LOMO LC-A MINITAR-1 Art Lens 32mm
Review and photo example of the Lomo LC-A Minitar 1 Art Lens 32mm.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The examples were taken with a LEICA M10.
Review
1．Overview
The LOMO LC-A MINITAR-1 Art Lens was released in 2015 and is a lens sold by Lomography itself, which is a 32mm focal length lens mounted on the LOMO LC-A transplanted to the Leica M mount.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Aperture value: 2.8
- Lens construction: 5 elements in 4 groups
- Aperture blades: 8
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.8m
- Leica M rangefinder camera rangefinder coupling: 0.8m
- Lens color variations: silver and black
2．Usability
The focal length of the LOMO LC-A MINITAR-1 Art Lens is 32mm, which is a bit strange, and the M-type viewfinder frame shows 35mm.
When I used it with a Leica M typ240, I remember being disappointed by the cyan discoloration around the edges. When I used it with a Leica M10, the cyan discoloration was not so noticeable, and the sense of incongruity when using it was almost completely eliminated.
At full aperture, the image is sharp in the center and blurry around the edges, which is typical of Lomo, and can be seen digitally. When stopped down, the image is crisp and modern overall.
The LOMO MINITAR-1, which is of unknown origin and is thought to have been transplanted from a lens taken from an LC-A, which I will introduce separately, has a more characteristic lens feel, and I feel that the LOMO MINITAR-1 of unknown origin is more suitable for those who are looking for a characteristic lens.
Since 32mm is an awkward focal length that does not have a typical LEICA viewfinder frame, I feel that it is better to use it with a mirrorless camera rather than with a digital M. For a lens that costs around 30,000 yen, I think it’s a good deal if you’re satisfied with the texture and image quality.
It comes in a stylish box that is typical of Lomo, and a fairly thick booklet is also included. The aperture is continuously variable without clicks, and the aperture lever is a little cheap and has a plastic cover. However, since the price is low, I can’t complain.
The lens is designed to work with the M-type Leica rangefinder, and it is as easy to use as a normal M-mount lens, but it has four distance markings and is also designed to be used at a fixed distance.
The film camera LOMO LC-A+ is now made in China, but is this lens made in China or Russia? I looked for information but couldn’t find it.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the LOMO LC-A MINITAR-1 Art Lens, on a 35mm full-frame sensor, it produces color casts and image distortion at the periphery. It is a lens that is better suited to slightly smaller sensors such as APS-C size sensors. With a conversion magnification of 1.5x, the focal length is equivalent to a 48mm standard lens.
Specification
| Items | MINITAR 1 Art Lens | MINITAR 1 | PERAR 35 |
| Focal length(mm) | 32 | 32 | 35 |
| Max aperture | 2.8 | ← | 3.5 |
| Min aperture | 22 | ← | ← |
| Lens Construction | 4群5枚 | ← | 3群3枚 |
| Leaf blade | 8 | 10 | ← |
| Min distance(m) | 0.8 | ← | 0.7 |
| Lens length(mm) | 18 | 22 | 17.5 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 51 | 60 | 48.6 |
| Filter Size(mm) | 22.5 | ← | ← |
| Hood | – | – | 円筒型ねじ込みフード |
| Release date | 2015 | – | 2010 |
| Production number | – | – | – |
| Weight(g) | 55 | 189 | 70 |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | 28,900 | 25,000(Used actual price) | 44,000 |
Reference links
Update history
- 2025.5.14
- 2024.02.18
- 2023.12.23
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