MS-Optics Historio Dagonar 40mm f/6.3

MS-Optics Historio Dagonar 40mm f/6.3

The Historio Dagonar is part of MS-Optics' "Historical Series," a set of lenses by Sadayasu Miyazaki that revive classic optical formulas in compact modern barrels for the Leica M system. This model takes its name and layout from the Dagor, a symmetrical lens type first introduced in the early 1900s, and reworks it as a slim 40mm for digital and film rangefinder bodies [1][2]. MS-Optics (formerly MS-Optical R&D) is a small Japanese workshop founded in 2006, and the "MS" stands for Miyazaki Sadayasu, who designs and hand-assembles the lenses; the company is known for low element counts, no aspherical elements, optical formulas calculated by hand, and an emphasis on small size over corner-to-corner correction at maximum aperture [1].

Optically the Dagonar uses six elements arranged in two groups, following the Dagor cemented-triplet-per-group scheme, with a maximum aperture of f/6.3 and a ten-blade diaphragm [1][2]. The barrel is very compact, roughly 22mm long and 50mm in diameter, and weighs about 50g [1]. According to the retailer listing and MS-Optics' own notes, every surface is multicoated, with light transmission cited around 97 to 98 percent, and the design is described as suited to high-quality close-up work with low distortion [2]. The lens uses a small 22mm-class filter and hood thread, focuses to about 0.6m, and is supplied in a native Leica M mount [1][2]. It is a fully manual, scale-focusing lens; it is not rangefinder coupled and is not six-bit coded, although the mount provides an area where coding can be applied [2]. Because it is so short and the aperture is modest, it adapts readily to mirrorless cameras, where the working distance can be slightly closer than on an M body [2].

The Dagonar followed the earlier Historio Prot 40mm f/6.3, a four-element, two-group lens released in early 2018; the Dagonar arrived a few months later as the more elaborate six-element member of the series [1]. The retailer described the Dagonar as offering noticeably higher resolving power and contrast than the Prot and noted that the specific glass types it relies on were expected to become unavailable, so production was framed as a limited run of an initial lot [2]. As with all MS-Optics lenses, units are individually hand-built, so buyers should treat published specifications as nominal.

Optical qualities

Rendering Detailed independent testing of this lens is limited, so much of the available information comes from MS-Optics and the original retailer. The Dagonar is presented as a corrected, low-distortion design intended for sharp, high-contrast results, with distortion cited at about +0.13 percent and resolution improved over the simpler Prot [2]. The multicoated surfaces are aimed at neutral color and good light transmission [2]. Given the f/6.3 maximum aperture and small image circle typical of these compact MS-Optics designs, it is best understood as a slow, detail-oriented optic rather than a low-light or shallow-depth-of-field lens [1][2].

History

Development and Launch MS-Optics launched the Historical Series to recreate notable historic lens types in tiny, modern Leica M barrels. The Dagonar revives the Dagor configuration, a symmetrical design from the early twentieth century valued in its day for high performance relative to triplet and Tessar types despite a slow aperture [2]. The Historio Dagonar 40mm f/6.3 was released in June 2018, shortly after the related Historio Prot 40mm f/6.3 of March 2018 [1].

Production Evolution The Dagonar is the six-element, two-group evolution of the four-element Prot within the same series, sharing the 40mm focal length, f/6.3 aperture, ten-blade diaphragm, roughly 50mm barrel diameter, and 0.6m close focus, but adding two elements and greater length [1]. MS-Optics and the retailer indicated the design depended on glass types nearing discontinuation, which is why it was offered as a limited initial lot rather than an open-ended production lens [2].

Special editions No widely documented factory special editions, military or export variants, or alternative mounts are recorded for this lens beyond the standard hand-built Leica M version [1][2].

Collector Notes As a small-batch, hand-assembled lens, individual examples may vary slightly, and published figures are best treated as nominal. Sources differ on minor details: MS-Optics' published data and the Phillip Reeve overview list a 22.2mm length, 50g weight, 0.6m close focus, and a 22mm-class filter thread, while the original retailer page quotes a 1m minimum focus on Leica M (about 0.8m on mirrorless) and a 55g weight, illustrating the spread that can appear between the maker's data sheet and shop listings [1][2]. Buyers should confirm the lens still ships with its dedicated hood and caps, check the small filter thread for damage, and remember that the lens is manual-focus only and not rangefinder coupled, so framing and focusing rely on scale focus or live view [1][2].

Sources

• [1] Phillip Reeve (BastianK). Overview: MS-Optics Lenses. https://phillipreeve.net/blog/overview-ms-optics-lenses/
• [2] Japan Exposures. MS Histrio-Dagonar 40/6.3 MACRO. https://www.japanexposures.com/shop/camera-lens/ms-histrio-dagonar-40-6.3-macro.html