LOMO x ZENIT NEW RUSSAR+ 20mm F5.6
Review of using the NEW RUSSAR+ 20mm f/5.6 (LOMO / Lomography version) with a Leica M digital camera.
Table of contents
Gallery
ギャラリー
- The example photos were taken with a Panasonic DMC-GM5 and a HASSELBLAD X2D.
Review
1．Overview
The LOMO x ZENIT NEW RUSSAR+ 20mm F5.6 is a reproduction of the classic Russar lens, commissioned by LOMO (Lomography) to the Russian company ZENIT.
The main specifications are as follows, and details are listed in the table.
- Maximum aperture: 5.6
- Lens construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
- Aperture blades: 7
- Minimum focusing distance: 0.5m
- Leica M rangefinder camera rangefinder not linked
- Hood: None
- Lens color variations: Silver
RUSSAR, which is imported from Russia and sold commercially outside of the LOMO brand, comes in black and silver color variations, and many of them show signs of wear and tear due to aging. This lens appears to have a redesigned barrel, and has a beautiful glossy silver color.
2．Usability
The appeal of the LOMO x ZENIT NEW RUSSAR+ 20mm F5.6 is that it has a symmetrical lens construction, which results in little distortion in the depiction.
When shooting with a digital camera, depending on the sensor installed in the camera, a large color cast may occur, as with the HOLOGON 16mm, Super Angulon M 21mm, and BIOG-G 21mm, and this is particularly noticeable in blue skies and dim scenes. This becomes less noticeable when converted to monochrome, so one option is to shoot with monochrome in mind.
I would like to attach a filter to protect the powerful convex lens, but the disadvantage is that the aperture does not move when a filter is attached.
Unfortunately, the minimum shooting distance is 0.5m, the same as the previous version, but if you have a mirrorless camera, you can avoid this by using a mount adapter with an auxiliary helicoid.
When used with M4/3 (Micro Four Thirds) or APS-C sensors with small sensor sizes, the periphery is cropped, so the color cast problem is eliminated. Since the lens is compact, when attached to a small camera body, it looks like an old compact camera, which is very good as a snapshot camera.
The gallery shows the results of shooting with Micro Four Thirds and HASSELBALD X2D.
The HASSELBALD X2D, which has a large sensor size, does not have a sufficient image circle like the HOLOGON 16mm, but does not produce color cast. This is probably thanks to the new sensor. It’s a happy event that will increase the frequency of use of the lens.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up LOMO x ZENIT NEW RUSSAR+ 20mm F5.6, it is a compact wide-angle lens with a lens length of 23mm.
The good thing about it is that it has a symmetrical lens construction and does not notice distortion of the subject.
The bad thing about it is that it has noticeable vignetting, and depending on the digital camera’s sensor, it may cause a color cast in the peripheral areas.
Specification
| Item | Value | note |
| focal length(mm) | 19.3 | |
| Maximum aperture | 5.6 | |
| Minimum aperture | 22 | |
| Lens configuration | 4groups 6elements | |
| Minimum distance(m) | 0.5 | Not linked to camera rangefinder |
| Lens length(mm) | 23 | |
| Lens max diameter(mm) | 53 | |
| Filter diameter(mm) | 49 | Aperture cannot be operated when filter is attached |
| Weight(g) | 112 | Lens + L-M mount adapter |
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.05.05
- 2023.01.05
Affiliate links
- Amazon Affiliate Link/ Keyword=Leica Lens
- Amazon Affiliate Link/ Keyword=Leica books
- Amazon Affiliate Link / Keyword=lomography lens
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