Light Lens Lab 35mm F2 Apochromatic

The Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 Apochromatic is a manual full-frame wide-angle prime for Leica M-mount cameras. It is the first lens of the company's Apochromatic Series, which Light Lens Lab announced in August 2026. It is aimed at M-mount users who want an apochromatic corrected 35 mm with close focusing.

Optical design

The lens has eleven elements in six groups. According to Light Lens Lab, it incorporates four aspherical elements and several elements made from ultra-low-dispersion and anomalous partial-dispersion glass. A new high-transmission multilayer coating is meant to suppress flare and increase contrast. The company says the design aims at sharpness, distortion control, edge-to-edge performance, smooth out-of-focus rendering and natural transitions. A floating optical system is said to keep the performance consistent over the whole focusing range, including at the minimum focus distance of 0.3 m. The maximum aperture is f/2 and the smallest aperture is f/16.

Focusing and handling

Focusing is manual with rangefinder coupling, from 0.3 m to infinity. There is no autofocus. The filter thread is E39. Light Lens Lab offers two barrel configurations with the same optical design: a smooth barrel without knurling and a close-focus-knurled barrel for better grip. The smooth barrel is a limited-time option that can be ordered through December 2026, after which production moves to the knurled configuration. Miniature bearings in the focusing mechanism are meant to give smooth and accurate operation.

Build and size

The body is aerospace grade aluminium or grade two titanium alloy. The aluminium version weighs about 327 g and the titanium version about 360 g. The length is about 40.9 mm without the hood and 49.3 mm with it, and the diameter is about 53 mm. A titanium limited edition was offered for pre-order from 10 August to 10 September 2026.

Where it fits

Among 35 mm M-mount lenses in the database, the closest in aim are the Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm F2 ASPH and the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm f/2.0, which are also apochromatic designs at f/2. Others include the Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH, the Thypoch Ksana 35mm F2 ASPH and the Voigtlander 35mm F2.5 Color Skopar. Light Lens Lab's own 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical 11873 is faster, but uses a different design philosophy.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Apochromatic design with four aspherical elements, according to the maker
• Close focusing at 0.3 m with a floating system
• Compact: about 41 mm long without hood
• Choice of aluminium or titanium body
• Fully published data

Cons

• Manual focus only
• f/2 is slower than the f/1.4 options
• Eleven elements make for a complex construction
• The smooth barrel version is available only for a limited time

Verdict

The 35mm f/2 Apochromatic is a compact apochromatic 35 mm for M-mount, with an unusually close 0.3 m minimum focus distance. It targets users who care about correction and close focusing and who accept a manual lens.