Light Lens Lab 50mm F2 Rigid review – Faithful to the 1960s Leica classic

Introduction

By now, readers of this site will know that among the Leica 50mm lenses I have reviewed, from the mystical Noctilux-M 50mm ƒ1 E58 to the clinically (close to) perfect APO-Summicron 50mm, two lenses have remained with me for my personal use.

Of the two, one is the iconic Leica Summicron 50mm Rigid (my reviews of them are linked directly on their names), a lens I love for its optical drawing and compact size.

Just a month ago, in December 2024, Light Lens Lab announced their development of the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid. In a move similar to the Light Lens Lab 35mm Summicron 8-elements, Light Lens Lab has sought to produce a faithful reproduction of the time-tested Leica Summicron 50mm Rigid.

Let us take a deeper look.

tl:dr

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid is a faithful ‘re-issue’ of the much loved Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid introduced in 1956, updated and refined with modern technology such as the use of Lanthanide-infused elements “LaK-9”, and updates to the lens coating for better durability.

For the gear-heads, the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid came (mainly) in two versions, with Light Lens Lab basing their design on version 2.

With a price around one-third of the pre-owned Leica equivalent, and given how fragile the original lens coating is leading to how it is increasingly more challenging to find the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid in good condition, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid is a high-quality release bringing optical performance close to the original to the photographer.

For a limited time, use code KEITHWEE for a 5% discount for all Light Lens Lab lenses at their official shop here.

Technical Specifications

I will also highlight the differences between the Light Lens Lab and Leica versions here.

• Homage to the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid (version 2)
• 7 elements in 6 groups optical design with 10 aperture blades
• Lanthanide-infused elements, with updates to lens coating for better durability and optical performance. 
• Aperture ring with half-stop click increments versus full-stop increments on the Leica.
• Minimum focusing distance of 0.7m versus 1.0m on the Leica.
• E39 filter size with a screw-on hood.
• 43.5mm (L) x 54mm (D) at 266 grams. (around 10 grams heavier than the Leica ver)
• Available in Chrome, Black Paint, Bare Brass, Black Paint with Brassing finishings.

MTF graphs:

Performance and Handling

Handling the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid was a pleasant surprise, not because of how well built the lens as is with most of Light Lens Lab’s releases, but because of how close it felt to handling the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid (version 2) down to the infinity lock mechanism.

Top: Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid (version 2) // Bottom: Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid

Both versions of the Rigid are very close, but not identical if one goes into the finer details such as the font and screw designs, and I will actually say that most users nowadays will be hard-pressed to notice the differences unless they have a copy of the Leica for a side by side comparison.

As observed below, the bundled hood is a screw-on version, unlike the original IROOA hood the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid was bundled with. Light Lens Lab sells an IROOA-like hood that will work with this lens for those who want the same look as the original Leica version. I prefer the screw-on hood as it is hardly as bulky as the IROOA design hood.

As mentioned, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid has half-stop aperture clicks versus the Leica’s full-stop clicks. As expected, with Light Lens Lab exhibiting pride in their releases, the body is made from brass with a reassuring heft.

As with vintage lenses, the focus throw is quite long, going close to 180 degrees from minimum focus distance to infinity. I prefer this as it allows for more precise adjustments, though this simply implies that it is not as quick to achieve focus.

One of the most attractive characteristics of the Leica Summicron 50mm Rigid is that it is sharp enough without being too sharp, making it an attractive option for portraits and the Light Lens Lab achieves this look too.

Say whatever you want, I also like that Light Lens Lab has included front and back caps made from metal. Compared to the plastic ones Leica provides stock except for their limited editions, the Light Lens Lab caps are much better quality.

It is also important to not confuse this Light Lens Lab 50mm Rigid with the Light Lens Lab 50mm Rigid-SP II which the latter is Light Lens Lab’s re-issue of the Panchro SP II in a Rigid design body.

The dimensions and weight of the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid is well balanced on the Leica M rangefinder body, keeping to a compact size and no viewfinder blockage (and minimal if the hood is attached).

I tested the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid on the Leica M10-R, a 40-megapixel camera, which performed admirably like the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid. An interesting thought is how these two lenses, half a century apart in production, can be so close in optical performance.

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid performed up to expectations, rendering close to the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid with nearly identical output, and if I were to be fussy, it might be only that the Light Lens Lab seems to not perform as well in the corners when shot wide open, giving a slightly more ‘glowly, softer’ look.

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid performed very well at the centre with good contrast and sharpness at maximum aperture.

Like all vintage lenses, there are some amounts of aberration when using the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid wide open at ƒ2, giving the image a tad amount of softness (loss in sharpness and contrast), but this is not a flaw but a characteristic of the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid, and one reason why some photographers love this lens for portraiture.

If you prefer a more modern and clinically correct look, I recommend considering the Leica APO-Summicron 50mm or the Leica Summicron-M 50mm ver IV onwards instead.

Conclusions

Overall, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid is a faithful and close reproduction of the original Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid ver 2, with similar build quality and optical performance.

While one can always pay two to three times more for a more than four decades old Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid ver 2 and hope that everything still works, Light Lens Lab has now provided an option to purchase an almost identical brand new lens.

My first experience with Light Lens Lab was when they released their 35mm 8-elements three years ago. It was an excellent starting point. I am very glad they have consistently maintained their original vision of providing photographers accessibility to using these classic Leica lenses, which otherwise may be out of reach financially.

In fact, for me, who cannot afford the Leica Summicron 50mm ƒ2 Rigid version 2 in black paint, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid ‘sorta’ provided me the opportunity to.

(For those who are curious, here is a Leica Summicron Rigid in black paint in around 7/10 condition non-CLA-ed asking for USD24,000 before taxes if you need an idea of how obscene prices have gone north)

Thank you for reading.

For a limited time, use code KEITHWEE for a 5% discount for all Light Lens Lab lenses at their official shop here.

Disclaimers:

1. All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos. 

2. All images were shot with my personal set of the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ2 Rigid and Leica M10-R black paint.

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

5. The best way to support me is to share the review, or you can always help support me by contributing to my fees to WordPress for the domain using the ‘Buy me a Coffee’ button at the bottom of the page.