Light Lens Lab Z21 50mm f1.5 review by Milan Swolfs

La Bohème & Angénieux by Milan Swolfs

Introduction on the Light Lens Lab 50mm f1.5 Z21

The Light Lens Lab Z21 50mm f/1.5 is not a lens designed to compete with modern APO optics. It is a character lens inspired by the legendary Angénieux 50mm f/1.5 S21, a cinema optic known for its expressive rendering and atmospheric look.

In this review, I will not focus on charts or laboratory perfection. Instead, I want to explore how the Z21 behaves in real-world shoots, how it renders skin, chrome, light and shadow, and whether it earns a place alongside established Leica 50mm lenses.

Because this lens is not about replacing something.

It is about adding something different.

A French Zebra in a Modern Body

I have always had a soft spot for French aesthetics.

Paris. Old French cinema. Édith Piaf. Brigitte Bardot. Chanel.

I am drawn to a nostalgic France. The France of shadowy cafés, silk dresses, cigarette smoke and quiet chansons drifting through dimly lit rooms. A world that feels intimate, cinematic and gently melancholic.

That atmosphere has always influenced the way I see and photograph. It is also why vintage lenses, especially those with a cinematic or poetic imperfection, continue to fascinate me more than technical perfection ever could.

So when David from Light Lens Lab first told me about a project inspired by the Angénieux 50mm f/1.5 S21, my interest was immediate.

Angénieux is not just a lens manufacturer. It represents a very specific chapter in optical history, one deeply connected to French cinema, natural light, and a more expressive way of rendering the world. Pierre Angénieux’s designs were never about clinical perfection. They were about atmosphere and emotion. Qualities I value deeply in my own work.

The Light Lens Lab Z21 is their modern interpretation of that legendary Angénieux 50mm f/1.5 S21. Not a nostalgic replica, and not a modern APO reinterpretation either, but an attempt to carry the spirit of that French optical heritage into a lens that can actually be used today on modern digital Leica M cameras without fear or compromise.

Light Lens Lab and the Temptation of Other Histories

For a long time, Light Lens Lab has been building a strong reputation as a serious lens manufacturer from China. Many photographers first encountered them through their interpretation of the legendary 35mm f/2 Summicron 8-element. But what interested me is that they did not stop there.

Over time, they expanded their catalogue with lenses that pay homage to the golden age of optical design, not only German, but also English and French. Especially lenses that originally lived in the world of cinema.

I have used several Light Lens Lab designs over the years, and some of them genuinely surprised me. One of my recent favourites is their 35mm f/1.4 Aspherical Titanium, a lens that balances character and control in a very elegant way.

Mr. Zhou, the driving force behind Light Lens Lab, is not only a manufacturer but a true collector. Surrounded by rare lenses and like-minded enthusiasts across the world, he has created a unique environment where forgotten optical designs can be studied, understood, and brought back to life.

This philosophy becomes especially clear when looking at Light Lens Lab’s growing interest in cinema optics and historically significant designs that sit outside the traditional German lens canon.

ACDK: The Other Optical Pantheon

In conversations with Mr. Zhou from Light Lens Lab, a term often comes up: ACDK.

Angénieux.
Cooke.
Dallmeyer.
Kinoptik.

Four legendary optical manufacturers from the 1950s and 60s whose lenses today are rare, expensive, difficult to find, often locked into cine mounts, and very often not rangefinder coupled. These lenses are not collector toys. They are tools with strong personalities, and they demand a certain acceptance of imperfection.

In my own journey, after exploring most of what Leica itself ever made, I started to feel the pull towards these more obscure designs. And that is how ACDK slowly entered my photographic vocabulary.

Pierre Angénieux and the S21 Legacy

Pierre Angénieux was not trying to impress photographers.
He was trying to liberate filmmakers.

In the 1950s, cinema lenses were slow, heavy, and restrictive. Shooting handheld in available light was almost unthinkable. Angénieux changed that by designing fast lenses that allowed movement, intimacy, and spontaneity.

The S21 series, including the famous 50mm f/1.5, was designed for 16mm and Super 16mm film. These lenses prioritised light transmission and rendering over absolute correction. The result was a distinctive look: gentle contrast, creamy bokeh, soft flare wide open, and a sense of motion in the out of focus areas.

The Angénieux 50mm f/1.5 S21 is today one of the most sought after vintage cinema lenses. Original examples often reach five figure prices, assuming you can even find one in usable condition. Many suffer from fungus, scratches, or optical misalignment. Leica screw mount versions are extremely rare.

This is the reality Light Lens Lab had to confront.

Light Lens Lab Z21: Preserving Behaviour, Not Perfection

The Light Lens Lab Z21 is not a strict clone, nor a modernised APO reinterpretation. It is a respectful attempt to recreate the behaviour of the original Angénieux lens while making it usable on modern digital M cameras.

What impressed me most is what Light Lens Lab deliberately chose not to fix.

They did not chase edge to edge sharpness.
They did not remove field curvature.
They did not try to sanitise the rendering.

Instead, they focused on consistency, reliability, and usability.

Modern glass and coatings. Improved flare control without removing character. Accurate rangefinder coupling. A lens you can confidently take on a real shoot.

First Impressions: An Object From Another Time

The Z21 is beautifully made. Light, compact, and visually striking.

The black paint finish with chrome zebra stripes is simply gorgeous. It is one of the most attractive lens designs I have handled in years. My only small wish would have been a brass construction. This lens would have been stunning in heavy brass with worn edges.

The glass sits deep inside the barrel, offering some natural protection, although this is still a lens that will flare when it wants to. And that is part of its personality.

Z21 Technical Specifications

The Z21 is built around a 6-element, 4-group optical design inspired by the rendering philosophy of the original S21. It covers full-frame 35mm (24x36mm) and is fully rangefinder-coupled for Leica M mount cameras.

Optical construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
Aperture range: f/1.5 to f/22
Aperture blades: 10
Diaphragm type: Preset with half-stop lock
Minimum focusing distance: 0.7m
Filter thread: E52
Lens mount: Leica M quick-change bayonet
Length: 64.2mm
Diameter: 60.7mm
Weight: 313g

The lens body is made from aluminium, keeping the weight relatively modest at just over 300 grams. The optical elements are manufactured in-house using high-refractive and lanthanum glass.

It is important to note that the minimum focus distance remains the traditional 0.7m limit of Leica M lenses. This is not a modern close-focus design. It behaves like a classic M lens, both mechanically and optically.

The lens comes supplied with matching front and rear caps, a leather pouch, and a one-year Light Lens Lab warranty.

Specifications are one thing. Rendering is another.
On paper, the numbers look conventional. In practice, the behaviour is anything but.

Not a Lens You Buy for Sharpness

Let’s be very clear.

You do not buy this lens for sharpness.
If you want sharpness but with a vintage soul, buy a Rigid Summicron.
If you want perfection, buy a Summilux or an APO.

You buy this lens for character.

Wide open at f/1.5, the centre is sharp, but there is strong field curvature.
Corners remain soft at wider apertures due to this curvature, and the lens rewards careful subject placement within the focus plane.
Stopped down, it improves, but it never becomes clinical. Chromatic aberrations are present. The rendering can be unpredictable. But none of this feels accidental.

Some people may be disappointed at first.

That is usually a sign that the lens is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Growing Into the Z21

I am very much a 50mm photographer. I have used most Leica 50mm lenses over the years, and the Noctilux 50mm f/1 remains one of my all time favourites.

The Z21 sits closer to a classic Sonnar than to a Summilux. The Summilux is sharper, more contrasty, and far more of an all rounder. The Z21 is something else entirely.

In the beginning, I was not immediately in love with it.

But the lens grew on me.

The swirly bokeh, the glow, the way it handles transitions. This is a lens that rewards time and familiarity. It encourages you to slow down.
And nowhere did that become clearer than during my automotive shoots.

Chrome, Curves and Cinema

I quickly understood that the Z21 would be an excellent lens for car shoots. I often brought it as a secondary setup, almost as a backup.

What surprised me was how often the results from the Z21 became the images I preferred.

The rendering can feel unpredictable at first.

There is field curvature. There is glow. There is character that does not behave like a modern APO design. But the more I used it, the more I understood what it was doing.

It creates a timeless look. Subtle tonality. Gentle transitions.

In combination with the Leica M11 Monochrom, the files straight out of camera are already a perfect foundation to build something special.

For the duo shoot with Mara and Viviane, I occasionally stopped down to f/2.8 or f/4 to keep both of them reasonably sharp within the frame. Wide open, the lens has a distinct rendering and field curvature that need to be respected. By f/2.8 and especially f/4, it tightens up significantly while still maintaining its character.

The real magic, however, lives between f/1.5 and f/4. That balance between glow and structure reminds me of my Thambar 90mm f/2.2 soft focus lens.

The Thambar is also not a lens about sharpness alone. Stopped down slightly, it reaches that beautiful balance between softness and definition. The Z21 behaves in a similar way.

Before the shoot, I prepared moodboards and visual references. I knew I wanted colour, but with a subtle Bonnie and Clyde atmosphere. Playful, slightly rebellious, cinematic. Mara and Viviane immediately understood the direction, which made the entire session feel natural and effortless.

Vintage Garage was kind enough to provide several cars for the shoot, including the Mercedes-Benz 220 and the 280 CE. The way the Z21 renders chrome and curved metal surfaces is particularly pleasing. Highlights roll gently across the bodywork, reflections stay controlled, and nothing feels overly digital or harsh.

The files already look refined straight out of camera. In post, I usually add a touch of clarity, a bit of grain, and a subtle S-curve. That is often enough.

And suddenly, the image carries that quiet vintage atmosphere without feeling forced.

Painterly Colour, Magical on Monochrom

Colour rendering is very different from Leica. More painterly. Softer. Less clinical.

But where the Z21 truly shines for me is on the Leica M11 Monochrom.

The sharp Monochrom sensor paired with a softer vintage lens creates a unique balance.

Skin tones become smooth and luminous. Tonal transitions are rich and deep. Out of focus areas feel organic and alive.

I actively challenged the lens with flare, and while it does flare, the improved coatings make it far more usable than an original Angénieux would ever be.

The Space Between

Beyond the more cinematic examples, I wanted to see how the Z21 behaved in quieter, more intimate environments.

I used the lens during my shoot with Fay at the legendary Hotel Des Indes in The Hague, around the same time I was finishing my Noctilux M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH review. The two lenses approach photography from very different philosophies. The Noctilux feels bold and contemporary. The Z21 feels softer, more interpretative, almost nostalgic.

The Z21 stayed mounted on my Leica M11 Monochrom for the quieter sequences. Makeup. Preparation. Small gestures before the portrait truly begins. The moments when the subject is not yet performing, but simply present.

Those are often the frames I return to later.

During a separate shoot with Madame Romanova, I brought the Z21 again as a secondary setup. My primary camera that day was the Leica S3 camera, precise and structured in its rendering. The Z21 on the Monochrom offered something entirely different. Less control. More interpretation.

It was not there for the main image.

It was there for the subtle transitions. The pause between poses. The glance away from the lens.
The private expressions that disappear as soon as the performance begins again.

Very often, those images carry more emotional weight than the official portrait.

This is not a lens for technical hero shots.

It is a lens for soul.

Gallery images of Light Lens Lab 50mm f1.5 Z21

Final Thoughts on the Light Lens Lab Z21

The Light Lens Lab Z21 50mm f/1.5 is not a lens you buy to replace something.

It is a lens you buy to feel something again.

It slows you down.
It rewards intention.
It interprets reality rather than correcting it.

Technically, it is imperfect. Emotionally, it is rich.

One aspect that became very clear during real shoots is how beautifully it renders skin. The gentle contrast and subtle glow soften tonal transitions in a very natural way. Small blemishes appear less harsh, highlights roll off gracefully, and the overall impression is flattering without looking artificial.

I noticed that I spend less time retouching. The files already feel refined straight out of camera. Especially in female portraiture, the rendering is elegant and luminous in a way that modern, clinically sharp lenses rarely achieve.

This is not about hiding reality.
It is about interpreting it with sensitivity.

It will never be your only 50mm.
But it may become the one you reach for when you want atmosphere over precision.

For my work, for my Old Hollywood aesthetic, and for the way I like to tell stories, the Z21 fits naturally. It enhances my visual language rather than changing it.

Interested in the Light Lens Lab Z21 50mm f1.5?

The Light Lens Lab Z21 50mm f/1.5 is available directly from Light Lens Lab in both High Gloss Black Paint and Matte Black Paint finishes.

If you are interested in exploring a vintage inspired 50mm with strong character and modern usability, this lens offers a unique alternative to more clinical contemporary designs.

If you are curious to try the Light Lens Lab Z21 yourself, Light Lens Lab offers a way to receive a small discount while supporting my work:

👉 You can use my referral link to get 5% off your purchase:
Or, if you prefer, you can use this coupon code at checkout to get 5% off: The discount code is MILAN

Using either helps support my projects and future reviews.

Thank you.
Milan Swolfs

About Milan Swolfs

Milan Swolfs is a fine art portrait photographer from Antwerp, Belgium, renowned for his distinctive blend of burlesque and vintage aesthetics. His work channels the timeless Hollywood glamour of the 1920s and 1930s, capturing both men and women in bold yet elegantly refined portraits.

Beginning his career photographing Europe’s largest burlesque events, Milan later transitioned into fine art photography. As an ambassador for Leica Camera and Harlowe Creators, his work has been featured in LFI (Leica Fotografie International), Medium Format Magazine, and Viewfinder. In 2022, he debuted his solo exhibition, Light of Seduction, at the Leica Store in Porto. Most recently, from late 2024 to early 2025, his latest exhibition, Echoes of Elegance: A Timeless Journey, was showcased at the Leica Store Beaumarchais in Paris.

Milan’s portraits celebrate individuality and classic beauty, reviving the charm and allure of a bygone era.

📷 Instagram: @milanswolfsphotography

Light Lens Lab Z21 50mm f1.5 review