Omnar Bertele 50mm f/2 MC FLB Review

Recent years have seen the rise of numerous new lens manufacturers offering alternatives for Leica M users. Most of these new makers focus on fast, sharp, modern lenses, often bulky and sometimes lacking a sense of romanticism. Among them, only a few truly stand apart. Omnar is definitely one of these rare exceptions, producing high-quality, handcrafted, rehoused lenses. Very recently, they released their first entirely in-house creation: the Omnar Bertele 50mm f/2, with a fascinating goal: to make the best classical Sonnar lens for Leica M mount. Just that. And for once, there is quite a lot to say about this anything-but-boring lens!

Background and presentation

The Omnar Bertele takes its name from the genius Ludwig Bertele, the designer of the Ernostar and the first Sonnar lenses. These original lenses were made for the Contax mount in two versions: an f/2 with six elements, and later an f/1.5 with seven elements. Omnar based their design on the very first formula, with a few clever updates: 0.7m close focusing, an enlarged image circle for digital medium format, multi-coating, and FLB.

FLB (Floating Lens Block) addresses the Sonnar’s age-old issue: focus shift when stopping down. Sonnars are notorious for this, and while it wasn’t a huge problem in the film era, since film grain is forgiving, on high-resolution digital sensors it can be maddening. The sharpest apertures (f/4–f/5.6) often suffer the most.

Omnar’s solution was to create a floating rear lens group mechanically coupled to the aperture ring. How smart is that? It’s a refreshing use of floating elements and, as far as I know, the first time it has ever been linked to the aperture setting rather than the focus distance. This means that in theory, the lens won’t exhibit focus shift at any aperture, making it the most reliable and predictable Sonnar yet. Pretty exciting!

Build and haptics

The real surprise comes when you hold it. The Omnar Bertele is the first lens that ever given me this kind of impression. It doesn’t feel like something made to modern industrial standards, nor like something cheaply or quickly produced. It sits somewhere between handcrafted jewelry and high-end pre-war precision engineering.

First, the weight: it’s surprisingly heavy for its compact size (smaller than a Summicron). That’s solid brass and glass for you. Everything feels smooth and buttery, with no trace of friction. Some mechanical solutions are unusual like the minimum focus hard stop being just a screw against the helicoid. The lens behaves very much like pre-war models: the focus ring rotates the entire lens assembly, aperture ring included. You can adapt to it, but ergonomically it’s far from ideal. Often, you’ll have to reset to infinity, change the aperture, then refocus. It’s a lens you need to live with before you truly bond with it.

The aperture ring has no clicks but is well-dampened, which makes sense since it drives the FLB. The f-stops are unevenly spaced, but since you have to look anyway, it’s not bothersome. More problematic is that the smallest apertures (f/8–f/22) are packed very tightly, so precise adjustment requires care.

The Omnar Bertele focusing setup is quirky too. There’s a simple tab (thankfully without an infinity lock), but the throw is very long. The tab is only useful from infinity down to about 1.4m; closer than that, you’ll need to use the knurled ring, which has an attractive asymmetric pattern. At close range, the helicoid extends a good half-centimeter, leaving it exposed, so beware of sand or dust. Also, the focus tab edges could use a chamfer, as they feel rather sharp. But luckily Omnar team informed me the production version will have a smoother and nicer to use tab.

There’s no noticeable wobble, though I did find that the focusing group can be nudged slightly under 1.1m, though damping grease mostly masks it. It has also been confirmed to me that production versions will have tighter tolerances that will address this issue.

My biggest gripe is the lack of a proper gripping surface for mounting or unmounting. Combine that with a very tight initial bayonet fit, and removing the Omnar Bertele can feel nerve-wracking. Fortunately, it loosens a bit with use, and the build is sturdy enough to withstand it.

Another note: my sample already shows wear. It was lacquered with traditional paint that peels easily. Production models will instead use Cerakote, which should be far tougher.

Overall, the lens feels truly handmade. Quirky, yes, but also unique and endearing. Once you bond with it, there’s a warmth that only this kind of craftsmanship can bring.

Rendering

Here’s what matters: the Omnar Bertele is an optimized recreation of the very first Sonnar. I expected painterly bokeh with smooth transitions when stopped down a little, and Sonnar-like field sharpness that improves gradually with aperture.

That’s exactly what you get. Wide open, sharpness is weak, even in the center, with veiling flare softening the image. The bokeh has strong outlining around highlights and plenty of character.

For me, the sweet spot is just before f/2.8. At that setting, center sharpness improves noticeably, bokeh smooths out, and subjects really pop. It’s a perfect mix of softness and impressionistic charm, the best of what a Sonnar can offer.

For landscapes, though, you’ll need to stop down hard. Consistent across-the-frame sharpness only arrives at around f/8.

As for focus shift, the FLB works flawlessly. I saw none at any aperture. To my knowledge, the Omnar Bertele is the first Sonnar design free of that issue. Bravo, Omnar.

Rendering is distinctly vintage: glowing highlights, diffuse softness wide open, weaker edges and corners. Perfect for portraits, family photos, or cinematic night scenes. For street photography, I personally prefer more punch, but the character is undeniable.

On film, I find it even more at home. Its history and rendering feel right for analog. On digital, while it behaves predictably, I often wanted to add extra contrast in post. That said, your mileage may vary as it is highly subjective.

Price and value

This is the trickiest part. At the time of publishing, the Omnar Bertele is sold out, including future 2026 batches, and it is pretty unclear whether or not they are planning to make more in the future (editors note: they are…). Retail price is around €3180 / $3730 (plus VAT). That’s not cheap for a vintage-style lens. But we have to remember: these are painstakingly handmade, each essentially a piece of functional jewelry. Only about 30 are made per batch, worldwide. Considering the care needed to ensure sharpness, centering, and accurate rangefinder coupling, the price is justified for collectors and enthusiasts seeking something unique. A beautiful homage to the first Sonnar.

For those more budget-conscious, this won’t be the right choice. Alternatives include original Sonnars (rehoused or adapted), modern Zeiss ZM Sonnars, or even Russian variants, all much more affordable ways to get the Sonnar look.

Omnar Bertele 50mm f/2 – Summary and conclusions

Pros:

• Jewel-like build, truly unique feel
• FLB eliminates focus shift
• Gorgeous rendering around f/2.5, with painterly bokeh
• Very compact for a 50mm f/2

Cons:

• Ergonomically quirky
• Needs f/8 for crisp landscapes
• Price and availability make it hard to get

As I said in the introduction, what Omnar has done with this lens is truly special. It’s a love letter to the Sonnar legacy, and you can feel the passion behind it. Not everyone will appreciate it, but for those who want a unique piece of glass, look no further. For others put off by price or rarity, the good news is that Sonnar lenses are widely available at much lower cost, and photographers have learned to tame focus shift for nearly a century.

What’s most exciting here is seeing that even after more than a hundred years of lens-making, there’s still room for innovation. Omnar’s FLB shows how classical designs can be improved with clever ideas. I hope they keep pushing forward, not just with rehousings, but with more ground-up creations. A fast 35mm recreation to pair with this Bertele would be a fantastic next step.

You can read more about the Omanr Bertele on their website here.

Thank you for reading this article! Don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

More Omnar Bertele pictures

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