Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 Type Z21 Review – Struggling to Capture Its Charm
Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 Type Z21 Review - Struggling to Capture Its Charm
Lens Review
Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 Type Z21 Review – Struggling to Capture Its Charm
In my previous blog post about the Dallmeyer Kinematograph, I mentioned the four key cinematic lens makers: Angenieux, Cooke, Dallmeyer, and Kinoptik. I adore my Dallmeyer Kinematograph for its unique swirl effect that perfectly suits portraits, and I even dared to use it for a Formula One race in Bahrain. I’ve been following cine lenses for almost 15 years now, watching prices range from merely expensive to truly exorbitant. Even today, there are two lenses that constantly occupy my thoughts: the Dallmeyer Super Six 50mm f/1.9 and the Angenieux 50mm f/1.5 S21. I particularly appreciate their superb colour tones; for instance, Angenieux excels with blue and green hues. Long ago, my friend Iceman showed me a photo he took with the Angenieux S21 of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the resolution was breathtaking. It has captivated my imagination ever since. I’ll discuss more about the Angenieux M1 50mm f/0.95 soon.
*Added extra samples on 25 May 2025
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Last year, I joined the Light Lens Lab chat group and placed a small deposit for an exciting project: a replica of the S21, which they’ve named Z21 (likely after Mr. Zhou). It features a six-element in four-group design with rangefinder coupling from 0.7M to infinity, fully compatible with the Leica M system, whereas the original S21 is only available in the rare LTM or Exakta mounts.
Build Quality and Appearance
The Z21’s lightweight aluminium alloy body, while shiny, feels somewhat budgeted, reminiscent of a polished soft drink zinc can. I wish the aperture click stop could be more firm. However, I do appreciate the remade logo with Light Lens Lab’s wording. My friend, who also ordered one, experienced issues with a loose and wobbling front rim, which needed to be sent back for repair. If you get one, be sure to check this. Some have reported that using a filter can turn the front rim easily, so I opted not to install a filter. Surprisingly, the overall build quality doesn’t quite match other Light Lens Lab products.
Lens Performance and Field Curvature
The bokeh is similar to what I’ve seen online of the S21 and bears a striking resemblance to the Old Prominent Nokton 50mm f/1.5, which I consider an undervalued gem. However, a significant issue with the Z21 is its severe field curvature, which differs from the original.
Field curvature refers to how the sharpness of the image varies across the field of view. Typically, lenses have a parabolic focus curve where the centre is the sharpest, and sharpness decreases toward the edges, forming a wide parabolic shape. The Z21, however, has a narrower curve. This means when you recompose a shot, objects off-centre quickly become blurred. This was particularly problematic for portraits at distances of 1.5m to 2m, where the off-focus effect was noticeable. It’s best for subjects that can be centred, or small objects shot from 0.7m to 1.5m, where it beautifully showcases its bokeh.
Angenieux S21 vs Light Lens Lab Z21 Field Curvature
You can see the sharp fallout right next to the centre of the lens is different which makes me feel hard to use this lens as an all purpose lens.
Photo courtesy of rednoteid: 504963535
Using the LLL Z21
At apertures of f/1.5 to f/2.8, the field curvature creates a peculiar effect where the edges appear blurry while the center remains sharp, reminiscent of having “waterfalls” on each side. When stopped down to f/5.6 to f/8, the lens performs well, displaying rich color tones as observed in my shots at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. I have tested this on my Leica M10-P and Leica MP with a roll of expired Fuji 64D 8522, you can get it from Reflx Lab if you like the tone. Shooting at f/1.5 during the day can produce an intense glow, similar to that of the Leica Summarit 50mm f/1.5 or Leica Summilux 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim and the original old Nokton.
Well, I managed to get a few shots that I like with this lens, best used at around 1m for a subject ideally positioned in the middle. For instance, I took a photo at f/1.5 wide open, capturing some kids chatting at the pier.
The contrast of this lens is moderate, but you get that richness once you stop down. It has some nice green and blue colors, calibrated well by the LLL team.
The signature of this lens is the bubbly bokeh which has a distinct clear cut at the edge of each bokeh—like a sketch made with a pencil, then outlined with a marker. Personally, I find this kind of bokeh distracting, even though it resembles the Old Nokton; I don’t prefer using it at f/1.5 as the swirl bokeh can be overwhelming.
Comparison with the Old Nokton Prominent 50mm f/1.5
This isn’t a scientific comparison, but I would like to have more colours in the background to better test the differences between the two lenses. The Z21 obviously has a more solid outline around the bokeh than the Old Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 Prominent mount.
Final Thoughts
While the Z21 has its character, I struggled to fully appreciate its beauty due to the field curvature. If you own this lens, I’d love to hear how you’ve managed to showcase its strengths. Perhaps future production adjustments could address the field curvature issue. Despite its reasonable price compared to the original S21, it might be better appreciated as a unique lens rather than a direct replica. For those with similar tastes to mine, alternatives like the Old Nokton in Prominent mount might be more appealing, especially for their unique colour rendering at smaller apertures.
Let me know your thoughts below! Check out my posts about the LLL 50mm f/1.2 lens and the 8 element remake.
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I’m considering this lens, but also considering only using it with an SL or EV1.
Both are great options for this lens.