MS-Optics Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 II Slim

MS-Optics Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 II Slim

Built by hand by Yoshiyuki Miyazaki of Miyazaki Optical (MS-Optics) in Japan, the Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 II Slim is one of the smallest and fastest 35mm lenses ever made for the Leica M mount, weighing only about 61 grams and measuring roughly 21 mm long [1]. It is the successor to Miyazaki's well-regarded 35mm f/1.4 Apoqualia, sharing the same optical layout but opened up slightly to f/1.3 and reworked into a retractable, collapsible barrel [2]. Among MS-Optics enthusiasts it is treated less as a conventional fast wide-angle and more as a deliberately characterful, almost soft-focus instrument that Miyazaki designed to render gently between f/1.3 and f/2 [2].

Optically the lens uses a six-element, four-group Gaussian-type design, and several reviewers note that its optical diagram is essentially identical to the earlier f/1.4 version, suggesting the brighter aperture came from minor adjustments rather than a wholly new formula [2]. The barrel follows the MS-Optics house style: a tiny, thin construction with a 14-blade aperture and an unusual reversed (male) 34 mm filter thread, so filters screw on the opposite way to normal, which matters for polarizers in particular [1]. Despite the f/1.3 maximum aperture the lens is genuinely pocketable and, set to infinity, it does not block the rangefinder window even with its hood fitted [1]. In practice it is best treated as a manual scale-focus or Live View/EVF lens: coverage of the camera rangefinder mechanism is limited, and reviewers report severe focus shift that makes precise rangefinder focusing difficult, so close work is normally done by eye or on the rear screen [1][2].

The II Slim is described as an improved, slightly faster, retractable revision of the 2016 Apoqualia-G 1.4/35, and when collapsed it shrinks to only around 10 mm thick for easy carrying [2]. As with all MS-Optics products, these are small-batch, hand-assembled lenses, so fit, finish and even handling can vary from sample to sample. One reviewer who owns both versions found the retracting mechanism on his example left the optical block loose when collapsed, and judged the ergonomics of the aperture ring awkward, framing these traits as part of the handmade character rather than a refined production lens [1].

Optical qualities

Rendering The Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 II Slim is, by design, a soft-rendering lens wide open. Miyazaki intended the f/1.3 to f/2 range to deliver a gentle, low-contrast look rather than clinical sharpness, and even issued a statement explaining this behavior after some buyers mistook it for a defect [2]. Reviewers describe it as a very soft lens at f/1.3 that only becomes a decent performer around f/2.8, with resolution and contrast at the widest settings lower than the predecessor f/1.4 [1][2].

Sharpness At f/1.3 sharpness and contrast are low; stopping down improves the image considerably, with usable central performance reached only on stopping down well past maximum aperture [1][2].

Aberrations The lens shows pronounced focus shift, and unusually the planes of peak contrast and peak resolution do not coincide at wider apertures, a combination one reviewer called among the most extreme he had encountered and a key reason the lens is hard to focus accurately [1]. Astigmatism is reasonably well controlled, as is typical for MS-Optics designs, and distortion is reported to be close to zero [1].

Collector and user notes Opinions on the rendering are polarized: the same reviewer who praised the older f/1.4 as one of Miyazaki's best lenses rated this f/1.3 among his least favorite, while acknowledging that a deliberately soft, "different" lens has an audience [1].

History

Development and Launch The Apoqualia 35mm f/1.3 was released by MS-Optics (Miyazaki Optical) in 2021 as an evolution of the firm's earlier fast 35mm lenses [2]. It descends directly from the Apoqualia-G 35mm f/1.4 of 2016, with the principal changes being the marginally brighter f/1.3 aperture and the new retractable, collapsible barrel [2]. It is one of only two fast 35mm designs Miyazaki had produced as of these reviews, the other being the f/1.4 version [1].

Production Evolution Because the optical diagram in the lens documentation is reported to match the earlier f/1.4 exactly, the move to f/1.3 is generally attributed to small mechanical and optical adjustments rather than a new optical formula [2]. The "II Slim" designation reflects the retractable barrel that distinguishes it from the fixed-barrel predecessors [2].

Collector Notes As a small-run, hand-built lens it is now found mainly on the used market, where prices vary widely and tend to run high [1]. Note that some published figures disagree with the values recorded here: at least one Japanese source lists the lens at 72 g and a 0.6 m minimum focus distance, whereas measured review figures and the specifications used by this database give about 61 g and 0.54 m [1][2]. Buyers should verify the reversed (male) 34 mm filter thread when sourcing filters and hoods, confirm that the collapsing mechanism behaves correctly, and be prepared for the pronounced focus shift, which makes the lens awkward on a pure rangefinder body and better suited to Live View or an EVF [1][2].

Sources

• [1] Phillip Reeve (BastianK). Review: MS-Optics 35mm 1.3 II Slim Apoqualia. https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-ms-optics-35mm-1-3-ii-slim-apoqualia/
• [2] Shige's Hobby. Ms-Optics APOQUALIA 35mm F1.3 SLIM. https://shige-art.net/en/ms-apoqualia-3513/