Shenyang Zhongyi Optical & Electronic Co., Ltd was established in 1984 as a joint venture company with a Japanese investor. The Chinese lens manufacturer today is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial optical solutions. ZhongYi is providing optical elements for industrial as well as distributing its unique and truly high-performance lens products to consumers worldwide under the Zhongyi and Mitakon brands.

Today has announced the launch of the Mitakon 50mm f/0.95 lens for Leica M mount. The lens is specially redesigned to work well with Leica M camera systems and supports rangefinder coupling for focus assistance. The lens is also compatible with 3rd party Autofocus Adapter where an autofocus performance can be enjoyed when used with Nikon Z or Sony FE cameras.

Its f/0.95 maximum aperture makes the lens one of the fastest in the market for Leica cameras. A shallow depth of field endows pictures with an enchanting and dreamy ambiance, with the main character perfectly separated from the background. Soft and enticing bokeh can be formed in this picture, adding additional romantic sense to the picture. Its 9 rounded blades aperture creates a soft and perfectly circular bokeh that all photographers are craving for.

Compared to the Nikon Z/ Canon RF/ Sony FE version, the image is further improved by the new 11 elements in 8 groups optics formula, bringing high definitions and sharpness even at wide-open aperture. Colour fringing and chromatic aberration are greatly suppressed thanks to the addition of extra-low dispersion elements. The color rendered is also carefully calibrated to manifest a greater contrast on Leica cameras. Unlike other f/0.95 lenses where the sharpness is only optimized at certain distances, the new Mitakon 50mm has an outstanding sharpness at both portrait distances as well as infinity, making it one of the most versatile 50mm lens in the market.

The ultra-wide f/0.95 aperture is also tailor-made for night photography. With the improved sharpness and coma correction, the new Speedmaster outperforms any 50mm lenses in the market in the genre of night photography.
One special feature about Leica cameras is their unique Rangefinder Coupling system. The new Speedmaster is designed to perfectly support the rangefinder system of the Leica cameras to achieve a more accurate, convenient, and quicker focusing performance through the camera’s viewfinder. More precise control of manual lens shooting is not impossible now.

A hybrid focusing performance can now be enjoyed. For Nikon Z and Sony E mount users, there are a few automatic adapters in the market which can turn Leica M-mount manual lenses into autofocus. Users can now take advantage of the short-flange distance of Leica M mount and experience a new focus performance with these AF adapters. Both Megadap MTZ11 and Techart TZM-01/LM-EA7 are supported. The adapters can support AF-S, AF-C, AF-F and face/eye detection with IBIS of the cameras, making focusing with f/0.95 as painless as ever.

Taking care of the high aesthetic standard of all Leica users, both matte black and silver versions are available to best match with the beautiful Leica cameras. In addition, the lens will be shipped with a specially designed black leather box. The lens is equipped with a delicate and durable metallic exterior like all other Mitakon lenses. A solid feel of precision is given by a smooth aperture control ring and engraved markings on the lens body.

Here some sample pictures:

The lens is available to purchase through ZY Optics’ online shop for $799.

More info on their website.