Light Lens Lab 50mm F1.9 Rigid-ZS6 Review: The Dallmeyer Super-Six Reborn

By Keith Wee on May 25, 2026

Use code KEITHWEE for a 5% discount at Light Lens Lab for a limited time. Every bit of savings counts.

Introduction

There are lenses made to measure, and there are lenses made to remember.

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-ZS6” belongs very much to the second category. At a time when modern optics have reached levels of sharpness, correction, and consistency that would have seemed unimaginable a few decades ago, Light Lens Lab continues to occupy a rather interesting space: recreating the emotional imperfection of historically significant lenses, but with mechanical construction and usability that suit modern rangefinder photography.

It is important to note this review is based on the Low Contrast version of the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-ZS6”

The 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-ZS6” is Light Lens Lab’s homage to the Dallmeyer Super-Six 2-inch ƒ1.9, with the Super Six series associated with speed, shallow depth of field, and a recognisable vintage rendering. The originals were produced around the 1930s to 1950s, making the oldest piece close to a century old today.

*for brevity’s sake, I will be referring to the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-ZS6” as the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 from this point onwards.

In Light Lens Lab’s own words, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 is conceived as a tribute to the original Super-Six optical formula and its distinctive rendering, while housed within the mechanical framework of its 50mm ƒ2 “Rigid” series. To me, this implies the project is not merely an exercise in replicating a vintage lens, but an attempt to take a historically charismatic optical design and reimagining it into something practical for use on modern Leica M bodies.

Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

The Light Lens Lab ‘Rigid’ project

Not said often enough, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid ZS6” continues Light Lens Lab’s broader “Rigid” project, intended to house different historically significant optical formulas under a unified mechanical platform. According to Light Lens Lab, the 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-Super-Six” follows the 50mm f/2 “Rigid” (my review is linked) and 50mm ƒ2 “Rigid-SPII”, with further optical formulas such as a 50mm ƒ1.9 “S5” and a 50mm ƒ2 Apochromat under development.

My set of the Light Lens Lab “Rigid”, another lens from the series.

I personally find it interesting looking at Light Lens Lab’s approach to resurrecting classics not as museum pieces, but as working and affordable photographic tools.

Let’s take a closer look.

Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

tl:dr

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-ZS6” is a modern M-mount recreation inspired by the Dallmeyer Super-Six 2-Inch ƒ1.9, built around a classic double-Gaussian configuration. Light Lens Lab states that it has been refined for digital use while retaining the distinctive Super-Six rendering, including bokeh characteristics and a classical colour signature.

This is not a lens for photographers seeking perfect clinical sharpness from corner to corner, in fact the lens flares quite easily with a generous amount of chromatic aberration. Rather, it is for those who enjoy character: glow, fall-off, vintage tonal behaviour, and the kind of rendering that adds a cinematic feel without requiring much work in post-processing; or simply fans of the original Dallmeyer.

A first time for Light Lens Lab is that the 50mm ƒ1.9 comes in two optically different versions: a Standard version and a Low Contrast version. The Low Contrast variant is intended to preserve greater highlight and shadow detail, giving a more film-like tonal response and emphasising the original Super-Six character.

I can best describe the low-contrast version as ‘sharp enough’ too

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 is priced as an enthusiast’s character lens rather than an inaccessible collector’s item. For Leica M users who already have a modern 50mm Summicron, Summilux or equivalent high-performance lens, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 is unlikely to replace them. Instead, it offers something different: a deliberately imperfect rendering tool for portraits, quiet documentary work, film-inspired colour, and images where the ‘atmosphere’ (using Light Lens Lab’s words) matters as much as resolution.

Technicalities

For full-frame Leica M-mount
Optical design of 6 elements in 4 groups
F1.9 to F22 in half stop increments
11 aperture blades design
Minimum focusing distance of 0.7m
39mm filter size with a separately available clip-on hood
45mm (L) x 54mm (Diameter) at 263 grams approximately
Available in 2 versions: the Standard and Low Contrast

source: Light Lens Lab

Light Lens Lab describes the optical design as being based on a classic double-Gaussian configuration, refined to preserve the Super-Six rendering while improving centre sharpness for modern digital sensors.

The balance here is intriguing, too much correction for modern sensors/users, and the lens loses the very character that made the original worth revisiting. Too little refinement, and it becomes a novelty lens: charming for a few frames, but difficult to rely on.

Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

Handling & performance

The low-contrast version was used on the Leica M9-P for this review.

A question I have seen floating online is why house the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 in the ‘Rigid’ platform. A key reason is simply that this design has been mechanically tested to be reliable enough and also that as part of Light Lens Lab’s Rigid Series project mentioned above, this is an endeavour by Light Lens Lab to accommodate historically significant lenses into the ‘Rigid’ platform.

For Leica M users like me who are pragmatic, this matters. The optical design may be the emotional reason one buys the lens, but the mechanical design is what determines whether one continues to use it.

At approximately 263g without accessories, with a 45mm length and 54mm diameter, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 sits comfortably within what I consider the sweet spot for M-mount 50mm lenses. It is neither an ultra-compact pancake-like lens nor a heavy fast 50. On a Leica M body, this gives a well-balanced everyday lens option

The minimum focusing distance of 0.7m is also practical though it does not offer the close-focusing ability of newer Leica M lenses.

The more distinctive handling point is the half-stop increments. It also reinforces the vintage-inspired nature of the lens. In practice, this design can slow the photographer down slightly, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 is unlikely to be chosen for high-speed event coverage anyway.

The infinity lock mechanism is also a hate-it-to-hell or love-it-to-bits design. Personally I do not like it as it impedes how I handle the lens but I am sure there’s someone out there raving about having an infinity lock.

The choice between the Standard and Low Contrast versions is likely to be the more meaningful decision.

The Standard version should appeal to photographers who want the Super-Six character while having more contrast and immediacy. It would likely be the safer choice for general digital use, particularly for users who want files that require less adjustment in post.

See the Asterix there?

The Low Contrast version, marked with an asterisk on the front ring, is more intriguing. Light Lens Lab states that this version preserves greater highlight and shadow detail and emphasises a more film-like tonal response. This suggests a lens that may be especially attractive for photographers who enjoy gentler transitions, softer contrast, and a more malleable file.

at ƒ1.9 – Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

at ƒ2.8 – Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

at ƒ4 – Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

at ƒ5.6 – Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

For black-and-white photographers, the Low Contrast version may be particularly interesting. A lower-contrast optical signature can sometimes offer more room to shape tonal relationships in post, especially when highlights are involved. For colour photographers, it may lend itself well to muted palettes, soft evening light, and portraits where a more romantic rendering is desired.

at ƒ1.9 – Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

I do not have an original Dallmeyer 2-inch on hand now for a side-by-side, however you can take a look at Light Lens Lab’s development page where there’s a set of comparison samples.

Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 is not likely to be the obvious choice for architecture, flat-field reproduction, or situations where edge-to-edge correction is the priority. The appeal lies elsewhere: in character, separation, bokeh behaviour, tonal signature, and the impressionistic quality that vintage-inspired optics can bring to otherwise ordinary scenes.

Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

This is a lens I imagine using for environmental portraits, quiet street photography, family scenes, cafes, pet portraits, older neighbourhoods, and low-contrast afternoon light. The 50mm focal length is familiar, while the ƒ1.9 aperture gives just enough speed and subject separation without making the lens physically unwieldy.

Conclusion

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “Rigid-ZS6” is a worthy addition to the growing world of modern vintage-inspired M-mount lenses, especially one inspired by the Dallmeyer Super-Six 2 inch.

What makes it compelling is not simply that it references the Dallmeyer Super-Six. It is that Light Lens Lab appears to understand the delicate line between homage and usability. The company is not merely reviving an old optical formula for collectors to admire. It is adapting that rendering into a compact, brass-bodied, M-mount lens that can be used on today’s cameras.

Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 ZS6 on Leica M9-P

This matters to users, whom might not be keen to handle the issues associated with an aged 90 years old lens or simply not keen to accept the higher prices of a collectible lens.

The availability of both Standard and Low Contrast versions is also clever. It recognises that “vintage rendering” is not one fixed thing. Some photographers want the classic look but with enough contrast for modern digital workflows. Others want the gentler tonal behaviour, softer transitions, and lower-contrast response associated with older glass and film-era aesthetics.

And perhaps that is the point. Not every photograph needs to be technically perfect. Some photographs benefit from a little softness, a little glow, a little swirl, and a rendering that feels as if it has already passed through memory before arriving on the sensor.

The Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 will not be for everyone. Those seeking modern perfection should look elsewhere. But for photographers who enjoy the emotional side of lens rendering, who appreciate the imperfections of older designs, and who want a 50mm lens that gives images a more cinematic, painterly, and nostalgic signature, this may turn out to be one an interesting offer from Light Lens Lab to you.

In a world of lenses that increasingly strive to look the same, the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “ZS6” remembers a different kind of beauty and maybe that is the key point after-all.

Thank you for reading.

Use code KEITHWEE for a 5% discount at Light Lens Lab for a limited time. Every bit of savings counts.

My other Light Lens Lab reviews worth exploring:

Light Lens Lab 35mm F1.4 Aspherical “11873” review – a modern tribute to a legendary lens.
Light Lens Lab 50mm F2 Speed Panchro II – Reviving the cinematic classic.
First Impressions of the Light Lens Lab 50mm F1.2 ASPH (1966) – recreating the mythical
Reimagining Vintage: Light Lens Lab 28mm ƒ2.8 Lens Review

Disclaimers:

1. All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos.

2. All images were shot with my personal sets of the Light Lens Lab 50mm ƒ1.9 “ZS6” on the Leica M9-P.

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

5. The best way to support me is to share the review, or you can always help support me by contributing to my fees to WordPress for the domain using the Paypal button at the bottom of the page.