Shoten Kobo Launches 70-Unit Lailens 50mm f/1.1 KP Based on Rare Hugo Meyer Kino Plasmat

Shoten Kobo Co., Ltd. has announced the Lailens LTM 50mm f/1.1 KP, an ultra-fast lens limited to 70 units worldwide. Priced at 138,000 yen (about $840), it recreates the optical design of the pre-war Hugo Meyer Kino Plasmat 5cm f/1.5, a rare cinema lens that sold for 10,800 euros at the 19th Leitz Photographica Auction in 2011. The project began as a commission from an individual, leading to a production run of 70. The lens features a 13-bladed aperture, a 52mm front filter thread, weighs 308 grams, and measures 44.5mm in length. It is a manual focus lens with a minimum focusing distance of 0.5 meters (0.7 or 0.9 meters with rangefinder coupling). Native Leica M-Mount, ships with an L39 adapter ring. Available now directly from Shoten Kobo.