A Brand New Lens for a Very Old Mount: The 7Artisans 35mm f/2.8 LTM
(This post is not sponsored in any way the lens was purchased with our own money and 7Artisans is not even aware I am writing this review)
I was sitting at my desk looking at my vintage Leica IIIf when it occurred to me that the lens sitting on it was made sometime in the 1950s. Problem is that my iiiF has been fully restored but the lens has not. It got me thinking about how nobody makes new glass for this mount anymore. Or rather, nobody did.
7Artisans apparently didn’t get that memo.
They’ve just released a brand new 35mm f/2.8 in LTM (Leica Thread Mount) … the old Leica screw mount that’s been around since the early days of 35mm photography. The kind of mount that makes certain photographers go misty-eyed and others go “the what?” I’m firmly in the first camp, which is apparently well known to my wife, because it was our 39th anniversary and with a big smile she handed me this beautiful box.
The next day I loaded up the Leica IIIf with a roll of Ilford FP4 and went out to see what this thing could do.
The Lens Itself
This lens is beautiful! It’s all metal and glass. No plastic, no rubber grip zones, nothing that feels cheap. The aperture ring clicks positively and the focus is buttery smooth. It’s a small, dense little thing at 88 grams and only about 20mm thick. Mount it on a Barnack body and the combination slips effortlessly into a jacket pocket. This is not a minor point if you actually travel light.
It looks the part too. Engraved, paint-filled markings. Classic Elmar-inspired proportions. Sitting on a IIIf it looks like it’s always been there, which I consider a design success.
The lens even comes packaged with a choice of metal lens hoods. a matching UV filter and a couple metal lens caps. Even the magnetic closing box is premium!
How It Shoots
The double Gauss optical design… seven elements in five groups… is the same basic approach that defined a lot of the beloved compact primes from the mid-20th century. 7Artisans has modernised the coatings and manufacturing tolerances, which in plain terms means you get the rendering character of that era without as much of the flare and corner softness that comes with the genuine vintage article.
On FP4, the results are clean and contrasty with plenty of sharpness where you need it. Wide open at f/2.8 the centre is solid and the corners are slightly softer, which is exactly what you’d expect. Stop down to f/4 or f/5.6 and it all tightens up nicely. FP4 and this lens seem to suit each other… the film’s smooth tonal range and fine grain complement the lens’s rendering rather than fighting it.
A couple of things worth knowing: the focus scale runs in the opposite direction from what modern photographers are used to. Also, just like many of the original Leica lenses from this era, there’s an infinity lock on the focus lever. Some people may find that mildly annoying but I like it. I can lock the lens at infinity and not worry about it getting knocked out of position. You can instantly release the lock without removing your eye from the finder just by pressing down on the focus tab. If you’ve been shooting a vintage Leica for any length of time you will be right at home. If you haven’t, you’ll quickly get used to it.
Worth It?
For LTM shooters who want a compact, well-made, genuinely capable modern lens that doesn’t cost as much as a decent used car… this lens delivers. It does what it promises, it feels good in the hand, and the results speak for themselves. I’ve been using a vintage 35mm on my iiiF for some time and it’s a bit hazy and lacking contrast. This new 7Artisans 35mm will definitely be my go-to 35mm for the iiiF.
Here are a few additional images taken with this lens.
The linear distortion on this image isn’t the lens … it’s the old building.