Omnar CN26-6

The Omnar CN26-6 is a M-mount lens for Leica rangefinder cameras. Leica price index ↗

Reference maintained by Thomas Boots

Model number(s): CN26-6

Focal Length: 26mm

Aperture: 𝑓/6

Release Year (from): 2022

Production Year (to): 2025

Diameter: 51 mm

Length: 10.5 mm

Minimum Focus Distance: 0.3m

Elements in Groups: 4/4

Mount: M

Material Weight: Brass, 100g

https://omnarlenses.com/

Omnar CN26-6

The CN26-6 stands apart from almost everything else in the Leica M catalogue because its glass did not start life as a Leica lens at all. It uses the 26mm f/6 optic salvaged from the Canon AF-10, a very basic early-2000s film point-and-shoot, rehoused in precision brass mechanics and rangefinder coupled for M-mount cameras [1][2]. It was the first product from Omnar Lenses, a venture begun in 2021 by Hamish Gill (behind the company "It's Appened" and the pixl-latr) and Chris Andreyo of Skyllaney Optomechanics, with the bodies designed, machined, painted and assembled in the United Kingdom [2][3]. Production ran from 2022 to 2025.

Optically the lens is a four-element design derived from the classic Tessar layout, combining glass front and middle elements with a fixed aperture disc and a rear polycarbonate element behind a multi-layer coating [1]. The fixed f/6 aperture and 26mm focal length give a deep depth of field, and combined with a short focus throw the lens is intended for quick snapshot shooting rather than deliberate composition [3]. It is rangefinder coupled from roughly 0.67 m to infinity; below that, the optic can be unscrewed to focus uncoupled down to about 0.3 m for close work [1][3]. Omnar specified the focusing to very fine tolerances, with the makers describing micron-level adjustments to the helicoid thread to achieve smooth, wobble-free movement, and a finished weight near 100 g over a barrel that protrudes only a little over a centimetre from the camera [1][3]. The lens takes 39 mm filters.

The CN26-6 was offered with custom options rather than fixed factory variants. Buyers could choose finishes including matte black, silver chrome and high-gloss black lacquer, and could specify either the standard "Omnar Lenses" front engraving or up to twelve characters of custom text [1]. Because each lens was hand assembled and individually configured, examples vary in cosmetics rather than in optical formula. The donor optic ties each lens to a Canon AF-10 (and the related BF-10) camera, which is part of its identity and a useful point of provenance [2][3].

Optical qualities

Rendering The CN26-6 is designed to deliver an entry-level point-and-shoot look while being mechanically far more refined than its donor camera. Coated elements keep contrast relatively high, and the rear polycarbonate element can throw a rainbow flare when light hits it at the right angle, an effect the makers liken to lenses such as the Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim, though milder [1].

Sharpness The lens is reported to be sharp at the centre with a gentle fall-off toward the edges of the frame; the maker also found it surprisingly sharp overall in early testing and judged it favourably against some vintage wide-angle LTM lenses [1][3].

Bokeh and transitions Given the small aperture and wide focal length, out-of-focus rendering is limited, but at close focus the lens is said to produce pleasant bokeh [1][3].

Distortion and vignetting A moderate vignette is part of the character on film, in keeping with the snapshot aesthetic the optic was chosen for [1].

Digital use Behaviour changes between film and digital bodies because of how the sensor stack handles oblique rays. On full-frame Leica M digital cameras central resolution and contrast remain high, but corner softness comes on sooner and edges can show colour shifts; these can be reduced with in-camera lens profiles or corrected in software [1].

History

Development and Launch Omnar Lenses was formed as a joint venture between Hamish Gill and Chris Andreyo, pairing Gill's marketing and retail side with Andreyo's background in high-precision optomechanical design [3]. Rather than commission new glass, which proved too costly at the outset, the partners chose to rehouse existing optics, and Gill's accumulated stock of cheap compact cameras led them to the Canon AF-10 [3]. Gill had earlier experimented with a crude housing that slotted the Canon optic into a metal LTM lens cap set near its hyperfocal distance, and that conversion convinced both founders the optic was worth a proper barrel [3]. The CN26-6 was announced in October 2021 as the company's first lens, priced from £999 [1][2].

Special editions No major factory special editions are widely documented. Variation between examples comes from the buyer-selected finishes and optional custom engraving rather than distinct production runs [1].

Collector Notes The defining identification point is the donor optic: the glass and polycarbonate group comes from a Canon AF-10 point-and-shoot, so the lens should not be evaluated as a conventional from-scratch Leica-class optic [2][3]. Finish (matte black, silver chrome or gloss black lacquer) and any custom front engraving are worth confirming against what a given example was originally ordered with [1]. Note also that, while the manufacturer described the formula as four elements in three groups, LeicaLensList records it as four elements in four groups; buyers should rely on the verified specification [1].