Seagull 35mm f/1.7

Seagull 35mm f/1.7

The Seagull 35mm f/1.7 is a recent, compact prime fitted to the Leica M lens mount, notable for a fast f/1.7 maximum aperture paired with an unusually high count of 19 aperture blades. It is a modern manufactured-for-mirrorless-and-rangefinder style optic rather than a vintage design, and it sits among the affordable third-party M-mount lenses that have appeared in the 2020s. Documented English-language collector and technical material on this specific model is currently limited, so the description below stays close to its confirmed physical characteristics.

Optically the lens uses eight elements arranged in six groups. The diaphragm is built from 19 blades, which yields a near-circular aperture opening intended to keep out-of-focus highlights rounded across the aperture range. It is small and light, measuring about 29 mm long and 57 mm in diameter and weighing roughly 145 g, with a 41 mm front filter thread. The minimum focus distance is 0.7 m. The lens carries an M bayonet mount but is not rangefinder coupled and has no six-bit coding, so on a film or digital M body it is used by scale or estimated focusing and the camera receives no electronic or mechanical focus or lens identification information. Given its short focal length, modest maximum aperture relative to a true f/1, and lack of coupling, it is most practical with live view or an electronic viewfinder where focus can be confirmed on the sensor image.

Detailed, independently verified information on version differences, coating types, finish variations, or production changes for this lens is not well documented in widely available sources, so no such claims are made here.

Optical qualities

Rendering

Reliable, repeatable reviews of this specific lens are scarce, so its rendering character cannot be described with confidence. What can be stated from the design is structural rather than evaluative: an 8-element, 6-group formula with a 19-blade diaphragm and a fast f/1.7 aperture, which is consistent with a lens aimed at shallow depth of field at close to moderate distances and smoothly shaped highlight discs. Any specific claims about sharpness, contrast, bokeh quality, flare resistance, distortion, or vignetting would not be supported by documented evidence and are therefore omitted.