KIPON Iberit (Elegant) 35mm f/2.4

The KIPON Iberit (Elegant) 35mm f/2.4 is a M-mount lens for Leica rangefinder cameras. Leica price index ↗

Reference maintained by Thomas Boots

Focal Length: 35mm

Aperture: 𝑓/2.4

Release Year (from): 2022

Diameter: 58 mm

Length: 45 mm

Minimum Focus Distance: 0.35m

Elements in Groups: 6/6

Aperture Blades: 6

Mount: M

Material Weight: Metal, 280g

Colors: Black

KIPON Iberit (Elegant) 35mm f/2.4

The Iberit 35mm f/2.4 is the moderate wide-angle member of Kipon's compact full-frame prime family, and the version sold from 2022 onward carries the manufacturer's "Elegant" branding alongside the older Iberit name. Kipon presented the 2022 release as a refinement rather than a new optical design, describing the updated lenses as built to tighter tolerances to bring the existing optical formula closer to its intended performance, with each lens shipping with a dedicated hood [1][2]. The line traces back to the HandeVision Iberit series first shown in 2017, a collaboration between the German optical maker IB/E Optics and the Shanghai-based parent company behind the Kipon brand, conceived as a set of small, light manual-focus primes styled after classic rangefinder lenses [3].

In the Leica M mount the lens is rangefinder coupled and focuses manually, with a six-element, six-group optical layout, a six-blade aperture, and a 49mm filter thread [3]. The barrel is built from metal, with reviewers noting an aluminium body over a brass and stainless steel core that keeps the weight low while retaining an all-metal feel [4]. Handling centers on a focus ring with a roughly 120-degree throw and a clicked aperture ring marked from f/2.4 to f/16 [3][4]. The Leica M version has a longer minimum focus distance than the mirror, native-mount variants, a normal consequence of rangefinder coupling, and one reviewer observed that the M-mount build differs from the Sony E and Fujifilm X versions [4].

Because the Iberit was produced across several mounts and revisions, build quality has not been entirely consistent. An early-version review of the M-mount copy reported some play in the front barrel and a slightly dry aperture action, while noting that later samples and other focal lengths in the range felt more refined, which the manufacturer aligned with higher pricing on newer batches [4]. The lens has no six-bit coding and no electronic contacts in the M version, so it relies on manual handling and lens-profile selection on digital bodies [4].

Optical qualities

Rendering The Iberit 35mm is generally described as a balanced lens with a classic rendering character rather than a clinical look, combining good contrast and color with a degree of vintage flavor [4]. It is a relatively slow 35mm at f/2.4, so it is not primarily a shallow-depth-of-field lens, but reviewers regard its overall image quality as strong for its size and class [4].

Sharpness Center sharpness is already usable wide open and improves through the mid apertures, with corners that start soft and tighten noticeably by about f/5.6 to f/8, the range cited as the lens's sweet spot [4].

Contrast and color Contrast and micro-contrast are rated highly, and color rendering is described as pleasing and requiring little correction; as a lens without electronic communication it can show a slight magenta cast on some digital sensors [4].

Bokeh and transitions Despite the six-blade diaphragm and modest maximum aperture, the out-of-focus rendering is described as smooth and not nervous or busy [4].

Flare resistance and sunstars Flare is reasonably well controlled when shooting toward the sun, with heavier ghosting appearing mainly when light strikes the front element at a steep angle; the six straight blades produce defined six-point sunstars when stopped down [4].

Distortion and vignetting The lens shows some barrel distortion that is mild in normal use and easily corrected, and noticeable vignetting wide open on full frame that improves from around f/4 [4].

Aberrations Chromatic aberration is reported as very mild, appearing mainly in extreme high-contrast, out-of-focus areas [4].

History

Development and Launch The Iberit family was announced in 2017 under the HandeVision brand, a cooperation between IB/E Optics of Germany and the Chinese company behind Kipon, with five full-frame manual-focus primes planned at 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 90mm, all sharing an f/2.4 maximum aperture [3]. The makers emphasized compact, lightweight construction using brass, aluminium and stainless steel, with designs visually reminiscent of Leica M optics, and offered the first lenses for Leica M, Sony E and Fuji X mounts [3]. The 35mm was specified with a six-element, six-group design and a six-blade iris [3].

Production Evolution The series later shifted to Kipon's own branding, and in July 2022 Kipon began shipping an updated 35mm f/2.4 under the combined Iberit and Elegant naming across Fuji X, Sony E, Leica/Panasonic L, Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts, with the remaining focal lengths following later that year [1][2]. Kipon characterized the 2022 lenses as manufactured more precisely with tighter tolerances and bundled with a lens hood, rather than as a redesigned optic [1]. Independent reviewers separately noted that the Iberit lenses were revised several times over their production life, with newer versions generally feeling better made [4].

Collector Notes Buyers should be aware that the Iberit and Elegant names refer to the same lens family, and that the Leica M version differs from the mirror-mount variants in build and in its longer close-focus distance [3][4]. The M-mount copies have shown some unit-to-unit variation, including front-barrel play and minor cosmetic flaws such as internal tooling marks, though reviewers reported these rarely affected the actual image [4]. The lens is not weather-sealed, so storage care is advised, and the 2022 examples should normally include the matching hood [1][4]. Because there are no electronic contacts in the M mount, expect to set the lens profile manually and to watch for a slight color cast on digital bodies [4].