DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch F1.9 Review: The Super Six Spirit at 38mm

By Keith Wee on August 2, 2026

You can purchase DK-Optics lenses here or thru sending a message to RKenix Creative Studio here.

Introduction

After reviewing the DK-Optic Chiaro 3-inch (76mm) ƒ1.9 and the Impastolite 2-inch (51mm) ƒ1.5, I did feel there was one obvious focal length missing from DK-Optic’s Chiaro series of lenses.

For this review, I am using the coated version of the Chiaro 1.5 inch

And I am thrilled now that gap is filled by the just announced DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9.

The 3-inch (76mm) Chiaro is naturally a portrait lens, capable of producing immense subject separation and a distinctly painterly drawing. The 2-inch (51mm) Impastolite offers the glow, swirl and unpredictability associated with the legendary Dallmeyer Septac. However, neither is what most photographers would consider a conventional everyday focal length.

A most well designed lens reminiscent of the original Septac – the DK-Optic Impastolite

The DK-Optic 1.5 inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 Chiaro changes that.

For photographers like me who naturally see the world through a 35mm focal length, 38mm is close enough to feel immediately familiar. It retains much of the environmental context and spontaneity associated with a 35mm lens while introducing a touch more compression and subject emphasis.

After reviewing both the Chiaro 3-inch and the Impastolite, this was the DK-Optic lens I was genuinely looking forward to, a near 35mm lens for everyday storytelling, environmental portraits and street photography.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

The Chiaro 1.5-inch is DK-Optic’s tribute to the Dallmeyer Super Six 1.5-inch ƒ1.9 (released in the 1930s to 1940s), recreated through the original 6 elements in 4 groups optical design rather than being extensively corrected for modern digital sensors.

I will refer to the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 simply as the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch from this point onwards.

Let us take a deeper look.

I do find the DK-Optic’s wooden boxes a nice touch.

tl:dr

The DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch is a compact, rangefinder-coupled Leica M-mount lens inspired by the legendary Dallmeyer Super Six 1.5-inch ƒ1.9.

It uses a 6 elements in 4 groups optical design, focuses down to 0.75m and has a 10-bladed diaphragm. The aperture ranges from ƒ1.9 to ƒ22 and uses a dampened manual preset mechanism derived from DK-Optic’s experience producing cinema lenses.

At only 188g and 48mm long with its hood mounted, the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch will sit comfortably on any Leica M body and one of the most practical lens DK-Optic has produced (other than the Impastolite).

The Chiaro 3-inch is undoubtedly more dramatic when it comes to subject separation, while the Impastolite has a stronger and more immediately recognisable swirl and glow. However, the 38mm focal length makes this Chiaro much easier to incorporate into everyday photography.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

Wide open at ƒ1.9, the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch gives a look combining a defined in-focus subject with rapid transitions into painterly blur. Stopping down brings a quick increase in contrast and resolving power, giving the lens two rather different personalities.

The DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch is available in both blue-coated and uncoated versions.

However, technical value is not really the point here.

The DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch is for photographers who are not simply looking for another sharp lens. It is for those who want a specific drawing, a more organic transition between subject and background, and an optical personality that reacts visibly to changes in distance, light and background.

Technicalities

DK-Optic presents the Chiaro 1.5 inch as a faithful optical recreation rather than a modern reinterpretation of the original Super Six formula released during the 1930s to 1940s.

Dk-Optics lenses are limited in production numbers (I do wonder who’s holding onto 001, 002 and 003)

The key specifications are as follows:

Focal length of 38mm / 1.5-inch in Leica M-mount
Aperture range from ƒ1.9 to ƒ22
6 elements in 4 groups optical design with 10 aperture blades.
Minimum focusing distance of 0.75m
Aperture mechanism: Dampened manual preset
A 37mm filter size with an included threaded lens hood
Length with hood mounted: 48mm, maximum diameter of 53mm
Approximately 188g without caps
Available optical finishes: Blue-coated and uncoated

The exterior barrel is made from 7075 aerospace-grade aluminium to reduce weight, while the internal focusing helicoid and aperture components are CNC-machined from brass. DK-Optic has also shared that the optical components are made using new old stock glass.

Note that one fits the UV filter first, then the hood.

At 53mm in diameter and only 48mm long with the hood mounted, the lens is appropriately sized for a Leica M. It looks purposeful without becoming oversized, and the 188 grams weight makes it lighter than many modern fast 35mm M-mount lenses. (The Leica Summicron 35mm ASPH goes from 255 grams upwards)

The detachable threaded hood keeps with the vintage-inspired presentation while giving the photographer some control over flare. With a character lens, the hood is not necessarily something one will want to use all the time.

Instead of the distinct clicks familiar to most still-photography lenses, the aperture movement is dampened and designed for smooth adjustment. Some photographers may miss the certainty of conventional click stops. Others, particularly photographers who also work with video, will appreciate the ability to adjust exposure without an abrupt mechanical jump.

Handling & Performance

As an user, the greatest strength of the Chiaro 38mm may not be its maximum aperture or historical inspiration.

It is simply how usable the focal length is.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

Most portrait samples were shot at ƒ1.9 while street-shots at ƒ2.8 to ƒ5.6

A 76mm lens immediately places the photographer into portrait territory. A 51mm lens encourages a more selective, observational style. The 38mm focal length, however, can move between environmental portraiture, street photography and daily documentation without demanding a significant change in approach.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

The DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch is less about isolating a subject from the world and more about giving the subject presence within it.

Leica M bodies do not have dedicated 38mm framelines, so the 35mm framelines will be the most natural reference. The captured frame will be slightly narrower than what appears inside them, but the difference should be manageable after a short period of familiarisation.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

At 188g, the lens balances naturally on a Leica M body. Its relatively short barrel also means that viewfinder obstruction is hardly an issue.

The dampened aperture and brass focusing mechanics give the lens a more deliberate style of handling. This is not necessarily the lens I would choose for fast-changing event coverage where one needs to move rapidly between apertures.

Moreover, I am a focusing tab type of guy

The way the aperture values are designed to not be equally spaced apart is interesting and one handling quirk you need some time getting used to.

Instead, it suits a slower and more considered method of photography.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

The 38mm focal length also presents an interesting optical challenge. Producing obvious subject isolation with a 76mm ƒ1.9 lens is relatively straightforward. Achieving a similar sense of depth at 38mm requires more careful attention to focusing distance, subject placement and background.

Used from too far away, much of the Chiaro’s character will naturally become less obvious.

Move closer, however, and the combination of ƒ1.9, a moderately wide field of view and rapid transitions into blur should give images a distinctive sense of dimensionality without removing all environmental context.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

This is where I see the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch being most effective: photographing a person across a cafe table, a half-body environmental portrait, details along an older street, quiet family moments at home, or a subject positioned within layers of foreground and background elements.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

Following the character of the original Dallmeyer, center sharpness is high, but accompanied by a soft glowing effect, spherical aberration, and creative corner fall-off or swirly bokeh, producing a more painterly and spatial rendering than a conventional modern 35mm lens.

Surprisingly chromatic abberations and flaring is quite decently controlled in the coated version I tested.

Also, the coated version should provide the safer and more contrasty result. Against strong backlight, one should expect the lens to reveal more of its vintage heritage through halation, flare and reduced contrast and the uncoated version takes this behaviour further.

A sample from the UNCOATED version of the DK-Optic Chiaro 3 inch

I will easily recommend the coated version for the more general photographer.

Also, this does not mean that every strongly flared image will automatically be beautiful. Character lenses still require judgement. A busy background, poorly placed highlights or excessive flare can turn an image into a distracting one.

The photographer has to understand how the lens responds to light rather than expecting the lens to correct every situation automatically.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

Stopped down, the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch should become considerably more conventional. Contrast and resolution build quickly, making apertures around ƒ2.8 to ƒ5.6 onwards more suitable for street photography, architecture and general travel documentation.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

A lens that only produces dreamy images can become repetitive. The ability to move from a romantic rendering at ƒ1.9 to a more disciplined output when stopped down makes the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch much more useful than its vintage inspiration might initially suggest.

Personally, I would probably keep it close to maximum aperture whenever the light and subject allow. After all, one does not purchase a Super Six-inspired lens simply to use it permanently at ƒ8.

Conclusions

The DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 completes the Chiaro family in a way that the longer lenses could not.

The DK-Optic Chiaro 3-inch is the obvious portrait specialist. Its 76mm focal length and large image circle (it covers 645 medium format sensors) create an impressive sense of separation, but its size and field of view naturally make it a more specialised lens. The Impastolite 2-inch is perhaps the more overtly characterful lens, with its Septac-inspired glow, swirl and flare. It is a lens which proudly refuses to behave like a modern corrected fifty.

While the DK-Optic Chiaro 3-inch may be less dramatic than either of them, but it is probably the one most photographers will use most often.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

For photographers who prefer the 35mm field of view, the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch offers something especially compelling. It is wide enough to retain context, tight enough to give subjects greater prominence and fast enough to create meaningful separation at closer working distances.

This is not a lens for photographers who prioritise perfect corners, absolute flare resistance, conventional clicked aperture settings or clinical consistency at every distance.

DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on Leica M10-R

The DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5 inch is for photographers who appreciate the difference between sharpness and presence. It is for those who understand that bokeh is not merely the quantity of blur but the quality of the transition into it.

Most importantly, this lens brings the Super Six concept now into a focal length suited to real, everyday photography within the DK-Optic Chiaro series, giving photographers who know exactly what they desire in output the valuable opportunity to own a modern remake of the original almost a century old Super-Six..

Thank you for reading.

You can purchase DK-Optics lenses here or thru sending a message to RKenix Creative Studio here.

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 the DK-Optic Chiaro 1.5-inch (38mm) ƒ1.9 on the Leica M10-R.

3. This review is not sponsored. Just in case, the purchase links shared are out of my goodwill, and I do not earn anything when you make a purchase through them.

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.