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- First video interview with Gentle Lens Lab founder Mr Zhou
- The 20-minute dialogue unpacks the tales of fashionable LLL lenses
- LLL’s lens roadmap and different upcoming initiatives are lined, too
Since being based in 2018, Gentle Lens Lab has constructed a stellar repute amongst Leica followers for its M-mount lenses for Leica cameras.
Some LLL lenses are a love letter to uncommon Leica lenses that only a few folks get to see, not to mention contact or use, painstakingly recreated all the way down to the minute particulars, together with the selection of metallic and characterful signature optical high quality.
Others are reimagined classic Leica lenses with reworked optical constructions for improved picture high quality.
However what all LLL lenses have in frequent is that they’re means extra reasonably priced than the actual factor, whereas nonetheless giving customers the closest potential expertise of those fascinating Leica M lenses.
Take the Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 (‘11873’) – a uncommon double aspherical lens produced within the early Nineties, restricted to a sub-2,000 manufacturing run. It’d set you again round $25,000 / £20,000 / AU$40,000, but LLL has recreated the lens to a 98% match, and sells its creation for a fraction of the value, round $1,500 / £1,043 at its on-line retailer.
YouTuber Bobby Tonelli describes the unique as a ‘Holy Grail’ of Leica lenses, and compares it with the LLL homage on his YouTube channel – let’s simply say he is significantly impressed with the reasonably priced LLL various.
Not too long ago, Tonelli was capable of do one thing nobody else has earlier than: organize a video interview with the founding father of Gentle Lens Lab, Mr Zhou.
Their 20-minute dialogue (linked under) unpacks the story behind Gentle Lens Lab, digs deeper into a few of the high-profile LLL lenses out there for buy, its lens roadmap, and different upcoming initiatives, together with transforming a basic Chinese language TLR digital camera and making its personal movie. The chat is effectively price a watch.
‘We wish to attain that stage’
The story behind Gentle Lens Lab is definitely relatively heart-warming. That is no soulless enterprise, however one born out of fandom. In his personal phrases, Mr Zhou is a large Leica fan and as soon as owned greater than 200 Leica our bodies and Leica M-mount lenses. He was an everyday member of Leica teams in China, the place the thought was born to tear down and recreate Leica lenses.
His first mission was one other 35mm lens, an 8-element from 1953. He did not have the design potential to remake the lens, however its patent had absolutely expired, the patent paperwork had been publicly out there, and he was capable of observe Leica’s prototype to create an entire duplicate with positive consideration to element.
The extra he used Leica lenses, the extra he was impressed with the efficiency and high quality of such a small optics, the sort he chooses to recreate. Zhou says, “In such a small package deal, to succeed in the very best potential high quality – Leica did it very effectively and it is onerous to surpass.”
“So I’ve all the time tried to stroll the trail Leica walked, and that is why, by way of workmanship and high quality, we have earned broad recognition.”
Different initiatives embody a uncommon $50,000 Elcan lens – once more, Leica had printed the Elcan optical patent – plus a 1966 Noctilux, which took 4 years to make. One hurdle was that two of the glass varieties within the unique are lengthy discontinued, however with the assistance of the Shanghai Institute of Optics and High quality Mechanics, Zhou was capable of match the unique 70-year-old system by re-melting/remaking this particular glass.
The outcomes? Equally small and light-weight lenses of comparable optical high quality, if not higher, exhibiting what are primarily the identical characterful appears, together with bokeh.
Sure Leica lenses may be each dear and onerous to seek out, so it is little marvel that so many Leica followers admire the dedication of Gentle Lens Lab in remaking uncommon Leica optics. I am but to attempt a LLL lens, however I’ve learn sufficient on-line opinions from discerning Leica followers to imagine the hype.
And Zhou is not stopping with classic Leica lenses. He is remaking trendy Leica lenses, once more promoting his creations for a fraction of the price, and has earmarked an ‘ACDK’ sequence (Angineux, Cooke, Dallmeyer, and Kintoptic) – lens varieties with a signature look; if you happen to’re a cinema lover, you’ll be acquainted with the legendary Cooke look.
Zhou additionally revealed one other long-term mission: transforming a conventional Chinese language TLR movie digital camera with trendy design to realize higher mechanics and optics, in addition to manufacturing his personal movie, a lot like Leica lately did, and naturally, within the footsteps of Fujifilm.
Manufacturing lenses, cameras, and movie. “We wish to attain that stage”, says Zhou, and actually, I am rooting for him.
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