Reproduction of historically famous photographic and cinematic lenses

Initially, we were planning to manufacture the products in China, but we encountered many obstacles and ultimately decided to manufacture them in Tokyo. Unless otherwise stated, lenses are Leica L39 mount rangefinder-linked.

"Kino" (German: Kino, meaning film, cine, cinema) is a general term for lenses and their characteristics used in movies, particularly from the Art Deco period (prewar) to the mid-century period (postwar). They were originally made for shooting kino (movies), rather than stills (photographs).

　When rebuilding from patents, we don't find and fix problems in the old design. However, one change we have made is that we no longer use lead in the glass. We use Ohara Corporation from Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. This is done using a special oil-polished technique called pitch polishing (probably unique to Japan), which leaves the glass scratch-free, resulting in a clear image and no limitations on specs like 8K or 16K. The helicoid is handcrafted by the only craftsman in Japan, and glides effortlessly. The screws are also custom-made. This means it takes time to manufacture each time.

　Photos taken with our lenses will be posted on this website and our YouTube channel will be displayed, so please contact us.

　Since we cannot use names that are subject to trademark rights, we have decided to use a format such as "**DE401630**Dr. Rudolph-Pat." that clearly indicates the source of the data. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. - 2025.3.17

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　From 2027 onwards, we plan to manufacture a P2 with a 75mm lens. This is with medium format use in mind. Currently, we still have 50mm lenses remaining, and including those currently in production, we have three types in stock, so we plan to consider manufacturing the next one after one of them runs out. Alternatively, if there are investors who strongly believe that we should manufacture a 75mm lens, we will manufacture it in 2027 even if we have other stock.

We require payment in advance, so if you are concerned about international shipping after payment, you can come to Tokyo to pick up your order. We do not have a physical store. We will arrange a time and place for pickup in advance.

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　In 2026, we will produce the "院落 Inraku P4 35mm f3.3".

A historic masterpiece of wide-angle macro lense [Makro **DE456912**Dr.Rudolph-Pat.]
「院落」Yinraku P4 35mm f3.3

Detail　　2025.04.17

　It has an infinitely tranquil and delicate depiction, and a unique appearance that makes you feel as if you are peering into the image. It was also produced for a Leica mount. It is probably one of the best macro lenses ever made.

院落 Yinraku P4 35mm f3.3 JPY 280,000 Coated▼ nil▼

　The product will likely be completed around Dec 2026.


Filter diameter 43mm. Minimum shooting distance 50cm(It is about 45cm from the front lens element, and if you use a 5mm close-up ring, you can get as close as 31-22cm.). Aperture blades 6. Actual weight 120g.

　Glass coatings improve lens performance but impair the quality of the image. Therefore, we ordered a custom-made "broadband flat coat" that is nearly uncoated, as shown in the image below. This is not a new invention, as it is a proven method used by well-known optical manufacturers for UV lenses and other applications, and actual lenses are already available. It is the kind of coating used in delicate areas where a coating is not desirable, but is unavoidable. The original lens did not have a coating. All of the glass used is highly weather-resistant. However, the actual lens is vulnerable to backlighting by modern standards, and the wide-angle lens leaves the front open. It seems better to have a coating.


　The original is f/2.7. However, since there is almost no edge thickness, the realistically manufacturable thickness is f/3.3 (curvature and glass remain the same). This causes spherical aberration (cut at the top in the diagram) to go from over to under. Both are slight, but they make a noticeable difference in the depiction. Looking at actual examples, focal lengths of 50mm and above are over, but 35mm is not. And it's dark. However, I believe the designation was standardized to f/2.7 to avoid confusion. Furthermore, the actual focal length was around 37mm, but this naturally happens when the glass thickness is adjusted to match the manufacturing process. It wasn't a design change; the f2.7 design naturally became f3.3 when sent to manufacturing. Since the principle is to avoid changes, we proceeded with manufacturing.

　These two pieces are before they were joined together; G2 has a coating on the front side, and G3 has a coating on the back side. They are indistinguishable from uncoated pieces in reflected light, and perhaps a slight difference might become apparent if the edges were blackened, but in any case, there is almost no difference.

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The best of Continent Kino [Kino **DE401630**Dr.Rudolph-Pat.]
「院落」Yinraku P2 50mm f1.5

Examples our work　Cine　Donated Works　　2024.11.23 Completed

P2 f1.5(Left)、P1 f1.9(Right)

院落 Yinraku P2 50mm f1.5　¥310,000

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Prewar Kino Gauss Standard [Speed Panchro]
「香箋」Kousen G1 50mm f2

detail　　Examples our work　Cine　Donated Works　　2023.03.01 Completed

　This is a masterpiece that has been continuously improved over more than 100 years and is still manufactured by the original Cooke Optics in the UK (the current model is the third generation). The Kousen G1 is the very first of the first generation (the very first of the first generation which underwent many design changes). It has characteristics such as strong chromatic aberration, and seems to fall into the category of a lens that produces a lot of bokeh.

Photographing 香箋 G1 with the 院落 P1 and a Leica M9.

香箋 Kousen G1 50mm f2　JPY 220,000

If fringing appears in still photography, use 霜枝 UG1,
For video, using "Respill" in DaVinci Resolve will remove it (same as UG1).
(Processing applied to our sample images is noted.)

　Although this design dates back to the monochrome era, chromatic aberration is a significant issue even in monochrome, and patent descriptions reveal that this was a subject of debate even then, with repeated attempts to eliminate or add aberration. Hollywood proposed adding chromatic aberration, while the British wanted to eliminate it. In the color era, excessive chromatic aberration became a burden, leading to the evolution to the second generation with a focus on eliminating it. However, with digital technology, fringing can be easily eliminated, and the rich expression achieved through the use of chromatic aberration can be maintained. Therefore, our shop recommends returning to the classic design.

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Kinoshita Optical Laboratory in Tokyo, where we manufacture our lenses, is also reproducing old lens designs from the era of the former Tomioka Optical.

 Since 2012 Photo Cinema reproduct lens [Mu-Yichi-Kyo] is licensed under a Creative Commons 表示 4.0 日本 License.