Camera Geekery: New MS-Optics Apoqualia 28mm f/1.7

That’s right, it is new lens time. And this time Miyazaki Sensei isn’t working alone. As he is now 83 years old, he has decided to hand over the mantle to his Grandson, who he has been training up for the last couple of years. And this is the first lens they have produced together, keeping the MS-Optics legacy going.

Introducing the Apoqualia 28mm 1.7 Full MC lens for Leica M mount. And it is a little beauty. It is the next evolution of the remarkable 28mm f2 Apoqualia, which quickly became Miyazaki Sensei’s most popular lens.

The 1.7/28 large aperture lens with a thickness of 10.2mm is one-fifth the weight of the most current retrofocus lenses, and at mere 60g, this lens is extremely mobile.
This time too, the front is fully multi-coated and you can enjoy the beautiful raw colors. The number of aperture blades is 12, and the astigmatism is 0, so the image quality and front and rear bokeh are excellent. In addition, close-up photography is possible up to 40 cm.

Specs

  • 6 elements in 4 groups Gauss, FL: 28.8mm f1.73
  • All surfaces multi-coated
  • Leica M mount Focus range: ∞~0.4m (RF coupling to 0.8m)
  • Filter size: 34mm pitch 0.75 reverse screw
  • Weight, 60 grams, 65 grams with hood.

Check out the description and MFT charts from Miyazaki below. As you can see this lens is the next evolution of the original 28mm Apoqualia. A stop faster whilst maintaining the small size. The lens element itself is larger than the previous lens, though it retains the same optical formula.

Apoqualia 28mm f/1.7 @ f/1.7

Test images coming soon (as soon as my card reader stops messing me about). We will do a full review in the near future.

The Future of MS Optics

It is really heartening to see the family are keeping the business alive. Miyazaki sensei’s grandson is working very diligently to learn everything about MS lenses and optical mechanics. And he has brought fresh ideas to the business too. The build quality has definitely improved and the Quality Control has too. Communication is much improved as well which means we can do our QC much faster.

As the next step for MS-Optics this is a very positive move forward. This lens is a great performer and an excellent replacement for the original Apoqualia 28mm. I look forward to seeing what else comes in the future.

If you would like one of these incredible lenses then you can order one by clicking here.

These lenses are being made to order at the moment and there is a wait of approximately 2 weeks between ordering and shipping of the lenses as we want to test them all to make sure they are in perfect condition. Thank you for your patience. Each lens is tested and there is a 1 year service warranty on each lens. 

JCH