Exclusive first-ever interview with Mr. Zhou – founder of Light Lens Lab: “Resurrecting the $50,000 Leica lens”
Bobby Tonelli published the first-ever public interview with Mr. Zhou (founder of Light Lens Lab), offering a rare and in-depth look into the foundation and future of Light Lens Lab. In this conversation, Mr. Zhou discusses the company’s origins, design philosophy, and the principles that guide our research and development. The interview also outlines the long-term direction, including ongoing work in lens, mechanical, and film projects:
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Here is a recap of the interview:
- Introduction to Light Lens Lab’s Philosophy: The video begins with an explanation of the “homage” philosophy behind Light Lens Lab, focusing on recreating historical lenses affordably while maintaining their original character and quality.
- Meeting Mr. Zhou: Interview with Mr. Zhou, the founder, discussing his motivations for starting the company to make legendary lenses more accessible.
- First Lens Project: Details on why the 35mm “8-Element” lens was chosen as the initial recreation, emphasizing its historical significance.
- The Rare Elcan 50mm: Story of how the rare “Elcan” 50mm lens was acquired and replicated.
- Resurrecting the 1966 Noctilux: Four years of effort to recreate the 1966 AA Noctilux, including challenges in remelting specific “lost” glass types (Code 900403) to match original 1960s Leica formulas.
- Improving the 35mm Bokeh: Discussion on enhancements made to the bokeh performance of the 35mm lens.
- Exclusive Titanium Prototype: Showcase of a special “Titanium” lens prototype made for the interview.
- New 75mm f/1.5 Lens: Introduction of a new 75mm f/1.5 lens designed to expand on the look of the 50mm.
- Future Roadmap – ACDK Series: Plans for the “ACDK” series, covering recreations from Amotal, Cooke, Dallmeyer, and Kinoptik.
- Challenging Modern Optics: Development of a 35mm APO lens to compete with contemporary optics.
- Relationship with Leica: Mr. Zhou addresses whether Leica has contacted them, noting a positive relationship with the Leica community and LHSA.
- Seagull TLR Upgrade: Project to upgrade the Seagull Twin-Lens Reflex camera.
- Manufacturing Film Stocks: Big reveal about plans to produce their own film stocks.
Previous coverage of Light Lens Lab lenses can be found here:
Pre-orders for the new Light Lens Lab 35mm f/1.4 double aspherical AA 11873 titanium limited edition lens for Leica M-mount will close on November 21st
Light Lens Lab 50mm f/1.5 “Z21” lens for Leica M-mount now available
Light Lens Lab WEISU 35mm optical viewfinder now available also in silver
Additional information on the upcoming Light Lens Lab 75mm f/2 SP II lens for Leica M-mount
Light Lens Lab is also working on a new Barnack-based replica film camera