Spread the love
Third-party lens manufacturers have been releasing various options for Leica users. Companies like Sigma, TTArtisan, Thypoch, Dr Ding, Meike, Astrhori, and more have some great offerings, which cost a quarter or less than the original Leica lenses. This means photographers who are first-time buyers can have a better range of lenses for their setup. Joining this vast list is a new Chinese company, Lailens, which has introduced a new lens for portrait photographers.
First reported by Leica Rumors, Lailens has recently announced a 50mm f1.1 lens, ideal for portraits and street photography. In addition to this launch, the company has also teased the design for the 35mm f/1.9 lens for the L39 mount.
So, what does the 50mm f1.1 feature? Designed for Leica M mount, the 50mm will cater to full-frame cameras. It has a close focusing distance of 0.7m, and a comes with 13 aperture blades. In addition, it has a yellow spot linkage focus method for precise focusing. The lens is quite small, with its overall length being just 4.3cm. The filter size is also standard, 52mm, and the weight is just 386g.
There is no detail yet about the lens elements or the materials used to design it. But from the pictures, you can see intricate markings, like the ones seen on Leica’s own lenses. The material could also be metal, but we don’t know unless we have seen it in person.
Where it does get interesting is the price. The Lailens lens for Leica costs $800. This may not be as exciting since TTArtisan sells M 50mm f0.95 ASPH for $755. There is also the same focal length and aperture lens released by 7Artisans, the M 50mm f1.1, which is priced far lower, at $369. However, other offerings from Thypoch and Voigtlander will either have a higher price or an f1.4 or above aperture.
Although there are two options, it entirely depends on whether the new Lailens can make a difference to image quality. Achieving an f1.1 aperture in a lens at this price tag is great for anyone who wants affordability and bokeh. The same offering from Leica itself can be anywhere between $5000 and $14,000. This, certainly, is a lot.
While it is exciting to see cost-effective offerings, we are concerned whether Lailens also offers weather sealing and autofocus. Many third-party manufacturers miss out on these two to keep the prices low. However, this means that one has to be extra careful if one is shooting outdoors. In a time when Chinese manufacturers are offering really cost-effective lenses, we wonder how much the price will go up if they add these two crucial elements. Either way, Leica users are spoiled for choice.
The Lailens 50mm f1.1 for Leica-M mount is now available to preorder on the company’s website.
