The founder of Light Lens Lab, Mr. Zhou, confirmed that his company will release a new LLL 35mm f/2 APO lens for Leica M-mount. Here is what we know:
The production of a small batch of lenses has already started
The lens will be officially released soon
This lens has been in development for over three years
The first batch will only be available in a titanium alloy
Eleven lens elements, four aspherical surfaces, including a floating element
On paper, the optical specifications (MTF chart) surpass those of the original Leica lens (according to Mr. Zhou)
My understanding is that Mr. Zhou designed a completely new 35mm f/2 APO lens. It is deeply inspired by the rendering and compact size of the original Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH lens (see previous coverage), but it uses a unique optical formula to respect Leica’s patents while aiming for similar clinical sharpness and close-focus performance (0.3 meter).
Insta360’s partnership with Leica spans six years and five co-developed products, combining Leica’s optical heritage and iconic color science with Insta360’s Emmy Award-winning imaging technology. With Luna Ultra, the two companies bring that collaboration into a new category, pairing professional optics with compact, AI-powered gimbal camera design.
Luna Ultra was unveiled at Leica’s Headquarters in Wetzlar, underscoring the close partnership behind Insta360’s first Leica co-engineered gimbal camera.
“This launch represents more than a new product announcement. It reflects the shared vision and long-term collaboration between Insta360 and Leica, combining optical heritage with a new generation of intelligent imaging technology.” — Marius Eschweiler, VP of Business Unit Mobile at Leica Camera AG.
The lens is developed through a collaboration between Shenzhen-based 7Artisans and Shanghai Seagull Digital Camera Co., Ltd. (China’s oldest camera manufacturer, famous for its TLR cameras):