LLL: Speed Panchro or Z21

[Kiwimac]

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I’m enjoying the LLL 8 element. The build quality is excellent and the images are capable of being wildly characterful or plenty sharp and civilised depending on how you use it. 
 

Sadly their 50 f1.2 is sold out in all variants. I’ve emailed them to ask if they will be making more. 
 

The two available lenses that produce nice images are the Speed Panchro 2 recreation and the Z21 recreation. 

 

Looking at reviews my take has been that the SP2 is suited to environmental images and the Z21 to portrait photography - which is not to say of course that you can’t do both things with both lenses, merely that that appears to be playing to their particular strengths. 
 

Obviously it’s more or less impossible to go and look at them in person or to test shoot them. 
 

I’d be interested in views. Does anyone have both?

[Smudgerer]

1 hour ago, Kiwimac said:

I’m enjoying the LLL 8 element. The build quality is excellent and the images are capable of being wildly characterful or plenty sharp and civilised depending on how you use it. 
 

Sadly their 50 f1.2 is sold out in all variants. I’ve emailed them to ask if they will be making more. 
 

The two available lenses that produce nice images are the Speed Panchro 2 recreation and the Z21 recreation. 

 

Looking at reviews my take has been that the SP2 is suited to environmental images and the Z21 to portrait photography - which is not to say of course that you can’t do both things with both lenses, merely that that appears to be playing to their particular strengths. 
 

Obviously it’s more or less impossible to go and look at them in person or to test shoot them. 
 

I’d be interested in views. Does anyone have both?

There is this Ebay UK listing..........https://www.ebay.fr/itm/306352956304?_skw=light+lens+lab+50+f1.2&itmmeta=01JZ2CYZ2H5B9RCX18TBTZX34Z&hash=item47540f2390:g:wQsAAeSw4dFoTql5&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1cDPHptaw8ekqpu%2B%2B1ab81xHB786D5Qd0DGUBa%2FdimuLp4ZSP%2FW3XSsWXUW1wX0FvArryNF5gGzu7QG6oqdsoIKTZsFRiiRd2yA6yp78rNW0aM4taLs3XBrFaSEAzv55xas0dk3zoCrtWYB3blVzNk8gsOFETTDtXDQjwJQErbrYSe7fW%2FIOGXVpxUFWAqBapfwNBmRwAVZC9l4LWnK26cHDPJuzhStRMetNgip%2FsSEn93pkN4iFtqTcTYReJCqU9WGkebEnoqsTfRMibksIqmQ7g7bDl%2BBLz0T83wsRLRlEQ%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR7jx-8z4ZQ

[Mexy]

You can find more information and lots of samples on xiaohongshu (rednote) which is a chinese social platform. 

There are lots of chinese users of these LLL lens. 

I am a chinese so if you have any question using the platform I can tell you more. 

[ZoomP]

You can still get LLL lenses on Tabao.  Try to search there.  I had a speed Panchro. It's really a lens that you use for special mood.  Too low contrasts as a daily lens in my view.  I've kept all my LLL lenses except this speed Panchro.  the Z21 is a fantastic lens for outright f1.5 bokeh look.

[Elliot Harper]

LLL lenses are being sold at Chinese website like Taobao or Aliexpress for about 70-80% of the listed price at official LLL website. Mr.Zhou is still insisting on all the dealers that no discount at all for any lenses but nobody listens to him. Market is always right. Those lenses are good but only good at 50% of their current prices 

[Kiwimac]

On 7/2/2025 at 8:26 PM, Mexy said:

You can find more information and lots of samples on xiaohongshu (rednote) which is a chinese social platform. 

There are lots of chinese users of these LLL lens. 

I am a chinese so if you have any question using the platform I can tell you more. 

That’s mighty helpful. My Chinese language abilities would be limited to mispronouncing restaurant items!

[arthury]

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On 7/2/2025 at 1:36 PM, Elliot Harper said:

LLL lenses are being sold at Chinese website like Taobao or Aliexpress for about 70-80% of the listed price at official LLL website. Mr.Zhou is still insisting on all the dealers that no discount at all for any lenses but nobody listens to him. Market is always right. Those lenses are good but only good at 50% of their current prices 

This is no longer true. I just checked the prices at AliExpress and they are slightly higher than the MSRP. 

Doesn't seem like TaiBao has an English website?

[Elliot Harper]

10 hours ago, arthury said:

This is no longer true. I just checked the prices at AliExpress and they are slightly higher than the MSRP. 

Doesn't seem like TaiBao has an English website?

You need to speak and read chinese in order to get the deal. Who would buy this crap on face value?

 

[GFW2-SCUSA]

I am surprised to hear Elliot Harper refer to LLL lenses as "crap". I have a LLL SPII V. 2 which I just popped on my SL2 using a Leica adaptor and shot this picture of the flowers sitting in front of me. Perhaps my descernment is poor, but I wouldn't call this lens crap. The build quality seems strong as is the fit and finish. Is it as fine as my Leica lenses, maybe not, but "crap" it isn't. ISO1600, F2, 1/100 SL2 kitchen lighting.

57 minutes ago, Elliot Harper said:

 

. Who would buy this crap on face value?

 

 

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[Kiwimac]

Certainly in so far as the 35 eight element version goes, you’d have to have a seriously good eye to pick up the almost infinitesimally small differences between that and a copy of the original. Even then it would be a purely subjective decision as to which was ‘better’. 
 

At least based on the tests I’ve seen.