MS-Optics

MS-Optics (also known as Miyazaki Optical) is the brainchild of Sadayasu Miyazaki, an independent lens designer based in Chiba, Japan. For the Leica M-mount community, Miyazaki-san is a cult figure known for producing hand-assembled, ultra-compact lenses that defy conventional engineering logic.

MS-Optics lenses are famous for two things: extreme compactness (often called "cap lenses" due to their pancake profile) and eccentric optical character. Unlike the clinically perfect lenses from Leica or the balanced performers from Voigtländer, Miyazaki’s creations are technical outliers—sacrificing ergonomics and corner sharpness to achieve unique signatures (like the Sonnar glow) in the smallest possible form factor.

History

The history of MS-Optics is the story of one man’s retirement project turning into a global phenomenon.

The Conversion Era (2006 to 2010)

Sadayasu Miyazaki began his journey in a basement workshop in Chiba after retiring from a career designing toy telescope optics. He initially gained fame by converting high-quality point-and-shoot lenses (like the Contax T2 Sonnar or Contax G Biogon) to Leica M-mount. These "Miyazaki Conversions" are highly prized today for their quality and the fact that they unlocked autofocus glass for manual rangefinders [[1]].

The Original Designs (2010 to Present)

Around 2010, Miyazaki began releasing his own original optical formulas. His first major hit was the Super Triplet Perar, a lens so thin it looked like a body cap. Since then, he has released small batches (often 300 to 500 units) of various eccentric designs, including ultra-fast f/1.0 primes and modern updates to historic formulas. Every lens is hand-assembled by Miyazaki himself, leading to a "wabi-sabi" variance where no two lenses are exactly 100% identical [[2]].

Product Lines (M-Mount Native)

MS-Optics lenses are generally categorized by their optical formula rather than focal length.

The Perar (Super Triplet)

The "Cap Lens" series. Based on the historic Cooke Triplet design (3 elements), these lenses are impossibly thin.

• Perar 28mm f/4 & 24mm f/4: These are true pancake lenses, often less than 5mm thick.
  • Character: Surprisingly sharp in the center but with heavy vignetting and soft corners, creating a distinct "lomo-fi" aesthetic in a high-quality package.
  • Ergonomics: The aperture lever is often located on the front element, requiring users to adjust exposure with a fingernail [[3]].

The Sonnetar (Sonnar Formula)

Lenses designed to replicate the classic Zeiss Sonnar rendering.

• Sonnetar 50mm f/1.1: A super-fast standard lens.
  • Coma Adjustment: Unique to Miyazaki, this lens features a rear ring that allows the user to manually adjust the spherical aberration (coma) to optimize sharpness for different distances or to deliberately induce soft-focus effects.
  • Rendering: Known for a "wild" bokeh and significant glow wide open, tightening up to sharp performance by f/2.8 [[5]].
• Sonnetar 73mm f/1.5: A compact portrait telephoto that weighs less than a standard 50mm lens.

The Apoqualia (Modern Performance)

Miyazaki’s attempt at high-performance, color-corrected optics.

• Apoqualia 28mm f/2 & 35mm f/1.4: These lenses use high-refractive index glass (Lanthanum) to achieve high speeds in tiny barrels.
• Aperture Shape: Many of these feature a 12+ blade aperture that remains perfectly circular, but some earlier models had "comma" shaped apertures that produced distinct, non-traditional bokeh shapes [[4]].

Technical Specifications

Feature	Specification Details
Native Mount	Leica M-Mount (Hand-machined)
Focus Coupling	Coupled. (Usually 0.8m to Infinity). Note: Coupling accuracy can drift; some lenses may need user-adjustment.
Build Materials	Anodized Aluminum (extremely lightweight, approx 50g–100g).
Aperture Mechanism	Clickless. The aperture ring often rotates with the focus barrel, a polarizing design choice that forces users to "set exposure first, then focus."
Filter Thread	Non-standard. Often 19mm, 34mm, or inverted threads inside the hood.
Coatings	Multi-coated (High transmission, Tantalum glass often used).

Why Photographers Choose MS-Optics

• Ultimate Portability: A Leica M with a Perar 28mm fits in a jacket pocket. It is the only way to make a full-frame rangefinder truly "compact."
• The "Miyazaki Signature": The lenses offer a rendering that is impossible to find elsewhere—combining modern multi-coated contrast with vintage optical flaws (vignetting, field curvature) that give images a distinct personality.
• The "Coma" Adjuster: For tinkerers, the Sonnetar 50mm f/1.1 offers a level of optical control (tuning the lens for front/back focus or softness) that no other manufacturer provides.

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Sources

• [1] Japan Camera Hunter (History & Factory Tour): https://www.japancamerahunter.com/2012/02/ms-optical-japan/
• [2] Japan Exposures (Miyazaki Profile): http://www.japanexposures.com/tag/ms-optical/
• [3] 35mmc (Perar 21mm Review): https://www.35mmc.com/26/12/2016/ms-optics-21mm-f4-5-perar-review/
• [4] Medium (Apoqualia 35mm Review): https://medium.com/@kellydunphotography/my-impressions-of-the-ms-optics-apoqualia-g-35mm-lens-e03672737277
• [5] Jerry Bei (Sonnetar 50mm f/1.1 Review): https://jerrybei.com/reviews/2014/3/31/ms-optical-50mm-f11-sonnetar-for-leica-m