Through the very kind loan from Deployant Friend Brighty, we managed to get our hands on the new Light Lens Lab 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical “11873”. This is a reproduction of a legendary Leica lens made in 1989 for only 3 years. Here is our hands on review.
TGIFriday Review: new Light Lens Lab M Mount 35mm f/1.4 ASPH
The Light Lens Lab M Mount 35mm f/1.4 ASPH retails at USD $1,399 – Aluminum (Black Paint / Chrome Finishes) and USD $1,699 – Titanium Grey Limited Edition (review sample), and available at Light Lens Lab website.
Historical roots: The Leica Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 Aspherical 11873
The original Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux-M Aspherical (catalog no. 11873) is somewhat of a mythical collector item. Like a Tiffany dial Patek Philippe Nautilus. It has received adoration of collectors and has become extrarordinarily expensive as it is very rare. It was initially released in 1990 and was produced for only 3 years, with fewer than 2,000 copies ever made. Leica replaced it with the single aspherical 11874 in 1994. The 11873 was marked “ASPHERICAL” on the front ring, while the 11874 was marked “ASPH” on the front ring. As of 2026, original Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 Aspherical units in good condition typically sell for about EUR 14,000 for a good example on the used market.
Many report that the manufacturing process is also extremely difficult, as the double aspherical design calls for the use of two hand-ground, hand-polished aspherical elements. It was also Leica’s first 35mm to feature aspherical surfaces. The replacement 11874 had only one aspherical element which was moulded. Hand-grinding and hand-polishing achieves a more perfect surface, but is requires operators who are very highly skilled and still prone to a high failure rate. Both these factors increase the cost to manufacture. The optical path in the 11873 is also unique as this is the only Leica lens to feature concave elements on both the front and rear, contributing to a specific rendering and glow. Thus the nickname “King of Bokeh”.
The LLL 35mm F1.4 Aspherical
The review sample of the 35 Aspherical is a lens made by Chinese maker Light Lens Lab (LLL). Intended as a faithful homage to the original Leica Summilux-M 35 Aspherical. What makes LLL different as a manufacturer is that the company is dedicated to remain as faithful as possible to the orignals, and goes to extraordinary lengths to do so. We do not generally consider these lenses as copies. First, the patents for the original lenses have long expired, and second the LLL lenses are not direct copies. They are highly inspired by the original Leica lens, incorporating tweaks to make them suitable for modern high resolution digital sensors. Further, these lenses are not currently available new, and available copies being sold for very high prices in the secondary market.
LLL’s claim is that the 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical “11873” represents a fusion of classic optical character with a view to make it useful for modern digital sensors. LLL has a very strong reputation in this field, and is well known for excellent reproductions of legendary Leica lenses with modern improvements. Another case in point is the 50mm f/1.2 ASPH “1966”.
LLL announced their pre-order for this lens in November 2025. Brighty immediately got on to the bandwagon, and ordered the premium titanium version. The lens was delivered early this year, and he promptly handed the lens to me for a quick review.
The lens is beautifully machined. The lens housing is machined from titanium with brass moving elements inside. The covers for the rear is in stainless steel.
Even both the caps are in also machined in titanium. I do note that though the LLL website shows the front cap to be engraved with the name “LIGHT”, our review sample was blank. It also comes with an additional screw on hood, just like the original Leica version, though the vintage Leica hood was in aluminium and not titanium. Interestingly, the titanium version is a bit heavier than the less expensive aluminium versions.
The lens was even delivered with an UV filter which is also machined in titanium. Interestingly, with the UV filter attached, the titanium hood slips off easily, but without filter, it is smooth to go on and off, with enough friction to stay on. And the filter does not fit the lens with the hood attached.
Usage notes
As mentioned, I have never used or even seen the original Leica Summilux-M Aspherical, so unable to provide a direct comparison. However, I offer these thoughts based on extensive use with modern Leica lenses, and also from my own vintage Summaron-M 35mm F2.8 lens. The Summaron is considered somewhat of a bargain among Leica M lenses. My usage was based on the LLL lens attached to my SL3-S via the Leica Adapter L. I also tried the LLL on my M2, but I have not yet completed a full roll, and the film is not developed.
I do have a few grouses. First, the focus ring. Though the focus ring on the LLL is rather smooth, it is not quite as silky smooth as the one on the Summaron. The vintage lens had a beautiful feel of being silky smooth, but not overly so. Just the right amount of resistance so that it feels very well damped. The focus stays where your fingers left it. This tactile feel is almost unique and truly a joy in Leica lenses. The LLL was just a bit more scratchy and not quite as damped. This is a subtle feel, but quite noticeable. Perhaps the LLL is new, and the feel will smoothen over use, but this also hints that after years of heavy use (like on my 60year old Summaron), it might become too loose. I do note that all the time it was in my use, it never moved unintentionally.
Second, the aperture ring was also very nice with good clicks at each detent mark. It is calibrated with the f stops marked in full stops, but the detents are for half stops. Compared to the Summaron, the LLL 35’s detent was not quite as crisp when it snaps on.
Functionally, there is zero difference between the operation of the two lenses. Both are smooth to move, stay where it is meant to be, and the clicks are positive and assuringly so. It is just the tactile feel which is different. And I do note that this is a fussy nitpick.
Image quality
Though the aesthetics of the lens is a rather faithful representation of the original, inside the lens, the optical design is modern. It features a 9-element in 5-group design with moulded aspherical surfaces, lanthanide-infused glass, and a high-refractive achromat. The result is clean, high resolution render on modern sensors. Micro-contrasts and micro-tones are smooth and also very clean. The images have a rather live look that is not hard to see, but difficult to definitely describe.
Subject separation at wide open aperture is excellent. I rather liked the bokeh and the smooth creamy texture it exudes. Focus fall off is very pleasant. Even at f/1.4, I do not observe any noticeable vignetting.
Colour rendition is excellent, but I feel the lens tends a bit on the warm side, compared to my Summaron, which I consider to be more neutral. 5e difference is very small, and the warmer tone is an advantage for skin tones. Again, infusing life to the subject.
Performance at closed apertures remain good. With a slight improvement in sharpness at f/8.
Concluding thoughts
In conclusion, I applaud LLL for creating this gem of a lens. This reproduction makes the legendary Leica Aspherical available to ordinary folks. Even Leica’s current catalog Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 ASPH (catalog no. 11727) retails at a rather high USD 6.7k brand new, and it only has one aspherical element which moulded in a special process developed by Leica and Hoya. The LLL improves on the optical design to better suit high resolution digital sensors, perhaps in the similar way as the modern 35 ASPH, but I am certain the way LLL have done it is not the same as how Leica has. What the LLL loses out to the vintage 35 Aspherical, but also what enables it to be pitched at this price point is that the double aspherical surfaces are moulded rather than hand worked. But it is remains a faithful homage to the double aspherical design of the original lens, and the performance is excellent.
The ideal use case for LLL 35mm f1.4 Aspherical is for portraiture and general photography. Wide open, it delivers the crisp in-focus image, with excellent bokeh and great subject isolation. The lens feels right on both my film M2 as it does on the SL3-S and the M-EV1, without feeling too front heavy. And at this price level, it is deserves a high recommendation.
