35mm f/2

When Sony announced the RX1R III, my ears perked up. I’ve always love the idea of that little full-frame compact body that you could almost slip into a coat pocket. I once owned the RX1R, and even today I remember the joy of carrying it around, the freedom it gave me, the sense that I could photograph quietly, weaving through moments in the streets. The thought of RX1R III brought back that excitement. But as with most things in life, reality quickly intervened. The price tag was simply beyond what I could justify. So I did what most of us do when the GAS itch flares, I looked sideways instead of up. A few nights, a couple of coffees, a few YouTubes videos on different gears, and I bought a Sony A7Cii. Then I paired it with something that made sense for my wallet and my heart: the Mandler 35mm f/2 – the new Chinese-brand lens that chases the Summicron 35mm f/2 v4 rendering. Not Leica. Not vintage. Just a modern homage to that compact “bokeh king” look.

The consideration of this set up is mainly cost, I will break it down too. Hopefully being slightly cost effective with similar results. You be the judge ok?

Why Mandler and not a Summicron?

Cost as mentioned. Plain and simple. But also curiousity. The Leica 35mm f/2 v4 is a legendary lens, I admire it deeply, but it lives in a price bracket that will make the price comparison with RX1R III null. The Mandler 35mm f/2 modelled closely after the v4 Summicron, and while it won’t fool the collector’s market, it absolutely delivers in the one area that matters to me: image character. Shooting with the Mandler, I get that same balance of sharpness, gentle contrast, and subtle rendering that gives subjects a sense of life. Is it 100% identical to the Leica? No. But is it close enough that I find myself enjoying the results just as much? Definitely. There is something liberating about using a lens that doesn’t carry the weight of luxury branding. When I mount the Mandler to my A7Cii, I’m not worried about scratching a $3000 piece of glass. I’m focused on the photographs. If the Summicron is the museum piece, the Mandler is the sketchbook I’m not afraid to carry around daily.

In the hand

The true test of any camera is not in spec sheets but in lived experience. And here, my Sony A7Cii + Mandler combo feels remarkably coherent. The A7Cii is almost cheeky-rangefinder-ish, a body that doesn’t shout. With the Mandler mounted via the Voigtländer VM-E close focus adapter, the balance feels right. Peaking and focus zoom make manual focusing easy enough. But most of the time, I use zone focusing (as I did with rangefinders); moments happen quickly, and street photography would be a huge challenge without it. In that sense, autofocus is a feature I can live without when shooting with the 139g Mandler. That said, I think RX1R III autofocus gonna be amazing. And while A7Cii is not RX1R-small, it has that same “take me with you” energy.

The look

The pictures I got from this setup is pleasing enough for me. At f/2, the center looks sharp, the edges are softer in a nice way, and the background blurs smoothly without looking messy. It flares if I’m not careful (a hood helps), and the vignetting at wide apertures can be quite pretty – like a quiet nudge toward the subject. Stopped down, it gets sharp across the frame. Files are modern and flexible, the rendering never feels too clinical. It’s the balance I wanted: today’s sensor, yesterday’s charm.

Why not the A7CR?

I know what some of you are already thinking: if I was chasing the RX1R III experience, why didn’t I just go for the A7CR? After all, it shares the same high-resolution sensor as the RX1R III, in a compact body too. Wouldn’t it be the truer “DIY RX1R III”?

Yes – if megapixels were the deciding factor. But for me they aren’t.

Street photography rarely demands 61 megapixels. I don’t crop aggressively; I prefer to work with what I frame. In fact, lower resolution often works in my favor: the 33MP sensor of the A7Cii offers more forgiving files, smaller storage needs, and slightly better high-ISO performance. Those are things I actually feel in my day-to-day usage. There’s also the matter of cost (again). The Sony A7CR priced significantly higher than the A7Cii. For the cost of the A7CR body alone, I was able to get my A7Cii and the Mandler 35/2. That mattered to me. So while the A7CR is arguably the “closer cousin” to the RX1R III, the A7Cii simply made more sense for me. It’s not about chasing specs. It sits right in the sweet spot between modern performance and honest limitation.

Finally the price comparison, money talks

When comparing cost, the Sony A7Cii with the Mandler 35mm/2 comes in at about S$3701 (Singapore dollars). This includes the body, new at S$2580, the lens, new at S$679, and I got a used adapter at S$90, plus all essential accessories like an extra battery, a charger (Sony… why didn’t you include a charger in the package?), straps, and a camera bag (S$352).

In contrast, the Sony RX1R III totals around S$6370 once you factor in the camera itself (S$6100) plus similar accessories (battery, charger, strap, and bag). If I opt for a higher-quality shoulder strap, the RX1R III package rises to about S$6439. In other words, the A7Cii with Mandler setup delivers a comparable 35mm shooting experience for roughly S$2700 (approximately 2100 USD) less, while retaining the flexibility of an interchangeable lens system. In my opinion, the Mandler-equipped A7Cii simply offers more value, versatility and style, for the money.

Living with the compromise

To be clear, this isn’t about pretending my alternative is superior. Will an integrated RX1R III outperform this DIY pairing? Of course, the RX1R III would be the more polished tool, it would do everything a little slicker, a little faster (the focus gonna be spot on most times, perhaps more so than my zone-focusing). But walking with this kit, I don’t miss the camera I can’t buy. I enjoy the one I “built”. It slows me down just enough. It ask for intention. It makes photographs I want to look at again.

Sometimes a new camera announcement doesn’t end in a purchase – it ends in a clearer sense of what we actually need. For me, that turned out to be A7Cii + Mandler 35/2. Not perfect. Just right.

(All photos taken with Sony A7Cii and Mandler 35/f2, frames of ordinary days, made quietly – edited in Lightroom, grains added to give the photos a slight film-look)

Thanks for reading.

Sien Hong.

Instagram.

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