Leitz announced today three additions to the HUGO II lineup of cinematic lenses: the 66mm T2.1, 75mm T2.1 and 90mm T2.1.
Named for their slower apertures, the HUGO II lenses offer size advantages and a slightly different look at 75mm and 90mm, while at 66mm they introduce a new option that fills the gap between 50mm and 75mm.
The Leitz HUGO 66mm T2.1 lens is based on the legendary “spy lens” created by legendary Leica lens designer Walter Mandler for the US Navy during the Cold War. It is estimated that fewer than 200 were produced, as it was created for ultra-high resolution imaging and was never sold to the public. The HUGO 66mm T2.1 joins the series with only slight modifications to Mandler’s original design. Though considered extremely sharp for its time, the images are remarkably consistent with the characteristics of modern HUGO lenses.
The Leitz HUGO 75mm T2.1 and 90mm T2.1 are derived from Leica Summicron-M lenses. Being one stop slower than the T1.5 lenses, they are significantly shorter and lighter, and are roughly the same size as the rest of the T1.5 wider than 50mm lenses. The housing design for these lenses makes it possible to convert a full set of Leitz M 0.8 lenses into the HUGO without sacrificing the longer focal length.
With the addition of the HUGO II series, the HUGO lens family now consists of 13 focal lengths ranging from 18mm to 135mm. The lenses are available in LPL mount, or the Leica L-mount.
