Mandler 35mm f/2 back in stock starting February 26th - a budget Summicron-M 35mm f/2 V4 alternative

A very budget alternative to the Summicron-M 35mm f/2 V4 "King Of Bokeh"

We've just received the notification that the Mandler 35mm f/2 lenses are back in stock starting February 26th. Right now they get sold out quickly. Grab them while they're still in stock at the Mandler Store.

The Mandler 35mm f/2 "7 Elements" is a lens that is a copy of the 35mm f/2 Summicron "King Of Bokeh" / 7 elements. The focus is smooth, and the aperture is ever so slightly loose like the Leica counterpart, according to Matt Osborne (MrLeica [1]) The lens comes with a nice box, a hard plastic container and has a purple-gold coating, just like the Summicron.

Mandler (operating commercially as MANDLER) is a boutique optical brand based in China that specializes in the production of high-quality manual focus lenses for the Leica M-mount system. The brand name is a direct homage to Dr. Walter Mandler (1922–2005), the legendary optical designer who served as the head of design at Ernst Leitz Canada (Leica) for decades. Mandler positions itself as a "tribute" brand, similar to Light Lens Lab.

This lens produces a classic / vintage style rendering, close to the V4 Summicron made between 1979-1996. The bokeh has a soft, organic falloff rather than a clinical modern look. This lens exhibits subtle glow wide open, adding character for portraits and street work, which is also what the v4 KOB is known for. Another cool feature is that this lens is also available in the LTM mount, which will most certainly make a group of Leica shooters very happy!

I can imagine a couple of uses for this lens. E.g. if you want to find out how the v4 Summicron handles and renders for a lower price point of $349 for the aluminum version, and $549 for the brass version. The aluminum version is even lighter, which in my opinion is a plus, for travel, which also goes hand-in-hand with the lower price. If you travel, it is nice to have less expensive gear and could be a nice substitute for your Summicron, in case it gets stolen or damaged. Chinese optics have been improving in quality since the last few years. I've tested Thypoch lenses and they really are not inferior in build quality to some of the western manufacturers, e.g. Voigtländer. A good way to get character lenses without "collector" pricing!

Want to grab this lens? Visit the Mandler Store!

Disclaimer: We have not personally tested this lens yet, but we'll certainly be buying one to test out, so keep your eye on the website and later this spring a review will pop up. Or subscribe to the RSS feed!.

Sources:

• MrLeica YouTube video about the Mandler 35mm f/2 [1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtZIWhLplE)