Lomography Russar+ 20mm f/5.6 lens officially announced

Lomography has announced a new Zenit-made lens for Leica L39 and M-mount cameras, called Russar+, which represents “the rebirth of the legendary Russar MR-2” wide-angle lens.

Reviving older lenses is a business strategy that seems to be working for Lomography. The company has brought back the Petzval lens, an 85mm f/2.2 model, in 2013 and now it is time for another optic.

The Lomography Russar+ has just become official as the “rebirth of the legendary Russar MR-2 lens”. It will become available this summer for Leica L39 and M-mount cameras.

Lomography and Zenit reinvent the Russar MR-2 wide-angle lens

Lomography Russar+ 20mm f/5.6 lens is the rebirth of the 1958 Russar MR-2 wide-angle lens. It will be released for Leica L39 and M cameras this summer.

The press release states that the Russar MR-2 is a lens designed by Mikhail Mikhailovich Rusinov, a Russian engineer who is considered the “father” of wide-angle lens designs. Curious minds can find out more information about him on the web under the name of Michael Roosinov or Mikhail Rusinov.

The original Russar had been released in 1958, a time when it was known as a lens with amazing optical quality. Lomography’s new model is said to be built on its legacy by providing warm and vibrant colors, control over distortion and lighting, as well as great vignetting.

Street, landscape, and architecture photographers will surely love this product, which will be manufactured by Zenit out of brass.

New Lomography Russar+ lens features 20mm focal length and f/5.6 aperture

Lomography Russar+ lens offers a focal length of 20mm and a maximum aperture of f/5.6, while the minimum aperture will be f/22.

Its construction is relatively different from the original. This has been necessary in order to make it more durable and to support more cameras.

Although it has been designed for L39 and M mounts, users can mount the optic on a host of other shooters, including the Sony A7 and A7R, with the help of lens adapters.

Lomography Russar+ 20mm f/5.6 lens release date and price revealed

Zenit and Lomography have done a great job in reinventing this lens. Its internal design is still based on six glass elements divided into four groups, as originally envisioned by the Russian engineer.

This vintage lens offers a distortion as little as 0.09%, which makes it perfect for the aforementioned photography types.

The new Lomography Russar+ 20mm f/5.6 lens will be released in July 2014 for a price of $649. The good thing is that potential buyers can already pre-order it at the company’s official store.