MS-Optics Elnomaxim 55mm f/1.2

MS-Optics Elnomaxim 55mm f/1.2

The Elnomaxim 55mm f/1.2 is one of the boldest entries in the small-batch output of Sadayasu Miyazaki, who designs, builds and hand-assembles MS-Optics lenses in Japan under the MS Optical R&D name [1][3]. Its appeal lies in a near-impossible combination: an f/1.2 maximum aperture packed into a body that weighs just 180 g and measures only 43 mm long and 50 mm in diameter, far smaller and lighter than any conventional fast standard lens for the Leica M[2]. The optical layout is unusually simple for such a fast lens, using just four elements in four groups, and Miyazaki describes it as a Gauss/Sonnar-derived design tracing back conceptually to the Zeiss 50mm f/2 Sonnar created for the Contax I rangefinder.

As with other MS-Optics products, the Elnomaxim is an entirely manual lens. It carries a 16-blade aperture stopping down from f/1.2 to f/16, focuses to 0.8 m on a Leica M body, accepts 49 mm filters, and is finished in anodised aluminium. The barrel is a native Leica M mount with an area reserved for six-bit coding, though the lens is not factory-coded and, in keeping with MS-Optics practice, is not rangefinder-coupled, which makes mirrorless bodies with focus aids a natural pairing; on such cameras the close-focus distance can be reduced further to roughly 0.5 to 0.6 m. MS-Optical states that all glass surfaces are multicoated for maximum light transmission.

The lens was offered in small production batches, and finishes have been documented in black chrome and silver chrome at launch, with the black anodised version listed by MS-Optical's own distributor. Buyers were told that specific serial numbers could not be reserved, reflecting the hand-built, limited nature of the runs. The official MS-Optical literature for the lens, including a downloadable data sheet, refers to it as the "Elnomaxim 1.2/57," so collectors may encounter both 55mm and 57mm references for what is the same product.

Optical qualities

Rendering Documented impressions describe a character lens rather than a clinical performer. Reviewers noted at launch that, like most MS-Optics designs, it is not built to win sharpness comparisons but is valued for its rendering character wide open. The simple four-element formula and f/1.2 aperture produce the soft, low-contrast, glowing wide-open look associated with Sonnar-type fast lenses, with detail improving on stopping down. Independent, in-depth measured testing is limited, so claims about specific behavior such as distortion, vignetting and flare should be treated cautiously.

History

Development and Launch MS-Optics revealed the Elnomaxim 55mm f/1.2 in 2020 as Miyazaki's latest M-mount lens. It was presented as his interpretation of an early fast standard concept, an Ernostar/Sonnar lineage developed after the Sonnar of the Contax I, executed in an extremely compact modern barrel. The lens was distributed in limited batches, initially handled in part through Japan Camera Hunter, with launch pricing reported around 104,500 yen in Japan and about 1,200 US dollars for export, and a later listed price of 119,900 yen. Because units were produced in small numbers, availability came and went.

Special editions No major factory special editions beyond the black and silver chrome finishes are widely documented for this lens.

Collector Notes Prospective buyers should be aware that this is a hand-built, low-volume lens, so individual examples can vary and serial numbers could not be reserved when new. The lens is not six-bit coded and is not rangefinder-coupled, both points worth confirming against the buyer's intended camera. The official data sheet labels it "Elnomaxim 1.2/57," which can cause confusion with the 55mm marketing name, and published minimum-focus figures vary between sources, with some early announcements citing 1 m while MS-Optical's own listing gives 0.8 m on Leica M. Verify the included accessories such as the screw-in hood and caps, since these compact MS-Optics lenses rely on small dedicated parts that are easily separated from the lens.