Chinese optics company Mandler, re-stocked the 35mm f/2 “7 Elements”: a 35mm f/2 prime lens modeled after the Leica Summicron 35mm f/2, originally designed by Dr. Walter Mandler and manufactured by Leica from 1979 through the late 1990s. The company takes its name directly from that lineage. Walter Mandler (1922–2005) was a German-born optical engineer who moved to Canada in 1952 when Ernst Leitz established operations there. He remained in Canada for the rest of his life and is credited with designing more than 45 Leica lenses. His principal contribution to the field was the application of computer-aided design to optical engineering, particularly in the optimization of Double-Gauss configurations — the same optical structure at the heart of the Summicron 35mm f/2.

The Mandler 35mm f/2 “7 Elements” replicates that structure: a classic double Gaussian arrangement of seven elements in five groups, with a purple-gold coating. The lens is built in aluminum alloy, weighs approximately 139 grams, and is available in Leica M-Mount and LTM versions. Technical specifications include a maximum aperture of f/2, minimum aperture of f/16, a minimum focusing distance of 0.7 meters, a 64-degree diagonal field of view, ten aperture blades, and a 39mm filter thread. Accessories bundled with the lens include a metal round hood, a plastic square hood, a UV filter, a metal cap, and a storage container.

According to the manufacturer, the lens performs well at the center when shot wide open at f/2, with visible vignetting and pronounced bokeh in the corners. At f/4, vignetting diminishes and overall sharpness improves. At f/8, performance is described as consistent across the entire frame. The company states that its optical components have been redesigned to meet professional standards and that specialized instruments are used in both production and inspection.

The original Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 seven-element lens — sometimes called the “King of Bokeh” — was discontinued in 1996 and has continued to appreciate in value on the secondary market. Depending on condition and variant, used examples regularly sell for more than $2,000, with chrome versions often exceeding $3,000. The Mandler lens is offered at a substantially lower price: the aluminum Leica M-Mount version in silver is listed at $378; the black LTM version is $388, the silver LTM is $418, and the black M-Mount version, when available, is $348. A chrome-plated brass version — available in both M-Mount and LTM — is priced at $538 and $578 respectively.