MS-Optics LUMITAR 3.5/50

MS-Optics LUMITAR 3.5/50

The LUMITAR 3.5/50 is one of designer Sadayasu Miyazaki's homages to early Leitz optics, reviving the ELMAX formula that Max Berek created for Leitz in 1925 and packaging it as a tiny, retractable rangefinder lens [1]. MS-Optics, the small Japanese workshop founded in 2006 and run single-handedly by Miyazaki, has built its reputation on extremely compact, low-element designs, and the Lumitar fits that pattern closely [2]. At roughly 55 grams it is among the lightest 50mm lenses available for the Leica M system, and it was introduced in 2025 alongside a near-identical sibling, the Xenomax 50mm f/3.5.

Optically the Lumitar uses five elements arranged in three groups, focuses down to 0.6 m, and stops down through a twelve-blade diaphragm intended to keep the aperture opening close to circular. The lens is a manual-focus, retractable (collapsible) design, so the barrel can be pushed in to make an already small lens even more pocketable. It is not rangefinder-coupled, which means focus is set by scale or by using a camera's live view or magnification aids rather than through the optical rangefinder. The Leica M version is the one held here in silver; MS-Optics also offered the lens in an L39 (screw) mount.

The Lumitar was produced in two distinct optical treatments. A non-coated version, limited to 70 pieces, was made to render in a way closer to the look of the original 1925 design, while a fully multi-coated version applies modern coatings for higher contrast and flare control. Buyers should note this distinction when identifying a particular example, since the two share the same basic formula but behave differently against bright light.

Optical qualities

Rendering Documentation for the Lumitar is still limited because it is a recent, small-batch lens. It shares its core specification with the MS-Optics Xenomax 50mm f/3.5, but where the Xenomax is a fixed design marketed for high resolution and even covers the larger 44×33 mm medium-format sensor, the Lumitar is the collapsible variant and is reported to deliver somewhat lower outright optical performance, and it is not advertised as compatible with the GFX 44×33 mm format. The choice between the non-coated and multi-coated versions is itself a rendering decision: the uncoated build is intended to give a softer, more period-correct look with less flare suppression, while the multi-coated build favors contrast and modern color.

History

Development and Launch MS-Optics announced the LUMITAR 3.5/50 in June 2025. Miyazaki based it on the ELMAX, an early Leitz design attributed to Max Berek from 1925, reinterpreting that classic formula in the workshop's signature ultralight, collapsible form. It arrived as part of a pair with the Xenomax 50mm f/3.5, the two lenses sharing focal length, aperture, element count, and close-focus distance while differing in construction and intended performance.

Production Evolution From launch the lens was offered in two coating states, a non-coated run capped at 70 pieces and a standard fully multi-coated version, and in two mounts, Leica M and L39 screw. These are the main documented variations rather than later revisions.

Special editions The limited non-coated run of 70 pieces is the principal collectible variant; beyond the coating and mount options there are no widely documented factory special editions.

Collector Notes When evaluating an example, confirm whether it is the non-coated limited version or the multi-coated version, since this affects both rendering and rarity, and check that the mount (M or L39) matches the buyer's camera. Because the lens is retractable, the collapsing mechanism should be checked for smooth, secure operation. One small discrepancy worth noting: published manufacturer-derived sources list the filter thread as M30.5 with reverse mounting, while the catalogue value recorded here is 31 mm, so the front filter fitting is worth verifying directly before buying accessories.