Dan Kerin

 Light Lens Lab 75mm F/2 SPII

Over the years Light Lens Labs have been making some really quite remarkable lenses for the Leica M system. Many have been inspired by classic Leica lenses or vintage cine lenses. The 75mm f2 Speed Panchro is just one of these lenses. The lens features 8 elements in 5 groups and pays homage to the 1940’s double gaussian optical design. The lens has 12 aperture blades which stop down in half stop increments from f2 all the way to f22. This combined with the double gaussian design should make this lens a portrait powerhouse. Another handy feature for portraits is the 0.7m close focus which means you are easily able to fill the frame for headshots. One thing which really stood out to me when getting this lens in the hands for the first time was the beautiful amber coatings and the overall excellent build quality. Having tested and shot with many lenses over the years I personally would but the build quality on par with or exceeding that of Voigtlander and Zeiss! This particular lens is the black paint aluminium one which is stated to be made from 7075 aircraft grade aluminium and weighs only 310g.

Technical details over with and onto how this lens handles when on the camera. On the camera it feels really well balanced and while at first, I was sceptical of the traditional cine style focusing tabs I quickly grew to really like it. It can also act as a stand when focused at 1.5m to prevent the lens barrel from directly coming into contact with the surface the camera is placed on which is handy. Unfortunately, neither my M3 or M4 support 75mm framelines however I did have a Leica M6 0.85 in the store which needed to be film tested, so no better time than with this lens. Measuring 73 x 54mm the lens is a little longer than most 50mm’s however it is still shorter than the 90mm Elmarit I had just finished reviewing so for me it’s not a deal breaker. Without the hood there is very little rangefinder blockage but when the hood is fitted expect some minor blockage. For this review I chose to shoot without the lens hood opting for a more compact design.

Having shot this lens I am really happy with how it performs. If you are looking for a clinically sharp lens then I would advise to stop reading as this is not the lens for you. This lens is for those who are looking for something a little different, something which wont render like any other modern lenses in the Leica M ecosystem. Wide open and stopped down this lens does like to flair which an be leaned into for a creative look. In addition this flaring can also cause a loss of contrast which can aid towards its cinematic feel. I found this lens particularly good for isolating single subjects and portraits, but as a day to day lens it was a little challenging so more of a one trick pony. This isnt necessarily a bad thing though, I had similar thoughts on the Canon 50mm f0.95 dream lens. Its a lens you would use occasionally for its unique creative ability and not one you would typically shoot with day to day. The big difference is this lens is about 1/5th the price of a Canon dream lens and can be had new.