Lee Works | 50mm f1.1 for Leica M

Product Description

Brand Story

Lee Works was born from a collective pursuit of refinement and craftsmanship. Our core team brings together a professional photographer, a film director, and an oil painter, working closely with an experienced domestic manufacturer of photographic accessories known for its strong technical foundation. We begin from real-world photographic use, incorporating the perspectives of optical designers, mechanical engineers, and skilled assemblers. Through continuous iteration and close collaboration, each product is refined extensively before release, with a strong focus on balance between form, function, and expressive image character.

Product Philosophy

This is not a modern, correction-oriented optical lens, nor is it intended for everyone. It is a character-driven, large-aperture lens that emphasizes compact form, expressive bokeh, and accessibility. Rather than pursuing edge-to-edge sharpness, the design prioritizes atmospheric rendering and a distinctive visual personality, offering a deliberate alternative to contemporary clinical optics.

Optical Design

Inspired by classic ultra-large-aperture lens designs from the film era, this lens adopts a traditional Double-Gauss optical structure with an all-spherical element configuration. Multiple lanthanum glass elements are used to achieve a soft, organic rendering reminiscent of vintage film lenses. The design emphasizes smooth tonal transitions in the in-focus region and refined out-of-focus rendering, while intentionally incorporating a controlled degree of field curvature to enhance bokeh performance at medium to close focusing distances.

Key Features

• Non-equidistant aperture design with 11 nearly circular blades, maintaining round out-of-focus highlights across aperture settings

• Optimized internal stray light control, reducing flare by over 80% compared to early production batches

• Expressive rendering at close focus distances, particularly well suited for portrait photography

• Adjustable rangefinder coupling mechanism for precise calibration to individual camera bodies

• Compact form factor combined with an ultra-large f/1.1 aperture for improved low-light usability

• Compared to typical 50mm f/1.4 lenses, enables faster shutter speeds, lower ISO settings, and stronger subject separation

Technical Specifications

Image Circle & Compatibility

With an image circle of approximately 46 mm—exceeding the diagonal of standard 135 full-frame sensors—the lens can also be used on digital medium-format cameras with 44×33 mm sensors in 1:1 mode, producing uniquely styled imagery.

Package Includes

• 1× Lee Works 50mm f/1.1 V3.2 Lens (Black or Silver)

• 1× CNC Aluminum Front Lens Cap

• 1× CNC Aluminum Lens Hood

• 1× CNC Aluminum Rear Lens Cap

• 1× Rangefinder Adjustment Tool Set

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the lens dimensions?

The Lee Works 50mm f/1.1 V3.2 lens weighs approximately 380 g without accessories, with a diameter of about 66 mm and a length of approximately 60 mm.