Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 ‘1966’ Review: A Clone With Genuine Soul

Aug 31, 2024

Chris Niccolls

Light Lens Lab recreates classic optics with a passion for sharing the experience of vintage glass with the masses. There is a previous review of the 50mm f/1.2 “1966” on PetaPixel I encourage you to read, but I wanted to speak about my own experience using it. I’m grateful for the opportunity too, because I don’t have the forty thousand dollars to buy the original Leica Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 made between 1966 and 1975.

The $2,300 price Light Lens Lab is asking, by comparison, is a lot more palatable.

Often I get to review lenses manufactured in China which have oodles of flaws and real character largely due to a concerted effort to keep things cheap and accessible. That is not the case with this lens. Light Lens Lab clearly has a love for the classics and has copied the original Leica lens down almost to the individual screws.

An older man with a beard and mustache, wearing a backward camouflage cap and a black t-shirt, stands outdoors with his arms crossed. He is leaning against a wooden wall surrounded by greenery and appears pensive. — There is a beautiful softness to the character of this lens which lends itself to portraits

Most people will want to use these lenses on an M series Leica body but I opted for an adapter and a Sony a7R V instead. Focusing was tricky due to the inherent softness when using these lenses at the widest aperture but I got used to the experience pretty quickly and used the focus magnifier judiciously. I don’t think anyone should expect this lens to resolve a full 60 megapixels, but frankly, that’s not the point of this optic.

Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 “1966” Review: Mimicry is Flattery

If it weren’t for the Mandarin characters etched on the lens, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the real deal: the fit and finish of the lens is impeccable. Everything turns smoothly and mounts tightly. Even the hood is meant to follow the design of the original. The lens takes 49mm filters and is available in three different types of metal construction. You can get both chrome or black paint versions if that’s to your taste, but here I used the lightest aluminum constructed lens which comes in at just under 16 ounces (450 grams). There is also a heavier classic Brass version at 22 ounces (632 grams) and a prestigious Titanium version that is just shy of 18 ounces (506 grams).

Three people are seated on separate benches under leafy trees in a park. The person on the first bench is reading a book, while two people on the second bench are engaged in conversation. A paved path and grassy area are visible in the background. — I like the way focus blends in and out along the frame with this 50mm f/1.2

A sign in a lush garden reads, "DO NOT PICK. THESE GARDENS BELONG TO SOMEONE," with red and black text on a white background, surrounded by green plants and foliage. — Backgrounds are smooth and soft but the lens is not sharp at f/1.2.

The similarities to the original Leica lens aren’t merely cosmetic. Light Lens Lab uses a type of glass that almost exactly matches the vintage formula and even hand grinds and polishes the twin aspherical elements that made the original so famous. This means that the look of the images out of the new 50mm f/1.2 are an almost exact match to Leica’s original but this also includes the optical flaws which you would expect from a mid-century piece of glass. If you are looking for a sharp and well-corrected 50mm lens, this is not the one for you.

A pale blue building with a mural of a palm tree painted near its corner. Below the mural is a small, square window with damaged panes, revealing partially visible interior objects. Overhead, power lines stretch across the sky under a blue sky. — The lens is capable of excellent sharpness when you stop down past f/5.6.

A grayscale image of a person sitting on an outdoor bench near a building, working on a laptop. A bike is parked beside the bench, with a bag attached to the back. Plants are growing in a planter box adjacent to the bench, casting shadows on the pavement. — Another shot at f/5.6 shows that there is plenty of detail to be had when you don’t need shallow DOF.

I was surprised at just how bad the results were and I had to remind myself that I was looking at this lens with the same discerning viewpoint that I would give to a modern optic, which isn’t necessarily fair. The Light Lens Lab optics aren’t exactly cheap and the goal is not to make a budget product but rather to mimic a classic formula down to the most minute of details. If the Light Lens Lab 50mm can provide the same experience as an insanely expensive museum piece then I want it to give me as close to that exact experience as possible.

Black and white photo of tall, slender grasses blowing in the wind, seen through a simple metal fence. The background is blurred, emphasizing the texture and movement of the grasses in the foreground. — Call it flaws or call it character. Whether this lens will appeal to you is highly subjective.

A construction worker wearing a red shirt, reflective vest, and hard hat stands outside a building with arms raised and thumbs up. He is smiling and wearing sunglasses. There is construction material and a partially visible structure in the background. — He saw me taking photos and jokingly pretended to model for me. He was a little surprised when I took him up on the offer.

Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 “1966” Review: Beautiful Flaws

The “Leica glow” is alive and well with this lens and shooting at f/1.2 is going to create images with a soft focus effect and a dreamy-looking blur to the entire composition. The lens doesn’t really tighten up until about f/5.6. Vignetting is obvious and distortion will need to be corrected in post. I never could get the corners to sharpen up in any major way, either.

A man with a beard wearing a black cap and black shirt stands outdoors with blurred, warm bokeh lights in the background. He is looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression. — The Bokeh has a gorgeous swirly effect to it which I happen to like. The highlights are busy though as you can see.

A wooden utility pole with a streetlight attached to it stands against a clear blue sky. The sun is partially obscured by the pole, causing lens flares and a bright glow around it. Power lines extend horizontally from the pole. — Flare when stopped down becomes large red ghost circles all across the frame.

Boy does this lens flare, too. I actually found the red glow caused by shooting towards the sun to be quite pretty, though and I would happily use this lens for backlit portraits and found the look created by the old single-coated optics very appealing. But it is going to be an issue anytime bright light sources are within the frame.

Bokeh is also quite surprising. The Light Lens Lab 50mm renders the same swirly cat’s eye look to specular highlights at wide apertures that the genuine article does and I’m here for it. The highlights themselves, however, have a strong soap bubble effect and plenty of onion rings too. Transitions from in-focus to out-of-focus areas are surprisingly smooth and beautiful and I didn’t find out-of-focus backgrounds to be distracting at all. This is a gorgeous lens for shallow depth of field work.

A bearded man wearing a black T-shirt with a pixel art graphic and a gray baseball cap stands outdoors. He looks down at the camera, giving a serious expression. The background is filled with bright, sunlit green foliage, creating a bokeh effect. — This lens flares with a distinct intensity. I think it works though in some situations.

A vibrant orange flower blooms in front of a window with a reflection of a street scene, including a parked car and buildings, on a sunny day. — I like the soft and warm color palette that the Light Lens Lab 50mm creates.

So far, all of these characteristics feel vintage and accurate to the original but unfortunately, the serious longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) is present too. Of course, this would have been present on the Leica version as well but the magenta and green color fringing is very strong at the wider apertures and will be very difficult to remove. I often found the background to have a distinctly colorful tone and chromatic aberrations run rampant on any contrasty edges in the frame too. Again, if you are looking for a well-corrected lens this is not the one you want.

A person wearing a white T-shirt with the text "LoCA" in bold and large letters. Below "LoCA," a phonetic pronunciation and definition are provided for the acronym "longitudinal chromatic aberration," explaining its relevance to color fringes in images. — LoCA is a problem on this lens as it was on the original. Unlike the other flaws in this lens, LoCA doesn’t have any redeeming value.

A vibrant mural with playful white bunny figures outlined in blue against a pink background. In the foreground, blooming flowers in shades of purple and pink are partially visible, adding a lively touch to the scene. — Vibrant streets and fun street photography made the experience a fulfilling one.

With the Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.2 “1966” It Is About the Journey

So why even look at something like this if you are paying a hefty price tag for a subjectively bad lens? You already know if this is the kind of experience you are looking for, and Light Lens Lab is allowing you to shoot glass that is so closely matched to the much-loved classics that are financially beyond the reach of most people.

It’s clear that Light Lens Lab is making the 50mm f/1.2 “1966” and others like it from a place of respect and reverence with an attention to detail that does the originals justice. Think of these optics as a time machine of sorts and take the flaws in stride, because you might just find yourself having a lot of fun making images that harken back to the golden age of photography.