Shoten Koubou announced the company’s first interchangeable lens, the “SHOTEN TRIBUTE 01 – LTM50mm f/1.1,” under its own brand “SHOTEN.” The suggested retail price is 142,000 yen (including tax).
“TRIBUTE 01” is the first lens in SHOTEN’s newly launched “TRIBUTE” series. The motif for this lens is the “Zunow 50mm F1.1,” which appeared in the 1950s and is considered one of the essential lenses when discussing Japanese-made ultra-large aperture lenses.
Designed in Collaboration with Lens Creators
This product was developed in collaboration with lens creator “Chūkyōshi DJ” as a tribute to the distinctive rendering style of the Zunow 50mm F1.1. Rather than simply reproducing the lens of yesteryear, it has been reconstructed to be a lens that can be enjoyed in modern photography while inheriting its rendering philosophy and presence.
Featuring a classic appearance, a striking rear element, and the dreamy rendering it produces at its wide-open f/1.1 aperture, this is SHOTEN’s first interchangeable lens that not only takes beautiful pictures but also allows you to enjoy the time spent thinking about “what kind of shot I want to take with this lens.”
First lens in TRIBUTE series, born out of respect for the Zunow 50mm F1.1.
As the name “TRIBUTE” suggests, the starting point of this series is a tribute to legendary lenses of the past. For the motif of the first lens, we chose the “Zunow 50mm F1.1,” known as a Japanese-made ultra-large aperture lens from the 1950s.
The Shoten TRIBUTE 01 draws inspiration from the unique rendering characteristics of the original lens, while reconstructing it as a modern lens. Rather than thoroughly suppressing aberrations like modern lenses, its distinctive feature is that it is designed to allow users to enjoy the soft diffusion of light and a sense of atmosphere as photographic expression.
Widest aperture of F1.1
The main appeal of the TRIBUTE 01 lies in its ability to produce varying image quality depending on the aperture. At its widest aperture of F1.1, it offers a soft glow, a hazy, atmospheric feel, and a dreamy expression thanks to its shallow depth of field.
Whether you’re capturing a person bathed in light in a twilight city, aiming to show an expression that stands out against the backdrop of nighttime lights, or transforming everyday snapshots into slightly dreamlike images, the F1.1 aperture allows for a range of expressive photography.
On the other hand, stopping down the aperture gradually brings out the sharpness of the image. While it’s a single lens, the impression of the photograph changes depending on the aperture, light, and distance to the subject. This is a lens that allows you to enjoy the process of exploring your own expression rather than expecting a perfectly finished image before shooting.
Protruding Element Pays Homage to Inspiration
The Shoten TRIBUTE 01 pays homage to classic large-aperture lenses not only in its image quality but also in its appearance.
The lens barrel, a combination of brass and aluminum, features a design that emphasizes a classic appearance and operability. The aperture ring is equipped with a click mechanism. Furthermore, the rear of the lens incorporates a shape reminiscent of the large, protruding rear element of the early Zunow 50mm F1.1, which was sometimes called the “ping-pong ball.”
The lens body and dedicated lens hood feature the “TRIBUTE” logo, symbolizing the new series. The accessories also adopt a classic design, and the outer box has a special design based on red. From the lens body to the accessories and packaging, the world of “TRIBUTE 01” has been pursued.
Enjoy with two mounts: Leica M and L39.
The TRIBUTE 01 comes with an L39-M conversion ring. With the conversion ring attached, it is compatible with Leica M mount lenses, and when the ring is removed, it can be used as a Leica screw mount (L39) lens.
It can be used with Leica M-type cameras and other L39 mount rangefinder cameras. The easy-to-use 50mm focal length makes it suitable for a wide range of photography, from portraits and everyday snapshots to nightscapes.
Minimum focusing distance of 0.5m. Allows for soft, large bokeh in close-up shots.
While most lenses for Leica M-mount cameras have a minimum focusing distance of 0.7m, this lens supports close-up photography down to 0.5m. By getting closer to your subject, you can enjoy expressive photography that takes advantage of the large, soft bokeh unique to a large F1.1 aperture.
*The rangefinder does not couple at shooting distances between 0.5m and less than 0.7m. When shooting in this range, you need to check the focus using live view.
Rangefinder coupling position can be fine-tuned by the user.
The Shoten TRIBUTE 01 – LTM50mm f/1.1 features an adjustment mechanism that allows the user to fine-tune the rangefinder coupling position themselves.
If there is a slight discrepancy between the focus point indicated by the rangefinder and the actual focus point due to the combination with the camera body or individual differences, you can fine-tune the focus (front focus, back focus, etc.) by operating the adjustment ring on the rear of the lens. This allows you to adjust the focus to suit the camera you are using and the distances you frequently shoot at.
SHOTEN TRIBUTE 01 Main specifications
| Compatible mounts | Leica M / L39 |
| Compatible imaging screen size | 35mm full frame |
| focal length | 50mm |
| focus | MF (Manual Focus) *Rangefinder coupled type |
| Rangefinder coupling range | ∞ to 0.7m (varies depending on the camera) |
| aperture | F1.1-F16 |
| Aperture blades | 13 sheets |
| Minimum focusing distance | 0.5m |
| filter diameter | 52mm |
| size | Approximately Φ62 x 44.5 mm (excluding mounting part and protrusions) |
| mass | Approximately 308g |
| accessories | Front and rear caps, lens hood, lens case, L39-M adapter ring |
| Manufacturer’s warranty | 2 years (covers natural failures) |
| Precautions | Although this lens is rangefinder-coupled, there may be a difference between the focus position indicated by the rangefinder and the best focus position on the image sensor due to the lens’s inherent optical characteristics and shooting conditions. Perfect agreement cannot be guaranteed under all conditions. |
